[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 147 (Tuesday, August 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 43474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12293]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 072606F]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) 
Groundfish Oversight Committee will meet to consider actions affecting 
New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Thursday, August 24, 2006, at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Eastland Park Hotel, 157 
High Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: (207) 775-5411.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The items of discussion in the committee's 
agenda are as follows:
    1. The Groundfish Oversight Committee will meet to begin discussion 
of the next adjustment to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP). The most recent amendment to this FMP adopted measures to 
rebuild groundfish stocks and called for an evaluation of rebuilding 
progress in 2008, with any adjustments to measures to be implemented on 
May 1, 2009. These changes will be supported by updated stock 
assessments and an evaluation of biological reference points. The 
Committee will review issues related to scheduling of these assessments 
and their interaction with management actions. The Committee will also 
consider whether the adjustment should be an amendment or a framework 
action, and may begin the process of identifying the types of measures 
that will be considered. A recommendation for timing of the assessments 
and a plan for the management action will be presented to the New 
England Fishery Management Council for review at its September 26-28, 
2006 meeting in Peabody, MA.
    2. A second issue to be addressed by the Committee will be a 
follow-up to an issue addressed in Framework Adjustment 42 (FW 42) to 
the FMP. FW 42 is under review by NOAA Fisheries. One of the Council's 
recommendations in that action requires the Committee to develop a 
standard to be used for the approval of additional gear that can be 
used in the Eastern U.S./Canada Haddock Special Access Program. The 
Committee will work to develop such a standard so that it can be 
quickly implemented should that measure be approved. The Committee's 
work on this issue will also be considered by the Council in September.
    3. The Committee will also receive a report on recent assessments 
of Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock, and Georges Bank yellowtail 
flounder that were completed by the Transboundary Resource Assessment 
Committee. These assessments will be used to establish total allowable 
catch limits for these stocks that will be used in fishing year 2007.
    4. The Committee may review and develop comments on the proposed 
rule for FW 42.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action 
under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Paul J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days 
prior to the meeting date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: July 27, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-12293 Filed 7-31-06; 8:45 am]
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