[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51577-51578]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14461]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 082506B]


New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC); 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 (Council) will hold 
a 3-day Council meeting to consider actions affecting New England 
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 26 beginning at 9 
a.m., and Wednesday and Thursday, September 27 and 28, beginning at 
8:30 a.m., each day.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, One Newbury 
Street, Peabody, MA 01960; telephone: (978)535-4600.Council address: 
New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, 
Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

    Following introductions, the Council will hold elections for 2006-
07 officers. A series of brief reports will follow from the Council 
Chairman and Executive Director, the NOAA Northeast Regional 
Administrator, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel and 
representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA Enforcement, the Atlantic 
States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Scallop Survey Advisory Panel 
and the Northeast Multispecies Capacity Reduction Committee. During 
this morning session, the Council also will receive a report from the 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center on recent oceanographic variability 
in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank regions and the implications for 
fisheries. The Council will then review and approve the following for 
inclusion in phase I of the NEFMC's Essential Fish Habitat Omnibus 
Amendment: essential fish habitat designation alternatives for red crab 
and Atlantic salmon; alternatives for habitat areas of particular 
concern

[[Page 51578]]

(HAPCs); the prey species-related sections of the amendment, as well as 
the non-fishing impacts section. The Council's Sea Scallop Committee 
intends to recommend approval of final alternatives to be considered 
and analyzed in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
to accompany Amendment 11 to the Scallop Fishery Management Plan. This 
will be followed by a presentation on the updated estimate of 
exploitable scallop biomass in the Elephant Trunk area.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

    During the morning session, the Council's Research Steering 
Committee Chairman will report on the committee's recommendations 
concerning the use of information provided in several cooperative 
research final reports. This will be followed by a presentation on the 
recent activities of the Northeast Cooperative Research Partners 
Program. The rest of the morning session will be used to discuss the 
Groundfish Committee's report. Items will include possible action on 
recommendations for the 2009 Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Plan 
adjustment as well as consideration of recommendations concerning 
standards for approving additional gear for the Eastern U.S./Canada 
Haddock Special Access Program. During the afternoon portion of the 
meeting, there will be a presentation on the results of the 43rd Stock 
Assessment Workshop/Stock Assessment Review Committee meeting. Species 
to be addressed include dogfish, red crab and black sea bass. A report 
on the results of the Transboundary Resource Assessment Committee's 
findings on the status of Eastern Georges Bank cod, haddock and 
yellowtail flounder will follow. The Council will then consider and 
could approve the recommendations of the Transboundary Management 
Guidance Committee for fishing year 2007 Total Allowable Catches for 
yellowtail flounder, cod and haddock caught in the U.S./Canada area. 
The day will conclude with a report from the Standard Bycatch Reporting 
Methodology (SBRM) Committee on the development of an amendment to 
implement an SBRM process across all NEFMC fishery management plans 
(FMPs). This will include comments from the Council's Scientific and 
Statistical Committee on a recommended approach and the selection of 
preferred alternatives.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

    The Council will spend the morning session on Atlantic herring 
management issues. Members will consider final recommendations for 
multi-year fishery specifications (2007-09). Beforehand, members will 
consider the recommendations of the Herring Committee, Advisory Panel 
and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Herring Section. During 
the afternoon session, the Council will receive a summary of the 
comments collected during recent scoping meetings on the management of 
small mesh multispecies. Following this review, members will provide 
guidance to the Small Mesh Multispecies Committee as they move forward 
to develop a fishery management plan amendment. The Skate Annual Review 
will follow in which the status of the seven species managed through 
the Skate Fishery Management Plan will be discussed, along with any 
necessary actions that might be required. Prior to adjournment, there 
will be consideration of a recommendation to NOAA Fisheries to initiate 
a data collection program for the hagfish fishery.
    Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda 
may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be 
the subjects of formal action during this meeting. Council action will 
be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and 
any issues arising after publication of this notice that require 
emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, 
provided that 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.

    Dated: August 25, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-14461 Filed 8-29-06; 8:45 am]
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