[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 209 (Monday, October 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 63288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18091]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 102306E]


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 (Council) will hold 
a three-day Council meeting on November 14-16, 2006, to consider 
actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone 
(EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2006, 
beginning at 9 a.m., and Wednesday and Thursday, November 15 and 16, 
2006, beginning at 8:30 a.m. each day.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Tavern on the Harbor, 30 
Western Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930; telephone: (978) 283-4200.
    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, November 14, 2006

    Following introductions, the Council will hear a series of brief 
reports 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 and the Northeast 
Multispecies Capacity Reduction Committee. During this morning session, 
the Council also will receive a report its Habitat Committee. The 
committee chairman may ask the Council to approve an additional habitat 
area of particular concern alternative for inclusion in the Essential 
Fish Habitat Omnibus Amendment under development. This will be followed 
by two presentations on ecosystem-based fisheries management. The 
morning session will conclude with discussion and approval of Council 
management actions for 2007.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

    During the morning session, the Council will consider final action 
on Framework 4 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Framework 
4 includes alternatives for target total allowable catch (TAC) 
alternatives and associated trip limits and days-at-sea alternatives in 
both monkfish management areas for the final three years of the 
monkfish rebuilding program, starting May 1, 2007. Framework Adjustment 
4 also contains other alternatives, including eliminating the directed 
fishery; backstop provisions to ensure that management measures achieve 
the target TACs on an ongoing basis; modification or elimination of the 
days-at-sea (DAS) carryover provision; and modification of the boundary 
of the North Carolina/Virginia area monkfish fishery. The Council will 
also review a Monkfish Committee recommendation on monkfish incidental 
catch limits in the scallop closed area access program. This agenda 
item will be followed by a brief open period during which the public 
may address other fisheries related business that is not on the Council 
agenda. The Council will then receive a presentation from the Northeast 
Fisheries Science Center about a survey to be distributed to fisheries 
permit holders concerning vessel costs. The Scallop Committee Report 
will address several items: (1) a presentation from the Scallop Plan 
Development Team on the updated scallop biomass in the Elephant Trunk 
Access Area; (2) consideration of an action to allow industry-funded 
observers in the scallop fishery; and (3) consideration of an action on 
scallop management measures for fishing years 2008 and 2009. At the end 
of the day, the Council plans to approve herring research priorities to 
apply to fishing years 2008 and 2009, as recommended by the Council's 
Herring Plan Development Team.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

    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 discussion of other issues related to cooperative 
research such as the future use of study fleets, directions for cod 
research and the Northeast Region's Guidelines for Exempted Fishing 
Permits. The Small Mesh Multispecies Committee will then ask for 
approval of measures to be used in the development of alternatives for 
consideration in the new Small Mesh Multispecies amendment. Among other 
issues, measures will focus on limited entry, hard Total Allowable 
Catches, protections for juvenile whiting and dedicated access 
privileges. Following a presentation on observed changes in growth 
rates and weights at age for a number of groundfish species, the 
Groundfish Committee will provide a report to the Council. Its chairman 
will report on the recent groundfish workshop and recommend standards 
and principles that must be met by any management system that may be 
considered in the 2009 Northeast Multispecies FMP. At the end of the 
day the Council will consider and could approve the recommendations of 
the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee for fishing year 2007 
Total Allowable Catches for yellowtail flounder and cod caught in the 
U.S./Canada area.
    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: October 25, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-18091 Filed 10-27-06; 8:45 am]
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