[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 227 (Monday, November 27, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68560-68561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19955]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 112006E]


Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council 
(Council); its Joint Dogfish Committee; its Ecosystems Committee; and, 
its Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish Committee will hold public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 through 
Thursday, December 14, 2006. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times and a meeting agenda.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Skyline Hotel, 725 10th 
Ave, New York, New York 10019; telephone: (212) 586-3400.
    Council address: Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council, 
300 S. New Street, Dover, DE 19904; telephone: (302) 674-2331.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, 
Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council; telephone: (302) 674-
2331, extension 19.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

    8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. - The Joint Dogfish Committee will meet to 
review actions taken by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 
(ASMFC) regarding dogfish management and their impacts on federal 
management of dogfish.
    9:30 a.m. until 12 noon - The Council will convene jointly with the 
ASMFC's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board. They will 
review and discuss the Monitoring Committee's and the Advisory Panel's 
recommendations on summer flounder recreational management measures, 
and develop and approve management measures for the 2007 summer 
flounder recreational fishery.
    1 p.m. until 3 p.m. - The Council and the ASMFC will review and 
discuss the Monitoring Committee's and the Advisory Panel's 
recommendations on scup recreational management measures and develop 
and approve management measures for the 2007 scup recreational fishery.
    3 p.m. until 5 p.m. - The Council and the ASMFC will review and 
discuss the Monitoring Committee's and the Advisory Panel's 
recommendations on black sea bass recreational management measures and 
develop and approve management measures for the 2007 black sea bass 
recreational fishery.
    7 p.m. until 9 p.m. - The Council will host a public hearing to be 
convened by the New England Regional Fishery Management Council 
regarding its Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP).

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

    8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. - The Ecosystems Committee will meet to: 
review an initiative to develop a national system of Marine Protected 
Areas (MPAs), discuss a proposed NMFS Workshop on reducing post-release 
mortality in recreational fisheries, discuss the ASMFC's establishment 
of a Multispecies Technical Committee, discuss the Ecosystem-Based 
Management Tool Network, and discuss the U.S. Navy's Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) regarding testing of active sonar 
in federal waters.
    9:30 a.m. until 12 noon - The Council and ASMFC will discuss Summer 
Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP issues. An update will be 
received on the status of Amendment 14 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, 
and Black Sea Bass FMP (scup rebuilding plan), they will review the 
revised list of remaining potential management measures to be addressed 
in Amendment 15 to the FMP to determine the need for future action, and 
they will discuss and address the implications and effects of any 
potential disconnect between specifications set by the Council under 
Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) authority and those set by the ASMFC under 
the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (ACFCMA) 
authority.
    1 p.m. until 1:15 p.m. - There will be an awards presentation to 
recognize the 2006 Fisheries Achievement Award and Ricks E Savage Award 
winners.
    1:15 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. - Meeting two of Framework 1 to the 
Surfclam / Ocean Quahog FMP will convene to review, select, and approve 
an alternative for implementation of a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS).
    2:15 p.m. until 3 p.m. - A presentation will be received regarding 
the New England Council's Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) 
Amendment and its relationship to and effects on Framework 4 to the 
Joint Monkfish FMP. Following this presentation the Council will 
approve an appropriate range of Monkfish EFH designations.
    3 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. - The Council will meet to review and 
approve final actions on Framework 4 to the Monkfish FMP, and review 
and approve the Monkfish incidental catch limits in the scallop closed 
areas.
    7 p.m. until 9 p.m. - The Council will host a public hearing to be 
convened by the NMFS regarding its Omnibus Amendment for Standardized 
Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM). Note: This hearing was originally 
scheduled for December 12, 2006 at the same location and time, but was 
rescheduled to this date, place, and time.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

    8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. - The Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish 
Committee will meet regarding Amendment 10 to the Squid, Mackerel, and 
Butterfish FMP to review and adopt management alternatives for purposes 
of rebuilding the butterfish stock.
    9:30 a.m. - The Council will convene.
    9:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. - The Council will receive a presentation 
regarding a vessel cost survey on fixed costs that is to be 
incorporated on a voluntary basis in the 2007 vessel permit renewal 
cycle.
    10 a.m. until 2 p.m. - The Council will conduct its regular 
business session to approve August and October Council meeting minutes, 
approve actions from the October meeting, receive various 
organizational reports, receive Committee reports and address any new 
or continuing business.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before the Council and its Committees for discussion, these issues may 
not be the subject of formal Council or Committee action during this 
meeting. Council and Committee 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 the public has been 
notified of the Council's intent to take final actions to address such 
emergencies.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities.

[[Page 68561]]

Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to M. Jan Bryan at (302) 674-2331 extension 18 at 
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: November 20, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-19955 Filed 11-24-06; 8:45 am]
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