[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 56 (Friday, March 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13748-13749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5306]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 031607C]


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) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Multispecies (Skate) Committee, in 
April, 2007, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the 
exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be 
brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if 
appropriate.

DATES: This meeting will be held on Friday, April 6, 2007, at 9:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire 
Street, Mansfield, MA 02048; telephone: (508) 339-2200; fax: (508) 256-
2550.

[[Page 13749]]

    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 Committee will receive management advice 
from the Skate Plan Development Team (PDT) based on the status of skate 
stocks in the recent SAW assessment. In addition, the committee will 
discuss strawman management alternatives and review a draft scoping 
document. The Regional Administrator, Patricia Kurkul, notified the 
Council on February 21, 2007 that winter skate is overfished according 
to 2006 data. The letter stated that the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires 
the Council to prepare a fishery management plan amendment or proposed 
regulation within one year to address the condition. In addition to 
winter skate, thorny skate is an overfished condition, smooth skate is 
very close to the biomass threshold, and little skate is very close to 
the overfishing threshold. Under other business, the Multispecies 
(Skate) Committee may discuss groundfish management issues at this 
meeting but will not take action at this time.
    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 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 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, Executive Director, at (978) 465-
0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: March 19, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-5306 Filed 3-22-07; 8:45 am]
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