[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 61 (Friday, March 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15114-15115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5824]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 032607E]


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); 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 Fishery Management Council (Council), its 
Research Set Aside (RSA) Committee, its Ecosystem Committee, its 
Protected Resources Committee, its Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish 
Committee, its Executive Committee, and its Surfclam/Ocean Quahog 
Committee will hold public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 through 
Thursday, April 19, 2007. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Princess Royale Hotel, 
9100 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842; telephone: (410) 524-7777.
    Council address: Mid-Atlantic 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 Fishery Management Council; telephone: (302) 674-2331, 
ext. 19.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

    8 a.m. until 1 p.m. - The Research Set Aside (RSA) Committee will 
meet privately with NMFS officials.
    9 a.m. until 11 a.m. - The Ecosystems Committee will also meet 
concurrently with the RSA Committee.
    11 a.m. until 1 p.m. - The Protected Resources Committee will meet 
concurrently with the RSA Committee.
    2 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. - The Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish 
Committee will meet.
    7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. - NMFS will hold a scoping session on 
National Standard 1 Guidelines regarding annual catch limits and 
accountability measures.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

    8 a.m. until 9 a.m. - The Executive Committee will meet.
    9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. - The Council will convene to receive a 
presentation from the National Fisheries Institute's Scientific 
Monitoring Committee.
    10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. - A Public Hearing for Phase 1 of the 
New England Council's Essential Fish Habitat Omnibus Amendment will be 
held.
    11:30 a.m. - The 5th District Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard 
will discuss Coast Guard activities and Command changes.
    1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. - The Council will conduct its regular 
Council business.
    3:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. - The Council will discuss and likely 
approve Framework 7 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
    4:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. - An update on the Limited Access Privilege 
Programs will be presented by Council staff.

[[Page 15115]]

Thursday, April 19, 2007

    8 a.m. until 10 a.m. - The Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Committee will 
meet with its Advisors.
    10 a.m. - The Council will convene to receive an update regarding 
the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) and National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) integration.
    10:30 a.m. until adjournment - The Council will receive committee 
reports and address any continuing or new business.
    Agenda items for the Council's committees and the Council itself 
are: The Research Set Aside (RSA) Committee will meet privately with 
NMFS officials to review 2008 RSA project proposals. The Ecosystems 
Committee will review responses to the March 9 solicitation letter to 
member states regarding artificial reefs, and develop a Committee 
position on the need to create (or not) special management zones (SMZs) 
for artificial reefs. The Ecosystems Committee will also receive the 
NMFS' Northeast Fisheries Science Center presentation on the current 
status of its ecosystem efforts. The Protected Resources Committee will 
meet with its Advisors to review and discuss the NMFS' Advanced Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on sea turtle conservation, and to also 
review and discuss impacts of the Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction 
Team's (ATGTRT) efforts to reduce the incidental take of pilot whales 
and dolphins. The Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee will review 
and update outcomes from its March 21 Committee meeting on Amendment 
11. NMFS' will hold a scoping session regarding annual catch limits and 
accountability measures associated with National Standard 1 Guidelines. 
The Executive Committee will review outcomes of the meeting of NMFS' 
Northeast Region (NER) officials regarding impacts of the MSA 
Reauthorization Act of 2006, review status of the Council's fiscal year 
2007 budget, and review the status of the Council's Advisory Panel 
surveys and related actions. The National Fisheries Institute's 
Scientific Monitoring Committee will provide a presentation on the 
results of its Supplemental Finfish Survey and Loligo Net-Testing 
Study. A Public Hearing will be held regarding Phase 1 of the New 
England Council's Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Omnibus Amendment. The 
Council will conduct its regular business session, and review, select, 
and approve options/alternatives included in Framework 7 to its Summer 
Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass FMP regarding mechanisms to change 
biological reference points during the specification setting process 
following peer reviewed stock assessments. A staff-led discussion will 
then be held on Limited Access Programs. The Surfclam and Ocean Quahog 
Committee and its Advisors will review cost recovery options for 
surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries and solicit input from Advisors 
regarding 2008, 2009, and 2010 quota specifications. The Council will 
receive a presentation from its Executive Directors on Section 107 of 
the MSA Reauthorization Act of 2006. This will be followed by committee 
reports and any continuing or new business.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before the Council for discussion, these issues may not be the subject 
of formal Council 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 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. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to M. Jan Bryan (302) 674-2331 ext. 
18 at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: March 26, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-5824 Filed 3-29-07; 8:45 am]
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