[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 100 (Thursday, May 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29129-29130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-10010]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[XRIN: 0648-XA55]


Mid-Atlantic 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 Fishery Management Council (Council), its 
Research Set Aside (RSA) Committee, its Ecosystems Committee, its Law 
Enforcement/Vessel Safety Committee, its Squid, Mackerel, and 
Butterfish Committee, its Executive Committee, and its Bycatch/Limited 
Access Privilege Program Committee will hold public meetings. Prior to 
the Council's meeting there will be a meeting of the Joint Council New 
England and Mid-Atlantic Councils Standardized Bycatch Reporting 
Methodology (SBRM) Committee.

DATES: The meetings will be held on Monday, June 11, 2007 through 
Thursday, June 14, 2007. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Embassy Suites, 1700 
Coliseum Drive, Hampton, VA 23666; telephone: (757) 827-8200.
    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:

Monday, June 11, 2007

    2 p.m. until 5 p.m., the Joint Council SBRM Committee will meet.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

    9 a.m. until 12 noon, the RSA Committee with NMFS Cooperative 
Research Staff will meet.
    10 a.m. until 11 a.m., the Ecosystems Committee will meet 
concurrently with the RSA Committee.
    11 a.m. until 12 noon, the Law Enforcement/Vessel Safety Committee 
will also meet concurrently with the RSA Committee.
    1 p.m. until 4 p.m., the Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee 
will meet with its advisors.
    4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., the Executive Committee will meet.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

    8 a.m. until 9 a.m., the Bycatch/Limited Access Privilege Program 
(LAPP) Committee will meet.
    9 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., the Council will convene and receive a 
presentation on the Coral Reef Conservation Amendments Act of 2007.
    9:30 a.m. until 12 noon, the Council will conduct its regular 
Council business session.
    1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m., the Council will discuss and develop 2008, 
2009, and 2010 quota specifications for the surfclam and ocean quahog 
fisheries.
    2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m., the Council will discuss and develop 2008 
quota specifications for the Atlantic mackerel, squid and butterfish 
fisheries.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

    8 a.m., the Council will convene to receive a presentation by the 
NMFS on the Status of its Recreational Data Collection Initiative.
    9 a.m. until 12 noon, the Council will discuss Amendment 1 to the 
Tilefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
    1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m., the Council will review and take action on 
the Omnibus Amendment for Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology.
    2:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., the Council will review and consider 
actions taken by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 
(ASMFC) regarding Amendment 15 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black 
Sea Bass FMP.
    3:30 p.m. until adjournment, the Council will receive and discuss 
committee reports, and address any continuing and/or new business.
    Agenda items for the Council's committees and the Council itself 
are: The Joint Council SBRM Committee will review revisions to the SBRM 
Amendment including the environmental assessment, select preferred 
alternatives, and develop the Council's final position for Secretarial 
submission. The RSA Committee will meet to review the Mid-Atlantic RSA 
program performance and discuss future directions; discuss ways to 
improve program effectiveness, dissemination of results, and 
coordination with other cooperative research efforts; initiate 
discussion of research priorities for the 2009 program year; and, 
develop comments as appropriate for Council consideration. The 
Ecosystems Committee will review ``Taking the Bait'' ... A Blueprint 
for Councils to Protect the Ocean Forage Base. The Law Enforcement/
Vessel Safety Committee will address National Standard 10 in context of 
the recent Congressional Hearing on commercial fishing vessel safety, 
and review the Council's Fisheries Achievement Award process and 
timeline for 2007. The Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee will 
meet with its Advisors to review the Monitoring Committee's 
recommendations for 2008 quota levels and associated management 
measures and develop 2008 quota specifications and associated 
management measures for Council consideration and action; and, receive 
status updates on Amendments 9 and 10. The Executive Committee will 
review the Council Coordination Committee (CCC) meeting results and 
action items including: budget outcome from CCC meeting and its impact 
on the Council's 2007 operations; Council member training/mentoring; 
and, status of NMFS Regulatory Streamlining Program efforts. The 
Executive Committee will also review the Northeast Regional 
Coordinating Council meeting agenda and actions; discuss the role of 
the Scientific and Statistical Committee; discuss practicability and 
applicability of an interactive web site for the Council; and, review 
Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety issues. The Bycatch/LAPP Committee 
will review and evaluate public comments on the proposed SBRM 
Amendment, discuss and develop a Council position regarding Secretarial 
submission of the proposed Amendment; and, receive an update on the 
LAPP. The Council will receive a presentation on the Coral Reef 
Ecosystem Conservation Amendments Act of 2007; this will be followed by 
the

[[Page 29130]]

Council's regular business session. The Council will then review 
staff's recommendations for 2008, 2009, and 2010 surfclam and ocean 
quahog quota specifications and associated management measures, and 
then the Council will develop and adopt quota specifications and 
associated management measures for a multi-year surfclam and ocean 
quahog specification program. The Council will review the Atlantic 
Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Committee's recommendations for 2008 
quota specifications and associated management measures, and will 
develop and adopt 2008 quota specifications and associated management 
measures for squid, mackerel, and butterfish. The Council will receive 
a presentation on the Status of NMFS' Recreational Data Collection 
Initiative. The Council will then review alternatives associated with 
various measures proposed in Amendment 1 to the Tilefish FMP, and 
select preferred alternatives for that Amendment, and then review and 
adopt the Public Hearing Document (PHD) and associated Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The Council will review and take 
action on the Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology Omnibus 
Amendment for Secretarial submission. The Council will review and 
consider actions taken by the ASMFC regarding Amendment 15 to the 
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP. The Council will 
conclude its meeting by receiving various committee reports and by 
addressing any continuing and/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 these meetings. 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 at (302) 674-2331 
ext: 18 at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: May 21, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-10010 Filed 5-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S