[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31056-31057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-10775]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[XRIN: 0648-XA65]


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 June 19-21, 2007, to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 19 beginning at 8:30 
a.m., and Wednesday and Thursday, June 20-21, beginning at 8 a.m. each 
day.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Eastland Park Hotel , 157 
High Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: (207) 775-5411.
    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 (NEFMC); telephone: (978) 465-
0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

    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, 
and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Following these 
reports, the Council will be asked to comment on procedures related to 
the Magnuson-Stevens Act requirement for a referendum on any individual 
fishing quota program under consideration by the Council. Following 
consultation with all eight Fishery Management Councils, NOAA Fisheries 
will publish a proposed rule to address the referendum process, voter 
eligibility and related issues. The Enforcement Committee will ask for 
approval of recommendations concerning the use of ``safe harbors'' and 
requiring a declaration before transiting closed areas. During the 
afternoon session, the Council plans to approve final action on phase 
one of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Omnibus Amendment 2. This part of 
the overall amendment includes improved EFH designations for the 
species under Council management; new and/or modified HAPC 
designations; an evaluation of prey species for NEFMC-managed species 
and life stages; and an evaluation and description of the impacts of 
non-fishing activities on EFH, including conservation and enhancement 
activities. The Sector Committee will seek approval of terms of 
reference as it continues to work on processes and policies that will 
govern the use of sectors in NEFMC fishery management plans (FMPs). The 
Council may determine if they will develop a policy only concerning 
sectors or move forward with an omnibus amendment that would apply to 
sectors in all fishery management plans.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

    The Council will review public comments and intends to approve a 
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and final management 
measures for Amendment 11 to the Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. 
It also will review and may approve Framework Adjustment 20 the the 
FMP, an action to extend measures implemented by emergency action to 
prevent overfishing through the end of fishing year 2007. During this 
afternoon session, the Council will discuss and possibly approve a 
request to NOAA Fisheries for at-sea observer coverage on all at-sea 
processor vessels.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

    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, including comments on a peer review of a pilot study fleet 
cooperative research project, experimental fisheries permit policies 
and issues related to data archiving and access in the context of 
making cooperative research results available. This discussion will be 
followed by an opportunity for the public to briefly address items that 
are relevant to Council business but not otherwise listed on the 
agenda. The Groundfish Committee will report on its efforts to develop 
Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. The Council will review 
and approve recommendations for management alternatives in amendment. 
It may also approve standards to be used by the Regional Administrator 
to allow the use of additional gear in the Eastern U.S. Canada Haddock 
Special Access Program and trawl gear Category B regular) days-at-sea 
program, as well a number of recently received sector proposals. The 
Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) Committee will review 
and ask for approval of the final SBRM Amendment during the afternoon 
session. This action would modify all Council fishery management plans 
(FMPs) to include SBRM provisions. Lastly, the Council

[[Page 31057]]

intends to approve skate management alternatives to be analyzed in 
proposed Amendment 3 to the Skate FMP.
    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: May 31, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-10775 Filed 6-4-07; 8:45 am]
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