[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 4, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 50665]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17378]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XC33


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 two-day Council meeting on September 18-19, 2007, to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 
beginning at 9 a.m., and Wednesday, September 19, 2007, beginning at 8 
a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Radisson Hotel Plymouth 
Harbor, 180 Water Street, Plymouth, MA 03260; telephone: (508) 747-
4900.
    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:

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

    Following introductions, the Council will conduct elections for 
2007-08 officers. Once elections have been completed, members will 
receive a report from NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement on vessel 
monitoring system (VMS) network outages and missing position reports 
from last spring through mid-winter, 2007. Prior to a lunch break there 
will be an update on the status of Atlantic herring as well as the east 
coast herring fishery. During the afternoon session the Council will 
consider and possibly approve a Great South Channel Habitat Area of 
Particular Concern (HAPC) for inclusion in the draft document for 
Essential Fish Habitat Omnibus Amendment 2. The Multispecies 
(Groundfish) Committee will provide an update on the development of 
Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP). Topics will include sector policy issues, permit history 
calculations for determining sector catch shares and a review of 
fishing effort control measures under discussion. The Council will 
adjourn for the day following a report from its Transboundary 
Management Guidance Committee. Based on committee advice, the Council 
intends to approve 2008 Total Allowable Catches for Eastern Georges 
Bank cod and haddock and Georges Bank yellowtail flounder.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

    The Wednesday session will begin with 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 receive a presentation summarizing the conclusions of 
the 45th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop and its Stock 
Assessment Review Committee concerning the status of sea scallops and 
Northern shrimp. The Council's Scallop Committee will review progress 
to date on Framework 19 to the Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. 
Following a lunch break there will be a presentation by NOAA Fisheries 
staff on Draft Amendment 2 to the Consolidated Highly Migratory Species 
FMP. The amendment examines different management alternatives available 
to rebuild sandbar, dusky and porbeagle sharks. There will be an update 
on the draft management measures and alternatives developed for 
inclusion in Amendment 3 to the Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan. 
The Council also will hear a report on the status of the monkfish 
resource, a presentation based on the results of the recently convened 
Data Poor Stocks Working Group. The Council meeting will adjourn once 
it has addressed monkfish management issues, including a discussion of 
possibly initiating a new framework adjustment to the Monkfish FMP in 
response to the monkfish assessment and to replace the 2007 emergency 
rule now in effect.
    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: August 28, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-17378 Filed 8-31-07; 8:45 am]
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