[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 56 (Friday, March 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15139-15140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5773]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XG50


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 
Science and Statistical Committee (SSC), its Ad Hoc Excessive Shares 
Committee, the Mid-Atlantic section of the Joint Monkfish Committee, 
its Protected Resources Committee, its Research Set-Aside (RSA) 
Committee, its Executive Committee, its Surfclam/Ocean Quahog 
Committee, its Bycatch Committee, and its Demersal Committee, will hold 
public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on Monday, April 7, 2008 through 
Thursday, April 10, 2008. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Sheraton Annapolis Hotel, 
173 Jennifer Road, Annapolis, MD 21401; telephone: (410) 266-3131.
    Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 300 S. 
New St., Room 2115, 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, April 7, 2008

    10 a.m. until 5 p.m.--The Science and Statistical Committee (SSC) 
will meet.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

    9 a.m. until 11 a.m.--The Ad Hoc Excessive Shares Committee will 
meet.
    11 a.m. until 12 p.m.--The Mid-Atlantic section of the Joint 
Monkfish Committee will meet.
    1 p.m until 3 p.m.--The Protected Resources Committee will meet.
    3 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.--The Research Set-Aside (RSA) Committee will 
meet.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

    8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.--The Executive Committee will meet.
    9:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.--The Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Committee will 
meet.
    10 a.m. until 12 p.m.--The Bycatch Committee will meet.
    1:15 p.m. until 3:15 p.m.--The Council will convene and hold its 
Business Session.
    3:15 p.m. until 4 p.m.--The Council will receive a presentation 
regarding New England Council's Habitat Areas of Particular Concern 
(HAPC) Initiative.
    4 p.m. until 5 p.m.--Monkfish Framework 6 will be reviewed and 
discussed for the purpose of adoption.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

    8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.--The Demersal Committee will meet.
    9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.--The Council will convene to review and 
discuss Amendment 1 to Tilefish for purposes of adoption.
    2:30 p.m. until 4 p.m.--The Council will receive Committee Reports 
and consider Continuing and New Business.
    Agenda items by day for the Council's Committees and the Council 
itself are:
    Monday, April 7--An orientation session for the Science and 
Statistical Committee will be held to review and discuss the roles of 
the Council, the SSC, the Monitoring Committees, NMFS, and the Council 
staff; review the Council's current specification setting procedures 
and related timing issues; review Annual Catch Limits (ACL) and 
Accountability Measures (AM) requirements established by the Magnuson-
Steven Reauthorization Act (MSRA); discuss possible alternative 
specification procedures; review Terms of Reference (TOR) for the SSC 
regarding the annual specification setting process; evaluate and modify 
current SSC composition by discipline/expertise; review SSC membership 
appointment protocol and the need to expand the Committee; and, discuss 
quality assurance/quality control measures for SSC appointment.
    Tuesday, April 8--The Ad Hoc Excessive Shares Committee will review 
and discuss the meaning/interpretation of the Magnuson-Stevens Act 
(MSA) National Standard 4, Section 303A(c)(5)(D), Section 303A(c)(9) 
and develop ideas on and practical application of excessive shares 
concept. The Mid-Atlantic section of the Joint Monkfish Committee will 
review and discuss proposed measures in Framework 6, select a preferred 
alternative, and develop a Committee recommendation for Council 
consideration and action. The Protected Resources Committee will review 
recent Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Team activities and receive a 
report on NMFS' Protected Resources Public Outreach Program in the Mid-
Atlantic region. The RSA Committee will review a draft policy document 
regarding the Council's RSA program's operations, review the status of 
the Mid-Atlantic Council's RSA projects/awards, discuss the need for 
RSA programmatic reviews, and consider establishing a Mid-Atlantic 
Research Consortium.
    Wednesday, April 9--The Executive Committee will review discussions 
and outcomes from the Northeast Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) 
meeting, and review, discuss, and endorse staff's proposed approach to 
satisfying MSA Section 303(a)(15). The Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Committee 
will receive an update on commitments made at the most recent Amendment 
14 Fishery Management Action Team (FMAT)

[[Page 15140]]

meeting. The Bycatch Committee will discuss measures to reduce bycatch 
mortality in recreational fisheries and review the status of the 
Council's Bycatch educational outreach initiative. Following these 
Committee meetings, there will be an awards presentation to recognize 
the recipient of the 2007 Ricks E Savage Award. The Council will then 
convene to receive various reports, receive a presentation regarding 
the New England Council's HAPC Initiative, and review and approve 
Monkfish Framework 6 for Secretarial submission.
    Thursday, April 10--The Demersal Committee will review the purpose 
and need of the current list of potential actions to be addressed by 
Amendment 15. The Council will then review preferences for management 
alternatives based on public comments received for Tilefish Amendment 
1, discuss and adopt preferred alternatives to be included in the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) supporting Tilefish Amendment 1, 
and approve Amendment 1 and associated FEIS for Secretarial submission. 
The Council will then receive Committee Reports, and consider 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 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 t 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 aid should be directed to M. Jan Bryan, (302) 674-2331 ext 
18, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: March 18, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-5773 Filed 3-20-08; 8:45 am]
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