[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 80 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 22136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8938]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XH41


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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's (Council) 
Multispecies (Groundfish) Committee will meet to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, One Newbury 
Street, Peabody, MA 01960; telephone: (978) 535-4600.
    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: The items of discussion in the committee's 
agenda are as follows:
    The Groundfish Oversight Committee will meet to continue 
development of Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan. Amendment 16 will adopt measures necessary to continue 
rebuilding of multispecies stocks. The Committee will focus its efforts 
on reviewing alternatives for effort controls designed to meet the 
mortality objectives of the amendment. Since stock status will not be 
known until later this year, the effort control alternatives will be 
designed to achieve changes in mortality identified in an earlier 
action. It is not known if these changes will be sufficient or 
unnecessary once stock status is known. The Committee will also develop 
options for recreational management measures, further develop annual 
catch limit and accountability measures for commercial and recreational 
groundfish fishing, and clarify sector policy issues. The Committee may 
develop recommendations for preferred alternatives for all management 
measures that are being considered. Recommendations from this committee 
will be forwarded to the Council for consideration.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action 
under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided 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.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: April 21, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-8938 Filed 4-23-08; 8:45 am]
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