[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 95 (Thursday, May 15, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 28103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10846]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XH95


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
a three-day Council meeting on June 3-5, 2008 to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 3 beginning at 9 a.m., 
and Wednesday and Thursday, June 4 and 5, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 
Spring Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone (207)775-2311. Requests 
for special accommodations should be addressed to the New England 
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 
01950; telephone (978) 465-0492.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council, (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

    Following introductions and any announcements, the Council will 
receive a series of brief reports from the Council Chairman and 
Executive Director, the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional 
Administrator, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel, NOAA 
Enforcement and representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard and the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The Council also will 
review any experimental fishery permits requests published since the 
last Council meeting and possibly offer comments. Dr. William Overholtz 
from NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center will then present a 
report titled An Ecosystem Approach to the Assessment of the Gulf of 
Maine/Georges Bank Herring Complex. Following a lunch break, the 
Council's Skate Committee intends to approve final management measures 
and alternatives for purposes of inclusion and analyses in Amendment 3 
to the Skate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and it's associated Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement. The day will end with action on the 
Council's Standard Bycatch Reporting Methodology Amendment. Members 
will review and approve, with modifications as necessary, staff 
recommendations for observer coverage levels for NEFMC-managed 
fisheries.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

    The Council will receive reports on results of the April 2008 
Groundfish Assessment Review Meeting on biological reference points for 
species managed through the Council's Northeast Multispecies FMP and a 
Gulf of Maine Research Institute-funded project to evaluate monitoring 
and reporting needs that would allow for effective tracking of catch by 
``sector'' vessels in New England. Prior to a lunch break, the 
Council's Groundfish Committee will review and ask for approval of 
management measures along with the identification of preferred 
alternatives for Draft Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies 
(Groundfish) FMP for purposes of analyses and to solicit comments from 
the public. This agenda item will be discussed until the Council 
meeting adjourns for the day.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

    The Council will address scoping comments on Amendment 15 to the 
Sea Scallop FMP. The Scallop Committee Chairman also will provide the 
Council with a brief overview of the recent Sea Scallop Advisory Panel 
meeting concerning scallop survey calibration research and activities 
to evaluate optical/acoustic survey technologies. The Habitat Committee 
will describe its draft Risk Assessment on the Adverse Impacts of 
Fishing on Essential Fisher Habitat to the Council. This will be 
followed by two presentations from the NMFS Office of Sustainable 
Fisheries: 1) a review of the agency's proposed rule to integrate 
National Environmental Policy Act requirements with Magnuson-Stevens 
Act requirements for fishery management plans; and 2) a review of the 
agency's proposed rule to address guidelines for annual catch limits 
and accountability measures in fishery management plans. NMFS Northeast 
Regional Office staff will provide the Council with an update on 
possible changes to the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan; and the 
Council's Research Steering Committee will report on recently reviewed 
habitat and a number of other cooperative research projects. The agenda 
will conclude with a report on the Stellwagen Bank National Marine 
Sanctuary's 2008 Draft Management Plan and Environmental Assessment.
    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 12, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-10846 Filed 5-14-08; 8:45 am]
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