[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 78725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30362]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XM34


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) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Committee, in January, 2009, 
to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to 
the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

DATES: This meeting will be held on Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 9 
a.m.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza, 801 Greenwich 
Avenue, Warwick, RI 02886; telephone: (401) 732-6000; fax: (401) 732-
0261
    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 committee will review and make final 
recommendations to the Council on the range of alternatives that should 
be analyzed under Scallop Amendment 15. The primary goal of Amendment 
15 is to consider alternatives to comply with new requirements of the 
reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act, 
specifically implementing annual catch limits. In addition, this action 
is considering alternatives to address excess capacity in the limited 
access scallop fishery. Alternatives are being considered that are 
designed to provide more flexibility for efficient use of the resourse 
such as permit stacking and leasing of days at sea and/or access area 
trips. Lastly, this action is considering a number of alternatives to 
adjust several aspects of the overall scallop management program such 
as revising the overfishing definition, specific adjustments to the 
general category management program, a specific alternative to address 
essential fish habitat (EFH) closures on Georges Bank, adjustments to 
the current scallop research set-aside program, and changing the 
scallop fishing year from March 1 to May 1.

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, Executive Director, at (978) 465-
0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: December 17, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-30362 Filed 12-22-08; 8:45 am]
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