[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 15 (Monday, January 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4375-4376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1570]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XM91


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), its 
Protected Resources Committee, its Annual Catch Limit/Accountability 
Measures (ACL/AM) Committee, its Law Enforcement Committee, its 
Research Set-Aside (RSA) Committee, its Ecosystems/Ocean Planning 
Committee, its Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Committee, its Squid, Mackerel, 
Butterfish Committee, and its Executive Committee will hold public 
meetings.

DATES: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 through Friday, February 13, 2009. 
On Wednesday, February 11 the Protected Resources Committee with its 
Advisors will meet from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. The ACL/AM Committee 
will meet from 10:30 a.m. until noon. The Law Enforcement Committee 
will meet from 1:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. The RSA Committee will meet 
from 2:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. The Ecosystems/Ocean Planning Committee 
will meet from 4:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. There will be a scoping 
session for Amendment 14 to the Surfclam/Ocean Quahog FMP on Wednesday 
evening from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
    On Thursday, February 12 the Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Committee will 
meet from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. The Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish 
Committee will meet from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. The Council will 
convene at 10:00 a.m. and from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. will conduct 
its regular business session and receive organizational reports. From 
11:00 a.m. until noon, the Council will receive a report regarding 
annual discards for 2008 and standardized bycatch reporting methodology 
prioritization for 2009. From 1:00 p.m. until 1:15 p.m. there will be 
an award presentation and recognition. From 1:15 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. 
the Council will receive a report on the Northeast Data Poor Stocks 
Workshop. From 2:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. there will be a public 
workshop on reducing butterfish bycatch in the Loligo fishery. On 
Friday, February 13 the Executive Committee will meet from 9:00 a.m. 
until 10:00 a.m. From 10:00 a.m. until noon the Council will receive a 
report on Status of Fishery Management Plans, the Executive Director's 
Report, Committee Reports, Liaison Report and discuss any continuing 
and new business.

ADDRESSES: Seaview Marriott Resort and Spa, 401 South New York Road, 
Galloway, NJ 08205; telephone: 609-652-1800.
    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: Agenda items by day for the Council's 
Committees and the Council itself are: Wednesday, February 11 - the 
Protected Resources Committee with Advisors will discuss an industry 
request to modify the Bottle Nose Dolphin Take Reduction Team (TRT) 
Plan by adding one month to the current ``tending requirement'' period 
for medium gillnet fisheries and review and discuss Atlantic Trawl TRT 
strategy for pilot whales and common dolphin. The ACL/AM Committee will 
review and discuss the NMFS' Final Rule on ACL/AM, review and discuss 
table of current Council control rules, and address the action plan and 
associated timeline for implementation. The Law Enforcement Committee 
will discuss regulatory implications of transfer-at-sea authorizations, 
discuss regulatory implication of monitoring other than a daily trip 
limit in party/charter boat fisheries, and address implication of 
Maine's study/report on fixed gear vertical line locations and 
densities. The RSA Committee will convene a public fact finding and 
receive comments on the Council's RSA program. The Ecosystems/Ocean 
Planning Committee will receive a report on the Northeast Fisheries 
Science Center's (NEFSC) recent efforts regarding development of an 
ecosystem based approach to fishery management and develop the 
Committee's work plan for 2009. An evening scoping session for 
Amendment 14 to the Surfclam/Ocean Quahog FMP will be held to solicit 
the public's ideas about needed changes to the FMP.
    Thursday, February 12 - the Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Committee will 
review and discuss scoping comments to decide and adopt management 
measures to be included in Amendment 14. The Squid, Mackerel, and 
Butterfish Committee will review and discuss the outcome of the January 
Committee

[[Page 4376]]

meeting to determine and select (if possible) preferred alternatives 
for Council consideration and inclusion in the Public Hearing document 
for Amendment 11. The Council will convene for its regular business 
session to receive various reports including a report by Dr. Rago (NMFS 
NEFSC) on ``Annual Discard Report for 2008 and the Standardized Bycatch 
Reporting Methodology Prioritization for 2009'' and a report by Dr. 
Weinberg (NMFS NEFSC) on the outcome of the Northeast Data Poor 
Workshop which included scup and black sea bass among others, the 
Council will also present its Fisheries Achievement Award. A public 
workshop will be held in the afternoon to encourage early adoption of 
voluntary fishing practices to reduce butterfish bycatch in the Loligo 
squid fishery. Discussion items will include: potential effects of 
implementation of Amendment 10 which would establish a butterfish 
bycatch mortality cap for the Loligo squid fishery in 2011, possible 
mitigation actions to avoid future closures of the Loligo fishery owing 
to attainment of the butterfish mortality cap. Current Loligo fishing 
practices will be reviewed with the intent to identify practices that 
contribute to butterfish bycatch. Information and data will be 
presented as catalysts for discussion purposes regarding problem 
identification and possible solutions. Friday, February 13 - the 
Executive Committee will review the outcome of the State-Federal 
Alignment Work Group meeting, receive results from Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC) actions, and review the agenda for the 
Council Coordination Committee. The Council will receive a report on 
Status of MAFMC's FMPs, the Executive Director's report, Committee 
reports, and any continuing and 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 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 the 
public has been notified of the Council's intent to take final action 
to address such emergencies.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is 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 five days 
prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: January 21, 2009
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-1570 Filed 1-23-09; 8:45 am]
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