[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 135 (Thursday, July 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34556-34557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16909]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XQ32


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 
Protected Resources Committee, its Research Set-Aside Committee, its 
Ecosystems and Ocean Planning Committee, its Bycatch and Limited Access 
Privilege Program (LAPP) Committee, its Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish 
Committee, and its Executive Committee will hold public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held Tuesday, August 4, 2009 through 
Thursday, August 6, 2009. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Embassy Suites Alexandria, 
1900 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone: (703) 684-5900.
    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: On Tuesday, August 4, the Protected 
Resources Committee with Advisors will meet concurrently with the 
Research Set-Aside Committee (RSA) from 8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. The 
Ecosystems and Ocean Planning Committee will meet from 9:30 a.m. until 
11:30 a.m. The Bycatch and LAPP Committee will meet from 12:30 p.m. 
until 1:30 p.m. The Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee will meet 
from 1:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. From 2:30 p.m. until 3:15 p.m., the 
Council will hear a report on the outcome of the 48th Stock Assessment 
Review Committee meeting. From 3:15 p.m. until 5:15 p.m., the Council 
will finalize scup management measures for 2010 in conjunction with the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Summer Flounder, 
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board. On Wednesday, August 5, 2009, the 
Executive Committee will meet from 8:30 a.m. until 9 a.m. From 9 a.m. 
until 5 p.m., the Council will convene to finalize summer flounder, 
black sea bass, and bluefish management measures for 2010 in 
conjunction with the ASMFC's Summer Flounder, Black Sea Bass, and 
Bluefish Boards, and receive an update from United States Coast Guard 
(USCG) officers on vessel stability and activities in the USCG's 5th 
District. On Thursday, August 6, the Council will convene from 8 a.m. 
until 9 a.m., to receive a presentation on Amendment 3 to the 
Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. 
From 9 a.m. until 12 p.m., the Council will discuss the Omnibus 
Amendment on Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures (ACL/AM). 
From 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., the Council will convene to conduct its 
regular Business Session, receive Council Liaison Reports, 
Organizational Reports, Executive Director Reports, receive a report on 
the status of MAFMC's FMPs, Committee Reports, and any continuing and/
or new business.
    Agenda items by day for the Council's Committees and the Council 
itself are: On Tuesday, August 4 - The Protected Resources Committee 
with Advisors will develop comments for Council consideration and 
action regarding NMFS' sea turtle strategy. The Research Set-Aside 
Committee (RSA) will finalize the Council's research priorities for the 
2011 cycle of its RSA grant program. The Ecosystems and Ocean Planning 
Committee will review and address Marine Protected Area (MPA) 
designations published in the April 23rd Federal Register and consider 
adding or deleting MPA designations per NMFS guidance. The Bycatch and 
Limited Access Privilege Program (LAPP) Committee will receive an 
update on NOAA's Catch Shares Task Force activities and receive a 
report on bycatch reduction activities in the black sea bass pot 
fishery. The Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee will address 
river herring bycatch issues in the mackerel fishery for purposes of 
considering development of a possible future amendment, and address an 
update of the Loligo control date for a possible future catch share 
program. The Council will receive a report by Dr. James Weinberg (NMFS, 
NEFSC) on the outcome of the 48th Stock Assessment Review Committee 
meeting concerning ocean quahog, tilefish, and weakfish. The Council in 
conjunction with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's 
(ASMFC) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board will review the 
Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and the Scup Monitoring 
Committee's scup specification recommendations for 2010 and adopt 2010 
commercial and recreational harvest levels and commercial management 
measures for scup.
    On Wednesday, August 5 - The Executive Committee will meet to 
review the Ricks E Savage Award criteria and nomination process, and 
review allocation of FY 09 funds to ACL/AM activities. The Council in 
conjunction with the ASMFC's Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and 
Bluefish Boards will review the SSC and the associated Monitoring 
Committees' specification recommendations for 2010 and adopt 2010 
commercial and recreational harvest levels and commercial management 
measures for summer flounder, and bluefish. Recreational management 
measures for 2010 will also be adopted for bluefish. The Council will 
also receive a

[[Page 34557]]

presentation on vessel stability and activities of the USCG's 5th 
District.
    On Thursday, August 6 - The Council will receive a presentation by 
NMFS Officials regarding the proposed rule for Amendment 3 to the 
Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. 
The Council will then address its Omnibus Amendment on ACL/AMs by 
reviewing and discussing the SSC's report on Scientific Uncertainty and 
Risk; reviewing and selecting management alternatives to establish 
ABCs, ACLs and AMs for continued Amendment development regarding each 
of the Council's FMPs species; and, discussing risk policy development 
regarding setting of ABCs and ACLs. The Council will conduct its 
regular Business Session, receive Council Liaison Reports, 
Organizational Reports, the Executive Director's Report, a report on 
the status of the Council's FMPs, Committee Reports, and any continuing 
and/or new business including approval of Council comments regarding 
NMFS' Proposed Rule on Sea Turtle Strategy and the Council's updated 
multi-year research priorities (2010-2014).
    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 5 days 
prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: July 13, 2009.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-16909 Filed 7-15-09; 8:45 am]
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