[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 209 (Friday, October 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56181-56182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-26189]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XS65


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) will hold 
a 3-day Council meeting on November 17-19, 2009, to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will begin on Tuesday, November 17 at 8:30 a.m. and 
Wednesday and Thursday, November 18 and 19, beginning at 8 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Newport, 1 
Goat Island, Newport, RI 02840; telephone: (401) 851-1234; fax: (401) 
846-7210.
    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:

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

    Following introductions and any announcements, the Council will 
discuss and approve its management priorities for 2010. The Scientific 
and Statistical Committee (SSC) Chairman will then present the results 
of the committee(s recent deliberations

[[Page 56182]]

concerning Atlantic herring. At the request of the Council, the SSC was 
asked to revisit the size of the 40% buffer between the herring 
Overfishing Level and Acceptable Biological Catch to consider whether 
application of recent years retrospective difference of about 17% is 
sufficient to account for scientific uncertainty caused by 
retrospective patterns. Prior to a lunch break the Herring Committee 
will ask the Council to approve final recommendations for multi-year 
herring fishery specifications (2010-12). The specifications will 
address overfishing levels, acceptable biological catch, management 
uncertainty and, among other issues, the Total Allowable Catch and 
Annual Catch Limits for each of the four herring management areas. The 
Council also will receive an update on the development of catch 
monitoring alternatives to be included in Amendment 5 to the Atlantic 
Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and based on the discussion, may 
restructure the alternatives. This and the previous herring agenda item 
will be discussed until the meeting adjourns at the end of the 
afternoon.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

    The second day of the Council meeting will begin with a review and 
approval of final measures for inclusion in Framework 21 to the 
Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP. Measures under consideration for 
implementation in the 2010 fishing year will address compliance with a 
reasonable and prudent alternative provided in the most recent NMFS 
Biological Opinion for the FMP regarding sea turtle interactions, 
fishery specifications for both limited access and general category 
fleets, area rotation adjustments, and other measures. The Council also 
will review preliminary analyses concerning the potential impacts of 
various yellowtail flounder allocation alternatives on the scallop 
fishery. The allocation is being considered in a specifications package 
for the groundfish fishery for fishing years 2010-12.
    The Groundfish Committee will ask the Council to approve Framework 
Adjustment 44 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. The action is intended 
to include the specification of annual catch limits for fishing years 
2010-12,and the yellowtail flounder sub-components for the scallop 
fishery. The Council also will address modifications to the groundfish 
common pool effort control measures such as trip limits or differential 
days-at-sea counting in order to meet the Council's fishing mortality 
targets for several groundfish stocks.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

    The Council will begin the last day of the meeting with 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, representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard and the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, as well as NOAA 
Enforcement. These reports will be followed by a review of any 
experimental fishery permit applications that have been received since 
the last Council meeting. The Council will also approve final 
recommendations for 2010 specifications for the red crab fishery. The 
discussion will include a review of the Red Crab Plan Development 
Team's analyses; the specifications will address acceptable biological 
catch based on the recommendation of the Council's SSC. Following a 
lunch break, the Council will accept public comments on issues related 
to fisheries management issues, but not listed on the meeting agenda. 
During the afternoon session, the Council plans to approve draft 
measures to be included in Amendment 5 to the Monkfish FMP. Issues to 
be considered will include annual catch limits, accountability 
measures, trip limits and days-at-sea for 2011-13. Following Council 
approval, the amendment and accompanying documents will be made 
available for public review and comment. The day will conclude with a 
review and possible development of Council positions on bluefin tuna 
and swordfishh management. Before adjournment, the Council may address 
any other outstanding business related to this meeting.
    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: October 27, 2009.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-26189 Filed 10-29-09; 8:45 am]
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