[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3897-3898]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-1305]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XT94


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
Executive Committee will hold public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held Tuesday, February 9, 2010 through 
Thursday, February 11, 2010. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake 
Bay Hotel, 100 Heron Blvd, Cambridge, MD 21613; telephone: (410) 901-
1234
    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:

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

    9 a.m. until 10 a.m. -- The Executive Committee will meet.
    10 a.m. -- The Council will convene.
    10 a.m. until 11 a.m. -- The Council will receive the Standardized 
Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) Annual Report.
    11 a.m. until 12 p.m. -- The Council will hear a presentation on 
the peer review of the Albatross/Bigelow vessel calibration data and 
analyses including summary results and recommendations.
    1 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. -- There will be a Council Workshop on the 
Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.

[[Page 3898]]

    7 p.m. -- A Public Hearing on Amendment 11 to the Atlantic 
Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) will 
convene.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

    8 a.m. until 8:45 a.m. -- The Council will convene for the 49th 
Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop Report.
    8:45 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. -- The Council will hear a presentation 
on the draft-interim NOAA Catch Share Policy.
    9:45 a.m. until 12 p.m. -- The Ecosystems and Ocean Planning 
Committee will meet as a Committee of the Whole.
    1 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. -- The Council will visit a Clam Processing 
Plant in Milford, DE.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

    8 a.m. -- The Council will convene.
    8 a.m. until 9 a.m. -- A Public Hearing on Amendment 5 to the 
Monkfish FMP will be held.
    9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. -- There will be a Council discussion of 
Omnibus Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures (ACL/AM).
    10:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. -- There will be a Marine Recreational 
Information Program (MRIP) Update.
    11:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. -- The Council will hear the Scientific 
and Statistical Committee (SSC) Report.
    1 p.m. until 2 p.m. -- The Council will discuss the SSC's Amended 
2010 Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) recommendations.
    2 p.m. until 4 p.m. -- The Council will hold its regular Business 
Session to approve the December minutes, receive Organizational 
Reports, Executive Director's Report, status of the FMP's, Committee 
reports, Liaison Report, and conduct any continuing and/or new 
business.
    Agenda items by day for the Council's Committees and the Council 
itself are:
    On Tuesday, February 9 - The Executive Committee will meet to 
discuss the Council Coordination Committee Meeting Report, the Catch 
Shares Workshop, the Executive Director search, and any other business. 
The Council will receive the (SBRM) Annual Report. The Council will 
then receive a presentation on peer review of the Albatross/Bigelow 
vessel calibration data and analyses including summary results and 
recommendations. A workshop on the RSA program will be held to briefly 
review history of the Mid-Atlantic RSA grogram, review RSA program 
listing strengths and challenges, briefly review RSA program 
administrative processes, grants processes, and other regulatory 
requirements pertinent to RSA programs and discuss improvements already 
made, review RSA program economics, costs, benefits, business 
practices, and consider alternative business models, explore proposed 
measures to improve the RSA program and discuss what agency or entity 
is primarily responsible for each proposed action, and revisit the RSA 
program's objectives as originally perceived by the Council and 
determine if they are still relevant or need updating. A Public Hearing 
on Amendment 11 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP 
will be held in the evening.
    On Wednesday, February 10 - the Council will convene to receive the 
49th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop Report on the 
Butterfish and Surfclam Assessments. The Council will receive a 
presentation on the draft-interim NOAA Catch Share Policy by Monica 
Medina [Senior Advisor to Dr. Lubchenco and Catch Share Task Force 
Chairperson]. The Ecosystems and Ocean Planning Committee will meet as 
a Committee of the Whole to receive a presentation by Sam Rauch (NOAA) 
on Ocean Policy Task Force and Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning 
(CMSP), a Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) presentation by Jay Odell 
(Nature Conservancy), develop comments on CMSP Framework, and discuss 
two potential lease areas for renewable and non-renewable energy 
resources off the VA coast. The Council will then tour a Clam 
Processing Plant in Milford, DE on Wednesday afternoon.
    On Thursday, February 11 - the Council will convene for a Public 
Hearing on Amendment 5 to the Monkfish FMP and to discuss proposed 
changes to and impacts on the Monkfish fishery. The Council will 
discuss its risk policy and the ABC Control Rule Framework being 
developed in the Omnibus ACL/AM Amendment. The Council will receive an 
update on MRIP and the National Registry program. The Council will 
receive a SSC Report which will discuss the SSC findings on 
reconsideration of the 2010 ABC recommendation for black sea bass. The 
Council will then consider the SSC's Amended 2010 ABC recommendation 
and develop comments to the Regional Administrator on black sea bass 
management measures and uncertainty. The Council will hold its regular 
Business Session to approve the December minutes, receive 
Organizational Reports, the Executive Director's Report, Status of the 
FMP's, Committee Reports, the Liaison Report, and conduct any 
continuing and/or new business.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 
those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these 
meetings. Actions will be restricted to those issues specifically 
identified 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 the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are 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: January 20, 2010.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-1305 Filed 1-22-10; 8:45 am]
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