[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 107 (Friday, June 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32143-32144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13763]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RIN 0648-XA468]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
a three-day meeting on Tuesday through Thursday, June 21-23, 2011 to 
consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 
June 21-23 starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and 
Thursday.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 
Spring Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone (207) 775-2311; fax: (508) 
761-8224. Requests for special accommodations should be addressed to 
the New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, 
Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone (978) 465-0492.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council, (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

    Following introductions and any announcements, the Council will 
receive brief reports from the Council Chairman and Executive Director, 
the NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, 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/VMS representatives. Prior to a review of any experimental 
fishery permit applications that have been received since its last 
meeting, the Council will discuss its press policies. A representative 
of the U.S. Navy will then will update the Council on its operations 
and training activities in the North Atlantic. An open public comment 
period is scheduled prior to a lunch break for any interested party who 
may wish to provide brief comments on issues relevant to Council 
business but not otherwise listed on the meeting agenda. Following the 
break, the Council will receive a presentation about and comment on 
possible revisions to the National Standard Guideline 10 (NS10. NS10 is 
the primary source of guidance for safety issues in fishery management 
regulations. The Council's Enforcement Committee also will provide 
comments on NS10 and on NOAA's enforcement priority-setting process. 
The committee also may comment on several sea scallop measures that may 
be included in Framework Adjustment 23 to the Scallop Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP). Under this agenda item the Coast Guard also may 
report on its initiative to improve compliance with and the 
effectiveness of Northeast Multispecies FMP regulations. At the end of 
the day the Council will consider several cooperative research issues, 
including the disposition of catch on scientific research cruises and 
how that catch is accounted for in estimates of fishing mortality. 
Council members also will comment on the NMFS Strategic Plan for 
Cooperative Research in the Northeast and provide updated information 
and alternatives that may assist the agency in revising its programs. 
NOAA/NMFS staff also will hold a public session in the Council meeting 
room from 5:30-7:30 for

[[Page 32144]]

stakeholders and anyone who would like to comment, discuss ideas, 
critique or provide new information that may be considered in possible 
revisions to the strategic plan.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

    NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center staff will present an 
overview of its interim report on The Performance of the Northeast 
Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery, May 2010-January 2011, with a 
question and answer period to follow. The Council's Groundfish 
Committee will discuss possible revisions to the groundfish gear policy 
and provide an update on the development of Framework Adjustment 47 to 
the Groundfish FMP. The Council intends to approve Amendment 17 to the 
FMP to authorize state permit banks and will receive a report about the 
recent workshop on accumulation limits in the groundfish fishery. 
Following a lunch break, there will be an update about further work on 
Essential Fish Habitat Omnibus 2. The Council also will receive an 
update on alternatives that may be included in Framework Adjustment 23 
to the Scallop FMP. The day will conclude with a report from the 
Monkfish Committee on a white paper that discusses pros and cons of 
reorganizing the FMP in various forms and according to the fishery 
operations in the Northern and Southern Fishery Management Areas. The 
committee also will ask the Council for further guidance on the 
development of Amendment 6 to the Monkfish FMP, an action that may 
include some type of catch share management.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

    The final day of the Council meeting will begin with a discussion 
of an April 2011 report commissioned by NMFS that reviewed the 
fisheries management process in the Northeast in the context of the 
effectiveness of the relationship among Council, the NMFS Regional 
Office and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. The Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC) will provide an overview of the method and 
process, and any alternatives, that may be used to set 2012-2014 
acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for all groundfish stocks. The SSC 
also will present an acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendation 
for the skate complex for fishing years 2012-2013. Before adjournment, 
the Council also may approve skate management measures that will be 
included in the 2012-2013 specifications package or could identify 
management alternatives and initiate Framework adjustment 2 to the 
Skate Complex FMP.
    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: May 31, 2011.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-13763 Filed 6-2-11; 8:45 am]
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