[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 52 (Friday, March 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15720-15721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6398]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XB092


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice; public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Monkfish Oversight Committee and 
Advisory Panel in April, 2012 to consider actions affecting New England 
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from 
this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration 
and action, if appropriate.

DATES: This meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 10 a.m.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Radisson Airport Hotel, 
2081 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886; telephone: (401) 739-3000; fax: 
(401) 732-9309.
    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: The Committee and Advisory Panel are meeting 
jointly to address the recent listing of Atlantic sturgeon under the 
Endangered Species Act. NMFS Protected Resources Division staff will 
brief the meeting participants on several aspects of this listing, 
including who is most affected and what it means to them. They are also 
seeking input on what strategies and measures should be considered to 
reduce the interaction of the monkfish fishery with sturgeon. The Mid-
Atlantic Council representative will provide a brief on the results of 
the meeting of the Council's ad hoc Sturgeon Committee. The Committee 
will also consider developing recommendations to the Councils on a 
course of action to address the Biological Opinion, which is scheduled 
to be released on or shortly after April 6, when the listing becomes 
effective. Time permitting, the Council staff will update the Committee 
on the PDTs progress in developing Amendment 6 alternatives, and 
present results of any analyses that have been completed.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. 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 
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, Executive Director, at (978) 465-
0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.


[[Page 15721]]


    Dated: March 13, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-6398 Filed 3-15-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P