[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 56 (Thursday, March 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16811-16812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6905]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XB108


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); 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) and its 
Executive Committee, its Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee, and 
its Research Set-Aside (RSA) Committee will hold public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held Tuesday, April 10, 2012 through 
Thursday, April 12, 2012. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The Sanderling, 1461 Duck Road, Duck, NC 27949; telephone: 
(252) 261-4111.
    Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. 
State St., Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 674-2331.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D. Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; telephone: (302) 
526-5255.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

    1 p.m. until 3 p.m.--The Executive Committee will meet in a closed 
session.
    3 p.m. until 5 p.m.--The Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee 
will meet.
    5 p.m. until 6 p.m.--There will be a public listening session.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

    9 a.m. until 11 a.m.--The Executive Committee will meet.
    11 a.m. until 12 p.m.--The RSA Committee will meet.
    1 p.m.--The Council will convene. Swearing in of the new member 
will be at 1 p.m.
    1 p.m. until 2 p.m.--The Council will discuss Surfclams and Ocean 
Quahogs.
    2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.--Finalization of Tilefish Management 
Measures for 2013-15 will be held.
    3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.--An Atlantic sturgeon discussion will be 
held.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

    9 a.m. until 10 a.m.--Approval of Spiny Dogfish alternatives will 
be held.
    10 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.--Framework 5 to Squid, Mackerel, and 
Butterfish will be discussed.
    10:30 a.m. until 11 a.m.--Framework 6 to Squid, Mackerel, and 
Butterfish will be discussed.
    11 a.m. until 1 p.m.--The Council will hold its regular Business 
Session to approve the February minutes, receive Organizational 
Reports, the South Atlantic Liaison Report, Executive Director's 
Report, Science Report, Committee Reports, and conduct any continuing 
and/or new business.
    Agenda items by day for the Council's Committees and the Council 
itself are:
    On Tuesday, April 10--The Executive Committee will meet in a closed 
session. The Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee will receive a 
presentation from the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) 
and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) on Deep Sea 
Coral and discussion of Mid-Atlantic Council action will follow. The 
public listening session will focus on BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management--formerly BOEMRE) and wind power.
    On Wednesday, April 11--The Executive Committee will discuss an 
Ecosystem/Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) document, finalize 
goals and objectives, purpose and need, discuss transition strategies 
to move EBFM, and Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) 
next steps. The RSA Committee will review a response letter from NOAA 
General Counsel, discuss integration of the Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC) into the RSA research prioritization process, and 
discuss alternatives to improve the RSA program and develop 
recommendations to the Council. The Council will convene to swear in a 
new Council member. The Council will discuss

[[Page 16812]]

reopening Georges Bank, identify any harvest restrictions, and discuss 
PSP testing. The Council will finalize and adopt Tilefish Management 
Measures for 2013-15 by reviewing the SSC and the Tilefish Monitoring 
Committee's recommendations for 2013-15 harvest levels and management 
measures. The Council will discuss potential actions to reduce Atlantic 
sturgeon bycatch in the Mid-Atlantic fisheries.
    On Thursday, April 12--The Council will approve alternatives for 
analysis to Spiny Dogfish Amendment 3. The Council will take action to 
modify vessel hold certification requirements in Framework 5 to the 
Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish FMP (Meeting 2). The Council will take 
action to revise a provision of Council risk policy on Framework 6 to 
the Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish FMP (Meeting 2). The Council will 
hold its regular Business Session to approve the February 2012 minutes, 
receive Organizational Reports, the South Atlantic Liaison Report, the 
Executive Director's Report, Science Report, Committee Reports, and 
conduct any continuing and/or new business.
    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 these meetings. 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 Fishery Conservation and 
Management 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 Saunders, (302) 526-5251, at 
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: March 19, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-6905 Filed 3-21-12; 8:45 am]
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