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New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: June 30, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 125)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 38665-38666]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jn03-36]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[I.D. 062303A]
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 3-day Council meeting on July 15 through 17, 2003, to consider
actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone
(EEZ).
DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday,
July 15, 16, and 17, 2003. The meeting will begin at 9:00 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. 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, July 15, 2003
Following introductions, the Council will receive a report from its
Herring Committee. It will be seeking approval of the goals and
objectives developed for Amendment 1 to the Herring Fishery Management
Plan (FMP). The Council also will receive a report and recommendations
from its Scientific and Statistical Committee on the results of the
U.S. and Canadian herring stock assessments as they relate to plan
development. Finally, the Council staff will provide an update on the
development of alternatives for analysis in the amendment. Following
the herring report there will be a brief presentation by the Northeast
Fisheries Science Center on the status of NEFMC-managed species
reviewed at the 37th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop. The
species to be discussed include witch flounder, spiny dogfish and
Atlantic hagfish. The Mid-Atlantic Plans Committee will provide their
recommendations for Amendment 9 to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council's Squid, Mackerel and Butterfish FMP for Council consideration
and approval. The Council staff will then present a process to
coordinate the development of Framework Adjustment 39 to the Northeast
Multispecies FMP with scallop management actions. The framework
adjustment would allow scallop vessel access, on a controlled basis, to
the Georges Bank groundfish closed areas from 2004-2007. Finally, the
Enforcement Committee will present its analyses of alternatives now
included in amendments to the multispecies, scallop, and monkfish
amendments currently under development. There also will be a review of
enforcement procedures regarding trips cut short because of weather,
accident or unsafe conditions, as well as a discussion of horsepower
regulations and inconsistencies among FMPs.
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
There will be reports on recent activities from the Council
Chairman and Executive Director (to include a review of the Council's
understanding of the vessel permit upgrade baseline during development
of the Monkfish FMP), the NMFS Regional Administrator, Northeast
Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
liaisons,
[[Page 38666]]
NOAA General Counsel and representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, NMFS
Enforcement and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Following this agenda item the Council will provide a brief opportunity
for comments from the public on issues that are not otherwise listed on
the agenda, but are relevant to Council business. The Council will then
spend the remainder of the day on groundfish issues. Specifically, they
will review, consider and approve the Northeast Multispecies Amendment
13 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. The report will
include Groundfish Advisory Panel recommendations for the amendment and
Groundfish Committee recommendations, including suggested changes to
the Special Access Program alternative.
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Prior to continuing with the groundfish agenda items listed from
the previous day, the Council will receive a presentation on pre-draft
Amendment 1 to the FMP for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish and Sharks for the
purpose of obtaining comments from Council members and the public. Any
other outstanding business will be addressed before adjournment of the
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 Fishery
Conservation and Management 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: June 24, 2003.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-16431 Filed 6-27-03; 8:45 am]
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