[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 32375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13567]
[[Page 32375]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XW84
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
a three-day Council meeting on Tuesday through Thursday, June 22-24,
2010, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the
exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
DATES: The meeting will begin on Tuesday, June 22 at 9 a.m. and
Wednesday and Thursday, June 23-24, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Eastland Park Hotel,157 High
Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: (207) 775-5411; fax: (207) 775-
2872.
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:
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Following introductions and any announcements, the Council meeting
will begin with a series of 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. The Enforcement
Committee will then report about simplifying and enforcing fishing
regulations, including those associated with sector management, and
provide an update about improving relations with stakeholders. This
will be followed by a separate U.S. Coast Guard presentation that
addresses safety at sea relative to the problem of ageing fishing
vessels. During the Tuesday afternoon session, the Northeast Regional
Ocean Council will provide a briefing on its mission and objectives and
discuss its potential relationship with the NEFMC; and the Habitat
Committee will bring forward for Council consideration alternative
management measures to reduce or spatially optimize the adverse effects
of fishing on essential fish habitat. The measures are under
consideration for inclusion in Habitat Omnibus Amendment 2, an action
which would amend all NEFMC Fishery Management Plans (FMPs).
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
During the morning session, the Council will address only
multispecies groundfish management-related issues. These will include:
initial action on Framework Adjustment 45 to the Northeast Multispecies
FMP. Measures under consideration include possible modification of the
Georges Bank yellowtail flounder stock rebuilding strategy, new sector
requests and a general category scallop dredge exemption for yellowtail
flounder in the Great South Channel. Other Framework 45 measures
include a party/charter boat limited entry control date, a Gulf of
Maine winter flounder zero possession limit, accountability measures
and permit banks in the groundfish fishery. Additional discussion is
scheduled to consider the possibility of an amendment to address fleet
diversity and accumulation limits for this fishery and an update on
activities associated with the Joint Groundfish/Sea Scallop Committee.
The afternoon session will begin with an overview of the status of
spiny dogfish by the staff of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center,
followed by the Scientific and Statistical Committee's (SSC) report on
its most recent meeting. The SSC's topics include a recommendation for
a revised red crab Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) to now include
discards, an ABC for Atlantic salmon and reports on progress to date
concerning its ABC control rules, five-year research priorities and an
ecosystem-based fisheries management white paper. This report will be
followed by Council actions to revise the red crab ABC and set the
Atlantic salmon ABC. The day will end with a review of analyses and
public comments concerning a monkfish management alternative proposed
at the last Council meeting. If approved, the addition of this
management measure will constitute the final action on Amendment 5 to
the Monkfish FMP.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The last day of the June Council meeting will include a review of
any experimental fishery permit applications that have been received
since the last Council meeting, revisiting Council work priorities
based on comments from the April Council meeting and an open period for
public comments. The open public period is an opportunity for
interested parties to provide brief comments on issues relevant to
Council business but not listed on the meeting agenda. There also will
be a report by NOAA Fisheries on recreational fishing issues. The Sea
Scallop Committee also will begin their report during the morning
session on Thursday and may take initial action on Framework Adjustment
22 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP. The primary purpose of the action
is to set fishery specifications for the 2011-12 fishing years. The
action also will include measures to minimize the risk sea scallop
gear/incidental encounters with sea turtles. The Council also will
review and finalize scallop research recommendations that will apply to
the fishery management plan's research set-aside program. Before
adjournment, the Council may address any other outstanding business
related to this 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 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 2, 2010.
William D. Chappell,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-13567 Filed 6-7-10; 8:45 am]
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