New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 25472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12031]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 050399D]


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 2-day public meeting on May 26 and 27, 1999, to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 26, 1999, at 9:30 
a.m. and on Thursday, May 27, 1999, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Plymouth Inn, 180 
Water Street, Plymouth, MA 02360; telephone (508) 747-4900. Requests 
for special accommodations should be addressed to the New England 
Fishery Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1036; 
telephone: (781) 231-0422. Copies of framework adjustment documents may 
be obtained from the Council.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council (781) 231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Wednesday, May 26, 1999

    After introductions, the Executive Director of the South Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council will discuss the Atlantic Coastal 
Cooperative Statistics Program process from a Council perspective. 
During the Groundfish Committee Report which follows, the committee 
will make recommendations to the Council regarding approval of 
Framework Adjustment 31 (FWA 31) to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP). Possible management measures on FWA 31 would 
require vessels in the multispecies fishery to remove four 30-day 
blocks out of their fishing time in the fishery to achieve the FMP 
objectives for Georges Bank cod and minimize impacts on other regulated 
species. Other possible measures in this framework include eliminating 
the Gulf of Maine cod trip limit program running clock, raising the cod 
minimum size to 21 inches (0.5 m), and reducing the number of hooks and 
gillnets fished by fixed gear vessels on Georges Bank. The Groundfish 
Committee also will provide the Council with an update on the 
development Amendment 13 to the FMP. The discussion of groundfish 
issues will continue throughout the rest of the afternoon.

Thursday, May 27, 1999

    The meeting will commence with reports from the Council Chairman, 
Executive Director, Acting NMFS Regional Administrator, Northeast 
Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
liaisons, and representatives of the Coast Guard and the Atlantic 
States Marine Fisheries Commission. During the Scallop Committee 
Report, the Council will identify issues to be addressed by Amendment 
10 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP, including rotational area 
management. Additionally, the Council will issue recommendations to the 
Acting Regional Administrator for specific research proposals utilizing 
the 1 percent scallop Total Allowable Catch set-aside from Closed Area 
II. During the Whiting Committee Report, the committee will recommend 
ways to modify the mesh size/possession limit enrollment program and 
expand the use of net strengtheners to the 2.5 inch (0.06 m) category 
in the whiting fishery. Any recommendations approved by the Council may 
be submitted to NMFS for its consideration as a public comment on 
Amendment 12 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The 
Council will discuss industry-based gear research and information 
collection opportunities during years 1 and 2 of plan implementation. 
During the afternoon session, the Interspecies Committee will report on 
and ask for approval of committee priorities, including vessel permit 
consistency and upgrading issues and recommendations for changing the 
start dates of the fishing years. The committee will report on their 
discussions about vessel capacity management. The Habitat, Enforcement, 
Dogfish, Herring, and Ad-hoc Vessel Buyback Committees will update the 
Council on their activities.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal Council action during this meeting. Council action 
will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice.
    Documents pertaining to framework adjustment actions are available 
for public review 7 days prior to a final vote by the Council. Copies 
of the documents may be obtained from the Council (see ADDRESSES).

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 6, 1999.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-12031 Filed 5-11-99; 8:45 am]
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