2010-26140. 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.

SUMMARY:

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel, in November, 2010, 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 Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES:

This meeting will be held at the Providence Biltmore, 11 Dorrance Street, Providence, RI 02903; telephone: [phone]; fax: [phone].

• 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: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Advisory Panel will review Framework 22 alternatives and analyses. Framework 22 is considering fishery specifications for fishing years 2011 and 2012 including access area trips, open area day-at-sea allocations and general category measures. This action also includes measures to limit fishing in the Mid-Atlantic during the summer and fall to reduce interactions with sea turtles. Lastly, the advisors will make research priority recommendations for the 2012 Research Set-Aside Program, which will be included in Framework 22. The Advisory Panel recommendations will be forwarded to the Scallop Oversight Committee to consider as preferred alternatives the following day (see agenda below). The Council is scheduled for final action on Framework 22 at the November Council meeting in Brewster, MA, November 16-18, 2010.

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 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

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 [phone], at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

Dated: October 13, 2010.

Tracey L. Thompson,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.