[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 63309-63310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31245]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[I.D. 112097E]
New England Fishery Management Council; 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 public meeting to consider actions affecting New England
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 1997, at 10
a.m., on Wednesday, December 10, 1997, at 8:30 a.m., and on Thursday,
December 11, 1997, at 8:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Peabody Marriott, 8A
Centennial Drive, Peabody, MA; telephone (978) 977-9700. Requests for
special accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery
Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1097; telephone (781)
231-0422.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council (781) 231-0422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Tuesday, December 9, 1997
After introductions the Council meeting will begin with the
Multispecies Monitoring Committee Annual Report. The presentation will
include landings projections for the 1997 fishing year, target total
allowable catches (TACs) for the 1998 fishing year, options for
reaching or maintaining the rebuilding plan fishing mortality
objectives for cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder stocks, and the
status of fisheries for pollock, redfish, winter flounder, witch
flounder, American plaice, windowpane flounder, and white hake.
Following the report, the Council's Groundfish Committee will
discuss and seek approval of initial action on Framework Adjustment 25
to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The
adjustment would include measures to meet the 1998 fishing year
rebuilding plan objectives (based on the report of the Multispecies
Monitoring Committee) through the use of any of the following
measures--area closures, trip limits, adjustments to days-at-sea (DAS)
or gear modifications. The framework adjustment would also include
measures to adjust the opening date of the Cultivator Shoal Whiting
Exempted Fishery, require a raised footrope trawl in the Small Mesh
Area 2 Exempted Fishery, restrict or prohibit the use of
``streetsweeper'' gear, and modify the regulations that now require
vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on all individual DAS vessels. VMS
options under consideration would include, but are not limited to,
voluntary use of VMS, mandatory use only on vessels with DAS
allocations over a specified level, or mandatory use only on vessels
with specific violations. The framework may also prohibit fishing for
regulated species in groundfish closed areas by vessels using exempted
gears such as lobster pots, even when such vessels are fishing in the
DAS program.
Wednesday, December 10, 1997
If necessary, the Council will continue consideration of Framework
Adjustment 25. The Overfishing Definition Review Panel will present a
preliminary report on new overfishing definitions developed to comply
with the Sustainable Fisheries Act. Species to be discussed include
Atlantic sea scallops, Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, monkfish,
Atlantic mackerel, and possibly others. Prior to addressing sea scallop
issues there will be reports from the Scallop Advisory Panel and the
Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT). The Scallop Committee will then
recommend final measures to be included in Amendment 7 to the Scallop
Fishery Management Plan. Currently, the proposal contains a program to
allow consolidation of DAS and the use of closed area management. There
will also be further consideration of Framework Adjustment 10, an
action to modify the scallop DAS schedule following the third-year
review of the DAS scallop effort reduction program. There will be a
review of committee discussions on VMS regulations and measures to
allow scallop vessels to fish in the areas closed for groundfish
conservation. After reports from the Herring Advisory Panel and PDT,
the Herring Committee will seek approval of proposed fishery management
plan objectives, as well as the array of management measures to be
discussed at public hearings. Measures may include vessel/dealer/
operator permits, spawning area closures, a target TAC, vessel size
limits, prohibitions on directed mealing, area management, limits on
fishing time, and possibly other measures.
Thursday, December 11, 1997
The Monkfish Advisory Panel and the Monkfish PDT will report to the
Council, followed by consideration and approval of monkfish measures
for Amendment 9 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. There may be a
request to the Secretary of Commerce to implement interim management
measures for the monkfish fishery. The afternoon session will begin
with reports from the Council Chairman, Executive Director, 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
(ASMFC). There will be a briefing on the recent Habitat Advisory Panel
meeting and progress on the development of essential fish habitat
information. This will be followed by an update on revisions to draft
Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fishery
Management Plan to manage ocean quahogs in the Gulf of Maine.
The Chairman of the Council's Lobster Committee will review the
ASMFC's final fishery management plan for American lobster and discuss
options to address any concerns with the plan. There also may be
consideration of future management strategies, if necessary, to meet
the requirements of the Sustainable Fisheries Act. The meeting will
adjourn after the conclusion of any other outstanding Council business.
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 actions
will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice.
[[Page 63310]]
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.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 21, 1997.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-31245 Filed 11-24-97; 3:18 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
