2011-3815. New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY:

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice; public meeting.

SUMMARY:

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Monkfish Advisory Panel meeting on March 9, 2011 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, March 9, 2011 at 9:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the Radisson Hotel Providence Airport, 2081 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886; 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 New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils have declared their intent to consider catch shares management for the monkfish fishery and have held a round of scoping hearings on Amendment 6 for that purpose. At this meeting, the Advisors will review public comments and the recommendations of the Industry Advisory Panel, and develop recommendations to the Monkfish Oversight Committee and the Councils on the next steps in the process, as well as on any substantive recommendations on the range of alternatives and elements of any catch shares amendment. The Advisors will also discuss the matter of trip limit exemptions for vessels involved in cooperative research projects under the research days-at-sea set aside program.

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 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: February 16, 2011.

Tracey L. Thompson,

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