[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 28, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15893-15894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7553]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 649, 650 and 651
[I.D. 031695A]
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Public meeting; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
a 2-day public meeting to consider actions affecting the New England
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
DATES: The meetings are scheduled as follows:
1. March 29, 1995, 10 a.m.; and
2. March 30, 1995, 8:30 a.m.
Comments must be received by March 30, 1995.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the King's Grant Inn, Route 128
and Trask Lane, Danvers, MA 01923; telephone: 508-774-6800. Comments
may be sent to the Executive Director, New England Fishery Management
Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas G. Marshall, Executive
Director; telephone: 617-231-0422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Wednesday, March 29, 1995
The meeting will begin with introductions and announcements. The
Groundfish Oversight Committee will report on its progress in
developing management alternatives for Amendment 7 to the Northeast
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP), in consideration of low
abundances of key fish stocks in the northeast. This meeting will be
the first at which the Groundfish Committee-initiated framework
adjustment to the Northeast Multispecies and Sea Scallop FMPs will be
discussed. The purpose of the framework is to correct the baseline used
by Vessel Tracking Systems (VTS) to calculate days at sea (DAS).
During the afternoon session, Dr. William Hogarth of NMFS will
brief the Council on the management status of weakfish and striped
bass. Following his presentation, the Ad Hoc Committee on the
Reauthorization of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act
will discuss aspects of the various reauthorization bills and ask the
full Council for its views.
Thursday, March 30, 1995
The Lobster Committee will discuss the list of potential issues to
be reviewed in the Council's public hearing document for a lobster
stock rebuilding/effort reduction program. This will be the final
meeting to consider a framework adjustment to the Lobster FMP that
would address a range of issues related to lobster limited access
permits (see below). The Sea Scallop Committee will revisit the issue
of specifications for twine tops used in scallop gear and referred to
in Framework Adjustment 5 to the Scallop FMP. This will also be the
final meeting to consider Framework Adjustment 5 to the FMP that would
modify gear restrictions for scallop limited access fishing vessels
(see below). The Gear Conflict Committee will report on its efforts to
reach an agreement that might reduce interactions between various
[[Page 15894]] gear types in the New England region. The Herring
Committee will report on its mid-March meeting held jointly with U.S.
and Canadian herring industry representatives and management officials.
If time allows, there will be reports from the Council Chairman;
Council Executive Director; National Marine Fisheries Service Acting
Regional Director; Northeast Fisheries Science Center liaison; Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaison; and representatives from
the Coast Guard and from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission.
Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--Northeast Multispecies and Atlantic
Sea Scallops
This meeting will be the first of two public meetings to consider a
Groundfish Committee-initiated action on an adjustment to the Northeast
Multispecies and Sea Scallop FMPs under the framework for abbreviated
rulemaking contained in 50 CFR 651.40 and 50 CFR 650.40, respectively,
to correct the baseline used by VTS to monitor and count individual
vessel DAS. The current regulations indicate the COLREGS Demarcation
Line as the baseline for the VTS to determine when a vessel is at sea
for the purpose of counting that day against the vessel's total
allocation of fishing days. In the process of implementing this system,
the NMFS Enforcement Division determined that the COLREGS line is
inappropriate and has proposed an alternative line. The issue will be
discussed again at the Council meeting on May 17 and 18. The public is
encouraged to attend and provide comments or submit them in writing
(see ADDRESSES). If the Director, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional
Director), concurs with the Council's recommendations on this framework
adjustment, he could publish it as a proposed or a final rule in the
Federal Register after the May meetings.
Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--American Lobster
The Council will consider final action on an adjustment to the
American Lobster FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking
contained in 50 CFR 649.44. At its January 11 and 12, 1995, meeting,
the Council announced it would initiate a framework adjustment that
would modify eligibility criteria for lobster limited access permits.
This has been addressed in the following manner: (1) Fishermen who
fished for lobsters in the EEZ prior to the control date will qualify
for a lobster limited access permit if participation in the Federal
fishery can be demonstrated, and they meet all other eligibility
criteria; (2) a person who owned a lobster vessel, but who leased a
lobster license and meets all other eligibility criteria will qualify
for a lobster limited access permit; (3) owners, but not necessarily
operators, of lobster vessels may be eligible for limited access
permits, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria; (4) in the
case of partnership arrangements involving the operation of a single
vessel, only one limited access permit will be issued; (5) a vessel and
a federally endorsed lobster permit may be transferred together through
inheritance, but the transfer of the permit only, without the
qualifying vessel, may not occur under this circumstance. The public is
encouraged to attend this meeting and to provide comments or submit
them in writing to the Council (see ADDRESSES). If the Regional
Director concurs with the Council's recommendations on this framework
adjustment, he could publish it as a proposed or a final rule in the
Federal Register.
Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--Atlantic Sea Scallops
The Council will consider final action on an adjustment to the
Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking
contained in 50 CFR 650.40. At its December 8, 1994, and January 12,
1995, meetings, the Council announced it would initiate a framework
adjustment that would modify gear restrictions for scallop limited
access fishing vessels. This has been addressed in the following
manner: (1) Limited access vessels will be restricted from fishing for
scallops with nets while under the DAS program unless the vessel has
not used a scallop dredge since 1987; and (2) limited access vessels
will be restricted from fishing for scallops, using dredges with twine
tops that extend the full distance to the club stick while under the
DAS program. The twine top restriction will require seven rows of steel
rings for dredges greater than 8 ft (244 cm) wide, or four rows for
single dredges 8 ft (244 cm) wide or less, between the club stick and
twine top. The public is encouraged to attend this meeting and to
provide comments or submit them in writing to the Council (see
ADDRESSES). If the Regional Director concurs with the Council's
recommendations on this framework adjustment, he could publish it as a
proposed or a final rule in the Federal Register.
These meetings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Douglas G. Marshall at 617-231-
0422, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 22, 1995.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-7553 Filed 3-23-95; 11:05 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
