[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 72 (Friday, April 12, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16237-16238]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9168]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Parts 650 and 651
[I.D. 040396A]
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 2-day public meeting to consider actions affecting New England
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone.
DATES: The meeting will convene on Wednesday, April 17, 1996, at 10
a.m. and on Thursday, April 18, 1996, at 8:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Providence Biltmore Hotel,
Kennedy Plaza, Providence, RI 02903; telephone: (401) 421-0700.
Requests for special accommodations should be addressed to the New
England Fishery Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1097;
telephone: (617) 231-0422.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas G. Marshall, Executive
Director, New England Fishery Management Council, (617) 231-0422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
April 17, 1996
The April 17, 1996, session will begin with reports from the
Council Chairman, Council Executive Director, NMFS Regional Director,
Northeast Fisheries Science Center liaison, Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council liaison, and representatives from the Coast Guard,
and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. A report on the
most recent meeting of the Council's Monkfish Committee will follow.
Discussion will include a review of the development of management
options for public hearing purposes.
The afternoon agenda will include a discussion on the gear conflict
emergency regulations and the Council will explore alternatives for
extending these emergency regulations, which are due to expire on June
25, 1996. Following that will be a report from the Council's Sea
Scallop Committee. The Council may initiate action on a framework
adjustment to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (Sea
Scallop FMP) that would allow some vessels fishing with dredges to also
use nets to harvest scallops, if they meet certain criteria. Sea
scallop regulations currently prohibit dredge vessels from using nets
to harvest scallops. The Herring Committee will report on its
deliberations concerning internal waters processing and joint venture
allocations for 1996-97.
April 18, 1996
On April 18, 1996, the Large Pelagics Committee will report to the
Council on the current situation in the fisheries for pelagic sharks,
swordfish, bluefin and other tunas, and on management issues and
activities for those fisheries. The Marine Mammal Committee will then
brief the Council on its recommendations concerning action to further
reduce the bycatch of the Gulf of Maine harbor porpoise and its
discussion on the status of the northern right whale. The Groundfish
Committee will discuss its recommendation to initiate action on a
framework adjustment to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management
Plan (Northeast Multispecies FMP). The adjustment would modify days-at-
sea (DAS) allocated to sea scallop net vessels. A second framework
adjustment may be initiated for the purpose of implementing gillnet
effort restrictions to replace those measures currently proposed in
Amendment 7 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. The Council meeting will
conclude with a discussion of the Enforcement Committee's
recommendations on measures contained in the Amendment 7 proposed rule
and other broader enforcement issues. Any other outstanding business
will be addressed at the end of the day.
Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--Atlantic Sea Scallops
At the recommendation of its Scallop Committee, the Council will
consider initial action on Framework Adjustment 8 to the Sea Scallop
FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking procedure contained
in 50 CFR 650.40. The Council proposes to allow vessels that have used
a scallop dredge 5 times or less from 1998 through 1994 to continue to
use a net to catch scallops. Other options for determining whether it
is impractical for vessels to use dredges include a change of owners,
total refitting of the vessel, and horsepower limits.
[[Page 16238]]
Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--Northeast Multispecies
The Council will consider initial action on Framework Adjustment 15
to the Northeast Multispecies FMP under the framework for abbreviated
rulemaking procedure contained in 50 CFR 651.40. The action is intended
to further reduce the bycatch of harbor porpoise in the Gulf of Maine
sink gillnet fishery by increasing the area and possibly changing the
time period for the closure referred to as the Northeast Area,
currently in place from August 15 through September 13 of each fishing
year.
Two additional framework adjustments to the Multispecies FMP may be
initiated. One would adjust groundfish DAS allocations to scallop net
vessels and the other would implement alternative gillnet effort
reduction measures to replace Amendment 7 proposals.
The Council will consider public comments at a minimum of two
Council meetings prior to making any final recommendations to the
Director, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Director) under the
provisions for abbreviated rulemaking cited above. If the Regional
Director concurs with the measures proposed by the Council, he will
publish them as a final rule in the Federal Register.
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Douglas G. Marshall (see ADDRESSES) at least 5
days prior to the meeting date.
Dated: April 8, 1996.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-9168 Filed 4-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
