E9-7806. 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's (Council) Herring Oversight Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES:

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, at 9:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the Northeast Regional Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; 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 items of discussion in the committee's agenda are as follows:

1. Continue development of management alternatives to be included in Amendment 4 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP);

2. Review/discuss alternatives for annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) and related changes to Atlantic herring fishery specification process; and

3. Continue development of management alternatives related to catch monitoring, which may include: monitoring and reporting requirements for herring vessels and processors, measures related to observer coverage and at-sea monitoring, measures to establish a dockside monitoring program, vessel monitoring system (VMS) requirements, and other related management measures.

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 identified 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 (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

Dated: April 2, 2009.

Tracey L. Thompson,

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