[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 27724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13245]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 051297B]
New England Fishery Management Council; Public 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 be held on Wednesday, May 28, 1997, at 10 a.m.
and on Thursday, May 29, 1997, at 8:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the King's Grant Inn, Route
128 and Trask Lane, Danvers, MA. Requests for special accommodations
should be addressed to the New England Fishery Management Council, 5
Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1036; telephone: (617) 231-0422.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council (617) 231-0422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
May 28, 1997
The May 28 session will begin with reports from the Council's
oversight committees. The Interspecies Committee will discuss
coordinating vessel replacement and upgrading measures with the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council and protocols for opening areas now
closed to most fishing activities.
Representatives from Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans
will present an overview of their management measures for Georges Bank
and reopening of the Atlantic Canada cod fisheries. The Council's
Herring Committee will review the status of the resource, management
issues, and research recommendations, in addition to identifying
scoping issues associated with the development of a fishery management
plan for herring. The Responsible Fishing Committee will recommend a
code of conduct for New England fishermen and discuss licensing for all
fishermen. The Monkfish Committee will brief the Council on its efforts
to develop management measures for inclusion in an amendment to the
Multispecies FMP.
May 29, 1997
The May 29 session will begin with the Council's Groundfish
Committee's proposed actions on two framework adjustments to the
Northeast Multispecies FMP. Initial action concerning the bag limit for
recreational anglers under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking
procedure contained in 50 CFR 648.82 will be considered. The action
would make rules for bag limits consistent for all recreational
fishermen. The Groundfish Committee also intends to propose final
action on a framework adjustment to the Multispecies FMP that would
exempt gillnet vessels in the trip boat category from bringing their
monkfish gillnets to port when fishing under a days-at-sea allocation.
The Groundfish Committee also will discuss issues associated with
implementation of a cod trip limit. A report from the Scallop Committee
will follow. There will be a presentation on the effectiveness of the
sea scallop management program, a report on the development of a
fishing effort consolidation program and discussion of reopening the
Georges Bank closed areas to scalloping. The Large Pelagics Committee
will report on the recent NMFS Shark Operations Team meeting. The
Habitat Committee will provide an update on the development of Council
comments on the Essential Fish Habitat proposed rule concerning
requirements for fishery management plans. The Gear Conflict Committee
will brief the Council on several problems in the Gulf of Maine. The
Council meeting will conclude with reports from the Council Chairman;
Executive Director; Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS;
representatives from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission, U.S. Coast Guard and the Mid-
Atlantic Council.
Announcement of an Experimental Fishery Application
There will be a discussion and opportunity to comment on a proposal
for an experimental fishery to be conducted by the Virginia Institute
of Marine Science to evaluate the selectivity and efficiency of 6-inch
(15.24-cm) mesh scallop trawls.
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: May 15, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-13245 Filed 5-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
