[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 89 (Friday, May 8, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25442-25443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12255]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[I.D. 042898B]
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 on May 20 and 21, 1998, to consider actions
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 1998, at 10 a.m.
and on Thursday, May 21, 1998, at 8:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Seaport Inn, 110 Middle
Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719; telephone (508) 997-1281. Requests for
special accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery
Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1097; telephone (781)
231-0422.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council (781) 231-0422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Wednesday, May 20, 1998
After introductions, the Council will discuss and seek approval of
the final Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) prepared jointly with
the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. During the Groundfish
Committee Report to follow, the committee will recommend approval of
the public hearing document for Amendment 9 to the Northeast
Multispecies FMP and the accompanying Draft Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (DSEIS). Measures in the document include revised
overfishing definitions and the specification of optimum yield to be
consistent with the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), a prohibition or possession
limit for Atlantic halibut, a possession limit for winter flounder in
the Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic stock areas, limits on the
use of square mesh in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank to reduce
juvenile flounder bycatch, a 1-inch increase in the winter flounder
minimum size, a postponement of the use of electronic vessel monitoring
systems while resolving outstanding related issues, prohibition of the
use of ``streetsweeper'' trawl gear, modification the Gulf of Maine cod
trip limit requirement that a vessel remain in port to account for an
overage, and application of the Gulf of Maine cod trip limit ``running
clock'' system to all fisheries managed under a per-day trip limit.
During the afternoon session, the Habitat Committee will seek
approval of proposed essential fish habitat designations and
alternatives for red hake, cod, witch flounder, ocean pout, and
Atlantic herring for purposes of preparing a public hearing document.
The committee chairman will also provide an update on progress to
develop alternatives for other Council-managed species. Before
adjourning for the day, the Aquaculture Committee will recommend final
action on a framework adjustment to the Sea Scallop FMP that would
extend the Westport Scallop Project closure for 18 months.
Thursday, May 21, 1998
The Council will seek approval of the Sea Scallop Amendment 7
public hearing document and DSEIS. Measures to be included in the
document are: Days-at-sea (DAS) reductions, scallop area management,
and a DAS leasing to be implemented by a future framework adjustment to
the FMP. An industry-funded vessel buyout program will also be
discussed. During the Whiting Committee Report, the Council will seek
approval of measures for preparing a public hearing document and DSEIS
for a whiting amendment to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. Major
measures under consideration include a moratorium on commercial
permits, whiting trip limits, closed areas, mesh size restrictions, 3-
inch mesh areas, changes to the Cultivator Shoal fishery regulations,
and limits on the amount of fish that can be brought in with a mesh
less than the minimum size.
The Council will seek approval of a public hearing document and
DSEIS for the Atlantic Herring FMP. Measures will include controlled
access to the fishery, spawning area closures, vessel/dealer operator
permit requirements, area management, both a target total allowable
catch (TAC) and TAC that triggers a management action, vessel size
limits, a prohibition on fishing for the purposes of meal production,
limits on fishing time, and restrictions on fishing for roe. The
Dogfish Committee will review recent committee discussions. The meeting
will conclude with reports from the Council Chairman, Executive
Director, Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional
Administrator), Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council liaisons, and representatives of the Coast
Guard and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Announcement of an Experimental Fishery Application
The Regional Administrator is considering the authorization of an
experimental fishery for silver hake (whiting) in the Gulf of Maine.
The experimental fishery would help to determine appropriate gear type,
area, and season for a small mesh fishery that would meet the bycatch
criteria of the Northeast multispecies exempted fishery program. This
experimental fishery would include modifications of the separator trawl
experimental fishery conducted in the summers of 1995, 1996, and 1997.
Exempted fishing permits to conduct experimental fishing would be
issued to participating vessels to exempt them from DAS, mesh size, and
other gear restrictions of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery
Management Plan.
Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before
this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens
Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal Council action
during this meeting. Council action will be restricted to those issues
specifically listed in this notice.
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.
[[Page 25443]]
Dated: May 4, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-12255 Filed 5-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
