97-15077. New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 31551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15077]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 053097G]


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 special meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries 
in the exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 18, 1997, at 9 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: [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The special Council meeting will begin with 
agenda items concerning groundfish management. Initial action (first 
meeting) on a proposed framework adjustment to the Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to modify the Gulf of Maine 
cod trip limit to account for overages will be discussed. Measures may: 
(1) Require vessels fishing under the trip limit to call a (cod 
hailing) telephone number upon off-loading and also at least once every 
14 days, and (2) for vessels with landings exceeding the trip limit, 
allow resumption of fishing only when the days-at-sea (DAS) for that 
trip equate to their cod landings. A measure to change the cod trip 
limit exemption line located east of 68 deg. W. long. from 42 deg. to 
42 deg.20' N. lat. would also be included in the framework adjustment. 
Initial action may be taken on an additional framework adjustment that 
would allow vessels to carry over a maximum of 10 DAS to a following 
fishing year.
    The Council plans to discuss and approve an alternative stock 
rebuilding schedule for monkfish (proposed Amendment 9 to the FMP would 
bring monkfish under Federal management authority). Public hearings 
will then be held in conjunction with New England and Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council meetings in July 1997; accordingly, the 
Council will revise the fishing mortality reduction schedule and stock 
rebuilding plan in proposed Amendment 9 to the FMP, based on the 
comments received.
    There will be a final review of the draft public hearing document 
for Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. 
Amendment 7 would allow scallop permit holders to consolidate their 
DAS. The discussion will include consideration of several options to 
accomplish the DAS transfer.

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: June 4, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-15077 Filed 6-9-97; 8:45 am]
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