[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 210 (Monday, October 30, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 64654-64655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27817]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[I.D. 102300A]
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 3-day public meeting on November 14, 15, and 16, 2000, to consider
actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone
(EEZ).
[[Page 64655]]
DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2000,
beginning at 9:30 a.m., and Wednesday and Thursday, November 15 and 16,
at 8:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Colonial Hotel, One
Audubon Road, Wakefield, MA, 01880; telephone (781) 245-9300. Requests
for special accommodations should be addressed to the New England
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA
01950; telephone (978) 465-0492.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council (978) 465-0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Tuesday, November 14, 2000
After introductions, the meeting will begin with a report from the
Sea Scallop Committee. It will ask the Council to consider a number of
issues related to action on Framework Adjustment 14 to the Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Sea Scallops. These issues include
staff recommendations for General Category permit vessel participation
in the Hudson Canyon and Virginia Beach Closed Area access program and
additional Scallop Committee recommendations for inclusion in Framework
14 that relate to conditions for access. The Council's Social Sciences
Advisory Panel will present its comments on the Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) for Framework Adjustment 14. The
Council also will allow time for public comment on the Notice of Intent
to prepare an SEIS. Subsequent to these agenda items, the Council
intends to adopt the DSEIS. The Council is scheduled to take final
action on Framework Adjustment 14 at its January 23-25, 2001, Council
meeting. The Council also may request that NMFS take Interim Action to
postpone the scheduled opening of the Hudson Canyon and Virginia Beach
Closed Areas on March 1, 2001. The postponement, to be initiated to
accommodate the preparation of the SEIS for Framework 14, would
continue until the framework measures are implemented or for 180 days,
whichever is earlier. In other actions under the scallop agenda item,
the Council will comment on NMFS possibly allowing compensation trips
to be taken by scallop vessels in the groundfish closed areas after the
close of this scallop fishing year (February 28, 2001) to pay for
scallop research associated with the Framework Adjustment 13 Total
Allowable Catch research set-aside. Following this agenda item, the
Council's Research Steering Committee will ask the Council to approve
research priorities for 2001 and review the committee's actions to date
to develop a program to address the next round of Congressional funds
appropriated for collaborative research in New England.
Wednesday, November 15, 2000
The meeting will begin with a presentation of the 2000 Multispecies
Monitoring Committee (MSMC) report, including its recommendations for
revisions to management measures for the 2001 fishing year. Under the
Groundfish Committee Report to follow, the Council will discuss these
recommendations and identify alternatives for an annual framework
adjustment to the Northeast Multispecies FMP that may be necessary to
meet the goals and objectives of the plan. If an annual adjustment is
necessary, this will be the initial meeting for Framework Adjustment 36
to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. Prior to a committee update on the
development of Amendment 13 to the FMP, the Groundfish Overfishing
Definition Review Panel Committee will present its report to the
Council. The Groundfish Committee will then discuss rebuilding
schedules and review committee progress to develop management
alternatives, including possible refinements to the existing three
broad alternatives under consideration for inclusion in the amendment
(modifications based on the status quo, sector allocation alternative
and area management alternative). There also will be discussion of a
process for considering industry proposals and a new timeline for
completion of Amendment 13 tasks. Additionally, under the Groundfish
Committee Report agenda item, there will be a presentation of the
National Research Council's Report on Summer Flounder and Improving the
Collection, Management and Use of Fisheries Data.
Thursday, November 16, 2000
The third day of the meeting will begin with reports on recent
activities from the Council Chairman, Executive Director, the NMFS
Regional Administrator, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, and representatives of
the Coast Guard, NMFS Enforcement and the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission. The Council's Executive Director will ask for
approval of a schedule of management priorities for 2001. The Habitat
Committee will ask for approval of a letter to the Environmental
Protection Agency concerning its power plant permitting process. Under
the Monkfish Committee Report, there will be a presentation of the
Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report for the 1999
fishing year, which will include the annual Monkfish Monitoring
Committee Report. The committee will ask for Council approval of
initial action on the annual framework adjustment to the Monkfish FMP.
The only measure under consideration to date concerns the necessary
exemptions for vessels fishing for monkfish in the Northwest Atlantic
Fisheries Organization Regulated Area. The Council may identify other
measures to be analyzed and considered in the framework adjustment
process. The Council meeting will adjourn after addressing any other
outstanding business.
Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda
may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be
the subject of formal action during this meeting. Council action will
be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and
any issues arising after publication of this notice that require
emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,
provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take
final action to address the emergency.
The New England Council will consider public comments at a minimum
of two Council meetings before making recommendations to the National
Marine Fisheries Service Regional Administrator on any framework
adjustment to a fishery management plan. If she concurs with the
adjustment proposed by the Council, the Regional Administrator has the
discretion to publish the action either as proposed or final
regulations in the Federal Register. Documents pertaining to framework
adjustments are available for public review 7 days prior to a final
vote by the Council.
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.
Dated: October 24, 2000.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-27817 File 10-27-00; 8:45 am]
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