[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 30 (Monday, February 14, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-3308] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: February 14, 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE [I.D. 020894B] New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council), will hold a 2-day meeting on February 16 and 17, 1994, to consider actions affecting the New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone. DATES: The meeting will begin on Wednesday, February 16, 1994, at 10 a.m., and on Thursday, February 17, 1994, at 8:30 a.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at King's Grant Inn, Rt. 128 at Trask Lane, Danvers, MA 01923, telephone: 508-774-6800. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas G. Marshall, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906, telephone: 617-231-0422. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council meeting will begin on February 16 with reports from the Council Chairman and Executive Director, the NMFS Regional Director, NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center liaison, Mid-Atlantic Council liaison, and representatives from the Coast Guard, Fish and Wildlife Service and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). The Lobster Oversight Committee Chair will report on the formation of the Effort Management Teams as described in Amendment 5 to the American Lobster Fishery Management Plan (FMP). During the afternoon session, the Sea Scallop Oversight Committee Chair will report on the framework measure initiation explained later in this notice. The Wednesday session will conclude with a report from the Council Vice Chairman on the recommendations of an ad hoc committee for the upcoming Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act reauthorization hearings in Congress. On Thursday, the meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. with an Enforcement Oversight Committee report on its recommendations on scallop management measures and on the winter flounder exception. The Marine Mammal Oversight Committee will report on time/area closures to reduce the take of harbor porpoise. This will be followed by a report from the Groundfish Oversight Committee on framework measure initiation discussed below. The Groundfish Committee will conclude its report in the afternoon session of the second day of the Council meeting. The meeting will conclude with a discussion of the petition from the National Fisheries Association to prohibit the use of nets for large pelagic species in special management areas. Abbreviated Rulemaking Actions--Atlantic Sea Scallops The Council will consider framework adjustments to management measures under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking described in the final rule for Amendment 4 to the FMP for Atlantic Sea Scallops (59 FR 2757, January 19, 1994). The Council will determine whether adjustments, or additional management measures are necessary to protect small scallops in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Council will receive findings and recommendations from its Plan Development Team for Atlantic Sea Scallops, which met on February 4, 1994. Additionally, the Council will determine whether adjustments or additional management measures are necessary to address possible problems with double-linking of rings in the dredge bags, the availability of 5\1/2\ inch (13.97 cm) twine tops and the increase of at-sea freezing of scallops. The Council's recommendation on adjustments to, or addition of, management measures must come from one or more of the following categories: 1. Days at sea changes (total or average); 2. Shell height; 3. Offloading window re-instatement; 4. Effort monitoring; 5. Data reporting; 6. Trip limits; 7. Gear restrictions; 8. Permitting restrictions; 9. Crew limits; 10. Small mesh line; 11. On board observers; 12. Any other management measures currently included in the FMP. Abbreviated Rulemaking Actions--Northeast Multispecies Winter Flounder Component of the 500-Pound Possession Limit The Council will consider an adjustment to the Multispecies (Groundfish) FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking (50 CFR 651.40) contained in Amendment 5 to the FMP which was approved on January 3, 1994. The proposed rule for Amendment 5 was published on October 27, 1993 (58 FR 57774); a final rule is expected to be effective on March 1, 1994, and published before that date. At the request of the ASMFC Winter Flounder Board, the Council will discuss and accept public comment on a proposal to limit the winter flounder component of the 500-pound (226.8 kg) groundfish possession to 100 pounds (45.3 kg). The final rule discussed above, when implemented, will allow vessels to keep up to 500 pounds (226.8 kg), combined weight, of the 10 large-mesh groundfish species while fishing with mesh smaller than the regulated minimum size. The ASMFC is concerned that a 500-pound (226.8 kg) limit is an incentive to target winter flounder with small mesh that may result in the discarding of unacceptable numbers of winter flounder that are under the currently legal minimum fish size of 12 inches (30.48 cm). The ASMFC is urging the Council to take this action to protect a moderately strong 1992 year class of winter flounder, which will be susceptible to the small-mesh fishing gear before reaching the minimum legal size. Adjustment of Closure of Area I To Gillnetting The Council will also consider an adjustment to the closure of Area I to gillnetting in the Multispecies FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking contained in the proposed rule published on October 27, 1993. At the request of a number of sink gillnet fishermen, the Council will discuss and take public comment on a proposal to shift the time of the closure of Area I to gillnetting. The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Multispecies FMP will open Area I to all fishing gear types except sink gillnets. Unless modified by a framework measure, gillnetting will be prohibited from February through May. The Council proposed to open Area I to all gears except sink gillnets because haddock spawning has not been observed in the area in recent years. At the recommendation of the NMFS Regional Director, the Council proposed retaining the closure of Area I to gillnetting because of the potential interaction with endangered whales, which are known to feed in the area during the spring. The February through May closure period was originally set to protect aggregations of spawning haddock and does not coincide with the observed presence of the whales, which the gillnetting closure is intended to protect. The Council proposes to begin the closure of Area I in the middle of March and extend it to the middle of July. Time/Area Closures To Reduce the Take of Harbor Porpoise in the Gulf of Maine Sink Gillnet Fishery At the request of the NMFS and the Council's Marine Mammal and Endangered Species Committee, the Council has developed proposals to reduce the take of harbor porpoise in the Gulf of Maine sink gillnet fishery by the end of year 4 of implementation of the Northeast Multispecies FMP to a level not to exceed 2 percent of the porpoise population, based on the best available estimates of abundance and catch. Under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking (50 CFR 651.40, to be published in March 1994) the Council has requested its Harbor Porpoise Review Team (HPRT) to evaluate ``reduction of take measures'' for the harbor porpoise bycatch in the Gulf of Maine sink gillnet fishery. Those measures, which include closures in the Gulf of Maine by area and time, any recommendations made by the HPRT, and public comments, will be discussed at the February 16 and 17 Council meeting in order to initiate the framework process. At the February 16-17 Council meeting, the Council will determine whether the requested adjustment to the regulations for sea scallops and groundfish are necessary and will initiate a public comment period. The Council staff will analyze the proposals and announce the availability of analysis documents prior to the second Council meeting (April 6-7, 1994). The public will have the opportunity to comment on the proposal(s) prior to and at the April Council meeting. After developing management actions and receiving public testimony, the Council will make a recommendation to the Regional Director. The Regional Director may publish the action as a final rule or as a proposed rule, as described in Sec. 651.40. Dated: February 8, 1994. Richard H. Schaefer, Director of Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 94-3308 Filed 2-11-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-M