[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29271-29272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13827]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 052499G]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Herring Committee (joint with the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Herring Section); Mid-
Atlantic Plans Committee, Groundfish Committee and Advisory Panel, 
Interspecies Committee, Enforcement Committee and Advisory Panel, and 
Habitat Committee and Advisory Panel in June, 1999 to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 
Recommendations from these groups will be brought to the full Council 
for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

DATES: The meetings will held between Monday, June 14, 1999 and Monday, 
June 28, 1999. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and 
times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in Peabody, Saugus and Wakefield, 
MA; and Portsmouth, NH. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council (781) 231-0422. Requests for 
special accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery 
Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1036; telephone: (781) 
231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Datea and Agendas

    Monday, June 14, 1999, at 10 a.m. and Tuesday, June 15, at 9 a.m.--
Joint NEFMC Herring Committee and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 
Commission Herring Section Meeting
    Location: Holiday Inn, One Newbury Street (Route 1), Peabody, MA 
01960; telephone: (978) 535-4600.
    The committee and section will review the draft Atlantic Herring 
Stock Assessment and Fisheries Economics (SAFE) Report and recommend 
specifications for the 2000 fishing year. They also will develop 
recommendations for management measures for the 2000 fishing year (such 
as total allowable catch (TAC) set-asides, changes to the spawning 
closures in federal waters, or other framework adjustments). After 
reviewing the Herring Advisory Panel's recommendations on the subject, 
the committee and section will begin development of a limited entry or 
controlled access system for Management Area 1A in the Gulf of Maine. 
They will consider the Advisory Panel recommendation to establish an 
August 1, 1999 control date for the Atlantic herring fishery. There 
also will be a discussion of the 1999 large vessel annual 
specification.
    Wednesday, June 16, 1999, 9:30 a.m.--Mid-Atlantic Plans Committee 
Meeting
    Location: New England Fishery Management Council Office, 5 
Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906; telephone: (781) 231-0422.
    The committee will review a Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
proposal for tilefish closures and proposed mackerel management 
measures. The committee also will discuss coordinating the Atlantic 
herring and mackerel fishery management plans.
    Thursday, June 17, 1999, 9:30 a.m.--Groundfish Committee and 
Groundfish Advisory Panel Joint Meeting
    Location: Sheraton Colonial Hotel, One Audubon Road, Wakefield, MA 
01960; telephone: (781) 245-9300.
    The committee and panel will discuss and prepare a draft management 
policy for closed areas, including a statement of purpose and 
consideration of exceptions, for commercial and recreational fisheries 
for possible inclusion in Amendment 13 to the Northeast Multispecies 
Fishery Management Plan. The committee and panel will discuss the 
current cod stock boundaries and its effects on management policy, and 
advise the Council on possible alternative management area boundaries. 
The committee and panel also will review Amendment 13 scoping comments 
and industry proposals for management alternatives. It will continue 
the development of recommendations to the Council on issues and 
measures to be included in a public hearing document for Amendment 13, 
including but not limited to: management of the recreational and party/
charter fishery, management policy and strategy for the commercial 
fishery, action to rebuild all stocks in the fishery management unit as 
needed under the Council's new overfishing definitions; management of 
fleet fishing capacity, including possible implementation of a two-
tiered permit system to address latent fishing permits; proposals for 
industry support of scientific research and conservation engineering 
programs; modification of the annual adjustment schedule and possible 
change to the timing of the fishing year; the use of electronic vessel 
monitoring systems; and other issues that may be identified during the 
scoping process.
    Monday, June 21 at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday, June 22 at 9 a.m.--
Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting
    Location: New England Fishery Management Council Office, 5 
Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906; telephone: (781) 231-0422.
    Review of scientific information and analyses for the Herring 
(SAFE) Report and discussion of meeting procedures and protocols.
    Tuesday, June 22, 1999, 10 a.m. and Wednesday, June 23, 1999, at 9 
a.m.--Interspecies Committee Meeting
    Location: Sheraton Colonial Hotel, One Audubon Road, Wakefield, MA 
01880; telephone: (781)245-9300.
    The committee will receive a presentation on U.S. Global Ocean 
Ecosystems Dynamics (GLOBEC) Program experiments and discuss managing 
capacity and latent effort, changing fishing years, small vessel permit 
upgrading restrictions and other relevant business.
    Thursday, June 24, 1999, 9:30 a.m.--Joint Enforcement Committee and 
Advisory Panel Meeting
    Location: New England Fishery Management Council Office, 5

[[Page 29272]]

Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906; telephone: (781) 231-0422
    The committee and panel will review draft enforcement guidelines 
for Council consideration.
    Monday, June 28, 1999, 9:30 a.m.--Habitat Committee and Advisory 
Panel Joint Meeting
    Location: Sheraton Plymouth Inn, 180 Water Street Plymouth, MA 
02360; telephone: (508) 747-4900.
    The committee and panel will review the 1999 Habitat Annual Review 
Report and consider recommending additional Habitat Areas of Particular 
Concern, in addition to measures to protect essential fish habitat 
(EFH). The committee also will consider habitat-related issues to be 
addressed during development of the next Groundfish and Sea Scallop 
Amendments. They will review NMFS's EFH consultation process and 
coordination criteria.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management 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

    These meetings are 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 dates.

    Dated: May 25, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-13827 Filed 5-28-99; 8:45 am]
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