55212 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 205 / Thursday, October 23, 1997 / Proposed Rules

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, November 5, 1997

After introductions, the Council

meeting will begin with a presentation

on a Council plan to address

Sustainable Fisheries Act requirements

and the 13 overfished stocks recently

identified in the NMFS report entitled

‘‘Status of Fisheries of the United

States.’’ The Habitat Committee will

review its discussions about the

Council’s essential fish habitat (EFH)

amendment process and habitat

requirements for fishery management

plans (FMPs). Following a mid-day

break, the Whiting Committee will

provide an update on progress to

develop a whiting amendment to the

Northeast Multispecies FMP and, if

necessary, will seek approval of this

ongoing process. The Groundfish

Committee will recommend initial

action on a framework adjustment to the

Northeast Multispecies FMP to establish

an exempted gillnet fishery for dogfish

in the area of Nantucket Shoals and

waters east of Cape Cod. The

Groundfish Committee will also

recommend initial action on a second

framework adjustment to shorten the

duration of the Cultivator Shoal and

Small Mesh Area 2 exempted fisheries.

There will be a discussion and possible

action on other items including (a)

options for regulating trawl ground gear,

particularly ‘‘street sweepers’’; (b) a

strategy to address overfished

groundfish stocks listed in the abovementioned NMFS report; (c) options to

allow scalloping in groundfish closed

areas; and (d) halibut management. The

Mid-Atlantic Plans Committee will

review its recommendations to the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council

concerning the management of

mahogany quahogs in the Gulf of Maine.

The Chairman of the Council’s Lobster

Committee will discuss the Atlantic

States Marine Fisheries Commission’s

(ASMFC’s) response to the Council

about options for meeting the Federal

mandate to develop a plan to end

overfishing and to rebuild the lobster

resource. There may be a decision on

future Council involvement, including

consideration of ASMFC’s revised draft

plan and possible Council development

of a new amendment by October 1998.

Thursday, November 6, 1997

The Council may consider and

approve monkfish management

measures for inclusion in Amendment 9

to the Northeast Multispecies FMP.

There may also be a request to the

Secretary of Commerce to implement

interim management measures for the

monkfish fishery. The Sea Scallop

Committee will provide an update on

the Amendment 7 (consolidation of

days-at-sea and closed area

management) public hearings. There

will be a presentation on the results of

the 1997 NMFS sea scallop survey

followed by possible action to adjust

days-at-sea allocations for 1998. The

Council will review and approve

objectives and discuss potential

management alternatives for the Herring

Fishery Management Plan. After the

mid-day break, NMFS staff will report

on an experiment to evaluate vesselmonitoring system effectiveness. The

Professional Standards and Practices

Committee will recommend Council

approval of standards for participation

in experimental and exempted fisheries

and mechanisms to establish an

industry-funded fisheries observer

program. The Enforcement Committee

Report will include recommendations

on the implementation and the use of

vessel monitoring systems. Following

this discussion, there will be reports

from the Council Chairman, Executive

Director, NMFS Regional Administrator,

Northeast Fisheries Science Center and

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Council liaisons, and representatives of

the Coast Guard and the ASMFC. The

meeting will adjourn after the

conclusion of any other outstanding

business.

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

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: October 16, 1997.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–27967 Filed 10–22–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 100397C]

Fisheries Off West Coast States and in

the Western Pacific; West Coast

Salmon Fisheries; Public Hearings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

hold a series of public hearings on a

proposed Amendment 13 to its Fishery

Management Plan for Commercial and

Recreational Salmon Fisheries Off the

Coasts of Washington, Oregon, and

California (FMP). The amendment

proposes alternative management

objectives for Oregon coastal natural

coho.

DATES: The Council will hold hearings

on Monday, October 27, 1997 at 7 p.m.

and Tuesday, October 28, 1997 at 7 p.m.

and will consider the amendment

during its meeting Tuesday, November

4, 1997. Written comments must be

received by the Council no later than

noon, October 29, 1997, to assure time

for processing and distribution before

final consideration of the amendment by

the Council.

ADDRESSES: The Monday, October 27

hearing will be held at the Red Lion Inn,

Pacific Room, 400 Industry, Astoria, OR;

telephone (503) 325–7373. The Tuesday,

October 28 hearing will be held at the

Pony Village Motor Inn, Ballroom,

Virginia Avenue, North Bend, OR;

telephone (541) 756–3191. The Council

will meet Tuesday, November 4 at the

Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel, 8235

NE Airport Way, Portland, OR. Send

written comments to: Mr. Lawrence D.

Six, Executive Director, Pacific Fishery

Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth

Avenue, Suite 224, Portland, OR 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

Coon, Salmon Fishery Management

Coordinator, Pacific Fishery

Management Council, at (503) 326–

6352.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 205 / Thursday, October 23, 1997 / Proposed Rules 55213

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Council requests public comments on

‘‘Draft Amendment 13 to the Fishery

Management Plan for Commercial and

Recreational Salmon Fisheries Off the

Coasts of Washington, Oregon, and

California.’’ Amendment 13 proposes

alternative management objectives for

Oregon coastal natural coho that are

complementary to the Oregon Coastal

Salmon Restoration Initiative developed

to assure protection of this stock

without listing under the Endangered

Species Act. The amendment document

contains a brief description of the

proposed amendment along with a draft

environmental assessment, regulatory

impact review/initial regulatory

flexibility analysis, statement of

consistency with coastal zone

management programs, and review of

other applicable law which could be

affected by the amendment.

Copies of the amendment are

available from the Council office. Those

wishing to submit oral or written

testimony may do so at the hearings, or

in writing (See ADDRESSES). Written

comments addressed to the Council

office should be received no later than

noon, October 29, 1997, to assure time

for processing and distribution before

final consideration of the amendment by

the Council.

The public may also provide oral and

written comments on the amendment

during the Council session on Tuesday,

November 4 in Portland (See

ADDRESSES).

These meetings are physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Eric W. Greene at

(503) 326–6352 at least 5 days prior to

the meeting date.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: October 17, 1997.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–28133 Filed 10–22–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F