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[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]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
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