25442 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Proposed Rules

(f) by revising the introductory text and

paragraph (f)(i) to read as follows:

253.213 Simplified acquisition procedures

(SF’s 18, 30, 44, 1165, 1449, and OF’s 336,

347, and 348).

(f) DoD uses the DD Form 1155, Order

for Supplies or Services, instead of OF

347; and Optional Form 336,

Continuation Sheet, instead of OF 348.

(i) Use the DD Form 1155 as

prescribed in 213.307(b)(i) and in

accordance with the instructions at

253.213–70.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 98–12268 Filed 5–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5000–04–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 042898B]

New England Fishery Management

Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Public meeting.

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

hold a 2-day public meeting on May 20

and 21, 1998, to consider actions

affecting New England fisheries in the

exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

Wednesday, May 20, 1998, at 10 a.m.

and on Thursday, May 21, 1998, at 8:30

a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Seaport Inn, 110 Middle Street,

Fairhaven, MA 02719; telephone (508)

997–1281. Requests for special

accommodations should be addressed to

the New England Fishery Management

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, May 20, 1998

After introductions, the Council will

discuss and seek approval of the final

Monkfish Fishery Management Plan

(FMP) prepared jointly with the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council.

During the Groundfish Committee

Report to follow, the committee will

recommend approval of the public

hearing document for Amendment 9 to

the Northeast Multispecies FMP and the

accompanying Draft Supplemental

Environmental Impact Statement

(DSEIS). Measures in the document

include revised overfishing definitions

and the specification of optimum yield

to be consistent with the reauthorized

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), a prohibition

or possession limit for Atlantic halibut,

a possession limit for winter flounder in

the Southern New England and MidAtlantic stock areas, limits on the use of

square mesh in the Gulf of Maine and

on Georges Bank to reduce juvenile

flounder bycatch, a 1–inch increase in

the winter flounder minimum size, a

postponement of the use of electronic

vessel monitoring systems while

resolving outstanding related issues,

prohibition of the use of

‘‘streetsweeper’’ trawl gear, modification

the Gulf of Maine cod trip limit

requirement that a vessel remain in port

to account for an overage, and

application of the Gulf of Maine cod trip

limit ‘‘running clock’’ system to all

fisheries managed under a per-day trip

limit.

During the afternoon session, the

Habitat Committee will seek approval of

proposed essential fish habitat

designations and alternatives for red

hake, cod, witch flounder, ocean pout,

and Atlantic herring for purposes of

preparing a public hearing document.

The committee chairman will also

provide an update on progress to

develop alternatives for other Councilmanaged species. Before adjourning for

the day, the Aquaculture Committee

will recommend final action on a

framework adjustment to the Sea

Scallop FMP that would extend the

Westport Scallop Project closure for 18

months.

Thursday, May 21, 1998

The Council will seek approval of the

Sea Scallop Amendment 7 public

hearing document and DSEIS. Measures

to be included in the document are:

Days-at-sea (DAS) reductions, scallop

area management, and a DAS leasing to

be implemented by a future framework

adjustment to the FMP. An industryfunded vessel buyout program will also

be discussed. During the Whiting

Committee Report, the Council will seek

approval of measures for preparing a

public hearing document and DSEIS for

a whiting amendment to the Northeast

Multispecies FMP. Major measures

under consideration include a

moratorium on commercial permits,

whiting trip limits, closed areas, mesh

size restrictions, 3–inch mesh areas,

changes to the Cultivator Shoal fishery

regulations, and limits on the amount of

fish that can be brought in with a mesh

less than the minimum size.

The Council will seek approval of a

public hearing document and DSEIS for

the Atlantic Herring FMP. Measures will

include controlled access to the fishery,

spawning area closures, vessel/dealer

operator permit requirements, area

management, both a target total

allowable catch (TAC) and TAC that

triggers a management action, vessel

size limits, a prohibition on fishing for

the purposes of meal production, limits

on fishing time, and restrictions on

fishing for roe. The Dogfish Committee

will review recent committee

discussions. The meeting will conclude

with reports from the Council

Chairman, Executive Director,

Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS

(Regional Administrator), Northeast

Fisheries Science Center and MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council

liaisons, and representatives of the

Coast Guard and the Atlantic States

Marine Fisheries Commission.

Announcement of an Experimental

Fishery Application

The Regional Administrator is

considering the authorization of an

experimental fishery for silver hake

(whiting) in the Gulf of Maine. The

experimental fishery would help to

determine appropriate gear type, area,

and season for a small mesh fishery that

would meet the bycatch criteria of the

Northeast multispecies exempted

fishery program. This experimental

fishery would include modifications of

the separator trawl experimental fishery

conducted in the summers of 1995,

1996, and 1997. Exempted fishing

permits to conduct experimental fishing

would be issued to participating vessels

to exempt them from DAS, mesh size,

and other gear restrictions of the

Northeast Multispecies Fishery

Management Plan.

Although other issues not contained

in this agenda may come before this

Council for discussion, in accordance

with the Magnuson-Stevens 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.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Proposed Rules 25443

Dated: May 4, 1998.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–12255 Filed 5–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F