[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18354-18355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9189]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XO83


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice; public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) VMS/
Enforcement Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New 
England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Friday, May 8, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton 
Ferncroft Hotel, 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923; Telephone: (978) 
777-2500; Fax: (978) 750-7991.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978)465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The items of discussion in the committee's 
agenda are as follows:
    (1) The committee will review and discuss management alternatives 
under development in Amendment 4 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP), which may include measures to establish annual 
catch limits and accountability measures, a catch monitoring program 
for the Atlantic herring fishery, management measures to address/
minimize bycatch, and measures to address access by herring vessels to 
groundfish closed areas; and develop Enforcement Committee 
recommendations for Herring Committee/Council consideration.
    (2) The enforcement discussion regarding Amendment 4 to the Herring 
FMP will likely focus on the details of

[[Page 18355]]

the proposed alternatives to establish a catch monitoring program, 
including: provisions for ``maximized retention'' and other measures to 
address slippage and minimize bycatch; measures to implement a dockside 
monitoring program; measures to improve reporting, compliance, and 
quota monitoring; and measures to address at-sea monitoring (including 
measures to improve observer working conditions and data collection);
    (3) Other business.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action 
under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take final action to address the emergency.

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: April 17, 2009.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-9189 Filed 4-21-09; 8:45 am]
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