29530 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 105 / Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Proposed Rules

INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 7 days

prior to the meeting.

Dated: May 24, 2001.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–13678 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 052201A]

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 Council meeting, on June

13 and June 14, 2001, to consider

actions affecting New England fisheries

in the exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

Wednesday and Thursday, June 13 and

14, at 9 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the Providence Biltmore Hotel, 11

Dorrance Street, Kennedy Plaza,

Providence, RI 02903; telephone (401)

421–0700. 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:

Wednesday, June 13, 2001

After introductions, the Council

meeting will begin with a review and,

if appropriate, approval of Council

administrative and procedural policies.

The Groundfish Committee will follow

with its report on the development of

Amendment 13 to the Northeast

Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

(FMP). This will include consideration

of a Groundfish Committee

recommendation to clarify maximum

sustainable yield control rule options

and the Capacity’s Committee’s

recommendations concerning whether

to address latent fishing effort in

Amendment 13. During the afternoon

session, the Council will review and

consider approval of the draft

management alternatives and Draft

Environmental Impact Statement for the

FMP for the Northeast Region skate

complex. Lastly, there will be a

presentation on bioeconomic modeling

and its application to fisheries

management, using the American

lobster fishery as a case study.

Thursday, June 14, 2001

During the Thursday session of the

meeting, the Council will receive

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, NOAA General

Counsel and representatives of the U.S.

Coast Guard, NMFS Enforcement and

the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries

Commission. These reports will be

followed by a NMFS briefing on the

Essential Fish Habitat consultation

process. A period for public comments

will then be held. The Herring

Committee will bring forward its annual

specification recommendations for the

2002 fishing year. These will include

optimum yield from the fishery, total

allowable level of foreign fishing and

joint venture processing, as well as

management area total allowable catch

quotas. Prior to making a decision on

these specifications, the Council staff

will present the annual Stock

Assessment and Fishery Evaluation

Report for herring. During the afternoon

period, the Council’s Scallop Committee

will ask for consideration of a control

date for vessels that target sea scallops

while not on a scallop day-at-sea. A

control date may be necessary because

the Council is considering whether to

limit the access of vessels holding

general category permits as part of

Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Sea

Scallop FMP. The control date could

apply to any vessel with or without a

general category permit and/or to

vessels that have a limited access

scallop permit and that fish for sea

scallops while not on a day-at-sea. 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 subjects 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 MagnusonStevens Act, provided that the public

has been notified of the Council’s intent

to take final action to address the

emergency.

The Council will consider public

comments at a minimum of two Council

meetings before making

recommendations to the NMFS 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: May 24, 2001.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service

[FR Doc. 01–13681 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S