[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 208 (Thursday, October 28, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66357-66358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-27247]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA007


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
a three-day meeting on Tuesday through Thursday, November 16-18, 2010 
to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 16, Wednesday, 
November 17 and Thursday, November 18, 2010 starting at 8:30 a.m. each 
day.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Ocean Edge Resort, 2907 Main 
Street, Brewster, MA 02631-1946; telephone: (508) 896-9000; fax: (508) 
896-9123. 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; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

    Following introductions and any announcements, the Council will 
hold a closed session to allow Council members to comment on 2011-13 
nominees to its Scientific and Statistical Committee. Following this 
agenda item, the Council will receive brief reports from the Council 
Chairman and Executive Director, the NOAA Fisheries Regional 
Administrator, Northeast Region, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and 
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel, 
representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Atlantic States Marine 
Fisheries Commission, as well as NOAA Enforcement and the Chairman of 
the Research Steering Committee. There will be a review of any 
experimental fishery permit applications that have been received since 
the last Council meeting, and an open public comment period. This time 
is scheduled for any interested party who may wish to provide brief 
comments on issues relevant to Council business but not otherwise 
listed on the meeting agenda. Prior to a break the Council will discuss 
and approve management priorities for 2011-12. The afternoon session 
will begin with a report from the Scientific and Statistical Committee 
(SSC). It will include an overview of the committee=s 2011 schedule, 
approval of an acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendation for 
Gulf of Maine winter flounder as well as the NEFMC=s five-year Council 
research recommendations, a summary of the committee=s ongoing 
discussion of ABC control rules, and a comprehensive overview of the 
SSC=s white paper on Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management. NMFS Deputy 
Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs Sam Rauch will discuss 
coastal and marine spatial planning with the Council and the day will 
end with an Enforcement Committee report concerning recommendations for 
standardized fixed gear marking in the EEZ. The Council is not likely 
to take further action on these proposals until it consults with 
partner fishery management organizations and conducts a more public 
process to solicit further review and comment.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

    Throughout most of the day, the Council will discuss and take final 
action on Framework Adjustment 22 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery 
Management Plan. The primary purpose of the action is to set fishery 
specifications for the 2011-12 fishing years. Also included are 
measures to minimize the risk sea scallop gear/incidental encounters 
with sea turtles. Additionally, the Council will review and finalize 
scallop research recommendations that will apply to the fishery 
management plan's research set-aside program and approve measures that 
will affect the general category scallop fishery. During this report, 
the Council will discuss the yellowtail flounder sub annual catch limit 
that will be allocated to the scallop fleet through Framework 
Adjustment 45 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. Before adjournment for 
the day, Council members will consider a change to its skate management 
measures based on a re-analysis of skate discards provided by the Skate 
Plan Development Team.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

    The final day of the meeting will begin with initial action on 
Framework Adjustment 7 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. 
Management measures will address revisions to the biomass reference 
points, as well as a revised ABC and a Northern Management Area annual 
catch target (ACT). In view of the new ACT, a range of new management 
alternatives also will be considered. Finally, the monkfish discussion 
will include a summary of the development of Amendment 6 to the FMP, 
which will center on a catch share program for the monkfish fishery. 
The remainder of the day will be spent on multipsecies groundfish 
management-related issues. This will involve final action on Framework 
Adjustment 45 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP). The major measures under consideration are: Possible adjustments 
to the yellowtail flounder sub annual catch limit as a result of action 
taken in Framework 22 to the Scallop FMP; modifications to the Georges 
Bank yellowtail flounder rebuilding strategy and accordingly, the ABC; 
alternatives for revised status determination criteria and adjustments 
to the ABCs for pollock and Gulf of Maine winter flounder; total 
allowable catches for stocks harvested in the U.S./Canada area for 
2011; changes to the at-sea and dockside monitoring provisions in the 
FMP; elimination of the Great South Channel yellowtail flounder 
spawning closures for the general category scallop vessels; protection 
for spawning cod in an area off the New Hampshire coast; and 
authorization for additional sectors. The Council also will discuss the 
issue of state-operated permit banks.
    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 Magnuson-Stevens Act, 
provided that the public has been notified of the Council's intent

[[Page 66358]]

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.

    Dated: October 25, 2010.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-27247 Filed 10-27-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P