Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 207 / Wednesday, October 27, 2010 / Notices 66071 

safety and efficacy of harvesting 

surfclams and ocean quahogs from the 

Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog 

Georges Bank (GB) Closure Area using a 

sampling protocol developed by State 

and Federal regulatory agencies and 

endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA). The Assistant 

Regional Administrator has also made a 

preliminary determination that the 

activities authorized under the EFP 

would be consistent with the goals and 

objectives of the Atlantic Surfclam and 

Ocean Quahog regulations and Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP). However, 

further review and consultation may be 

necessary before a final determination is 

made to issue the EFP. The subject EFP 

would allow one commercial fishing 

vessel to conduct fishing operations that 

are otherwise restricted by the 

regulations governing the fisheries of 

the Northeastern United States. The EFP 

would allow for an exemption from the 

Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog GB 

Closure Area. Regulations under the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

require publication of this notification 

to provide interested parties the 

opportunity to comment on applications 

for proposed EFPs. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before November 12, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on this notice 

may be submitted by e-mail. The 

mailbox address for providing e-mail 

comments is NERO.EFP@noaa.gov. 

Include in the subject line of the e-mail 

comment the following document 

identifier: ‘‘Comments on 2011 GB PSP 

Closed Area Exemption.’’ Written 

comments should be sent to Patricia A. 

Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS, 

Northeast Regional Office, 55 Great 

Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. 

Mark the outside of the envelope 

‘‘Comments on 2011 GB PSP Closed 

Area Exemption.’’ Comments may also 

be sent via facsimile (fax) to (978) 281– 

9135. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Anna Macan, Fishery Management 

Specialist, phone 978–281–9165. Copies 

of supporting documents referenced in 

this notice are available from Anna 

Macan, Fishery Management Specialist, 

National Marine Fisheries Service, 55 

Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 

01930, and are available via the Internet 

at http://www.nero.noaa.gov/sfd/clams. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

applicant, Wallace & Associates, of 

Cambridge, MD, requests on behalf of 

Truex Enterprises, a renewal of their 

current EFP, which is due to expire on 

December 31, 2010, to allow the catch 

and retention for sale of Atlantic 

surfclams from within the Atlantic 

surfclam and ocean quahog GB Closure 

Area. The GB Closure Area is located 

east of 69°00′ W. long. and south of 

42°20′ N. lat and has been closed since 

May 25, 1990, due to the presence of a 

toxin (saxotoxins) that cause Paralytic 

Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). Due, in part, 

to the inability to test and monitor this 

area for the presence of PSP, this closure 

was made permanent through 

Amendment 12 to the FMP in 1999. 

The primary goal of the proposed 

study is to test the efficacy of the 

sampling protocol that was developed 

by State and Federal regulatory agencies 

to test for presence of saxotoxins in 

shellfish, and thus has been in a trial 

period through previous EFPs since 

2006. This protocol would facilitate the 

harvest of shellfish from waters 

susceptible to Harmful Algal Blooms, 

which produce the saxotoxins, but that 

are not currently under rigorous water 

quality monitoring programs by either 

State or Federal management agencies. 

A copy of the protocol is available from 

the NMFS Northeast Region Web site: 

http://www.nero.noaa.gov/sfd/clams. 

The proposed project would continue 

to conduct a trial for the sampling 

protocol in an exemption zone within 

the larger 1990 GB Closure Area with 

one fishing vessel. The exemption zone 

would not include any Northeast 

multispecies or essential fish habitat 

year-round closure areas. This proposed 

exempted fishing activity would occur 

during the 2011 calendar year, using 

surfclam quota allocated to Truex 

Enterprises under the Federal 

individual transferable quota program. 

The applicant has estimated a harvest of 

200,000 bushels (1,606,250 L) of 

surfclams from the exemption area. The 

exemption area has been tested in 

cooperation with the FDA from 2006 to 

the present. 

The applicant has obtained 

endorsements for the EFP and the 

sampling protocol from the States of 

Rhode Island, New Jersey, and 

Delaware, the States in which it intends 

to land and process the product 

harvested under the EFP. Each State is 

responsible for regulating the molluscan 

shellfish industry within its jurisdiction 

and ensuring the safety of shellfish 

harvested within or entering its borders. 

The sampling protocol and the pilot 

project that would be authorized by this 

EFP have also since been endorsed by 

the executive board of the Interstate 

Shellfish Sanitation Conference. 

The applicants may request minor 

modifications and extensions to the EFP 

throughout the course of research. EFP 

modifications and extensions may be 

granted without further public notice if 

they are deemed essential to facilitate 

completion of the proposed research 

and result in only a minimal change in 

the scope or impacts of the initially 

approved EFP request. 

In accordance with NOAA 

Administrative Order (NAO) 216–6, a 

Categorical Exclusion or other 

appropriate National Environmental 

Policy Act document would be 

completed prior to the issuance of the 

EFP. Further review and consultation 

may be necessary before a final 

determination is made to issue the EFP. 

After publication of this document in 

the Federal Register, the EFP, if 

approved, may become effective 

following the public comment period. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: October 22, 2010. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–27174 Filed 10–26–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA005 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council’s (NPFMC) Gulf of 

Alaska (GOA) and Bering Sea/Aleutian 

Islands (BS/AI) Groundfish plan teams 

will meet in Seattle, WA. 

DATES: The meetings will be held 

November 15–19, 2010. The meetings 

will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, 

November 15, and continue through 

Friday November 19. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 

7600 Sand Point Way NE., Building 4, 

Observer Training Room (GOA Plan 

Team) and Traynor Room (BS/AI Plan 

Team), Seattle, WA. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 

4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99501–2252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane 

DiCosimo or Diana Stram, NPFMC; 

telephone: (907) 271–2809. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The plan 

teams will prepare and review the stock 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
66072 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 207 / Wednesday, October 27, 2010 / Notices 

assessments for groundfish fisheries in 

the BSAI and GOA and recommend 

catch specifications for 2011/12. Agenda 

posted on Web site at: http:// 

www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before these groups for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during these meetings. 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 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 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Gail Bendixen, 

(907) 271–2809, at least 5 working days 

prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: October 21, 2010. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–27100 Filed 10–26–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA004 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery 

Management Council (Council) is 

scheduling a public meeting of its 

Research Steering Committee 

(Committee), in November, 2010, to 

consider actions affecting New England 

fisheries in the exclusive economic zone 

(EEZ). Recommendations from this 

group will be brought to the full Council 

for formal consideration and action, if 

appropriate. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Friday, November 12, 2010 at 10 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Courtyard by Marriott, 225 

McClellan Highway, East Boston, MA 

02128, telephone: (617) 569–5250; fax: 

(617) 561–0971. 

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 

Council’s Research Steering Committee 

will meet to review its mission, 

processes and products, as well as 

receive an update from NMFS’ 

Northeast Cooperative Research 

Program concerning their recent 

activities. 

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 

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. 

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, Executive Director, at (978) 

465–0492, at least 5 days prior to the 

meeting date. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: October 21, 2010. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–27099 Filed 10–26–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA003 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council’s (MAFMC) 

Summer Flounder Monitoring 

Committee, Scup Monitoring 

Committee, Black Sea Bass Monitoring 

Committee, and the Mid-Atlantic 

Fishery Council’s and the Atlantic 

States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 

Sumer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea 

Bass Advisors will hold public 

meetings. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Thursday, November 18, 2010 beginning 

at 8:30 a.m. with the Monitoring 

Committees. The Advisory Panels will 

begin meeting at 1 p.m. See 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for meeting 

agenda. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Holiday Inn BWI Airport Hotel, 890 

Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum, MD 

21090; telephone: (410) 859–8400. 

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, 800 N. State 

Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; 

telephone: (302) 674–2331. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christopher M. Moore, PhD, Executive 

Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, 800 N. State 

Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; 

telephone: (302) 526–5255. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

purpose of these meetings is to 

recommend the 2011 recreational 

management measures for the summer 

flounder, scup, and black sea bass 

fisheries. 

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 

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 

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 

The meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to M. 

Jan Saunders at the Mid-Atlantic 

Council Office, (302) 526–5251, at least 

5 days prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: October 21, 2010. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–27098 Filed 10–26–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES