[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 94 (Monday, May 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23172-23173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11475]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XP31


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) Herring 
Oversight Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England 
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The two-day meeting will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 
9:30 a.m. and on Friday, June 5, 2009 at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Clarion Hotel, 1230 Congress 
Street, Portland, ME; telephone: (207) 774-5611; fax: (207) 871-0510.
    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:

Thursday, June 4, 2009 beginning at 9:30 a.m. and Friday, June 5, 2009 
beginning at 9 a.m.

    1. Continue development of management alternatives to be considered 
in Amendment 4 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) 
development of alternatives may include discussion related to measures 
to establish annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures 
(AMs); a catch monitoring program for the herring fishery; measures to 
address river herring bycatch; measures to establish criteria for 
midwater trawl access to groundfish closed areas; and measures to 
address interactions with the mackerel fishery
    2. Review/discuss recommendations from Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC), Enforcement Committee, Herring Advisory Panel, and 
Herring Plan Development Team (PDT)
    3. Finalize alternatives for establishing ACLs and AMs
    4. Continue discussion of management measures related to catch 
monitoring, including but not limited

[[Page 23173]]

to: specific monitoring and reporting requirements for herring vessels 
and processors, observer coverage and at-sea monitoring, shoreside/
dockside monitoring and sampling, vessel monitoring system (VMS) 
requirements, as well as other measures related to catch monitoring
    5. Review information related to Northeast Fishery Science Center 
study fleet program and discuss applicability of study fleet technology 
to herring catch monitoring alternatives in Amendment 4
    6. Discuss/develop options for industry-funded catch monitoring 
programs (dockside and/or at-sea)
    7. Review draft dockside sampling program and develop Committee 
recommendations
    8. Review timeline for Amendment 4 and develop Committee 
recommendations for Council consideration in June 2009 regarding 
alternatives for inclusion in the Amendment 4 Draft EIS
    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: May 13, 2009.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-11475 Filed 5-15-09; 8:45 am]
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