Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 15 / Monday, January 26, 2009 / Notices 4375 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

Daniel P. Costa, Ph.D., Department of 

Biology and Institute of Marine 

Sciences, University of California, Santa 

Cruz, CA 95064 has been issued an 

amendment to Permit No. 87–1851–00. 

ADDRESSES: The permit and related 

documents are available for review 

upon written request or by appointment 

in the following office(s): 

Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 

(301)713–2289; fax (301)427–2521; and 

Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West 

Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, 

CA 90802–4213; phone (562)980–4001; 

fax (562)980–4018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amy Sloan or Tammy Adams, 

(301)713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

November 18, 2008, notice was 

published in the Federal Register (73 

FR 68416) that a request for an 

amendment to scientific research Permit 

No. 87–1851–00 had been submitted by 

the above-named individual. The 

requested amendment has been issued 

under the authority of the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and 

the regulations governing the taking and 

importing of marine mammals (50 CFR 

part 216). 

The amended permit (No. 87–1851– 

01) expands the study area for tagging 

studies and physiological research on 

Antarctic seals to include the Weddell 

Sea. The permit amendment expires on 

January 31, 2012. 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final 

determination has been made that the 

activity proposed is categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement. 

Dated: January 14, 2009. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–1518 Filed 1–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XM91 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council (MAFMC); Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council (Council), its 

Protected Resources Committee, its 

Annual Catch Limit/Accountability 

Measures (ACL/AM) Committee, its Law 

Enforcement Committee, its Research 

Set-Aside (RSA) Committee, its 

Ecosystems/Ocean Planning Committee, 

its Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Committee, 

its Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish 

Committee, and its Executive 

Committee will hold public meetings. 

DATES: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 

through Friday, February 13, 2009. On 

Wednesday, February 11 the Protected 

Resources Committee with its Advisors 

will meet from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 

a.m. The ACL/AM Committee will meet 

from 10:30 a.m. until noon. The Law 

Enforcement Committee will meet from 

1:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. The RSA 

Committee will meet from 2:30 p.m. 

until 4:00 p.m. The Ecosystems/Ocean 

Planning Committee will meet from 4:00 

p.m. until 5:30 p.m. There will be a 

scoping session for Amendment 14 to 

the Surfclam/Ocean Quahog FMP on 

Wednesday evening from 7:00 p.m. 

until 9:00 p.m. 

On Thursday, February 12 the 

Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Committee will 

meet from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. The 

Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish Committee 

will meet from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 

a.m. The Council will convene at 10:00 

a.m. and from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 

a.m. will conduct its regular business 

session and receive organizational 

reports. From 11:00 a.m. until noon, the 

Council will receive a report regarding 

annual discards for 2008 and 

standardized bycatch reporting 

methodology prioritization for 2009. 

From 1:00 p.m. until 1:15 p.m. there 

will be an award presentation and 

recognition. From 1:15 p.m. until 2:00 

p.m. the Council will receive a report on 

the Northeast Data Poor Stocks 

Workshop. From 2:00 p.m. until 5:30 

p.m. there will be a public workshop on 

reducing butterfish bycatch in the 

Loligo fishery. On Friday, February 13 

the Executive Committee will meet from 

9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. From 10:00 

a.m. until noon the Council will receive 

a report on Status of Fishery 

Management Plans, the Executive 

Director’s Report, Committee Reports, 

Liaison Report and discuss any 

continuing and new business. 

ADDRESSES: Seaview Marriott Resort and 

Spa, 401 South New York Road, 

Galloway, NJ 08205; telephone: 609– 

652–1800. 

Council Address: Mid-Atlantic 

Fishery Management Council, 300 S. 

New St., Room 2115, Dover, DE 19904; 

telephone: 302–674–2331. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council; telephone: 302–674–2331 ext. 

19. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Agenda 

items by day for the Council’s 

Committees and the Council itself are: 

Wednesday, February 11 - the Protected 

Resources Committee with Advisors 

will discuss an industry request to 

modify the Bottle Nose Dolphin Take 

Reduction Team (TRT) Plan by adding 

one month to the current ‘‘tending 

requirement’’ period for medium gillnet 

fisheries and review and discuss 

Atlantic Trawl TRT strategy for pilot 

whales and common dolphin. The ACL/ 

AM Committee will review and discuss 

the NMFS’ Final Rule on ACL/AM, 

review and discuss table of current 

Council control rules, and address the 

action plan and associated timeline for 

implementation. The Law Enforcement 

Committee will discuss regulatory 

implications of transfer-at-sea 

authorizations, discuss regulatory 

implication of monitoring other than a 

daily trip limit in party/charter boat 

fisheries, and address implication of 

Maine’s study/report on fixed gear 

vertical line locations and densities. The 

RSA Committee will convene a public 

fact finding and receive comments on 

the Council’s RSA program. The 

Ecosystems/Ocean Planning Committee 

will receive a report on the Northeast 

Fisheries Science Center’s (NEFSC) 

recent efforts regarding development of 

an ecosystem based approach to fishery 

management and develop the 

Committee’s work plan for 2009. An 

evening scoping session for Amendment 

14 to the Surfclam/Ocean Quahog FMP 

will be held to solicit the public’s ideas 

about needed changes to the FMP. 

Thursday, February 12 - the Surfclam/ 

Ocean Quahog Committee will review 

and discuss scoping comments to 

decide and adopt management measures 

to be included in Amendment 14. The 

Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish 

Committee will review and discuss the 

outcome of the January Committee 

4376 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 15 / Monday, January 26, 2009 / Notices 

meeting to determine and select (if 

possible) preferred alternatives for 

Council consideration and inclusion in 

the Public Hearing document for 

Amendment 11. The Council will 

convene for its regular business session 

to receive various reports including a 

report by Dr. Rago (NMFS NEFSC) on 

‘‘Annual Discard Report for 2008 and 

the Standardized Bycatch Reporting 

Methodology Prioritization for 2009’’ 

and a report by Dr. Weinberg (NMFS 

NEFSC) on the outcome of the Northeast 

Data Poor Workshop which included 

scup and black sea bass among others, 

the Council will also present its 

Fisheries Achievement Award. A public 

workshop will be held in the afternoon 

to encourage early adoption of voluntary 

fishing practices to reduce butterfish 

bycatch in the Loligo squid fishery. 

Discussion items will include: potential 

effects of implementation of 

Amendment 10 which would establish 

a butterfish bycatch mortality cap for 

the Loligo squid fishery in 2011, 

possible mitigation actions to avoid 

future closures of the Loligo fishery 

owing to attainment of the butterfish 

mortality cap. Current Loligo fishing 

practices will be reviewed with the 

intent to identify practices that 

contribute to butterfish bycatch. 

Information and data will be presented 

as catalysts for discussion purposes 

regarding problem identification and 

possible solutions. Friday, February 13 

- the Executive Committee will review 

the outcome of the State-Federal 

Alignment Work Group meeting, receive 

results from Scientific and Statistical 

Committee (SSC) actions, and review 

the agenda for the Council Coordination 

Committee. The Council will receive a 

report on Status of MAFMC’s FMPs, the 

Executive Director’s report, Committee 

reports, and any continuing and new 

business. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before the Council for discussion, these 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

Council 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 the 

public has been notified of the Council’s 

intent to take final action to address 

such emergencies. 

Special Accommodations 

This meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aid should be directed to M. 

Jan Bryan (302–674–2331 ext 18) at least 

five days prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: January 21, 2009 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–1570 Filed 1–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XM89 

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 three-day Council meeting on 

February 9–11, 2009 to consider actions 

affecting New England fisheries in the 

exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Monday, February 9 beginning at 9:00 

a.m., and Tuesday, February 10 and 

Wednesday, February 11, beginning at 

8:30 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Sheraton Harborside Hotel, 250 

Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801; 

telephone: (603) 431–2300; fax: (603) 

433–5649. 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: 

Monday, February 9, 2009 

Following introductions and any 

announcements, the Council will 

receive a series of brief reports from the 

Council Chairman and Executive 

Director, the NOAA Fisheries Northeast 

Regional Administrator, Northeast 

Fisheries Science Center and MidAtlantic 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. Presentations will be will 

be provided to the Council on the recent 

Data Poor Stocks Workshop and the 

Standard Bycatch Reporting 

Methodology annual report. For the 

latter, NMFS will solicit 

recommendations from the Council 

concerning the prioritization of observer 

coverage. The Council’s Herring 

Committee will report during the 

afternoon session and review progress to 

date on the development of management 

alternatives for Amendment 4 to the 

Herring Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP). The focus of the action is catch 

monitoring, but measures also will 

address annual catch limits (ACLs) and 

accountability measures (AMs). 

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 

The meeting will begin with a brief 

overview of the NMFS final rule 

concerning procedures and voting 

eligibility requirements for referenda on 

Individual Fishing Quota program 

proposals in accordance with the new 

requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. Time will then be allocated to 

discuss the NMFS Secretarial Interim 

Action for the Northeast Multispecies 

fishery, to be followed by discussion 

and approval of Draft Amendment 16 to 

the Northeast Multispecies FMP and it 

accompanying Environmental Impact 

Statement for review at public hearings. 

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 

The last day of the Council meeting 

will begin with, in the following order, 

possible consideration and approval of 

revisions to several Council operating 

policies, a review of recent experimental 

fishery permit applications and an open 

comment period during which any 

interested party may address the 

Council about fishery management 

related issues that are otherwise not 

listed on the agenda. These items will 

be followed by an overview of the 

NMFS final rule containing guidance on 

how to comply with the new annual 

catch limit (ACL) and accountability 

measure (AM) requirements in fishery 

management plans. Prior to a lunch 

break, the Council’s Scientific and 

Statistical Committee will provide 

advice on the adequacy of the analyses 

that could form the basis of Amendment 

3 to the Northeast Skate Complex FMP 

and Amendment 15 to the Scallop FMP. 

Council consideration of skate 

management measures will follow with 

a decision on whether to develop final 

alternatives for further consideration by 

the Council or to develop new 

management measures, based on the 

receipt of new as well as updated 

information. The Scallop Committee 

will ask the Council for approval of a 

range of alternatives under 

consideration for Amendment 15 to the 

Scallop FMP for purposes of completing