New England Fishery Management Council; Meeting

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 070596D]

New England Fishery Management Council; Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold

a 2-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in

the exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting will begin on Wednesday, July 17, 1996, at 10 a.m.

and on Thursday, July 18, 1996, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, Route One,

Peabody, MA; telephone (508) 535-4600. Requests for special

accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery

Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1097; telephone: (617)

231-0422.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas G. Marshall, Executive

Director, (617) 231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

July 17, 1996

After introductions, the July 17 session will begin with a report

on and discussion of the Canadian Program for Responsible Fishing

Operations. The Marine Mammal Committee report will follow and include

a recommendation to take final action on Framework Adjustment 16 to the

Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (Multispecies FMP) that

would extend the timing of the Mid-coast Closure Area. An additional

measure under consideration for the same framework adjustment would

prohibit the use of pelagic and any other gillnets in the harbor

porpoise time/area closures under certain conditions.

In the afternoon, the Multispecies Groundfish Committee will review

and possibly recommend changes to the gillnet effort reduction measures

currently in the FMP. Additionally, they will discuss membership on the

Council's Multispecies Monitoring Committee, progress on the

development of a fishery management plan for whiting, and possible

alternatives to the Gulf of Maine

groundfish area closures. The Council also will consider final action

on Framework Adjustments 17 and 18, as explained below. There will also

be an update on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's

(ASMFC's) Winter Flounder Plan.

July 18, 1996

The July 18 session will begin with reports from the Council

Chairman; Executive Director; Director, Northeast Region, NMFS

(Regional Director); and representatives from the Northeast Fisheries

Science Center; ASMFC; U.S. Coast Guard; and the Mid Atlantic Council.

The Herring Committee Chairman will brief the Council on the outcome of

the most recent United States/Canada meeting. The Enforcement Committee

will discuss its review of the management alternatives proposed for

inclusion in the proposed monkfish fishery management plan (Monkfish

FMP). There will be a discussion of the experimental fishery for

mahogany quahogs in the Gulf of Maine. The Regional Director is

considering an experimental fishery for vessels involved in a Fishing

Industry Grant (FIG) entitled ``Local Production and Market Development

for High Quality Cape Cod Shark Frozen Fillets.'' The objective of the

project is to enhance dogfish processing and marketing. Operations

under the FIG grant have become restricted by the implementation of

Amendment 7 to the Multispecies FMP and therefore possibly threaten the

success of the grant. Experimental fishing permits would be necessary

for vessels to continue to operate as they had done under Amendment 5

to the FMP. The Regional Director is considering issuing experimental

fishing permits for federally permitted vessels that may be involved in

a continuation of a gear development project conducted by the

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MADMF) in the Cape Cod Bay/

Massachusetts Bay area. The purpose of the experimental fishery is to

continue to test and refine a MADMF constructed trawl and the

associated fishing technique as a selective type of gear that can be

used in the whiting fishery, as well as the dogfish and red hake

fisheries. The MADMF expects its experimental net to retain primarily

whiting, red hake, and dogfish while minimizing the catch of bottom

dwelling groundfish. The information compiled by MADMF from last year's

experiment has been reviewed by NMFS and supports continuation of the

project.

The afternoon session will include reports from the Gear Conflict

and Monkfish Committees. There will be a briefing on the most recent

industry meeting concerning a proposed framework adjustment to address

the Southern New England gear conflict situation, as well as a status

report on the development of monkfish management alternatives. The

Monkfish Committee will present a Monkfish FMP draft public hearing

document for Council comment. The Council will address any other

outstanding business at the conclusion of the agenda items described

above.

Background for Framework Adjustments

Abbreviated Rulemaking--Northeast Multispecies

At the recommendation of its Marine Mammal Committee, the Council

will consider final action on Framework Adjustment 16 to the

Multispecies FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking

procedure contained in 50 CFR 648.90. The Council proposes to further

reduce the bycatch of harbor porpoise in the Gulf of Maine sink gillnet

fishery by extending the timing of the Mid-coast Closure Area.

Currently, the use of sink gillnets is prohibited from November 1

through December 31. This adjustment would add September 15 through

October 31 to the existing period. No change in area is proposed

although the Council may recommend an experimental fishery to continue

the assessment of the use of acoustic deterrents to mitigate the

porpoise bycatch.

Final action also may be taken on a provision to prohibit the use

of pelagic and other gillnets during the harbor porpoise time/area

closures. The measure, which also would be included in Framework

Adjustment 16, would allow such gillnets if they were constructed of

mesh less than the regulated size of 6 inches (15 cm), were not

anchored to the bottom but attached to the boat, had surface floats,

and were set in the top third of the water column. The Council is

considering two options for the length of the net, 300 feet (91 m) and

900 feet (274 m).

At the recommendation of its Groundfish Committee, the Council will

consider final action on Framework Adjustments 17 and 18 to the

Multispecies FMP. Framework Adjustment 17 would restore DAS to vessels

that took time out of the groundfish fishery between May 31 and July 1

and were then subject to a DAS allocation under Amendment 7, which

again subtracted days for those same months. This adjustment would

rectify the inequity. Framework Adjustment 18 would allow herring/

mackerel fishing with pelagic mid-water trawls in areas of Georges Bank

now closed to all gear capable of catching groundfish.

The Council will consider public comments at a minimum of two

Council meetings prior to making any final recommendations to the

Regional Director under the provisions for abbreviated rulemaking cited

above. If the Regional Director concurs with the measures proposed by

the Council, he will publish them as a final rule in the Federal

Register.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Douglas G. Marshall, New England Fishery

Management Council (see ADDRESSES), at least 5 days prior to the

meeting date.

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

Dated: July 11, 1996.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96-18081 Filed 7-11-96; 4:51 pm]

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