New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting, 27542-27543 [E7-9373]

Download as PDF 27542 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 16, 2007 / Notices Atmospheric Administration, Commerce. ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit. SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that an incidental take permit has been issued to the Grants Pass Irrigation District for the continued operation and maintenance of Savage Rapids Dam at Grants Pass, Oregon, and that the decision documents are available upon request. DATES: Permit 1607 was issued on May 7, 2007, subject to certain conditions set forth therein, and took effect on May 7, 2007. The permit expires on November 1, 2009. ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the decision documents or any of the other associated documents should be directed to the Habitat Conservation Division, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, 2900 NW Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, OR 97470. The documents are also available on the Internet at www.nwr.noaa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Phippen, at phone number: (541) 9573385, e-mail: ken.phippen@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is relevant to the following species: Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch): threatened Southern Oregon and Northern California Coasts evolutionarily significant unit. Dated: May 10, 2007. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E7–9423 Filed 5–15–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XA32 Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; request for comments. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:27 May 15, 2007 Jkt 211001 application submitted by Dr. Pingguo He of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The Assistant Regional Administrator has made a preliminary determination that the activities authorized under this EFP would be consistent with the goals and objectives of the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). However, further review and consultation may be necessary before a final determination is made to issue an EFP. Therefore, NMFS announces that the Assistant Regional Administrator proposes to recommend that an EFP be issued that 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 enable researchers to test an experimental whiting net that uses wheeled ground gear by granting exemption from the requirement to use a raised footrope trawl. Regulations under the MagnusonStevens 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 May 31, 2007. ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following methods: • Email: DA7–138@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line ‘‘Comments on wheeled whiting trawl EFP.’’ • Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS, NE Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ‘‘Comments on wheeled whiting trawl EFP, DA7–138.’’ • Fax: (978) 281–9135. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Potts, Fishery Management Specialist, 978–281–9341. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application for an EFP was submitted on May 2, 2007, by Dr. He of UNH and his industry partner Vincent Balzano, for a project funded under the Northeast Consortium. The primary goal of this study is to conduct feasibility and field testing of a trawl net equipped with a novel wheeled ground gear that may reduce the environmental impact on the seabed and reduce fuel consumption by the vessel. The EFP would exempt one vessel from the requirement to use a raised footrope trawl net as specified at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(16) while conducting research trips in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) Grate PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Raised Footrope Trawl Whiting Exempted Fishery. Initial testing of this gear will be conducted on a beach by towing the ground gear between two rented beach vehicles. During these trials, video recordings and photographs will be taken to evaluate the gear’s rolling function and necessary initial adjustments and modifications will be made. At sea research trips would be conducted over four days between July 1 and November 30, 2007. The experimental trawl net, with the exception of the ground gear, would conform to the requirements of this exempted fishery including a minimum 2.5–inch (6.35 cm) mesh size and a properly installed finfish excluder device. During trials, observations of the gear would be made with an underwater camera system and acoustic monitoring instruments would be used to measure net geometry. The applicant may request minor modifications and extensions to the EFP throughout the year. EFP modifications and extensions may be granted without further notice if they are deemed essential to facilitate completion of the proposed research and have minimal impacts that do not change the scope or impact of the initially approved EFP request. Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope of the exempted fishing activity would be prohibited. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: May 11, 2007. James P. Burgess, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E7–9376 Filed 5–15–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [XRIN: 0648–XA29] New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS)/Enforcement Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). E:\FR\FM\16MYN1.SGM 16MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 16, 2007 / Notices The meeting will be held on Monday, June 18, 2007, at 1 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Eastland Park Hotel, 157 High Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: (207) 775–5411. 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: 1. Introduction: safety, regulation compliance, and familiarizing industry with the proper use of VMS. 2. Presentation by NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement: the capabilities and limitations of VMS as an enforcement tool. 3. Comments and recommendations from the public, VMS users, state agencies and the Coast Guard. The committee has received the following requests: a. Safe harbor protocol, to suspend a fishing trip due to storms or other emergencies; b. Produce a laminated sheet of emergency contacts; c. Declaration in/out of a fishery while at sea, rather than in port; d. Change polling frequency, to be based on fishery declaration; e. Closed area transit declaration, to minimize gear stowage requirements; f. Completion of the days-at-sea (DAS) web page by NMFS; g. Inform fishermen of existing safety features on their VMS units by vendors. h. Examine polling outages, frequency and duration, by vendor. i. Improve safety by consistently applying the minimum landing limit to once per 24 hours across all fisheries. j. Develop an updated VMS program to eliminate inconsistent or duplicative regulations, and increase flexibility and improve administration of industry reporting requirements. 4. Industry and law enforcement dialog on VMS usage and how it can be improved. 5. Other business. 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 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES DATES: VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:27 May 15, 2007 Jkt 211001 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 11, 2007. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E7–9373 Filed 5–15–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [XRIN: 0648–XA30] Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeastern Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); greater amberjack; red snapper. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of SEDAR Workshops for South Atlantic greater amberjack and red snapper. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The SEDAR assessments of the South Atlantic stocks of greater amberjack and red snapper will consist of a series of three workshops: a Data Workshop, an Assessment Workshop, and a Review Workshop. This is the fifteenth SEDAR. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. DATES: The Data Workshop will take place July 9–13, 2007; the Assessment Workshop will take place October 22– 26, 2007; the Review Workshop will take place January 28–February 1, 2008. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. ADDRESSES: The Data Workshop will be held at the Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King Street, Charleston, SC 29103; telephone: (843) 722–0600. The Assessment Workshop will be held at the Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research Beaufort Laboratory, 101 Piver’s Island Road, Beaufort, NC 28516. The Review Workshop will be held at the Holiday Inn Brownstone, 1707 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27605; telephone: (919) 828–0811. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Carmichael, SEDAR Coordinator, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 27543 Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: (843) 571–4366. The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions have implemented the SEDAR process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR includes three workshops: (1) Data Workshop, (2) Stock Assessment Workshop and (3) Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a data report which compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The product of the Stock Assessment Workshop is a stock assessment report which describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. The assessment is independently peer reviewed at the Review Workshop. The product of the Review Workshop is a Consensus Summary documenting Panel opinions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data. Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and NGO’s; International experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SEDAR 15 Workshop Schedule: July 9–13, 2007; SEDAR 15 Data Workshop July 9, 2007: 1 p.m. - 8 p.m.; July 3–12, 2007: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; July 13, 2007: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. An assessment data set and associated documentation will be developed during the Data Workshop. Participants will evaluate all available data and select appropriate sources for providing information on life history characteristics, catch statistics, discard estimates, length and age composition, and fishery dependent and fishery independent measures of stock abundance. E:\FR\FM\16MYN1.SGM 16MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27542-27543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9373]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[XRIN: 0648-XA29]


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's (Council) Vessel 
Monitoring Systems (VMS)/Enforcement Committee will meet to consider 
actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone 
(EEZ).

[[Page 27543]]


DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, June 18, 2007, at 1 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Eastland Park Hotel, 157 
High Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: (207) 775-5411.
    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:
    1. Introduction: safety, regulation compliance, and familiarizing 
industry with the proper use of VMS.
    2. Presentation by NOAA's Office for Law Enforcement: the 
capabilities and limitations of VMS as an enforcement tool.
    3. Comments and recommendations from the public, VMS users, state 
agencies and the Coast Guard. The committee has received the following 
requests:
    a. Safe harbor protocol, to suspend a fishing trip due to storms or 
other emergencies;
    b. Produce a laminated sheet of emergency contacts;
    c. Declaration in/out of a fishery while at sea, rather than in 
port;
    d. Change polling frequency, to be based on fishery declaration;
    e. Closed area transit declaration, to minimize gear stowage 
requirements;
    f. Completion of the days-at-sea (DAS) web page by NMFS;
    g. Inform fishermen of existing safety features on their VMS units 
by vendors.
    h. Examine polling outages, frequency and duration, by vendor.
    i. Improve safety by consistently applying the minimum landing 
limit to once per 24 hours across all fisheries.
    j. Develop an updated VMS program to eliminate inconsistent or 
duplicative regulations, and increase flexibility and improve 
administration of industry reporting requirements.
    4. Industry and law enforcement dialog on VMS usage and how it can 
be improved.
    5. Other business.
    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 11, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-9373 Filed 5-15-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
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