Meetings: Atlantic Fishery Management Council,

[Federal Register: January 12, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 7)]

[Notices]

[Page 1829-1830]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr12ja98-30]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 010698B]

Mid-Atlantic 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 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and its Committee Chairmen; Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Committee; Habitat Committee and Coastal Migratory Committee, together with Habitat Advisors and the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC); Executive Committee; Large Pelagics Committee; and Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Committee will hold a public meeting.

DATES: The meetings will be held on Tuesday, January 27, 1998 through Thursday, January 29, 1998. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Sheraton Atlantic City West, 6821 Black Horse Pike, Atlantic City West, NJ 08234, telephone: 1-800-782-9237.

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 300 S. New

[[Page 1830]]

Street, Dover, DE 19904; telephone: 302-674-2331.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David R. Keifer, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; telephone: 302-674-2331.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The meetings are as follows:

Tuesday, January 27, 1998

8:00-10:00 a.m., the Committee Chairmen will meet.

10:00 a.m. until noon, the Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Committee will meet.

1:00-5:00 p.m., the Habitat Committee (with Advisors and the SSC).

7:00 p.m., there will be a scoping meeting for Amendment 11 to the Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan (FMP); Amendment 11 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP; and Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP.

Wednesday, January 28, 1998

8:00 a.m. until noon, Council will meet.

12:00 noon until 1:30 p.m., the Executive Committee will have a luncheon meeting.

1:30-2:00 p.m., Council will meet.

2:00-5:00 p.m., the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Committee will meet.

5:00-5:30 p.m., the Comprehensive Management Committee will meet.

7:00 p.m., there will be a Monkfish FMP Public Hearing.

Thursday, January 29, 1998

8:00-11:15 a.m., Council will meet at which time there will be a Stock Assessment Workshop which is scheduled to last approximately 2 hours.

Agenda items include: Reviewing the 1998 work schedule; demand forecasting as part of the surfclam and ocean quahog quota setting process; Interim final guidelines on Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), nonfishing threats to EFH, description and identification of bluefish EFH, and fishing gear impacts on EFH; possible recommendations concerning proposed regulation changes for highly migratory species; revision to Election Policy in Statement of Operating Practices and Procedures (SOPPs), review SOPPs regarding Council-staff interaction, and possible adoption of a revised 1998 budget; discuss Amendment 7 (particularly mackerel entry limitation) for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish; and discuss vessel replacement criteria and scup/Loligo interaction.

The above agenda items may not be taken in the order in which they appear and are subject to change as necessary; other items may be added. These meeting may also be closed at any time to discuss employment or other internal administrative matters.

Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal Council action during these meetings. Council action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda listed in this notice.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Joanna Davis at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: January 6, 1998. George H. Darcy, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98-699Filed1-9-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F