Council Meeting Agenda

February 24, 2004

Wentworth by the Sea, 588 Wentworth Road

New Castle, NH 03854

Telephone (603) 422-7322 | Fax (603) 422-7329

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

8:30 a.m. Introductions and Announcements (Chairman David Borden)

8:35 Presentation on Striped Bass (Anne Lange, NMFS/NOAA staff) NOAA Fisheries briefing and consultation with the Council about ASMFC’s recommendation to the Secretary of Commerce to re-open federal waters to the harvest and possession of striped bass

9:15 Joint Scallop/Groundfish Action (Mark Amorello and Frank Blount)

Consider approval of final action on Framework Adjustment 16 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan/Framework Adjustment 39 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP; the action would allow scallop vessels to fish in areas previously closed to them for groundfish conservation purposes; issues to be addressed include, but are not limited to:

¨ Access boundaries to be consistent with habitat closures, including recommendations forwarded by the Habitat Committee

¨ Adjustment of habitat closure definitions in the Scallop FMP to be consistent with those in Amendment 13 to the Multispecies FMP

¨ Gear restrictions and access by vessels having general category scallop permits

¨ Strategies and specifications for minimizing bycatch and bycatch mortality, including yellowtail flounder TAC management

¨ Groundfish possession limits during access and timing of access during the scallop fishing year

¨ At-sea observer sampling frequency and funding through TAC set-aside and other means

¨ Rotation order and fishing mortality targets

¨ Adjustments to the mechanism for allocating controlled access trips and DAS to part-time and occasional limited access vessels

12:00 p.m. Lunch Break

1:00 Scallop Committee Report – continued from the morning session

5:00 Review and Approve Comments on the Amendment 13 Proposed Rule (Frank Blount)

6:00 Other Business

Times listed next to the agenda items are estimates and are subject to change.

This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.

Council member financial disclosure forms are available for examination at each meeting of the full Council.

Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal 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 the emergency.

Documents pertaining to final actions or framework adjustments are available for public review prior to a final vote by the Council. Please check the Council website at www.nefmc.org or call (978) 465-0492 for copies.

notice mailing date: February 3, 2004