Council Meeting Agenda

January 27-29, 2004

Hotel Viking, One Bellevue Avenue

Newport, RI 02840

Telephone (401) 848-3300 | Fax (401) 848-4852

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

9:00 a.m. Introductions and Announcements (Chairman David Borden)

9:05 Reports on Recent Activities

Council Chairman, Executive Director, NMFS Regional Administrator (to include an announcement about agency plans for a national survey of employment in marine commercial and recreational for-hire fisheries), NOAA General Counsel, Northeast Fisheries Science Center liaison (to include a brief presentation on the status of ocean quahogs and butterfish as reviewed at the 38^th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop), Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaison, and representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, NMFS Enforcement and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

11:00 Council Priorities for 2004 (Paul Howard)

Consideration and approval of management actions for 2004

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 Scallop Committee Report (Mark Amorello)

§ Council consideration of a request for emergency action to replace or supplement default measures that would otherwise go into effect on March 1, 2004; the emergency measures could include, but would not be limited to, closure of the Hudson Canyon and Elephant Trunk Areas in the Mid-Atlantic and would remain in effect until NMFS publishes a final rule for Amendment 10 to the Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan in late March or early April; without emergency action the Hudson Canyon Area would become open to regular scallop fishing and the Elephant Trunk Area, identified in Amendment 10 as having high abundance of small scallops, would remain open to scallop fishing

§ Update on the development of management alternatives to be included in Framework Adjustments 16 to the Northeast Multispecies Plan/39 to the Scallop Plan (scallop fishery access to Georges Bank areas closed to protect groundfish)

3:45 Open Period for Public Comments (Chairman David Borden)

Opportunity for brief comments from the public on items relevant to Council business, but not otherwise listed on the meeting agenda

4:00 Groundfish Committee Report (Frank Blount)

A number of issues will be addressed under this agenda item:

§ TMGC Report: Management recommendations from the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee, including Total Allowable Catch recommendations for eastern Georges Bank cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder

Wednesday, January 28, 2004

8:30 a.m. Groundfish Committee Report – continued

§ Approval of initial action on Framework Adjustment 40 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan; discussion will include identification of both the objectives of the action and management alternatives that will specify the use of “B” days-at sea

12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 Groundfish Committee Report - continued

§ Review and discussion of Council comments on the proposed rule implementing Amendment 13 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

- agenda continued on reverse side -

Groundfish Committee Report - continued

§ Consideration of Groundfish Committee recommendations concerning the issues of steaming time and future access to the fishery by participants potentially ineligible under the Amendment 13 baseline parameters

§ Discussion of issues related to Congressional action potentially affecting National Marine Fisheries Service funding in 2004

Thursday, January 29, 2004

8:30 a.m. Research Steering Committee Report (Bud Fernandes)

Review and approve details of a policy to incorporate the results of cooperative research into the management process; update on the upcoming Request for Proposals to be published by the NMFS Cooperative Research Partners Initiative

9:15 NEFMC Statement of Organization, Practices and Procedures (SOPPs) (Paul Howard)

Approval of draft document

10:15 Habitat/MPA Committee Report (Sally McGee)

Discussion of rationale and approval of action to address two habitat issues submitted in Amendment 13:

§ Prohibiting clam dredging in Nantucket Lightship Closed Area and allowing shrimp trawling to continue in a Level 3 Habitat Closed Area, the Western Gulf of Maine Closed Area;

§ Consideration of Habitat Committee recommendations concerning the timing and scope of the Essential Fish Habitat Omnibus Amendment 2

12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 Electronic Dealer Reporting (Dr. John Witzig, NOAA Fisheries Statistics Office)

Presentation on NMFS’ proposed rule implementing mandatory dealer electronic reporting scheduled for publication in January 2004

2:00 Briefing on the NOAA Fisheries National Bycatch Strategy and Regional Implementation Plan (Hannah Goodale, NOAA Fisheries Regional Office)

3:00 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: January 8, 2004