New England Fishery Management Council

50 Water Street, Mill 2

Newburyport, MA 01950

Tel (978) 465-0492 | Fax (978) 465-3116

Council Meeting Agenda

November 4-6, 2003

Holiday Inn, One Newbury Street, Route 1 North

Peabody, MA 01960

Telephone (978) 535-4600 | Fax (978) 535-8238

Please note that times listed next to the agenda items are estimates, are subject to change

and could be taken out of the order listed in this document.

Tuesday, November 4, 2003

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

Reports on Recent Activities

Council Chairman, Executive Director, NMFS Regional Administrator, NOAA General Counsel, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, and representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, NMFS Enforcement and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Open Period for Public Comments (Chairman David Borden)

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

10:00 Groundfish Amendment 13 Issues (Frank Blount)

Review, consider and approve final management measures for the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for Amendment 13 to the Groundfish FMP.

Management Alternatives to Address Rebuilding Requirements (Part I)

· Recreational Fishing Measures

Fishery Program Administration Measures (Part I)

· Recreational Fishing Permit

· Hand-Gear Only Permit Alternatives

· Day Gillnet Block out of Fishery

Other Issues

· Northern Shrimp Fishery Exemption Area

· Tuna Purse Seine Vessel Access to Groundfish Closed Areas

· SNE General Category Scallop Vessel Exemption Program

Fishery Program Administration Measures (Part II)

· VMS Requirements

· Observer Coverage

· Administration of Certified Bycatch/Exempted Fisheries

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 Fishery Program Administration Measures (Part II – con’t)

· DAS Counting

· Fishing Year

· DAS Proration

· Periodic Adjustment Process

· Flexible Area Action System (FAAS)

Clarification of Stock Status, Status Determination Criteria and MSY Control Rules

· When is a stock overfished?

· When is overfishing occurring?

· Status Determination Criteria

· Revisions to Status Determination Criteria

· MSY Control Rules

Proposed Rebuilding Programs for Overfished Stocks

· Formal Rebuilding Programs

· Rebuilding Timelines

· Rebuilding Trajectories

Wednesday, November 5, 2003

8:30 a.m. Groundfish Amendment 13 Issues (con’t)

Management Alternatives to Address Rebuilding Requirements (Part II)

Rebuilding Alternatives 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

10:30 Capacity Reduction Alternatives

DAS Reserve (aka “DAS Baseline”), Permit Absorption, Permit Transfer, DAS Transfer, Unused DAS Freeze, etc.

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 Capacity Reduction Alternatives (con’t)

3:30 Fishery Program Administration Measures (Part III)

· Leasing of DAS

· US/CA Resource Sharing Understanding

· Special Access Programs

Thursday, November 6, 2003

8:30 a.m. Groundfish Amendment 13 Issues (con’t)

Fishery Program Administration Measures (Part III – con’t)

· “Running Clock” Alternatives

· Reporting Requirements

· Gulf of Maine Inshore Conservation and Management Stewardship Plan

· Sector Allocation (General)

· Georges Bank Hook/Gillnet Sector Allocation

11:00 Alternatives to Minimize the Adverse Effects of Fishing on Habitat

· Non Area-Based Measures (Alternatives 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9)

· Area-Based Measures (Alternatives 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10)

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 Alternatives to Minimize the Adverse Effects of Fishing on Habitat (con’t)

2:30 Fishery Program Administration Measures (Part IV)

· Closed Area Administration

· List of frameworkable items

· Revision of PDT

4:00 Vote to forward Amendment 13 FSEIS to NOAA Fisheries

4:30  Scallop vessel access to groundfish closed areas: FW 39/16

6:00 Adjourn