The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Recreational Advisory Panel will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The two-day meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 beginning at 12 p.m. and Wednesday, April 17, 2013 beginning at 8:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire Street, Mansfield, MA 02048; telephone: (508) 339-2200; fax: (508) 339-1040.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
Agenda
Tuesday, April 16, 2013, Beginning at 12 p.m.
The Groundfish Oversight Committee will meet to discuss several
issues related to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.
This will include a report from the Plan Development Team on catch
reporting, as well as a progress report on issues related to the
relative stock size of Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock. Council
staff will report on the feasibility of and progress on data analysis
that would inform the development of Amendment 18. The Committee may
also discuss recent sector operations plan exemption requests and may
discuss a request for an exploration of the impact of climate change on
status determination criteria and catch advice. If other business
issues are raised, this will occur on the first day of the meeting.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013, Beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The Committee will devote the entire day to considering area
management options recommended by the Closed Area Technical Team. These
measures are intended to replace existing year round and rolling
groundfish closures. Following review at the April Council meeting,
these groundfish area management options would be consolidated with the
habitat management options being proposed by the Habitat Oversight
Committee and included as alternatives in Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2.