August 30, 2012 —
Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Fairfield Inn & Suites
185 MacArthur Drive
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (774) 634-2000; Fax: (774) 634-2001
Agenda:
The Groundfish Oversight Committee will continue development of Framework Adjustment 48 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan that will include:
• Continued development of options to improve sector monitoring, including both at-sea and dockside monitoring. They may discuss appropriate monitoring coverage levels and full retention of allocated groundfish species.
• The Committee will develop measures that may help mitigate expected low catch levels in fishing year 2013. These measures could include modifications to groundfish closed areas (including habitat areas) and further review of a motion passed at the last committee meeting that would provide increased access to most groundfish closed areas, and may consider modifications to that motion that will be forwarded to the Council.
• Consideration of other modifications to the sector program, such as creating areas for fishing on Georges Bank (GB) that are not subject to the GB yellowtail flounder ACE limits.
• Consider options for addressing catches of groundfish stocks (primarily SNE/MAB windowpane flounder) by other fisheries (such as the fluke, scup and squid fisheries), and may either develop options for additional sub-ACLs or may propose changes to accountability measures to control those catches.
• The Committee may also discuss other issues that may be incorporated into the framework. Options identified by the Committee will be included in a future management action (Framework Adjustment 48) that will be considered by the Council in the fall of 2012.
• An expected receipt of a preliminary report on catch advice developed for Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock, and Georges Bank yellowtail flounder that will be developed by the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee. The Committee may provide comments for consideration by the Council when it considers these FY 2013 quotas.
• Possible discussion of scallop/groundfish management issues, such as yellowtail flounder allocations and the timing of scallop vessel access to groundfish closed areas.
• Other business if necessary.
View the announcement on the NEFMC website