The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat Oversight Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.
This meeting will be held on Friday, June 8, 2012 at 9:30 a.m.
The meeting will be held at the Clarion Hotel, 1230 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04102; telephone: (207) 774-561; fax: (207) 871-0510.
Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
There are three major topics for Habitat Committee consideration at this meeting. First, the Committee will recommend updated boundaries for some of the potential adverse effects minimization areas that will be forwarded to a joint process with the Groundfish Committee (these measures are part of Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2). Updated boundary recommendations from the PDT were discussed at the April Committee meeting, but decision-making was deferred. Second, the Committee will consider (1) a draft Memorandum of Understanding with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council related to coordination of broad-scale coral management efforts and (2) the possibility of splitting coral alternatives out of Omnibus EFH Amendment 2 and into a separate management action. Coral alternatives were approved for analysis by the Council on April 26. Finally, the PDT will provide an update to the Committee about (1) the development of Dedicated Habitat Research Areas and (2) analysis of the coral measures.