# New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Notice of a public meeting.
**SUMMARY:**
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Skate Committee in August, 2008 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.
**DATES:**
This meeting will be held on Monday, August 25, 2008, at 9 a.m.
**ADDRESSES:**
This meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, One Newbury Street, Peabody, MA 01960: telephone: (978) 535-4600; fax: (978) 535-8238.
*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.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
The Committee will review and finalize the Draft Amendment 3 document, which is scheduled for public hearings in October. The Plan Development Team (PDT) will also recommend a rebuilding schedule and plan for smooth skate that NMFS recently determined has become overfished. Amendment 3 proposes catch limits, time/area closures, and possession limits to reduce skate landings and mortality to levels that are consistent with rebuilding smooth, thorny and winter skate biomass while preventing overfishing.
Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. 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.
**Special Accommodations**
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, at (978) 465-0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
**Authority:**
16 U.S.C. 1801 *et seq.*
Dated: July 29, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.