Notice2021-11986
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 8, 2021
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a three-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Due to ongoing public safety considerations related to COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 108 (Tuesday, June 8, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30445-30447]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11986]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XB144]
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
[[Page 30446]]
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC)
will hold a three-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Due to ongoing public
safety considerations related to COVID-19, this meeting will be
conducted entirely by webinar.
DATES: The webinar meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday, June 22-24, 2021, beginning at 9 a.m. each day.
ADDRESSES: All meeting participants and interested parties can register
to join the webinar at <a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/575795962545827087">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/575795962545827087</a>.
Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492;
<a href="http://www.nefmc.org">www.nefmc.org</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492, ext.
113.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Agenda
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
After introductions and brief announcements, the Council will
receive reports on recent activities from its Chairman and Executive
Director, NMFS's Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO)
Regional Administrator, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)
Director, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaison, staff
from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), and
representatives from NOAA General Counsel, the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA's
Office of Law Enforcement, the Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary, and the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel. Next, members of the
public will have the opportunity to speak during an open comment period
on issues that relate to Council business but are not included on the
published agenda for this meeting. The Council asks the public to limit
remarks to 3-5 minutes. These comments will be received through the
webinar. A guide for how to publicly comment through the webinar is
available on the Council website at <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/nefmc.org/NEFMC-meeting-remote-participation_generic.pdf">https://s3.amazonaws.com/nefmc.org/NEFMC-meeting-remote-participation_generic.pdf</a>. Following the public
comment period, the Council will: (1) Receive a briefing from the
Acting NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator on a draft White House
report titled ``Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful''; and
(2) discuss how it applies to fisheries. Related to this report, the
Council also will discuss the Council Coordination Committee's (CCC)
decision to form a CCC subcommittee on area-based management to address
items in the draft White House report related to increasing fisheries
conservation through expanded usage of area-based management. Next, the
Council will receive a presentation on a draft NMFS procedural
directive on applying information law to electronic monitoring (EM)
data in U.S. fisheries. The Council will approve comments on the draft
directive.
Following the lunch break, the Council will receive the Habitat
Committee Report, which will include: (1) Updates from GARFO, NEFSC,
and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on offshore wind-
related projects and activities; and (2) updates on the Council's
habitat-related work, including efforts to revise the Council's Wind
Energy Policy. The Scallop Committee Report will be next. The Council
will discuss and approve research priorities for the 2022-23 Scallop
Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. It also will initiate Framework
Adjustment 34 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan
(FMP), which will include 2022 fishery specifications, 2023 default
specifications, and other measures. Additionally, the Council will
receive a short update on work being done to evaluate the scallop
fishery's rotational area management program. Finally, the Council will
review a letter from the Scallopers Campaign that was sent to NMFS
requesting secretarial action to implement a scallop leasing program.
At the request of GARFO, the Council will approve a response to this
letter. As the final order of business for the day, the Council will
receive an update from GARFO on the 2021 Atlantic Sea Scallop
Biological Opinion to address turtle interactions in the fishery.
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
The Council will start off the day with a progress report from its
Atlantic Herring Committee, which will begin with a discussion of
Framework Adjustment 9 to the Atlantic Herring FMP. First, the Council
will: (1) Receive the Scientific and Statistical Committee's (SSC)
recommendations on herring rebuilding plan alternatives to address the
overfished status of Atlantic herring; and (2) receive an update on the
framework's rebuilding plan alternatives, as well as measures to
potentially adjust herring accountability measures. Second, the Council
will receive an update on Framework Adjustment 7, which is an action to
protect adult spawning herring on Georges Bank. Next, the Council will
take up 2021-25 Council Research Priorities by first hearing the SSC's
recommendations on research priorities and then discussing and
approving the final list.
Following the lunch break, the Council will receive the Groundfish
Report, which will cover three items. The first item relates to
acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules. The Council will
receive a presentation on a draft report titled ``Evaluation of
Alternative Harvest Control Rules for New England Groundfish,'' which
will be followed by the SSC's comments on the ABC control rule
presentation and report. The Council then will discuss the draft
report, as well as the SSC's comments, and provide further guidance as
needed on the work being done to evaluate an alternative ABC control
rule for groundfish. Next, the Council will receive a progress report
on the Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Working Groups' public workshops
and other activities. Then, the Council will initiate Framework
Adjustment 62 to the Groundfish FMP, which will include (1) 2022 total
allowable catches (TACs) for U.S./Canada shared resources on Georges
Bank (GB), (2) 2022-24 specifications for GB cod, Gulf of Maine (GOM)
cod, GB haddock, and GOM haddock, (3) 2022-23 specifications for GB
yellowtail and 2022 specifications for white hake, and (4) other
measures. The Council then will adjourn for the day.
Thursday, June 24, 2021
The Council will begin the third day of its meeting with the Skate
Committee Report, which will include three items: (1) An update on
2022-23 specifications; (2) an update on Amendment 5 to the Northeast
Skate Complex FMP; and (3) consideration of updating the existing
control dates for both the skate wing and skate bait fisheries. Then,
the Council will discuss and approve comments on a draft NMFS policy
directive and procedural guidance for financial disclosures and
recusals for regional fishery management councils. Next, the Council
will hear from its Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Management
Strategy Evaluation (MSE) Steering Committee. The Council will review
and approve the Steering Committee's plan for informational workshops
using public outreach materials and focusing on potential
[[Page 30447]]
application to a Georges Bank example Fishery Ecosystem Plan (eFEP).
Following the lunch break, the Council will be briefed on the NOAA
Fisheries Southeast Region's for-hire electronic reporting requirements
and their application to New England recreational party/charter vessels
that possess permits for South Atlantic species. Next, the Council will
receive a presentation from the NMFS Highly Migratory Species (HMS)
Management Division on Amendment 13 to the Consolidated HMS Fishery
Management Plan, which focuses on bluefin tuna issues. The Council will
discuss and approve comments on this proposed rule. Immediately
following, the Council will receive reports on recent meetings of
NMFS's HMS Advisory Panel and the Advisory Committee to the U.S.
Section of the International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas. The Council then will close out the meeting with other
business.
Although non-emergency issues not contained on this agenda may come
before the Council for discussion, those issues may not be the subject
of formal action during this meeting. Council 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 Fishery Conservation and
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's
intent to take final action to address the emergency. The public also
should be aware that the meeting will be recorded. Consistent with 16
U.S.C. 1852, a copy of the recording is available upon request.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is being conducted entirely by webinar. Requests for
auxiliary aids should be directed to Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: June 3, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-11986 Filed 6-7-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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