Notice2022-12661
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 13, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a three-day hybrid meeting with both in-person and remote participation to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Council continues to follow all public safety measures related to COVID-19 and intends to do so for this meeting.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 113 (Monday, June 13, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 113 (Monday, June 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35740-35742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12661]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XC099]
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC)
will hold a three-day hybrid meeting with both in-person and remote
participation to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in
the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Council continues to follow all
public safety measures related to COVID-19 and intends to do so for
this meeting.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 through
Thursday, June 30, 2022, beginning at 9 a.m. on all three days.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn By the Bay, 88
Spring Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: (207) 775-2311; online at
<a href="https://www.innbythebay.com">https://www.innbythebay.com</a>. Join the webinar at <a href="https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6422760213108296463">https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6422760213108296463</a>.
Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
[[Page 35741]]
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 28, 2022
After brief announcements, the Council will receive reports on
recent activities from its Chair and Executive Director, the Greater
Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) Regional Administrator, the
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Director, the NOAA Office of
General Counsel, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaison,
staff from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), and
representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA's Office of Law
Enforcement, the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section of the
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
(ICCAT), the NMFS Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel, and the
Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP). Next, the Council will receive a
progress report from the Council Coordination Committee (CCC)
Subcommittee on Area-Based Management. This subcommittee is working to
assist the CCC in responding to the 30x30 initiative in the draft White
House report titled ``Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful.''
A discussion about the Northeast Climate Regional Access Plan will be
up next. The Council will: (1) receive an overview of the plan from the
Northeast Fisheries Science Center; (2) receive feedback on the plan
from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC); and (3) review and
approve a Council comment letter. An update on East Coast Climate
Change Scenario Planning will follow. The Council will receive an
overview of the June 21-23, 2022 Scenario Creation Workshop and hear
about next steps for this initiative. The Council also will hear the
CCC's response to a NOAA Fisheries initiative on Council Governance
Guidance related to climate change planning.
After the lunch break, the Council will receive the Atlantic
Herring Committee report. The report contains three items: (1) an
update on Framework Adjustment 7, which is an action to protect adult
spawning herring on Georges Bank; (2) an initial update on 2023-2025
herring specifications; and (3) a discussion of potentially approving a
change in herring priorities to initiate an action to address industry-
funded monitoring (IFM) in the Atlantic herring fishery. Next, the
Council will take up the Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM)
Committee report. This will include: (1) a preliminary summary of
initial outreach to stakeholders, as well as an update on planning for
EBFM informational outreach workshops; and (2) an update on the
Council's solicitation for a contractor to develop and conduct a
prototype management strategy evaluation (MSE) for EBFM and the Georges
Bank example Fishery Ecosystem Plan (eFEP). As the last order of
business for the day, the Council will review the list of 2022-2026
Council Research Priorities, receive SSC feedback on these priorities,
and approve updates as needed. The Council then will adjourn.
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
The Council will begin the second day of its meeting with a
presentation on the NOAA Fisheries Draft Equity and Environmental
Justice (EEJ) Strategy to reduce barriers to underserved communities
and incorporate EEJ into daily activities. The Council will provide
comments and potentially sign off on a letter addressing the draft
strategy. Next, the Council will receive an educational overview from
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center on the 2023 research track
assessment being conducted to explore the application and use of state-
space models across many stocks in the Greater Atlantic Region. The
Council will have the opportunity to ask questions about this research
track assessment. Then, the Council will receive a progress report from
the Monkfish Committee on Framework Adjustment 13 to the Monkfish
Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This framework contains 2023-25 fishery
specifications and other measures. Following monkfish, the Northeast
Fisheries Science Center will present peer reviewed results for the
Eastern Georges Bank and Georges Bank Haddock Research Track
Assessment.
After the lunch break, the Council will take up the Groundfish
Committee report, which consists of three items. First, the Council
will receive a progress report on Framework Adjustment 65 to the
Groundfish FMP. The framework includes: (1) 2023-24 total allowable
catches (TACs) for U.S./Canada shared resources on Georges Bank; (2)
2023-24 specifications for Georges Bank cod and Georges Bank yellowtail
flounder; (3) 2023-25 specifications for 14 additional groundfish
stocks; (4) revised rebuilding plans for Gulf of Maine cod and Southern
New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder; (5) additional measures to
promote stock rebuilding; and (6) acceptable biological catch (ABC)
control rule revisions. Second, the Council will receive a progress
report on work being conducted to develop metrics for a review of the
Amendment 23 groundfish monitoring system. Finally, the Council will
receive an update on the 2023 Atlantic Cod Research Track Assessment.
Then, representatives of the region's groundfish sectors will provide a
presentation on sector operations, which will include an overview of
core responsibilities, functions, goals, challenges, and benefits to
groundfish sector management. Sector representatives also will discuss
potential opportunities to enhance sector interactions with the
Council. The Council then will adjourn for the day.
Thursday, June 30, 2022
The Council will lead off the third day of its meeting with a
presentation from the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
(GARFO) on a draft action plan to reduce Atlantic sturgeon bycatch in
federal large-mesh gillnet fisheries by 2024. The Council will provide
comments on the draft plan. The Council then will go into the Habitat
Committee report, where it will discuss and take final action on a
framework to designate a new Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC)
in Southern New England. The Council also will receive a report on the
Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment that will cover products,
outreach, and next steps, as well as SSC feedback on the assessment.
Then, the Council will receive updates on regional aquaculture,
offshore energy, and cable issues, including an overview of the May 19,
2022 Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force
Meeting and wind energy leasing issues in the federal waters of the
Gulf of Maine.
Following the lunch break, the Council will receive a presentation
from GARFO on the May 2022 Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team
(TRT) meeting and an update on Phase 2 amendments to the Atlantic Large
Whale Take Reduction Plan. Phase 2 is covering U.S. East Coast gillnet
fisheries, as well as Atlantic mixed species trap/pot fisheries and
Mid-Atlantic lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot fisheries. Next, the
Northeast Fisheries Science Center will present a progress report on
the NOAA Fisheries Roadmap to Ropeless Fishing to help reduce the risk
of right whale entanglements with
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fishing gear. After that, 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 both in person and 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>. The Scallop Committee
report, which contains five items, will come next. The Council will:
(1) approve 2023-24 Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program
priorities; (2) initiate an action to develop 2023 fishery
specifications, 2024 default specifications, and other measures; (3)
receive an update from the Scallop Survey Working Group; (4) receive an
update on the scoping process for limited access leasing; and (5) be
provided with information about scallop issues in the Nantucket
Lightship South Access Area. Following the scallop report, the Council
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 physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other 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 8, 2022.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-12661 Filed 6-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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