Notice2023-25358
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
November 16, 2023
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).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 220 (Thursday, November 16, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 220 (Thursday, November 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78726-78727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25358]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD529]
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).
DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday,
December 5, 6, and 7, 2023, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday and 9:00
a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hotel Viking, One Bellevue
Avenue, Newport, RI 02840; telephone (401) 847-3300; online at
<a href="http://www.hotelviking.com">www.hotelviking.com</a>. Join the webinar at <a href="https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8673787082024040282">https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8673787082024040282</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: Cate O'Keefe, Executive Director, New
England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492, ext.
113.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Agenda
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
After brief announcements, the Council will receive reports on
recent activities from its Chair and Executive Director, the GARFO
Regional Administrator, the NOAA Office of General Counsel, the
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Director, the Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council liaison, and representatives from the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the U.S. Coast
Guard, NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, the Northeast Trawl Advisory
Panel, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Council then will
receive a progress report from its Risk Policy Working Group, which is
continuing to work on revisions to the Council's Risk Policy Statement.
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 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>.
After the lunch break, the Council will receive a report from the
East Coast Climate Coordination Group about its first meeting on work
following up on implementing recommendations from the East Coast
Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative. The Council will engage in
a discussion about next steps. The Responsible Offshore Science
Alliance (ROSA) will report on the alliance's mission, activities, and
steps to support the Council's offshore wind efforts and streamline
communications. The Habitat Committee report will follow. The Council
will review its comments on the draft Wind Energy Areas for the Gulf of
Maine (GOM) and discuss other GOM leasing/planning issues. It also will
receive a presentation on other offshore wind and habitat-related
updates. To close out the day, the Council will receive a NOAA General
Counsel briefing on disclosure of financial interests and voting
recusal regulations for regional fishery management council members.
[[Page 78727]]
Following the adjournment of official business, the Council will host a
public outreach session to foster open lines of communication among
Council members, staff, industry, and all meeting attendees.
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
The Council will begin the second day of its meeting with a
presentation on the peer-reviewed results of the September 2023
Management Track Stock Assessments for Acadian redfish, Atlantic
mackerel, northern and southern red hake, the Northeast skate complex,
northern windowpane flounder, and spiny dogfish. Next, the Council's
Scientific and Statistical Committee will provide overfishing limit
(OFL) and acceptable allowable biological catch (ABC) recommendations
for Gulf of Maine haddock, Acadian redfish, northern and southern
windowpane flounder, white hake, northern and southern red hake,
northern silver hake, southern whiting (silver and offshore hake
combined), Atlantic sea scallops, and the Northeast skate complex. The
Skate Committee report will follow. The Council will take final action
on Framework 12 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan
(FMP), which was initiated to develop 2024-2025 fishery specifications
and measures to expand possession of smooth and barndoor skates.
Following the lunch break, the Council will take final action on
2024-2026 specifications for the small-mesh multispecies (whiting)
fishery. The Council then will hear from the Scallop Committee and take
final action on Scallop Framework 38, which contains 2024 fishery
specifications, 2025 default specifications, alternatives for increased
vessel monitoring system (VMS) polling rates near closed area
boundaries, and other measures. As the last item of business for the
day, the Council will receive an update on a joint scallop/habitat
action to potentially authorize scallop fishery access to the Habitat
Closure Area on the Northern Edge of Georges Bank.
Thursday, December 7, 2023
The Council will lead off the third day of its meeting with the
Groundfish Committee report, which will cover three items. First, the
Council will take final action on Framework Adjustment 66 to the
Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) FMP, which includes (1) 2024-2025
total allowable catches for U.S./Canada shared resources on Georges
Bank; (2) 2024-2025 specifications for Georges Bank yellowtail
flounder, white hake, and Gulf of Maine haddock; (3) 2024-2026
specifications for Acadian redfish, northern windowpane, and southern
windowpane; (4) a revised white hake rebuilding plan; (5) Atlantic
halibut issues; (6) extending removal of the sector management
uncertainty buffer for white hake and Gulf of Maine haddock until the
next specifications cycle; and (7) modification of the scallop fishery
accountability measure for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for fishing
years 2024 and 2025. Next, the Council will receive a progress report
on Framework Adjustment 68 to the Groundfish FMP, which is being
developed to revise the ABC control rules for groundfish. Finally, the
Council will receive an update on the Atlantic Cod Management
Transition Plan.
Following the lunch break, the Council will take final action on
2024 Council Priorities for all fishery management plans and other
Council responsibilities. 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 these meetings. 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
These meetings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Executive Director Cate O'Keefe
(see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 13, 2023.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-25358 Filed 11-15-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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