Notice2024-26501
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 14, 2024
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 89 Issue 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89972-89973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26501]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE464]
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, December 3, 2024, through
Thursday, December 5, 2024, beginning at 9 a.m. all three days.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Hotel Viking, One
Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840; telephone: (844) 806-4895; online
at <a href="https://www.hotelviking.com">https://www.hotelviking.com</a>. Join the webinar at <a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5989195310725579095">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5989195310725579095</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 3, 2024
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,
and representatives from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (ASMFC), the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA's Office of Law
Enforcement, and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO).
Next, the Council will hear remarks from the NOAA Fisheries Deputy
Administrator for Regulatory Programs and have an opportunity to ask
questions. It then will receive an overview of the NOAA Fisheries
Equity and Environmental Justice (EEJ) Implementation Plan for the New
England/Mid-Atlantic Region. Up next will be a progress report on the
Council's climate, ecosystem, and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
initiatives entailing: (1) an update on the membership and upcoming
activities of the new Climate and Ecosystem Steering Committee,
including coordination with NEFSC's Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries
Initiative (CEFI) and the Council's IRA-funded projects; and (2) a
report on the October 2024 meeting of the East Coast Climate
Coordination Group (E3CG) and the group's planned work for 2025. NOAA
General Counsel will provide a briefing on disclosure of financial
interests and voting recusal
[[Page 89973]]
regulations for regional fishery management council members.
Following the lunch break, 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>. Next, NOAA Fisheries
will provide a presentation on the proposed rule for electronic
reporting requirements for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species. The
Enforcement Committee then will offer input on the On-Demand Fishing
Gear Conflict Working Group's recommendations for changes to gear-
marking regulations for three Council-managed fixed-gear fisheries:
Northeast multispecies (groundfish), monkfish, and Atlantic deep-sea
red crab. Representatives from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
(WHOI) will provide a presentation on WHOI's project titled ``Locking
Away Carbon on the Northeast Shelf and Slope'' (LOC-NESS). Lastly, the
Council will receive a report on the Eighth National Scientific
Coordination Subcommittee (SCS8), as well as follow-ups by the Council
Coordination Committee and the New England Council's Scientific and
Statistical Committee (SSC). 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. This event will be held in the same hotel as the
meeting itself--the Hotel Viking in Newport, RI.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
The Council will begin the second day of its meeting with a
discussion of 2025 spiny dogfish specifications, which will include:
(1) a review of recommendations from the Spiny Dogfish Committee, Spiny
Dogfish Monitoring Committee, the Mid-Atlantic Council's SSC, and the
Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel; (2) a review of previously adopted 2025
specifications and management measures; and (3) consideration of
whether any changes are needed. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center
then will provide a summary of the September 2024 Management Track
Stock Assessments for American plaice, Gulf of Maine haddock, Georges
Bank haddock, Atlantic pollock, witch flounder, and Atlantic halibut.
The Scientific and Statistical Committee chair then will provide the
SSC's overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC)
recommendations for Atlantic sea scallops, witch flounder, American
plaice, Gulf of Maine haddock, Georges Bank haddock, pollock, and
Atlantic halibut.
Following the lunch break, the Council will review, discuss, and
approve the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee's (TMGC)
recommendations for 2025 total allowable catches (TACs) for three
shared U.S./Canada groundfish resources on Georges Bank--Eastern
Georges Bank cod, Eastern Georges Bank haddock, and Georges Bank
yellowtail flounder. The Groundfish Committee report will follow. The
Council will take final action on Framework Adjustment 69 to the
Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan, which
will: (1) set specifications for several groundfish stocks for fishing
years 2025-2027; (2) set U.S./Canada TACs for 2025; (3) incorporate
revisions to scallop fishery flatfish accountability measure (AM)
triggers; and (4) set measures to address Phase 1 of the Council's
Atlantic cod management transition plan. The Council then will adjourn
for the day.
Thursday, December 5, 2024
The Council will lead off the third day of its meeting with the
Scallop Committee report and take final action on Framework Adjustment
39 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. Framework 39
includes: (1) 2025 fishing year specifications; (2) 2026 default
specifications; (3) revisions to Scallop Access Area II seasonal
closures to reduce flatfish bycatch and improve scallop yield; and (4)
measures to allow Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) permit holders fishing
on directed scallop trips in the NGOM Management Area to possess
scallops south of 42[deg]20'. The Council then will receive an overview
of the NOAA Fisheries National Seafood Strategy Implementation Plan.
Following this presentation, the Council will discuss and take final
action on 2025 Council Priorities for all fishery management plans and
other Council responsibilities before closing 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 8, 2024.
Alyssa Weigers,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-26501 Filed 11-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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