Notice2025-04282
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
March 17, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a four-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 90 Issue 50 (Monday, March 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 50 (Monday, March 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12300-12301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04282]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE756]
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 four-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 Monday, April 14, 2025 through
Thursday, April 17, 2025, beginning at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 14 and 9
a.m. on Tuesday, April 15, Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17,
2025.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at Hilton Hotel, 20 Coogan
Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355; telephone: (860) 572-0731; online at
<a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/mysmhhf-hilton-mystic/">https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/mysmhhf-hilton-mystic/</a>. Join the
webinar at <a href="https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VZj6UdAZSTKFHELoBPmeqA">https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VZj6UdAZSTKFHELoBPmeqA</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
Monday, April 14, 2025
The Council will commence its meeting with a closed session of the
Executive Committee, pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, this closed session will be held to
discuss sensitive information about Council resources. At 1 p.m., the
Council Meeting will open to the public and begin with introductions
and announcements led by the Council Chair Rick Bellavance. Following
this, reports on recent activities will be provided by representatives
from various organizations, including the Council Chair, Council
Executive Director, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO)
Regional Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) General Counsel, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC),
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), U.S. Coast Guard, and NOAA Enforcement.
Following Reports, Megan Ware and the Working Group will lead a session
on Risk Policy. This will include a review Risk Policy implementation,
and a weightings exercise based on the factors outlined in the Risk
Policy Concept.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
On Tuesday, the Council will begin a 9 a.m. with a recap of the Day
1 Risk Policy weightings exercise and a presentation of results.
Following this, Katherine ``KB'' McArdle from the NEFSC will provide an
overview of the Fishery Monitoring and Research Division's (FMRD)
activities, including updates on sea-day accomplishments, upcoming
requirements, the at-sea monitoring spend plan, and a data
consolidation and modernization project. Then the Habitat Committee
Report, presented by Melissa Smith, will cover the initiation of a
framework to revise Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) designations for
several species, including Atlantic herring, Atlantic cod, skates, and
monkfish. There will be an open public comment period where individuals
may provide remarks on issues relevant to Council business including
issues not listed on the agenda. In the afternoon, the Groundfish
Committee Report, led by Rick Bellavance, will include updates on
Amendment 23, Framework 68, and the Redfish Sector Exemption Program
Review. Later, Sector Manager Hank Soule and Glenn Chamberlain from the
NEFSC will present the challenges and potential solutions related to
achieving high target rates for sector observer coverage. The Council
will adjourn at 5 p.m., and attendees are invited to a public outreach
session in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, Mystic, where Council
members, staff, industry representatives, and meeting attendees can
engage in discussions.
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
On the third day, the Council will begin with a presentation from
the NEFSC on the peer-reviewed results of the 2025 Atlantic Herring
Research Track Assessment. Following this, the Atlantic Herring
Committee Report, led by Cheri Patterson and Dr. Lisa Kerr, will
include discussions on updated Overfishing Limit (OFL) and Acceptable
Biological Catch (ABC) recommendations from the Scientific and
Statistical Committee (SSC) and potential Council action to revise
specifications for 2025-2027. The last morning session will be a State
of the Ecosystem presentation, delivered by Dr. Joe Caracappa and Dr.
Lisa Kerr, who will provide insights into the 2025 State of the
Ecosystem Report for New England waters. After the lunch break, John
Pappalardo will present an overview of the Climate and Ecosystem
Steering Committee's inaugural meeting, a draft Statement of
Organization, Practices, and Procedures (SOPPs), and the 2025 workplan,
as well as updates on Council IRA-funded projects. Next, the On-Demand
Fishing Gear Conflict Working Group will initiate a framework to revise
regulations for on-demand fishing gear in New England and Mid-Atlantic
fixed-gear fisheries. Finally, the Monkfish and Skate Committee
Reports, led by Matt Gates and Scott Olszewski, will provide updates on
2025 monkfish and skate priorities, including the initiation of
Monkfish Framework Adjustment 17 to set fishing year 2026-2028
specifications and the initial discussion on Skate 2025-2027
specifications.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
The Council will begin the fourth and final day with a
Congressional Update from Dave Whaley. Following this, the Scallop
Committee Report, presented by Melanie Griffin, will include an
[[Page 12301]]
overview of input from visioning sessions, a call for workplan
approval, and a discussion of next steps for the Scallop Strategic
Plan. Additionally, there will be a progress report on the five-year
review of the Limited Access General Category (LAGC) Individual Fishing
Quota (IFQ) Program. The meeting will conclude with any other business
that needs to be addressed.
Although non-emergency issues not listed on the agenda may arise,
formal Council action will be restricted to the issues specified in
this notice. Emergency actions requiring immediate attention may be
considered under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified.
The public should also be aware that the meeting will be recorded, and
a copy of the recording is available upon request, consistent with 16
U.S.C. 1852.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is 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: March 12, 2025.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-04282 Filed 3-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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