Notice2025-11077
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 16, 2025
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 90 Issue 114 (Monday, June 16, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 114 (Monday, June 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25239-25240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11077]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE998]
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,
June 24, 2025 through June 26, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday
and 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn
Freeport, 5 Park Street, Freeport, Maine 04032; telephone (207) 865-
1433; online at <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/pwmfdgi-hilton-garden-inn-freeport-downtown">https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/pwmfdgi-hilton-garden-inn-freeport-downtown</a>. Register for the webinar at <a href="https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KK4uHyH1TCu-FLJBJKEQVw">https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KK4uHyH1TCu-FLJBJKEQVw</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, June 24, 2025
The Council will begin the day with a closed session of the
Executive Committee to discuss sensitive information about Council
resources in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens
[[Page 25240]]
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Following this, the Council
will convene an open session with introductions and announcements from
the Council Chair. Reports on recent activities will be provided by the
Council Chair and Executive Director, Greater Atlantic Regional
Fisheries Office (GARFO), 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.
The Council will receive a report from the Executive Director on
the May 2025 Council Coordination Committee (CCC) and Northeast Region
Coordinating Council (NRCC) meetings, which will include updates on
national and regional fishery management priorities.
After the lunch break, Council staff will present an overview of
Executive Order 14276, ``Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.''
The Council will discuss potential measures to reduce regulatory
burdens on domestic fisheries and will initiate an omnibus action to
evaluate management flexibility measures such as specification
frequency, rollover provisions, and in-season adjustment authority. The
discussion will also include an update on the range of options and
action timeline.
Later in the afternoon, the Council will be introduced to the
Holistic Strategic Plan Initiative by the Parnin Group. The
presentation will include an overview of the project's goals, a
timeline and workplan, and a preview of interview and focus group
planning.
The Council will then receive a presentation from NEFSC staff on
offshore energy, with an overview of NOAA Fisheries' offshore wind
monitoring standards. The Council will adjourn for the day and later
host a public outreach session in the hotel lobby to encourage informal
discussions between Council members, staff, industry representatives,
and members of the public. All are welcome to attend.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
The Council will reconvene the second day with a presentation by
NEFSC staff on the peer-reviewed results of the 2025 Atlantic Sea
Scallop Research Track Assessment. The Scallop Committee will then
report on multiple topics, including the Scallop Strategic Plan, a
review of the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota
(IFQ) Program, updates to the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program
process, and other relevant items. The Council will also initiate
Framework Adjustment 40 to develop specifications for the scallop 2026
fishing year, establish 2027 default measures, and consider additional
management measures.
Following this, the Council will consider a joint action with the
MAFMC on spiny dogfish, including a framework to modify accountability
measures. The Council will review and consider adopting a range of
draft alternatives for further analysis and discuss merging the 2026-
2027 specifications into the action.
After the lunch break, the Council will hear a presentation from
NEFSC on the results of the 2022 Cost Survey Effort. The Groundfish
Committee will then provide a report including the initiation of
Framework Adjustment 72 to set specifications for groundfish stocks for
FY 2026-2028, establish U.S./Canada Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for FY
2026, and address other measures. The Council will also review and
consider revisions to its 2025 groundfish priorities, with particular
focus on Atlantic cod, and discuss options for transitioning cod stocks
within the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.
The day will conclude with an open period for public comment on
matters not listed on the agenda.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
The Council will lead off the third and final day of its meeting
with updates from the On-Demand Fishing Gear Conflict Working Group.
The Council will receive updates on the development of a gear-marking
framework to allow the use of fixed gear without persistent buoy lines
in New England and Mid-Atlantic fisheries, as well as a progress report
on Working Group activities.
GARFO staff will provide an overview of the Notice of Intent and
public scoping process for revisions to the Atlantic Large Whale Take
Reduction Plan. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Social
Science Subpanel Chair will then present on the subpanel's inaugural
meeting, its goals and objectives, and the proposed 2025-2026 workplan.
The Council will receive planning updates from the Executive
Director, including information on 2025 Council priorities, Inflation
Reduction Act initiatives, action timelines, and other Council
activities. The meeting will conclude with any other business the
Council wishes to address.
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: June 12, 2025.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-11077 Filed 6-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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