Notice2026-05895
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 26, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 3-day meeting with online webinar participation options to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 58 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 58 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14682-14683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05895]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF606]
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce Department.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
a 3-day meeting with online webinar participation options to consider
actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone
(EEZ).
DATES: The meeting will be held Tuesday, April 14 through Thursday,
April 16, 2026, beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and 9 a.m. on Wednesday
and Thursday.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88
Spring St., Portland, ME 04101; telephone (207) 775-2311; online at
<a href="https://www.innbythebay.com/">https://www.innbythebay.com/</a>. Webinar registration: Information on how
to register and provide public comment via webinar will be posted on
the Council's April 2026 meeting web page at: <a href="https://www.nefmc.org/calendar/april-2026-council-meeting">https://www.nefmc.org/calendar/april-2026-council-meeting</a>.
Register for the webinar at <a href="https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_r4asGYi-ToWe48_6S3dTgg">https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_r4asGYi-ToWe48_6S3dTgg</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, April 14, 2026
The Council will begin the meeting with a closed session of the
Executive Committee, pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, to discuss sensitive information
related to Council resources. Following the closed session, the meeting
will open with introductions and announcements from the Council Chair.
The Council will then receive reports on recent activities from the
Council Chair and Executive Director; the Greater Atlantic Regional
Fisheries Office (GARFO) Regional Administrator; NOAA Office of General
Counsel; the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC); the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission (ASMFC); the U.S. Coast Guard; NOAA Enforcement;
and representatives associated with ICCAT, Highly Migratory Species
(HMS), and the Dolphin-Wahoo fishery.
After reports, the Council will review Executive Order 14276,
Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. The Executive Director will
summarize additional public comments received through December 2025 and
review the Council's September 2025 response and associated workplan.
After a lunch break, the Council will receive an update on the NOAA
framework to narrow the scope of NMFS management and science
activities. This update will summarize efforts of the Regional Working
Group to populate a Risk/Value Matrix for Council-managed stocks. The
Council will then receive a report from the Monkfish and Skate
Coordinated Committee. The report will include review and potential
approval of a scoping document and schedule for a potential individual
fishing quota program for the monkfish and/or skate wing fisheries, as
well as a white paper summarizing coordinated monkfish and skate
activities in 2025. The Council will also receive a presentation from
the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on the Locking Away Carbon on
the Northeast Shelf and Slope project. The Council will adjourn for the
day at approximately 5 p.m., followed by a public outreach event in the
hotel, to foster open communication among meeting attendees.
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
On the second day, the Council will receive a presentation from
NEFSC staff on the 2026 State of the Ecosystem report, with input from
the Science and Statistical Committee (SSC), followed by Council
questions. The Council will then receive an update from the SSC Chair
on activities including a review of monkfish catch-per-unit-effort
research, and updates from the SSC's Social Science Subcommittee. Next,
the Council will receive a presentation on the draft Holistic Strategic
Plan report from the Parnin Group.
Following a lunch break, the Council will receive an update from
the Risk Policy Working Group on revisions to the Council's Risk Policy
Concept, including a summary of SSC input. The presentation will also
include an overview of technical analyses conducted by the University
of Maine on applying the Risk Policy approach and updates on
implementation considerations. The Council will then receive a report
from the Atlantic Herring Committee, including an update on the
development of an action for Fishing Years 2027-2031 Atlantic herring
specifications, river herring and shad management measures, and other
related measures. The day will conclude with an open period for public
comment on Council issues not otherwise listed on the agenda.
Thursday, April 16, 2026
On the final day, the Council will receive a report from the
Groundfish Committee on the Redfish Exemption Program Review draft
report. Then the Council will then receive an update from the NEFSC on
fishery-independent surveys, including the 2025 and 2026
[[Page 14683]]
survey seasons, activities of the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel, the
Regional Industry-Based Trawl Survey, and other survey-related topics.
Next, the Council will receive a Council planning update from the
Executive Director covering the status of fishery management plan
updates, Council priorities, Inflation Reduction Act initiatives, and
other ongoing activities. The Council will address other business
before adjourning the meeting at approximately 12 p.m.
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 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 24, 2026.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-05895 Filed 3-25-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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