[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 173 (Friday, September 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54868-54869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21703]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC854


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
a three-day meeting on September 24-26, 2013 to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 24 through 
Thursday, September 26, 2013, starting at 8:30 a.m. each day.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Cape Codder Resort and Spa, 
1225 Iyannough Road, Hyannis, MA 02601; telephone: (855) 861-4370 or 
online at. http://www.capecodderresort.com/.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

    The Council will begin the first day this meeting with a brief 
closed session for the purpose of discussing Scientific and Statistical 
Committee appointments. Introductions and announcements will follow, 
the swearing-in of new and reappointed members will take place and the 
election of 2013-14 officers will be held. The Joint Habitat/Groundfish 
Committee will seek approval of possible modifications to the Omnibus 
Essential Fish Habitat Amendment Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) based on recommendations made by the committee. As a result, the 
Council may modify the range of alternatives being analyzed, including 
making adjustments to area boundaries and measures within habitat 
management areas, spawning areas and/or dedicated habitat research 
areas. Prior to a lunch break, the Council will receive an overview of 
the bluefin tuna management measures being considered for inclusion in 
Amendment 7 to the Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP). It also will consider approval of an Enforcement Committee 
recommendation that, if approved, would allow the NEFMC to give the 
NOAA/NMFS Regional Administrator the authority to modify elements of 
the current stowage requirements for trawl gear in restricted areas to 
enhance safety at sea. The Tuesday afternoon session will include a 
summary of results from the 2013 Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock 
and the Georges Bank yellowtail flounder Transboundary Resources 
Assessment Committee meeting; a review and possible approval of the 
Transboundary Management Guidance Committee's recommendations for 
fishing year 2014 quotas for Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock and 
the Georges Bank stock of yellowtail flounder; and a discussion about 
quota trades for fishing year 2014. The Scientific and Statistical 
Committee will report on its acceptable biological catch (ABC) 
recommendations for several groundfish stocks, monkfish, sea scallops, 
red crab and skates; and their review of additional issues discussed by 
the committee. These include rebuilding plans for Gulf of Maine cod and 
American plaice and the possible ``spillover'' of Georges Bank haddock 
in the Gulf of Maine. Prior to adjourning for the day, the Council 
intends to take final action on the red crab specifications for fishing 
years 2014-16.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

    The NEFMC's Groundfish Oversight Committee will select measures to 
be analyzed in Framework Adjustment 51 to the Northeast Multispecies 
(Groundfish) FMP. These will include but are not limited to the 2014-16 
overfishing level (OFL), ABC and annual catch level (ACL) for white 
hake, the 2014-15 OFL, ABC and ACL for Georges Bank yellowtail 
flounder, ACLs for Eastern Georges Bank haddock and Eastern Georges 
Bank cod, revisions to the Gulf of Maine cod and American plaice 
rebuilding plans, and small-mesh accountability measures (AMs) for the 
Georges Bank yellowtail flounder sub-ACL; in addition to a provision 
that would give the Regional Administrator authority to make in-season 
adjustments to the U.S./CA quotas, other adjustments to the groundfish 
management measures may be added by the Council. An update on progress 
to develop Amendment 18 to the Groundfish FMP also will be addressed.
    After a lunch break, the Scallop Committee will update the Council 
on the development of Framework Adjustment 25 to the Sea Scallop FMP. 
This action includes specifications for fishing years 2014 and 2015 
(default), AMs for Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic windowpane 
flounder and measures to address unused fishing year 2013 Closed Area I 
access trips. The Monkfish Committee will ask for approval of a range 
of alternatives for purposes of further analysis in Framework 
Adjustment 8 to the Monkfish FMP. Measures will include the 
specification of an annual catch target (ACT), days-at-sea and trip 
limits for the 2014-16 fishing years and changes to the permit Category 
H boundary.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

    The last day of the meeting will begin with reports from the NEFMC 
Chairman and Executive Director, NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator, 
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council liaisons, as well as NOAA General Counsel, and 
representatives of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries

[[Page 54869]]

Commission, U.S. Coast Guard, and NOAA Enforcement. Brief summaries 
about the recent activities of the Council's ABC Control Rule and 
Electronic Monitoring Working Groups are scheduled to occur under this 
agenda item. There also will be an open period for public comments 
during which any interested party may provide brief remarks on issues 
relevant to Council business but not listed on the meeting agenda. The 
Skate Committee will review its progress to develop 2014 specifications 
for the fishery. Prior to a lunch break, the Herring Committee will ask 
for approval of final measures that would establish catch caps for 
river herring/shad in the Atlantic herring fishery. Several items are 
scheduled for the afternoon session. These include a brief presentation 
by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Fisheries 
Northeast Regional Office (NERO) about issues and options considered by 
an internal working group that has examined funding for at-sea 
monitors, including those that are industry-funded. A discussion of 
next steps will follow. A NERO presentation is scheduled that includes 
recommendations about an omnibus amendment that would simplify the 
current vessel baseline restrictions. The day will end with initial 
Council consideration of its management priorities for 2014 and any 
other outstanding business that may have been deferred until the end of 
the meeting.
    Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda 
may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be 
the subjects 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 Act, 
provided that the public has been notified of the Council's intent to 
take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days 
prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: September 3, 2013.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-21703 Filed 9-5-13; 8:45 am]
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