[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71565-71566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28707]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD006


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) will hold 
a 3-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in 
the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, December 16 through 
Wednesday, December 18, 2013. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. on 
Monday, December 16th and at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 17th and 
Wednesday, December 18th.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 
50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923; telephone: (978) 777-2500 or 
online at doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/massachusetts/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-boston-north-shore-BOSNSDT/index.html.

[[Page 71566]]

    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, (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Monday, December 16, 2013

    The Council will begin the first day of this meeting with 
introductions by the Chairman, followed by an open public comment 
period during which any interested party may provide brief remarks on 
issues relevant to Council business but not listed on the meeting 
agenda. The Council will then discuss and approve NEFMC management 
priorities for 2014. The herring fishery management priorities approved 
at the November 2013 Council meeting will not be addressed at the 
December meeting. After a lunch break, the Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC) will report an on overfishing limit and acceptable 
biological catch recommendations for sea scallops for fishing years 
2014-15. The report also will include the SSC's review of an OFL and 
ABC for Gulf of Maine haddock for fishing years 2013-15. The Scallop 
Committee will update the Council about several modified alternatives 
in Framework Adjustment 25 to the Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP). Before adjournment for the day a Northeast Fisheries Science 
Center representative will provide an overview of the National Standard 
2 final rule.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

    The NEFMC's Groundfish Oversight Committee will present final 
measures to be approved at this meeting for inclusion in Framework 
Adjustment 51 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) FMP. These 
will address but are not limited to the 2014-16 overfishing level 
(OFL), acceptable biological catch (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. Other provisions will 
address in-season adjustments to the U.S./Canada quotas, including the 
distribution of the haddock quota in the Eastern and Western U.S./
Canada areas. The Council also will consider a prohibition on 
yellowtail flounder by limited access scallop fishery vessels, and 
possibly other adjustments to the groundfish management measures. 
Issues related to this fishery will be addressed until adjournment at 
the end of the afternoon on Tuesday.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

    During the final day of the Council meeting, members will review 
the Habitat Omnibus Amendment 2 Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
and identify preferred alternatives. The day will end with 
consideration of 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: November 25, 2013.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-28707 Filed 11-27-13; 8:45 am]
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