[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2153-2154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00317]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD073


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 on January 28-30, 2014 to consider actions affecting 
New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 
starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 28; and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday 
and Thursday, January 29 and 30.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel, 
250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801; telephone: (603) 431-2300; and 
online at www.sheratonportsmouth.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, January 28, 2014

    The meeting will begin on the first day with introductions by the 
Chairman, and brief reports from the NEFMC Chairman and Executive 
Director, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel, and 
representatives of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and 
staff from NOAA Law Enforcement. The Council also will receive an 
update from its Electronic Monitoring Working Group. Next, the Chairman 
will lead a discussion about the draft House of Representatives 
Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization bill. The Council will then 
receive an update on the development of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement associated with Omnibus EFH Amendment 2. A report from the 
Monkfish Committee will follow and address final approval of measures 
proposed for inclusion in Framework 8 to the Monkfish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP). These include specifications for acceptable 
biological catch (ABC), annual catch targets, days-at-sea, trip limits 
for the 2014-16 fishing years and modifications to the permit category 
H boundaries. The Council intends to approve specifications for spiny 
dogfish for fishing years 2014-15. Measures being considered include 
specifications for ABC, an annual catch target, trip limits and the 
research-set aside catch limit. The day will conclude with final 
approval of Framework Adjustment 2 to the Northeast Skate Complex FMP, 
including harvest specifications, possession limits, and Vessel Trip 
Reporting and dealer code provisions. The Council also may consider 
approval of a control date for the skate wing fishery before meeting 
adjournment for the day.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

    Final approval of Scallop Fishery Management Plan Framework 25 will 
be considered at this meeting. The action includes specifications for 
fishing years 2014-15 (default), accountability measures for Southern 
New England/Mid-Atlantic windowpane flounder and measures to address 
unused fishing year 2012 and/or 2013 Closed Area I access trips. 
Following a lunch break, the Council will receive a presentation from 
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center on a process that considers an 
empirical approach for estimating the stock size of Georges Bank 
yellowtail flounder. There will be an update on Amendment 18 to the 
Northeast Multispecies FMP to include an overview of progress to 
develop measures to promote fleet diversity, enhance sector management, 
promote resilience and stability of fishing businesses, and prevent 
excessive shares in the fishery. A second presentation by staff from 
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, this time from the Social 
Sciences Branch, will address the performance of the groundfish fishery 
in fishing year 2012.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

    The Herring Committee will ask the Council to initiate action and 
provide guidance on Framework Adjustment 4 to the Atlantic Herring FMP. 
The framework will include alternatives to address several of the 
disapproved elements of Amendment 5 to the FMP (dealer weighing 
requirements and measures to address net slippage). The Council will 
review recommendations from the Herring Committee and Advisory Panel 
and provide guidance regarding the development of the framework. 
Provisions to potentially be included in an Omnibus Amendment that 
would address industry-funded monitoring will be considered next on the 
meeting agenda. The Council will be asked to review and approve draft 
alternatives for further analysis in this NMFS-led effort to establish 
provisions for industry-funded monitoring across all fisheries. (The 
Council also will consider related Herring Committee recommendations). 
Alternatives in this amendment include provisions that delineate cost-
sharing between the government and fishing industry, a process for 
prioritizing additional monitoring needs, observer coverage targets for 
the Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries (disapproved from Herring 
Amendment 5 and Squid, Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish Amendment 14), 
and provisions for approving service providers. This item will be 
followed by a review of the findings on swordfish and bluefin tuna 
contained in the full report from the November 2013 International 
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas meeting in South 
Africa.
    Prior to a lunch break, there also will be 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. Once it reviews public comments and ad hoc committee 
recommendations, the Council is also scheduled to approve an Omnibus 
Amendment that would modify New England and Mid-Atlantic FMPs with 
respect to Standardized Reporting Methodology. The day will conclude 
with a report from the Enforcement Committee concerning restrictions 
for hidden compartments aboard fishing vessels and requirements for 
having fish totes onboard; a report on VMS satellite availability; an 
update on implementation of alternative net covers which would allow 
the towing wires to remain attached to trawl doors during closed area 
transit; and progress on lobster gear marking using information

[[Page 2154]]

provided by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
    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: January 7, 2014.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-00317 Filed 1-10-14; 8:45 am]
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