[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 179 (Tuesday, September 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55434-55435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22018]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD500


New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC); 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 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 
September 30-October 2, 2014, and will start at 8:30 a.m., each day.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Cape Codder Resort, 1225 
Iyannough Road, Hyannis, MA 02601; telephone: (855) 861-4370; fax: 
(508) 771-6564. For online information about the venue check 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 30, 2014

    The Council meeting will begin with introductions, the formal 
swearing-in of new and reappointed members, and the election of the 
2014 Council officers. Immediately after these issues have been 
addressed, the members will hear a report by the Northeast Fisheries 
Science Center (NEFSC) staff who will summarize the 59th Northeast 
Regional Stock Assessment Workshop/Stock Assessment Review Committee 
findings. The focus will be on Gulf of Maine haddock and Atlantic sea 
scallops. NEFSC staff will also present a summary of the Transboundary 
Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC) Report on the 2014 stock 
assessments for Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock, and Georges Bank 
yellowtail flounder. The Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee 
(SSC) will provide its overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable 
biological catch (ABC) recommendations for stocks of Gulf of Maine 
haddock and Gulf of Maine cod, Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, four 
small-mesh multispecies stocks (northern and southern whiting and 
northern and southern red hake), and Atlantic sea scallops. Discussions 
also will include committee comments on the draft ABC risk policy 
statement provided by the Risk Policy Working Group. After a lunch 
break, the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC) will ask 
the Council to review and possibly approve its recommendations for 
fishing year 2015 quotas for Eastern Georges Bank cod and Eastern 
Georges Bank haddock and the Georges Bank stock of yellowtail flounder. 
Other TMGC-related issues also may be addressed. Prior to meeting 
adjournment for the day, the Council intends to discuss and possibly 
modify the management measures under consideration for inclusion in 
Framework Adjustment 26 to the Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP), including a review of 2014 survey results, potential fishery 
specifications, and other measures.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

    In general, the Council will spend this day on Northeast 
Multispecies (Groundfish) FMP-related issues. There will be a report on 
the recent Gulf of Maine cod 2014 assessment update to be followed by a 
discussion of topics that will likely evolve from the assessment and 
peer review results. These could include but are not limited to a 
request for emergency action or other approaches that are brought 
forward during the discussion. The NEFMC will then address Framework 
Adjustment 53 to the FMP. The current timeline provides for approval of 
the range of alternatives for inclusion in this action. Measures under 
consideration may address Gulf of Maine cod, fishing year 2015-17 
specifications for several groundfish stocks, windowpane flounder sub-
annual catch limits and accountability measures, expansion of the Gulf 
of Maine cod spawning closure, a rollover provision that would apply to 
groundfish fishery specifications, and several other measures. Next, 
Amendment 18 to the FMP will be discussed. The Council could approve 
additional alternatives for inclusion in this action--accumulation 
limits and an inshore/offshore line to address the concentration of 
fishing effort in the inshore Gulf of Maine. Before the Council 
adjourns for the day, they will receive a summary report on the 
development of an Omnibus Industry-Funded Monitoring Amendment. Based 
on the information provided, the Council may consider and approve 
committee recommendations on

[[Page 55435]]

alternatives for inclusion in the amendment.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

    The Council will receive brief reports from the NEFMC Chairman and 
Executive Director (including information and possible action on 
bluefin tuna management), the NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator, 
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel and NOAA Law 
Enforcement, and representatives of the Atlantic States Marine 
Fisheries Commission and U.S Coast Guard. The Ecosystem-based Fisheries 
Management (EBFM) Committee will provide a progress report on recent 
work, including a summary of perspectives of stakeholders, climate 
change vulnerability and governance, and additional issues. The 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center will report on the process used to 
develop stock assessment updates. This will be followed by an 
opportunity for the public to provide brief comments on items that are 
relevant to Council business but are otherwise not listed on the 
published agenda. The Council's Risk Policy Working Group will ask for 
approval of a Draft Risk Policy Statement it has developed and discuss 
steps about how it would apply across all Council-managed FMPs. The 
NEFMC Whiting Committee will ask for approval of a range of management 
adjustments to be included in a 2014 specifications document, pending a 
decision on the issues to be addressed in this action (whether to 
address overfishing of northern red hake). Depending on that outcome, 
the Council could initiate a framework adjustment in lieu of developing 
a specifications document at this meeting. Finally, the Council will 
have its first discussion on its 2015 draft management priorities. 
Members will address any additional outstanding business prior to 
meeting adjournment.
    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 11, 2014.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-22018 Filed 9-15-14; 8:45 am]
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