[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 106 (Monday, June 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25777-25778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11556]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF463


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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) 
will hold a three-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, 
June 20, 21, and 22, 2017, beginning at 9 a.m. on June 20, 8:30 a.m. on 
June 21, and 8:30 a.m. on June 22.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 
Spring Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: (207) 775-2311; online at 
http://www.innbythebay.com.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492; 
www.nefmc.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492, ext. 
113.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

    After introductions and brief announcements, the meeting will begin 
with reports from the Council Chairman and Executive Director, NMFS's 
Regional Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries 
Office (GARFO), liaisons from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center 
(NEFSC) and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, representatives 
from NOAA General Counsel and the Office of Law Enforcement, and staff 
from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the U.S Coast 
Guard. Following these reports, the Council will hear from

[[Page 25778]]

its Whiting Committee, which will provide a brief progress report on 
Amendment 22 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP). The amendment is being developed to potentially limit access to 
the small-mesh multispecies fishery. Next, the Council will review and 
discuss the status of Amendment 6 to the Monkfish FMP. This amendment 
initially was intended to consider potential catch share management 
approaches for the monkfish fishery. The Council also will discuss and 
approve research priorities for the Monkfish Research Set-Aside 
Program. The Groundfish Committee report then will commence with a 
preview of the extensive afternoon agenda. Discussion of the first 
agenda item potentially could begin prior to lunch. For this item, the 
Council will receive a summary of the scoping comments for Groundfish 
Monitoring Amendment 23 and discuss the amendment's purpose and need, 
as well as the likely range of alternatives.
    Following the lunch break, the Council will resume the groundfish 
monitoring discussion if necessary and spend the remainder of the 
afternoon on groundfish. The Council will initiate Framework Adjustment 
57 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP, which will include: (1) 2018-2020 
fishery specifications and other management measures; (2) 2018 total 
allowable catches (TACs) for U.S./Canada stocks of Eastern Georges Bank 
(GB) cod, Eastern GB haddock, and GB yellowtail flounder; (3) Atlantic 
halibut accountability measures (AMs); and (4) recreational management 
measures. The Council will review a draft letter with comments on the 
Marine Recreational Information Program Strategic Plan. Finally, the 
Council will consider comments on the interim final rule for 2017 and 
2018 Sector Operations Plans, including whether measures or 
restrictions should be recommended for Sector IX due to misreporting by 
sector vessels. The Council then will adjourn for the day.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

    The second day of the meeting will begin with a presentation on 
NMFS's Stock Assessment Improvement Plan (SAIP), which will be 
immediately followed by a presentation on NMFS's guidance regarding the 
use of Best Scientific Information Available (BSIA). The Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC) then will provide: (1) Comments on both the 
SAIP and BSIA; (2) comments on the Council's draft five-year research 
recommendations; and (3) a progress report on terms of reference for 
operational stock assessments when models are not feasible. The Council 
will discuss and consider the SSC's comments on NMFS's SAIP and BSIA 
guidance. Next, the Council will receive an Ecosystem-Based Fishery 
Management Report with an update on developing a worked example of 
harvest control rules for ecosystem management. This item will be 
followed by the Skate Committee report. The Council is scheduled to: 
(1) Take final action on Framework Adjustment 4 to the Northeast Skate 
Complex FMP to modify the skate bait trigger and possession limits 
currently in place for the fishery; and (2) initiate Framework 
Adjustment 5 to allow barndoor skate landings and develop fishing year 
2018-2019 specifications. Members of the public then will be able to 
speak during an open comment period on issues that relate to Council 
business but are not included on the published agenda for this meeting. 
The Council asks the public to limit remarks to 3-5 minutes.
    After a lunch break, the Scallop Committee first will present a 
report on the Limited Access General Category (LAGC) Individual Fishing 
Quota Five-Year Review. The Council then will approve research 
priorities for the 2018-2019 Scallop RSA Program. Next, the Council 
will receive a progress report on the development of Framework 
Adjustment 29, which includes: (1) Fishery specifications for the 2018 
fishing year and default specifications for 2019; (2) flatfish AMs for 
the scallop fishery; (3) Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Management Area 
issues; and (4) Closed Area I Scallop Access Area modifications to be 
consistent with pending habitat area revisions. Finally, the Council 
will discuss and potentially request a control date to address movement 
between the LAGC NGOM and LAGC incidental permit categories. The day 
will end with a NMFS presentation and update on the Fishery Dependent 
Data Visioning Project.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

    The third day of the meeting will begin with an overview of draft 
alternatives for a Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology omnibus 
framework adjustment that is being developed to address assigning at-
sea observers to the lobster pot fleet in an unbiased manner through 
the Northeast Fishery Observer Program. The Council then will hold a 
Habitat Committee meeting as a Committee of the Whole to review public 
comments on the Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment and develop final 
recommendations for Council consideration. Once the Committee of the 
Whole adjourns, the Habitat Committee report will get underway, 
starting with the Council taking final action on the Coral Amendment. 
Also under habitat, the Council will review and approve comments to the 
Department of the Interior on: (1) National monument designations under 
the Antiquities Act of 1906, including the Northeast Canyons and 
Seamounts Marine National Monument; and (2) potential environmental 
effects of offshore oil development on the Atlantic Outer Continental 
Shelf.
    Following a lunch break, the Council may resume the habitat 
discussion if necessary. Then, the Council will develop comments on 
NMFS's Draft Council Conflict of Interest Policy Directives. The 
Council next will review Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act reauthorization legislation and potentially develop 
Council positions on the draft legislation. The Council will close out 
the meeting with ``other business.''
    Although non-emergency issues not contained on this agenda may come 
before this 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 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 Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days 
prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: May 31, 2017.
Jeffrey N. Lonergan,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-11556 Filed 6-2-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P