[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 169 (Friday, September 1, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 41611]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18603]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF663


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice; public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Committee to consider 
actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone 
(EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full 
Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

DATES: This meeting will be held on Thursday, September 21, 2017 at 
8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 185 
MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740; phone: (774) 634-2000.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda

    The Groundfish Committee plans to discuss Framework Adjustment 57/
Specifications and Management Measures. They will receive a report from 
the Transboundary Management and Guidance Committee (TMGC) on US/CA 
stocks--Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, Eastern GB (EGB) cod, and EGB 
haddock Receive a report from the Groundfish Plan Development Team 
(PDT) on adjusting: common pool trimester total allowable catches 
(TACs), Atlantic halibut accountability measures (AMs), and Windowpane 
flounder AMs for large mesh/non-groundfish fisheries (e.g., scup and 
summer flounder trawl fisheries). They will also discuss draft 
alternatives and make recommendations to the Council. The committee 
will be discussing Groundfish Amendment 23 Groundfish Monitoring 
Amendment. They will review a draft outline prepared by the PDT of the 
likely range of alternatives and make recommendations to the Council. 
The committee will hold initial discussion of possible groundfish 
priorities for 2018 and develop recommendations to the Council. The 
committee will discuss regulatory streamlining in response to recent 
Executive Orders. Several recent Executive Orders have been issued 
about streamlining current regulations, and NOAA is seeking public 
input on the efficiency and effectiveness of current regulations and 
whether they can be improved. They plan to discuss whether there are 
any regulations in the Northeast Multispecies fishery management plan 
that could be eliminated, improved, or streamlined. Other business will 
be discussed as necessary.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during these meetings. 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.

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, Executive Director, at (978) 465-
0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. This meeting will be 
recorded. Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy of the recording is 
available upon request.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: August 29, 2017.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-18603 Filed 8-31-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P