[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23639-23640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10896]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG254


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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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, June 12 through Thursday, 
June 14, 2018, beginning at 9 a.m. on June 12, 8:30 a.m. on June 13, 
and 8:30 a.m. on June 14.

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 
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 12, 2018

    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

[[Page 23640]]

(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 U.S. Coast Guard. Next, 
the Council will hear from its Skate Committee. The Council is expected 
to take final action on Framework Adjustment 6 to the Northeast Skate 
Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which was developed to consider 
alternatives for prolonging the skate wing fishery. The Council then 
will discuss the Council Program Review Panel's final report and 
potentially take action on next steps to improve operations based on 
the panel's recommendations. The Observer Policy/Industry-Funded 
Monitoring Committee will be up next. The Council will consider and 
potentially adopt the committee's comments on NMFS's draft policy 
directive for allocating costs in electronic monitoring programs for 
federally managed U.S. fisheries.
    After the lunch break, members of the public will have the 
opportunity 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. Following public comment, the Atlantic Herring Committee will 
provide a report on two items. First, the committee will discuss and 
present its recommendation on whether or not river herring and shad 
should be added as stocks in the Atlantic herring fishery. The Council 
may take action based on the committee's advice. Next, the Council will 
receive an initial overview of the 2019-2021 specifications process. 
The Council also may consider options for mitigating impacts of 
potentially lower catch limits through appropriate adjustments 
authorized by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act. The Council then will adjourn for the day. Immediately thereafter 
and in the same room, the Council will conduct a public hearing on 
Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring FMP, which proposes alternatives 
to: (1) Establish an acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule for 
Atlantic herring; and (2) address potential localized depletion and 
user conflicts in the fishery.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

    The second day of the meeting will begin with a report on NMFS's 
Fisheries Allocation Policy Directive and two associated Procedural 
Directives. The Council will discuss these directives for reviewing 
fisheries allocations, which include identifying ``triggers'' to 
initiate an allocation review. Next, the Council will receive an update 
from NEFSC staff on the Northeast Fisheries Observer Program and the 
2018 fishing year sea day schedule. The Groundfish Committee report 
will follow. The Council will initiate Framework Adjustment 58 to the 
Northeast Multispecies FMP, which will include: (1) 2019 Total 
allowable catches for U.S./Canada stocks of Eastern Georges Bank (GB) 
cod, Eastern GB haddock, and GB yellowtail flounder; (2) rebuilding 
plans for several groundfish stocks; and (3) other measures. Groundfish 
Monitoring Amendment 23 will be taken up next. The Council will view 
video footage of electronic monitoring in operation on fishing vessels. 
It then will receive an update on the potential range of alternatives 
in the amendment, which is being developed to improve the overall catch 
and discard monitoring program in the Northeast multispecies fishery. 
The Council may select the range of alternatives for further analysis 
at this meeting. The Council also will receive a progress report from 
its Fishery Dependent Data Working Group
    Following a lunch break, the Council will continue with and 
conclude its work on the groundfish items. Then, the Council will 
receive a short update on the Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program Review 
Panel Report, which is being prepared by representatives from the 
Council, GARFO, and NEFSC. Next, the Scallop Committee will provide a 
list of recommended 2019-2020 scallop RSA priorities. The Council will 
discuss and approve a final list of research priorities for the 
program. The Scallop Committee also will provide an initial overview of 
the 2019-2020 scallop specifications process. In its final item of 
business before adjourning for the day, the Council will finalize the 
list of proposals being prepared for NMFS to address regulatory reform 
as mandated by Executive Orders 13777, 13771, and 13565.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

    The third day of the meeting will begin with Ecosystem-Based 
Fishery Management (EBFM). The Council will receive a summary report on 
the Center for Independent Experts EBFM Strategy Review from the peer 
review panel chair. The Council also will receive an update on future 
EBFM Committee activities. The Habitat Committee will be up next with 
two items. First will be the Clam Dredge Framework, which is being 
developed to consider continued surfclam dredge fishery access to the 
new Great South Channel Habitat Management Area and possible 
consideration of a mussel dredge exemption. The Council is expected to 
select the framework's range of alternatives for further analysis at 
this meeting. The Council also will receive an update on ongoing 
offshore energy activities in the Northeast and discuss any needed 
consultations with federal agencies. After that, the Council will 
receive an update on efforts by the Northeast Regional Coordinating 
Council to improve timing and scheduling of stock assessments and stock 
assessment research. The Council will close out the meeting with 
``other business.''
    Although non-emergency issues not contained on this agenda may come 
before the 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 Fishery Conservation and 
Management 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 17, 2018.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-10896 Filed 5-21-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P