[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2142-2143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00611]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XB719]
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, NEFMC)
will hold a three-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Due to ongoing public
safety considerations related to COVID-19, this meeting will be
conducted entirely by webinar.
DATES: The webinar meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday, February 1, 2, and 3, 2022, beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday
and 9 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
ADDRESSES: All meeting participants and interested parties can register
to join the webinar at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3241130900598780683.
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, February 1, 2022
After introductions and brief announcements, the Council will
receive reports on recent activities from its Chair and Executive
Director, the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO)
Regional Administrator, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)
Director, the NOAA Office of General Counsel, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council liaison, staff from the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), and representatives from the U.S. Coast
Guard, NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, and the Northeast Trawl
Advisory Panel. Next, the Council will receive the Skate Committee
report and take final action on Framework Adjustment 9 to the Northeast
Skate
[[Page 2143]]
Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This framework will revise: (1)
The FMP's objectives; and (2) conditions for open access federal skate
fishing permits.
Following the lunch break, the Council will take up ecosystem-based
fishery management (EBFM) and receive brief updates on: (1)
Informational EBFM workshops using public outreach materials, focusing
on potential application to a Georges Bank example fishery ecosystem
plan (eFEP); and (2) initial work to develop a Beta Management Strategy
Evaluation (MSE) for EBFM and the Georges Bank eFEP. Then, the Council
will go into the Habitat Committee report, which will cover three
items. First, the Council will initiate a framework adjustment to
designate Habitat Areas of Particular Concern in Southern New England.
Second, the Council will receive a report on recent discussions between
New England and Mid-Atlantic Council leadership about the Great South
Channel Habitat Management Area (HMA) and consider next steps,
including a clam industry request for secretarial emergency action to
gain additional access to the HMA. The Council will conclude the
habitat report with updates on offshore energy and other ongoing
habitat-related work. It then will adjourn for the day. Following
adjournment, the Council will go into a closed session to discuss two
items: (1) Scientific and Statistical Committee appointments; and (2)
Council policies on U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) harassment
in the workplace issues.
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
The Council will begin the day with the Scallop Committee report.
First, the Council will receive and discuss the final report for the
evaluation of the scallop fishery's rotational area management program.
The Council also will receive a brief update on work being conducted by
the Scallop Survey Working Group. This will be followed by an initial
update on upcoming scoping sessions for potential development of a
limited access leasing program. Next, the Council will receive a
presentation from GARFO on the formation of the Atlantic Sturgeon
Bycatch Working Group and an overview of the working group's planned
activities. This will be followed by a report on: (1) Results from the
27th Regular Meeting of the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT); and (2) recommendations from
the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section of ICCAT. Next, 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. These comments will be received
through the webinar. A guide for how to publicly comment through the
webinar is available on the Council website at https://s3.amazonaws.com/nefmc.org/NEFMC-meeting-remote-participation_generic.pdf.
Following the lunch break, the Council will receive a congressional
update about ongoing federal legislative activities. Next, the Council
will receive a briefing on Atlantic mackerel stock status and work
being done by the Mid-Atlantic Council to revise the mackerel
rebuilding program based on results from the 2021 Atlantic Mackerel
Management Track Stock Assessment. This will be followed by an update
on the East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning initiative, which
will include: (1) A summary of the August/September 2021 kick-off
webinars that were held to introduce scenario planning to stakeholders;
and (2) an outline of next steps, including information about the
upcoming February/March 2022 webinars that are intended to explore
physical, biological, and social/economic drivers and uncertainties
about how the marine ecosystem could be affected by climate change. The
Council then will adjourn for the day.
Thursday, February 3, 2022
The Council will devote the third day of its meeting to the
Groundfish Committee report, which includes three primary components.
These are: (1) A presentation on and Council discussion of the final
report from the 2021 series of Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Workshops,
which covered both science and management issues; (2) a progress report
from the Atlantic Cod Research Track Working Group, followed by Council
discussion on the potential number of cod stocks that should be
considered for assessment purposes and potential management units; and
(3) the development of recommendations on fishing year 2022
recreational measures for Gulf of Maine cod and Gulf of Maine haddock.
These recommendations will be submitted to GARFO.
The Council has scheduled a lunch break, which will be taken at a
convenient time during the Groundfish Committee report. Following the
conclusion of groundfish business, 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 being conducted entirely by webinar. Requests for
auxiliary aids should be directed to Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 10, 2022.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-00611 Filed 1-12-22; 8:45 am]
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