[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 220 (Thursday, November 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78726-78727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25358]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XD529]


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 hybrid meeting with both in-person and remote 
participation to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in 
the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 
December 5, 6, and 7, 2023, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday and 9:00 
a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hotel Viking, One Bellevue 
Avenue, Newport, RI 02840; telephone (401) 847-3300; online at 
www.hotelviking.com. Join the webinar at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8673787082024040282.
    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: Cate O'Keefe, Executive Director, New 
England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492, ext. 
113.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

    After brief announcements, the Council will receive reports on 
recent activities from its Chair and Executive Director, the GARFO 
Regional Administrator, the NOAA Office of General Counsel, the 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Director, the Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council liaison, and representatives from the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the U.S. Coast 
Guard, NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, the Northeast Trawl Advisory 
Panel, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Council then will 
receive a progress report from its Risk Policy Working Group, which is 
continuing to work on revisions to the Council's Risk Policy Statement. 
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 both in person and 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.
    After the lunch break, the Council will receive a report from the 
East Coast Climate Coordination Group about its first meeting on work 
following up on implementing recommendations from the East Coast 
Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative. The Council will engage in 
a discussion about next steps. The Responsible Offshore Science 
Alliance (ROSA) will report on the alliance's mission, activities, and 
steps to support the Council's offshore wind efforts and streamline 
communications. The Habitat Committee report will follow. The Council 
will review its comments on the draft Wind Energy Areas for the Gulf of 
Maine (GOM) and discuss other GOM leasing/planning issues. It also will 
receive a presentation on other offshore wind and habitat-related 
updates. To close out the day, the Council will receive a NOAA General 
Counsel briefing on disclosure of financial interests and voting 
recusal regulations for regional fishery management council members.

[[Page 78727]]

Following the adjournment of official business, the Council will host a 
public outreach session to foster open lines of communication among 
Council members, staff, industry, and all meeting attendees.

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

    The Council will begin the second day of its meeting with a 
presentation on the peer-reviewed results of the September 2023 
Management Track Stock Assessments for Acadian redfish, Atlantic 
mackerel, northern and southern red hake, the Northeast skate complex, 
northern windowpane flounder, and spiny dogfish. Next, the Council's 
Scientific and Statistical Committee will provide overfishing limit 
(OFL) and acceptable allowable biological catch (ABC) recommendations 
for Gulf of Maine haddock, Acadian redfish, northern and southern 
windowpane flounder, white hake, northern and southern red hake, 
northern silver hake, southern whiting (silver and offshore hake 
combined), Atlantic sea scallops, and the Northeast skate complex. The 
Skate Committee report will follow. The Council will take final action 
on Framework 12 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP), which was initiated to develop 2024-2025 fishery specifications 
and measures to expand possession of smooth and barndoor skates.
    Following the lunch break, the Council will take final action on 
2024-2026 specifications for the small-mesh multispecies (whiting) 
fishery. The Council then will hear from the Scallop Committee and take 
final action on Scallop Framework 38, which contains 2024 fishery 
specifications, 2025 default specifications, alternatives for increased 
vessel monitoring system (VMS) polling rates near closed area 
boundaries, and other measures. As the last item of business for the 
day, the Council will receive an update on a joint scallop/habitat 
action to potentially authorize scallop fishery access to the Habitat 
Closure Area on the Northern Edge of Georges Bank.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

    The Council will lead off the third day of its meeting with the 
Groundfish Committee report, which will cover three items. First, the 
Council will take final action on Framework Adjustment 66 to the 
Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) FMP, which includes (1) 2024-2025 
total allowable catches for U.S./Canada shared resources on Georges 
Bank; (2) 2024-2025 specifications for Georges Bank yellowtail 
flounder, white hake, and Gulf of Maine haddock; (3) 2024-2026 
specifications for Acadian redfish, northern windowpane, and southern 
windowpane; (4) a revised white hake rebuilding plan; (5) Atlantic 
halibut issues; (6) extending removal of the sector management 
uncertainty buffer for white hake and Gulf of Maine haddock until the 
next specifications cycle; and (7) modification of the scallop fishery 
accountability measure for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for fishing 
years 2024 and 2025. Next, the Council will receive a progress report 
on Framework Adjustment 68 to the Groundfish FMP, which is being 
developed to revise the ABC control rules for groundfish. Finally, the 
Council will receive an update on the Atlantic Cod Management 
Transition Plan.
    Following the lunch break, the Council will take final action on 
2024 Council Priorities for all fishery management plans and other 
Council responsibilities. The Council then 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 these meetings. 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

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Executive Director Cate O'Keefe 
(see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: November 13, 2023.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-25358 Filed 11-15-23; 8:45 am]
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