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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89972-89973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26501]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XE464]

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, December 3, 2024, through 
Thursday, December 5, 2024, beginning at 9 a.m. all three days.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Hotel Viking, One 
Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840; telephone: (844) 806-4895; online 
at https://www.hotelviking.com. Join the webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5989195310725579095.
    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 3, 2024

    After 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, 
and representatives from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 
Commission (ASMFC), the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA's Office of Law 
Enforcement, and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). 
Next, the Council will hear remarks from the NOAA Fisheries Deputy 
Administrator for Regulatory Programs and have an opportunity to ask 
questions. It then will receive an overview of the NOAA Fisheries 
Equity and Environmental Justice (EEJ) Implementation Plan for the New 
England/Mid-Atlantic Region. Up next will be a progress report on the 
Council's climate, ecosystem, and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) 
initiatives entailing: (1) an update on the membership and upcoming 
activities of the new Climate and Ecosystem Steering Committee, 
including coordination with NEFSC's Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries 
Initiative (CEFI) and the Council's IRA-funded projects; and (2) a 
report on the October 2024 meeting of the East Coast Climate 
Coordination Group (E3CG) and the group's planned work for 2025. NOAA 
General Counsel will provide a briefing on disclosure of financial 
interests and voting recusal

[[Page 89973]]

regulations for regional fishery management council members.
    Following 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. 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. Next, NOAA Fisheries 
will provide a presentation on the proposed rule for electronic 
reporting requirements for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species. The 
Enforcement Committee then will offer input on the On-Demand Fishing 
Gear Conflict Working Group's recommendations for changes to gear-
marking regulations for three Council-managed fixed-gear fisheries: 
Northeast multispecies (groundfish), monkfish, and Atlantic deep-sea 
red crab. Representatives from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 
(WHOI) will provide a presentation on WHOI's project titled ``Locking 
Away Carbon on the Northeast Shelf and Slope'' (LOC-NESS). Lastly, the 
Council will receive a report on the Eighth National Scientific 
Coordination Subcommittee (SCS8), as well as follow-ups by the Council 
Coordination Committee and the New England Council's Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC). 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. This event will be held in the same hotel as the 
meeting itself--the Hotel Viking in Newport, RI.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

    The Council will begin the second day of its meeting with a 
discussion of 2025 spiny dogfish specifications, which will include: 
(1) a review of recommendations from the Spiny Dogfish Committee, Spiny 
Dogfish Monitoring Committee, the Mid-Atlantic Council's SSC, and the 
Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel; (2) a review of previously adopted 2025 
specifications and management measures; and (3) consideration of 
whether any changes are needed. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center 
then will provide a summary of the September 2024 Management Track 
Stock Assessments for American plaice, Gulf of Maine haddock, Georges 
Bank haddock, Atlantic pollock, witch flounder, and Atlantic halibut. 
The Scientific and Statistical Committee chair then will provide the 
SSC's overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) 
recommendations for Atlantic sea scallops, witch flounder, American 
plaice, Gulf of Maine haddock, Georges Bank haddock, pollock, and 
Atlantic halibut.
    Following the lunch break, the Council will review, discuss, and 
approve the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee's (TMGC) 
recommendations for 2025 total allowable catches (TACs) for three 
shared U.S./Canada groundfish resources on Georges Bank--Eastern 
Georges Bank cod, Eastern Georges Bank haddock, and Georges Bank 
yellowtail flounder. The Groundfish Committee report will follow. The 
Council will take final action on Framework Adjustment 69 to the 
Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan, which 
will: (1) set specifications for several groundfish stocks for fishing 
years 2025-2027; (2) set U.S./Canada TACs for 2025; (3) incorporate 
revisions to scallop fishery flatfish accountability measure (AM) 
triggers; and (4) set measures to address Phase 1 of the Council's 
Atlantic cod management transition plan. The Council then will adjourn 
for the day.

Thursday, December 5, 2024

    The Council will lead off the third day of its meeting with the 
Scallop Committee report and take final action on Framework Adjustment 
39 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. Framework 39 
includes: (1) 2025 fishing year specifications; (2) 2026 default 
specifications; (3) revisions to Scallop Access Area II seasonal 
closures to reduce flatfish bycatch and improve scallop yield; and (4) 
measures to allow Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) permit holders fishing 
on directed scallop trips in the NGOM Management Area to possess 
scallops south of 42[deg]20'. The Council then will receive an overview 
of the NOAA Fisheries National Seafood Strategy Implementation Plan. 
Following this presentation, the Council will discuss and take final 
action on 2025 Council Priorities for all fishery management plans and 
other Council responsibilities before closing 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 8, 2024.
Alyssa Weigers,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-26501 Filed 11-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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