[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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