78062 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 2014 / Notices 

adverse environmental impacts. The 

three action alternatives also include 

mitigation measures intended to 

minimize potentially adverse 

interactions with other protected 

species that occur within the action 

area. Protected species include all 

marine mammals, which are covered 

under the MMPA, all species listed 

under the ESA, and bird species 

protected under the Migratory Bird 

Treaty Act. 

NMFS is also evaluating a second 

type of no-action alternative that 

considers no federal funding for 

fieldwork on fisheries and ecosystem 

research activities. This is called the No 

Research Alternative to distinguish it 

from the No-Action/Status Quo 

Alternative. The No-Action/Status Quo 

Alternative will be used as the baseline 

to compare all of the other alternatives. 

Potential direct and indirect effects on 

the environment are evaluated under 

each alternative in the DPEA. The 

environmental effects on the following 

resources are considered: Physical 

environment, special resource areas, 

fish, marine mammals, birds, sea turtles, 

invertebrates, and the social and 

economic environment. Cumulative 

effects of external actions and the 

contribution of fisheries research 

activities to the overall cumulative 

impact on the aforementioned resources 

is also evaluated in the DPEA for the 

geographic regions in which NEFSC 

surveys are conducted. 

NMFS requests comments on the 

DPEA for Fisheries Research Conducted 

and Funded by the National Marine 

Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries 

Science Center. Please include, with 

your comments, any supporting data or 

literature citations that may be 

informative in substantiating your 

comment. 

Dated: December 22, 2014. 

William Karp, 

Director, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30346 Filed 12–22–14; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XD684 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) Fixed 

Gear Electronic Monitoring (EM) 

workgroup will meet in Anchorage, AK. 

DATES: The meetings will be held 

January 12–13, 2015, from 1 p.m. to 5 

p.m. and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., respectively. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Hilton Hotel, Aspen/Spruce Room, 

500 W 3rd Avenue, Anchorage, AK. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 

4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99501–2252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Diana Evans, Council staff; telephone: 

(907) 271–2809. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

agenda is to finalize the 2015 EM 

Cooperative Research Plan and discuss 

funding and timelines for the research 

plan, pre-implementation, and the 

Council analysis to integrate EM into 

the observer program. 

The Agenda is subject to change, and 

the latest version will be posted at 

http://www.npfmc.org/. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before this group for discussion, in 

accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during these meetings. Actions 

will be restricted to those issues 

specifically identified in this notice and 

any issues arising after publication of 

this notice that require emergency 

action under section 305(c) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the 

public has been notified of the Council’s 

intent to take final action to address the 

emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Gail Bendixen at 

(907) 271–2809 at least 7 working days 

prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: December 22, 2014. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30315 Filed 12–24–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XD678 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery 

Management Council (Council) is 

scheduling a public meeting of its 

Herring Committee to consider actions 

affecting New England fisheries in the 

exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 

Recommendations from this group will 

be brought to the full Council for formal 

consideration and action, if appropriate. 

DATES: This meeting will be held on 

Friday, January 16, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: 

Meeting address: The meeting will be 

held at the Sheraton Harborside, 250 

Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801; 

telephone: (603) 431–2300; fax: (603) 

431–7805. 

Council address: New England 

Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 

Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The items 

of discussion on the agenda are: 

The committee will receive a report 

from the January 15, 2015 Herring 

Advisory Panel (AP) meeting and 

consider the AP recommendations. The 

committee will also review Action Plans 

for the 2016–2018 Atlantic herring 

fishery specifications and an 

amendment to the Atlantic Herring FMP 

to consider control rules for the Atlantic 

herring fishery that account for herring’s 

role as forage in the ecosystem 

(Amendment 8). They plan to discuss 

possible cooperative research priorities 

for any research set-aside that may be 

allocated in 2016–18 during the Atlantic 

herring fishery specifications process 

and develop Committee 

recommendations. They will also 

review/approve a draft scoping 

document for an amendment to the 

Herring FMP to consider control rules 

for the Atlantic herring fishery that 

account for herring’s role as forage in 

the ecosystem. The committee will 

review/discuss options under 

consideration in the NMFS-led omnibus 

Industry-Funded Monitoring 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 2014 / Notices 78063 

Amendment to address observer 

coverage on Atlantic herring vessels and 

develop Committee recommendations. 

The committee will discuss other 

business as necessary. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before this group for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during this meeting. 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 

Act, provided the public has been 

notified of the Council’s intent to take 

final action to address the emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

The meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, at 

(978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to 

the meeting date. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: December 22, 2014. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30306 Filed 12–24–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XD685 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council (MAFMC); Public Hearings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public hearings, 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council (Council) is 

developing an Amendment to the 

Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish 

Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (called 

‘‘Measures to Protect Deep Sea Corals 

from Impacts of Fishing Gear’’) that will 

address minimizing the impacts of 

fishing gear on deep sea corals in the 

Mid-Atlantic. 

DATES: Written comments will be 

accepted until Wednesday, January 28, 

2015. Five public hearings will be held 

during this comment period. See 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for dates, 

times, and locations. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be 

sent by any of the following methods: 

• Email to the following address: 

kdancy@mafmc.org; Include ‘‘Deep Sea 

Corals Amendment Comments’’ in the 

subject line; 

• Mail or hand deliver to Dr. 

Christopher M. Moore, Executive 

Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, 800 North State 

Street, Suite 201, Dover, Delaware 

19901. Mark the outside of the envelope 

‘‘Deep Sea Corals Amendment 

Comments’’; or 

• Fax to (302) 674–5399. 

• A web form for submitting 

comments is available on the Council’s 

Web site: http://www.mafmc.org/

comments/deep-sea-corals. The draft 

Amendment document may be obtained 

from the Council office at the previously 

provided address, or by request to the 

Council by telephone (302) 674–2331, or 

via the Internet at http://

www.mafmc.org. 

• Comments may also be provided 

verbally at any of the five public 

hearings. See SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION for dates, times, and 

locations. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Christopher M. Moore, Mid-Atlantic 

Fishery Management Council, 800 North 

State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; 

telephone: (302) 674–2331. The 

Council’s Web site, www.mafmc.org also 

has details on the meeting location, 

webinar listen-in access, and public 

hearing materials. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Council has initiated an 

amendment to the Atlantic Mackerel, 

Squid, and Butterfish FMP in order to 

minimize the impacts of fishing gear on 

deep sea corals in the mid-Atlantic. The 

Council has approved a range of 

alternatives proposing designation of 

deep sea coral protection zones, under 

the discretionary authority described in 

section 303(b)(2)(b) of the reauthorized 

Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). These 

zones would consist of areas where use 

of certain gear types (all bottom-tending 

gear or all mobile bottom-tending gear) 

would be restricted in order to protect 

deep sea corals from physical damage 

caused by fishing gear. Although this 

action is being taken through the 

Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish 

FMP, these measures could apply to any 

federally regulated fishing activity 

occurring within the proposed areas in 

the Mid-Atlantic Council region. 

Additionally, this amendment proposes 

to modify the framework provisions of 

the FMP and require Vessel Monitoring 

Systems (VMS) for all Illex squid 

vessels. For more information and to 

access the public hearing document, 

visit: http://www.mafmc.org/actions/

msb/am16. 

Public Hearings 

The dates and locations of the public 

hearings are as follows. 

• Monday, January 12, 2015, 7 p.m., 

Hyatt Place Long Island/East End, 451 

East Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901, 

telephone: (631) 208–0002; 

• Tuesday, January 13, 2015, 7 p.m., 

The Grand Hotel, 1045 Beach Avenue, 

Cape May, NJ 08204, telephone: (609) 

884–5611; 

• Wednesday, January 14, 2015, 7 

p.m., Washington Marriott at Metro 

Center, 775 12th Street NW., 

Washington, DC 20005, telephone: (202) 

737–2200; 

• Thursday, January 15, 2015, 7 p.m., 

Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, 3001 

Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 

23451, telephone: (866) 460–7456; 

• Friday, January 16, 2015, 7 p.m., 

Ocean Pines Library, 11107 Cathell Rd., 

Berlin, MD 21811, telephone: (410) 208– 

4014; 

• Tuesday, January 20, 2015, 7 p.m., 

Internet webinar, Connection 

information to be available at http://

www.mafmc.org or by contacting the 

Council (see ADDRESSES above). 

Special Accommodations 

These public hearings are accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aid should be directed to Jan 

Saunders, (302) 526–5251, at least 5 

days prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: December 22, 2014. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30316 Filed 12–24–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XD658 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting; Correction 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of correction of a public 

meeting. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council’s Pacific 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES