Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices 44385 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

following items are on the agenda, 

though agenda items may be addressed 

out of order (changes will be noted on 

the Council’s Web site when possible.) 

Tuesday, October 10, 2017 

Executive Committee 

Review 2017 and Proposed 2018 

Implementation Plan; discuss 

recommendations on 2018 priorities. 

Swearing In of New and Reappointed 

Council Members 

Election of Officers 

Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Goals and 

Objectives Workshop 

Review results from Fisheries Forum 

project; review Fishery Management 

Action Team recommendations; identify 

and approve revised goals and 

objectives for public hearing document. 

Golden Tilefish Individual Transferable 

Quota Program Review 

Review and approve final report. 

Regional Planning Body Ecologically 

Rich Areas Presentation 

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 

Lobster Standardized Bycatch Reporting 

Methodology Framework—Meeting 2 

Final action on preferred alternatives 

Spiny Dogfish Specifications 

Review previously set specifications 

for 2018 and consider any modifications 

Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries 

Management Risk Assessment 

Finalize and adopt EAFM Based Risk 

Assessment. 

Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea 

Bass Commercial Accountability 

Measure Framework—Meeting 1 

Review background, issues, and draft 

alternatives. 

2018 Recreational Black Sea Bass Wave 

1 Fishery 

Consider a potential February 2018 

opening of the recreational Wave 1 

fishery. 

Law Enforcement Reports 

Reports will be received from the 

NOAA Office of Law Enforcement and 

the U.S. Coast Guard. 

2019–23 Strategic Plan 

Review plan for the development of 

the Strategic Plan. 

Thursday, October 12, 2017 

• Business Session Committee 

Reports; Executive Director’s Report; 

Science Report; Organization Reports; 

and Liaison Reports. 

• Continuing and New Business. 

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 aid 

should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, 

(302) 526–5251, at least 5 days prior to 

the meeting date. 

Dated: September 19, 2017. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20238 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF678 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone off Alaska; Application for an 

Exempted Fishing Permit 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

exempted fishing permit. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt 

of an exempted fishing permit (EFP) 

application from the Alaska Seafood 

Cooperative (AKSC). If granted, this EFP 

would allow non-pelagic trawl catcher/ 

processor operators targeting groundfish 

in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and Bering 

Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) to 

remove halibut from a trawl codend on 

the deck, and release those halibut back 

to the water in a timely manner to 

increase survivability. The proposed 

project would build on work conducted 

by the applicant under EFPs in 2009, 

2012, and 2015 through 2017 to test 

methods for sorting halibut on deck of 

non-pelagic trawl catcher/processor 

vessels in the BSAI including methods 

to increase halibut survivability and 

ensure reliable catch accounting and 

personnel safety. The objective of the 

proposed project is to refine the few, 

remaining operational issues to yield 

robust methods which could be 

implemented to allow sorting of halibut 

on the deck of non-pelagic trawl vessels 

as a standard practice in the BSAI and 

GOA in the future. The specific 

objectives of the proposed project are to 

(1) continue the proven methods used in 

2017 EFP operations in 2018 and 2019; 

(2) develop individual-vessel deck 

sorting safety protocols; (3) test methods 

for moving fish on deck to ensure a 

single flow of fish, which is essential for 

proper catch monitoring; and (4) expand 

the project to the GOA to standardize 

operations between the BSAI and GOA 

and evaluate the potential for increasing 

halibut survivability in the GOA. This 

experiment has the potential to promote 

the objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act and the Northern Pacific Halibut 

Act. 

DATES: Comments on this EFP 

application must be submitted to NMFS 

on or before October 10, 2017. The 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (Council) will consider the 

application at its meeting from October 

2, 2017, through October 10, 2017, in 

Anchorage, AK. 

ADDRESSES: The Council meeting will be 

held at the Hilton Hotel, 500 W 3rd 

Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501. The agenda 

for the Council meeting is available at 

http://www.npfmc.org. You may submit 

comments on this document, identified 

by NOAA–NMFS–2017–0112, by any of 

the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2017- 

0112, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P.O. 

Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered. All comments received are 

a part of the public record and will 

generally be posted for public viewing 

on www.regulations.gov without change. 

44386 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices 

All personal identifying information 

(e.g., name, address) submitted 

voluntarily by the sender will be 

publicly accessible. NMFS will accept 

anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in 

the required fields if you wish to remain 

anonymous). 

Electronic copies of the EFP 

application and the basis for a 

categorical exclusion under the National 

Environmental Policy Act are available 

from the Alaska Region, NMFS Web site 

at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Brandee Gerke, 907–586–7650. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the domestic groundfish 

fisheries in the BSAI and GOA 

management areas under the Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish 

of the BSAI and the FMP for Groundfish 

of the GOA, which the Council prepared 

under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act. 

Regulations governing the BSAI and 

GOA groundfish fisheries appear at 50 

CFR parts 600 and 679. The FMPs and 

the implementing regulations at 

§ 600.745(b) and § 679.6 allow the 

NMFS Regional Administrator to 

authorize, for limited experimental 

purposes, fishing that would otherwise 

be prohibited. Procedures for issuing 

EFPs are contained in the implementing 

regulations. 

The IPHC and NMFS manage fishing 

for Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus 

stenolepis) through regulations 

established under the authority of the 

Convention between the United States 

and Canada for the Preservation of the 

Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific 

Ocean and Bering Sea (Convention) and 

the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 

1982. The IPHC promulgates regulations 

pursuant to the Convention. The IPHC’s 

regulations are subject to approval by 

the Secretary of State with concurrence 

from the Secretary of Commerce 

(Secretary). 

Background 

Regulations implemented by the IPHC 

allow Pacific halibut to be commercially 

harvested by the directed North Pacific 

longline fishery. Halibut is a prohibited 

species in the groundfish fishery, 

requiring immediate return to the sea 

with a minimum of injury. Halibut 

caught incidentally by non-pelagic trawl 

catcher/processors in the groundfish 

fisheries must be weighed on a NMFSapproved scale, sampled by observers, 

and returned to the ocean as soon as 

possible. The Council establishes 

annual maximum halibut bycatch 

allowances and seasonal 

apportionments adjusted by an 

estimated halibut discard mortality rate 

(DMR) for groundfish fisheries. The 

DMRs are based on the best information 

available, including information 

contained in the annual Stock 

Assessment and Fishery Evaluation 

report, available at http://www.alaska

fisheries.noaa.gov/. NMFS approves the 

halibut DMRs developed and 

recommended by the IPHC and the 

Council for the BSAI groundfish 

fisheries for use in monitoring the 

halibut bycatch allowances and seasonal 

apportionments. The IPHC developed 

these DMRs for the BSAI groundfish 

fisheries using the 10-year mean DMRs 

for those fisheries. 

Directed fishing in a groundfish 

fishery closes when the halibut 

mortality apportionment for the fishery 

is reached, even if the target species 

catch is less than the seasonal or annual 

quota for the directed fishery. In the 

case of the Bering Sea flatfish fishery, 

seasons have been closed before fishery 

quotas have been reached to prevent the 

fishery from exceeding the halibut 

mortality apportionment. 

With the implementation of 

Amendment 80 to the FMP on 

September 14, 2007 (72 FR 52668), 

halibut mortality apportionments were 

established for the Amendment 80 

sector and for Amendment 80 

cooperatives. Amendment 80 is a catch 

share program that allocates several 

BSAI non-pollock trawl groundfish 

fisheries (including the flatfish fishery) 

among fishing sectors, and facilitates the 

formation of harvesting cooperatives in 

the non-American Fisheries Act trawl 

catcher/processor sector. Though 

halibut mortality apportionments 

provide Amendment 80 cooperatives 

more flexibility to use available 

mortality, halibut mortality continues to 

constrain fishing in some Amendment 

80 fisheries. Therefore, this sector is 

actively exploring ways to continue to 

reduce halibut mortality. 

The Amendment 80 sector may also 

harvest groundfish in the GOA. The 

Amendment 80 sector does not receive 

fishery allocations in the GOA and the 

amount of each groundfish species that 

may be caught by the cooperative in the 

GOA is limited to the sideboard 

amounts specified in Table 27 of the 

2018 GOA Groundfish Harvest 

Specifications. The Amendment 80 

sector is subject to halibut PSC limits 

established for that sector in the GOA. 

The Amendment 80 sector GOA halibut 

PSC limits for 2018 are provided in 

Table 28 of the GOA Groundfish Harvest 

Specifications. The 2018 GOA 

Groundfish Harvest Specifications are 

available at: https://alaska

fisheries.noaa.gov/harvestspecifications/field_harvest_spec_year/ 

2017-2018-841. 

Before incidentally caught halibut are 

returned to the sea, at-sea observers 

must estimate halibut and groundfish 

catch amounts. Regulations in 50 CFR 

part 679 assure that observer estimates 

of halibut and groundfish catch are 

credible and accurate, and that potential 

bias is minimized. For example, NMFS 

requires sector fishing vessels to make 

all catch available for sampling by an 

observer; prohibits vessel crew from 

tampering with observer samples; 

prohibits vessel crew from removing 

halibut from a codend, bin, or 

conveyance system prior to being 

observed and counted by an at-sea 

observer; and prohibits fish (including 

halibut) from remaining on deck unless 

an observer is present. 

In 2009 and 2012, halibut mortality 

experiments were conducted by 

members of the Amendment 80 sector 

under EFP 09–02 (74 FR 12113, March 

23, 2009) and EFP 12–01 (76 FR 70972, 

November 16, 2011). By regulation, all 

catch including halibut is moved across 

a flow scale below deck before the 

halibut is returned to the sea. Halibut 

mortality increases with increased 

handling and time out of water. Under 

the 2009 and 2012 EFPs, experimental 

methods for sorting catch on a vessel’s 

deck allowed halibut to be returned to 

the sea in less time, with less handling 

relative to halibut routed below deck 

and over the flow scale. The halibut 

mortality during flatfish fishing under 

the 2009 and 2012 EFPs was estimated 

to be approximately 17 metric tons (mt) 

and 10.8 mt, respectively, less than the 

amounts estimated from the DMR for 

this fishery. The reduced halibut 

mortality under the 2009 and 2012 EFPs 

is attributed to the improved condition 

of halibut through reduced handling 

and time out of water. 

In 2015, test fishing under EFP 2015– 

02 (80 FR 3222, January 22, 2015) 

expanded on results of the 2009 and 

2012 EFPs to explore the feasibility of 

deck sorting halibut in additional 

fisheries, on more vessels, and during a 

longer interval of time during the 

fishing season. The primary objective 

was to reduce halibut mortality in the 

Amendment 80 groundfish fisheries in 

2015. Fishing under the EFP began in 

May and continued through November. 

The most prominent result from the 

2015 EFP was that substantial halibut 

mortality savings were achieved from 

deck sorting on BSAI non-pelagic trawl 

catcher/processor vessels. The 

preliminary estimate of halibut savings 

under the 2015 EFP is 131 mt. For the 

nine vessels that participated in the 

2015 EFP, all but one achieved mortality 

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices 44387 

rates in the range of 41 percent to 53 

percent, compared to the standard 

mortality rate of 80 percent in the 

Bering Sea flatfish fisheries without 

deck sorting (average across target 

fisheries of interest for the 2015 EFP). 

EFP 2016–01 (81 FR 4018, January 25, 

2016) was issued on May 6, 2016 with 

an effective period through April 30, 

2017. EFP 2016–01 expanded on the 

prior EFPs and expanded test fishing 

with the deck sorting methods to nonpelagic trawl catcher/processors 

participating in trawl limited access and 

community development quota (CDQ) 

fisheries in addition to the Amendment 

80 vessels. Test fishing under EFP 

2016–01 from May through November 

2016 resulted in more participating 

vessels over more fisheries and yielded 

greater halibut savings relative to prior 

years. In 2016, twelve catcher/processor 

vessels participated in test fishing under 

EFP 2016–01. In prior deck sorting 

EFPs, test fishing primarily occurred in 

the flathead sole and arrowtooth 

flounder fisheries. In 2016, test fishing 

expanded to fisheries for yellowfin sole, 

Pacific cod, Pacific ocean perch, and 

Atka mackerel to a much larger extent 

than in prior years. Halibut mortality is 

estimated to have been reduced by 288 

mt through deck sorting in 2016 under 

EFP 2016–01. 

EFP 2016–01 was modified on 

January 10, 2017 to allow vessel 

operators the option of carrying two or 

three observers per trip, depending on 

the needs of the vessel. EFP 2016–01 

originally required the vessel to carry 

three observers. EFP fishing in 2016 

demonstrated that two observers could 

sufficiently collect the requisite data for 

EFP hauls. Under modified EFP 2016– 

01 vessel operators may opt to carry 

more than two observers to maintain the 

pace at which fish are run through the 

factory while halibut are being sorted 

and sampled by an observer on deck or 

they may carry two observers with the 

condition that fish may not be run into 

the factory while the observer is on deck 

sampling the sorted halibut. Additional 

modifications to EFP 2016–01 included 

(a) changes in observer sampling 

methods designed to increase 

consistency of observer sampling for the 

EFP with other, routine observer 

sampling in the fisheries; (b) changes to 

the persons named on the EFP as 

designated representatives; and (c) the 

addition of new vessels to the EFP. On 

February 17, 2017, NMFS renewed 

modified EFP 2016–01 to be effective 

through December 31, 2017 (82 FR 5539, 

January 18, 2017). Results from the 2017 

EFP are not yet available. 

Proposed Action 

On August 29, 2017, the AKSC, an 

Amendment 80 cooperative, submitted 

an application for an EFP for 2018 and 

2019 to build on the information 

collected in prior deck sorting EFPs and 

further reduce halibut mortality in the 

Amendment 80, CDQ, and trawl limited 

access sectors. The objectives of the 

proposed EFP for 2018 and 2019 are to 

test modifications to the procedures and 

approaches in the 2016 and 2017 EFP 

that (1) move substantively towards 

implementation of deck sorting as an 

allowable fish handling mode for the 

non-pelagic catcher/processor trawl 

fisheries in the BSAI and GOA; and (2) 

improve on elements that worked in 

prior deck sorting EFPs. Consistent with 

2016 and 2017 methods, the EFP would 

allow crew on board catcher/processors 

to sort halibut removed from a codend 

on the deck of the vessel. Those sorted 

halibut could be released back to the 

water after the halibut are measured by 

the observer for length and tested for 

physical condition using standard IPHC 

viability assessment methods. 

The applicants propose to test several 

new aspects that would inform a future, 

operationalized deck sorting process in 

Federal regulations: 

(1) Expand deck sorting methods to 

non-pelagic trawl catcher/processor 

vessels in the GOA; 

(2) Require vessel-specific deck 

sorting safety plans that detail how safe 

working conditions for observers are 

incorporated into deck sorting 

operations on each participating vessel; 

(3) Establish a time limit for deck 

sorting of 35 minutes per haul (because 

the application does not state who 

would run the timer, this detail would 

have to be resolved in the permit, 

should a permit be granted); 

(4) Standardize chutes used to move 

fish on deck so only one flow of fish is 

used to move halibut to the observer; 

(5) Make optional, the census of 

halibut in the factory and transfer the 

responsibility for conducting the census 

from the observer to the vessel crew. 

The applicant proposes to begin EFP 

fishing in January 2018 and end on 

December 31, 2019. The EFP would 

allow halibut to be sorted, sampled, and 

released prior to being weighed on a 

flow scale, to achieve the experimental 

objectives and reduce halibut mortality. 

This EFP application requests an 

amount of halibut PSC mortality for 

vessels engaged in experimental fishing 

not to exceed the 2018 halibut PSC 

mortality apportionments set out in 

Table 14 of the Final 2017 and 2018 

BSAI Harvest Specifications (available 

at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/ 

default/files/17_18bsaitable14.pdf); and 

Table 14 and Table 15 of the Final 2017 

and 2018 GOA Harvest Specifications 

(available at https://alaska

fisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/17_

18goatable14.pdf and https://alaska

fisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/17_

18goatable15.pdf). Participants request 

no additional groundfish or halibut 

quota as part of this EFP application, 

and all groundfish catch will accrue 

against the appropriate Amendment 80, 

CDQ, or trawl limited access sector 

catch and PSC allowances. 

Participating vessels would procure 

and use NMFS-trained at-sea observers 

during EFP trips. Observers would 

perform all of their duties on work shifts 

not exceed 12 hours per observer. 

Identical to methods in 2016 and 

2017, observers would be able to enter 

and extrapolate data via the NMFS 

Catch Accounting System so PSC usage 

by EFP participants would be reported 

and tracked in near real-time along with 

non-EFP participants’ usage and would 

accrue against the cooperative’s halibut 

PSC mortality apportionments. If the 

halibut mortality apportionment is 

reached, the EFP permit holder would 

notify NMFS and end EFP fishing. As 

required by existing regulations, 

Amendment 80 fishing will also cease 

when the annual halibut mortality 

apportionment is reached. 

Also identical to methods in 2016 and 

2017, halibut that are not sorted on deck 

would flow to the factory and be 

available to the observer for sampling. 

The on-duty observer would collect 

species composition samples per 

standard protocols to estimate the 

proportion of halibut in the haul relative 

to other species. The proportion of 

halibut estimated to be in the haul 

would be extrapolated to the total haul 

catch weight to estimate the total 

amount of halibut not sorted on deck. A 

mortality rate of 90 percent would be 

applied to the amount of halibut in the 

factory to estimate the halibut mortality 

from the factory. The resulting factory 

halibut mortality amount would be 

combined with the amount of halibut 

mortality estimated in the deck-sorted 

portion of the haul to estimate the total 

halibut mortality for each EFP haul. 

The following example is provided as 

an illustration for how total halibut 

mortality would be calculated for a haul 

under the 2016 EFP. Assume a vessel 

catches 400 kilograms (kg) of halibut in 

one haul. Assume 92 percent of the 

halibut is removed on deck and the 

vessel achieves a halibut discard 

mortality of 50 percent by releasing 

these fish from deck. In this example, 

the amount of halibut mortality on deck 

is 184 kg. A halibut mortality of 90 

44388 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices 

percent is applied to the 32 kg of halibut 

that are sampled in the factory, resulting 

in a halibut mortality of 28.8 kg in the 

factory. In this example, the total 

halibut mortality for the haul is 212.8 

kg. 

The halibut mortality data collected 

by observers would be available to 

NMFS in near-real time for inseason 

management in 2018 and 2019. In 

addition to the observer samples, under 

the 2018 EFP, at the discretion of the 

vessel operator, vessel crew could 

conduct a census (a full count) of 

halibut in the factory, after they have 

been available to the observer for 

sampling, to compare observer estimates 

of total halibut and census results. 

In 2018, EFP participants would 

continue to operate under a single catch 

handling and accounting method for all 

hauls on a fishing trip designated as an 

EFP trip. Operators of participating 

vessels would still have a way to opt out 

of sorting on deck when it is potentially 

unsafe or when the vessel has located a 

fishing area where halibut bycatch is 

very low. 

This proposed action would exempt 

participating catcher/processors from 

selected 50 CFR part 679 prohibitions, 

and monitoring and observer 

requirements. Should the Regional 

Administrator issue a permit based on 

this EFP application, the conditions of 

the permit will be designed to minimize 

halibut mortality and any potential for 

biasing estimates of groundfish and 

halibut mortality. Vessels participating 

in EFP fishing may be exempt from, at 

minimum, the following regulations: 

1. The prohibition against interfering 

with or biasing the sampling procedure 

employed by an observer including 

physical, mechanical, or other sorting or 

discarding of catch before sampling, at 

§ 679.7(g)(2); 

2. the requirements to weigh all catch 

by an Amendment 80 vessel on a 

NMFS-approved scale at § 679.93(c)(1) 

and by all vessels at § 679.28(b); and 

3. the requirement to return all 

prohibited species, or parts thereof, to 

the sea immediately, with a minimum of 

injury, regardless of its condition at 

§ 679.21(b)(2)(ii). 

In 2020, the AKSC would be required 

to submit to NMFS a report of the EFP 

results after EFP experimental fishing 

has ended in 2019. The report would 

include a comparison of halibut 

mortality from halibut sampled during 

the EFP and an estimate of halibut 

mortality under standard IPHC halibut 

mortality rates for those target fisheries. 

Under the EFP, participants would be 

limited to their groundfish allocations 

under the 2016 harvest specifications. 

The amount of halibut mortality applied 

to the EFP activities would be subject to 

review and approval by NMFS. 

This EFP would be valid upon 

issuance in 2018 until either the end of 

2019 or when the annual halibut 

mortality apportionment is reached in 

areas of the BSAI and GOA open to 

directed fishing by the various sectors. 

EFP-authorized fishing activities would 

not be expected to change the nature or 

duration of the groundfish fishery, gear 

used, or the amount or species of fish 

caught by the participants. 

The fieldwork that would be 

conducted under this EFP is not 

expected to have a significant impact on 

the human environment as detailed in 

the categorical exclusion prepared for 

this action (see ADDRESSES). 

In accordance with § 679.6, NMFS has 

determined that the application 

warrants further consideration and has 

forwarded the application to the 

Council to initiate consultation. The 

Council is scheduled to consider the 

EFP application during its October 2017 

meeting, which will be held at the 

Hilton Hotel, Anchorage AK. The EFP 

application will also be provided to the 

Council’s Scientific and Statistical 

Committee for review at the October 

Council meeting. The applicant has 

been invited to appear in support of the 

application. 

Public Comments 

Interested persons may comment on 

the application at the February 2016 

Council meeting during public 

testimony or until October 10, 2017. 

Information regarding the meeting is 

available at the Council’s Web site at 

http://www.npfmc.org. Copies of the 

application and categorical exclusion 

are available for review from NMFS (see 

ADDRESSES). Comments also may be 

submitted directly to NMFS (see 

ADDRESSES) by the end of the comment 

period (see DATES). 

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

Dated: September 18, 2017. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20187 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF698 

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 

Scientific & Statistical 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 

Thursday, October 12, 2017 beginning at 

10 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: 

Meeting address: The meeting will be 

held at the Hilton Garden Inn, Boston 

Logan, 100 Boardman Street, Boston, 

MA 02128; phone: (617) 567–6789. 

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: 

Agenda 

The Committee will review 

information provided by the Council’s 

Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT) 

and recommend the overfishing levels 

(OFLs) and acceptable biological catches 

(ABCs) for Atlantic sea scallops for 

fishing years 2018–19 (default). They 

will also review information provided 

by the Council’s Whiting PDT and 

recommend the OFLs and ABCs for the 

northern and southern stocks of silver 

hake and separately for red hake for 

fishing years 2018–20. Other business 

will be discussed as needed. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained on this agenda may come 

before this 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 MagnusonStevens Act, provided the public has