[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2153-2154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00317]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XD073
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) will hold
a 3-day meeting on January 28-30, 2014 to consider actions affecting
New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,
starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 28; and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday
and Thursday, January 29 and 30.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel,
250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801; telephone: (603) 431-2300; and
online at www.sheratonportsmouth.com/.
Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The meeting will begin on the first day with introductions by the
Chairman, and brief reports from the NEFMC Chairman and Executive
Director, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel, and
representatives of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and
staff from NOAA Law Enforcement. The Council also will receive an
update from its Electronic Monitoring Working Group. Next, the Chairman
will lead a discussion about the draft House of Representatives
Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization bill. The Council will then
receive an update on the development of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement associated with Omnibus EFH Amendment 2. A report from the
Monkfish Committee will follow and address final approval of measures
proposed for inclusion in Framework 8 to the Monkfish Fishery
Management Plan (FMP). These include specifications for acceptable
biological catch (ABC), annual catch targets, days-at-sea, trip limits
for the 2014-16 fishing years and modifications to the permit category
H boundaries. The Council intends to approve specifications for spiny
dogfish for fishing years 2014-15. Measures being considered include
specifications for ABC, an annual catch target, trip limits and the
research-set aside catch limit. The day will conclude with final
approval of Framework Adjustment 2 to the Northeast Skate Complex FMP,
including harvest specifications, possession limits, and Vessel Trip
Reporting and dealer code provisions. The Council also may consider
approval of a control date for the skate wing fishery before meeting
adjournment for the day.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Final approval of Scallop Fishery Management Plan Framework 25 will
be considered at this meeting. The action includes specifications for
fishing years 2014-15 (default), accountability measures for Southern
New England/Mid-Atlantic windowpane flounder and measures to address
unused fishing year 2012 and/or 2013 Closed Area I access trips.
Following a lunch break, the Council will receive a presentation from
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center on a process that considers an
empirical approach for estimating the stock size of Georges Bank
yellowtail flounder. There will be an update on Amendment 18 to the
Northeast Multispecies FMP to include an overview of progress to
develop measures to promote fleet diversity, enhance sector management,
promote resilience and stability of fishing businesses, and prevent
excessive shares in the fishery. A second presentation by staff from
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, this time from the Social
Sciences Branch, will address the performance of the groundfish fishery
in fishing year 2012.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
The Herring Committee will ask the Council to initiate action and
provide guidance on Framework Adjustment 4 to the Atlantic Herring FMP.
The framework will include alternatives to address several of the
disapproved elements of Amendment 5 to the FMP (dealer weighing
requirements and measures to address net slippage). The Council will
review recommendations from the Herring Committee and Advisory Panel
and provide guidance regarding the development of the framework.
Provisions to potentially be included in an Omnibus Amendment that
would address industry-funded monitoring will be considered next on the
meeting agenda. The Council will be asked to review and approve draft
alternatives for further analysis in this NMFS-led effort to establish
provisions for industry-funded monitoring across all fisheries. (The
Council also will consider related Herring Committee recommendations).
Alternatives in this amendment include provisions that delineate cost-
sharing between the government and fishing industry, a process for
prioritizing additional monitoring needs, observer coverage targets for
the Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries (disapproved from Herring
Amendment 5 and Squid, Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish Amendment 14),
and provisions for approving service providers. This item will be
followed by a review of the findings on swordfish and bluefin tuna
contained in the full report from the November 2013 International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas meeting in South
Africa.
Prior to a lunch break, there also will be an open public comment
period during which any interested party may provide brief remarks on
issues relevant to Council business but not listed on the meeting
agenda. Once it reviews public comments and ad hoc committee
recommendations, the Council is also scheduled to approve an Omnibus
Amendment that would modify New England and Mid-Atlantic FMPs with
respect to Standardized Reporting Methodology. The day will conclude
with a report from the Enforcement Committee concerning restrictions
for hidden compartments aboard fishing vessels and requirements for
having fish totes onboard; a report on VMS satellite availability; an
update on implementation of alternative net covers which would allow
the towing wires to remain attached to trawl doors during closed area
transit; and progress on lobster gear marking using information
[[Page 2154]]
provided by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda
may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be
the subjects 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 Act,
provided that the public has been notified of the Council's intent to
take final action to address the emergency.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days
prior to the meeting date.
Dated: January 7, 2014.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-00317 Filed 1-10-14; 8:45 am]
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