[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 65 (Friday, April 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 18889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07527]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XD221
New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC); Public Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
a 3-day meeting on April 22-24, 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 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 22; and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday
and Thursday, April 23 and 24, 2014.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hilton Hotel, 20 Coogan
Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355-1900. The telephone number is (860) 572-
0731. Information can be found online at www.hiltonmystic.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, April 22, 2014
The Council meeting will begin with introductions and brief reports
from the NEFMC Chairman and Executive Director, the NOAA Fisheries
Regional Administrator, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel and
NOAA Law Enforcement, and representatives of the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard. A report from the
Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Chairman will
follow. Topics to be discussed include committee comments on the
proposed NOAA stock assessment prioritization process, recommendations
on the use of multiple models in assessments and the development of
catch advice, and a summary of the SSC's discussion on the role of
social scientists on the SSC. Following a lunch break, the Council
Chairman will provide a briefing on the recent East Coast Climate
Change and Fisheries Governance Workshop. The Northeast Regional
Planning Body will report on its activities to coordinate and manage
the range of activities that occur in the marine and coastal
environment in New England waters. The NEFMC Herring Committee will ask
the Council to take final action on Framework Adjustment 4 to the
Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP). During the discussion,
the NEFMC will consider alternatives to address several measures
disapproved in Herring Amendment 5 (dealer weighing requirements and
measures to address net slippage). The discussion also will include
input from the Herring Committee and its Advisory Panel, and the
Council's Enforcement Committee.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
During the second day of the meeting, the Enforcement Committee
will provide its comments on NOAA Fisheries revised penalty schedule
for fishery violations and possibly review any comments on a proposed
rule about revised trawl gear stowage provisions. A presentation will
follow that will detail Council and Greater Northeast Regional
Fisheries Office staff recommendations on improvements to the
preparation of fishery management actions. The Northeast Fisheries
Science Center's Science and Research Director will present information
on costs associated with the Northeast Observer Program. Prior to a
lunch break, the Council intends to give its approval for an omnibus
amendment that would modify New England and Mid-Atlantic FMPs with
respect to the use of standardized bycatch reporting methodology.
Following the break, there will be an opportunity for the public to
provide brief comments on items that are relevant to Council business
but are otherwise not listed on the published agenda. The Council will
review and discuss a revised timeline and process to complete an
amendment that will address monitoring to be funded by the fishing
industry. The last two agenda items for this day will include a
presentation on electronic monitoring and other technologies with
potential for use in Northeast fisheries. During the second item, the
Council's Research Steering Committee will discuss and request input on
and approval of recommendations on research questions that address
groundfish fishery information needs.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Council actions on the final day of the meeting will focus on the
Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) FMP. As part of the development of
Amendment 18, the Council will consider alternatives to address fleet
diversity and accumulation limits in the groundfish fishery and could
approve the range of alternatives to analyzed in the associated Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). During discussions on Framework
Adjustment 52, an action to revise the commercial groundfish fishery
accountability measures for southern and northern windowpane flounder
stocks, the NEMFC may approve the range of alternatives to be analyzed
in a DEIS for this action. The Council also may consider an emergency
action request to implement an experimental cooperative research
program.
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: April 1, 2014.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-07527 Filed 4-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P