New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting, 13733-13735 [2018-06482]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2018 / Notices
and Pelagic Non-Longline Fisheries
6. Council’s Research Priorities
A. Five-year Research Priorities
B. Cooperative Research Priorities
C. Discussion
7. Public Comment
Friday, April 20, 2018, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8. Pelagic Longline Fisheries Issues
A. Review of the Draft 2017 FEP
Annual SAFE Report
i. Summary of relevant fishery data:
2017 Hawaii and American Samoa
Logbook Reports
ii. 2017 Protected species section
iii. 2017 Albatross Workshop Report
iv. Olive ridley and leatherback turtle
analysis
v. Developing a standardized metric
to monitor protected species
interactions
vi. Discussion and synthesis
B. Council Fishery Actions on Pelagic
Longline Fisheries
i. Framework for Managing Sea Turtle
Interactions in the Hawaii Shallowset Longline Fishery
a. Overview of the action
b. Characterization of loggerhead
turtle interactions in the Hawaii
shallow-set longline fishery
c. Review of sea turtle impacts
assessment approaches
ii. Other actions
C. Discussion on Emerging Issues,
Data Gaps and Research Needs
9. Public Comment
10. Committee Discussion and
Recommendations
11. Other Business and Next Meeting
Special Accommodations
These meetings are accessible to
people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to
Kitty M. Simonds, (808) 522–8220
(voice) or (808) 522–8226 (fax), at least
5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 27, 2018.
Jeffrey N. Lonergan,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–06484 Filed 3–29–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XG123
South Atlantic Fishery Management
Council; Public Meetings
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
AGENCY:
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Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public scoping
meetings.
The South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council) will
hold two public scoping meetings via
webinar pertaining to Amendment 42 to
the Snapper Grouper Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) of the South
Atlantic Region. The amendment
addresses modifications to sea turtle
release gear requirements for the
snapper grouper fishery.
DATES: The scoping meetings will be
held via webinar on April 23 and April
24, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Council address: South
Atlantic Fishery Management Council,
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N
Charleston, SC 29405.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim
Iverson, Public Information Officer,
SAFMC; phone: (843) 571–4366 or toll
free: (866) SAFMC–10; fax: (843) 769–
4520; email: kim.iverson@safmc.net.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
scoping meetings will be conducted via
webinar accessible via the internet from
the Council’s website at www.safmc.net.
The scoping meetings will begin at 6
p.m. Registration for the webinars is
required. Registration information will
be posted on the Council’s website at
www.safmc.net as it becomes available.
SUMMARY:
Amendment 42 to the Snapper Grouper
Fishery Management Plan
The draft amendment addresses
changes to sea turtle release gear types
for the commercial and for-hire
components of the snapper grouper
fishery. The National Marine Fisheries
Service’s Release Protocols for protected
species were originally published in
2004, with updates in 2008 and 2010. A
new update is ready for publication. In
the pending update, three additional sea
turtle release gears, used for handling
and releasing incidentally caught sea
turtles, have been approved by the
Southeast Fisheries Science Center
(SEFSC). The new gear requires less
space on vessels while still providing
the necessary function. For fishermen
operating in the snapper grouper fishery
to utilize the newly approved gears,
they need to be listed as acceptable gear
in the Snapper Grouper FMP and made
a requirement in the regulations. The
amendment would also revise the
snapper grouper framework procedure
to include modifications to protected
resources release gear requirements and
handling procedures after they are
approved by the SEFSC to allow for
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13733
more timely modifications to these
regulations.
During the scoping meetings, Council
staff will present an overview of the
amendment and will be available for
informal discussions and to answer
questions via webinar. Members of the
public will have an opportunity to go on
record to record their comments for
consideration by the Council.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically
accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for auxiliary aids should be
directed to the council office (see
ADDRESSES) 3 days prior to the meeting.
Note: The times and sequence specified in
this agenda are subject to change.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 27, 2018.
Jeffrey N. Lonergan,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–06483 Filed 3–29–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XG122
New England Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
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).
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Tuesday, April 17, 2018 through
Thursday, April 19, 2018, beginning at
9 a.m. on April 17, 8:30 a.m. on April
18, and 8:30 a.m. on April 19.
ADDRESSES:
Meeting address: The meeting will be
held at the Hilton Hotel, 20 Coogan
Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355;
telephone: (860) 572–0731; online at
www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/
connecticut/hilton-mystic-MYSMHHF/
index.html.
Council address: New England
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950;
telephone: (978) 465–0492;
www.nefmc.org.
SUMMARY:
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13734
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2018 / Notices
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management
Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492, ext.
113.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Agenda
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
After introductions and brief
announcements, the meeting will begin
with reports from the Council Chairman
and Executive Director, NMFS’s
Regional Administrator for the Greater
Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
(GARFO), liaisons from the Northeast
Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) and
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council, representatives from NOAA
General Counsel and the Office of Law
Enforcement, staff from the Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission
and U.S. Coast Guard, and the Northeast
Trawl Advisory Panel. Next, the Council
will receive some introductory remarks
from the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM), which will be
holding an open house in a neighboring
meeting room to collect comments and
answer questions on offshore wind
leasing activities. The Habitat Report
will be next, beginning with an update
on proposed and ongoing offshore
energy projects in the Northeast. The
Council then will receive a progress
report on the Clam Dredge Framework,
which is being developed to consider
surfclam dredge fishery access to the
new Great South Channel Habitat
Management Area. The Council will
discuss whether to consider a mussel
dredge exemption in the framework
within the habitat management area.
The Skate Committee will report next.
The Council may take final action on
Framework Adjustment 6 to the
Northeast Skate Complex Fishery
Management Plan (FMP), which
contains alternatives for prolonging the
length of the skate wing fishery.
After the lunch break, 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. Following public comment,
the Scallop Committee will provide a
progress report on 2018 priorities,
including adjustments to General
Category Individual Fishing Quota trip
limits and monitoring/catch accounting
provisions. The Council may discuss
possible adjustments to its scallop
priorities to allow consideration of
standard default measures in
Framework Adjustment 30. This
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framework will include specifications
for the 2019 scallop fishing year and
default specifications for fishing year
2020, along with other measures. The
Council Program Review will be next. A
panel of external reviewers with
scientific and management expertise
met March 13–16, 2018 to
independently assess the New England
Council’s operations and performance.
The Council will review and discuss the
panel’s findings and recommendations
for improvement. The Council then will
adjourn for the day.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
The second day of the meeting will
begin with a report from NMFS staff on
the agency’s draft policy directive for
allocating costs in electronic monitoring
(EM) programs in federal fisheries. The
Groundfish Committee report will
follow. The Council will receive an
update on the potential range of
alternatives in Groundfish Monitoring
Amendment 23, which is under
development to improve the overall
catch and discard monitoring program
in the Northeast multispecies fishery.
The Council then will discuss Northeast
Fishery Sector IX. First, the Council will
receive a GARFO overview on: (a)
Sector IX steps to address shortcomings
in meeting the requirements of its
previous sector operations plan; and (b)
Sector IX’s proposed lease-only
operations plan as submitted to GARFO.
The Council will consider making
recommendations to NMFS on the
proposed operations plan.
Following a lunch break, the Council
will be briefed on highlights from the
March 28–29, 2018 Saltwater
Recreational Fisheries Summit. Next,
the Council will take up the issue of
‘‘best scientific information available’’
(BSIA). The Council will review
NMFS’s draft document on BSIA and
then receive feedback and
recommendations on the draft from its
Scientific and Statistical Committee.
The Council will consider making
recommendations to NMFS on the BSIA
draft document. The Council next will
receive a presentation on the Atlantic
Large Whale Take Reduction Team’s
recent meetings and related activities.
Following any pertinent discussion, the
Council will receive a presentation by
NMFS staff on agency proposals to
address overfishing and rebuild North
Atlantic shortfin mako sharks. The
Council will conclude the day with a
short report on: (a) NMFS’s Highly
Migratory Species Advisory Panel’s (AP)
recent meeting, which will include the
AP’s comments on shortfin mako
sharks; and (b) the International
Commission for the Conservation of
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Atlantic Tunas Advisory Committee’s
recent meeting.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
The third day of the meeting will
begin with an Atlantic herring report.
The Council will review and discuss an
updated white paper that addresses
issues related to potentially adding river
herring and shad as stocks in the
Atlantic herring fishery. The Council
may take action related to this item. The
Council also will discuss the
implications of the river herring/shad
bycatch accountability measures that
recently were triggered in both the
Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel
fisheries. The Council then will move
into its Industry-Funded Monitoring
(IFM) discussion. GARFO staff will
present NMFS’s final report on a recent
EM project conducted aboard midwater
trawl vessels in the Atlantic herring and
Atlantic mackerel fisheries. The Council
then will debate whether EM, coupled
with portside sampling, provide a
sufficient alternative to at-sea
monitoring in the Atlantic herring
midwater trawl fishery. This discussion
may lead to Council action within the
Omnibus IFM Amendment.
Following a lunch break, the Council
will receive the annual Ecosystem
Status Report from NEFSC staff. The
report summarizes the status of the
Northeast Continental Shelf ecosystem.
The Council then will review and
discuss proposals being prepared for
NMFS to address regulatory reform as
mandated by Executive Orders 13777,
13771, and 13565. 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 MagnusonStevens 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 physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2018 / Notices
Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at least
5 days prior to the meeting date.
Dated: March 27, 2018.
Jeffrey N. Lonergan,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–06482 Filed 3–29–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XG097
Meeting of the Columbia Basin
Partnership Task Force of the Marine
Fisheries Advisory Committee
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of open public meeting.
AGENCY:
This notice sets forth the
proposed schedule and agenda of a
forthcoming meeting of the Marine
Fisheries Advisory Committee’s
(MAFAC’s) Columbia Basin Partnership
Task Force (CBP Task Force). The CBP
Task Force will discuss the issues
outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION below.
DATES: The meeting will be held April
18, 2018, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on
April 19, 2018, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Downtown Embassy Suites, 319 SW
Pine St., Portland, OR 97204; 503–279–
9000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katherine Cheney; NFMS West Coast
Region; 503–231–6730; email:
Katherine.Cheney@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given of a meeting of MAFAC’s
CBP Task Force. The MAFAC was
established by the Secretary of
Commerce (Secretary) and, since 1971,
advises the Secretary on all living
marine resource matters that are the
responsibility of the Department of
Commerce. The MAFAC charter and
summaries of prior MAFAC meetings
are located online at https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/
partners#marine-fisheries-advisorycommittee-. The CBP Task Force reports
to MAFAC and is being convened to
discuss and develop recommendations
for long-term goals to meet Columbia
Basin salmon recovery, conservation
needs, and harvest opportunities. These
goals will be developed in the context
of habitat capacity and other factors that
affect salmon mortality. More
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SUMMARY:
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information is available at the CBP Task
Force web page: https://
www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/
columbia_river/.
Matters To Be Considered
The meeting time and agenda are
subject to change. Updated information
will be available on the CBP Task Force
web page above. Meeting topics include
consideration of draft quantitative goals
for most Columbia Basin species and
discussing approaches to integrating
goals across species to develop
recommendations for basin-wide goals.
The meeting is open to the public as
observers, and public input will be
accepted on April 19, 2018, from 1:15 to
1:45 p.m., limited to the time available.
Special Accommodations
The meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to
Katherine Cheney, 503–231–6730, by
April 9, 2018.
Dated: March 27, 2018.
Jennifer L. Lukens,
Director, Office of Policy, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–06470 Filed 3–29–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Endangered and Threatened Species;
Take of Anadromous Fish
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of one
enhancement permit application and
request for comment.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
NMFS has received one permit
application submitted by FISHBIO
Environmental, LLC. (FISHBIO) to
enhance the propagation and survival of
species listed under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended,
for a five-year period. This document
serves to notify the public of the
availability of the permit application for
review and comment, prior to a decision
by NMFS whether to issue the permit.
The permit application may be viewed
online at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/
preview/preview_open_for_
comment.cfm.
SUMMARY:
Frm 00015
Fmt 4703
Comments or requests for a
public hearing on the application must
be received at the appropriate address or
fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later
than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on
April 30, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the
application should be submitted to the
NMFS California Central Valley Office,
650 Capitol Mall, Suite 5–100,
Sacramento, CA 95814. Comments may
also be submitted via fax to (916) 930–
3629, or by email to Amanda.Cranford@
noaa.gov (include the permit number in
the subject line of the fax or email).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amanda Cranford, Sacramento, CA
(Phone: (916) 930–3706; Fax: (916) 930–
3629; Email: Amanda.Cranford@
noaa.gov). Permit application
instructions are available from the
address above, or online at https://
apps.nmfs.noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
DATES:
ESA-Listed Species Covered in This
Notice
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha): Threatened, naturally
produced and hatchery propagated
Central Valley (CV) spring-run;
Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened,
naturally produced and artificially
propagated California Central Valley
(CCV).
North American green sturgeon
(Acipenser medisrostris): Threatened,
naturally produced southern distinct
population segment (SDPS).
Permit Application Received
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13735
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Permit 21477
FISHBIO has applied for an
enhancement permit under section
10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA for a period of
five years that would allow take of both
adult and juvenile CV spring-run
Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, and
SDPS green sturgeon. Recent Federal
legislation (Section 4010 of the Water
Infrastructure Improvements for the
Nation Act (WIIN Act); December 16,
2016) requires the Oakdale Irrigation
District and the South San Joaquin
Irrigation District (Districts) and NMFS
to jointly establish a nonnative predator
research and pilot fish removal program
in the Stanislaus River to investigate
whether nonnative predator removal is
an effective strategy to improve overall
conditions for native fish, especially the
survival of juvenile salmonids. The
general approach of the program is
intended to build off previous nonnative
predator removal studies conducted in
the Central Valley. The program will
allow examination of the biological and
ecological responses of both ESA-listed
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 62 (Friday, March 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13733-13735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06482]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG122
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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).
DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 through
Thursday, April 19, 2018, beginning at 9 a.m. on April 17, 8:30 a.m. on
April 18, and 8:30 a.m. on April 19.
ADDRESSES:
Meeting address: The meeting will be held at the Hilton Hotel, 20
Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355; telephone: (860) 572-0731; online
at www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/connecticut/hilton-mystic-MYSMHHF/.
Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492;
www.nefmc.org.
[[Page 13734]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492, ext.
113.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Agenda
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
After introductions and brief announcements, the meeting will begin
with reports from the Council Chairman and Executive Director, NMFS's
Regional Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries
Office (GARFO), liaisons from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center
(NEFSC) and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, representatives
from NOAA General Counsel and the Office of Law Enforcement, staff from
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and U.S. Coast Guard,
and the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel. Next, the Council will receive
some introductory remarks from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM), which will be holding an open house in a neighboring meeting
room to collect comments and answer questions on offshore wind leasing
activities. The Habitat Report will be next, beginning with an update
on proposed and ongoing offshore energy projects in the Northeast. The
Council then will receive a progress report on the Clam Dredge
Framework, which is being developed to consider surfclam dredge fishery
access to the new Great South Channel Habitat Management Area. The
Council will discuss whether to consider a mussel dredge exemption in
the framework within the habitat management area. The Skate Committee
will report next. The Council may take final action on Framework
Adjustment 6 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan
(FMP), which contains alternatives for prolonging the length of the
skate wing fishery.
After the lunch break, 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. Following public comment, the Scallop Committee will provide a
progress report on 2018 priorities, including adjustments to General
Category Individual Fishing Quota trip limits and monitoring/catch
accounting provisions. The Council may discuss possible adjustments to
its scallop priorities to allow consideration of standard default
measures in Framework Adjustment 30. This framework will include
specifications for the 2019 scallop fishing year and default
specifications for fishing year 2020, along with other measures. The
Council Program Review will be next. A panel of external reviewers with
scientific and management expertise met March 13-16, 2018 to
independently assess the New England Council's operations and
performance. The Council will review and discuss the panel's findings
and recommendations for improvement. The Council then will adjourn for
the day.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
The second day of the meeting will begin with a report from NMFS
staff on the agency's draft policy directive for allocating costs in
electronic monitoring (EM) programs in federal fisheries. The
Groundfish Committee report will follow. The Council will receive an
update on the potential range of alternatives in Groundfish Monitoring
Amendment 23, which is under development to improve the overall catch
and discard monitoring program in the Northeast multispecies fishery.
The Council then will discuss Northeast Fishery Sector IX. First, the
Council will receive a GARFO overview on: (a) Sector IX steps to
address shortcomings in meeting the requirements of its previous sector
operations plan; and (b) Sector IX's proposed lease-only operations
plan as submitted to GARFO. The Council will consider making
recommendations to NMFS on the proposed operations plan.
Following a lunch break, the Council will be briefed on highlights
from the March 28-29, 2018 Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit.
Next, the Council will take up the issue of ``best scientific
information available'' (BSIA). The Council will review NMFS's draft
document on BSIA and then receive feedback and recommendations on the
draft from its Scientific and Statistical Committee. The Council will
consider making recommendations to NMFS on the BSIA draft document. The
Council next will receive a presentation on the Atlantic Large Whale
Take Reduction Team's recent meetings and related activities. Following
any pertinent discussion, the Council will receive a presentation by
NMFS staff on agency proposals to address overfishing and rebuild North
Atlantic shortfin mako sharks. The Council will conclude the day with a
short report on: (a) NMFS's Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel's
(AP) recent meeting, which will include the AP's comments on shortfin
mako sharks; and (b) the International Commission for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas Advisory Committee's recent meeting.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
The third day of the meeting will begin with an Atlantic herring
report. The Council will review and discuss an updated white paper that
addresses issues related to potentially adding river herring and shad
as stocks in the Atlantic herring fishery. The Council may take action
related to this item. The Council also will discuss the implications of
the river herring/shad bycatch accountability measures that recently
were triggered in both the Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel
fisheries. The Council then will move into its Industry-Funded
Monitoring (IFM) discussion. GARFO staff will present NMFS's final
report on a recent EM project conducted aboard midwater trawl vessels
in the Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel fisheries. The Council
then will debate whether EM, coupled with portside sampling, provide a
sufficient alternative to at-sea monitoring in the Atlantic herring
midwater trawl fishery. This discussion may lead to Council action
within the Omnibus IFM Amendment.
Following a lunch break, the Council will receive the annual
Ecosystem Status Report from NEFSC staff. The report summarizes the
status of the Northeast Continental Shelf ecosystem. The Council then
will review and discuss proposals being prepared for NMFS to address
regulatory reform as mandated by Executive Orders 13777, 13771, and
13565. 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 physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to
[[Page 13735]]
Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days prior to the meeting
date.
Dated: March 27, 2018.
Jeffrey N. Lonergan,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-06482 Filed 3-29-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
