New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting, 36539 [2018-16217]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 146 / Monday, July 30, 2018 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XG372 New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; public meeting. AGENCY: 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. SUMMARY: This meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 beginning at 9:30 a.m. ADDRESSES: 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: DATES: daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES Agenda The committee will review recent stock assessment information from the U.S/Canada Transboundary Resource Assessment Committee and information provided by the Council’s Groundfish Plan Development Team (PDT) and recommend the overfishing level (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for the 2019 and 2020 fishing years. The committee will also review the 2017 assessments of ocean pout, Georges Bank winter flounder, witch flounder, Northern windowpane flounder, and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder and comment on the rebuilding alternatives under development to advise on the technical basis for the range of alternative rebuilding strategies developed by the PDT. These stocks are managed under the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan. Other business will be discussed as necessary. Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:33 Jul 27, 2018 Jkt 244001 before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. 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 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, Executive Director, at 978–465–0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. This meeting will be recorded. Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy of the recording is available upon request. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: July 25, 2018. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2018–16217 Filed 7–27–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XF926 Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Site Characterization Surveys Off the Coast of Massachusetts National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; issuance of an incidental harassment authorization. AGENCY: In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to high-resolution geophysical (HRG) survey investigations associated with marine site characterization activities off the coast of Massachusetts in the area of the Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS–A SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 36539 0500) and along cable routes to the coast of Massachusettes (the Study Area). DATES: This Authorization is valid for one year from the date of issuance. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Youngkin, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. Electronic copies of the application and supporting documents, as well as a list of the references cited in this document, may be obtained online at: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ marine-mammal-protection/incidentaltake-authorizations-constructionactivities. In case of problems accessing these documents, please call the contact listed above. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce (as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified geographical region if certain findings are made and either regulations are issued or, if the taking is limited to harassment, a notice of a proposed authorization is provided to the public for review. An authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if NMFS finds that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or stock(s), will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses (where relevant), and if the permissible methods of taking and requirements pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring and reporting of such takings are set forth. NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as an impact resulting from the specified activity that cannot be reasonably expected to, and is not reasonably likely to, adversely affect the species or stock through effects on annual rates of recruitment or survival. The MMPA states that the term ‘‘take’’ means to harass, hunt, capture, kill or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal. Except with respect to certain activities not pertinent here, the MMPA defines ‘‘harassment’’ as any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which (i) has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, E:\FR\FM\30JYN1.SGM 30JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 146 (Monday, July 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 36539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16217]



[[Page 36539]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG372


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 Wednesday, August 15, 2018 
beginning at 9:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: 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 recent stock assessment information from 
the U.S/Canada Transboundary Resource Assessment Committee and 
information provided by the Council's Groundfish Plan Development Team 
(PDT) and recommend the overfishing level (OFL) and acceptable 
biological catch (ABC) for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for the 
2019 and 2020 fishing years. The committee will also review the 2017 
assessments of ocean pout, Georges Bank winter flounder, witch 
flounder, Northern windowpane flounder, and Southern New England/Mid-
Atlantic yellowtail flounder and comment on the rebuilding alternatives 
under development to advise on the technical basis for the range of 
alternative rebuilding strategies developed by the PDT. These stocks 
are managed under the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery 
Management Plan. Other business will be discussed 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 these meetings. 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

    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, Executive Director, at 978-465-
0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. This meeting will be 
recorded. Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy of the recording is 
available upon request.

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

    Dated: July 25, 2018.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-16217 Filed 7-27-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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