New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting, 47258-47260 [2019-19381]

Download as PDF 47258 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 174 / Monday, September 9, 2019 / Notices Hotel, 2440 Lennoxville Rd., Beaufort NC 28516. SEDAR address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N Charleston, SC 29405; www.sedarweb.org. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Howington, SEDAR Coordinator, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; phone: (843) 571–4366; email: Kathleen.howington@safmc.net. The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions, have implemented the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a threestep process including: (1) Data Workshop; (2) Assessment Process utilizing webinars; and (3) Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a data report which compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The product of the Assessment Process is a stock assessment report which describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. The assessment is independently peer reviewed at the Review Workshop. The product of the Review Workshop is a Summary documenting panel opinions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data. Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include: data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); international experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies. The items of discussion at the Review Workshop are as follows: • Review the stock assessment report and determine if it is scientifically sound. jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:43 Sep 06, 2019 Jkt 247001 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 this meeting. Action 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 Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency. Special Accommodations This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the SAFMC office (see ADDRESSES) at least 10 business 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: September 4, 2019. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2019–19380 Filed 9–6–19; 8:45 am] DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; public meeting. AGENCY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel will hold a meeting. DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, September 23, 2019, beginning at 9 a.m. and concluding by 1 p.m. For agenda details, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via webinar with a telephone-only audio connection: https://mafmc. adobeconnect.com/msb-ap-illex/. Telephone instructions are provided upon connecting, or the public can call direct: (800) 832–0736, Rm: *7833942#. Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; SUMMARY: Fmt 4703 Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: September 4, 2019. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2019–19439 Filed 9–6–19; 8:45 am] DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XV054 RIN 0648–XV059 Frm 00026 Special Accommodations The meeting is 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 any meeting date. BILLING CODE 3510–22–P BILLING CODE 3510–22–P PO 00000 telephone: (302) 674–2331 or on their website at www.mafmc.org. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, telephone: (302) 526–5255. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the meeting is to review and provide input on options for modifying access to the Illex squid fishery as well as for revisions to the MSB Plan Goals/ Objectives. The terms of reference for a working group on in-year Illex quota adjustments will also be discussed. Sfmt 4703 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 four-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, September 23, 24, 25, and 26, 2019, beginning at 1:30 p.m. on September 23 and 8:30 a.m. on September 24, 25, and 26. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Beauport Hotel, 55 Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA 01930; telephone (978) 282–0008; online at www.beauporthotel.com. Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone (978) 465–0492; www.nefmc.org. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\09SEN1.SGM 09SEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 174 / Monday, September 9, 2019 / Notices FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492, ext. 113. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Agenda jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES Monday, September 23, 2019 After introductions and brief announcements, the meeting will begin with the swearing-in of reappointed Council members, followed by the annual election of officers. Next, the Council will hear 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 MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council, representatives from NOAA General Counsel and NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, and staff from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), U.S. Coast Guard, and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The Council then will take up the Atlantic Herring Committee report and discuss two issues. For the first one, the Council will: (a) Receive a presentation on a draft discussion document about Atlantic herring spawning on Georges Bank; and (b) discuss possible Council action on next steps. Regarding the second issue, the Council used a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process to develop acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule alternatives for Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Council recently took a step back to solicit stakeholder feedback and conduct a ‘‘debrief’’ on how that process went. At this meeting, the Council will receive an overview of the results of the debriefing. Next, the Council will receive a presentation from GARFO on NMFS’s determination that an Endangered Species Act listing for alewife and blueback herring, also known as river herring, was ‘‘not warranted.’’ Following these actions, the Council will adjourn for the day. Tuesday, September 24, 2019 The Council will begin the day by discussing a Commercial eVTR Omnibus Framework that is under development jointly with the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council. The framework proposes to require that vessel trip reports (VTRs) be submitted electronically instead of on paper for all commercial species managed by both Councils. The Mid-Atlantic Council VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:43 Sep 06, 2019 Jkt 247001 initiated the action, and in June, the New England Council joined in. This marks the first framework meeting for the omnibus action by the New England Council. Next, the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will provide the Council with overfishing limit (OFL) and ABC recommendations for: Georges Bank yellowtail and the Northeast skate complex for fishing years 2020–2021; monkfish for 2020–2022; and deep-sea red crab for 2020–2023. The Monkfish Committee will report next. The Council will take final action on Framework Adjustment 12, which contains 2020– 2022 fishing year specifications and other measures for the Monkfish FMP. This will be followed by the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab report, where the Council will take final action on 2020– 2023 specifications for the red crab fishery. Skates will be up next. The Council will discuss and take final action on Framework Adjustment 8, which contains 2020–2021 fishing year specifications and other measures for the Northeast skate complex. It also will receive the fishing year 2018 Annual Monitoring Report for the skate complex. Following the lunch break, the Council will hear from its EcosystemBased Fishery Management (EBFM) Committee. First, the Council will receive a presentation on the Georges Bank example Fishery Ecosystem Plan (eFEP) Draft Report and provide comments. Once this discussion is completed, the Council will shift to Management Strategy Evaluation. The Council will be using MSE as it continues to work on the Georges Bank eFEP, and the Council will receive a progress report from its new EBFM MSE Steering Committee about how this effort is evolving. The Council then will adjourn for the day. Wednesday, September 25, 2019 The third day of the meeting will begin with a report on the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel’s June 21 and July 29, 2019 meetings. The Council then will receive an update on the Groundfish Catch Share Program Review from two contractors that have been helping collect information and public input on this six-year review of the groundfish sector system. The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) will provide an overview of the nine port meetings that were conducted in July and August to collect public comment on the review, and MRAG Americas Inc. will provide a briefing on the technical working group’s progress on the review itself. The Enforcement Committee will report next and provide enforcement recommendations for: the Groundfish PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 47259 Codend Compliance Assistance Program (CAP); the Groundfish Catch Share Program Review; groundfish sector management compliance improvement; and Groundfish Monitoring Amendment 23. Then, the Council will: (1) Receive a presentation on NMFS’s Draft Policy Directive on Electronic Monitoring (EM) Video Retention Periods; and (2) review and approve draft Council comments on the NMFS guidance. Next, the Council will address U.S./Canada issues based on information from the Transboundary Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC) and the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC). The TRAC report will be first with a summary of 2018 assessment results for three U.S./Canada shared stocks—Eastern Georges Bank cod, Eastern Georges Bank haddock, and Georges Bank yellowtail flounder. The Council then will review and approve the TMGC’s recommendations for 2020 total allowable catches (TACs) for those shared U.S./Canada stocks. Next, the Groundfish Committee will present the first part of its report, which will focus on Framework Adjustment 59 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. This framework includes: (1) 2020 TACs for U.S./Canada stocks; (2) 2020–22 specifications for 15 Northeast multispecies stocks while addressing commercial/recreational allocation if raised by Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) data; and (3) removing allocations to the Closed Area I Haddock Special Access Program. 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. Then, the Groundfish Committee will resume with the second part of its report, which will focus on Monitoring Amendment 23 to Northeast Multispecies FMP. The Council will approve the Amendment 23 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for public hearing and select preliminary preferred alternatives. At the conclusion of this discussion, the Council will adjourn for the day. Thursday, September 26, 2019 The fourth day of the meeting will begin with an initial discussion of 2020 Council priorities covering tasks and actions for all committees and Council responsibilities. The Council will not take final action on priorities until its December meeting. The Council then will take up several issues under its Scallop Committee Report, beginning with an update on Framework E:\FR\FM\09SEN1.SGM 09SEN1 jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES 47260 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 174 / Monday, September 9, 2019 / Notices Adjustment 32 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP. This framework includes 2020 fishery specifications, 2021 default specifications, and measures to mitigate impacts on Georges Bank yellowtail flounder. As part of this discussion, the Council will receive an overview of the 2019 scallop resource surveys. The Council also will receive an update on Amendment 21 to the FMP, which is being developed to address: (1) Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Management Area issues, (2) the Limited Access General Category (LAGC) possession limit, and (3) the one-way transfer of individual fishing quota (IFQ) from Limited Access vessels with LAGC IFQ to vessels that only hold LAGC IFQ permits. Next, the Council will receive an overview of the Fishing Year 2018 Small-Mesh Multispecies (Whiting) Annual Monitoring Report and receive a brief update on southern red hake rebuilding measures. Following a lunch break, the Council will receive a report from its Habitat Committee. This will include: (1) An update on development of additional policies related to non-fishing activities; (2) an update on ongoing offshore energy activities in the Northeast Region; and (3) an overview of the revised joint New England/Mid-Atlantic Council offshore wind webpage. Then, the Council will receive two short reports on Highly Migratory Species (HMS) issues. The first will cover the HMS Advisory Panel’s September 4–5, 2019 meeting, and the second will cover the September 5–6, 2019 meeting of the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Finally, 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:43 Sep 06, 2019 Jkt 247001 auxiliary aids should be directed to Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: September 4, 2019. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2019–19381 Filed 9–6–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P Public Comment Public comment letters will be accepted and should be submitted either electronically to meetings.npfmc.org/ Meeting/Details/906 or through the mail: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501–2252. In-person oral public testimony will be accepted at the discretion of the chair. Special Accommodations DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XV052 North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Fishery Monitoring Advisory Committee will meet September 23, 2019 through September 24, 2019. DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, September 23, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Standard Time. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in Building 4, Marine Mammal Conference Room (2039), at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Teleconference number: (877) 953–6215; pin 4546455. Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501–2252; telephone: (907) 271–2809. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diana Evans, Council staff; telephone: (907) 271–2809. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: Agenda Monday, September 23, 2019 to Tuesday, September 24, 2019 The agenda will include: Strategic review of fishery monitoring committee roles; review revisions of the observer fee analysis; EM updates; a review of the draft 2020 Observer Annual Deployment Plan; review Observer working conditions; review observer analytical task status; scheduling, and other issues. The Agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be posted at meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/ 906 prior to the meeting, along with meeting materials. PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Shannon Gleason at (907) 271–2809 at least 7 working days prior to the meeting date. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: September 4, 2019. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2019–19379 Filed 9–6–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XV055 North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public meetings. AGENCY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will meet September 30, 2019 through October 9, 2019. DATES: The meetings will be held September 30, 2019 through October 9, 2019. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times. ADDRESSES: The Council, the SSC, and the Community Engagement Committee will be held at the Land’s End Resort, 4786 Homer Spit Rd., Homer, AK 99603. The AP and the Cook Inlet Salmon Committee will meet at the Best Western Bidarka Inn, 575 Sterling Hwy., Homer, AK 99603. Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W 4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501–2252; telephone (907) 271–2809. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diana Evans, Council staff; telephone: (907) 271–2809. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\09SEN1.SGM 09SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 174 (Monday, September 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47258-47260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-19381]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XV054


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 four-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England 
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and 
Thursday, September 23, 24, 25, and 26, 2019, beginning at 1:30 p.m. on 
September 23 and 8:30 a.m. on September 24, 25, and 26.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Beauport Hotel, 55 
Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA 01930; telephone (978) 282-0008; 
online at www.beauporthotel.com.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone (978) 465-0492; 
www.nefmc.org.

[[Page 47259]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492, ext. 
113.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda

Monday, September 23, 2019

    After introductions and brief announcements, the meeting will begin 
with the swearing-in of reappointed Council members, followed by the 
annual election of officers. Next, the Council will hear 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 NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, and staff from 
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), U.S. Coast 
Guard, and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The Council then 
will take up the Atlantic Herring Committee report and discuss two 
issues. For the first one, the Council will: (a) Receive a presentation 
on a draft discussion document about Atlantic herring spawning on 
Georges Bank; and (b) discuss possible Council action on next steps. 
Regarding the second issue, the Council used a Management Strategy 
Evaluation (MSE) process to develop acceptable biological catch (ABC) 
control rule alternatives for Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Council recently took a step back to 
solicit stakeholder feedback and conduct a ``debrief'' on how that 
process went. At this meeting, the Council will receive an overview of 
the results of the debriefing. Next, the Council will receive a 
presentation from GARFO on NMFS's determination that an Endangered 
Species Act listing for alewife and blueback herring, also known as 
river herring, was ``not warranted.'' Following these actions, the 
Council will adjourn for the day.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

    The Council will begin the day by discussing a Commercial eVTR 
Omnibus Framework that is under development jointly with the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The framework proposes to require 
that vessel trip reports (VTRs) be submitted electronically instead of 
on paper for all commercial species managed by both Councils. The Mid-
Atlantic Council initiated the action, and in June, the New England 
Council joined in. This marks the first framework meeting for the 
omnibus action by the New England Council. Next, the Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC) will provide the Council with overfishing 
limit (OFL) and ABC recommendations for: Georges Bank yellowtail and 
the Northeast skate complex for fishing years 2020-2021; monkfish for 
2020-2022; and deep-sea red crab for 2020-2023. The Monkfish Committee 
will report next. The Council will take final action on Framework 
Adjustment 12, which contains 2020-2022 fishing year specifications and 
other measures for the Monkfish FMP. This will be followed by the 
Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab report, where the Council will take final 
action on 2020-2023 specifications for the red crab fishery. Skates 
will be up next. The Council will discuss and take final action on 
Framework Adjustment 8, which contains 2020-2021 fishing year 
specifications and other measures for the Northeast skate complex. It 
also will receive the fishing year 2018 Annual Monitoring Report for 
the skate complex.
    Following the lunch break, the Council will hear from its 
Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Committee. First, the Council 
will receive a presentation on the Georges Bank example Fishery 
Ecosystem Plan (eFEP) Draft Report and provide comments. Once this 
discussion is completed, the Council will shift to Management Strategy 
Evaluation. The Council will be using MSE as it continues to work on 
the Georges Bank eFEP, and the Council will receive a progress report 
from its new EBFM MSE Steering Committee about how this effort is 
evolving. The Council then will adjourn for the day.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

    The third day of the meeting will begin with a report on the 
Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel's June 21 and July 29, 2019 meetings. 
The Council then will receive an update on the Groundfish Catch Share 
Program Review from two contractors that have been helping collect 
information and public input on this six-year review of the groundfish 
sector system. The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) will provide 
an overview of the nine port meetings that were conducted in July and 
August to collect public comment on the review, and MRAG Americas Inc. 
will provide a briefing on the technical working group's progress on 
the review itself. The Enforcement Committee will report next and 
provide enforcement recommendations for: the Groundfish Codend 
Compliance Assistance Program (CAP); the Groundfish Catch Share Program 
Review; groundfish sector management compliance improvement; and 
Groundfish Monitoring Amendment 23. Then, the Council will: (1) Receive 
a presentation on NMFS's Draft Policy Directive on Electronic 
Monitoring (EM) Video Retention Periods; and (2) review and approve 
draft Council comments on the NMFS guidance. Next, the Council will 
address U.S./Canada issues based on information from the Transboundary 
Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC) and the Transboundary Management 
Guidance Committee (TMGC). The TRAC report will be first with a summary 
of 2018 assessment results for three U.S./Canada shared stocks--Eastern 
Georges Bank cod, Eastern Georges Bank haddock, and Georges Bank 
yellowtail flounder. The Council then will review and approve the 
TMGC's recommendations for 2020 total allowable catches (TACs) for 
those shared U.S./Canada stocks. Next, the Groundfish Committee will 
present the first part of its report, which will focus on Framework 
Adjustment 59 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. This framework 
includes: (1) 2020 TACs for U.S./Canada stocks; (2) 2020-22 
specifications for 15 Northeast multispecies stocks while addressing 
commercial/recreational allocation if raised by Marine Recreational 
Information Program (MRIP) data; and (3) removing allocations to the 
Closed Area I Haddock Special Access Program.
    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. Then, the Groundfish Committee will resume with the second 
part of its report, which will focus on Monitoring Amendment 23 to 
Northeast Multispecies FMP. The Council will approve the Amendment 23 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for public hearing and 
select preliminary preferred alternatives. At the conclusion of this 
discussion, the Council will adjourn for the day.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

    The fourth day of the meeting will begin with an initial discussion 
of 2020 Council priorities covering tasks and actions for all 
committees and Council responsibilities. The Council will not take 
final action on priorities until its December meeting. The Council then 
will take up several issues under its Scallop Committee Report, 
beginning with an update on Framework

[[Page 47260]]

Adjustment 32 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP. This framework includes 
2020 fishery specifications, 2021 default specifications, and measures 
to mitigate impacts on Georges Bank yellowtail flounder. As part of 
this discussion, the Council will receive an overview of the 2019 
scallop resource surveys. The Council also will receive an update on 
Amendment 21 to the FMP, which is being developed to address: (1) 
Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Management Area issues, (2) the Limited 
Access General Category (LAGC) possession limit, and (3) the one-way 
transfer of individual fishing quota (IFQ) from Limited Access vessels 
with LAGC IFQ to vessels that only hold LAGC IFQ permits. Next, the 
Council will receive an overview of the Fishing Year 2018 Small-Mesh 
Multispecies (Whiting) Annual Monitoring Report and receive a brief 
update on southern red hake rebuilding measures.
    Following a lunch break, the Council will receive a report from its 
Habitat Committee. This will include: (1) An update on development of 
additional policies related to non-fishing activities; (2) an update on 
ongoing offshore energy activities in the Northeast Region; and (3) an 
overview of the revised joint New England/Mid-Atlantic Council offshore 
wind webpage. Then, the Council will receive two short reports on 
Highly Migratory Species (HMS) issues. The first will cover the HMS 
Advisory Panel's September 4-5, 2019 meeting, and the second will cover 
the September 5-6, 2019 meeting of the Advisory Committee to the U.S. 
Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of 
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Finally, 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 Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days 
prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: September 4, 2019.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-19381 Filed 9-6-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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