New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting, 47258-47260 [2019-19381]
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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.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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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:
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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:
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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20:43 Sep 06, 2019
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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
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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:
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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]
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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