New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting, 50328-50330 [2021-19485]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
50328
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 8, 2021 / Notices
of business, may be allowed travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, as authorized by Section
5703 of Title 5, United States Code, for
individuals in the Government serving
without pay. Nothing in this section
shall be construed to prohibit members
of the Committee who are officers of
employees of the United States from
being allowed travel expenses,
including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with existing
law.
Members shall not reference or
otherwise utilize their membership on
the Committee or its subcommittees in
connection with public statements made
in their personal capacities without a
disclaimer that the views expressed are
their own and do not represent the
views of the Committee or its
subcommittees, NIST, the Office of
Science and Technology Policy, the
Department of Defense, the Department
of Energy, the Department of State, the
Attorney General, the Office of National
Intelligence, the Initiative Office, the
President, or the Department of
Commerce.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Miscellaneous
Meetings will be conducted at least
twice each year.
1. Generally, Committee meetings are
open to the public.
2. Meeting may be held in-person in
selected locations across the country
and/or virtually.
Nomination Information
1. Nominations are sought from all
fields, sectors, and perspectives
described above.
2. Nominees should represent broad
and interdisciplinary expertise and
perspectives, including from academic
institutions, companies across diverse
sectors, nonprofit and civil society
entities, including civil rights and
disability rights organizations, and
Federal laboratories, who represent
geographic diversity, and who are
qualified to provide advice and
information on science and technology
research, development, ethics,
standards, education, technology
transfer, commercial application,
security, and economic competitiveness
related to artificial intelligence. The
field of eminence for which the
candidate is qualified should be
specified in the nomination letter. A
summary of the candidate’s
qualifications should be included with
the nomination, including (where
applicable) current or former service on
Federal advisory boards and Federal
employment. In addition, each
nomination letter should state whether
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:21 Sep 07, 2021
Jkt 253001
the candidate seeks to serve on the
Committee, the Subcommittee, or both;
and that the candidate acknowledges
the responsibilities of serving and will
actively participate in good faith in the
tasks of the Committee or
Subcommittee, as appropriate. Thirdparty nomination letters should state
that the candidate agrees to the
nomination.
3. The Department of Commerce seeks
a broad-based and diverse Committee
and subcommittee membership.
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aid should be directed to
Shelley Spedden, (302) 526–5251, at
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 3, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–19488 Filed 9–7–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2021–19287 Filed 9–7–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–13–P
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XB408]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
New England Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
AGENCY:
[RTID: 0648–XB360]
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 Surfclam and
Ocean Quahog Committee (Committee)
will hold a public meeting.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Friday, October 15, 2021, from 9:30 a.m.
until 12 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held
via webinar. Webinar connection
information will be available at: https://
www.mafmc.org/council-events.
Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, 800 N State
Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901;
telephone: (302) 674–2331;
www.mafmc.org.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, telephone: (302)
526–5255.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council’s
Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Committee
will meet to review the draft document
being prepared for the Council to
address issues related to the species
separation requirements in the Atlantic
surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries.
Special Accommodations
The meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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). Due to ongoing public safety
considerations related to COVID–19,
this meeting will be conducted entirely
by webinar.
DATES: The webinar meeting will be
held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday, September 28, 29, and 30,
2021, beginning at 9 a.m. each day.
ADDRESSES: All meeting participants
and interested parties can register to
join the webinar at https://
register.gotowebinar.com/register/
6852048029928028172.
Council address: New England
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950;
telephone (978) 465–0492;
www.nefmc.org.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management
Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492, ext.
113.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Agenda
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
After introductions and brief
announcements, NMFS’s Regional
Administrator for the Greater Atlantic
Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) will
swear in new and reappointed Council
members. The Council then will
conduct its 2021–22 election of officers.
E:\FR\FM\08SEN1.SGM
08SEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 8, 2021 / Notices
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Reports on recent activities will be next.
The Council will hear from its Chairman
and Executive Director, GARFO’s
Regional Administrator, the Northeast
Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)
Director, the NOAA Office of General
Counsel, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council liaison, staff from
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (ASMFC), and
representatives from the U.S. Coast
Guard, NOAA’s Office of Law
Enforcement, the Stellwagen Bank
National Marine Sanctuary, and NMFS’s
Highly Migratory Species Advisory
Panel. Next, the Council will receive an
overview of H.R 4690, ‘‘Sustaining
America’s Fisheries for the Future Act
of 2021,’’ which is a bill to reauthorize
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act. The
Council will discuss the bill and
approve comments.
Following the lunch break, the
Council will receive a presentation from
GARFO on two actions under the
Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction
Plan. These will cover: (1) The Phase 1
final rule for Northeast lobster and
Jonah crab trap/pot fisheries; and (2)
Phase 2 scoping on potential measures
for U.S. gillnet and other trap/pot
fisheries to reduce entanglements of
North Atlantic right whales, humpback
whales, and fin whales with commercial
fishing gear. The Council will discuss
Phase 2 and provide input on scoping
comments. Next, the Council will
discuss and take final action on
Framework Adjustment 9 to the Atlantic
Herring Fishery Management Plan
(FMP). This framework includes a
rebuilding plan to address the
overfished status of Atlantic herring,
and it contains adjustments to herring
accountability measures. As the final
order of business for the day, the
Council will receive an overview of
NMFS’s National Standard 1 Draft
Technical Guidance Memo on managing
with annual catch limits (ACLs) for
data-limited stocks in federal fishery
management plans. Following
discussion, the Council will approve
comments on the draft memo.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
The Council will start off the day with
a report on the 43rd annual meeting of
the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
Organization (NAFO). Then, the Council
will receive a presentation from the
Scientific and Statistical Committee’s
(SSC) Social Science Subpanel on its
review of socioeconomic information in
Groundfish Framework Adjustment 59
and Scallop Framework Adjustment 32.
The Council will discuss the results of
this review. The Scallop Committee
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:21 Sep 07, 2021
Jkt 253001
Report will be next. The Council will
receive a summary of 2021 scallop
survey results and a progress report on
Framework Adjustment 34 to the
Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP, which
includes 2022 fishery specifications,
2023 default specifications, and
measures that will be made available
soon under Amendment 21 to the FMP.
Additionally, the Council will receive:
(1) A progress report on work being
done to evaluate the scallop fishery’s
rotational area management program;
and (2) an update on the Scallop Survey
Working Group’s activities. The Council
then will transition into groundfish
issues, beginning with a report from the
Transboundary Resources Assessment
Committee (TRAC) on the TRAC’s 2021
assessment results and updates for
shared U.S./Canada resources, which
include Eastern Georges Bank cod,
Eastern Georges Bank haddock, and
Georges Bank yellowtail flounder. The
Council then will hear the SSC’s
recommendations on overfishing limits
(OFLs) and acceptable biological catches
(ABCs) for Georges Bank yellowtail
flounder for fishing years 2022 and
2023. This will be followed by the
Transboundary Management Guidance
Committee’s recommendations for 2022
total allowable catches (TACs) for
shared U.S./Canada resources on
Georges Bank. The Council will review
and approve the recommendations.
Following the lunch break, the
Council will receive the Groundfish
Committee Report, which will cover two
items. The first will be a progress report
on Framework Adjustment 63 to the
Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish)
FMP, which includes (1) 2022 TACs for
U.S./Canada shared resources on
Georges Bank; (2) 2022–23
specifications for Georges Bank
yellowtail flounder; (3) 2022–24
specifications for Georges Bank cod and
Gulf of Maine cod; (4) possible
adjustment of 2022 specifications for
Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine
haddock; (5) adjustment of 2022
specifications for white hake based on a
rebuilding plan; (6) additional measures
to promote stock rebuilding; and (7)
alternatives for setting groundfish
default specifications. The second
groundfish item pertains to the recent
series of Atlantic Cod Stock Structure
Workshops. The Council will consider
measures that can be adopted regardless
of outcomes from the next stock
assessments for Atlantic cod. Then, the
Council will receive the Skate
Committee Report, starting with the
SSC’s overfishing limit and acceptable
biological catch recommendations for
the 2022–23 fishing years. The Council
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
50329
will take final action on 2022–23 skate
specifications. Following this
discussion, the Council will receive an
update on recent meetings of the
Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel
(NTAP). The Council will review and
approve a revised NTAP charter. After
that, the Council will adjourn for the
day.
Thursday, September 30, 2021
The Council will begin the third day
of its meeting with a report from its
Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management
(EBFM) Committee, which will include
updates on: (1) EBFM public
information workshops; (2) National
Standard 1 issues related to potentially
managing catches by stock complex
rather than as individual stocks; and (3)
a potential committee recommendation
for an example EBFM Management
Strategy Evaluation exercise. The
Habitat Committee Report will follow.
The Council will receive updates on: (1)
Recent Council comments to federal
agencies on offshore wind projects and
other issues; (2) upcoming comment
opportunities; and (3) other habitatrelated work. The Monkfish Committee
then will report on its discussion of
analyses of discard estimation methods
and potential next steps resulting from
this work. Next, the Northeast Fisheries
Science Center will provide a
presentation on the peer review of the
June 2021 Management Track Stock
Assessments for black sea bass, scup,
Atlantic mackerel, and golden tilefish.
This will be followed by the Whiting
Committee Report, which will include
an overview of the committee’s
discussion on the 2020 Annual
Monitoring Report and follow-up on
whether management adjustments are
needed.
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. These comments will be
received through the webinar. A guide
for how to publicly comment through
the webinar is available on the Council
website at https://s3.amazonaws.com/
nefmc.org/NEFMC-meeting-remoteparticipation_generic.pdf. Following the
public comment period, the Council
will begin its initial discussion on 2022
Council Priorities for all fishery
management plans and other Council
responsibilities. Final action on 2022
priorities will take place during the
Council’s December 2021 meeting. After
this discussion, the Council will close
out the meeting with other business.
E:\FR\FM\08SEN1.SGM
08SEN1
50330
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 8, 2021 / Notices
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 being conducted
entirely by webinar. Requests for
auxiliary aids should be directed to
Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at least
5 days prior to the meeting date.
Dated: September 3, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–19485 Filed 9–7–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XB397]
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
AGENCY:
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council (Council) will
hold a four-day in-person and virtual
(hybrid) meeting of its Standing, Reef
Fish, Socioeconomic, and Ecosystem
Scientific and Statistical Committees
(SSC).
SUMMARY:
The meeting will take place
Monday, September 27 to Thursday,
September 30, 2021, from 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m., EDT daily.
ADDRESSES: The in-person meeting will
take place at the Gulf Council office. If
you are unable to travel, you may attend
via webinar. Registration information
will be available on the Council’s
website by visiting www.gulfcouncil.org
and clicking on the SSC meeting on the
calendar.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:21 Sep 07, 2021
Jkt 253001
Council address: Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council, 4107 W
Spruce Street, Suite 200, Tampa, FL
33607; telephone: (813) 348–1630.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Ryan Rindone, Lead Fishery Biologist,
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council; ryan.rindone@gulfcouncil.org,
telephone: (813) 348–1630.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Monday, September 27, 2021; 8:30
a.m.–5 p.m., EDT
The meeting will begin with
Introductions and Adoption of Agenda,
Approval of Verbatim Minutes and
Meeting Summary from the August
9–11, 2021 webinar meeting, and review
of Scope of Work. The Committees will
select an SSC Representative for the
October 25–28, 2021 Gulf Council
Meeting, and then briefly discuss the
Final Draft of the Scientific and Statistic
Committee’s Best Practices and Voting
Procedures. Next, the Committees will
review and discuss a Decision Tree for
Making Informed Decisions on
Parameters for Yield Projections, along
with an Evaluation of a Novel Projection
Method to Streamline Allocationinformed Yields.
The Committees will review and
discuss SEDAR 70: Gulf of Mexico
Greater Amberjack Stock Assessment,
including presentations, discussion of
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)
proxies, and projections using the
updated method. The Committees will
then review and discuss the Terms of
Reference for Gulf of Mexico Migratory
Group Spanish Mackerel Operational
Assessment, followed by the Scope of
Work for Gulf of Mexico Migratory
Group Cobia Operational Assessment.
Tuesday, September 28, 2021; 8:30
a.m.–5 p.m., EDT
The Committees will review a
presentation and supporting
documentation for Red Tide Ecosystem
Modeling. Next, the Committees will
review and discuss SEDAR 72: Gulf of
Mexico Gag Stock Assessment Report,
including presentations on the data,
analyses, and projections used in the
assessment. The Committees will then
review a presentation on Using Field
Experiments to Assess Alternative
Mechanisms for Distributing Fish to the
Recreational Sector.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021; 8:30
a.m.–5 p.m., EDT
The Committees will spend the day
reviewing the LGL Ecological Associates
absolute abundance study of Red
Snapper off Louisiana, beginning with
the Introduction: Estimating Absolute
Abundance of Red Snapper off
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Louisiana. The Committees will review
presentations on Study Area and
Habitats, Habitat Areas and Discrete
Structures, and Sampling Sites. Next,
the Committees will review Field
Surveys and Sample Processing, with
presentations on: Hydroacoustic Field
Surveys and Initial Data Processing;
Hydroacoustic Data Processing
Methods; and Other Survey Methods,
including Camera Surveys, Hook and
Line Surveys, Mark/Recapture Surveys,
and Age Determinations. The
Committees will then review Statistical
Analyses and Modeling, with
presentations on Mean Site Abundance
of Red Snapper, Modeled Abundance of
Red Snapper, Mark/Recapture
Population Estimates, and Growth and
Condition. The Committees will then
review the project Results, with
presentations on Mean Site Abundance
Results; Modeled Site Abundance; and
Age, Growth, and Condition. Finally,
the Committees will have Discussion,
with presentations on Overall
Abundance, Impact on Stock Status, and
Summary and Conclusions.
Thursday, September 30, 2021; 8:30
a.m.–5 p.m., EDT
The Committees will review the
Finalized Great Red Snapper Count
Report, including a presentation on the
Response to Reviewer Comments and
Final Project Outcomes. Next the
Committees will receive a presentation
on the Essential Fish Habitat
Consultation Process, followed by
reviews of the SEDAR Schedule and the
Council’s Interim Analysis Schedule.
The Committees will then review the
Standardized Bycatch Reporting
Methodology. Lastly, the Committees
will receive public comment before
addressing any items under Other
Business.
—Meeting Adjourns
The meeting will be also be broadcast
via webinar. You may register for the
webinar by visiting www.gulfcouncil.org
and clicking on the SSC meeting on the
calendar.
The Agenda is subject to change, and
the latest version along with other
meeting materials will be posted on
www.gulfcouncil.org as they become
available.
Although other non-emergency issues
not on the agenda may come before the
Scientific and Statistical Committees for
discussion, in accordance with the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act,
those issues may not be the subject of
formal action during this meeting.
Actions of the Scientific and Statistical
Committee will be restricted to those
E:\FR\FM\08SEN1.SGM
08SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50328-50330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19485]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XB408]
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). Due to ongoing public
safety considerations related to COVID-19, this meeting will be
conducted entirely by webinar.
DATES: The webinar meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday, September 28, 29, and 30, 2021, beginning at 9 a.m. each day.
ADDRESSES: All meeting participants and interested parties can register
to join the webinar at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6852048029928028172.
Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone (978) 465-0492;
www.nefmc.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492, ext.
113.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Agenda
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
After introductions and brief announcements, NMFS's Regional
Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
(GARFO) will swear in new and reappointed Council members. The Council
then will conduct its 2021-22 election of officers.
[[Page 50329]]
Reports on recent activities will be next. The Council will hear from
its Chairman and Executive Director, GARFO's Regional Administrator,
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Director, the NOAA
Office of General Counsel, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
liaison, staff from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
(ASMFC), and representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA's Office
of Law Enforcement, the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and
NMFS's Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel. Next, the Council will
receive an overview of H.R 4690, ``Sustaining America's Fisheries for
the Future Act of 2021,'' which is a bill to reauthorize the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Council will
discuss the bill and approve comments.
Following the lunch break, the Council will receive a presentation
from GARFO on two actions under the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction
Plan. These will cover: (1) The Phase 1 final rule for Northeast
lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot fisheries; and (2) Phase 2 scoping on
potential measures for U.S. gillnet and other trap/pot fisheries to
reduce entanglements of North Atlantic right whales, humpback whales,
and fin whales with commercial fishing gear. The Council will discuss
Phase 2 and provide input on scoping comments. Next, the Council will
discuss and take final action on Framework Adjustment 9 to the Atlantic
Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This framework includes a
rebuilding plan to address the overfished status of Atlantic herring,
and it contains adjustments to herring accountability measures. As the
final order of business for the day, the Council will receive an
overview of NMFS's National Standard 1 Draft Technical Guidance Memo on
managing with annual catch limits (ACLs) for data-limited stocks in
federal fishery management plans. Following discussion, the Council
will approve comments on the draft memo.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
The Council will start off the day with a report on the 43rd annual
meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). Then,
the Council will receive a presentation from the Scientific and
Statistical Committee's (SSC) Social Science Subpanel on its review of
socioeconomic information in Groundfish Framework Adjustment 59 and
Scallop Framework Adjustment 32. The Council will discuss the results
of this review. The Scallop Committee Report will be next. The Council
will receive a summary of 2021 scallop survey results and a progress
report on Framework Adjustment 34 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP,
which includes 2022 fishery specifications, 2023 default
specifications, and measures that will be made available soon under
Amendment 21 to the FMP. Additionally, the Council will receive: (1) A
progress report on work being done to evaluate the scallop fishery's
rotational area management program; and (2) an update on the Scallop
Survey Working Group's activities. The Council then will transition
into groundfish issues, beginning with a report from the Transboundary
Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC) on the TRAC's 2021 assessment
results and updates for shared U.S./Canada resources, which include
Eastern Georges Bank cod, Eastern Georges Bank haddock, and Georges
Bank yellowtail flounder. The Council then will hear the SSC's
recommendations on overfishing limits (OFLs) and acceptable biological
catches (ABCs) for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for fishing years
2022 and 2023. This will be followed by the Transboundary Management
Guidance Committee's recommendations for 2022 total allowable catches
(TACs) for shared U.S./Canada resources on Georges Bank. The Council
will review and approve the recommendations.
Following the lunch break, the Council will receive the Groundfish
Committee Report, which will cover two items. The first will be a
progress report on Framework Adjustment 63 to the Northeast
Multispecies (Groundfish) FMP, which includes (1) 2022 TACs for U.S./
Canada shared resources on Georges Bank; (2) 2022-23 specifications for
Georges Bank yellowtail flounder; (3) 2022-24 specifications for
Georges Bank cod and Gulf of Maine cod; (4) possible adjustment of 2022
specifications for Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine haddock; (5)
adjustment of 2022 specifications for white hake based on a rebuilding
plan; (6) additional measures to promote stock rebuilding; and (7)
alternatives for setting groundfish default specifications. The second
groundfish item pertains to the recent series of Atlantic Cod Stock
Structure Workshops. The Council will consider measures that can be
adopted regardless of outcomes from the next stock assessments for
Atlantic cod. Then, the Council will receive the Skate Committee
Report, starting with the SSC's overfishing limit and acceptable
biological catch recommendations for the 2022-23 fishing years. The
Council will take final action on 2022-23 skate specifications.
Following this discussion, the Council will receive an update on recent
meetings of the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP). The Council will
review and approve a revised NTAP charter. After that, the Council will
adjourn for the day.
Thursday, September 30, 2021
The Council will begin the third day of its meeting with a report
from its Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Committee, which
will include updates on: (1) EBFM public information workshops; (2)
National Standard 1 issues related to potentially managing catches by
stock complex rather than as individual stocks; and (3) a potential
committee recommendation for an example EBFM Management Strategy
Evaluation exercise. The Habitat Committee Report will follow. The
Council will receive updates on: (1) Recent Council comments to federal
agencies on offshore wind projects and other issues; (2) upcoming
comment opportunities; and (3) other habitat-related work. The Monkfish
Committee then will report on its discussion of analyses of discard
estimation methods and potential next steps resulting from this work.
Next, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center will provide a
presentation on the peer review of the June 2021 Management Track Stock
Assessments for black sea bass, scup, Atlantic mackerel, and golden
tilefish. This will be followed by the Whiting Committee Report, which
will include an overview of the committee's discussion on the 2020
Annual Monitoring Report and follow-up on whether management
adjustments are needed.
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. These comments will be received through the webinar. A guide
for how to publicly comment through the webinar is available on the
Council website at https://s3.amazonaws.com/nefmc.org/NEFMC-meeting-remote-participation_generic.pdf. Following the public comment period,
the Council will begin its initial discussion on 2022 Council
Priorities for all fishery management plans and other Council
responsibilities. Final action on 2022 priorities will take place
during the Council's December 2021 meeting. After this discussion, the
Council will close out the meeting with other business.
[[Page 50330]]
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 being conducted entirely by webinar. Requests for
auxiliary aids should be directed to Thomas A. Nies (see ADDRESSES) at
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Dated: September 3, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-19485 Filed 9-7-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
