2023-04516. New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY:

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of a public meeting.

SUMMARY:

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This meeting will be held in-person with a webinar option. Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

DATES:

This webinar will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 9 a.m. Webinar registration URL information: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/​register/​5074155331765896027.

ADDRESSES:

This meeting will be held at the Four Points by Sheraton, One Audubon Road, Wakefield, MA 01880; telephone: [phone].

Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda

The Committee will discuss and identify a preferred alternative for the Atlantic Salmon Aquaculture Framework. They will also review and recommend revisions, if necessary, to the draft goals and objectives for the Northern Edge Habitat/Scallop Management Framework. The Committee will discuss draft goals and objectives to be discussed by the Scallop Committee on March 29. They also plan to discuss an Exempted Fishing Permit request disapproved by NOAA Fisheries within the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area, as a follow-up to prior Council review of the final report for an earlier phase of the work. The Committee will also receive updates from Council staff on recent coordination with BOEM and NOAA related to offshore wind leasing in the Gulf of Maine. Other business will be discussed, if necessary.

Although non-emergency issues not contained on the agenda may come before this 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 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, Executive Director, at [phone], at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

Dated: March 1, 2023.

Rey Israel Marquez,

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.