2023-11338. 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) is scheduling a hybrid meeting of its Scallop Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

DATES:

This meeting will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES:

This meeting will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 100 Boardman Street, Boston, MA 02128; phone: [phone].

Webinar registration URL information: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/​register/​4979380730021207127.

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 review the 2024/2025 Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) and develop research recommendations for the notice of funding opportunity announcement (NOFO). Also on the agenda are Scallop RSA program modifications: discuss recommending administrative changes to the Scallop RSA program, including the consideration of longer-term regional survey awards. The committee will also discuss scallop specifications and receive an update on the timeline and possible measures. This action will be initiated at the June 2023 Council meeting. The committee will discuss Northern Edge: progress report and timeline for action to potentially authorize scallop fishery access to habitat management area. 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 (978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

Dated: May 23, 2023.

Rey Israel Marquez,

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