2023-16839. 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 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, August 24, 2023, at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES:

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

Webinar registration URL information: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/​register/​956484289127045982.

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 draft alternatives for the Northern Edge Habitat Scallop Framework. They plan to discuss progress towards completion of the Council's 5-year EFH review. 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, and on other offshore wind issues. They also plan to develop a list of habitat work priorities for 2024. In addition to habitat actions, the Committee should identify offshore wind and aquaculture-related work items. 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: August 2, 2023.

Rey Israel Marquez,

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