January 8, 2014 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
Council Meeting Agenda
Tuesday – Thursday, January 27-29, 2015
Sheraton Harborside Hotel, 250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Tel 603.431.2300 | Fax 603.431.7805 | www.sheratonportsmouth.com/
Submitting Comments? If you plan to submit written comments to be included in the materials for consideration
at this meeting, they must be received at the NEFMC office by 12 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 22, 2015.
If using email, please send them to comments@nefmc.org.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
9:30 a.m. Introductions and Announcements (Council Chairman Terry Stockwell)
9:35 Closed Session (Terry Stockwell)
Approve Scientific and Statistical Committee appointments for 2015-2017
9:50 Reports on Recent Activities
Council Chairman, Executive Director (including review and approval of an updated version of the NEFMC’s SOPPs), NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator (Greater Atlantic Region), NOAA General Counsel, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, and representatives of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA Enforcement, and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council
11:45 Open Period for Public Comments (Terry Stockwell)
Opportunity for the public to provide brief comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda (individuals are asked to sign up beforehand and limit remarks to between 3-5 minutes)
12:00 p.m. Lunch Break
1:15 Jonah Crab Management Discussion (Terry Stockwell)
Determine the level of Council participation in the development of management measures for the Jonah Crab fishery in the EEZ by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
2:15 Briefing on the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) (Michael Cahall, ACCSP and Holly McBride (NOAA NEFSC)
Overview of the ACCSP integrated data collection and distribution systems that are conducted in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, including dealer data collection and vessel trip reporting
3:00 Recreational Groundfish Fishery Discussion (Frank Blount)
Develop recommendations for proactive accountability measures for Gulf of Maine haddock and Gulf of Maine cod for fishing year 2015
3:45 Report on the Performance of the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery, May 2013- April 2014 (Dr. Tammy Murphy NEFSC/Social Sciences Branch)
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
8:30 a.m. Herring Committee Report (Doug Grout)
– Receive an update on the industry-based river herring bycatch avoidance program;
– Receive an update on the River Herring Technical Expert Working Group process, its timeline, and products (GARFO staff);
– Review the NEFMC staff discussion document that addresses considerations related to adding river herring and shad as stocks in the Atlantic herring fishery; and consider and possibly approve related Herring Committee recommendations;
– Approve recommendations for cooperative research priorities for any research set-aside that may be allocated in 2016-2018 during the Atlantic herring fishery specifications process; and
– Approve a scoping document for an amendment to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan to consider control rules for the Atlantic herring fishery to account for herring’s role as forage in the ecosystem
12:00 p.m. Lunch Break
1:15 Herring Committee Discussion – continued
3:30 Observer Policy Committee Report (Terry Stockwell/GARFO staff)
Review and approve a Draft Environmental Assessment for an omnibus amendment that would establish provisions for industry-funded monitoring (IFM) across all federally-managed fisheries in the Northeast, and address observer coverage requirements on Atlantic herring vessels; consider related Observer Committee and Herring Committee recommendations and select preferred alternatives
Thursday, January 29, 2015
8:30 a.m. Report on the 2014 Stock Assessment Process and Modeling Program Review (Dr. William Karp, Science and Research Director, NEFSC)
Overview of an independent evaluation concerning the processes and modeling approaches used by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center to develop fish stock assessments
9:30 Briefing on NOAA Fisheries Draft Climate Science Strategy (Dr. Jason Link, Senior Scientist for Ecosystem Management, NMFS)
Presentation on the agency’s work to date and request for input
10:45 Final Report on the State of the Northeast Continental Shelf Ecosystem (Dr. Michael Fogarty, Chief, Ecosystem Assessment Program, NEFSC)
Updated status report for the Northeast Shelf
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:15 Other Business
Times listed next to the agenda items are estimates and are subject to change.
The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Council member financial disclosure forms are available for examination at the meeting.
Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be the subjects 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.
Documents pertaining to Council actions are available for review prior to a final vote by the Council.
Please check the Council website, www.nefmc.org, or call (978) 465-0492 for copies.