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 hybrid meeting of its Habitat Advisory Panel 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 Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 1:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES:

Meeting address: This meeting will be held at Hotel Providence, 139 Matheson Street, Providence, RI 02903; telephone: (401) 490–8000.

Webinar registration URL information: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8167209092541829461 .

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cate O'Keefe, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda

The Advisory Panel will meet to discuss Scallop and Habitat Plan Development Team analyses of four concept areas for potential scallop access on the Northern Edge of Georges Bank. The Advisory Panel will provide recommendations to the Habitat Committee about how these analyses might be used to inform development of management alternatives for the joint Habitat-Scallop framework. This discussion is expected to focus on spatial alternatives (configuration of scallop access areas), but other objectives and alternatives may be discussed. Other business may be discussed as necessary.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during the meeting. 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.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Cate O'Keefe, Executive Director, at (978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to the date. This meeting will be recorded. Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy of the recording is available upon request.

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