Notice

New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 03/26/2026

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• Public Inspection Published Document: 2026-05895 (91 FR 14682) Document Headings ###### Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

1. [RTID 0648-XF606]

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 3-day meeting with online webinar participation options to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES:

The meeting will be held Tuesday, April 14 through Thursday, April 16, 2026, beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and 9 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring St., Portland, ME 04101; telephone (207) 775-2311; online at https://www.innbythebay.com/. Webinar registration: Information on how to register and provide public comment via webinar will be posted on the Council's April 2026 meeting web page at: https://www.nefmc.org/​calendar/​april-2026-council-meeting.

Register for the webinar at https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/​webinar/​register/​WN​r4asGYi-ToWe48​6S3dTgg.

Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone (978) 465-0492; www.nefmc.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cate O'Keefe, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492, ext. 113.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

The Council will begin the meeting with a closed session of the Executive Committee, pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, to discuss sensitive information related to Council resources. Following the closed session, the meeting will open with introductions and announcements from the Council Chair. The Council will then receive reports on recent activities from the Council Chair and Executive Director; the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) Regional Administrator; NOAA Office of General Counsel; the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC); the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC); the U.S. Coast Guard; NOAA Enforcement; and representatives associated with ICCAT, Highly Migratory Species (HMS), and the Dolphin-Wahoo fishery.

After reports, the Council will review Executive Order 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. The Executive Director will summarize additional public comments received through December 2025 and review the Council's September 2025 response and associated workplan.

After a lunch break, the Council will receive an update on the NOAA framework to narrow the scope of NMFS management and science activities. This update will summarize efforts of the Regional Working Group to populate a Risk/Value Matrix for Council-managed stocks. The Council will then receive a report from the Monkfish and Skate Coordinated Committee. The report will include review and potential approval of a scoping document and schedule for a potential individual fishing quota program for the monkfish and/or skate wing fisheries, as well as a white paper summarizing coordinated monkfish and skate activities in 2025. The Council will also receive a presentation from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on the Locking Away Carbon on the Northeast Shelf and Slope project. The Council will adjourn for the day at approximately 5 p.m., followed by a public outreach event in the hotel, to foster open communication among meeting attendees.

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

On the second day, the Council will receive a presentation from NEFSC staff on the 2026 State of the Ecosystem report, with input from the Science and Statistical Committee (SSC), followed by Council questions. The Council will then receive an update from the SSC Chair on activities including a review of monkfish catch-per-unit-effort research, and updates from the SSC's Social Science Subcommittee. Next, the Council will receive a presentation on the draft Holistic Strategic Plan report from the Parnin Group.

Following a lunch break, the Council will receive an update from the Risk Policy Working Group on revisions to the Council's Risk Policy Concept, including a summary of SSC input. The presentation will also include an overview of technical analyses conducted by the University of Maine on applying the Risk Policy approach and updates on implementation considerations. The Council will then receive a report from the Atlantic Herring Committee, including an update on the development of an action for Fishing Years 2027-2031 Atlantic herring specifications, river herring and shad management measures, and other related measures. The day will conclude with an open period for public comment on Council issues not otherwise listed on the agenda.

Thursday, April 16, 2026

On the final day, the Council will receive a report from the Groundfish Committee on the Redfish Exemption Program Review draft report. Then the Council will then receive an update from the NEFSC on fishery-independent surveys, including the 2025 and 2026 ( printed page 14683) survey seasons, activities of the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel, the Regional Industry-Based Trawl Survey, and other survey-related topics. Next, the Council will receive a Council planning update from the Executive Director covering the status of fishery management plan updates, Council priorities, Inflation Reduction Act initiatives, and other ongoing activities. The Council will address other business before adjourning the meeting at approximately 12 p.m.

Although non-emergency issues not contained on this agenda may come before the 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 Fishery Conservation and Management 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 Executive Director Cate O'Keefe (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

Dated: March 24, 2026.

Rey Israel Marquez,

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

[FR Doc. 2026-05895 Filed 3-25-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

Published Document: 2026-05895 (91 FR 14682)