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Written comments must be received at the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) office no later than 8:00 a.m., Thursday, April 10, 2025, to be considered at this meeting. Please address the comments to Council Chair Rick Bellavance or Executive Director Cate O’Keefe at: NEFMC, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. Email submissions should be sent to comments@nefmc.org. ** Written comments must address items listed on the agenda for this meeting or issues that will be brought up under the open period for public comment.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: The Council’s “Guidelines for Providing Public Comments” can be found here. Anyone interested in speaking during the open period for public comment should fill out the sign-up sheet on the table at the entrance to the Council meeting room. To speak remotely, email Alex Dunn at adunn@nefmc.org to get on the list.

  • Important: Starting at the April Meeting, the Council will use the Zoom webinar platform. Please refer to the Council’s Zoom Remote Participation Guide for instructions on logging in, providing oral comments, and navigating the platform.
  • Are you on the webinar and having trouble? We have a Help Desk! Email us at helpdesk@nefmc.org.

Monday, April 14, 2025

10:00 a.m. Executive Committee Closed Session

1:00 p.m. Introductions and Announcements (Council Chair Rick Bellavance)

1:05 Reports on Recent Activities - Council Chair, Council Executive Director, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) Regional Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) General Counsel, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA Enforcement

2:30 Risk Policy Working Group (Megan Ware)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

9:00 a.m. Risk Policy Part Two (Megan Ware)

10:30 NEFSC Fishery Monitoring and Research Division Updated (Katherine “KB” McArdle, NEFSC)

12:00 p.m. Habitat Committee Report (Melissa Smith)

12:15 Open Period for Public Comment - Opportunity for the public to provide brief comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda (please limit remarks to 3 minutes)

12:30 Lunch Break

1:45 Groundfish Committee Report (Rick Bellavance)

3:30 Sector Observer Coverage Rates (Hank Soule, Sector Manager and Glenn Chamberlain, NEFSC)

5:00 Council Adjourns

6:00 Council Public Outreach (Hilton Hotel, Mystic – lobby area) - Informational exchange to foster open lines of communication; all are welcome; light snacks provided

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

9:00 a.m. Atlantic Herring Research Track Peer Review (Dr. Jon Hare, NEFSC)

9:45 Atlantic Herring Committee Report (Cheri Patterson; SSC Chair Dr. Lisa Kerr)

11:00 State of the Ecosystem (Dr. Joe Caracappa, NEFSC; SSC Chair Dr. Lisa Kerr)

12:30 Lunch Break

1:45 Climate and Ecosystem Steering Committee (John Pappalardo)

3:00 On-Demand Fishing Gear Conflict Working Group (Mike Pierdinock; Caroline Potter, Alli Murphy, GARFO)

3:45 Monkfish and Skate Committee Reports (Matt Gates, Scott Olszewski)

Thursday, April 17, 2025

9:00 a.m. Congressional Update (Dave Whaley)

10:30 Scallop Committee Report (Melanie Griffin)

12:00 Other Business

Consistent with 16 USC 1852, this meeting will be recorded. Audio files will be available on the website within two-to-three days of the meeting’s conclusion.