New England Fishery Management Council; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Notice of Public Scoping Meetings

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The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) announces its intention to prepare, in cooperation with NMFS, an EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act to assess potential effects on the human environment of alternative measures to address management and conservation measures for the Northeast (NE) multispecies fishery. This action is necessary to provide analytical support for an amendment to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) examining potential rules to reduce the likelihood that groundfish permit holders will acquire or control excessive shares of fishing privileges in the fishery and that over- consolidation will occur within the fleet. This notice announces a public process for determining the scope of issues to be addressed, and for identifying the significant issues related to fleet diversity and the implementation of accumulation limits for this fishery. This notice is to alert the interested public of the scoping process, the development of the Draft EIS, and to provide for public participation in that process.