# New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Notice of public meeting.
**SUMMARY:**
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is holding a hybrid public meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 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 Monday, March 30, 2026, beginning at 9 a.m. EST. Webinar Registration information: *https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ap6Uf9cxQoWMJgXx9q72bg.*
**ADDRESSES:**
This meeting will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn, 100 Boardman Street, Boston, MA 02128, Phone: (617) 567-6789.
*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 Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet and discuss the 2026 State of the Ecosystem Report (SOE) for New England compiled by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center: identify the key signals described therein that the Council should consider when making management decisions over the next year; discuss strategies for operationalizing these reports for SSC and Council deliberations and recommend improvements to future reports. They will also receive updates on Risk Policy and provide feedback on the following: Risk Policy Concept, including revisions to the number of factors; draft instructions for the SSC and Plan Development Teams on using the Risk Policy; mechanics and proposed implementation of the Risk Policy; worked example(s) of applying the Risk Policy with an ABC Control Rule. The SSC will receive an update and provide input on plans for an SSC workshop on dynamic reference points in June 2026. Other business will be discussed as necessary.
Although non-emergency issues not contained on the agenda may come before this 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 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 Cate O'Keefe, Executive Director, at 978-465-0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
*Authority:* 16 U.S.C. 1801 *et seq.*
Dated: March 11, 2026.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.