80 FR 45641 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery off the South Atlantic States; Amendment 37
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 147 (July 31, 2015)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 147 (July 31, 2015)
| Page Range | 45641-45642 | |
| FR Document | 2015-18736 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 147 (Friday, July 31, 2015)] [Notices] [Pages 45641-45642] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-18736] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XE027 Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery off the South Atlantic States; Amendment 37 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS); request for comments; notice of scoping meetings. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NMFS, Southeast Region, in collaboration with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council), intends to prepare an EIS to evaluate a range of alternative management actions in association with Amendment 37 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 37). The purpose of this NOI is to solicit public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS and to announce a scoping meeting. DATES: The Council will discuss alternatives and take scoping comments at a public meeting held via webinar beginning at 6 p.m. on August 10, 2015. Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS will be accepted until August 31, 2015. ADDRESSES: Registration and technical information for the public scoping meeting held via webinar is found under the Scoping Meeting heading below. Written comments may be submitted on the NOI identified by ``NOAA- NMFS-2015-0083'' by either of the following methods:Electronic submissions: Submit electronic comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2015-0083, click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. Mail: Submit written comments to Nikhil Mehta, NMFS Southeast Regional Office (SERO), 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nikhil Mehta, NMFS SERO, telephone: 727-824-5305, or email: [email protected]. Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: 843-571-4376, or email: [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Currently, hogfish are managed under two FMPs. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf of Mexico Council) manages one hogfish stock in the FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico. The South Atlantic Council manages the other hogfish stock in the FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. In August 2014, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission completed a benchmark stock assessment for hogfish as part of the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) process (SEDAR 37). Amendment 37 responds to the August 2014 benchmark stock assessment of hogfish that defined three separate stocks in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, including one stock that is subject to overfishing and is overfished. Amendment 37 and the associated EIS consider new reference points, status determination criteria, catch levels, and management measures for the two new stocks in the South Atlantic, including a rebuilding plan for the stock that is overfished. In October 2014, the South Atlantic Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) reviewed the stock assessment and provided recommended approaches for calculating fishing level recommendations, which the South Atlantic Council reviewed at their December 2014 meeting. Based on genetic evidence used in the stock assessment, the SSC supported the assessment's approach of defining two separate hogfish stocks in the South Atlantic, one stock off Georgia and North Carolina (GA-NC) and one stock off the Florida Keys and eastern Florida (FLK/EFL), and a third stock in the eastern Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida (WFL). The SSC determined that the stock assessment for the GA-NC stock does not represent the best scientific information available for determining stock status, i.e., whether the stock is subject to overfishing or is overfished, or for informing management decisions. Instead, they recommended that catch level recommendations for the GA- NC hogfish stock be developed using the Only Reliable Catch Stocks (ORCS) approach set forth in Level 4 of the Council's acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule. Using the ORCS approach, the ABC for the GA-NC stock recommended by the SSC is 28,161 pounds whole weight (lb ww). For the FLK/EFL stock, the SSC determined that the benchmark stock assessment represents the best scientific information available and recommended it for use in management decisions. The assessment results indicate the FLK/EFL stock is undergoing overfishing and is overfished. Amendment 37 and the associated EIS consider and evaluate a number of management actions responding to this new scientific information and the recommendations from the South Atlantic Council's SSC. The management actions include modifying the hogfish management unit from one stock to two separate stocks in the South Atlantic, and defining individual stock boundaries, including the boundary between the FLK/EFL stock managed by [[Page 45642]] the South Atlantic Council and the WFL stock managed by the Gulf of Mexico Council. These boundary demarcations will aid in enforcing regulations and in tracking the annual catch limits (ACLs) and annual catch targets (ACTs) for each stock. On February 17, 2015, NMFS notified the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Councils that the FLK/EFL stock is overfished and undergoing overfishing, based on the results of the 2014 benchmark stock assessment. Within two years of such a notification, the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires an FMP amendment or proposed regulations be prepared and implemented to end overfishing immediately and to rebuild the affected stock. Therefore, Amendment 37 and the associated EIS also contain rebuilding plan alternatives to increase the biomass of the FLK/EFL stock to a sustainable level within a specified time period. Finally, for both the FLK/EFL and GA-NC stocks, Amendment 37 and the associated EIS also contain alternatives for management reference points (optimum yield and maximum sustainable yield), status determination criteria (overfishing limit and minimum stock size threshold), ACLs (including by sector), ACTs, accountability measures, and new or modified commercial and recreational minimum size limits, commercial trip limits, and recreational bag limits. In accordance with NOAA's Administrative Order 216-6, Section 5.02(c), Scoping Process, NMFS, in collaboration with the South Atlantic Council, is conducting scoping to help identify significant environmental issues related to these proposed actions and alternatives. The public is invited to attend the scoping meeting (date and address below) and provide written comments on the actions and alternatives in the Amendment 37 scoping document. A copy of the Amendment 37 scoping document is available at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/s_atl/sg/index.html. The preliminary actions and alternatives included in the scoping document may not represent the full range of actions and alternatives that will be considered and evaluated in Amendment 37 and the associated EIS. The South Atlantic Council will review scoping comments at their September meeting. After the draft EIS (DEIS) associated with Amendment 37 is completed, it will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). After filing, the EPA will publish a notice of availability of the DEIS for public comment in the Federal Register. NMFS will solicit public comment on the DEIS for 45 days pursuant to regulations issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and to NOAA's Administrative Order 216-6 regarding NOAA's compliance with NEPA and the CEQ regulations. The South Atlantic Council and NMFS will consider public comments received on the DEIS in developing the final EIS (FEIS), and before the South Atlantic Council votes to submit Amendment 37 to NMFS for Secretarial review, approval, and implementation under the Magnuson- Stevens Act. NMFS will announce in the Federal Register the availability of the final amendment and proposed implementing regulations for public review during the Magnuson-Stevens Act Secretarial review period. The EPA will announce the availability of the FEIS for public review. NMFS will consider all public comments received during the Secretarial review period, whether they are on the final amendment, the proposed regulations, or the FEIS, prior to final agency action. Scoping Meeting The scoping meeting will be held via webinar on August 10, 2015. The scoping meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and will be accessible via the internet from the South Atlantic Council's Web site at www.safmc.net. Registration for the webinar is required. Registration information will be posted on the South Atlantic Council's Web site at www.safmc.net as it becomes available. Webinar registrants may test or confirm their computer setup for the webinar one hour prior to the meeting and contact Mike Collins at 843-763-1050 to address any questions regarding webinar setup. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: July 27, 2015. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015-18736 Filed 7-30-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 147 / Friday, July 31, 2015 / Notices 45641
possibly comment on. Because there are at a public meeting held via webinar Review (SEDAR) process (SEDAR 37).
no compelling reasons to deny beginning at 6 p.m. on August 10, 2015. Amendment 37 responds to the August
Petitioners’ request, in accordance with Written comments on the scope of 2014 benchmark stock assessment of
section 733(c)(1)(A) of the Act, the issues to be addressed in the EIS will be hogfish that defined three separate
Department is postponing the deadline accepted until August 31, 2015. stocks in the South Atlantic and Gulf of
for the preliminary determinations by ADDRESSES: Registration and technical Mexico, including one stock that is
50 days. information for the public scoping subject to overfishing and is overfished.
For the reasons stated above, the meeting held via webinar is found Amendment 37 and the associated EIS
Department, in accordance with section under the Scoping Meeting heading consider new reference points, status
733(c)(1)(A) of the Act, is postponing below. determination criteria, catch levels, and
the deadline for the preliminary Written comments may be submitted management measures for the two new
determinations to no later than 190 days on the NOI identified by ‘‘NOAA– stocks in the South Atlantic, including
after the date on which the Department NMFS–2015–0083’’ by either of the a rebuilding plan for the stock that is
initiated these investigations. Therefore, following methods: overfished.
the new deadline for the preliminary • Electronic submissions: Submit In October 2014, the South Atlantic
determinations is October 6, 2015. In electronic comments via the Federal e- Council’s Scientific and Statistical
accordance with section 735(a)(1) of the Rulemaking Portal. Go to Committee (SSC) reviewed the stock
Act, the deadline for the final www.regulations.gov/ assessment and provided recommended
determinations of these investigations #!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2015- approaches for calculating fishing level
will continue to be 75 days after the 0083, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, recommendations, which the South
date of the preliminary determinations, complete the required fields, and enter Atlantic Council reviewed at their
unless postponed at a later date. or attach your comments. December 2014 meeting. Based on
This notice is issued and published • Mail: Submit written comments to genetic evidence used in the stock
pursuant to section 733(c)(2) of the Act Nikhil Mehta, NMFS Southeast Regional assessment, the SSC supported the
and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1). Office (SERO), 263 13th Avenue South, assessment’s approach of defining two
Dated: July 24, 2015. St. Petersburg, FL 33701. separate hogfish stocks in the South
Paul Piquado, Instructions: Comments sent by any Atlantic, one stock off Georgia and
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and other method, to any other address or North Carolina (GA-NC) and one stock
Compliance. individual, or received after the end of off the Florida Keys and eastern Florida
[FR Doc. 2015–18843 Filed 7–30–15; 8:45 am] the comment period, may not be (FLK/EFL), and a third stock in the
considered by NMFS. All comments eastern Gulf of Mexico off the west coast
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received are a part of the public record of Florida (WFL).
and will generally be posted for public The SSC determined that the stock
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE viewing on www.regulations.gov assessment for the GA-NC stock does
without change. All personal identifying not represent the best scientific
National Oceanic and Atmospheric information (e.g., name, address, etc.), information available for determining
Administration confidential business information, or stock status, i.e., whether the stock is
otherwise sensitive information subject to overfishing or is overfished,
RIN 0648–XE027 or for informing management decisions.
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. NMFS will Instead, they recommended that catch
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ level recommendations for the GA-NC
Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-
A’’ in the required fields if you wish to hogfish stock be developed using the
Grouper Fishery off the South Atlantic
remain anonymous). Only Reliable Catch Stocks (ORCS)
States; Amendment 37
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
approach set forth in Level 4 of the
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Council’s acceptable biological catch
Nikhil Mehta, NMFS SERO, telephone:
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and (ABC) control rule. Using the ORCS
727–824–5305, or email: nikhil.mehta@
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), approach, the ABC for the GA-NC stock
noaa.gov. Kim Iverson, Public
Commerce. recommended by the SSC is 28,161
Information Officer, South Atlantic
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare pounds whole weight (lb ww).
Fisheries Management Council, 4055 For the FLK/EFL stock, the SSC
an environmental impact statement Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North
(EIS); request for comments; notice of determined that the benchmark stock
Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: 843– assessment represents the best scientific
scoping meetings. 571–4376, or email: kim.iverson@ information available and recommended
SUMMARY: NMFS, Southeast Region, in safmc.net. it for use in management decisions. The
collaboration with the South Atlantic SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Currently, assessment results indicate the FLK/EFL
Fishery Management Council (South hogfish are managed under two FMPs. stock is undergoing overfishing and is
Atlantic Council), intends to prepare an The Gulf of Mexico Fishery overfished.
EIS to evaluate a range of alternative Management Council (Gulf of Mexico Amendment 37 and the associated EIS
management actions in association with Council) manages one hogfish stock in consider and evaluate a number of
Amendment 37 to the Fishery the FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of management actions responding to this
Management Plan (FMP) for the the Gulf of Mexico. The South Atlantic new scientific information and the
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Council manages the other hogfish stock recommendations from the South
Atlantic Region (Amendment 37). The in the FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Atlantic Council’s SSC. The
purpose of this NOI is to solicit public Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. In management actions include modifying
comments on the scope of issues to be August 2014, the Florida Fish and the hogfish management unit from one
addressed in the EIS and to announce a Wildlife Conservation Commission stock to two separate stocks in the South
scoping meeting. completed a benchmark stock Atlantic, and defining individual stock
DATES: The Council will discuss assessment for hogfish as part of the boundaries, including the boundary
alternatives and take scoping comments Southeast Data, Assessment, and between the FLK/EFL stock managed by
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![45642 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 147 / Friday, July 31, 2015 / Notices
the South Atlantic Council and the WFL the EPA will publish a notice of DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
stock managed by the Gulf of Mexico availability of the DEIS for public
Council. These boundary demarcations comment in the Federal Register. NMFS National Oceanic and Atmospheric
will aid in enforcing regulations and in will solicit public comment on the DEIS Administration
tracking the annual catch limits (ACLs) for 45 days pursuant to regulations RIN 0648–XC969
and annual catch targets (ACTs) for each issued by the Council on Environmental
stock. Quality (CEQ) for implementing the Draft Guidance for Assessing the
On February 17, 2015, NMFS notified procedural provisions of the National Effects of Anthropogenic Sound on
the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Hearing—Acoustic
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 40
Councils that the FLK/EFL stock is Threshold Levels for Onset of
CFR parts 1500–1508) and to NOAA’s
overfished and undergoing overfishing, Permanent and Temporary Threshold
based on the results of the 2014 Administrative Order 216–6 regarding
NOAA’s compliance with NEPA and the Shifts
benchmark stock assessment. Within
two years of such a notification, the CEQ regulations. AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery The South Atlantic Council and Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Conservation and Management Act NMFS will consider public comments Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
(Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires an received on the DEIS in developing the Commerce.
FMP amendment or proposed final EIS (FEIS), and before the South ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
regulations be prepared and Atlantic Council votes to submit
implemented to end overfishing Amendment 37 to NMFS for Secretarial SUMMARY: The National Marine
immediately and to rebuild the affected review, approval, and implementation Fisheries Service (NMFS), on behalf of
stock. Therefore, Amendment 37 and under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. NMFS and the National Ocean Service
the associated EIS also contain NMFS will announce in the Federal (referred collectively here as the
rebuilding plan alternatives to increase National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Register the availability of the final
the biomass of the FLK/EFL stock to a Administration (NOAA)), announces the
amendment and proposed
sustainable level within a specified time availability of a revised version of draft
period. implementing regulations for public
guidance for assessing the effects of
Finally, for both the FLK/EFL and review during the Magnuson-Stevens
anthropogenic sound on marine
GA-NC stocks, Amendment 37 and the Act Secretarial review period. The EPA
mammal species under NOAA’s
associated EIS also contain alternatives will announce the availability of the jurisdiction. The guidance provides
for management reference points FEIS for public review. NMFS will updated received levels, or thresholds,
(optimum yield and maximum consider all public comments received above which individual marine
sustainable yield), status determination during the Secretarial review period, mammals are predicted to experience
criteria (overfishing limit and minimum whether they are on the final changes in their hearing sensitivity
stock size threshold), ACLs (including amendment, the proposed regulations, (either temporary or permanent) for all
by sector), ACTs, accountability or the FEIS, prior to final agency action. underwater anthropogenic sound
measures, and new or modified sources. NOAA solicits public comment
commercial and recreational minimum Scoping Meeting
on the revised draft guidance based on
size limits, commercial trip limits, and The scoping meeting will be held via updated scientific information and
recreational bag limits. comments received during the first
In accordance with NOAA’s webinar on August 10, 2015. The
scoping meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and public comment period.
Administrative Order 216–6, Section
5.02(c), Scoping Process, NMFS, in will be accessible via the internet from DATES: Comments must be received by
collaboration with the South Atlantic the South Atlantic Council’s Web site at September 14, 2015.
Council, is conducting scoping to help www.safmc.net. Registration for the ADDRESSES: The revised draft guidance
identify significant environmental webinar is required. Registration is available in electronic form via the
issues related to these proposed actions information will be posted on the South Internet at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
and alternatives. The public is invited to Atlantic Council’s Web site at pr/acoustics/.
attend the scoping meeting (date and www.safmc.net as it becomes available. You may submit comments, which
address below) and provide written Webinar registrants may test or confirm should be identified with NOAA–
comments on the actions and their computer setup for the webinar NMFS–2013–0177, by any of the
alternatives in the Amendment 37 one hour prior to the meeting and following methods:
scoping document. A copy of the contact Mike Collins at 843–763–1050 Electronic Submissions: Submit all
Amendment 37 scoping document is to address any questions regarding electronic public comments via the
available at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ webinar setup. Federal eRulemaking Portal http://
sustainable_fisheries/s_atl/sg/ www.regulations.gov.
index.html. The preliminary actions and Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Mail: Send comments to: Chief,
alternatives included in the scoping Dated: July 27, 2015. Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle
document may not represent the full Emily H. Menashes, Conservation Division, Office of
range of actions and alternatives that Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Protected Resources, National Marine
will be considered and evaluated in Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
Amendment 37 and the associated EIS. Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910–
[FR Doc. 2015–18736 Filed 7–30–15; 8:45 am]
The South Atlantic Council will review 3226, Attn: Acoustic Guidance.
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
scoping comments at their September Instructions: All comments received
meeting. are a part of the public record and will
After the draft EIS (DEIS) associated generally be posted to http://
with Amendment 37 is completed, it www.regulations.gov without change.
will be filed with the Environmental All Personal Identifying Information
Protection Agency (EPA). After filing, (e.g., name, address, etc.) voluntarily
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Document Created: 2015-12-15 12:59:30
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 12:59:30
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS); request for comments; notice of scoping meetings. | |
| Dates | The Council will discuss alternatives and take scoping comments at a public meeting held via webinar beginning at 6 p.m. on August 10, 2015. | |
| Contact | Nikhil Mehta, NMFS SERO, telephone: 727-824-5305, or email: [email protected] Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: 843-571-4376, or email: [email protected] | |
| FR Citation | 80 FR 45641 | |
| RIN Number | 0648-XE02 |
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