81 FR 19547 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Amendment 17A

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 65 (April 5, 2016)

The Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 17A to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. Amendment 17A includes actions to extend the Gulf commercial shrimp permit moratorium and retain the royal red endorsement to the Gulf shrimp permit.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 19547-19548]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07732]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

RIN 0648-BF77


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Amendment 17A

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Council) 
has submitted Amendment 17A to the Fishery Management Plan for the 
Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) for review, approval, and 
implementation by NMFS. Amendment 17A includes actions to extend the 
Gulf commercial shrimp permit moratorium and retain the royal red 
endorsement to the Gulf shrimp permit.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 6, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on Amendment 17A, identified by 
``NOAA-NMFS-2016-0018'' by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2016-0018, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Susan Gerhart, Southeast 
Regional Office, NMFS, 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).
    Electronic copies of Amendment 17A, which includes an environmental

[[Page 19548]]

assessment, a Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis, and a regulatory 
impact review, may be obtained from the Southeast Regional Office Web 
site at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/gulf_fisheries/shrimp/2016/am17a/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Gerhart, telephone: 727-824-
5305, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires each regional 
fishery management council to submit any FMP or amendment to NMFS for 
review and approval, partial approval, or disapproval. The Magnuson-
Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, upon receiving a plan or 
amendment, publish an announcement in the Federal Register notifying 
the public that the plan or amendment is available for review and 
comment.
    The FMP being revised by Amendment 17A was prepared by the Council 
and implemented through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under the 
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Background

    In 2002, through Amendment 11 to the FMP, the Council established a 
Federal commercial open access permit for all vessels harvesting shrimp 
from federal waters of the Gulf (67 FR 51074, August 7, 2002). 
Approximately 2,951 vessels had been issued these permits by 2006. 
After the establishment of the permit, the shrimp fishery experienced 
economic losses, primarily because of high fuel costs and reduced 
shrimp prices caused by competition from imports. These economic losses 
resulted in decreasing numbers of vessels in the fishery, and 
consequently, reduction of effort. The Council determined that the 
number of vessels in the offshore shrimp fleet would likely decline to 
a point where the fishery again became profitable for the remaining 
participants, and new vessels might want to enter the fishery. That 
additional effort could negate, or at least lessen, profitability for 
the fleet as a whole. Consequently, through Amendment 13 to the FMP, 
the Council established a 10-year moratorium on the issuance of new 
Federal commercial shrimp vessel permits and established a royal red 
shrimp endorsement to the Gulf shrimp permit (71 FR 56039, September 
26, 2006). The moratorium on permits also indirectly controls shrimping 
effort in Federal waters and thereby, bycatch levels of juvenile red 
snapper and sea turtles. The final rule implementing the moratorium was 
effective October 26, 2006, and the moratorium permits became effective 
in March 2007. Amendment 17A would extend the moratorium for an 
additional 10 years until October 26, 2026. Extending the moratorium is 
expected to maintain the biological, social, and economic benefits to 
the shrimp fishery achieved under the moratorium over the past 10 
years.
    The purpose of establishing the royal red shrimp endorsement was to 
help inform data collectors about who the royal red shrimpers were and 
collect better information about the fishery. These endorsements are 
available to anyone with a Federal Gulf commercial shrimp permit and 
many more royal red shrimp endorsements are issued than the number of 
vessels actually harvesting royal red shrimp. Royal red shrimp are 
primarily harvested from deep waters requiring greater capital 
investment; therefore, historically only a small number of boats have 
been engaged in harvesting royal red shrimp. In Amendment 17A, the 
Council considered eliminating the royal red shrimp endorsement to the 
Gulf shrimp permit. However, the Council chose to retain the 
endorsement because it may be useful in the future to identify 
shrimpers who could be exempt from closed areas and for enforcement.
    A proposed rule that would implement measures outlined in Amendment 
17A has been drafted. In accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS 
is evaluating the proposed rule to determine whether it is consistent 
with the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law. If 
that determination is affirmative, NMFS will publish the proposed rule 
in the Federal Register for public review and comment.

Consideration of Public Comments

    The Council has submitted Amendment 17A for Secretarial review, 
approval, and implementation. Comments on Amendment 17A must be 
received by June 6, 2016. Comments received during the respective 
comment periods, whether specifically directed to the amendment or the 
proposed rule, will be considered by NMFS in its decision to approve, 
disapprove, or partially approve the amendment and will be addressed in 
the final rule.

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

    Dated: March 31, 2016.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-07732 Filed 4-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P