83 FR 42640 - U.S. Purse Seine Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 164 (August 23, 2018)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 164 (August 23, 2018)
| Page Range | 42640-42644 | |
| FR Document | 2018-18194 |
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 164 (Thursday, August 23, 2018)] [Notices] [Pages 42640-42644] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2018-18194] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648--XG261 U.S. Purse Seine Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an environmental impact statement; announcement of public scoping period; request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NMFS is gathering information necessary to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for future management actions for the U.S. purse seine fishery in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). This notice of intent to prepare an EIS represents the beginning of the public scoping process and invites interested parties to provide comments on alternatives to be considered in an EIS and to identify potential issues, concerns, and any reasonable additional alternatives that should be considered. DATES: To ensure consideration during the development of this EIS, written comments on the scope and alternatives to be considered in the EIS must be submitted no later than October 8, 2018. Public comments will also be accepted during two webinars scheduled for 9:30-11:30 a.m. September 11, 2018 and 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., September 14, 2018. Both webinars are scheduled in Hawai[revaps]i Standard Time (HST; UTC-10:00). Please notify David O'Brien (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, below) by August 31, 2018, if you plan to attend either or both webinars. Instructions for connecting or calling in to the webinars will be emailed to meeting participants. Accommodations for persons with disabilities are available; accommodation requests should be directed to David O'Brien at least 10 working days prior to the webinar. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the scope of this EIS by either of the following methods:Electronic submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. 1. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2018-0062, 2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and 3. Enter or attach your comments. --OR-- Mail: Submit written comments to Michael D. Tosatto, Regional Administrator, NMFS, Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO), 1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818. Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period might 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 and address), confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). Copies of this document can be obtained from Michael D. Tosatto, Regional Administrator, NMFS PIRO (see address above) and are available at www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2018-0062. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David O'Brien, NMFS PIRO, at [email protected], or at (808) 725-5038. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Purse seine vessels flagged to the United States fish for skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and other tunas in the WCPO. The fishery developed in the 1970s and early 1980s as some U.S. tuna vessels moved west from fishing grounds in the eastern Pacific. The vessels participating in this fishery currently are large: Between 175 and 260 feet in length with crews of between 19 and 40. Purse seining is fishing by setting a vertically oriented net around a school of fish, and then closing, or ``pursing'', the bottom of the net to capture the fish. The vessels use purse seine nets up to about 6,500 feet long and 600 feet deep and in recent years (2013-2017) vessels set their nets, on average, once per fishing day. NMFS manages the fishery in accordance with U.S. laws implementing international agreements, including the Treaty on Fisheries Between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America,\1\ also known as the South Pacific Tuna Treaty (hereafter, Treaty), and conservation and management measures adopted by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (hereafter, Commission or WCPFC). The fishery operates in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Pacific Island parties to the Treaty (hereafter, PIPs) and that of the United States, as well as on the high seas in the WCPO. This EIS will address all U.S. tuna purse seine fisheries within the area of application of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean; a map of which is available at the WCPFC website at: www.wcpfc.int/doc/convention-area-map. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ Parties to the Treaty include: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Fiji, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Republic of Palau, Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Independent State of Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, Republic of Vanuatu and the United States of America. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The U.S. purse seine fleet is not the only fishing fleet active in this region. Other major flags of purse seine fishing vessels in the region include: Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Papua New Guinea, and Taiwan. The U.S. fleet's fishing activities accounted for approximately 14 percent of the total purse seine fishing effort--measured in fishing days--in the WCPO from 2010 through 2016.\2\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ Pacific Community--Oceanic Fisheries Programme. 2017. WCPFC14 Information Papers 05--Revision 1 (20 Nov 2017) Catch and Effort Tables on Tropical Tuna CMMs. Available at: www.wcpfc.int/node/30076.. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The regulations under which the U.S. fleet operates require changes in response to new decisions of the [[Page 42641]] Commission and new provisions of the Treaty, as well as changes in other laws. The Commission typically adopts new conservation and management measures relevant to this fishery annually. The PIPs and the United States agreed to amendments to the Treaty and its Annexes in 2016, along with a Memorandum of Understanding regarding their intent to provisionally apply some of the amendments pending completion of ratification and entry into force. Some provisions of the Treaty Annexes extend only through 2020 or 2022. NMFS promulgates regulations to implement the Commission's decisions (50 CFR part 300, subpart O) under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) and provisions of the Treaty (50 CFR part 300, subpart D) under authority of the South Pacific Tuna Act (16 U.S.C. 973-973r). In addition, NMFS may regulate the fishery to meet the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and other applicable laws. Regulations may control fishing effort and/or catches, specify open and closed areas and/or the use and design of fishing gear, among others. Recent regulatory changes have focused on Commission decisions limiting total fishing effort and the number of sets associated with fish aggregating devices (FADs). The objectives of these decisions include reducing fishing mortality on bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), which are caught primarily when fishing on FADs, and controlling fishing mortality on yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and skipjack tuna. The proposed action in this EIS is the continued authorization of the U.S. purse seine fishery in the WCPO. Analysis of this proposed action under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) involves examining likely future management of the fishery. Since management measures (including Commission decisions, Treaty provisions, and other applicable laws) can change substantially each year, a wide range of alternative regulatory approaches would be appropriate as action alternatives for consideration in this EIS. Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action The purpose of and need for the proposed action is the continued authorization of the U.S. purse seine fishery in the WCPO under existing and reasonably foreseeable future management measures. Alternatives for Consideration Both no-action and action alternatives have been drafted for consideration during the public scoping period. NMFS has not yet identified a preferred alternative or preferred alternatives. Briefly, these alternatives are: No-Action Alternatives No-action alternatives are used in NEPA documents to establish the baseline against which the environmental impacts of the action alternatives are assessed, and they are often thought of as either maintaining the status quo--or current management--or not proceeding with the proposed action. There would still be environmental consequences of not proceeding with the proposed action, and defining no-action alternatives allows for the explicit evaluation of these impacts on their own and in relation to action alternatives. NMFS is considering analyzing two separate no-action alternatives in this EIS: A no-action alternative under which there would be no U.S. purse seine fishery in the WCPO (a no-fishery alternative), as well as a no-action alterative under which fishing operations and management would continue as they have in recent years (the status quo alternative). Specifics of these two draft no-action alternatives are: No-action alternative A: No fishery. No U.S. purse seine fishing in any portion of the WCPO, which includes the EEZs of the United States and other countries, as well as the high seas. No-action alternative B: Status quo. A fishery with regulatory conditions and fishing activity distributed across the EEZs of the United States and other countries and the high seas in proportions similar to that seen in recent years (2014-2017). Specifically, a fishery with approximately 7,000 fishing days of effort, 7,000 total net sets and 2,800 FAD sets (40 percent FAD sets). Action Alternatives Action alternatives are generally the management options proposed or considered when the NEPA process begins. The action alternatives are meant to describe potential alternative approaches to achieve the defined purpose and need of the proposed action. NMFS recommends analyzing two specific classes of action alternatives in the EIS: 1. Alternatives that control the type and amount of fishing, such as limits on fishing effort, catches, and fishing methods; and 2. Alternatives that control the allocation and use of fishing privileges amongst participants in the fishery. We address these two classes of draft action alternatives separately here and describe how they would be addressed concurrently in the EIS. Alternatives That Control the Type and Amount of Fishing The controls on type and amount of fishing will be the primary drivers of environmental consequences of the fishery. The NMFS approach to developing action alternatives has been to review recent regulations, Treaty terms, and Commission decisions to understand the potential range of future management actions. There has been significant variability in management approaches in recent years, and both more and less restrictive regulatory changes have occurred. Recent controls on the type and amount of fishing have focused on limits on fishing effort generally and restrictions on the use of FADs (i.e., limits on a subset of fishing effort). For both fishing effort and FAD use, NFMS has drafted alternatives that cover a wide range of possible future management outcomes (Table 1). NMFS is suggesting this approach to extend the usefulness of the analysis in this EIS, as the environmental impacts of future management measures that are not specifically analyzed can be quickly estimated relative to those that are. Fishing Effort Regulations The annual fishing effort possible by the U.S. WCPO purse seine fleet is currently limited by the Treaty, which limits the number of license applications that may be forwarded to the Treaty Administrator to 40. Given the recent average of one net set per fishing day per vessel and imagining 40 vessels actively fishing about 80 percent of the time, a theoretical maximum annual effort level is approximately 12,000 fishing days (or 12,000 sets). Over the last 15 years, the highest annual fishing effort recorded by the fleet was 8,664 fishing days (2014). The maximum number of U.S. purse seine vessels fishing in any of the last 15 years has been 40 (2013 and 2014), but it has been as low as 15 vessels (2005) and is currently 33 (2018). For the purposes of evaluating potential future management actions in this EIS, U.S. purse seine effort levels up to 12,000 fishing days annually are plausible. Along with the two no-action alternatives, representing 0 and 7,000 fishing days of effort, respectively, NMFS is considering [[Page 42642]] analyzing three action alternatives with respect to limits on fishing effort: 5,000, 9,000, and 12,000 fishing days (Table 1). The annual fishing effort associated with the action alternatives would be distributed across the U.S. EEZ, the high seas, and the EEZs of the PIPs. Since 2009, fishing effort in the U.S. EEZ and on the high seas in the WCPFC Convention Area has been limited in accordance with Commission decisions. The limits on the number of days of effort have, in the past, applied to the combined high seas and the U.S. EEZ (referred to in U.S. fisheries regulations as the Effort Limit Area for Purse Seine, or ELAPS). The combined U.S. EEZ and high seas limits dropped from 2,588 fishing days per year in 2009-2013 to 1,828 fishing days per year in 2014-2017. Future effort limits could apply to the U.S. EEZ and high seas areas separately. NMFS has recently implemented a limit of 458 fishing days in the U.S. EEZ--with the potential to increase to 558 fishing days if certain conditions are met--and 1,370 fishing days on the high seas for 2018 (see final rule implementing recent decisions of the WCPFC at 83 FR 33851, published July 18, 2018; hereafter ``2018 Final Rule''). The number of fishing days available to the U.S. purse seine fleet in the EEZs of the PIPs is higher than the number of fishing days available in the U.S. EEZ or on the high seas. The Treaty specifies a set number of ``upfront'' days that are available each year for the U.S. fleet to fish in the EEZs of PIPs. The Treaty Annexes stipulate the maximum number of upfront days that are available to the U.S. fleet and the price per day. The Treaty also identifies that ``additional'' days can be purchased by the owners of U.S. vessels directly from individual PIPs. Any conditions put by the PIPs on the use of these additional days must be consistent with the Treaty terms, but no other specifications--such as price--are defined in the Treaty. Provisions allowing for additional fishing day purchases were adopted as part of the 2016 amendments to the Treaty, and 2017 was the first year that the option of purchasing additional days was available under the amended Treaty. The only limit to the number of additional days available to the U.S. purse seine fleet are limits internally agreed by the PIPs on the number of fishing days they will make available--which might be informed to some degree by the decisions of the WCPFC--and competition for their purchase by other international purse seine fleets. Ultimately, the spatial distribution of fishing effort (i.e., with respect to the U.S. EEZ, the high seas, and the PIPs' EEZs) will depend largely on the amount of effort that is available in each area each year. For each action alternative, NMFS would address the specifics of effort distribution within each alternative (Table 1) separately; and where necessary, NMFS would discuss the implications of variable effort distribution on impacts of that alternative to the human environment. FAD Regulations Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are generally floating objects; they include natural objects as well as rafts deployed from purse seine vessels specifically to aggregate tuna. FADs tend to attract marine life, including tunas, and can be an effective method to increase tuna catch per unit of fishing effort. Purse seine sets on FADs tend to result in higher catches of targeted skipjack tuna than unassociated sets, but also increase the catch of bigeye tuna--most of which is relatively young--and young yellowfin tuna, as well as other marine life. Recent FAD regulations have included: Prohibitions on the times and/or locations that FADs can be deployed, serviced, or set on; limits on the annual number of FAD-directed purse seine sets; and a combination of both seasonal prohibitions and numerical limits. In addition, a recent Commission decision includes a limit of 350 FADs with activated instrumented buoys that each fishing vessel may have deployed at any given time (see 2018 Final Rule). NMFS has implemented FAD-use prohibition periods for the U.S. purse seine fleet in the WCPFC Convention Area for 2009-2017 in line with Commission decisions. The prohibition periods were in August and September in 2009, July through September in 2010-2012, July through October in 2013 and 2014, and July through September in 2015-2017. There was also a complete prohibition on the use of FADs on the high seas for 2017. The 2018 Final Rule established FAD use prohibitions for a three-month period (July through September in 2018) and an additional FAD use prohibition period in high seas areas for two months (November and December 2018). In addition to FAD setting prohibitions, NMFS limited the total number of purse seine sets on FADs (``FAD sets'') to 2,522 per year in 2016 and 2017, in line with Commission decisions. The Commission did not establish FAD set limits for 2018. Reasonably foreseeable future FAD measures for the fleet could include further FAD use prohibition periods and/or set limits as seen in recent years, as well as the potential for limitations for FAD design, restrictions for FAD construction materials and reductions in the number of FADs with activated instrumented buoys. Despite this broad range of potential FAD-related management measures, NMFS suggests that the total number of FAD sets--measured as the proportion of total sets made--could approximate the implications of any proposed future FAD management measure. NMFS recommends evaluating four levels of FAD restrictions, ranging from a full prohibition on FAD sets to a higher proportion of FAD sets than seen in recent years, across each of the fishing effort-based alternatives (Table 1). The proportion of total sets that would occur on FADs across this range would be equal to 0, 20, 40 and 60 percent of the total number of sets made. FAD restrictions leading to 40 percent of total sets on FADs would be similar to the FAD restrictions experienced by the fleet over the last five years (average 38 percent of sets on FADs, 2013-2017) when a range of FAD management measures were in place. The 20 percent and 60 percent FAD set proportions bound the range of FAD set proportions for the fleet over during the last decade (min 27 percent, max 54 percent, 2008-2017). The full prohibition level (0 percent FAD sets) ensures the complete range of potential FAD restrictions will be analyzed in the EIS. These proposed action alternatives, related to controls on the type and amount of fishing, are meant to capture the full range of foreseeable future management measures in the fishery. By combining a wide range of fishing effort levels and FAD restrictions into these proposed action alternatives (Table 1), the impact analysis should be relevant to a wide range of future management measures related to effort or FAD restrictions. NMFS interprets these fishing effort and FAD restrictions as proxies for other types of management measures, meaning the application of the impact analysis can be wider still. For example, fishing effort levels would be directly applicable to management measures specifying skipjack tuna or yellowfin tuna catch limits as well as a range of time and area closures. FAD restrictions-- measured as proportion of sets on FADS--are proxies for bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna catch limits, FAD design or material specification, and a range of FAD set closure times and/or locations. With this approach, nearly all foreseeable future management measures can be evaluated relative to the environmental impacts of these proposed action alternatives. [[Page 42643]] Table 1--The Amount of Fishing Effort, in Fishing Days, and Number of FAD Sets Under Proposed Action and No-Action Alternatives That Control the Type and Amount of Fishing To Be Analyzed in an Environmental Impact Statement for the U.S. WCPO Purse Seine Fishery ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fishing effort Number of FAD Alternative (fishing days) sets ------------------------------------------------------------------------ No Action A............................. 0 n/a Action 1a........................... 5,000 0 Action 1b........................... 5,000 1,000 Action 1c........................... 5,000 2,000 Action 1d........................... 5,000 3,000 No Action B............................. 7,000 2,800 Action 2a........................... 9,000 0 Action 2b........................... 9,000 1,800 Action2c............................ 9,000 3,600 Action 2d........................... 9,000 5,400 Action 3a........................... 12,000 0 Action 3b........................... 12,000 2,400 Action 3c........................... 12,000 4,800 Action 3d........................... 12,000 7,200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Control of Allocation and Use of Fishing Privileges One of the most significant amendments to the Treaty in 2016 is the way that vessel owners obtain and pay for fishing privileges--fishing days--in the EEZs of the PIPs. As described previously, both upfront and additional days are available under the Treaty to U.S. purse seine vessels. The Treaty specifies requirements for the timing of notification of upfront fishing day commitments, transfers of upfront fishing days among vessel owners, and notifications of additional fishing day arrangements. In the first two years under the amended Treaty (2017 and 2018), vessel owners have collaborated to allocate the available upfront days amongst themselves, conduct in-season transfers of those days, and communicate both information on upfront and additional day arrangements to NMFS. NMFS has provided owners with updates on day usage as well as helped informally resolve issues that arise over fishing days between U.S. vessels owners and PIPs, based on data available to NMFS. NMFS is proposing to evaluate alternative approaches for allocation, transfers and use tracking of fishing privileges under the Treaty. These alternatives would address the following considerations: (1) Timely provision of information to meet requirements and obligations of the United States under the Treaty, decisions of the Commission and other U.S. law; (2) addressing and resolving allocation disputes; (3) addressing vessels joining or leaving the fishery; (4) providing flexibility to fleet participants with respect to obtaining and using fishing days from PIPs; and (5) minimizing regulatory burden and cost. NMFS is considering evaluation of three alternative allocation and use tracking approaches that would fulfill the requirements defined above. These approaches are action alternatives that would first be compared separately and then discussed relative to any differential impact they would have on the human environment when combined with the no-action and action alternatives in Table 1. Like the control of type and amount of fishing alternatives, these control of allocation and use alternatives are intended to bound the full range of possibilities for analysis; and proceed from the lowest to highest level of NMFS oversight. The three proposed alternatives are: 1. An industry-led allocation and use tracking method, where decisions related to allocation, transfers and tracking of available fishing privileges were made by an organization of fishery participants based on approaches they collectively specified; 2. A collaborative industry-NMFS approach where NMFS would facilitate industry decisions regarding allocation, transfer, and use through both regulatory and non-regulatory mechanisms; and 3. A specified allocation, transfer and use-tracking approach primarily under NMFS management and oversight. Besides comments on these three proposed allocation and use alternatives, NMFS is specifically requesting comment on two additional aspects of these alternatives. The first concerns allocation and use of fishing privileges. Treaty and implementing agreements currently allow for assignment of vessel days at the U.S. vessel owner level. Tracking at the vessel owner level provides flexibility for those owners that have multiple vessels, but complicates the tracking of fishing day use as there are not vessel specific limits to monitor. NMFS seeks comment on the appropriate ``level'' for allocation and use tracking of fishing privileges in these proposed alternatives; be it the vessel, the vessel owner or some other level. Second, the numbers of U.S. EEZ and high seas fishing days available to the fleet in the WCPO have been limited since 2009 in accordance with decisions of the Commission. These limited fishing privileges have not previously been subject to allocation and are fished in an ``Olympic'' or ``derby'' style; meaning that they are available on a first-come, first-served basis to vessels that are permitted to fish in those areas. NMFS is also seeking comment on whether the proposed alternatives for control of allocation and use of fishing privileges should be extended from considering only privileges under Treaty to include fishing privileges in the U.S. EEZ and on the high seas in the WCPO--to the extent it is limited under WCPFC or other decisions. NMFS recognizes that consultation and collaboration with U.S. purse seine vessel owners and operators on the approaches for allocation of effort in this fishery is needed, and sees this notice of intent to develop an EIS as an initial step in this process. The public comment received through this notice of intent and analysis of alternatives for allocation and use of fishing privileges in this EIS will inform future NMFS-industry discussions. Summary Given the wide range of potential future management approaches in this fishery, NMFS is proposing action alternatives that span the broad range of management measures foreseeable under U.S. regulations to implement the [[Page 42644]] Treaty, decisions of the Commission, and other U.S. law. In total, NMFS has tentatively identified two no-action alternatives, three action alternatives related to controls on the type and amount of fishing (Table 1), and three alternatives related to the allocation and use of fishing privileges. NMFS plans to analyze the environmental consequences of implementing each of the alternatives by assessing the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of each to the human environment in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. By evaluating alternatives that span the full range of reasonably foreseeable future management measures, the environmental impacts of future management actions not explicitly analyzed could be estimated relative to those calculated in this EIS. Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. Dated: August 20, 2018. Margo B. Schulze-Haugen, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2018-18194 Filed 8-22-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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to attend in person are invited to submit Standard Time (HST; UTC–10:00). in the WCPO. The fishery developed in
written statements to the MEP Advisory Please notify David O’Brien (see FOR the 1970s and early 1980s as some U.S.
Board, National Institute of Standards FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, below) tuna vessels moved west from fishing
and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail by August 31, 2018, if you plan to grounds in the eastern Pacific. The
Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, Maryland attend either or both webinars. vessels participating in this fishery
20899–4800, via fax at (301) 963–6556, Instructions for connecting or calling in currently are large: Between 175 and
or electronically by email to to the webinars will be emailed to 260 feet in length with crews of between
cheryl.gendron@nist.gov. meeting participants. Accommodations 19 and 40. Purse seining is fishing by
Admittance Instructions: Anyone for persons with disabilities are setting a vertically oriented net around
wishing to attend the MEP Advisory available; accommodation requests a school of fish, and then closing, or
Board meeting must submit their name, should be directed to David O’Brien at ‘‘pursing’’, the bottom of the net to
email address, and phone number to least 10 working days prior to the capture the fish. The vessels use purse
Cheryl Gendron (Cheryl.Gendron@ webinar. seine nets up to about 6,500 feet long
nist.gov or 301–975–2785) no later than and 600 feet deep and in recent years
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
Friday, September 7, 2018, 5:00 p.m. (2013–2017) vessels set their nets, on
on the scope of this EIS by either of the
Eastern Time. average, once per fishing day.
following methods: NMFS manages the fishery in
Phillip A. Singerman, • Electronic submission: Submit all
accordance with U.S. laws
Associate Director for Innovation and electronic public comments via the
implementing international agreements,
Industry Services. Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
including the Treaty on Fisheries
[FR Doc. 2018–18207 Filed 8–22–18; 8:45 am]
1. Go to www.regulations.gov/
Between the Governments of Certain
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2018-
BILLING CODE 3510–13–P Pacific Island States and the
0062,
2. Click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, Government of the United States of
complete the required fields, and America,1 also known as the South
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Pacific Tuna Treaty (hereafter, Treaty),
3. Enter or attach your comments.
and conservation and management
National Oceanic and Atmospheric —OR—
measures adopted by the Western and
Administration • Mail: Submit written comments to
Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
Michael D. Tosatto, Regional
RIN 0648—XG261 (hereafter, Commission or WCPFC). The
Administrator, NMFS, Pacific Islands
fishery operates in the exclusive
U.S. Purse Seine Fishery in the Regional Office (PIRO), 1845 Wasp
economic zones (EEZs) of the Pacific
Western and Central Pacific Ocean; Blvd., Building 176, Honolulu, HI
Island parties to the Treaty (hereafter,
Notice of Intent To Prepare an 96818.
Instructions: Comments sent by any PIPs) and that of the United States, as
Environmental Impact Statement well as on the high seas in the WCPO.
other method, to any other address or
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries individual, or received after the end of This EIS will address all U.S. tuna purse
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and the comment period might not be seine fisheries within the area of
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), considered by NMFS. All comments application of the Convention on the
Commerce. received are a part of the public record Conservation and Management of
and will generally be posted for public Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the
ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an
viewing on www.regulations.gov Western and Central Pacific Ocean; a
environmental impact statement; map of which is available at the WCPFC
announcement of public scoping period; without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name and address), website at: www.wcpfc.int/doc/
request for comments. convention-area-map.
confidential business information, or
SUMMARY: NMFS is gathering The U.S. purse seine fleet is not the
otherwise sensitive information
information necessary to prepare an only fishing fleet active in this region.
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Other major flags of purse seine fishing
be publicly accessible. Do not submit
for future management actions for the vessels in the region include: Japan,
confidential business information, or
U.S. purse seine fishery in the western Kiribati, Korea, Papua New Guinea, and
otherwise sensitive or protected
and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). This Taiwan. The U.S. fleet’s fishing
information. NMFS will accept
notice of intent to prepare an EIS activities accounted for approximately
anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in
represents the beginning of the public 14 percent of the total purse seine
the required fields if you wish to remain
scoping process and invites interested fishing effort—measured in fishing
anonymous).
parties to provide comments on Copies of this document can be days—in the WCPO from 2010 through
alternatives to be considered in an EIS obtained from Michael D. Tosatto, 2016.2
The regulations under which the U.S.
and to identify potential issues, Regional Administrator, NMFS PIRO
fleet operates require changes in
concerns, and any reasonable additional (see address above) and are available at
response to new decisions of the
alternatives that should be considered. www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;
DATES: To ensure consideration during D=NOAA-NMFS-2018-0062. 1 Parties to the Treaty include: Australia, Cook
the development of this EIS, written FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of
comments on the scope and alternatives David O’Brien, NMFS PIRO, at Fiji, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Marshall
to be considered in the EIS must be David.S.OBrien@noaa.gov, or at (808) Islands, Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Niue,
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Republic of Palau, Independent State of Papua New
submitted no later than October 8, 2018. 725–5038. Guinea, Independent State of Samoa, Solomon
Public comments will also be SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, Republic of
accepted during two webinars Vanuatu and the United States of America.
scheduled for 9:30–11:30 a.m. Background 2 Pacific Community—Oceanic Fisheries
Programme. 2017. WCPFC14 Information Papers
September 11, 2018 and 11:30 a.m.–1:30 Purse seine vessels flagged to the 05—Revision 1 (20 Nov 2017) Catch and Effort
p.m., September 14, 2018. Both United States fish for skipjack tuna Tables on Tropical Tuna CMMs. Available at:
webinars are scheduled in Hawai1i (Katsuwonus pelamis) and other tunas www.wcpfc.int/node/30076.
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![42644 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 164 / Thursday, August 23, 2018 / Notices
Treaty, decisions of the Commission, directed to Walter Ikehara, (808) 725– IV. Request for Comments
and other U.S. law. In total, NMFS has 5175 or Walter.Ikehara@noaa.gov. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
tentatively identified two no-action SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: the proposed collection of information
alternatives, three action alternatives is necessary for the proper performance
related to controls on the type and I. Abstract
of the functions of the agency, including
amount of fishing (Table 1), and three This request is for extension of a whether the information shall have
alternatives related to the allocation and current information collection. practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
use of fishing privileges. NMFS plans to The National Marine Fisheries Service agency’s estimate of the burden
analyze the environmental (NMFS) requires any U.S. citizen issued (including hours and cost) of the
consequences of implementing each of a Special Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishing proposed collection of information; (c)
the alternatives by assessing the direct, Permit to complete logbooks and submit ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
indirect, and cumulative effects of each them to NMFS (50 CFR 665). The clarity of the information to be
to the human environment in the Special Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishing collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Permit is authorized under the Fishery burden of the collection of information
By evaluating alternatives that span Ecosystem Plans for American Samoa on respondents, including through the
the full range of reasonably foreseeable Archipelago, Hawaiian Archipelago, use of automated collection techniques
future management measures, the Mariana Archipelago, and Pacific or other forms of information
environmental impacts of future Remote Island Areas. The information technology.
management actions not explicitly in the logbooks is used to obtain fish Comments submitted in response to
analyzed could be estimated relative to catch/fishing effort data on coral reef this notice will be summarized and/or
those calculated in this EIS. fishes and invertebrates harvested in included in the request for OMB
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. designated low-use marine protected approval of this information collection;
Dated: August 20, 2018. areas and on those listed in the they also will become a matter of public
Margo B. Schulze-Haugen,
regulations as potentially-harvested record.
coral reef taxa in waters of the U.S. Dated: August 19, 2018.
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
exclusive economic zone in the western Sarah Brabson,
Pacific region. These data are needed to
[FR Doc. 2018–18194 Filed 8–22–18; 8:45 am] NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
determine the condition of the stocks,
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P [FR Doc. 2018–18171 Filed 8–22–18; 8:45 am]
whether the current management
measures are having the intended BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
effects, and to evaluate the benefits and
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
costs of changes in management
measures. The logbook information DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration includes interactions with protected National Oceanic and Atmospheric
species, including sea turtles, monk Administration
Proposed Information Collection; seals, and other marine mammals,
Comment Request; Pacific Islands which are used to monitor and respond Proposed Information Collection;
Region Coral Reef Ecosystems to incidental takes of endangered and Comment Request; Pacific Islands
Logbook and Reporting threatened marine species. Region Coral Reef Ecosystems Permit
AGENCY: National Oceanic and II. Method of Collection Form
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Reports are submitted to NMFS in the AGENCY: National Oceanic and
Commerce. form of paper logbook sheets and paper Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
ACTION: Notice. transshipment forms within 30 days of Commerce.
each landing of coral reef harvest. No ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: The Department of
electronic forms or web-based reporting
Commerce, as part of its continuing The Department of
SUMMARY:
is currently available. Notifications are
effort to reduce paperwork and Commerce, as part of its continuing
submitted via telephone.
respondent burden, invites the general effort to reduce paperwork and
public and other Federal agencies to III. Data respondent burden, invites the general
take this opportunity to comment on public and other Federal agencies to
OMB Control Number: 0648–0462.
proposed and/or continuing information take this opportunity to comment on
Form Number(s): None.
collections, as required by the proposed and/or continuing information
Type of Review: Regular submission
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. collections, as required by the
(extension of a currently approved
DATES: Written comments must be Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
information collection).
submitted on or before October 22, Affected Public: Business or other for- DATES : Written comments must be
2018. profit organizations; individuals or submitted on or before October 22,
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments households. 2018.
to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Estimated Number of Respondents: 5. ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Estimated Time Per Response: Pre-trip to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental
Department of Commerce, Room 6616, and pre-landing notifications, 3 Paperwork Clearance Officer,
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
14th and Constitution Avenue NW, minutes; logbook reports, 30 minutes; Department of Commerce, Room 6616,
Washington, DC 20230 (or via the transshipment reports, 15 minutes. 14th and Constitution Avenue NW,
internet at docpra@doc.gov). Estimated Total Annual Burden Washington, DC 20230 (or via the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hours: 18. internet at docpra@doc.gov).
Requests for additional information or Estimated Total Annual Cost to FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
copies of the information collection Public: $100 in recordkeeping/reporting Requests for additional information or
instrument and instructions should be costs. copies of the information collection
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Document Created: 2018-08-23 00:34:15
Document Modified: 2018-08-23 00:34:15
| 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; intent to prepare an environmental impact statement; announcement of public scoping period; request for comments. | |
| Dates | To ensure consideration during the development of this EIS, written comments on the scope and alternatives to be considered in the EIS must be submitted no later than October 8, 2018. | |
| Contact | David O'Brien, NMFS PIRO, at [email protected], or at (808) 725-5038. | |
| FR Citation | 83 FR 42640 | |
| RIN Number | 0648-XG26 |
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