Proposed Rule2023-05885
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pelagic Species Fisheries; Amendment 20 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan
Primary source
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Published
March 23, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 20 to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for review by the Secretary of Commerce. The intent of Amendment 20 is to improve clarity in the management framework for CPS stocks. This action is administrative in nature and does not change management for CPS stocks, just certain nomenclature in the FMP. This proposed Amendment is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the CPS FMP, and other applicable laws.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 56 (Thursday, March 23, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 17515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05885]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
RIN 0648-BM14
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pelagic Species Fisheries;
Amendment 20 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management
plan; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council) has submitted Amendment 20 to the Coastal Pelagic Species
(CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for review by the Secretary of
Commerce. The intent of Amendment 20 is to improve clarity in the
management framework for CPS stocks. This action is administrative in
nature and does not change management for CPS stocks, just certain
nomenclature in the FMP. This proposed Amendment is intended to promote
the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the CPS FMP, and other
applicable laws.
DATES: Comments on the proposed rule must be received by May 22, 2023
to be considered in the decision whether to approve, disapprove, or
partially approve Amendment 20.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2023-0035, by the following method:
<bullet> Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and enter NOAA-NMFS-2023-0035 in the Search box.
Click the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Instructions: Comments must be submitted by the above method to
ensure that the comments are received, documented, and considered by
NMFS. 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. All comments received are a part of the public record and
will generally be posted for public viewing on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.) 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 the draft Amendment 20 and other supporting documents are
available via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, docket NOAA-NMFS-2023-0035.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Taylor Debevec at (562) 980-4066 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c1b5a0b8adaeb3efa5a4a3a4b7a4a281afaea0a0efa6aeb7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5622372f3a39247832333433203335163839373778313920">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CPS FMP has used the terms ``Active''
and ``Monitored'' since Amendment 8 to the FMP to categorize how the
various CPS stocks are managed and to direct management and research
efforts where they were most needed. However, in 2018 the Council
initiated an effort to address a perceived lack of clarity regarding
the meaning and use of these terms. The Council directed its CPS
Management Team to explore ways to remove the naming distinction of
management categories, while maintaining existing management. The
Council subsequently considered the issue at its June 2019 and November
2021 meetings, with final action taking place at its April 2022
meeting.
Amendment 20 to the CPS FMP would remove ``Active'' and
``Monitored'' terms from the FMP and incorporate additional
modifications in place of those terms to ensure flow and readability of
the FMP. The proposed changes to the CPS FMP are described in further
detail below.
In Section 1.1 of the FMP, a description of Amendment 20 would be
added to the list of amendments to the FMP.
In Section 1.3, the title would be changed to remove reference to
categories and the categorical terms, and category descriptions would
be removed and replaced with generalized descriptions of how CPS stocks
are managed. Additional details would be added to distinguish krill
from these categorical descriptions as fishing for krill is prohibited.
In section 1.5, the definitions for ``Actively Managed Species''
and ``Monitored Species'' would be removed and the definition of
``Prohibited Harvest Species'' would be updated to further distinguish
it from categorical management.
In section 2.1.2, a reference example regarding switching a
``monitored species'' to an ``actively managed species'' would be
removed.
In sections 4.6 and 4.6.1, the harvest control rules would remain
unchanged, but instead of being associated with ``active'' and
``monitored'' categories, there would be new descriptions for the types
of species for which each harvest control rule is best suited.
In section 4.6.4, ``Monitored Stocks'' would be removed from the
title and replaced with the individual names to which ``monitored
stocks'' referred: northern anchovy, jack mackerel, and market squid.
There would be additional minor changes scattered in chapters 1 and
4, and no changes to chapters 3 and 5.
All comments received by the end of the comment period on the
Amendment (see DATES and ADDRESSES above) will be considered in the
Secretary's decision to approve, disapprove, or partially approve this
Amendment. To be considered in this decision, comments must be received
by close of business on the last day of the comment period; that does
not mean postmarked or otherwise transmitted by that date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 17, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-05885 Filed 3-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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