Notice2023-14924
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Request for Information on Research Priorities for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is requesting information from the public on research priorities for the fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska for its triennial review. The Council develops research priorities for fisheries, habitats, and other areas necessary for management purposes and reviews those priorities every 3 years. This notice invites the public to submit written comments on the topic generally and in response to specific questions outlined below.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45147-45148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14924]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD152]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Request for
Information on Research Priorities for the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification; request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is
requesting information from the public on research priorities for the
fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska for its triennial
review. The Council develops research priorities for fisheries,
habitats, and other areas necessary for management purposes and reviews
those priorities every 3 years. This notice invites the public to
submit written comments on the topic generally and in response to
specific questions outlined below.
DATES: Comments must be received via the Council's eAgenda meeting
portal by 5 p.m. AKT on October 31, 2023 (see ADDRESSES for website
URL).
ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments to the Council's eAgenda
meeting portal at ``Request for Information: Research Priorities
Triennial Review'', <a href="https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/2998">https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/2998</a>,
using either the ``Comment Now'' function on the eAgenda page or by
using the comment form, <a href="https://forms.gle/PPfkFPQ1JCXJrRSN9">https://forms.gle/PPfkFPQ1JCXJrRSN9</a>, by the
October 31, 2023, deadline.
Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1007 W
3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252; telephone: (907) 271-2809.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Watson, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#76181f15191a1358011702051918361819171758111900"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="553b3c363a39307b223421263a3b153b3a34347b323a23">[email protected]</span></a>
or by telephone (907) 271-2809.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA)
requires that regional fishery management councils develop ``multi-year
research priorities for fisheries, fisheries interactions, habitats,
and other areas of research that are necessary for management
purposes'' (16 U.S.C. 1852(h)(7)). This includes research to support
fishery management plans and associated regulations for fisheries
requiring conservation and management to prevent overfishing, rebuild
depleted fish stocks, and ensure sustainable fishing practices.
Research priorities should be established and updated as necessary. The
Council reviews its research priorities every 3 years, and the next
triennial review of research priorities is tentatively scheduled for
April 2024.
The MSA identifies the intended audience for Council research
priorities as the Secretary of Commerce and, the Alaska Fisheries
Science Center (AFSC), ``for their consideration in developing research
priorities and budgets'' for Alaska. In past years, Council research
priorities were provided to the Secretary of Commerce, the AFSC, as
well as research and funding entities including universities, research
boards, and other management agencies in the region. Additional
entities that intersect with the Council management responsibilities
may also be included as participation in the development of these
research priorities broadens.
[[Page 45148]]
In the past, new research priorities were developed and reviewed by
the Council's four stock assessment plan teams, the Scientific and
Statistical Committee (SSC), and ultimately the Council, with public
input provided at those plan team, SSC, and Council meetings. Going
forward, the Council would like receive input and suggestions from the
public early in the process of developing new research priorities and
is now soliciting input from the public through this request for
information (RFI).
Opportunities for the public to suggest research priorities will
occur through October 31, 2023, using either the online submission form
or the ``Comment Now'' option available on the Council's eAgenda
meeting portal at ``Request for Information: Research Priorities
Triennial Review.'' Initial reviews of the submissions will begin in
early November 2023 and are expected to continue through early 2024.
The document, ``Proposed Process for Development of NPFMC Research
Priorities,'' <a href="https://meetings.npfmc.org/CommentReview/DownloadFile?p=fb8df4b1-60d4-47e8-afbf-cf20690b1d93.pdf&fileName=Research%20Priorities%20Process.pdf">https://meetings.npfmc.org/CommentReview/DownloadFile?p=fb8df4b1-60d4-47e8-afbf-cf20690b1d93.pdf&fileName=Research%20Priorities%20Process.pdf</a>, includes
additional information regarding the process for research priority
development.
The most recent Council research priorities from the April 2021
Research Priorities Triennial Review can be found here: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/April-2021-Research-Priorities">https://tinyurl.com/April-2021-Research-Priorities</a>.
Council research priority terms and category definitions (critical
ongoing monitoring, urgent, important, or strategic) can be found here:
<a href="https://tinyurl.com/terms-and-category-definitions">https://tinyurl.com/terms-and-category-definitions</a>.
Request for Information
The scope of public comments is not limited, but questions that may
be considered include:
1. Description of suggested research priority for the Council to
consider;
2. Description of the fisheries management concern addressed by the
suggested research priority;
3. Category of the suggested research priority: critical ongoing
monitoring, urgent, important, or strategic;
4. General subject area of suggested research priority: Bering Sea
groundfish; Gulf of Alaska groundfish; crab; scallop; halibut;
ecosystem related; habitat; local knowledge, traditional knowledge,
subsistence; marine birds; marine mammals; bycatch; electronic
monitoring; management or policy; or other;
5. Geographical (ecosystem) area that best fits suggested research
priority: Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, or Arctic; and,
6. Approximate timeline of the suggested research priority.
All new research priority recommendations must be submitted by
October 31, 2023, to be considered during this upcoming triennial
review. In addition to submitting research priority ideas as part of
this request for information, the public will have the opportunity to
provide comments to subject area Plan Teams and a subgroup of the
Council's SSC. These advisory bodies will meet, tentatively between
November 2023 and January 2024, to provide the SSC input on
prioritizing specific research needs. Additional opportunities to
provide comment on prioritization will occur at the February 2024 SSC
meeting and at the April 2024 SSC and Council meetings; however, no new
research priority submissions will be accepted during the Plan Team,
SSC, and Council meetings. During the April 2024 SSC meeting, a
priority list combined across subject areas, consisting of 8 to 12
research priorities, will be developed to present to the Council for
the Council's consideration. Once the review is final, the Council will
submit its research priorities to the Secretary of Commerce (NOAA) and
the AFSC for their consideration in developing research priorities and
budgets for the Alaska Region (16 U.S.C. 1852(h)(7)(C)).
Public Comment
Responses to this request are voluntary. Respondents need not reply
to all questions. All responses are part of the public record and will
be posted on a public website. Therefore, confidential business
information, copyrighted information, or personally identifiable
information (e.g., name, address) should not be submitted in response
to this request. NOAA and the Council will not pay for any information
or administrative costs that you may incur in responding to this RFI,
or for the use of any information contained in the response. The
documents and information submitted in response to this RFI become the
property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned.
Dated: July 10, 2023.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-14924 Filed 7-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 14, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.