Proposed Rule2024-02642
Pacific Island Fisheries; Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodologies
Primary source
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Published
February 9, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) proposes to amend the five fishery ecosystem plans (FEP) for fisheries in the Pacific Islands Region. If approved, the FEPs would be amended to update data collection mechanisms identified as standardized bycatch reporting methodologies (SBRM) as needed, and revise descriptions of SBRM for consistency with current NMFS regulations. The proposed action considers the best available scientific, commercial, and other information about the fisheries, and supports the long-term sustainability of fishery resources.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9111-9112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02642]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 665
[RTID 0648-XD180]
Pacific Island Fisheries; Standardized Bycatch Reporting
Methodologies
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of fishery ecosystem plan amendments;
request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Western Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council) proposes to amend the five fishery ecosystem plans
(FEP) for fisheries in the Pacific Islands Region. If approved, the
FEPs would be amended to update data collection mechanisms identified
as standardized bycatch reporting methodologies (SBRM) as needed, and
revise descriptions of SBRM for consistency with current NMFS
regulations. The proposed action considers the best available
scientific, commercial, and other information about the fisheries, and
supports the long-term sustainability of fishery resources.
DATES: NMFS must receive comments on the proposed amendment by April 9,
2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the proposed amendment,
identified by NOAA-NMFS-2023-0151, by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic Submission: 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 type NOAA-NMFS-2023-0151 in the Search box
(note: copying and pasting the FDMS Docket Number directly from this
document may not yield search results). Click on the ``Comment'' icon,
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
<bullet> Mail: Send written comments to Sarah Malloy, Acting
Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO),
1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 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,
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
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> 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).
The Council and NMFS prepared a draft omnibus amendment that
describes changes that would be made to the FEPs. The draft amendment
is available from <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> or the Council, 1164
Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, telephone 808-522-8220, fax
808-522-8226, <a href="https://www.wpcouncil.org">https://www.wpcouncil.org</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Schumacher, Sustainable
Fisheries Division, NMFS PIR, 808-725-5176.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council and NMFS manage Federal
fisheries in the Pacific Islands Region pursuant to the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery and Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens
Act). Management of these fisheries is organized through five FEPs: the
American Samoa Archipelago FEP, the Mariana Archipelago FEP, the Hawaii
Archipelago FEP, the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA) FEP, and the
Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region FEP. NMFS proposes to
amend these FEPs.
Section 303(a)(11) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that the
FEPs establish a standardized bycatch reporting methodology for each
fishery. On January 19, 2017, NMFS published a final rule (82 FR 6317)
establishing national guidance regulations at 50 CFR 600.1600 through
600.1610 for compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act SBRM
requirements. The SBRM final rule requires the Council in coordination
with NMFS to review their management plans and make any necessary
changes to be consistent with published guidance. The final rule also
requires the Council to explain how the SBRMs meet the stated purpose
in the rule based on the analysis of four considerations: (1)
characteristics of bycatch in the fishery, (2) the feasibility of the
reporting methodology, (3) the uncertainty of data resulting from the
methodology, and (4) how the data will be used to assess the amount and
type of bycatch in the fishery (60 CFR 600.1610(a)).
Current descriptions of SBRM for Pacific Island fisheries were
approved in 1999 (64 FR 19067, April 19, 1999) and 2003 (68 FR 46112,
August 5, 2003) as part of omnibus bycatch amendments and later
incorporated into the five FEPs
[[Page 9112]]
in. As such, the descriptions of bycatch characteristics and data
collection methods pre-date the 2017 SBRM rule, and do not describe
SBRM consistent with current regulations.
The Council completed a consistency review of all five FEPs in
2021, and took final action at their 187th meeting on September 21,
2021, to recommend an omnibus amendment for all FEPs to establish
consistency with SBRM regulations, clarify language for SBRM, and
explain how the SBRM in each FEP meets the purpose as defined in the
2017 SBRM rule.
The proposed amendment would update data collection mechanisms
identified as SBRM as needed, and revise descriptions of SBRM in each
FEP for consistency with current regulations. The proposed amendments
to the FEPs are administrative in nature and would not change any
fishery data collection, recording, or reporting methods or
requirements, and would not implement any new regulations. Therefore,
the amendments would not affect any fishery in terms of gear used; area
fished; seasonality; species caught; level of catch or effort; bycatch
of target stocks, non-target stocks, or protected species; or any other
aspect of any fishery. Also, the amendments would not add any
additional administrative or enforcement requirements. Therefore no
effects of the proposed omnibus amendment are expected with respect to
the natural environment in the Pacific Islands Region; social,
economic, or cultural conditions related to any fishery; or to the
administration and enforcement of any fishery.
NMFS must receive comments on the proposed amendment by April 9,
2024, for consideration in the decision to approve, partially approve,
or disapprove the amendment.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 5, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-02642 Filed 2-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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