Proposed Rule2024-03396
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Amendment 21 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan
Primary source
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Published
February 20, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Pacific Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 21 to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for review by the Secretary of Commerce. If approved, Amendment 21 would make a number of non-substantive, administrative changes to the CPS FMP including defining acronyms upon first use, adding hyperlinks, removing repetitive language, and rearranging sections for clarity and logical sequence. These changes, colloquially referred to as "housekeeping" changes, would not change the management of the fishery. This proposed amendment is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the CPS FMP, and other applicable laws. NMFS will consider public comments in deciding whether to approve, disapprove, or partially approve Amendment 21.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 34 (Tuesday, February 20, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 20, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 12810-12811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03396]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[RTID 0648-XD481]
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species
Fisheries; Amendment 21 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: The Pacific Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment
21 to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP)
for review by the Secretary of Commerce. If approved, Amendment 21
would make a number of non-substantive, administrative changes to the
CPS FMP including defining acronyms upon first use, adding hyperlinks,
removing repetitive language, and rearranging sections for clarity and
logical sequence. These changes, colloquially referred to as
``housekeeping'' changes, would not change the management of the
fishery. This proposed amendment is intended to promote the goals and
objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, the CPS FMP, and other applicable laws. NMFS will consider public
comments in deciding whether to approve, disapprove, or partially
approve Amendment 21.
DATES: Comments on the notice of availability must be received by April
22, 2024 to be considered in the decision whether to approve,
disapprove, or partially approve Amendment 21.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2023-0134, 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 type NOAA-NMFS-2023-0134 in the Search box
(note: copying and pasting the FDMS Docket Number directly from this
document may not yield search results). 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).
Electronic Access
This rule is accessible via the internet on the Office of the
Federal Register website at <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/">https://www.federalregister.gov/</a>.
Additionally, background information and documents are available on the
Pacific Fishery Management Council's website at
[[Page 12811]]
<a href="https://www.pcouncil.org/actions/housekeeping-fmp-amendment/">https://www.pcouncil.org/actions/housekeeping-fmp-amendment/</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katie Davis, Sustainable Fisheries
Division, NMFS, (323) 372-2126, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4922283d202c672d283f203a0927262828672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="600b011409054e0401160913200e0f01014e070f16">[email protected]</span></a>; or Jessi
Doerpinghaus, Staff Officer, Pacific Fishery Management Council, (503)
820-2415, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c66697f7f65226863697e7c65626b646d797f4c62636d6d226b637a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="deb4bbadadb7f0bab1bbacaeb7b0b9b6bfabad9eb0b1bfbff0b9b1a8">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The coastal pelagic species (CPS) fishery in
the U.S. exclusive economic zone off the West Coast is managed under
the CPS Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council) developed the CPS FMP pursuant to the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act,
16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The Secretary of Commerce approved the CPS FMP
and implemented the provisions of the plan through regulations at 50
CFR part 660, subpart I. Species managed under the CPS FMP include
Pacific sardine, Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel, northern anchovy,
market squid, and krill.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires each regional fishery management
council to submit any amendment to an FMP to NMFS for review and
approval, disapproval, or partial approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act
also requires that NMFS, upon receiving an amendment to an FMP,
immediately publish notification in the Federal Register that the
amendment is available for public review and comment. This notice of
availability announces that the proposed Amendment 21 to the CPS FMP is
available for public review and comment. NMFS will consider the public
comments received during the comment period described above in
determining whether to approve, disapprove, or partially approve
Amendment 21.
Background
At its April 2022 meeting, the Council initiated the preparation of
an administrative amendment for the CPS FMP, the intention of which was
to conduct an editorial revision of the document for clarity and
consistency. The amendment was colloquially referred to as a
``housekeeping'' amendment. During the development of Amendment 20 on
management categories (see 88 FR 42652, July 3, 2023), the Council's
CPS Management Team had identified places within the CPS FMP where text
could be edited to address inconsistencies in terminology and
organization resulting from past revisions through various amendments
to the FMP. The CPS Management Team developed, with input from the CPS
Advisory Subpanel, a draft of proposed changes to the CPS FMP that was
adopted by the Council for public review in November 2022. None of the
proposed changes were intended to alter the management of the CPS
fisheries. Between November 2022 and April 2023, the CPS Management
Team and Council staff reviewed and continued to work on the draft to
ensure that the proposed changes were within the administrative scope
of this action. In April 2023, the Council adopted the proposed changes
to the CPS FMP for recommendation to NMFS.
Summary of Proposed Administrative Changes to the Coastal Pelagic
Species Fishery Management Plan
A complete list of the proposed changes in Amendment 21 to the CPS
FMP is available on the Council website at <a href="https://www.pcouncil.org/actions/housekeeping-fmp-amendment/">https://www.pcouncil.org/actions/housekeeping-fmp-amendment/</a>. In addition to minor editorial
clarifications in the FMP, most of the proposed changes fall into the
following categories:
Abbreviations and acronyms: All abbreviations and acronyms would be
spelled out upon first use and then applied throughout the remainder of
the FMP. A list of acronyms and their definitions would be added to the
beginning of the document.
Hyperlinks: Hyperlinks to Council documents or the Federal Register
would be inserted upon reference to an FMP amendment, final rule that
implemented an FMP amendment, and associated regulations.
Chub mackerel: Chapter 1 of the CPS FMP establishes that Pacific
mackerel is also known as ``chub'' mackerel. To employ consistent
terminology throughout the document, the term ``chub'' would not be
repeated with regard to Pacific mackerel.
Headings and Structure: Sections of the CPS FMP would be rearranged
to achieve clarity and logical order, resulting in changes to the
section headings and numbering to accurately and sequentially label
their contents.
Organizational Terminology: Terminology would be updated consistent
with changes in nomenclature that have occurred since the CPS FMP was
written, such as those resulting from the 2007 reauthorization of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, the 2016 updates to the National Standard
guidelines, and the consolidation of the NMFS Southwest and Northwest
Regional Offices into the West Coast Region.
This Amendment would edit the CPS FMP for clarity and content, and
make no changes to the management of CPS fisheries.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 14, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-03396 Filed 2-16-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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