Proposed Rule2024-08629
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Essential Fish Habitat Amendments
Primary source
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Published
April 23, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted amendment 127 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI), amendment 115 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), amendment 56 to the FMP for BSAI King and Tanner Crabs, amendment 17 to the FMP for the Salmon Fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Off Alaska, and amendment 3 to the FMP for Fish Resources of the Arctic Management Area (amendments) to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, these amendments would revise the FMPs by updating the description and identification of essential fish habitat (EFH) and updating information on adverse impacts to EFH based on the best scientific information available. These amendments are intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the FMPs, and other applicable laws.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 79 (Tuesday, April 23, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 23, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30318-30319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08629]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[RTID 0648-XD632]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Essential
Fish Habitat Amendments
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of availability of fishery management plan
amendments; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council)
submitted amendment 127 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for
Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
(BSAI), amendment 115 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska
(GOA), amendment 56 to the FMP for BSAI King and Tanner Crabs,
amendment 17 to the FMP for the Salmon Fisheries in the exclusive
economic zone (EEZ) Off Alaska, and amendment 3 to the FMP for Fish
Resources of the Arctic Management Area (amendments) to the Secretary
of Commerce for review. If approved, these amendments would revise the
FMPs by updating the description and identification of essential fish
habitat (EFH) and updating information on adverse impacts to EFH based
on the best scientific information available. These amendments are
intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the
FMPs, and other applicable laws.
DATES: Comments on the amendments must be received no later than June
24, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2023-0160, by any 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 enter [NOAA-NMFS-2023-0160] 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: Submit written comments to Gretchen Harrington,
Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division,
Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: Records Office. Mail comments to P.O. Box
21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
<bullet> 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), 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).
Electronic copies of the amendments, maps of the EFH areas, and the
Environmental Assessment (the analysis) prepared for this action may be
obtained from <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Mackey, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that each
regional fishery management council submit any FMP amendment it
[[Page 30319]]
prepares to NMFS for review and approval, disapproval, or partial
approval by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary). The Magnuson-Stevens
Act also requires that NMFS, upon receiving an FMP amendment,
immediately publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing that
the amendment is available for public review and comment. The Council
has submitted these amendments to the Secretary for review. This notice
announces that proposed amendment 127 to the FMP for Groundfish of the
BSAI (BSAI Groundfish FMP); proposed amendment 115 to the FMP for
Groundfish of the GOA (GOA Groundfish FMP); proposed amendment 56 to
the FMP for BSAI King and Tanner Crabs (Crab FMP); proposed amendment
17 to the FMP for the Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ Off Alaska (Salmon
FMP); and proposed amendment 3 to the FMP for Fish Resources of the
Arctic Management Area (Arctic FMP) are available for public review and
comment.
The Council prepared the FMPs under the authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. Regulations governing U.S. fisheries and implementing the
FMPs appear at 50 CFR parts 600, 679, and 680. Section 303(a)(7) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that each FMP describe and identify EFH,
minimize to the extent practicable the adverse effects of fishing on
EFH, and identify other measures to encourage the conservation and
enhancement of EFH. Section 3(10) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act defines
EFH as ``those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning,
breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.'' Implementing regulations at
50 CFR 600.815 list the EFH contents required in each FMP and direct
councils to conduct a complete review of all EFH information at least
once every 5 years (referred to here as ``the 5-year review'').
The Council developed the amendments as a result of new scientific
information made available through the 5-year review that began in 2019
(2023 5-year review) and adopted the amendments in December 2023. The
2023 5-year review is the Council's fourth review of EFH in the FMPs.
Prior 5-year reviews were completed in 2005, 2012, and 2018. The
Council recommended amendments to the description and identification of
EFH in the FMPs with new information and improved mapping as described
in the draft EFH 5-year Summary Report for the 2023 5-year review. The
Council also recommended updates to EFH information based on the best
available information in the Summary Report. The Council recommended
updates to EFH for all FMPs except for the Scallop FMP because no new
information is available to update EFH descriptions for scallops.
The amendments would make the following changes to the FMPs:
<bullet> BSAI Groundfish FMP, GOA Groundfish FMP, Crab FMP, and
Arctic FMP: update EFH descriptions and maps, including up to EFH Level
3 information on habitat-related vital rates (see 50 CFR
600.815(a)(1)(iii)(A)). Add or revise the EFH text descriptions and add
or replace the maps for--
[cir] 41 species or complexes in the BSAI Groundfish FMP;
[cir] 46 species or complexes in the GOA Groundfish FMP;
[cir] all five species in the Crab FMP; and
[cir] all three species in the Arctic FMP.
<bullet> Salmon FMP: replace the distribution maps for all five
species with the EFH maps.
<bullet> BSAI Groundfish FMP, GOA Groundfish FMP, and Crab FMP:
changes based on the updated information for fishing effects (FE) to
reflect updates to the FE model, analysis, and evaluation.
<bullet> BSAI Groundfish FMP, GOA Groundfish FMP, Crab FMP, and
Arctic FMP: revise the EFH appendices where conservation
recommendations for non-fishing activities are described.
<bullet> BSAI Groundfish FMP, GOA Groundfish FMP, and Crab FMP:
revise prey species descriptions for two species of BSAI sharks, BSAI
pollock, GOA Pacific cod, and BSAI red king crab.
<bullet> BSAI Groundfish FMP, GOA Groundfish FMP, Crab FMP, and
Arctic FMP: revise EFH appendices with updated research and information
needs.
NMFS is soliciting public comments on the proposed amendments
through the end of the comment period (see DATES). All relevant written
comments received by the end of the applicable comment period will be
considered by NMFS in the approval/partial approval/disapproval
decision for the amendments and addressed in the response to comments
in the final decision. Comments received after end of the applicable
comment period will not be considered in the approval/partial approval/
disapproval decision on the amendments. To be considered, comments must
be received, not just postmarked or otherwise transmitted, by the last
day of the comment period (see DATES).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 18, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-08629 Filed 4-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 23, 2024.
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