Notice2024-25969
Conservation Plan for the Eastern Pacific Stock of Northern Fur Seal (Laaquda)
Primary source
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Published
November 8, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS has finalized the Conservation Plan for the Eastern Pacific Stock of Northern Fur Seal (Laaquda) based on public comments received. The goal of the Conservation Plan is to conserve and restore the stock to its optimum sustainable population. The Final Conservation Plan (Plan) for this stock is now available.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 217 (Friday, November 8, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 217 (Friday, November 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88735-88736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25969]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE050]
Conservation Plan for the Eastern Pacific Stock of Northern Fur
Seal (Laaquda)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA),
NMFS has finalized the Conservation Plan for the Eastern Pacific Stock
of Northern Fur Seal (Laaquda) based on public comments received. The
goal of the Conservation Plan is to conserve and restore the stock to
its optimum sustainable population. The Final Conservation Plan (Plan)
for this stock is now available.
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the Plan are available at the NMFS
Alaska Region website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/
[[Page 88736]]
northern-fur-seal#conservation-management.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Williams, NMFS Alaska Region,
907-271-5117, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8de0e4eee5ece8e1a3fae4e1e1e4ece0fecde3e2ececa3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a6cbcfc5cec7c3ca88d1cfcacacfc7cbd5e6c8c9c7c788c1c9d0">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Eastern Pacific (formerly Pribilof) stock of northern fur seals
was designated as depleted under the MMPA on June 17, 1988, because the
population had declined by over 50 percent from the highest population
levels estimated in the 1950s (53 FR 17888, May 18, 1988). Consistent
with the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1383b(b)), NMFS developed a Conservation Plan
to conserve and restore the stock to its optimum sustainable
population, which is defined as a population size within a range of
population sizes from the largest supportable within the ecosystem
(i.e., carrying capacity) to a level that results in maximum net
productivity (50 CFR 216.3). NMFS first published a Conservation Plan
in 1993, followed by a revised version in 2007. In 2023, NMFS published
a revised draft Conservation Plan and invited public comment (88 FR
38010, June 12, 2023).
The 2024 revised Conservation Plan includes updated knowledge of
threats, trends, and ecology of the Eastern Pacific stock of northern
fur seals. Specifically, it summarizes advances in our understanding of
pup production, pup mortality, pup mass, diet estimation, diving
characterization, and use of Bering Sea marine foraging areas and
foraging trip duration by the five rookery complexes on the Pribilof
Islands. The Plan discusses critical information gaps, conservation
actions and initiatives completed since the 2007 Conservation Plan as
well as those that are ongoing or should be prioritized in future, and
research and management actions intended to promote the conservation
and restoration of the stock. The shared resources and cooperative
involvement of Federal, State, and Tribal governments, Alaska Native
people and Alaska Native Organizations, industry, academia, and non-
governmental organizations will be needed throughout the period
necessary to restore the stock.
Overall, the stock has continued to decline about 2 percent per
year since the depleted designation, and differences exist in trends in
abundance and habitat use for St. Paul, St. George, and Bogoslof
islands and their associated rookery complexes. Preliminary estimates
of age class survival rates since 2010 are similar for both St. Paul
and St. George islands; however, since trends in abundance are
significantly different (i.e., declining on St. Paul and increasing on
St. George) our assumptions regarding site fidelity, emigration, and
detection appear biased, and we are investigating whether rates of
emigration are higher than previously assumed. Improved estimates of
fur seal consumption of commercially important prey like pollock, and
age-specific growth and bioenergetics of northern fur seals have
increased the ability of ecosystem models to improve our understanding
of fur seal population dynamics and how changes in prey abundance and
distribution may be affecting population trends. Based on these recent
model results, it is estimated that the northern fur seal population is
one of the top four natural predators of pollock biomass and consumes
both 0-2 year old and 3+ year old pollock. The new information
presented regarding the separation of marine foraging habitat in the
Bering Sea by fur seals and the differential consumption of pollock,
squid, and other species based on this separation suggests there are
opportunities to further investigate the indirect effects of fisheries
on northern fur seals from the five rookery complexes identified on the
Pribilof Islands. The extent of competition with the pollock fisheries
is uncertain due to the spatial segregation of foraging fur seals among
the five rookery complexes and in-season changes in the distribution of
various segments of the commercial pollock fleet. NMFS intends to work
with other interested parties to evaluate existing northern fur seal
foraging and life history data as well as existing information on
fisheries to assess observed variation in population trends among
foraging complexes and guide decisions about new research related to
the indirect effects of fishing. New ecosystem models are being
developed to advance ecosystem-based fisheries management and are
expected to include consumption of important commercial fish species by
northern fur seals.
Another notable revision to this Plan is the reflection of recent
subsistence use regulation changes and the evolution of co-management
relationships between NMFS and Tribes in the Pribilofs. The Plan
revision includes valuable input and contributions from the Aleut
Community of St. Paul Island, and recognizes Unanga contributions to
management and research. As fur seal subsistence use is paramount to
Pribilovian Unanga cultural identity, Unangam tunuu (i.e., Aleut
language) words have been incorporated into the Plan.
The Notice of Availability of the draft revised Plan was published
on June 12, 2023, and the public comment period closed on August 11,
2023 (88 FR 38010). Six public comment letters containing 28 unique
substantive comments were received during the comment period, on the
topics of direct fishery effects, indirect fishery effects, ecology and
life history, Indigenous Knowledge, co-management, optimum sustainable
population, disturbance, funding, threats, and effectiveness of the
Conservation Plan. In response to these comments, the final version of
the Plan contains many clarifications, and significant revisions were
made to the indirect fishery effects and optimum sustainable population
sections. Also in response to these comments, additional information
has been incorporated regarding migration patterns, pup mortality,
vital rates, pup health, and foraging trip duration. Finally, a new
appendix containing migration and performance measure analyses has been
added. A summary of substantive comments and responses to those
comments, including whether and how the draft Conservation Plan was
revised in response, has been created and is on file with the NMFS
Alaska Region, Protected Resources Division.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-25969 Filed 11-7-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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