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National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
Notification of availability of fishery management plan amendments; request for comments.
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.
Comments on the amendments must be received no later than June 24, 2024.
You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2023-0160, by any of the following methods:
Electronic copies of the amendments, maps of the EFH areas, and the Environmental Assessment (the analysis) prepared for this action may be obtained from https://www.regulations.gov.
Megan Mackey, 907-586-7228.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that each regional fishery management council submit any FMP amendment it ( printed 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:
○ 41 species or complexes in the BSAI Groundfish FMP;
○ 46 species or complexes in the GOA Groundfish FMP;
○ all five species in the Crab FMP; and
○ all three species in the Arctic FMP.
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 ).
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
5 comments have been received at Regulations.gov.
Agencies review all submissions and may choose to redact, or withhold, certain submissions (or portions thereof). Submitted comments may not be available to be read until the agency has approved them.