Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery off the Southern Atlantic States; Amendment 18, 18782-18783 [E8-7213]

Download as PDF 18782 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 67 / Monday, April 7, 2008 / Notices collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record. Dated: April 1, 2008. Gwellnar Banks, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. E8–7111 Filed 4–4–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XG63 Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; SnapperGrouper Fishery off the Southern Atlantic States; Amendment 18 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS); notice of scoping meetings; request for comments. rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) intends to prepare a DEIS to assess the impacts on the natural and human environment of the management measures proposed in its revised draft Amendment 18 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP). DATES: Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS must be received by 5 p.m., eastern time, on May 16, 2008. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods: • E-mail: 0648–XG63@noaa.gov. • Fax: 727–824–5308, Attn: Kate Michie. • Mail: Kate Michie, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.Scoping documents are available at the Council’s Web site at www.safmc.net. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Apr 04, 2008 Jkt 214001 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; phone: 843–571–4366, toll free 1–866– SAFMC–10; fax: 843–769–4520; e-mail: Kim.Iverson@safmc.net. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper-grouper fishery off the South Atlantic states in the exclusive economic zone is managed under the FMP. Following Council preparation, the FMP was approved and implemented by NMFS under that authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) in March of 1983. An NOI for Amendment 18 was published January 22, 2008 (73 FR 3701); however, the plan amendment contained in that notice considered the implementation of a limited access privilege (LAP) program for the commercial snapper-grouper fishery in the South Atlantic. The Council has postponed consideration of a LAP program to a future amendment, and different actions are now being considered in Amendment 18. This NOI seeks public comment on the new Amendment 18 and associated DEIS. The reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act of 2006 requires regional fishery management councils to establish annual catch limits (ACLs) for each stock/stock complex and accountability measures to ensure these ACLs are not exceeded. Among other things, Amendment 18 addresses these requirements for South Atlantic red snapper. A stock assessment has been completed for red snapper through the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) process, which indicates the stock is undergoing overfishing and is overfished. The stock assessment will be reviewed by the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) at its June 8 10, 2008, meeting. If the SSC agrees with the SEDAR determination, the Council will continue development of Amendment 18. To prevent overfishing, the Council intends to set biological parameters in Amendment 18 for red snapper, consistent with the national standards of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. These parameters include maximum sustainable yield, optimum yield (OY), minimum stock size threshold, and maximum fishing mortality rate threshold, which are used to help rebuild overfished stocks. The Council is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act to implement rebuilding plans for overfished species. Amendment 18, and the associated DEIS, would also specify a rebuilding PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 plan for the red snapper stock and consider various management measures to end overfishing. Some of the possible management measures the Council could consider include: quotas, seasonal closures (for both commercial and recreational fisheries), area closures, size limit modifications, and bag limit adjustments. These measures would help to increase the biomass of overfished red snapper and at the same time help to achieve OY for the fishery. The Council will review public comments and the SSC’s determinations at its June 9 13, 2008, meeting and decide whether or not to continue preparation of the DEIS. If the Council does prepare a DEIS, a comment period is planned, which will include public hearings to receive comments. A Federal Register notice will announce the availability of the DEIS associated with this amendment, as well as a 45day public comment period, pursuant to regulations issued by the Council on Environmental Quality for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act and to NOAA’s Administrative Order 216–6. The Council will consider public comments received on the DEIS in developing the final environmental impact statement (FEIS), and before voting to submit the final amendment to NMFS for Secretarial review, approval, and implementation. NMFS will announce in the Federal Register the availability of the final amendment and FEIS for public review during the Secretarial review period, and will consider all public comments prior to final agency action to approve, disapprove, or partially approve the final amendment. Scoping Meetings, Times, and Locations All scoping meetings will begin at 3 p.m. The meetings will be physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for information packets or for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Wednesday, May 7, 2008—Key Largo Grande, 97000 South Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037; phone: 866–597–5397. Friday, May 9, 2008—Radisson Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut Boulevard, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920; phone: 321– 784–0000. Monday, May 12, 2008—Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA 31322; phone: 912– 748–8888. Tuesday, May 13, 2008—Town and Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway, E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM 07APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 67 / Monday, April 7, 2008 / Notices Charleston, SC 29407; phone: 843–571– 1000. Thursday, May 16, 2008—Sheraton New Bern, 100 Middle Street, New Bern, NC 18560; phone: 252–638–3585. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: March 31, 2008. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E8–7213 Filed 4–4–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S Correction In the Federal Register of March 4, 2008, in FR Doc. E8–4126, on page 11622, in the first column, correct the location of the first workshop listed under the heading ‘‘Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations’’ to read: Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations 1. April 24, 2008, from 10:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. Town 1N Country Regional Public Library, Thompson Center Waters Complex, 5455 West Waters Avenue - Suite 208, Tampa, FL 33634. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Effective December 31, 2007, an Atlantic shark dealer may not receive, purchase, trade, or barter for Atlantic shark unless a valid Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop certificate is on the premises of each business listed under the shark dealer permit (71 FR 58057; October 2, 2006). Dealers who attend and successfully complete a workshop will be issued a certificate for each place of business that is permitted to receive sharks. Dealers may send a proxy to an Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop, however, if a dealer opts to send a proxy, the dealer must designate a proxy for each place of business covered by the dealer’s permit. Only one certificate will be issued to each proxy. A proxy must be a person who: is currently employed by a place of business covered by the dealer’s permit; is a primary participant in the identification, weighing, and/or first receipt of fish as they are offloaded from a vessel; and fills out dealer reports. Additionally, after December 31, 2007, an Atlantic shark dealer may not renew a Federal shark dealer permit unless a valid Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop certificate for each business location has been submitted with the permit renewal application. Sixteen free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops were held in 2007. The workshop schedules, registration information, and a list of frequently asked questions regarding these workshops are posted on the internet at: https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/ workshops. RIN 0648–XF67 Schedule for Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops; Changing the Location of an Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop; Correction National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. AGENCY: Notice of public workshops; correction. rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES ACTION: SUMMARY: Due to unanticipated construction activity at the North Tampa Branch Library, NMFS is changing the location of its April 24, 2008, Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop that published in the Federal Register on March 4, 2008. The May and June workshop locations remain unchanged. Shark dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet new regulatory requirements and maintain valid permits. The Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops are mandatory for all federally permitted Atlantic shark dealers. Additional free workshops will be held in 2008 and announced in the Federal Register. DATES: The dates and times for the Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops have not been changed and will be held April 24, May 22, and June 19, 2008. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for further details. ADDRESSES: The Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops will be held in Tampa, FL; Wilmington, NC; and Jefferson, LA. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the corrected Tampa, FL, workshop location. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Fairclough by phone:(727) 824–5399, or by fax: (727) 824–5398. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Apr 04, 2008 Jkt 214001 Registration To register for a scheduled Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop, please contact Eric Sander by email at esander@peoplepc.com or by phone at (386) 852–8588. Registration Materials To ensure that workshop certificates are linked to the correct permits, PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 18783 participants will need to bring the following items to the workshop: Atlantic shark dealer permit holders must bring proof that the individual is an agent of the business (such as articles of incorporation), a copy of the applicable permit, and proof of identification. Atlantic shark dealer proxies must bring documentation from the shark dealer acknowledging that the proxy is attending the workshop on behalf of the Atlantic shark dealer, a copy of the appropriate permit, and proof of identification. Workshop Objectives The shark identification workshops are designed to reduce the number of unknown and improperly identified sharks reported in the dealer reporting form and increase the accuracy of species-specific dealer-reported information. Reducing the number of unknown and improperly identified sharks will improve quota monitoring and the data used in stock assessments. These workshops will train shark dealer permit holders or their proxies to properly identify Atlantic shark carcasses. Dated: April 1, 2008. Alan D. Risenhoover Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E8–7230 Filed 4–4–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Title: Recording Assignments. Form Number(s): PTO–1594, PTO– 1595. Agency Approval Number: 0651– 0027. Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection. Burden: 181,695 hours annually. Number of Respondents: 363,388 responses per year. Avg. Hours Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take the public approximately 30 minutes (0.5 hours) to prepare and submit a patent or E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM 07APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 67 (Monday, April 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18782-18783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7213]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG63


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Snapper-Grouper Fishery off the Southern Atlantic States; Amendment 18

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement (DEIS); notice of scoping meetings; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) 
intends to prepare a DEIS to assess the impacts on the natural and 
human environment of the management measures proposed in its revised 
draft Amendment 18 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-
Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP).

DATES: Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the 
DEIS must be received by 5 p.m., eastern time, on May 16, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: 0648-XG63@noaa.gov.
     Fax: 727-824-5308, Attn: Kate Michie.
     Mail: Kate Michie, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 
13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.Scoping documents are 
available at the Council's Web site at www.safmc.net.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information 
Officer, South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, 4055 Faber Place 
Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; phone: 843-571-4366, toll 
free 1-866-SAFMC-10; fax: 843-769-4520; e-mail: Kim.Iverson@safmc.net.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper-grouper fishery off the South 
Atlantic states in the exclusive economic zone is managed under the 
FMP. Following Council preparation, the FMP was approved and 
implemented by NMFS under that authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) in March 
of 1983.
    An NOI for Amendment 18 was published January 22, 2008 (73 FR 
3701); however, the plan amendment contained in that notice considered 
the implementation of a limited access privilege (LAP) program for the 
commercial snapper-grouper fishery in the South Atlantic. The Council 
has postponed consideration of a LAP program to a future amendment, and 
different actions are now being considered in Amendment 18. This NOI 
seeks public comment on the new Amendment 18 and associated DEIS.
    The reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act of 2006 requires regional 
fishery management councils to establish annual catch limits (ACLs) for 
each stock/stock complex and accountability measures to ensure these 
ACLs are not exceeded. Among other things, Amendment 18 addresses these 
requirements for South Atlantic red snapper.
    A stock assessment has been completed for red snapper through the 
Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) process, which indicates 
the stock is undergoing overfishing and is overfished. The stock 
assessment will be reviewed by the Council's Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC) at its June 8 10, 2008, meeting. If the SSC agrees with 
the SEDAR determination, the Council will continue development of 
Amendment 18.
    To prevent overfishing, the Council intends to set biological 
parameters in Amendment 18 for red snapper, consistent with the 
national standards of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. These parameters 
include maximum sustainable yield, optimum yield (OY), minimum stock 
size threshold, and maximum fishing mortality rate threshold, which are 
used to help rebuild overfished stocks.
    The Council is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act to implement 
rebuilding plans for overfished species. Amendment 18, and the 
associated DEIS, would also specify a rebuilding plan for the red 
snapper stock and consider various management measures to end 
overfishing. Some of the possible management measures the Council could 
consider include: quotas, seasonal closures (for both commercial and 
recreational fisheries), area closures, size limit modifications, and 
bag limit adjustments. These measures would help to increase the 
biomass of overfished red snapper and at the same time help to achieve 
OY for the fishery.
    The Council will review public comments and the SSC's 
determinations at its June 9 13, 2008, meeting and decide whether or 
not to continue preparation of the DEIS. If the Council does prepare a 
DEIS, a comment period is planned, which will include public hearings 
to receive comments. A Federal Register notice will announce the 
availability of the DEIS associated with this amendment, as well as a 
45-day public comment period, pursuant to regulations issued by the 
Council on Environmental Quality for implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act and to NOAA's Administrative Order 216-6. The 
Council will consider public comments received on the DEIS in 
developing the final environmental impact statement (FEIS), and before 
voting to submit the final amendment to NMFS for Secretarial review, 
approval, and implementation. NMFS will announce in the Federal 
Register the availability of the final amendment and FEIS for public 
review during the Secretarial review period, and will consider all 
public comments prior to final agency action to approve, disapprove, or 
partially approve the final amendment.

Scoping Meetings, Times, and Locations

    All scoping meetings will begin at 3 p.m. The meetings will be 
physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for 
information packets or for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Wednesday, May 7, 2008--Key Largo Grande, 97000 South Overseas 
Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037; phone: 866-597-5397.
    Friday, May 9, 2008--Radisson Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut 
Boulevard, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920; phone: 321-784-0000.
    Monday, May 12, 2008--Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, 175 Bourne 
Avenue, Pooler, GA 31322; phone: 912-748-8888.
    Tuesday, May 13, 2008--Town and Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway,

[[Page 18783]]

Charleston, SC 29407; phone: 843-571-1000.
    Thursday, May 16, 2008--Sheraton New Bern, 100 Middle Street, New 
Bern, NC 18560; phone: 252-638-3585.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: March 31, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-7213 Filed 4-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
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