Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish Fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, 798-800 [E9-125]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
798
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 5 / Thursday, January 8, 2009 / Notices
the Department is rescinding this
administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on persulfates
from the PRC covering the period July
1, 2007, through June 30, 2008, in
accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1).
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A–570–847]
Persulfates From the People’s
Republic of China: Notice of
Rescission of the 2007–2008
Administrative Review of the
Antidumping Duty Order
Assessment
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
DATES: Effective Date: January 8, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Giselle Cubillos, AD/CVD Operations,
Office 8, Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202)
482–1778.
AGENCY:
erowe on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Background
On July 11, 2008, the Department of
Commerce (‘‘the Department’’)
published a notice of opportunity to
request an administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on persulfates
from the People’s Republic of China
(‘‘PRC’’). See Antidumping or
Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity
to Request Administrative Review, 73
FR 39948 (July 11, 2008). On July 31,
2008, FMC Corporation (‘‘FMC’’), a
domestic producer of persulfates,
requested that the Department conduct
an administrative review of Shanghai AJ
Import & Export Corporation—DegussaAJ Shanghai Initiators Co., LTD.’s
exports to the United States for the
period of review (‘‘POR’’) July 1, 2007,
through June 30, 2008. Pursuant to this
request, the Department published a
notice of the initiation of the
administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on persulfates
from the PRC. See Initiation of
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Administrative Reviews, 73 FR 50308
(August 26, 2008).
Rescission of Review
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), the
Department will rescind an
administrative review, in whole or in
part, if a party that requested a review
withdraws the request within 90 days of
the date of publication of the notice of
initiation. On December 3, 2008, FMC
timely withdrew its request for a review,
and no other interested party requested
a review of this company. 1 Therefore,
1 On November 26, 2008, in response to a request
from FMC, the Department extended the deadline
for FMC to withdraw its review request from
November 24, 2008, until December 3, 2008.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
13:57 Jan 07, 2009
Jkt 217001
The Department will instruct U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (‘‘CBP’’)
to assess antidumping duties on all
appropriate entries. Antidumping duties
shall be assessed at rates equal to the
cash deposit of estimated antidumping
duties required at the time of entry, or
withdrawal from warehouse, for
consumption, in accordance with 19
CFR 351.212(c)(1)(i). The Department
intends to issue appropriate assessment
instructions directly to CBP 15 days
after the publication of this notice in the
Federal Register.
Notification to Interested Parties
This notice serves as a final reminder
to importers of their responsibility
under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a
certificate regarding the reimbursement
of antidumping duties prior to
liquidation of the relevant entries
during this review period. Pursuant to
19 CFR 351.402(f)(3), failure to comply
with this requirement could result in
the Secretary’s presumption that
reimbursement of antidumping duties
occurred and the subsequent assessment
of doubled antidumping duties.
This notice also serves as a reminder
to parties subject to administrative
protective order (‘‘APO’’) of their
responsibility concerning the
disposition of proprietary information
disclosed under APO, in accordance
with 19 CFR 351.305 and as explained
in the APO itself. Timely written
notification of the return/destruction of
APO materials or conversion to judicial
protective order is hereby requested.
Failure to comply with the regulations
and the terms of an APO is a
sanctionable violation.
This notice is in accordance with
section 777(i)(1) of the Tariff Act of
1930, as amended, and 19 CFR
351.213(d)(4).
Dated: January 2, 2009.
Edward C. Yang,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Operations.
[FR Doc. E9–140 Filed 1–7–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XM37
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish Fisheries
in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an
environmental assessment or an
environmental impact statement;
request for written comments.
SUMMARY: NMFS, in consultation with
the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council, announces its intent to prepare
either an Environmental Assessment
(EA) or an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) on measures to
minimize non–Chinook salmon bycatch
in the Bering Sea, in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969. The proposed action would
replace the current Chum Salmon
Savings Area in the Bering Sea, and the
specific exemption to the area closure,
with new regulatory closures, salmon
bycatch limits, or a combination of both.
The scope of the EA or EIS will be to
determine the impacts to the human
environment resulting from the
measures to minimize non–Chinook
salmon bycatch. NMFS will accept
written comments from the public to
determine the issues of concern and the
appropriate range of alternatives for
analysis.
DATES: Written comments must be
received by March 23, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on issues
and alternatives should be sent to Sue
Salveson, Assistant Regional
Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries
Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn:
Ellen Sebastian. Comments may be
submitted by:
• E–mail:
ChumSalmonBycatchEIS@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line the following
document identifier: ‘‘RIN 0648–
XM37’’. E–mail comments, with or
without attachments, are limited to 5
megabytes;
• Mail: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK
99802;
• Hand Delivery to the Federal
Building: 709 West 9th Street, Room
420A, Juneau, AK; or
• Fax: 907–586–7557.
All Personal Identifying Information
(e.g., name, address) voluntarily
submitted by the commenter may be
E:\FR\FM\08JAN1.SGM
08JAN1
erowe on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 5 / Thursday, January 8, 2009 / Notices
publicly accessible. Do not submit
Confidential Business Information or
otherwise sensitive or protected
information.
NMFS will accept anonymous
comments. Attachments to electronic
comments will be accepted in Microsoft
Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe
portable document file (pdf) formats
only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gretchen Harrington, (907) 586–7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
Magnuson–Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
(Magnuson–Stevens Act), the United
States has exclusive fishery
management authority over all living
marine resources found within the
exclusive economic zone. The
management of these marine resources,
with the exception of certain marine
mammals and birds, is vested in the
Secretary of Commerce. The North
Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council) has the responsibility to
prepare fishery management plans for
those marine resources off Alaska
requiring conservation and
management. Management of the
Federal groundfish fishery in the Bering
Sea is carried out under the Fishery
Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area (FMP). The FMP, its
amendments, and implementing
regulations (found at 50 CFR part 679)
are developed in accordance with the
requirements of the Magnuson–Stevens
Act and other applicable Federal laws
and executive orders, notably the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act
(ESA).
The Council is considering new
measures to minimize non–Chinook
salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea
pollock fishery because of the potential
negative impacts on salmon stocks in
general, and on western Alaska salmon
stocks in particular. Four species of
salmon (sockeye, coho, pink, and chum)
are aggregated into a ‘‘non–Chinook
salmon’’ species category for catch
accounting and prohibited species catch
limits. Chum salmon comprises over
99.6% of the total catch in this category.
The majority of non–Chinook bycatch
occurs in the pollock trawl fishery
during the B season (June 10 to
November 1). Historically, the portion of
the non–Chinook bycatch from the
pollock trawl fishery has ranged from
88% to over 99.5% of all non–Chinook
salmon bycatch in the federal
groundfish fisheries. Since 2002,
bycatch of non–Chinook salmon in the
pollock fishery has comprised over 95%
VerDate Nov<24>2008
13:57 Jan 07, 2009
Jkt 217001
of the total non–Chinook salmon
bycatch.
From 1991 through 2002, the average
annual bycatch in the Bering Sea
pollock fishery was 72,668 non–
Chinook salmon. From 2003 through
2006, non–Chinook salmon bycatch
numbers increased substantially to a
historic high of 704,989 non–Chinook
salmon in 2005. Bycatch since 2006 has
declined substantially, with a 2008
bycatch of 15,002 non–Chinook salmon.
The numbers of non–Chinook salmon
bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock
fishery from 2003 through 2008 are
shown in the following table:
Number of non–Chinook salmon
Year
2003
195,135
2004
440,692
2005
704,989
2006
309,676
2007
94,349
2008
15,002
NMFS and the Council are initiating
scoping in the event that an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
is the required NEPA document for the
proposed action and its alternatives. We
are seeking information from the public
through the scoping process on the
range of alternatives to be analyzed, and
on the environmental, social, and
economic issues to be considered in the
analysis. Written comments generated
during this scoping process will be
provided to the Council and
incorporated into the EIS, or the EA if
we determine that an EIS is not
required.
Chum Salmon Savings Area and
Prohibited Species Catch Limit
The Chum Salmon Savings Area in
the Bering Sea is a time–area closure
designed to reduce overall non–Chinook
salmon bycatch in the federal
groundfish trawl fisheries. This time–
area closure was adopted based on
historically observed salmon bycatch
rates and was designed to avoid areas
and times of high non–Chinook salmon
bycatch. The Chum Salmon Savings
Area is closed to pollock fishing from
August 1 through August 31 of each
year. Additionally, if the prohibited
species catch limit of 42,000 non–
Chinook salmon are caught by vessels
using trawl gear in the Catcher Vessel
Operational Area during the period
August 15 through October 14, the
Chum Salmon Savings Area remains
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
799
closed to directed fishing for pollock for
the remainder of the calendar year.
Non–CDQ and CDQ pollock vessels
participating in an inter–cooperative
agreement (ICA) using the Voluntary
Rolling Hotspot System (VHRS) are
exempted from closures of the Chum
Salmon Savings Area. The purpose of
the VHRS ICA is to use real–time
salmon bycatch information to avoid
areas of high non–Chinook salmon
bycatch rates. The ICA utilizes a system
of base bycatch rates, assignment of
vessels to tiers based on bycatch rates
relative to the base rate, a system of
closures for vessels in certain tiers, and
monitoring and enforcement through
private contractual arrangements. The
VRHS ICA was necessary because
comparisons of non–community
development quota (non–CDQ) vessels
fishing outside of the salmon savings
areas with CDQ vessels fishing inside of
the salmon savings areas indicated that
salmon bycatch rates were much higher
outside of the savings areas, and
closures were displacing vessels to
higher bycatch areas.
Proposed Action
The proposed action is to replace the
current Chum Salmon Savings Areas
and the VRHS ICA regulations with new
regulatory closures, salmon bycatch
limits, or a combination of both based
on current salmon bycatch information.
The purpose of the proposed action is
to minimize non–Chinook salmon
bycatch to the extent practicable while
achieving optimum yield from the
pollock fishery. The proposed action is
necessary to ensure long–term
conservation and abundance of salmon,
maintain a healthy marine ecosystem,
provide maximum benefit to fishermen
and communities that depend on
salmon and pollock, and comply with
the Magnuson–Stevens Act.
Alternative Management Measures
We will evaluate a range of alternative
management measures for the Bering
Sea pollock fishery. Alternatives may be
formulated based on the elements
identified here, and those developed
through the public scoping and Council
processes. Possible alternatives could be
constructed from one or more of the
following measures:
1. Hard Cap – Establish a hard cap for
non–Chinook salmon bycatch in the
CDQ and non–CDQ pollock fisheries.
The eight hard cap options range from
58,176 to 488,045 non–Chinook salmon.
Hard caps could be apportioned to the
CDQ and non–CDQ pollock fisheries or
divided among the fishery sectors.
Sector level caps could be further
divided among the cooperatives. Fishery
E:\FR\FM\08JAN1.SGM
08JAN1
800
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 5 / Thursday, January 8, 2009 / Notices
participants would be required to stop
fishing when the hard cap is reached.
2. Triggered area closure – Establish a
salmon savings area closure based on
current salmon bycatch information.
These closures would occur once a
specified cap level was reached.
Additional information about non–
Chinook salmon bycatch and the
alternatives that the Council may
consider may be found on the Council’s
website at: https://
www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/
currentlissues/bycatch/
chumbycatch1208.pdf.
erowe on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Preliminary Identification of Issues
A principal objective of the scoping
and public input process is to identify
potentially significant impacts to the
human environment. The analysis will
evaluate the impacts of the alternatives
for all resources, species, and issues that
may be directly or indirectly affected by
non–Chinook salmon bycatch in the
Bering Sea pollock fisheries. The
following components of the biological
and physical environment may be
evaluated: (1) target and non–target fish
stocks, forage fish, and prohibited
species, including salmon species; (2)
species listed under the ESA and their
critical habitat; (3) seabirds; (4) marine
mammals; and (5) the ecosystem.
Social and economic impacts also
would be considered in terms of the
effects that changes to non–Chinook
salmon bycatch management measures
would have on the following groups of
individuals: (1) those who participate in
harvesting pollock; (2) those who
process and market pollock and pollock
products; (3) those who consume
pollock products; (4) those who rely on
living marine resources caught in the
management area, particularly non–
Chinook salmon; (5) those who benefit
from subsistence, commercial, and sport
salmon fisheries; and (6) fishing
communities.
Public Involvement
Scoping is an early and open process
for determining the scope of issues to be
addressed in an EA for EIS and for
identifying the significant issues related
to the proposed action. A principal
objective of the scoping and public
involvement process is to identify a
range of reasonable of management
alternatives that will delineate critical
issues and provide a clear basis for
distinguishing among those alternatives
and selecting a preferred alternative.
Through this notice, we are notifying
the public that a NEPA analysis and
decision–making process for this
proposed action has been initiated so
that interested or affected people may
VerDate Nov<24>2008
13:57 Jan 07, 2009
Jkt 217001
participate and contribute to the final
decision.
We are seeking written public
comments on the scope of issues,
including potential impacts, and
alternatives that should be considered
in revising non–Chinook salmon
bycatch management measures. Written
comments will be accepted at the
address above (see ADDRESSES). Written
comments should be as specific as
possible to be the most helpful. Written
comments received during the scoping
process, including the names and
addresses of those submitting them, will
be considered part of the public record
of this proposal and will be available for
public inspection.
The public is invited to participate
and provide input at Council meetings
where the latest scientific information
regarding salmon bycatch in the Bering
Sea pollock fishery is reviewed and
alternative non–Chinook salmon
bycatch reduction measures are
developed and evaluated. Notice of
future Council meetings will be
published in the Federal Register and
posted on the Internet at https://
alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/. Please visit
this website for more information on
this proposed action and for guidance
on submitting effective public
comments.
Dated: January 2, 2009.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9–125 Filed 1–7–09; 8:45 am]
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301)713–2289; fax (301)427–2521.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tammy Adams or Kate Swails,
(301)713–2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
requested amendment has been granted
under the authority of the Marine
Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and
the regulations governing the taking and
importing of marine mammals (50 CFR
part 216).
The original permit (No. 782–1708),
issued on August 23, 2003 (68 FR
53967) and valid through December 31,
2008, authorized research on northern
fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) of the
San Miguel Islands Stock at San Miguel
Island, California, and of the Eastern
North Pacific Stock at Bogoslof Island
and the Pribilof Islands in Alaska. The
permit was subsequently amended four
times to modify methods and take
numbers. The minor amendment (No.
782–1708–05) extends the duration of
the permit through December 31, 2009,
and does not change any other terms or
conditions of the permit.
Dated: January 2, 2009.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9–124 Filed 1–7–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark
Office
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[Docket No. PTO–C–2008–0058]
RIN 0648–XM55
Marine Mammals; File No. 782–1708
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit
amendment.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that
the NMFS National Marine Mammal
Laboratory, Seattle, WA has been issued
a minor amendment to Scientific
Research Permit No. 782–1708–04.
ADDRESSES: The amendment and related
documents are available for review
upon written request or by appointment
in the following office:
Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
National Medal of Technology and
Innovation Nomination Evaluation
Committee
AGENCY: United States Patent and
Trademark Office.
ACTION: Notice and request for
nominations.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce
(United States Patent and Trademark
Office) is requesting nominations of
individuals to serve on the National
Medal of Technology and Innovation
Nomination Evaluation Committee. The
United States Patent and Trademark
Office will consider nominations
received in response to this notice as
well as from other sources. The
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this notice provides committee and
membership criteria.
E:\FR\FM\08JAN1.SGM
08JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 798-800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-125]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XM37
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish
Fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare an environmental assessment or an
environmental impact statement; request for written comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS, in consultation with the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council, announces its intent to prepare either an
Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) on measures to minimize non-Chinook salmon bycatch in the Bering
Sea, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
The proposed action would replace the current Chum Salmon Savings Area
in the Bering Sea, and the specific exemption to the area closure, with
new regulatory closures, salmon bycatch limits, or a combination of
both. The scope of the EA or EIS will be to determine the impacts to
the human environment resulting from the measures to minimize non-
Chinook salmon bycatch. NMFS will accept written comments from the
public to determine the issues of concern and the appropriate range of
alternatives for analysis.
DATES: Written comments must be received by March 23, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on issues and alternatives should be sent
to Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable
Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian.
Comments may be submitted by:
E-mail: ChumSalmonBycatchEIS@noaa.gov. Include in the
subject line the following document identifier: ``RIN 0648-XM37''. E-
mail comments, with or without attachments, are limited to 5 megabytes;
Mail: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802;
Hand Delivery to the Federal Building: 709 West 9th
Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK; or
Fax: 907-586-7557.
All Personal Identifying Information (e.g., name, address)
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be
[[Page 799]]
publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
NMFS will accept anonymous comments. Attachments to electronic
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or
Adobe portable document file (pdf) formats only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gretchen Harrington, (907) 586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the United
States has exclusive fishery management authority over all living
marine resources found within the exclusive economic zone. The
management of these marine resources, with the exception of certain
marine mammals and birds, is vested in the Secretary of Commerce. The
North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has the
responsibility to prepare fishery management plans for those marine
resources off Alaska requiring conservation and management. Management
of the Federal groundfish fishery in the Bering Sea is carried out
under the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). The FMP, its amendments, and
implementing regulations (found at 50 CFR part 679) are developed in
accordance with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other
applicable Federal laws and executive orders, notably the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The Council is considering new measures to minimize non-Chinook
salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery because of the
potential negative impacts on salmon stocks in general, and on western
Alaska salmon stocks in particular. Four species of salmon (sockeye,
coho, pink, and chum) are aggregated into a ``non-Chinook salmon''
species category for catch accounting and prohibited species catch
limits. Chum salmon comprises over 99.6% of the total catch in this
category. The majority of non-Chinook bycatch occurs in the pollock
trawl fishery during the B season (June 10 to November 1).
Historically, the portion of the non-Chinook bycatch from the pollock
trawl fishery has ranged from 88% to over 99.5% of all non-Chinook
salmon bycatch in the federal groundfish fisheries. Since 2002, bycatch
of non-Chinook salmon in the pollock fishery has comprised over 95% of
the total non-Chinook salmon bycatch.
From 1991 through 2002, the average annual bycatch in the Bering
Sea pollock fishery was 72,668 non-Chinook salmon. From 2003 through
2006, non-Chinook salmon bycatch numbers increased substantially to a
historic high of 704,989 non-Chinook salmon in 2005. Bycatch since 2006
has declined substantially, with a 2008 bycatch of 15,002 non-Chinook
salmon. The numbers of non-Chinook salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea
pollock fishery from 2003 through 2008 are shown in the following
table:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Number of non-Chinook
--------------------------------------------------------salmon----------
2003 195,135
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2004 440,692
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005 704,989
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006 309,676
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2007 94,349
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2008 15,002
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NMFS and the Council are initiating scoping in the event that an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is the required NEPA document for
the proposed action and its alternatives. We are seeking information
from the public through the scoping process on the range of
alternatives to be analyzed, and on the environmental, social, and
economic issues to be considered in the analysis. Written comments
generated during this scoping process will be provided to the Council
and incorporated into the EIS, or the EA if we determine that an EIS is
not required.
Chum Salmon Savings Area and Prohibited Species Catch Limit
The Chum Salmon Savings Area in the Bering Sea is a time-area
closure designed to reduce overall non-Chinook salmon bycatch in the
federal groundfish trawl fisheries. This time-area closure was adopted
based on historically observed salmon bycatch rates and was designed to
avoid areas and times of high non-Chinook salmon bycatch. The Chum
Salmon Savings Area is closed to pollock fishing from August 1 through
August 31 of each year. Additionally, if the prohibited species catch
limit of 42,000 non-Chinook salmon are caught by vessels using trawl
gear in the Catcher Vessel Operational Area during the period August 15
through October 14, the Chum Salmon Savings Area remains closed to
directed fishing for pollock for the remainder of the calendar year.
Non-CDQ and CDQ pollock vessels participating in an inter-
cooperative agreement (ICA) using the Voluntary Rolling Hotspot System
(VHRS) are exempted from closures of the Chum Salmon Savings Area. The
purpose of the VHRS ICA is to use real-time salmon bycatch information
to avoid areas of high non-Chinook salmon bycatch rates. The ICA
utilizes a system of base bycatch rates, assignment of vessels to tiers
based on bycatch rates relative to the base rate, a system of closures
for vessels in certain tiers, and monitoring and enforcement through
private contractual arrangements. The VRHS ICA was necessary because
comparisons of non-community development quota (non-CDQ) vessels
fishing outside of the salmon savings areas with CDQ vessels fishing
inside of the salmon savings areas indicated that salmon bycatch rates
were much higher outside of the savings areas, and closures were
displacing vessels to higher bycatch areas.
Proposed Action
The proposed action is to replace the current Chum Salmon Savings
Areas and the VRHS ICA regulations with new regulatory closures, salmon
bycatch limits, or a combination of both based on current salmon
bycatch information. The purpose of the proposed action is to minimize
non-Chinook salmon bycatch to the extent practicable while achieving
optimum yield from the pollock fishery. The proposed action is
necessary to ensure long-term conservation and abundance of salmon,
maintain a healthy marine ecosystem, provide maximum benefit to
fishermen and communities that depend on salmon and pollock, and comply
with the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Alternative Management Measures
We will evaluate a range of alternative management measures for the
Bering Sea pollock fishery. Alternatives may be formulated based on the
elements identified here, and those developed through the public
scoping and Council processes. Possible alternatives could be
constructed from one or more of the following measures:
1. Hard Cap - Establish a hard cap for non-Chinook salmon bycatch
in the CDQ and non-CDQ pollock fisheries. The eight hard cap options
range from 58,176 to 488,045 non-Chinook salmon. Hard caps could be
apportioned to the CDQ and non-CDQ pollock fisheries or divided among
the fishery sectors. Sector level caps could be further divided among
the cooperatives. Fishery
[[Page 800]]
participants would be required to stop fishing when the hard cap is
reached.
2. Triggered area closure - Establish a salmon savings area closure
based on current salmon bycatch information. These closures would occur
once a specified cap level was reached.
Additional information about non-Chinook salmon bycatch and the
alternatives that the Council may consider may be found on the
Council's website at: https://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/
current_issues/bycatch/chumbycatch1208.pdf.
Preliminary Identification of Issues
A principal objective of the scoping and public input process is to
identify potentially significant impacts to the human environment. The
analysis will evaluate the impacts of the alternatives for all
resources, species, and issues that may be directly or indirectly
affected by non-Chinook salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock
fisheries. The following components of the biological and physical
environment may be evaluated: (1) target and non-target fish stocks,
forage fish, and prohibited species, including salmon species; (2)
species listed under the ESA and their critical habitat; (3) seabirds;
(4) marine mammals; and (5) the ecosystem.
Social and economic impacts also would be considered in terms of
the effects that changes to non-Chinook salmon bycatch management
measures would have on the following groups of individuals: (1) those
who participate in harvesting pollock; (2) those who process and market
pollock and pollock products; (3) those who consume pollock products;
(4) those who rely on living marine resources caught in the management
area, particularly non-Chinook salmon; (5) those who benefit from
subsistence, commercial, and sport salmon fisheries; and (6) fishing
communities.
Public Involvement
Scoping is an early and open process for determining the scope of
issues to be addressed in an EA for EIS and for identifying the
significant issues related to the proposed action. A principal
objective of the scoping and public involvement process is to identify
a range of reasonable of management alternatives that will delineate
critical issues and provide a clear basis for distinguishing among
those alternatives and selecting a preferred alternative. Through this
notice, we are notifying the public that a NEPA analysis and decision-
making process for this proposed action has been initiated so that
interested or affected people may participate and contribute to the
final decision.
We are seeking written public comments on the scope of issues,
including potential impacts, and alternatives that should be considered
in revising non-Chinook salmon bycatch management measures. Written
comments will be accepted at the address above (see ADDRESSES). Written
comments should be as specific as possible to be the most helpful.
Written comments received during the scoping process, including the
names and addresses of those submitting them, will be considered part
of the public record of this proposal and will be available for public
inspection.
The public is invited to participate and provide input at Council
meetings where the latest scientific information regarding salmon
bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery is reviewed and alternative
non-Chinook salmon bycatch reduction measures are developed and
evaluated. Notice of future Council meetings will be published in the
Federal Register and posted on the Internet at https://
alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/. Please visit this website for more
information on this proposed action and for guidance on submitting
effective public comments.
Dated: January 2, 2009.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-125 Filed 1-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
