Fisheries in the Western Pacific; Special Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishing Permit, 49258-49259 [2013-19607]

Download as PDF 49258 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 13, 2013 / Notices order to prepare a management plan and environmental impact statement. Designated reserves apply annually for operations funds by submitting a work plan; subsequently progress reports are required every six months for the duration of the award. Each reserve compiles an ecological characterization or site profile to describe the biological and physical environment of the reserve, research to date and research gaps. Reserves revise their management plans every five years. This information is required to ensure that reserves are adhering to regulations and that the reserves are in keeping with the purpose for which they were designated. II. Method of Collection Respondents have a choice of either electronic or paper submissions. Methods of submittal include email of electronic forms, and mail and facsimile transmission of paper forms. III. Data OMB Control Number: 0648–0121. Form Number: None. Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current information collection). Affected Public: Non-profit institutions; state, local, or tribal government. Estimated Number of Respondents: 75. Estimated Time per Response: Management plan, 1800 hours; site profile, 1800 hours; award application, 8 hours; award reports, 5 hours; designations, 2000 hours; NEPA documentation, 40 hours. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 8,216. Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $1,000 in recordkeeping/ reporting costs. ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES IV. Request for Comments Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 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 VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:31 Aug 12, 2013 Jkt 229001 approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record. Dated: August 8, 2013. Gwellnar Banks, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2013–19559 Filed 8–12–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–08–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XC791 Fisheries in the Western Pacific; Special Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishing Permit National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability of environmental assessment; request for comments. AGENCY: NMFS proposes to issue a Special Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishing Permit that would authorize Kampachi Farms, LLC, to culture and harvest a coral reef ecosystem management unit fish species in a floating pen moored about 5.5 nm off the west coast of the Island of Hawaii in about 6,000 ft of water. This notice informs the public that NMFS prepared a draft environmental assessment (EA) of the potential impacts of the proposed activity. SUMMARY: Comments on the draft EA must be received by September 3, 2013. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA– NMFS–2013–0125, by either of the following methods: • Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/ #!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20130125, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. • Mail: Send written comments to Michael D. Tosatto, Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Region (PIR), 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814–4700. 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 DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 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), and will accept attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only. NMFS prepared a draft EA that describe the potential impacts on the human environment that would result from the proposed activity. The draft EA is available from www.regulations.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phyllis Ha, Sustainable Fisheries, NMFS PIR, tel 808–944–2265. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS proposes to issue a Special Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishing Permit to Kampachi Farms, LLC, consistent with Federal regulations for Hawaii fisheries at 50 CFR 665.224, pertaining to management of coral reef ecosystem fisheries, and in accordance with the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Hawaii Archipelago (FEP). NMFS would authorize Kampachi Farms to culture and harvest the native coral reef ecosystem management unit fish species kampachi (Seriola rivoliana, marketed as Kona Kampachi®) using a 132 m∧3 (approximately 21 feet in diameter) brass-link mesh aquapod (CuPod) tethered to a moored, 28-ft feed vessel. The feed vessel would be connected to a single-point mooring established at around 6,000 feet deep approximately 5.5 nm west of Keauhou Bay, Hawaii. The Velella array (the name for the combined CuPod and vessel) would be located in Federal waters with the exact position depending on wind and currents. It would not be closer than 3 nm to shore. A special permit is required because the gear proposed for harvesting a coral reef ecosystem management unit species is not currently identified as an approved gear type under the FEP and fishing regulations. If NMFS permits the activity, the applicant would use the Velella array to grow and harvest 2,000 kampachi fingerlings and juveniles. The stock would be first generation offspring of fish obtained from a local hatchery. If approved, NMFS would authorize the activity for one year. In this draft EA, information indicates that the low rearing density of fishes, established procedures for application of feed, passive flushing and near constant movement in offshore waters are expected to minimize impacts on water quality. The strong brass mesh net E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 13, 2013 / Notices material is resistant to biofouling and leaching and the CuPod design includes mesh entry panels that prevent fish escapes. The array’s CuPod and vessel would each have a GPS navigation unit to provide location information in the unlikely case of separation from the mooring. In addition to the applicant’s monitoring of the array and surrounding waters, the conditions of the NMFS permit would include requirements for avoiding and reporting protected resources interactions, preventing fish escapes and methods of discarding of dead fish, filing harvest and transshipment reports, and accommodating an observer upon request. These operational features, together with the limited scale and duration of the project, resulted in a preliminary determination that the project would have a very limited impact on the environment. NMFS expects that the array will aggregate pelagic fish. Fishermen would be able to fish around the array. The small size of the array is not expected to have a large adverse impact on catches by other fishermen in the ocean in west Hawaii. Kampachi Farms must also obtain a Department of the Army permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the proposed mooring. NMFS prepared this draft EA with input and review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. When finalized, the EA will serve as the basis for NMFS to determine whether or not the activity would be a major federal action with the potential for significant environmental impacts. If determined to have major impacts, NMFS would need to prepare an environmental impact statement. The EA will also inform NMFS in its decision about whether to issue the special permit. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will use this EA to inform the preparation of its own environmental evaluation in accordance with its internal procedures. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: August 8, 2013. Emily H. Menashes, Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES [FR Doc. 2013–19607 Filed 8–12–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XC804 RIN 0648–XC805 Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. AGENCY: AGENCY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a conference call of its ad hoc Ecosystem Work Group (EWG). A listening station will be available at the Pacific Council offices for interested members of the public. DATES: The conference call will be held Thursday, August 29, 2013, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via conference call, with a public listening station available at the Pacific Council office: 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Gilden, Staff Officer; telephone: (503) 820–2280. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The primary purpose of the conference call is to consider next steps in protecting unmanaged forage fish, finalize recommendations to the Pacific Council on the Federal list of authorized West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone fisheries, and other items related to the September 2013 Council meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the EWG’s intent to take final action to address the emergency. SUMMARY: Special Accommodations This listening station is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt, at (503) 820–2280, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Dated: August 8, 2013. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2013–19566 Filed 8–12–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:31 Aug 12, 2013 Jkt 229001 49259 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a meeting of the Salmon Technical Team (STT), the Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS), and the Model Evaluation Workgroup (MEW) by telephone conference that is open to the public. DATES: The teleconference will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2013 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., or when business for the call is completed. ADDRESSES: A public listening station will be available at the Pacific Council Office, Small Conference Room, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220–1384; telephone: (503) 820–2280. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Burner, Staff Officer; telephone: (503) 820–2280. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Please note, this is not a public hearing; it is a work session for the purpose of drafting reports and recommendations for the September 12–17, 2013 Council meeting in Boise, ID. The primary purpose of the meeting is to review information in the Pacific Council’s September 2013 meeting briefing book related to salmon and ecosystem-based management, and to develop comments and recommendations for consideration at the September 2013 Pacific Council meeting. Although non-emergency issues not contained in the meeting agenda may come before the group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal SAS, STT, or MEW action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency. SUMMARY: Special Accommodations This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49258-49259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19607]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC791


Fisheries in the Western Pacific; Special Coral Reef Ecosystem 
Fishing Permit

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of environmental assessment; request for 
comments.

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

SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to issue a Special Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishing 
Permit that would authorize Kampachi Farms, LLC, to culture and harvest 
a coral reef ecosystem management unit fish species in a floating pen 
moored about 5.5 nm off the west coast of the Island of Hawaii in about 
6,000 ft of water. This notice informs the public that NMFS prepared a 
draft environmental assessment (EA) of the potential impacts of the 
proposed activity.

DATES: Comments on the draft EA must be received by September 3, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2013-0125, by either of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2013-0125, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.
     Mail: Send written comments to Michael D. Tosatto, 
Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Region (PIR), 1601 
Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700.
    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 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 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), and will accept attachments to electronic comments in 
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
    NMFS prepared a draft EA that describe the potential impacts on the 
human environment that would result from the proposed activity. The 
draft EA is available from www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phyllis Ha, Sustainable Fisheries, 
NMFS PIR, tel 808-944-2265.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS proposes to issue a Special Coral Reef 
Ecosystem Fishing Permit to Kampachi Farms, LLC, consistent with 
Federal regulations for Hawaii fisheries at 50 CFR 665.224, pertaining 
to management of coral reef ecosystem fisheries, and in accordance with 
the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Hawaii Archipelago (FEP). NMFS would 
authorize Kampachi Farms to culture and harvest the native coral reef 
ecosystem management unit fish species kampachi (Seriola rivoliana, 
marketed as Kona Kampachi[supreg]) using a 132 m[supcaret]3 
(approximately 21 feet in diameter) brass-link mesh aquapod (CuPod) 
tethered to a moored, 28-ft feed vessel. The feed vessel would be 
connected to a single-point mooring established at around 6,000 feet 
deep approximately 5.5 nm west of Keauhou Bay, Hawaii. The Velella 
array (the name for the combined CuPod and vessel) would be located in 
Federal waters with the exact position depending on wind and currents. 
It would not be closer than 3 nm to shore.
    A special permit is required because the gear proposed for 
harvesting a coral reef ecosystem management unit species is not 
currently identified as an approved gear type under the FEP and fishing 
regulations. If NMFS permits the activity, the applicant would use the 
Velella array to grow and harvest 2,000 kampachi fingerlings and 
juveniles. The stock would be first generation offspring of fish 
obtained from a local hatchery. If approved, NMFS would authorize the 
activity for one year.
    In this draft EA, information indicates that the low rearing 
density of fishes, established procedures for application of feed, 
passive flushing and near constant movement in offshore waters are 
expected to minimize impacts on water quality. The strong brass mesh 
net

[[Page 49259]]

material is resistant to biofouling and leaching and the CuPod design 
includes mesh entry panels that prevent fish escapes.
    The array's CuPod and vessel would each have a GPS navigation unit 
to provide location information in the unlikely case of separation from 
the mooring. In addition to the applicant's monitoring of the array and 
surrounding waters, the conditions of the NMFS permit would include 
requirements for avoiding and reporting protected resources 
interactions, preventing fish escapes and methods of discarding of dead 
fish, filing harvest and transshipment reports, and accommodating an 
observer upon request. These operational features, together with the 
limited scale and duration of the project, resulted in a preliminary 
determination that the project would have a very limited impact on the 
environment.
    NMFS expects that the array will aggregate pelagic fish. Fishermen 
would be able to fish around the array. The small size of the array is 
not expected to have a large adverse impact on catches by other 
fishermen in the ocean in west Hawaii.
    Kampachi Farms must also obtain a Department of the Army permit 
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the proposed mooring. NMFS 
prepared this draft EA with input and review by the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers. When finalized, the EA will serve as the basis for NMFS to 
determine whether or not the activity would be a major federal action 
with the potential for significant environmental impacts. If determined 
to have major impacts, NMFS would need to prepare an environmental 
impact statement. The EA will also inform NMFS in its decision about 
whether to issue the special permit. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
will use this EA to inform the preparation of its own environmental 
evaluation in accordance with its internal procedures.

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

    Dated: August 8, 2013.
Emily H. Menashes,
Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-19607 Filed 8-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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