Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Jonah Crab Fishery; Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; Scoping Process, 70658-70660 [2016-24746]
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70658
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 198 / Thursday, October 13, 2016 / Proposed Rules
identification to enter the building.
Because of access restrictions, visitors
will not be admitted beyond the
immediate entrance area more than 30
minutes before the hearing starts. For
information about having your name
placed on the building access list to
attend the hearing, see the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
preamble.
The rules of 26 CFR 601.601(a)(3)
apply to the hearing. Persons who wish
to present oral comments at the hearing
must submit written comments or
electronic comments by November 28,
2016 and submit an outline of the topics
to be discussed and the amount of time
to be devoted to each topic (a signed
original and 8 copies) by November 28,
2016 . A period of 10 minutes will be
allotted to each person for making
comments. An agenda showing the
scheduling of the speakers will be
prepared after the deadline for receiving
outlines has passed. Copies of the
agenda will be available free of charge
at the hearing.
Drafting Information
The principal author of these
regulations is Maria Del Pilar Austin of
the Office of the Associate Chief
Counsel (Procedure and
Administration). Other personnel from
the Treasury Department and the IRS
participated in their development.
List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 300
Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, User fees.
Proposed Amendments to the
Regulations
Accordingly, 26 CFR part 300 is
proposed to be amended as follows:
PART 300—USER FEES
Paragraph. 1. The authority citation
for part 300 continues to read as
follows:
■
Authority: 31 U.S.C. 9701 * * *
Par 2. In § 300.3, paragraphs (b)(1)
introductory text and (d) are revised to
read as follows:
■
§ 300.3
Offer to compromise fee.
Lhorne on DSK30JT082PROD with PROPOSALS
*
*
*
*
*
(b) Fee—(1) The fee for processing an
offer to compromise submitted before
February 27, 2017, is $186. The fee for
processing an offer to compromise
submitted on or after February 27, 2017,
is $300. No fee will be charged if an
offer is—* * *
*
*
*
*
*
VerDate Sep<11>2014
13:36 Oct 12, 2016
Jkt 241001
(d) Effective/applicability date. This
section is applicable beginning February
27, 2017.
John Dalrymple,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and
Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2016–24666 Filed 10–12–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 151006928–6899–01]
RIN 0648–BF43
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Jonah Crab Fishery; Advance
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement;
Scoping Process
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Advance notice of proposed
rulemaking; request for comments.
AGENCY:
Based on Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission
recommendations, we are issuing this
advance notice of proposed rulemaking
announcing our intent to develop
regulations in support of an Interstate
Fishery Management Plan for Jonah
crab. The advance notice of proposed
rulemaking is necessary to provide the
public with background information
and to alert interested parties of future
regulations governing Jonah crab fishing
in Federal waters of the Exclusive
Economic Zone. We are also
announcing our intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement in
accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act. This notice is
to alert the interested public of the
scoping process and potential
development of a draft Environmental
Impact Statement, and to outline
opportunity for public participation in
that process.
DATES: Written and electronic comments
must be received on or before November
14, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the Jonah Crab Plan, identified by
NOAA–NMFS–2015–0127, by either of
the following methods:
• Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
SUMMARY:
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Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20150127, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
• Mail: Submit written comments to
John K. Bullard, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic
Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great
Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.
Mark the outside of the envelope:
‘‘Comments on Jonah Crab Plan.’’
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).
Requests for copies of the
Commission’s Jonah Crab Plan should
be directed to Robert Beal, Executive
Director, Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission, 1050 N.
Highland St, Suite A–N, Arlington, VA
22201. It is also available electronically
at: https://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/
55e9daffJonahCrabInterstateFMP_
Aug2015.pdf.
Requests for copies of the scoping
document and other information should
be directed to Allison Murphy, Fishery
Policy Analyst, NOAA Fisheries,
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries
Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930, telephone (978)
281–9122. The scoping document will
be available electronically at: https://
www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy Analyst,
NMFS, allison.murphy@noaa.gov,
telephone (978) 281–9122.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Jonah crab (Cancer borealis), also
known as rock crab, is not currently
managed under Federal regulations. The
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission’s Lobster Board, working
through its public meeting process,
approved an Interstate Fishery
Management Plan for Jonah Crab in
August 2015. The goal of the plan is to
promote conservation, reduce the
possibility of recruitment failure, and
allow the industry to continue fishing
E:\FR\FM\13OCP1.SGM
13OCP1
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 198 / Thursday, October 13, 2016 / Proposed Rules
the resource at present levels. The
Commission’s Jonah Crab Plan includes
commercial and recreational measures,
70659
and reporting requirements,
summarized in Table 1, below.
TABLE 1—COMMISSION-RECOMMENDED JONAH CRAB MANAGEMENT MEASURES
Description
Commercial Management Measure
Permits .......................................................
Minimum Size ............................................
Landing Disposition ...................................
Broodstock Protection ................................
Incidental Catch Limit ................................
Limits participation in the directed trap fishery to only those vessels and permit holders that already
hold a lobster permit, or can prove prior participation in the crab fishery before the June 2, 2015,
control date.
43⁄4 inches (12.065 cm).
Whole crab fishery, with an exception for New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia harvesters
who can demonstrate history in the claw-only fishery.*
Prohibition on the retention of egg-bearing females.
1,000 crabs/trip for non-lobster trap and non-trap gear.
Recreational Management Measures
Possession Limit ........................................
Broodstock Protection ................................
50 whole crabs/person per day.
Prohibition on the retention of egg-bearing females.
Reporting Requirements
Dealer Reporting ........................................
Harvester Reporting ...................................
100-percent dealer reporting.
100-percent harvester reporting, but allows jurisdictions that currently require less than 100 percent
of lobster harvesters to report are required to maintain its current reporting programs and extend
them to Jonah crab.
Lhorne on DSK30JT082PROD with PROPOSALS
* The Commission is considering a coastwide claw-only fishery as part of Addendum II.
Anticipating that the approved Jonah
Crab Plan would include permitting
requirements, the Commission
requested that we issue a control date
for the Jonah crab fishery. We published
a notice (80 FR 31347; June 2, 2015)
establishing June 2, 2015, as the control
date. The notice advised Jonah crab
harvesters to locate and preserve
records. It also notified harvesters that
landings after the control date may not
be treated the same as landings that
occurred prior to the control date.
The Board recommended allowing
any lobster permit holder to continue to
fish for and retain Jonah crabs. The
Board also recommended allowing
access for historic crab-only harvesters
to continue to fish for and retain Jonah
crabs. The Board has not yet developed
qualification criteria for historic crabonly harvesters in the Jonah Crab Plan.
While the Board’s Plan Development
Team has investigated Jonah crab-only
landings, it has not been able to
investigate Jonah crab-only harvesters
with substantial landings. We will work
with the Commission and state partners
through the development of these
recommendations.
In the Jonah Crab FMP, the Lobster
Board recommended an incidental catch
limit of 200 crabs/day, up to 500 crabs/
trip. After the FMP was approved, the
Board became aware that the approved
limit might restrict some historical
fishing practices, which was not
intended. In November 2015, the Board
VerDate Sep<11>2014
13:36 Oct 12, 2016
Jkt 241001
initiated Addendum I to reconsider the
incidental catch limit. At its May 2016
meeting, the Lobster Board finalized
Addendum I by selecting an incidental
catch limit of 1,000 crabs for a trip of
any length for both non-trap and nonlobster trap gear.
In May 2016, the Lobster Board
initiated Addendum II to further
develop claw-only fishery requirements.
Although draft Addendum II has not yet
been released for public comment, we
expect it to contain alternatives that
would allow a coastwide claw-only
fishery, as well as an alternative that
would restrict Jonah crab landings to
only whole crabs (i.e., prohibit landing
claws). We expect the draft addendum
to be discussed in October 2016, and
revised claw-only fishery requirements
to be selected by the Lobster Board in
February 2017, following public
comment.
States were required to implement
Jonah Crab Plan requirements by June 1,
2016. In September, 2015, the
Commission formally requested that we
issue complementary regulations in
Federal waters. We are reviewing the
Commission’s Jonah Crab Plan,
available data, and are considering
implementing complementary measures
in Federal waters. We are seeking public
comment on the Commission’s
recommended measures, as well as
soliciting input on any additional
alternatives that we should consider for
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Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
managing the Federal Jonah crab
fishery.
Public Comment
We are soliciting written comments to
help us determine the scope of issues to
be addressed by potential Federal
regulations in support of the Jonah Crab
Plan, as well as to identify significant
issues for inclusion in the
Environmental Impact Statement. We
are particularly interested in comment
on the Commission’s recommended
measures outlined in Table 1, including
potential criterial for a possible limited
access directed fishery. We are also
interested in comment on the nature
and extent of a possible claw-only
fishery which may be revised in
Addendum II. Scoping consists of
identifying the range of actions,
alternatives, and impacts to be
considered. After the scoping process is
completed, we will begin development
of Federal regulations and may prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement to
analyze the impacts of the range of
alternatives under consideration.
Impacts may be direct, indirect, or
cumulative.
In addition to having the opportunity
to comment on this notice, the public
will have the opportunity to comment
on the measures and alternatives being
considered through the public comment
period and a public meeting, consistent
with National Environmental Policy Act
and the Administrative Procedure Act.
E:\FR\FM\13OCP1.SGM
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70660
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 198 / Thursday, October 13, 2016 / Proposed Rules
We have scheduled a scoping webinar
for October 20, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. during
which we will take and discuss scoping
comments on future Jonah crab
regulations. Please use the link and call
in information provided below:
• Webinar: https://
noaaevents.webex.com/noaaevents/
onstage/g.php?MTID=ed272b501b73
da9f75dff6eb36ca49229,
• Webinar access code: Meeting123,
• Telephone Number: 877–661–2084,
• Participant Code: 613780.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 6, 2016.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016–24746 Filed 10–12–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 160728670–6904–01]
RIN 0648–BG23
Fisheries off West Coast States; Highly
Migratory Fisheries; California Drift
Gillnet Fishery; Protected Species
Hard Caps for the California/Oregon
Large-Mesh Drift Gillnet Fishery
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS is proposing
regulations under the authority of
Section 303(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (MSA) to implement an immediate
closure of the California thresher shark/
swordfish drift gillnet (DGN) (mesh size
≥14 inches) fishery if a hard cap (i.e.,
limit) on mortality/injury is met or
exceeded for certain protected species
during a rolling 2-year period. The
length of the closure would be
dependent on when—during the 2-year
period—the hard cap is reached.
DATES: Comments on the proposed rule
and supporting documents must be
submitted in writing by November 28,
2016.
Lhorne on DSK30JT082PROD with PROPOSALS
SUMMARY:
You may submit comments
on this document, the draft
Environmental Assessment (EA), draft
Regulatory Impact Review (RIR) and
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
13:36 Oct 12, 2016
Jkt 241001
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
(IRFA), identified by NOAA–NMFS–
2016–0123, by any of the following
methods:
• Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20160123, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
• Mail: Submit written comments to
Lyle Enriquez, NMFS West Coast
Region, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200,
Long Beach, CA 90802. Include the
identifier ‘‘NOAA–NMFS–2016–0123’’
in the comments.
Instructions: Comments must be
submitted by one of the above methods
to ensure they are received,
documented, and considered by NMFS.
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. 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.) submitted
voluntarily by the sender will be
publicly accessible. Do not submit
confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive or protected
information. NMFS will accept
anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in
the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous).
Copies of the draft EA, draft RIR,
IRFA, and other supporting documents
are available via the Federal
eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov, docket NOAA–
NMFS–2016–0123 or by contacting the
Regional Administrator, Barry Thom,
NMFS West Coast Region, 1201 NE.
Lloyd Blvd., Portland, OR 97232–2182,
or RegionalAdministrator.WCRHMS@
noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lyle
Enriquez, NMFS, West Coast Region,
562–980–4025, or Lyle.Enriquez@
noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The DGN fishery for swordfish and
thresher shark (14″ minimum mesh size)
is federally managed under the Federal
Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West
Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory
Species (HMS FMP) and via regulations
of the states of California and Oregon to
conserve target and non-target stocks,
including protected species that are
incidentally captured. The HMS FMP
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Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
was prepared by the Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) and is
implemented under the authority of the
MSA by regulations at 50 CFR part 660.
The DGN fishery has been subject to
a number of seasonal closures. Since
1982, it has been closed inside the
entire U.S. West Coast exclusive
economic zone (EEZ) from February 1 to
April 30 of each year. In 1986, a closure
was established within 75 miles of the
California mainland from June 1
through Aug 14 of each year to conserve
common thresher sharks; this closure
was extended to include May in 1990
and later years. In 2001, NMFS
implemented two Pacific sea turtle
conservation areas on the U.S. West
Coast with seasonal DGN restrictions to
protect endangered leatherback and
loggerhead sea turtles. The larger of the
two closures spans the EEZ north of
Point Conception, CA (34°27′ N.
latitude) to mid-Oregon (45° N. latitude)
and west to 129° W. longitude. DGN
fishing is prohibited annually within
this conservation area from August 15 to
November 15 to protect leatherback sea
turtles. A smaller closure was
implemented to protect Pacific
loggerhead turtles from DGN gear from
June 1–August 31 of each year during a
˜
forecasted or occurring El Nino event,
and is located south of Point
Conception, CA, and east of 120° W.
longitude (72 FR 31756). The number of
active vessels in the DGN fishery has
remained under 50 vessels since 2003,
and there has been an average of 20
active vessels per year from 2010
through 2015.
Since 1990, NMFS has targeted 20
percent observer coverage of the DGN
fishery each year, per recommendations
from the Southwest Fisheries Science
Center (NMFS 1989). NMFS’ fleet-wide
observer coverage target has been 30
percent since 2013. Since some DGN
vessels are unobservable due to safety or
accommodations requirements, the
observable vessels are observed at a rate
higher than 30 percent to attain the
fleet-wide 30 percent coverage. Four to
six DGN vessels have been unobservable
during each fishing season from 2011 to
present.
Council Background
In March 2012, the Council tasked
NMFS with determining the steps
needed to implement protected species
hard caps in the DGN fishery. Originally
concerned with sea turtle interactions,
the Council expanded its scope to
include marine mammals at its June
2014 meeting. At that meeting, the
Council directed its Highly Migratory
Species Management Team (HMSMT) to
begin developing a range of alternatives
E:\FR\FM\13OCP1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 198 (Thursday, October 13, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 70658-70660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24746]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 151006928-6899-01]
RIN 0648-BF43
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Jonah Crab Fishery;
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Intent To Prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement; Scoping Process
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Based on Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
recommendations, we are issuing this advance notice of proposed
rulemaking announcing our intent to develop regulations in support of
an Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Jonah crab. The advance
notice of proposed rulemaking is necessary to provide the public with
background information and to alert interested parties of future
regulations governing Jonah crab fishing in Federal waters of the
Exclusive Economic Zone. We are also announcing our intent to prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act. This notice is to alert the interested public
of the scoping process and potential development of a draft
Environmental Impact Statement, and to outline opportunity for public
participation in that process.
DATES: Written and electronic comments must be received on or before
November 14, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the Jonah Crab Plan, identified
by NOAA-NMFS-2015-0127, 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-2015-0127, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Mail: Submit written comments to John K. Bullard, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55
Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the
envelope: ``Comments on Jonah Crab Plan.''
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).
Requests for copies of the Commission's Jonah Crab Plan should be
directed to Robert Beal, Executive Director, Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA
22201. It is also available electronically at: https://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/55e9daffJonahCrabInterstateFMP_Aug2015.pdf.
Requests for copies of the scoping document and other information
should be directed to Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy Analyst, NOAA
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great
Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930, telephone (978) 281-9122. The
scoping document will be available electronically at: https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy
Analyst, NMFS, allison.murphy@noaa.gov, telephone (978) 281-9122.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Jonah crab (Cancer borealis), also known as rock crab, is not
currently managed under Federal regulations. The Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission's Lobster Board, working through its public
meeting process, approved an Interstate Fishery Management Plan for
Jonah Crab in August 2015. The goal of the plan is to promote
conservation, reduce the possibility of recruitment failure, and allow
the industry to continue fishing
[[Page 70659]]
the resource at present levels. The Commission's Jonah Crab Plan
includes commercial and recreational measures, and reporting
requirements, summarized in Table 1, below.
Table 1--Commission-Recommended Jonah Crab Management Measures
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commercial Management Measure
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Permits.......................................................... Limits participation in the directed trap
fishery to only those vessels and permit
holders that already hold a lobster permit,
or can prove prior participation in the crab
fishery before the June 2, 2015, control
date.
Minimum Size..................................................... 4\3/4\ inches (12.065 cm).
Landing Disposition.............................................. Whole crab fishery, with an exception for New
Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia
harvesters who can demonstrate history in
the claw-only fishery.*
Broodstock Protection............................................ Prohibition on the retention of egg-bearing
females.
Incidental Catch Limit........................................... 1,000 crabs/trip for non-lobster trap and non-
trap gear.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recreational Management Measures
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Possession Limit................................................. 50 whole crabs/person per day.
Broodstock Protection............................................ Prohibition on the retention of egg-bearing
females.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporting Requirements
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dealer Reporting................................................. 100-percent dealer reporting.
Harvester Reporting.............................................. 100-percent harvester reporting, but allows
jurisdictions that currently require less
than 100 percent of lobster harvesters to
report are required to maintain its current
reporting programs and extend them to Jonah
crab.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* The Commission is considering a coastwide claw-only fishery as part of Addendum II.
Anticipating that the approved Jonah Crab Plan would include
permitting requirements, the Commission requested that we issue a
control date for the Jonah crab fishery. We published a notice (80 FR
31347; June 2, 2015) establishing June 2, 2015, as the control date.
The notice advised Jonah crab harvesters to locate and preserve
records. It also notified harvesters that landings after the control
date may not be treated the same as landings that occurred prior to the
control date.
The Board recommended allowing any lobster permit holder to
continue to fish for and retain Jonah crabs. The Board also recommended
allowing access for historic crab-only harvesters to continue to fish
for and retain Jonah crabs. The Board has not yet developed
qualification criteria for historic crab-only harvesters in the Jonah
Crab Plan. While the Board's Plan Development Team has investigated
Jonah crab-only landings, it has not been able to investigate Jonah
crab-only harvesters with substantial landings. We will work with the
Commission and state partners through the development of these
recommendations.
In the Jonah Crab FMP, the Lobster Board recommended an incidental
catch limit of 200 crabs/day, up to 500 crabs/trip. After the FMP was
approved, the Board became aware that the approved limit might restrict
some historical fishing practices, which was not intended. In November
2015, the Board initiated Addendum I to reconsider the incidental catch
limit. At its May 2016 meeting, the Lobster Board finalized Addendum I
by selecting an incidental catch limit of 1,000 crabs for a trip of any
length for both non-trap and non-lobster trap gear.
In May 2016, the Lobster Board initiated Addendum II to further
develop claw-only fishery requirements. Although draft Addendum II has
not yet been released for public comment, we expect it to contain
alternatives that would allow a coastwide claw-only fishery, as well as
an alternative that would restrict Jonah crab landings to only whole
crabs (i.e., prohibit landing claws). We expect the draft addendum to
be discussed in October 2016, and revised claw-only fishery
requirements to be selected by the Lobster Board in February 2017,
following public comment.
States were required to implement Jonah Crab Plan requirements by
June 1, 2016. In September, 2015, the Commission formally requested
that we issue complementary regulations in Federal waters. We are
reviewing the Commission's Jonah Crab Plan, available data, and are
considering implementing complementary measures in Federal waters. We
are seeking public comment on the Commission's recommended measures, as
well as soliciting input on any additional alternatives that we should
consider for managing the Federal Jonah crab fishery.
Public Comment
We are soliciting written comments to help us determine the scope
of issues to be addressed by potential Federal regulations in support
of the Jonah Crab Plan, as well as to identify significant issues for
inclusion in the Environmental Impact Statement. We are particularly
interested in comment on the Commission's recommended measures outlined
in Table 1, including potential criterial for a possible limited access
directed fishery. We are also interested in comment on the nature and
extent of a possible claw-only fishery which may be revised in Addendum
II. Scoping consists of identifying the range of actions, alternatives,
and impacts to be considered. After the scoping process is completed,
we will begin development of Federal regulations and may prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement to analyze the impacts of the range of
alternatives under consideration. Impacts may be direct, indirect, or
cumulative.
In addition to having the opportunity to comment on this notice,
the public will have the opportunity to comment on the measures and
alternatives being considered through the public comment period and a
public meeting, consistent with National Environmental Policy Act and
the Administrative Procedure Act.
[[Page 70660]]
We have scheduled a scoping webinar for October 20, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.
during which we will take and discuss scoping comments on future Jonah
crab regulations. Please use the link and call in information provided
below:
Webinar: https://noaaevents.webex.com/noaaevents/onstage/g.php?MTID=ed272b501b73da9f75dff6eb36ca49229,
Webinar access code: Meeting123,
Telephone Number: 877-661-2084,
Participant Code: 613780.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 6, 2016.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-24746 Filed 10-12-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
