Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States, Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery Off the Atlantic States, and Coral and Coral Reefs Fishery in the South Atlantic; Exempted Fishing Permit, 11345-11346 [2017-03458]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 34 / Wednesday, February 22, 2017 / Notices
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
the one-year timeframe of the IHA
(effective dates originally December 1,
2016 through November 30, 2017). One
species of marine mammal is expected
to be affected by the specified activities:
Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus
truncatus). This species may occur yearround in the action area. On January 23.
2017, the Navy informed us that no
work had been performed relevant to
the specified activity considered in the
MMPA analysis and requested that the
dates of the IHA be revised.
Summary of the Activity
The purpose of the project is to
complete necessary repairs at an
existing general purpose berthing wharf
at NSM. The wharf is one of NSM’s two
primary deep-draft berths and is one of
the primary ordnance handling
wharves, and is in an advanced state of
deterioration resulting in load
restrictions. Construction of the
replacement pier will require vibratory
pile installation, with impact pile
driving as a contingency. The entire
project is expected to require a
maximum of 130 in-water workdays
over two phases within a 24-month
period. This IHA would be valid from
December 1, 2016 through November
30, 2017.
In order to rehabilitate Bravo Wharf,
the Navy proposes to install a new steel
sheet pile bulkhead at Bravo Wharf,
requiring approximately 880 single
sheet piles (Phase I—berths B–2 and B–
3: 590; Phase II—berth B–1: 290).
Vibratory driving will be the primary
method of installation for all piles,
although impact driving may be
required as a contingency in the case of
difficult subsurface driving conditions.
Effects to marine mammals from the
specified activity are expected to result
from underwater sound produced by
vibratory and impact pile driving. In
order to assess project impacts, the Navy
used thresholds recommended by
NMFS. The Navy assumed practical
spreading loss and used empiricallymeasured source levels from
representative pile driving events to
estimate potential marine mammal
exposures. The calculations predict that
only Level B harassment would occur
associated with pile driving activities,
and required mitigation measures
further ensure that no more than Level
B harassment would occur.
Findings
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA)—As required by the MMPA, in
order to issue an IHA, we determined
that (1) the required mitigation
measures are sufficient to reduce the
effects of the specified activities to the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:05 Feb 21, 2017
Jkt 241001
level of least practicable impact; (2) the
authorized takes will have a negligible
impact on the affected marine mammal
species; (3) the authorized takes
represent small numbers relative to the
affected stock abundances; and (4) the
Navy’s activities will not have an
unmitigable adverse impact on taking
for subsistence purposes as no relevant
subsistence uses of marine mammals are
implicated by this action.
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)—The Navy prepared an
Environmental Assessment analyzing
the project. We reviewed the EA and the
public comments received and
determined that it was appropriate to
adopt the document in order to assess
the impacts to the human environment
of issuance of an IHA to the Navy. We
signed a Finding of No Significant
Impact on July 25, 2016.
Endangered Species Act (ESA)—
There are no ESA-listed marine
mammals expected to occur in the
action area. Therefore, the Navy did not
request authorization of the incidental
take of ESA-listed species and no such
authorization was issued; therefore, no
consultation under the ESA was
required.
Summary of the Revision
Construction activities have been
delayed for the project due to delays
from construction activities at another
wharf in NSM, where they are allowed
to only have one out-of-service wharf at
a time. No in-water work has occurred,
including all aspects of the specified
activity considered in our issuance of
the IHA. The IHA, as issued, is a oneyear IHA with no consideration of
seasonality in timing any component of
the specified activity. Therefore, shifting
the effective dates of the IHA to
accommodate the Navy’s delayed
schedule for this project has no effect on
our analysis of project impacts and does
not affect our findings. NOAA’s new
acoustic guidance was published in the
Federal Register on August 4, 2016 (81
FR 51693) after the original IHA was
issued. We are not considering this
information here; the change to the
effective dates is the only change to this
IHA. No other new information is
available that would substantively affect
our analyses under the MMPA, NEPA,
or ESA. All mitigation, monitoring, and
reporting measures described in our
notice of issuance of the IHA remain in
effect. The species for which take was
authorized and the numbers of
incidences of take authorized are
unchanged.
As a result of the foregoing, we have
revised the IHA issued to the Navy to
conduct the specified activities in Naval
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11345
Station Mayport, FL. Originally valid for
1 year, from December 1, 2013, through
November 30, 2014, the IHA now
becomes effective on March 13, 2017,
and is valid for one year, until March
12, 2018.
Dated: February 16, 2017.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–03410 Filed 2–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XF185
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and South Atlantic; SnapperGrouper Fishery Off the Southern
Atlantic States, Dolphin and Wahoo
Fishery Off the Atlantic States, and
Coral and Coral Reefs Fishery in the
South Atlantic; Exempted Fishing
Permit
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an
application for an exempted fishing
permit; request for comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS announces the receipt
of an application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) from Dr. Janelle
Fleming, on behalf of the Eastern
Carolina Artificial Reef Association
(ECARA). If granted, the EFP would
authorize the deployment of Maine
lobster traps, crab pot Christmas trees,
and geometric reef balls (fish attracting
devices) at several sites in the Federal
waters off North Carolina to determine
the efficacy of these gear types for
attracting and collecting invasive
lionfish.
SUMMARY:
Written comments must be
received on or before March 24, 2017.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the application, identified by
‘‘NOAA–NMFS–2017–0011’’, 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-20170011, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
• Mail: Submit written comments to
Frank Helies, Southeast Regional Office,
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\22FEN1.SGM
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sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
11346
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 34 / Wednesday, February 22, 2017 / Notices
NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St.
Petersburg, FL 33701.
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).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Frank Helies, 727–824–5305; email
frank.helies@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is
requested under the authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16
U.S.C 1801 et seq.), and regulations at
50 CFR 600.745(b) concerning exempted
fishing.
The EFP request involves activities
covered by regulations implementing
the Fishery Management Plans (FMP)
for Federally managed fisheries of the
South Atlantic Region, which prohibit
the use of fish traps in the South
Atlantic (50 CFR 622.9). The applicant
requests authorization to deploy two
sets of five Maine lobster traps with crab
pot Christmas trees and geometric reef
balls. Crab pot Christmas trees are a
vertical, pyramid-shaped structure with
many branch-type projections. Crab pot
Christmas trees and geometric reef balls
would be used as fish attracting devices
in the project. The deployed fishing gear
and accompanying attracting devices
would be set along artificial reef sites,
natural reef sites, rocky reef bottom, and
a flat sandy area in Federal waters off
North Carolina.
The applicant has requested the EFP
be effective from April 15, 2017,
through December 31, 2018.
The purpose of this study is to
support continued research on traps that
could be used for collecting invasive
lionfish off eastern North Carolina
artificial reefs, and to determine their
efficacy for lionfish collection and as
fish attracting devices. Additionally, the
project intends to assess consumers’
preference for lionfish as an exotic food
source in a restaurant setting to
determine if Carteret County, North
Carolina, would support a consumer
market for the species.
Each string of five Maine lobster traps
and crab pot Christmas trees will be
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:05 Feb 21, 2017
Jkt 241001
connected by a chain with no buoy lines
to the surface, and deployed along
designated hard bottom features with a
distance of 30 ft (9.14 m) to 50 ft (15.24
m) between each trap. After
deployment, divers will verify the
position of the deployed fishing gear to
ensure they are located between 20 ft
(6.10 m) and 30 ft (9.14 m) from the
designated bottom feature. Fishing gear
deployment would occur year-round
along the North Carolina coast from 3
nautical miles offshore, and up to 360
ft (109.68 m) in depth. The fishing gear
will be deployed for at least 48 hours
and no longer than 3 weeks. After 48
hours, divers will count and identify the
number of fish inside and around the
fishing gear, and record video prior to
hauling the gear.
Video images will be used to assess
the success of the crab pot Christmas
trees and geometric reef balls as
attracting devices for lionfish, and other
fish species. Fish captured in the Maine
lobster traps will be quantified to the
lowest possible taxon, measured,
photographed/video documented, and
released alive. Any egg bearing lobsters
captured in a trap will be returned to
the water and released alive. Captured
lionfish will be counted, measured, and
prepared for consumption at nearby
restaurants. These lionfish will be
offered, free of charge, to patrons as part
of the consumer demand assessment
portion of the research project.
The applicant previously submitted
an application for an EFP for this study
and NMFS noticed receipt of that
application in the Federal Register (80
FR 5737, February 3, 2015). No public
comments were submitted based on that
notice and the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council)
supported the issuance of an EFP for the
study. Based on that application and
NMFS review, an EFP was issued on
March 6, 2015, with an expiration date
of December 31, 2016. The applicant
now seeks to continue this study, as
during the course of the previous EFP,
they encountered logistical difficulties
related to vessel availability and
obtaining the required fishing gear.
NMFS finds this application warrants
further consideration based on a
preliminary review. Possible conditions
the agency may impose on this permit,
if they are granted, include but are not
limited to, a prohibition of conducting
research within marine protected areas,
marine sanctuaries, special management
zones, or artificial reefs without
additional authorization, and use of
escape panels on the Maine lobster
traps. Additionally, and consistent with
Appendix F to 50 CFR part 622, NMFS
will require any sea turtles taken
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
incidentally during the course of fishing
or scientific research activities to be
handled with due care to prevent injury
to live specimens, observed for physical
condition, and returned to the water. A
final decision on issuance of the EFP
will depend on NMFS’ review of public
comments received on the application,
consultations with the affected state, the
Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and
a determination that the application,
and EFP if issued, are consistent with
all applicable laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 16, 2017.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–03458 Filed 2–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Proposed Information Collection;
Comment Request; Economic Impacts
of Marine Debris on Tourismdependent Communities
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of
Commerce, as part of its continuing
effort to reduce paperwork and
respondent burden, invites the general
public and other Federal agencies to
take this opportunity to comment on
proposed and/or continuing information
collections, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Written comments must be
submitted on or before April 24, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments
to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer,
Department of Commerce, Room 6616,
14th and Constitution Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20230 (or via the
Internet at pracomments@doc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection
instrument and instructions should be
directed to Amy V. Uhrin, Chief
Scientist, NOS Office of Response and
Restoration, Marine Debris Division,
N/ORR, SSMC4, Rm. 10240, 1305 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD
20910, (240)-533–0426, amy.uhrin@
noaa.gov.
SUMMARY:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\22FEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 34 (Wednesday, February 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11345-11346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03458]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XF185
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Snapper-Grouper Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States, Dolphin and
Wahoo Fishery Off the Atlantic States, and Coral and Coral Reefs
Fishery in the South Atlantic; Exempted Fishing Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for an exempted fishing
permit; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) from Dr. Janelle Fleming, on behalf of the Eastern
Carolina Artificial Reef Association (ECARA). If granted, the EFP would
authorize the deployment of Maine lobster traps, crab pot Christmas
trees, and geometric reef balls (fish attracting devices) at several
sites in the Federal waters off North Carolina to determine the
efficacy of these gear types for attracting and collecting invasive
lionfish.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before March 24, 2017.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application, identified by
``NOAA-NMFS-2017-0011'', 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-2017-0011, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Mail: Submit written comments to Frank Helies, Southeast
Regional Office,
[[Page 11346]]
NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
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).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Helies, 727-824-5305; email
frank.helies@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is requested under the authority of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C
1801 et seq.), and regulations at 50 CFR 600.745(b) concerning exempted
fishing.
The EFP request involves activities covered by regulations
implementing the Fishery Management Plans (FMP) for Federally managed
fisheries of the South Atlantic Region, which prohibit the use of fish
traps in the South Atlantic (50 CFR 622.9). The applicant requests
authorization to deploy two sets of five Maine lobster traps with crab
pot Christmas trees and geometric reef balls. Crab pot Christmas trees
are a vertical, pyramid-shaped structure with many branch-type
projections. Crab pot Christmas trees and geometric reef balls would be
used as fish attracting devices in the project. The deployed fishing
gear and accompanying attracting devices would be set along artificial
reef sites, natural reef sites, rocky reef bottom, and a flat sandy
area in Federal waters off North Carolina.
The applicant has requested the EFP be effective from April 15,
2017, through December 31, 2018.
The purpose of this study is to support continued research on traps
that could be used for collecting invasive lionfish off eastern North
Carolina artificial reefs, and to determine their efficacy for lionfish
collection and as fish attracting devices. Additionally, the project
intends to assess consumers' preference for lionfish as an exotic food
source in a restaurant setting to determine if Carteret County, North
Carolina, would support a consumer market for the species.
Each string of five Maine lobster traps and crab pot Christmas
trees will be connected by a chain with no buoy lines to the surface,
and deployed along designated hard bottom features with a distance of
30 ft (9.14 m) to 50 ft (15.24 m) between each trap. After deployment,
divers will verify the position of the deployed fishing gear to ensure
they are located between 20 ft (6.10 m) and 30 ft (9.14 m) from the
designated bottom feature. Fishing gear deployment would occur year-
round along the North Carolina coast from 3 nautical miles offshore,
and up to 360 ft (109.68 m) in depth. The fishing gear will be deployed
for at least 48 hours and no longer than 3 weeks. After 48 hours,
divers will count and identify the number of fish inside and around the
fishing gear, and record video prior to hauling the gear.
Video images will be used to assess the success of the crab pot
Christmas trees and geometric reef balls as attracting devices for
lionfish, and other fish species. Fish captured in the Maine lobster
traps will be quantified to the lowest possible taxon, measured,
photographed/video documented, and released alive. Any egg bearing
lobsters captured in a trap will be returned to the water and released
alive. Captured lionfish will be counted, measured, and prepared for
consumption at nearby restaurants. These lionfish will be offered, free
of charge, to patrons as part of the consumer demand assessment portion
of the research project.
The applicant previously submitted an application for an EFP for
this study and NMFS noticed receipt of that application in the Federal
Register (80 FR 5737, February 3, 2015). No public comments were
submitted based on that notice and the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council) supported the issuance of an EFP for the
study. Based on that application and NMFS review, an EFP was issued on
March 6, 2015, with an expiration date of December 31, 2016. The
applicant now seeks to continue this study, as during the course of the
previous EFP, they encountered logistical difficulties related to
vessel availability and obtaining the required fishing gear.
NMFS finds this application warrants further consideration based on
a preliminary review. Possible conditions the agency may impose on this
permit, if they are granted, include but are not limited to, a
prohibition of conducting research within marine protected areas,
marine sanctuaries, special management zones, or artificial reefs
without additional authorization, and use of escape panels on the Maine
lobster traps. Additionally, and consistent with Appendix F to 50 CFR
part 622, NMFS will require any sea turtles taken incidentally during
the course of fishing or scientific research activities to be handled
with due care to prevent injury to live specimens, observed for
physical condition, and returned to the water. A final decision on
issuance of the EFP will depend on NMFS' review of public comments
received on the application, consultations with the affected state, the
Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and a determination that the
application, and EFP if issued, are consistent with all applicable
laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 16, 2017.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-03458 Filed 2-21-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
