Fisheries off West Coast States; Highly Migratory Fisheries; Amendment 6 to Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; Authorization of Deep-Set Buoy Gear, 7323-7325 [2019-03493]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 42 / Monday, March 4, 2019 / Proposed Rules
comment on the notice of proposed
rulemaking. The Commission’s
Consumer and Governmental Affairs
Bureau, Reference Information Center,
will send a copy of this notice of
proposed rulemaking, including the
IRFA, to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy
of the Small Business Administration
(SBA).
63. Paperwork Reduction Act. This
document does not propose new or
modified information collection
requirements subject to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public
Law 104–13. In addition, therefore, it
does not contain any new or modified
information collection burdens for small
business concerns with fewer than 25
employees, pursuant to the Small
Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002,
Public Law 107–198.
64. Contact Person. For further
information about this proceeding,
please contact E. Alex Espinoza, FCC
Wireline Competition Bureau,
Competition Policy Division, Room 5–
C211, 445 12th Street SW, Washington,
DC 20554, at (202) 418–0849, or
alex.espinoza@fcc.gov.
IV. Ordering Clauses
65. Accordingly, it is ordered,
pursuant to sections 1, 4(i), 201(b),
227(e), 251(e) and 303 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 201(b),
227(e), 251(e) and 303, and Public Law
115–141, Div. P, Title V, section 503,
132 Stat. 348 that this notice of
proposed rulemaking is adopted.
66. It is further ordered that the
Commission’s Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau, Reference
Information Center, shall send a copy of
this notice of proposed rulemaking,
including the Initial Regulatory
Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), to the Chief
Counsel for Advocacy of the Small
Business Administration.
List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 64
Communications common carriers,
Caller identification information,
Telecommunications, Telephone.
Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the
Secretary.
Proposed Rules
For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the Federal Communications
Commission proposes to amend 47 CFR
part 64 as follows:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:47 Mar 01, 2019
Jkt 247001
PART 64—MISCELLANEOUS RULES
RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS
1. The authority citation for part 64 is
revised to read as follows:
■
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 201, 202, 218,
222, 225, 226, 227, 228, 251(e), 254(k),
403(b)(2)(B), (c), 616, 620, 1401–1473; Sec.
5103, Pub. L. 115–141, 132 Stat. 348.
2. Amend § 64.1600 by revising
paragraphs (c) and (d) and adding
paragraphs (m) through (o) to read as
follows:
■
§ 64.1600
Definitions.
*
*
*
*
*
(c) Caller identification information.
The term ‘‘caller identification
information’’ means information
provided by a caller identification
service regarding the telephone number
of, or other information regarding the
origination of, a call made using a voice
service or a text message sent using a
text messaging service.
(d) Caller identification service. The
term ‘‘caller identification service’’
means any service or device designed to
provide the user of the service or device
with the telephone number of, or other
information regarding the origination of,
a call made using a voice service or a
text message sent using a text messaging
service.
*
*
*
*
*
(m) Text message. The term ‘‘text
message’’:
(1) Means a message consisting of
text, images, sounds, or other
information that is transmitted to or
from a device that is identified as the
receiving or transmitting device by
means of a 10-digit telephone number or
N11 service code;
(2) Includes a short message service
(SMS) message, and a multimedia
message service (MMS) message; and
(3) Does not include:
(i) A real-time, two-way voice or
video communication; or
(ii) A message sent over an IP-enabled
messaging service to another user of the
same messaging service, except a
message described in paragraph (2) of
this definition.
(n) Text messaging service. The term
‘‘text messaging service’’ means a
service that enables the transmission or
receipt of a text message, including a
service provided as part of or in
connection with a voice service.
(o) Voice service. The term ‘‘voice
service’’:
(1) Means any service that is
interconnected with the public switched
telephone network and that furnishes
voice communications to an end user
using resources from the North
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Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
7323
American Numbering Plan or any
successor to the North American
Numbering Plan adopted by the
Commission under section 251(e)(1);
and
(2) Includes transmissions from a
telephone facsimile machine, computer,
or other device to a telephone facsimile
machine.
■ 3. Amend § 64.1604 by revising
paragraph (a) to read as follows:
§ 64.1604 Prohibition on transmission of
inaccurate or misleading caller
identification information.
(a) No person or entity in the United
States, nor any person or entity outside
the United States if the recipient is
within the United States, shall, with the
intent to defraud, cause harm, or
wrongfully obtain anything of value,
knowingly cause, directly, or indirectly,
any caller identification service to
transmit or display misleading or
inaccurate caller identification
information in connection with any
voice service or text messaging service.
*
*
*
*
*
[FR Doc. 2019–03721 Filed 3–1–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 300
[0648–XG791]
Fisheries off West Coast States; Highly
Migratory Fisheries; Amendment 6 to
Fishery Management Plan for U.S.
West Coast Fisheries for Highly
Migratory Species; Authorization of
Deep-Set Buoy Gear
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS);
announcement of public scoping period
and request for comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS and the Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council)
announce their intent to prepare an EIS,
in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, to analyze the potential short- and
long-term impacts of the proposed
action to authorize deep-set buoy gear
under the Fishery Management Plan for
U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly
Migratory Species (HMS FMP) on the
human (biological, physical, social, and
economic) environment. This notice of
SUMMARY:
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7324
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 42 / Monday, March 4, 2019 / Proposed Rules
intent to prepare an EIS invites
interested parties to provide comments
on alternatives to be considered in an
EIS and to identify potential issues,
concerns, and any reasonable additional
alternatives that should be considered.
DATES: Written comments on the scope
of the analysis will be accepted through
April 3, 2019. Written, faxed, or emailed
comments must be received by 5 p.m.
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on April 3,
2019. Public comments will also be
accepted during a webinar scheduled
for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. PDT, March 26,
2019. Please notify Lyle Enriquez (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT,
below) by March 19, 2019, if you plan
to attend the webinar. Instructions for
connecting or calling into the webinar
will be emailed to meeting participants.
Accommodations for persons with
disabilities are available;
accommodation requests should be
directed to Lyle Enriquez at least 10
working days prior to the webinar.
Additionally, please note that public
scoping for this proposed action will
continue through regular meetings of
the Council and its advisory bodies (see:
https://www.pcouncil.org/counciloperations/council-meetings/futuremeetings/).
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the scope of this EIS by any of the
following methods:
• Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
1. Go to www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20190015
2. Click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and
3. Enter or attach your comments.
—OR—
• Mail: Submit written comments to
Lyle.Enriquez@noaa.gov, NMFS West
Coast Region Long Beach Office, 501 W
Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach,
CA 90802. Include the identifier
‘‘NOAA–NMFS–2019–0015’’ 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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:47 Mar 01, 2019
Jkt 247001
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 this document can be
obtained from https://
www.regulations.gov, docket NOAA–
NMFS–2019–0015, or by contacting
NMFS West Coast Region Long Beach
Office, 501 W Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200,
Long Beach, CA 90802, or WCR.HMS@
noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lyle
Enriquez, NMFS, 562–980–4025,
Lyle.Enriquez@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
After a series of initial research and
exempted fishing permit trials of deepset buoy gear, (including both standard
and linked configurations) the Council
decided to consider authorizing the gear
to be fished in the exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) off the U.S. west coast under
the HMS FMP. The initial trials indicate
that this innovative gear-type has
infrequent protected species (including
sea turtles, marine mammals, and
seabirds) interactions and finfish
bycatch, and it may contribute to an
economically viable U.S. west coast
swordfish fishery. Currently, only two
other fishing gears are authorized for
targeting swordfish in the EEZ off the
U.S. west coast: Harpoon and drift
gillnet. Participation in the drift gillnet
fleet has declined considerably over the
last two decades, with between 17 and
23 vessels delivering swordfish landings
to U.S. west coast ports each year since
2014. Fewer than 21 harpoon vessels
made landings each year since 2014.
The harpoon fishery has historically
been a low-volume fishery compared to
the drift gillnet fishery.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Action
The purpose and need as determined
by the Council during its November
2018 meeting are as follows:
• The purpose of the proposed action
is to authorize the use of deep-set buoy
gear as an additional fishing gear in the
U.S. west coast commercial swordfish
fishery that minimizes bycatch and
incidental mortality of finfish and
protected species (including sea turtles,
marine mammals, and seabirds) to the
extent practicable while maximizing the
potential for an economically viable
fishery.
• The proposed action is needed to
authorize deep-set buoy gear as a new
gear type as a component of a U.S. west
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Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
coast swordfish fishery that effectively
addresses the 10 National Standards
(NS) for Conservation and Management
included in the Magnuson Stevens Act,
Section 301, in particular NS One
(optimum yield) and Nine (minimize
bycatch).
Deep-Set Buoy Gear Configurations and
Operations
Deep-set buoy gear is an umbrella
term referring to two distinct gear
configurations. These configurations
include standard buoy gear and linked
buoy gear. An individual piece of
standard buoy gear consists of a vertical
monofilament mainline suspended from
a buoy-array with a terminal weight. Up
to three gangions with hooks may be
attached to the mainline at a minimum
depth of 90 meters (295 feet). An
individual piece of linked buoy gear
consists of a monofilament mainline
which extends vertically from a buoyarray (either directly or from a
minimum 50 foot poly-line extender) to
a weight; then horizontally to a second
weight; then vertically to a minimum 50
foot poly-line extender attached to a
second buoy-array. Up to three gangions
with hooks may be connected to each
horizontal section of the mainline, all of
which must be fished below 90 meters.
The pieces may be linked together by
the mainline, which is serviceable
between each piece of linked buoy gear
and must be suspended between links
below a depth of 50 feet. No more than
10 sections of linked buoy gear may be
deployed at any one time, with no more
than three hooks per section.
Both configurations include the
following specifications and operational
criteria:
• The surface buoy flotation and
strike detection array must consist of a
minimum of three buoys (a minimum 45
pound buoyancy non-compressible hard
ball, a minimum 6 pound buoyancy
buoy, and a strike detection buoy), with
no more than six feet of line between
adjacent buoys, all connected in-line by
a minimum of 3⁄8 inch diameter line and
no use of buoy tether attachments (e.g.,
non-streamlined gear with loops and/or
dangling components). Standard and
terminal linked buoy-arrays must
include a locator flag, a radar reflector,
and vessel/fisher identification
compliant with all current state
requirements and regulations;
• Weights must be a minimum of 3.6
kilograms;
• Lines connecting surface buoys
must be at least 3⁄8 of an inch in
diameter;
• Minimum size 16/0 circle hooks
with not more than 10° offset;
E:\FR\FM\04MRP1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 42 / Monday, March 4, 2019 / Proposed Rules
• A vessel may deploy no more than
ten pieces of standard or linked buoy
gear one time, with no more than three
hooks per piece;
• All pieces of gear must remain
within a five nautical mile diameter
circle and the vessel may be no more
than three nautical miles from the
nearest piece of gear. These
specifications allow for active tending;
• Gear must be deployed prior to
local sunrise and onboard the vessel no
later than three hours after local sunset;
• Gear types other than deep-set buoy
gear may be used on the same trip when
deep-set buoy gear is used as long as the
deep-set buoy gear is actively tended.
This limits the gears with which
fishermen could concurrently fish with
deep-set buoy gear and maintain
maneuverability to allow for active
tending or staying within the active
tending boundary or both. Other gears
may be set and retrieved on the way out
to and returning from sea, and deep-set
buoy gear fished and actively tended in
between, potentially at a large distance
from the other gear.
Alternatives
A detailed description of the
alternatives adopted by the Council on
November 7, 2018, can be found here:
https://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/
uploads/2019/02/J1a_NMFS_Rpt1_
MAR2019BB.pdf. The following
description summarizes the scope of the
alternatives currently being considered
by NMFS and the Council. The range of
alternatives that the Council adopted
includes a No Action Alternative and
two action alternatives (i.e., Alternative
1 and Alternative 2). The action area
encompasses the U.S. west coast EEZ
between the Mexico/United States
border to the South and the Oregon/
Washington border to the North.
Alternative 1 is to authorize deep-set
buoy gear under an open access permit.
Alternative 2 is to authorize the gear as
an open access permit for the action
area, except for an area off of Southern
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:47 Mar 01, 2019
Jkt 247001
California East of 120°28′18″ W
longitude, which would be authorized
through a limited entry permit or
endorsement. The Council advised
analyzing the impacts of authorizing up
to 500 permits under each action
alternative.
Under Alternative 2, the Council
adopted five sub-options pertaining to
the number and timing of limited entry
permits to be issued in the Southern
California Bight. These options are as
follows:
1. Not more than 25 permits per year,
not to exceed 300 total;
2. Not more than 50 permits per year,
not to exceed 300 total;
3. Not more than 100 permits per
year, not to exceed 300 total;
4. Not more than 300 permits
maximum; and
5. Up to 50 permits issued in the first
permit year, and up to 25 permits issued
annually in subsequent years until
either (a) a maximum of 300 permits are
issued, (b) NMFS determines less than
300 are necessary to ensure compliance
with the Endangered Species Act and
Marine Mammal Protection Act, or (c)
the Council recommends to NMFS that
less than 300 permits are necessary to
meet stakeholder needs.
The Council selected Alternative 2,
Option 5 as its preliminary preferred
alternative (PPA) on November 7, 2018.
On November 7, 2018, the Council also
selected a range of options for limited
entry qualifying criteria (i.e., including
ranked criteria for some options) for
limited entry permits to be issued under
Alternative 2. These options would
assign higher permit issuance priority to
persons with demonstrated swordfish
fishing experience or permit possession
history. Once priority-ranked permits
are issued under these options, any
remaining permits would be issued on
a first-come, first-served basis.
Preliminary Identification of
Environmental Issues
A principal objective of the scoping
and public input process is to identify
PO 00000
Frm 00022
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 9990
7325
potentially significant impacts to the
human environment that should be
analyzed in depth in the EIS.
Information and analysis prepared for
this action also may be used for scoping
future swordfish harvest and
management measure actions to help
decide whether to prepare an
Environmental Assessment or EIS.
Public Scoping Process
Public scoping occurs throughout the
Council’s decision-making process. All
decisions during the Council process
benefit from written and oral public
comments delivered prior to or during
Council meetings. These public
comments are integral to scoping for
developing this EIS. The Council began
considering the proposed action at their
March 2016 meeting, and they
developed a range of alternatives during
their June 2016, March 2017, and June
2018 meetings. During the November
2018 meeting, the Council adopted a
final range of alternatives, including
qualifying criteria for limited entry
program options, and selected a
preliminary preferred alternative.
Council meetings in 2019 that offer
additional opportunities for public
involvement include: The March 5–12
meeting in Vancouver, Washington
(Hilton Vancouver Washington, 301 W
Sixth Street, Vancouver, WA 98660),
and the June 18–25 meeting in San
Diego, California (Doubletree by Hilton
San Diego (7450 Hazard Center Drive,
San Diego, CA 92108). For further
information on these meetings, visit the
Council’s website, https://
www.pcouncil.org/council-operations/
council-meetings/future-meetings/.
Dated: February 22, 2019.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019–03493 Filed 3–1–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
E:\FR\FM\04MRP1.SGM
04MRP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 42 (Monday, March 4, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7323-7325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03493]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 300
[0648-XG791]
Fisheries off West Coast States; Highly Migratory Fisheries;
Amendment 6 to Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries
for Highly Migratory Species; Authorization of Deep-Set Buoy Gear
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS); announcement of public scoping period and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council)
announce their intent to prepare an EIS, in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, to analyze the
potential short- and long-term impacts of the proposed action to
authorize deep-set buoy gear under the Fishery Management Plan for U.S.
West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP) on the
human (biological, physical, social, and economic) environment. This
notice of
[[Page 7324]]
intent to prepare an EIS invites interested parties to provide comments
on alternatives to be considered in an EIS and to identify potential
issues, concerns, and any reasonable additional alternatives that
should be considered.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the analysis will be accepted
through April 3, 2019. Written, faxed, or emailed comments must be
received by 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on April 3, 2019. Public
comments will also be accepted during a webinar scheduled for 1 p.m. to
3 p.m. PDT, March 26, 2019. Please notify Lyle Enriquez (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, below) by March 19, 2019, if you plan to
attend the webinar. Instructions for connecting or calling into the
webinar will be emailed to meeting participants. Accommodations for
persons with disabilities are available; accommodation requests should
be directed to Lyle Enriquez at least 10 working days prior to the
webinar. Additionally, please note that public scoping for this
proposed action will continue through regular meetings of the Council
and its advisory bodies (see: https://www.pcouncil.org/council-operations/council-meetings/future-meetings/).
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the scope of this EIS by any of
the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
1. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2019-0015
2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields,
and
3. Enter or attach your comments.
--OR--
Mail: Submit written comments to Lyle.Enriquez@noaa.gov,
NMFS West Coast Region Long Beach Office, 501 W Ocean Blvd., Suite
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802. Include the identifier ``NOAA-NMFS-2019-
0015'' 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 this document can be obtained from https://www.regulations.gov, docket NOAA-NMFS-2019-0015, or by contacting NMFS
West Coast Region Long Beach Office, 501 W Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200,
Long Beach, CA 90802, or WCR.HMS@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lyle Enriquez, NMFS, 562-980-4025,
Lyle.Enriquez@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
After a series of initial research and exempted fishing permit
trials of deep-set buoy gear, (including both standard and linked
configurations) the Council decided to consider authorizing the gear to
be fished in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the U.S. west coast
under the HMS FMP. The initial trials indicate that this innovative
gear-type has infrequent protected species (including sea turtles,
marine mammals, and seabirds) interactions and finfish bycatch, and it
may contribute to an economically viable U.S. west coast swordfish
fishery. Currently, only two other fishing gears are authorized for
targeting swordfish in the EEZ off the U.S. west coast: Harpoon and
drift gillnet. Participation in the drift gillnet fleet has declined
considerably over the last two decades, with between 17 and 23 vessels
delivering swordfish landings to U.S. west coast ports each year since
2014. Fewer than 21 harpoon vessels made landings each year since 2014.
The harpoon fishery has historically been a low-volume fishery compared
to the drift gillnet fishery.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose and need as determined by the Council during its
November 2018 meeting are as follows:
The purpose of the proposed action is to authorize the use
of deep-set buoy gear as an additional fishing gear in the U.S. west
coast commercial swordfish fishery that minimizes bycatch and
incidental mortality of finfish and protected species (including sea
turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds) to the extent practicable while
maximizing the potential for an economically viable fishery.
The proposed action is needed to authorize deep-set buoy
gear as a new gear type as a component of a U.S. west coast swordfish
fishery that effectively addresses the 10 National Standards (NS) for
Conservation and Management included in the Magnuson Stevens Act,
Section 301, in particular NS One (optimum yield) and Nine (minimize
bycatch).
Deep-Set Buoy Gear Configurations and Operations
Deep-set buoy gear is an umbrella term referring to two distinct
gear configurations. These configurations include standard buoy gear
and linked buoy gear. An individual piece of standard buoy gear
consists of a vertical monofilament mainline suspended from a buoy-
array with a terminal weight. Up to three gangions with hooks may be
attached to the mainline at a minimum depth of 90 meters (295 feet). An
individual piece of linked buoy gear consists of a monofilament
mainline which extends vertically from a buoy-array (either directly or
from a minimum 50 foot poly-line extender) to a weight; then
horizontally to a second weight; then vertically to a minimum 50 foot
poly-line extender attached to a second buoy-array. Up to three
gangions with hooks may be connected to each horizontal section of the
mainline, all of which must be fished below 90 meters. The pieces may
be linked together by the mainline, which is serviceable between each
piece of linked buoy gear and must be suspended between links below a
depth of 50 feet. No more than 10 sections of linked buoy gear may be
deployed at any one time, with no more than three hooks per section.
Both configurations include the following specifications and
operational criteria:
The surface buoy flotation and strike detection array must
consist of a minimum of three buoys (a minimum 45 pound buoyancy non-
compressible hard ball, a minimum 6 pound buoyancy buoy, and a strike
detection buoy), with no more than six feet of line between adjacent
buoys, all connected in-line by a minimum of \3/8\ inch diameter line
and no use of buoy tether attachments (e.g., non-streamlined gear with
loops and/or dangling components). Standard and terminal linked buoy-
arrays must include a locator flag, a radar reflector, and vessel/
fisher identification compliant with all current state requirements and
regulations;
Weights must be a minimum of 3.6 kilograms;
Lines connecting surface buoys must be at least \3/8\ of
an inch in diameter;
Minimum size 16/0 circle hooks with not more than 10[deg]
offset;
[[Page 7325]]
A vessel may deploy no more than ten pieces of standard or
linked buoy gear one time, with no more than three hooks per piece;
All pieces of gear must remain within a five nautical mile
diameter circle and the vessel may be no more than three nautical miles
from the nearest piece of gear. These specifications allow for active
tending;
Gear must be deployed prior to local sunrise and onboard
the vessel no later than three hours after local sunset;
Gear types other than deep-set buoy gear may be used on
the same trip when deep-set buoy gear is used as long as the deep-set
buoy gear is actively tended. This limits the gears with which
fishermen could concurrently fish with deep-set buoy gear and maintain
maneuverability to allow for active tending or staying within the
active tending boundary or both. Other gears may be set and retrieved
on the way out to and returning from sea, and deep-set buoy gear fished
and actively tended in between, potentially at a large distance from
the other gear.
Alternatives
A detailed description of the alternatives adopted by the Council
on November 7, 2018, can be found here: https://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/J1a_NMFS_Rpt1_MAR2019BB.pdf. The following
description summarizes the scope of the alternatives currently being
considered by NMFS and the Council. The range of alternatives that the
Council adopted includes a No Action Alternative and two action
alternatives (i.e., Alternative 1 and Alternative 2). The action area
encompasses the U.S. west coast EEZ between the Mexico/United States
border to the South and the Oregon/Washington border to the North.
Alternative 1 is to authorize deep-set buoy gear under an open access
permit. Alternative 2 is to authorize the gear as an open access permit
for the action area, except for an area off of Southern California East
of 120[deg]28'18'' W longitude, which would be authorized through a
limited entry permit or endorsement. The Council advised analyzing the
impacts of authorizing up to 500 permits under each action alternative.
Under Alternative 2, the Council adopted five sub-options
pertaining to the number and timing of limited entry permits to be
issued in the Southern California Bight. These options are as follows:
1. Not more than 25 permits per year, not to exceed 300 total;
2. Not more than 50 permits per year, not to exceed 300 total;
3. Not more than 100 permits per year, not to exceed 300 total;
4. Not more than 300 permits maximum; and
5. Up to 50 permits issued in the first permit year, and up to 25
permits issued annually in subsequent years until either (a) a maximum
of 300 permits are issued, (b) NMFS determines less than 300 are
necessary to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act and
Marine Mammal Protection Act, or (c) the Council recommends to NMFS
that less than 300 permits are necessary to meet stakeholder needs.
The Council selected Alternative 2, Option 5 as its preliminary
preferred alternative (PPA) on November 7, 2018. On November 7, 2018,
the Council also selected a range of options for limited entry
qualifying criteria (i.e., including ranked criteria for some options)
for limited entry permits to be issued under Alternative 2. These
options would assign higher permit issuance priority to persons with
demonstrated swordfish fishing experience or permit possession history.
Once priority-ranked permits are issued under these options, any
remaining permits would be issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues
A principal objective of the scoping and public input process is to
identify potentially significant impacts to the human environment that
should be analyzed in depth in the EIS. Information and analysis
prepared for this action also may be used for scoping future swordfish
harvest and management measure actions to help decide whether to
prepare an Environmental Assessment or EIS.
Public Scoping Process
Public scoping occurs throughout the Council's decision-making
process. All decisions during the Council process benefit from written
and oral public comments delivered prior to or during Council meetings.
These public comments are integral to scoping for developing this EIS.
The Council began considering the proposed action at their March 2016
meeting, and they developed a range of alternatives during their June
2016, March 2017, and June 2018 meetings. During the November 2018
meeting, the Council adopted a final range of alternatives, including
qualifying criteria for limited entry program options, and selected a
preliminary preferred alternative. Council meetings in 2019 that offer
additional opportunities for public involvement include: The March 5-12
meeting in Vancouver, Washington (Hilton Vancouver Washington, 301 W
Sixth Street, Vancouver, WA 98660), and the June 18-25 meeting in San
Diego, California (Doubletree by Hilton San Diego (7450 Hazard Center
Drive, San Diego, CA 92108). For further information on these meetings,
visit the Council's website, https://www.pcouncil.org/council-operations/council-meetings/future-meetings/.
Dated: February 22, 2019.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-03493 Filed 3-1-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P