Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting, 32727-32728 [2019-14519]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 9, 2019 / Notices khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shane Guan, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. An electronic copy of Hilcorp and Eni’s application may be obtained online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ national/marine-mammal-protection/ incidental-take-authorizations-oil-andgas. In case of problems accessing these documents, please call the contact listed above. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce (as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified geographical region if certain findings are made and either regulations are issued or, if the taking is limited to harassment, a notice of a proposed authorization is provided to the public for review. An incidental take authorization shall be granted if NMFS finds that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or stock(s), will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses (where relevant), and if the permissible methods of taking and requirements pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring and reporting of such takings are set forth. NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as an impact resulting from the specified activity that cannot be reasonably expected to, and is not reasonably likely to, adversely affect the species or stock through effects on annual rates of recruitment or survival. The MMPA states that the term ‘‘take’’ means to harass, hunt, capture, kill or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal. Except with respect to certain activities not pertinent here, the MMPA defines ‘‘harassment’’ as: Any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance, which (i) has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering (Level B harassment). VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:47 Jul 08, 2019 Jkt 247001 Summary of Request On December 2, 2018, NMFS received a joint application from Hilcorp and Eni requesting authorization for take of marine mammals incidental to construction activities related to ice roads and ice trails in North Slope, Alaska. The requested regulations would be valid for five years, from approximately December 1, 2019 through November 30, 2024. Hilcorp and Eni plan to conduct necessary work, including use of heavy machinery on ice, to facilitate access to North Slope offshore oil and gas facilities. The proposed action may incidentally expose marine mammals occurring in the vicinity to elevated levels of sound, human presence on ice habitat, and interactions with heavy machinery, thereby resulting in incidental take, by Level B harassment and serious injury or mortality. NMFS provided questions and comments to Hilcorp and Eni after receiving the initial application regarding the scope of the project and impact analysis. Hilcorp and Eni submitted a modified request on May 21, 2019 and NMFS deemed the application adequate and complete on May 31, 2019. Specified Activities Hilcorp and Eni conduct oil and gas operations at Northstar Production Facility (Northstar) and Spy Island Drillsite (SID), respectively, in coastal Beaufort Sea waters, Alaska. Ice roads and ice trails are constructed yearly to connect and allow access to offshore facilities. The process of constructing ice roads includes clearing of snow, drilling holes in the ice, pumping seawater to the surface, and the operation of tracked and wheeled vehicles. Construction of ice trails and maintenance of ice roads generally requires the presence of vehicles and personnel with snow blowing equipment. Each year, Hilcorp will construct and maintain an estimated 11.7 kilometer (km) ice road and approximately 21.9 kms of ice trails to their Northstar Island and West Dock facilities. Each year, Eni will construct and maintain an estimated 6.8 km of ice roads and 6.8 km of ice trails related to their SID facility, and an additional 8.9 to 11.2 km of ice roads related to their Oooguruk activities. Construction of ice roads and ice trails generally begins in late December and the process takes approximately six weeks. These roads and trails and used and maintained until Mid-May when the ice becomes too unstable to access. Ringed seals (Phoca hispida hispida) are PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 32727 the only marine mammal species expected to occur in the action area during construction, use, and maintenance activity. Information Solicited Interested persons may submit information, suggestions, and comments concerning Hilcorp and Eni’s request (see ADDRESSES). NMFS will consider all information, suggestions, and comments related to the request during the development of proposed regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals by Hilcorp and Eni, if appropriate. Dated: July 3, 2019. Donna Wieting, Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2019–14530 Filed 7–8–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XH082 Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 64 Post-Data Workshop Webinar for Southeast (SE) yellowtail snapper. AGENCY: The SEDAR 64 stock assessment process for SE yellowtail snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, a series of data and assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. SUMMARY: The SEDAR 64 Post-Data Workshop Webinar will be held July 23, 2019, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Eastern Time. DATES: The meeting will be held via webinar. The webinar is open to members of the public. Those interested in participating should contact Julie A. Neer at SEDAR (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) to request an invitation providing webinar access information. Please request webinar invitations at least 24 hours in advance of each webinar. SEDAR address: 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405. ADDRESSES: E:\FR\FM\09JYN1.SGM 09JYN1 32728 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 9, 2019 / Notices Julie A. Neer, SEDAR Coordinator; (843) 571– 4366; email: Julie.neer@safmc.net. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions have implemented the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a multistep process including: (1) Data Workshop, (2) a series of assessment webinars, and (3) A Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a report that compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The assessment webinars produce a report that describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. The product of the Review Workshop is an Assessment Summary documenting panel opinions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data. Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and NGO’s; International experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies. The items of discussion during the Data Webinar are as follows: Panelists will review and discuss outstanding issues from the Data Workshop for data sets being considered for the assessment and may discuss initial modeling efforts. Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified 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. khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:47 Jul 08, 2019 Jkt 247001 Special Accommodations The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 business days prior to each workshop. Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: July 3, 2019. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2019–14519 Filed 7–8–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XH084 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. AGENCY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a two day in-person meeting of its Standing, Reef Fish, Mackerel and Socioeconomic Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC). SUMMARY: The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 and adjourn by 5 p.m., EDT on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Gulf Council’s office; see address below. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 4107 W Spruce Street, Suite 200, Tampa, FL 33607; telephone: (813) 348–1630. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Rindone, Fishery Biologist, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; ryan.rindone@gulfcouncil.org, telephone: (813) 348–1630. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: Tuesday, July 30, 2019; 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. The meeting will begin with Introductions, Adoption of Agenda, Scope of Work, Approval of Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC) Minutes from the May 9, 2019 Standing, Reef Fish, Mackerel, and Socioeconomic SSC Webinar; and, Selection of SSC PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 representative to attend the August 12– 15, 2019 Council meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. The committees will receive presentations on the following: Best Scientific Information Available— NOAA Policy Directive for Stock Status Determinations and Catch Specifications, National Standard 2 (background information); National Standard 1 Guidance on Estimation of Fishing Mortality and Biomass Proxies; Coping with Information Gaps in Stock Productivity for Rebuilding and Achieving Maximum Sustainable Yield for Grouper-Snapper Fisheries; Establishing Stock Status Determination Criteria for Fisheries with High Discards and Uncertain Recruitment; and, a Perspective on Steepness, Reference Points, and Stock Assessment. The committees will then review the revised actions for Status Determination Criteria Amendment. Wednesday, July 31, 2019; 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. The committees will hold a discussion on Alternative Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) Control Rule; review Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) and State Survey Data Collection and Calibration Efforts; discuss SEDAR 62: Gray Triggerfish Progress and Council Research and Monitoring Priorities for 2020–24. The committees will review the scope of work for Gray Snapper and West Florida Hogfish Assessments; review the Gulf SEDAR Assessment Schedule; receive a presentation on Explosive Removal of Structures: Fisheries Impact Assessment; discuss Almaco Jack Life History and Landings; and, any other business items. —Meeting Adjourns The meeting will be broadcast via webinar. You may register for listen-in access by visiting www.gulfcouncil.org and clicking on the SSC meeting on the calendar. The Agenda is subject to change, and the latest version along with other meeting materials will be posted on www.gulfcouncil.org as they become available. Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come before the Scientific and Statistical Committee for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Actions of the Scientific and Statistical Committee will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda and any issues arising after E:\FR\FM\09JYN1.SGM 09JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32727-32728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14519]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XH082


Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast 
Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 64 Post-Data Workshop Webinar for Southeast 
(SE) yellowtail snapper.

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

SUMMARY: The SEDAR 64 stock assessment process for SE yellowtail 
snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, a series of data and 
assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

DATES: The SEDAR 64 Post-Data Workshop Webinar will be held July 23, 
2019, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via webinar. The webinar is open to 
members of the public. Those interested in participating should contact 
Julie A. Neer at SEDAR (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) to request 
an invitation providing webinar access information. Please request 
webinar invitations at least 24 hours in advance of each webinar.
    SEDAR address: 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, 
SC 29405.

[[Page 32728]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie A. Neer, SEDAR Coordinator; 
(843) 571-4366; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and 
Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA 
Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions 
have implemented the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) 
process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks 
in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a multi-step process including: (1) 
Data Workshop, (2) a series of assessment webinars, and (3) A Review 
Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a report that compiles 
and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are 
appropriate for assessment analyses. The assessment webinars produce a 
report that describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, 
estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, 
and recommends research and monitoring needs. The product of the Review 
Workshop is an Assessment Summary documenting panel opinions regarding 
the strengths and weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data. 
Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, 
South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA 
Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and 
Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include data 
collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, 
biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including 
fishermen, environmentalists, and NGO's; International experts; and 
staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies.
    The items of discussion during the Data Webinar are as follows:
    Panelists will review and discuss outstanding issues from the Data 
Workshop for data sets being considered for the assessment and may 
discuss initial modeling efforts.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified 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.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 
business days prior to each workshop.

    Note:  The times and sequence specified in this agenda are 
subject to change.


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

    Dated: July 3, 2019.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-14519 Filed 7-8-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

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