Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits; California Wetfish Producers Association, 21835-21836 [2020-08215]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 76 / Monday, April 20, 2020 / Notices
• Mail to: Dr. Christopher M. Moore,
Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 800 N.
State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901.
Mark the outside of the envelope ‘‘black
sea bass commercial allocation
amendment.’’
• Fax to: (302) 674–5399.
Authority Citation: 15 CFR 930.128(a).
Adam Dilts,
Chief, Oceans and Coasts Section, NOAA
Office of General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2020–07862 Filed 4–17–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, telephone: (302)
526–5255.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XA130]
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of initiation of scoping
process; notice of public scoping
meetings; request for comments.
AGENCY:
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council) will
hold two public scoping meetings via
webinar and a written comment period
to solicit public comments on a
developing management action to
consider potential changes to the
allocation of the black sea bass
commercial quota among the states of
Maine through North Carolina.
DATES: The webinar scoping hearings
will be held on Monday May 11, 2020,
from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., EDT and on
Thursday, May 14, 2020, from 6 p.m. to
7:30 p.m., EDT. Written comments must
be received on or before 11:59 p.m. EDT,
May 31, 2020. See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION for more details.
ADDRESSES: Both webinar hearings may
be accessed at: https://
mafmc.adobeconnect.com/bsb-comallocation-scoping/. Webinar audio will
also be accessible by phone by dialing
1–800–832–0736 and entering room
number 5068871. A scoping document
is available at: https://www.mafmc.org/
actions/bsb-commercial-allocation.
Copies of the scoping document are also
available by request from Dr. Chris
Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 800 N
State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901;
telephone: (302) 674–2331.
Public comments: Written comments
may be sent by any of the following
methods:
• Email to: jbeaty@mafmc.org;
Include ‘‘black sea bass commercial
allocation amendment’’ in the subject
line.
• Via webform at: https://
www.mafmc.org/comments/bsb-comallocation-amendment.
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SUMMARY:
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The MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council
and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (Commission) are
developing a joint action to consider
adjusting the allocations of the black sea
bass commercial quota among states.
These allocations were loosely based on
landings data from 1980–2001. They
were first implemented in 2003 and
have not been modified since that time.
They are currently included only in the
Commission’s fishery management plan
and are not jointly managed with the
Council. This joint action will consider
whether modifications to these
allocations should be made to account
for changes in black sea bass
distribution and abundance over time,
as well as other considerations. It will
also consider whether the allocations
should be added to the Council’s
Fishery Management Plan and managed
jointly by the Council and Commission.
Additional information on this action
is available at: https://www.mafmc.org/
actions/bsb-commercial-allocation.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically
accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to M. Jan Saunders
at the Mid-Atlantic Council office, (302)
526–5251, at least 5 days prior to the
meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 15, 2020.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–08265 Filed 4–17–20; 8:45 am]
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21835
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XW024]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species
Fishery; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permits; California Wetfish
Producers Association
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
The Regional Administrator,
West Coast Region, NMFS, has made a
preliminary determination that an
application for an Exempted Fishing
Permit warrants further consideration.
The application, submitted by the
California Wetfish Producers
Association, requests an exemption
from the prohibition on directed fishing
for Pacific sardine during the remainder
of the 2019–2020 fishing year and the
upcoming 2020–2021 fishing year. The
goal of this research is to collect fisherydependent data for potential use in the
2021 and 2022 Pacific sardine stock
assessments. NMFS requests public
comment on the application.
DATES: Comments must be received by
May 5, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on this document, identified by NOAA–
NMFS–2020–0060, by the following
method:
• Electronic Submissions: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20200060, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments. The Exempted
Fishing Permit application will be
available under Relevant Documents
through the same link.
• Instructions: Comments must be
submitted by the above method to
ensure that the comments are received,
documented, and considered by NMFS.
Comments 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
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\20APN1.SGM
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21836
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 76 / Monday, April 20, 2020 / Notices
otherwise sensitive or protected
information. NMFS will accept
anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in
the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lynn Massey, West Coast Region,
NMFS, (562) 436–2462, lynn.massey@
noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
action is authorized by the Coastal
Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) and
regulations at 50 CFR 600.745, which
allow NMFS Regional Administrators to
authorize exempted fishing permits
(EFPs) to test fishing activities that
would otherwise be prohibited.
On April 6, 2020, the California
Wetfish Producers Association (CWPA)
submitted an EFP application to NMFS
requesting an exemption from the
prohibition on directed fishing for
Pacific sardine as part of an industrybased scientific collection effort. The
CWPA requested to directly harvest up
to 640 metric tons (mt) of Pacific sardine
during the remainder of the 2019–2020
fishing year, as well as 740 mt during
the upcoming 2020–2021 fishing year,
which will begin on July 1, 2020.
Directed fishing for Pacific sardine, with
exceptions for the minor directed
fisheries, the live bait fishery, and EFP
activities, is currently prohibited off the
U.S. West Coast (84 FR 31222; July 1,
2019) and on April 6, 2020, the Pacific
Fishery Management Council voted to
keep the primary directed fishery closed
for the 2020–2021 season as well.
The primary directed fishery for
Pacific sardine has been closed since
2015, and consequently, scientists at the
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
(SWFSC) have a limited amount of
fishery-dependent data to use in their
annual stock assessment. The goal of
this EFP project is to provide additional
biological data (i.e., age and length data
from directed harvest) for potential use
in the 2021 and 2022 stock assessments
for Pacific sardine. Under this EFP
project, six participating vessels would
target Pacific sardine off the coasts of
southern and central California with the
goal of obtaining a minimum of six
point sets during mid-May to June 30,
2020. During the 2020–2021 fishing
year, the same six vessels would target
sardine with the goal of obtaining a
minimum of six point sets during July
1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, and a
minimum of six point sets during
January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021.
A portion of each point set (i.e., an
individual haul of fish captured with a
purse seine net) would be retained for
biological sampling, and the remainder
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18:34 Apr 17, 2020
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would be sold by the participating
fishermen and processors to offset
research costs and avoid unnecessary
discard. EFP landings would be
offloaded at ports in Monterey/Moss
Landing, California (for central
California landings) or Long Beach/San
Pedro, California (for southern
California landings), and the portion of
fish retained for biological sampling
would be received by staff at the
California Department of Fish and
Wildlife.
NMFS does not expect any adverse
biological impacts from this EFP project.
Any harvest under this EFP would
count against the annual catch limit
(ACL) for Pacific sardine in both fishing
years when EFP activities would occur.
On July 1, 2019, NMFS published a final
rule (84 FR 31222) to implement Pacific
sardine harvest specifications for the
2019–2020 fishing year off the U.S. West
Coast. This final rule included a 4,514mt ACL and a prohibition on directed
fishing for Pacific sardine with
exceptions for the minor directed
fisheries, the live bait fishery, and EFP
activities. As of March 31, 2020,
approximately 3,300 mt of the 4,514-mt
ACL for the 2019–2020 fishing year
remained unharvested. Based on
existing and likely fishing pressure over
the next three months, NMFS does not
expect landings to approach the ACL. If
NMFS does not issue this EFP, then the
640-mt request for EFP catch would be
available for harvest by other
permissible fishing activities prior to the
end of the current fishing year, which
ends on June 30, 2020.
After publication of this document in
the Federal Register, NMFS may
approve and issue permits to
participating vessels after the close of
the public comment period.
NMFS will consider comments
submitted in deciding whether to
approve the application as requested.
NMFS may approve the application in
its entirety or may make any alterations
needed to achieve the goals of the EFP
project.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 14, 2020.
He´le`ne M.N. Scalliet,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–08215 Filed 4–17–20; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA136
Western Pacific Fishery Management
Council; Public Meetings
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
AGENCY:
The Western Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) will
hold a meeting of the Pacific Pelagics
Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Plan
Team (PT) to discuss fishery
management issues and develop
recommendations to the Council for
future management of pelagic fisheries
in the Western Pacific region.
DATES: The Pelagic PT will be held on
May 6–8, 2020. For specific times and
agendas, see SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held
by web conference. Audio and visual
portions of the web conference can be
accessed at: https://wprfmc.webex.com/
join/info.wpcouncilnoaa.gov. Web
conference access information will also
be posted on the Council’s website at
www.wpcouncil.org. For assistance with
the web conference connection, contact
the Council office at (808) 522–8220.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director,
Western Pacific Fishery Management
Council; telephone (808) 522–8220.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Pelagic PT meeting will be held on May
6–8, 2020, and run each day from 1 p.m.
to 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST)
(12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Samoa Standard Time
(SST); 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 7–9,
2020, Chamorro Standard Time (ChST)).
Public comment periods will be
provided in the agenda. The order in
which agenda items are addressed may
change. The meetings will run as late as
necessary to complete scheduled
business.
SUMMARY:
Agenda for the Pelagic Plan Team Meeting
Wednesday, May 6, 2020, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
HST (12 p.m. to 4 p.m. SST; Thursday, May
7, 2020, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ChST)
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Approval of Draft Agenda, 2018 Report,
and Assignment of Rapporteurs
3. Review 2019 Annual Stock Assessment
and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report
Modules
A. Fishery Data Modules
i. American Samoa
ii. CNMI
E:\FR\FM\20APN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 76 (Monday, April 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21835-21836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08215]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XW024]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permits; California Wetfish Producers Association
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, has made
a preliminary determination that an application for an Exempted Fishing
Permit warrants further consideration. The application, submitted by
the California Wetfish Producers Association, requests an exemption
from the prohibition on directed fishing for Pacific sardine during the
remainder of the 2019-2020 fishing year and the upcoming 2020-2021
fishing year. The goal of this research is to collect fishery-dependent
data for potential use in the 2021 and 2022 Pacific sardine stock
assessments. NMFS requests public comment on the application.
DATES: Comments must be received by May 5, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2020-0060, by the following method:
Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2020-0060, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments. The Exempted Fishing Permit application will be
available under Relevant Documents through the same link.
Instructions: Comments must be submitted by the above
method to ensure that the comments are received, documented, and
considered by NMFS. Comments 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
[[Page 21836]]
otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will accept
anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Massey, West Coast Region, NMFS,
(562) 436-2462, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by the Coastal
Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and regulations at
50 CFR 600.745, which allow NMFS Regional Administrators to authorize
exempted fishing permits (EFPs) to test fishing activities that would
otherwise be prohibited.
On April 6, 2020, the California Wetfish Producers Association
(CWPA) submitted an EFP application to NMFS requesting an exemption
from the prohibition on directed fishing for Pacific sardine as part of
an industry-based scientific collection effort. The CWPA requested to
directly harvest up to 640 metric tons (mt) of Pacific sardine during
the remainder of the 2019-2020 fishing year, as well as 740 mt during
the upcoming 2020-2021 fishing year, which will begin on July 1, 2020.
Directed fishing for Pacific sardine, with exceptions for the minor
directed fisheries, the live bait fishery, and EFP activities, is
currently prohibited off the U.S. West Coast (84 FR 31222; July 1,
2019) and on April 6, 2020, the Pacific Fishery Management Council
voted to keep the primary directed fishery closed for the 2020-2021
season as well.
The primary directed fishery for Pacific sardine has been closed
since 2015, and consequently, scientists at the Southwest Fisheries
Science Center (SWFSC) have a limited amount of fishery-dependent data
to use in their annual stock assessment. The goal of this EFP project
is to provide additional biological data (i.e., age and length data
from directed harvest) for potential use in the 2021 and 2022 stock
assessments for Pacific sardine. Under this EFP project, six
participating vessels would target Pacific sardine off the coasts of
southern and central California with the goal of obtaining a minimum of
six point sets during mid-May to June 30, 2020. During the 2020-2021
fishing year, the same six vessels would target sardine with the goal
of obtaining a minimum of six point sets during July 1, 2020 to
December 31, 2020, and a minimum of six point sets during January 1,
2021 to June 30, 2021.
A portion of each point set (i.e., an individual haul of fish
captured with a purse seine net) would be retained for biological
sampling, and the remainder would be sold by the participating
fishermen and processors to offset research costs and avoid unnecessary
discard. EFP landings would be offloaded at ports in Monterey/Moss
Landing, California (for central California landings) or Long Beach/San
Pedro, California (for southern California landings), and the portion
of fish retained for biological sampling would be received by staff at
the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
NMFS does not expect any adverse biological impacts from this EFP
project. Any harvest under this EFP would count against the annual
catch limit (ACL) for Pacific sardine in both fishing years when EFP
activities would occur. On July 1, 2019, NMFS published a final rule
(84 FR 31222) to implement Pacific sardine harvest specifications for
the 2019-2020 fishing year off the U.S. West Coast. This final rule
included a 4,514-mt ACL and a prohibition on directed fishing for
Pacific sardine with exceptions for the minor directed fisheries, the
live bait fishery, and EFP activities. As of March 31, 2020,
approximately 3,300 mt of the 4,514-mt ACL for the 2019-2020 fishing
year remained unharvested. Based on existing and likely fishing
pressure over the next three months, NMFS does not expect landings to
approach the ACL. If NMFS does not issue this EFP, then the 640-mt
request for EFP catch would be available for harvest by other
permissible fishing activities prior to the end of the current fishing
year, which ends on June 30, 2020.
After publication of this document in the Federal Register, NMFS
may approve and issue permits to participating vessels after the close
of the public comment period.
NMFS will consider comments submitted in deciding whether to
approve the application as requested. NMFS may approve the application
in its entirety or may make any alterations needed to achieve the goals
of the EFP project.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 14, 2020.
H[eacute]l[egrave]ne M.N. Scalliet,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-08215 Filed 4-17-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
