Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Fisheries Research, 27388-27390 [2020-09925]
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27388
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 90 / Friday, May 8, 2020 / Notices
Dated: May 1, 2020.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
Connection Information
You can attend the meeting online
using a computer, tablet, or smart
phone; or by phone only. Connection
information will be posted online at:
https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/
Details/1483. For technical support
please contact our administrative staff,
email: npfmc.admin@noaa.gov.
[FR Doc. 2020–09830 Filed 5–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Public Comment
Public comment will be accepted and
should be submitted electronically to
https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/
Details/1483.
[RTID 0648–XA170]
North Pacific Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
The North Pacific Fishery
Management Council’s (Council) Cook
Inlet Salmon Committee will meet May
26, 2020 via web conference.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m., Alaska Daylight Time.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be a web
conference. Join online through the link
at https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/
Details/1483.
Council address: North Pacific
Fishery Management Council, 1007 W
3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501–2252;
telephone: (907) 271–2809. Instructions
for attending the meeting via web
conference are given under Connection
Information, below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim
Armstrong, Council staff; email:
james.armstrong@noaa.gov. For
technical support please contact
administrative Council staff, email:
npfmc.admin@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Agenda
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
The agenda for the meeting will
include Committee member proposals
for additional management measures
under Alternative 2 and Alternative 2–
expanded scope, Committee action on
final management measure
recommendations, review of progress
and further development on the
Environmental Assessment and
Regulatory Impact Review, and a
discussion of next steps and the
timeline for the amendment. The
Agenda is subject to change, and the
latest version will be posted at https://
meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/
1483 prior to the meeting, along with
meeting materials.
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17:46 May 07, 2020
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Special Accommodations
The meeting is accessible to people
with disabilities. Requests should be
directed to Shannon Gleason at (907)
903–3107 at least 7 working days prior
to the meeting date.
(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.)
Dated: May 5, 2020.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–09881 Filed 5–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XA150]
Pacific Fishery Management Council;
Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
The Pacific Fishery
Management Council’s (Pacific Council)
Ad Hoc Groundfish Electronic
Monitoring Policy Advisory Committee
and Technical Advisory Committee
(Committees) will hold an online
meeting, which is open to the public.
DATES: The meeting will be held
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, or until
business for the day in completed.
ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held
online. Specific meeting information,
including directions on how to join the
meeting and system requirements will
be provided in the meeting
announcement on the Pacific Council’s
website (see www.pcouncil.org). You
may send an email to Mr. Kris
Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@
noaa.gov) or contact him at 503–820–
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4703
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2280, extension 412 for technical
assistance.
Council address: Pacific Fishery
Management Council, 7700 NE
Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland,
OR 97220–1384.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brett Wiedoff, Staff Officer, Pacific
Council; Brett.L.Wiedoff@noaa.gov;
telephone: (503) 820–2424.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
purpose of this meeting is for the
Committees to discuss materials and
develop recommendations that are
scheduled to be considered during the
June 2020 Pacific Council meeting.
Specifically, the Committees will
discuss recommendations for further
development of electronic monitoring
policies and regulations for federally
managed West Coast groundfish
fisheries. The Committees may also
discuss other items on the Pacific
Council’s June agenda, particularly
administrative matters.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained in the meeting agenda may be
discussed, those issues may not be the
subject of formal action during this
meeting. Action will be restricted to
those issues specifically listed in this
document and any issues arising after
publication of this document 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
Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Mr. Kris
Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@
noaa.gov; (503) 820–2412) at least 10
days prior to the meeting date.
(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.)
Dated: May 5, 2020.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–09880 Filed 5–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XA129]
Taking and Importing Marine
Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to Fisheries Research
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM
08MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 90 / Friday, May 8, 2020 / Notices
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for
Letters of Authorization; request for
comments and information.
NMFS’ Office of Protected
Resources (OPR) has received a request
from the NMFS Southwest Fisheries
Science Center (SWFSC) for
authorization to take small numbers of
marine mammals incidental to
conducting fisheries research, over the
course of five years from the date of
issuance. Pursuant to regulations
implementing the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA), OPR is
announcing receipt of the SWFSC’s
request for the development and
implementation of regulations
governing the incidental taking of
marine mammals. OPR invites the
public to provide information,
suggestions, and comments on the
SWFSC’s application and request.
DATES: Comments and information must
be received no later than June 8, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the
applications should be addressed to
Jolie Harrison, Chief, Permits and
Conservation Division, Office of
Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service. Physical comments
should be sent to 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 and
electronic comments should be sent to
ITP.Laws@noaa.gov.
Instructions: OPR is not responsible
for comments sent by any other method,
to any other address or individual, or
received after the end of the comment
period. Comments received
electronically, including all
attachments, must not exceed a 25megabyte file size. All comments
received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted online at
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/
marine-mammal-protection/incidentaltake-authorizations-research-and-otheractivities without change. All personal
identifying information (e.g., name,
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: Ben
Laws, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, (301) 427–8401. Electronic
copies of the application and supporting
documents, as well as a list of the
references cited in this document, may
be obtained online at:
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/
marine-mammal-protection/incidentaltake-authorizations-research-and-otheractivities. In case of problems accessing
SUMMARY:
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17:46 May 07, 2020
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these documents, please call the contact
listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The MMPA prohibits the ‘‘take’’ of
marine mammals, with certain
exceptions. 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
incidental take authorization may be
provided to the public for review.
Authorization for incidental takings
shall be granted if NMFS finds that the
taking will have a negligible impact on
the species or stock(s) and will not have
an unmitigable adverse impact on the
availability of the species or stock(s) for
taking for subsistence uses (where
relevant). Further, NMFS must prescribe
the permissible methods of taking and
other ‘‘means of effecting the least
practicable adverse impact’’ on the
affected species or stocks and their
habitat, paying particular attention to
rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of
similar significance, and on the
availability of the species or stocks for
taking for certain subsistence uses
(referred to in shorthand as
‘‘mitigation’’); and requirements
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring
and reporting of the takings are set forth.
Summary of Request
On April 30, 2020, we received a
complete and adequate application from
SWFSC requesting authorization for
take of marine mammals incidental to
fisheries research conducted by SWFSC.
The requested regulations would be
valid for five years, from October 30,
2020, through October 29, 2025. The
SWFSC plans to conduct fisheries
research surveys in the California
Current Research Area (off the U.S. west
coast) and the Antarctic Research Area
(in the Antarctic Scotia Sea). It is
possible that marine mammals may
interact with fishing gear (e.g., trawl
nets, longlines) used in SWFSC’s
research, resulting in injury, serious
injury, or mortality. In addition, the
SWFSC operates active acoustic devices
that have the potential to disturb marine
mammals. Because the specified
activities have the potential to take
marine mammals present within these
action areas, SWFSC requests
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
27389
authorization to take multiple species of
marine mammal that may occur in these
areas.
The requested regulations would be
the second incidental take regulations
issued to SWFSC, following regulations
in place from 2015–2020. SWFSC has
complied with all requirements of the
previously issued Letters of
Authorization and has not exceeded the
authorized take numbers. Monitoring
reports submitted by SWFSC are
available online at:
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/
incidental-take-authorization-noaafisheries-swfsc-fisheries-and-ecosystemresearch.
Specified Activities
The Federal Government has a
responsibility to conserve and protect
living marine resources in U.S. Federal
waters and has also entered into a
number of international agreements and
treaties related to the management of
living marine resources in international
waters outside the United States. NOAA
has the primary responsibility for
managing marine fin and shellfish
species and their habitats, with that
responsibility delegated within NOAA
to NMFS.
In order to direct and coordinate the
collection of scientific information
needed to make informed management
decisions, Congress created six Regional
Fisheries Science Centers, each a
distinct organizational entity and the
scientific focal point within NMFS for
region-based Federal fisheries-related
research. This research is aimed at
monitoring fish stock recruitment,
abundance, survival and biological
rates, geographic distribution of species
and stocks, ecosystem process changes,
and marine ecological research. The
SWFSC is the research arm of NMFS in
the Southwest Region. The SWFSC
conducts research and provides
scientific advice to manage fisheries and
conserve protected species in three
geographic research areas: The
California Current Research Area (along
the U.S. West Coast), the Eastern
Tropical Pacific Research Area (ETPRA)
(throughout the Eastern Tropical Pacific
Ocean), and the Antarctic Research Area
(in the Scotia Sea area off Antarctica).
However, no research activity is
planned for the ETPRA during the next
five years, and this research area is not
included in the scope of SWFSC’s
current request. The SWFSC provides
scientific information to support the
Pacific Fishery Management Council
and numerous other domestic and
international fisheries management
organizations.
E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM
08MYN1
27390
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 90 / Friday, May 8, 2020 / Notices
The SWFSC collects a wide array of
information necessary to evaluate the
status of exploited fishery resources and
the marine environment. SWFSC
scientists conduct fishery-independent
research onboard NOAA-owned and
operated vessels or on chartered vessels.
A few surveys are conducted onboard
commercial fishing vessels, but the
SWFSC designs and executes the
studies and funds vessel time. The gear
types used fall into several categories:
Pelagic trawl gear used at various levels
in the water column, pelagic longlines
with multiple hooks, seine nets, and
other gear. Of research gear used by
SWFSC, only pelagic trawl, hook and
line gear (including longline gears), and
seine nets are likely to interact with
marine mammals. The majority of these
surveys also use active acoustic devices.
Information Solicited
Interested persons may submit
information, suggestions, and comments
concerning the SWFSC’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 the SWFSC, if
appropriate.
Dated: May 5, 2020.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–09925 Filed 5–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and
Information Administration
[Docket No. 200504–0126]
RIN 0660–XC045
Input on Proposals and Positions for
the 2020 World Telecommunication
Standardization Assembly
National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA),
U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice, request for public
comment.
AGENCY:
NTIA is seeking comments
and recommendations on priorities that
advance international communications
and information policies at the
International Telecommunication Union
(ITU). Additionally, NTIA seeks input
from stakeholders and interested parties
on its proposals and positions on
matters that will be addressed at the
2020 World Telecommunication
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:46 May 07, 2020
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Standardization Assembly (WTSA–
2020) of the ITU. NTIA’s priorities,
described below, are intended to best
position the United States’ Information
and Communications Technology (ICT)
industry to retain its global leadership
in the rapidly evolving communications
sector. NTIA is working closely with the
U.S. Department of State (State), which
is leading and coordinating the WTSA–
2020 preparatory process for the United
States. This Notice and Request for
Public Comment is the public’s
opportunity to comment on NTIA’s
proposals and positions for WTSA–
2020.
DATES: Comments are due on or before
June 8, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be
submitted by mail to the Office of
International Affairs (OIA), National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue
NW, Room 4701, Washington, DC
20230. Written comments may also be
submitted electronically to WTSA2020@
ntia.gov. Please submit electronic
comments, either in Microsoft word or
Adobe PDF, using a text searchable
format. NTIA will post comments to the
NTIA’s website at https://www.ntia.gov/
federal-register-notice/2020/commentsproposals-positions-wtsa20.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Aimee Meacham, Office of International
Affairs, National Telecommunications
and Information Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4701,
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202)
482–5820; email: ameacham@ntia.gov.
Please direct media inquiries to NTIA’s
Office of Public Affairs at (202) 482–
7002 or press@ntia.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: Within the U.S.
Department of Commerce (Commerce),
NTIA is the Executive Branch agency
responsible for advising the President
on communications and information
policy.1 NTIA was established in 1978
in response to the growing national
consensus that ‘‘telecommunications
and information are vital to the public
welfare, national security, and
competitiveness of the United States,’’
and that, ‘‘rapid technological advances
being made in the telecommunications
and information fields make it
imperative that the United States
maintain effective national and
international policies and programs
capable of taking advantage of
continued advancements.’’ 2 The agency
1 47
2 47
PO 00000
U.S.C. 902(b)(2)(D).
U.S.C. 901(b)(1–6).
Frm 00039
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
plays a central role in the formulation
of the U.S. Government’s ICT policies,
particularly with respect to
telecommunications and the internet.
NTIA advances these policies and
related priorities in conjunction with
State at global venues, including the
ITU. The ITU’s WTSA–2020 will be
held in Hyderabad, India from
November 17–27, 2020. It is an
assembly of Member States and private
sector organizations (sector members)
that participate in the Standardization
Sector of the ITU (‘‘ITU–T’’). WTSA–
2020 will set the ITU–T agenda for the
next four years and will select the
leadership of the ITU–T Study Groups.
In addition to technical standards, the
ITU–T studies and develops
recommendations beyond
standardization that affect industry,
such as global numbering, accounting
and settlement mechanisms,
international mobile roaming, fraud and
misuse of facilities, competition policy,
and economic and regulatory impacts of
the internet digital economy.
Through this notice, NTIA is
soliciting comments and
recommendations from stakeholders
and other interested parties on its
proposals and positions that feed into
the State-led preparatory process for
WTSA–2020. Comments are welcomed
from all interested stakeholders—
including the private sector, the
technical community, academia,
government, civil society, and
individuals. The comments will help
NTIA, and the U.S. Government more
broadly, to leverage and prioritize their
resources and policy expertise most
effectively. Please note that NTIA is not
seeking additional comments from
parties that may have responded to the
Department of State’s Request for
Comments.3
NTIA’s principles and objectives for
WTSA–2020 align with the
Administration’s 2017 National Security
Strategy, which affirmed that ‘‘the
United States will advocate for open,
interoperable communications, with
minimal barriers to the global exchange
of information and services’’ 4 and the
Administration’s 2018 National
Cybersecurity Strategy Pillar II objective
to ‘‘[p]reserve United States influence in
the technological ecosystem and the
development of cyberspace as an open
engine of economic growth, innovation,
and efficiency.’’ 5
3 See
85 FR 6256 (Feb. 2, 2020).
National Security Strategy of the United
States of America, December 2017, available at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/
2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18-2017-0905.pdf.
5 The National Cybersecurity Strategy of the
United States of America, September 2018,
4 The
E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 90 (Friday, May 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27388-27390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09925]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XA129]
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to Fisheries Research
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
[[Page 27389]]
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for Letters of Authorization;
request for comments and information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS' Office of Protected Resources (OPR) has received a
request from the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) for
authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to
conducting fisheries research, over the course of five years from the
date of issuance. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine
Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), OPR is announcing receipt of the SWFSC's
request for the development and implementation of regulations governing
the incidental taking of marine mammals. OPR invites the public to
provide information, suggestions, and comments on the SWFSC's
application and request.
DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than June 8,
2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the applications should be addressed to Jolie
Harrison, Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. Physical comments should
be sent to 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 and
electronic comments should be sent to [email protected].
Instructions: OPR is not responsible for comments sent by any other
method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end
of the comment period. Comments received electronically, including all
attachments, must not exceed a 25-megabyte file size. All comments
received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted
online at www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-take-authorizations-research-and-other-activities without
change. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, 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: Ben Laws, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427-8401. Electronic copies of the application
and supporting documents, as well as a list of the references cited in
this document, may be obtained online at: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-take-authorizations-research-and-other-activities. In case of problems accessing these
documents, please call the contact listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The MMPA prohibits the ``take'' of marine mammals, with certain
exceptions. 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 incidental take authorization may be provided to the public
for review.
Authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if NMFS finds
that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or
stock(s) and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the
availability of the species or stock(s) for taking for subsistence uses
(where relevant). Further, NMFS must prescribe the permissible methods
of taking and other ``means of effecting the least practicable adverse
impact'' on the affected species or stocks and their habitat, paying
particular attention to rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar
significance, and on the availability of the species or stocks for
taking for certain subsistence uses (referred to in shorthand as
``mitigation''); and requirements pertaining to the mitigation,
monitoring and reporting of the takings are set forth.
Summary of Request
On April 30, 2020, we received a complete and adequate application
from SWFSC requesting authorization for take of marine mammals
incidental to fisheries research conducted by SWFSC. The requested
regulations would be valid for five years, from October 30, 2020,
through October 29, 2025. The SWFSC plans to conduct fisheries research
surveys in the California Current Research Area (off the U.S. west
coast) and the Antarctic Research Area (in the Antarctic Scotia Sea).
It is possible that marine mammals may interact with fishing gear
(e.g., trawl nets, longlines) used in SWFSC's research, resulting in
injury, serious injury, or mortality. In addition, the SWFSC operates
active acoustic devices that have the potential to disturb marine
mammals. Because the specified activities have the potential to take
marine mammals present within these action areas, SWFSC requests
authorization to take multiple species of marine mammal that may occur
in these areas.
The requested regulations would be the second incidental take
regulations issued to SWFSC, following regulations in place from 2015-
2020. SWFSC has complied with all requirements of the previously issued
Letters of Authorization and has not exceeded the authorized take
numbers. Monitoring reports submitted by SWFSC are available online at:
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/incidental-take-authorization-noaa-fisheries-swfsc-fisheries-and-ecosystem-research.
Specified Activities
The Federal Government has a responsibility to conserve and protect
living marine resources in U.S. Federal waters and has also entered
into a number of international agreements and treaties related to the
management of living marine resources in international waters outside
the United States. NOAA has the primary responsibility for managing
marine fin and shellfish species and their habitats, with that
responsibility delegated within NOAA to NMFS.
In order to direct and coordinate the collection of scientific
information needed to make informed management decisions, Congress
created six Regional Fisheries Science Centers, each a distinct
organizational entity and the scientific focal point within NMFS for
region-based Federal fisheries-related research. This research is aimed
at monitoring fish stock recruitment, abundance, survival and
biological rates, geographic distribution of species and stocks,
ecosystem process changes, and marine ecological research. The SWFSC is
the research arm of NMFS in the Southwest Region. The SWFSC conducts
research and provides scientific advice to manage fisheries and
conserve protected species in three geographic research areas: The
California Current Research Area (along the U.S. West Coast), the
Eastern Tropical Pacific Research Area (ETPRA) (throughout the Eastern
Tropical Pacific Ocean), and the Antarctic Research Area (in the Scotia
Sea area off Antarctica). However, no research activity is planned for
the ETPRA during the next five years, and this research area is not
included in the scope of SWFSC's current request. The SWFSC provides
scientific information to support the Pacific Fishery Management
Council and numerous other domestic and international fisheries
management organizations.
[[Page 27390]]
The SWFSC collects a wide array of information necessary to
evaluate the status of exploited fishery resources and the marine
environment. SWFSC scientists conduct fishery-independent research
onboard NOAA-owned and operated vessels or on chartered vessels. A few
surveys are conducted onboard commercial fishing vessels, but the SWFSC
designs and executes the studies and funds vessel time. The gear types
used fall into several categories: Pelagic trawl gear used at various
levels in the water column, pelagic longlines with multiple hooks,
seine nets, and other gear. Of research gear used by SWFSC, only
pelagic trawl, hook and line gear (including longline gears), and seine
nets are likely to interact with marine mammals. The majority of these
surveys also use active acoustic devices.
Information Solicited
Interested persons may submit information, suggestions, and
comments concerning the SWFSC'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 the SWFSC, if appropriate.
Dated: May 5, 2020.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-09925 Filed 5-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
