Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting, 63526-63527 [2020-22300]

Download as PDF 63526 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 196 / Thursday, October 8, 2020 / Notices Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1007 W 3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501–2252; telephone: (907) 271–2809. Instructions for attending the meeting are given under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, below. Jim Armstrong, Council staff; phone: (907) 271–2809 and email: james.armstrong@ noaa.gov. For technical support please contact administrative Council staff, email: npfmc.admin@noaa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 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/1568. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RTID 0648–XA524] National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 71 South Atlantic Gag Grouper Data and Assessment Webinar. AGENCY: The purpose of the Charter Halibut Management Committee meeting is to identify a range of potential management measures for the Area 2C and Area 3A charter halibut fisheries in 2021 using the management measures in place for 2020 as a baseline. For Area 2C, the baseline management measure includes regulations applicable to charter halibut fishing in all areas, and a daily limit of one fish less than or equal to 45 inches or greater than or equal to 80 inches. For Area 3A, the baseline management measure includes regulations applicable to charter halibut fishing in all areas, no annual limit, a daily limit of two fish, one fish of any size, and a second fish which must be 32 inches or less in length. No days are closed to charter halibut fishing. Committee recommendations will be incorporated into an analysis for Council review in December 2020. The Council will recommend preferred management measures for consideration by the International Pacific Halibut commission at its January 2021 meeting, for implementation in 2021. The agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be posted at https:// meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/ 1568 prior to the meeting, along with meeting materials. Public Comment Public comment letters will be accepted and should be submitted electronically to https:// meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/ 1568. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 17:48 Oct 07, 2020 [FR Doc. 2020–22302 Filed 10–7–20; 8:45 am] Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting Agenda VerDate Sep<11>2014 Dated: October 5, 2020. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. Jkt 253001 The SEDAR 71 assessment of the South Atlantic stock of Gag Grouper will consist of a data webinar and a series assessment webinars. DATES: The SEDAR 71 Gag Grouper Data and Assessment Webinar has been scheduled for Wednesday October 28, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT. ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meeting will be held via webinar. The webinar is open to members of the public. Registration is available online at: https:// attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/ 2390775194701123084. SEDAR address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N Charleston, SC 29405; www.sedarweb.org. SUMMARY: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Howington, SEDAR Coordinator, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; phone: (843) 571–4371; email: Kathleen.Howington@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 threestep process including: (1) Data Workshop; (2) Assessment Process utilizing webinars; and (3) Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a data report which PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The product of the Assessment Process is a stock assessment report which describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. The assessment is independently peer reviewed at the Review Workshop. The product of the Review Workshop is a 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, Highly Migratory Species 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 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); international experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies. The items of discussion at the SEDAR 71 Gag Grouper Data and Assessment Webinar are as follows: • Discuss and make final recommendations on any ongoing data issues as needed • Discuss modeling issues as needed 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 This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 business days prior to the meeting. Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. E:\FR\FM\08OCN1.SGM 08OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 196 / Thursday, October 8, 2020 / Notices Dated: October 5, 2020. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2020–22300 Filed 10–7–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [Docket No. 201001–0262; RTID 0648– XA338] Fish and Fish Product Import Provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act; Final 2020 List of Foreign Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: NMFS is publishing its final 2020 List of Foreign Fisheries (LOFF), as required by the regulation implementing the Fish and Fish Product Import Provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The final 2020 LOFF reflects new information received during the comment period on interactions between commercial fisheries exporting fish and fish products to the United States and marine mammals and updates and revises the draft 2020 LOFF. NMFS classified commercial fisheries in this final 2020 LOFF into one of two categories, either ‘‘export’’ or ‘‘exempt,’’ based upon frequency and likelihood of incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals likely to occur incidental to each fishery. The classification of a fishery on the final 2020 LOFF determines which regulatory requirements will be applicable to that fishery for it to receive a Comparability Finding necessary to export fish and fish products to the United States from that fishery. The final 2020 LOFF can be found at: https:// www.fisheries.noaa.gov/foreign/ international-affairs/list-foreignfisheries. SUMMARY: khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nina Young, NMFS IASI at Nina.Young@noaa.gov, mmpa.loff@ noaa.gov, or 301–427–8383. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In August 2016, NMFS published a final rule (81 FR 54390; August 15, 2016) implementing the fish and fish product import provisions (section 101(a)(2)) of the MMPA (hereafter referred to as the MMPA Import Provisions Rule). This VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:48 Oct 07, 2020 Jkt 253001 rule established conditions for evaluating a harvesting nation’s regulatory programs to address incidental and intentional mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in its fisheries producing fish and fish products exported to the United States. Specifically, fish or fish products cannot be imported into the United States from commercial fishing operations that result in the incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals in excess of United States standards. The MMPA Import Provisions Rule established an initial five-year exemption period during which the import prohibitions do not apply. The exemption period allows time for harvesting nations to develop regulatory programs to mitigate marine mammal bycatch in their respective fisheries. After the exemption period, fish and fish products identified by the Assistant Administrator as from export and exempt fisheries in the LOFF can only be imported into the United States if the harvesting nation has applied for and received a Comparability Finding from NMFS. The 2016 final rule established procedures that a harvesting nation must follow and conditions it must meet to receive a Comparability Finding for a fishery. The rule also established provisions for intermediary nations to ensure that such nations do not import and re-export to the United States fish or fish products that are subject to an import prohibition. This final 2020 LOFF (see https:// www.fisheries.noaa.gov/foreign/ international-affairs/list-foreignfisheries) makes updates to the final 2017 LOFF, which was published on March 16, 2018 (83 FR 11703) and the draft 2020 LOFF, which was published on March 17, 2020 (85 FR 15116). What is the List of Foreign Fisheries? Based on information provided by nations, industry, the public, and other readily available sources, NMFS identified nations with commercial fishing operations that export fish and fish products to the United States and classified each of those fisheries based on their frequency of marine mammal interactions as either ‘‘exempt’’ or ‘‘export’’ fisheries (see Definitions below). The entire list of these export and exempt fisheries, organized by nation (or economy), constitutes the LOFF. Why is the LOFF important? Under the MMPA, the United States prohibits imports of commercial fish or fish products caught in commercial fishing operations resulting in the incidental killing or serious injury PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 63527 (bycatch) of marine mammals in excess of United States standards (16 U.S.C. 1371(a)(2)). NMFS published regulations implementing these statutory requirements of the MMPA in August 2016 (81 FR 54390; August 15, 2016) (MMPA Import Provisions Rule). The regulations apply to any foreign nation with fisheries exporting fish and fish products to the United States, either directly or through an intermediary nation.1 The LOFF lists foreign commercial fisheries that export fish and fish products to the United States and that have been classified as either ‘‘export’’ or ‘‘exempt’’ based on the frequency and likelihood of interactions or incidental mortality and serious injury of a marine mammal. All fisheries that export to the United States must be included on the LOFF by January 1, 2022. A harvesting nation must apply for and receive a Comparability Finding for each of its export and exempt fisheries on the LOFF to continue to export fish and fish products to the United States from those fisheries beginning January 1, 2022. What do the classifications of ‘‘exempt fishery’’ and ‘‘export fishery’’ mean? The classifications of ‘‘exempt fishery’’ or ‘‘export fishery’’ determine the criteria that a nation’s fishery must meet to receive a Comparability Finding for that fishery. A Comparability Finding is required for both exempt and export fisheries, but the criteria for exempt and export fisheries differ. For an exempt fishery, the criteria to receive a Comparability Finding are limited to conditions related only to the prohibition of intentional killing or injury of marine mammals (see 50 CFR 216.24(h)(6)(iii)(A)). For an export fishery, the criteria to receive a Comparability Finding include the conditions related to the prohibition of intentional killing or injury of marine mammals (see 50 CFR 216.24(h)(6)(iii)(A)) and the requirement to develop and maintain regulatory programs comparable in effectiveness to the U.S. regulatory program for reducing incidental marine mammal bycatch (see 50 CFR 216.24(h)(6)). The definitions of ‘‘exempt fishery’’ and ‘‘export fishery’’ are stated in the Definitions below. 1 With respect to all references to ‘‘nation’’ or ‘‘nations’’ in the rule, it should be noted that the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, Public Law 96–8, Section 4(b)(1), provides that [w]henever the laws of the United States refer or relate to foreign countries, nations, states, governments, territories or similar entities, such terms shall include and such laws shall apply with respect to Taiwan. 22 U.S.C. 3303(b)(1). This is consistent with the United States’ one-China policy, under which the United States has maintained unofficial relations with Taiwan since 1979. E:\FR\FM\08OCN1.SGM 08OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 196 (Thursday, October 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63526-63527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22300]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA524]


Fisheries of the 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 71 South Atlantic Gag Grouper Data and 
Assessment Webinar.

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

SUMMARY: The SEDAR 71 assessment of the South Atlantic stock of Gag 
Grouper will consist of a data webinar and a series assessment 
webinars.

DATES: The SEDAR 71 Gag Grouper Data and Assessment Webinar has been 
scheduled for Wednesday October 28, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting address: The meeting will be held via webinar. The webinar 
is open to members of the public. Registration is available online at: 
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2390775194701123084.
    SEDAR address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N Charleston, SC 29405; www.sedarweb.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Howington, SEDAR Coordinator, 
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; phone: 
(843) 571-4371; 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 three-step process 
including: (1) Data Workshop; (2) Assessment Process utilizing 
webinars; and (3) Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is 
a data report which compiles and evaluates potential datasets and 
recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The 
product of the Assessment Process is a stock assessment report which 
describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates 
biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and 
recommends research and monitoring needs. The assessment is 
independently peer reviewed at the Review Workshop. The product of the 
Review Workshop is a 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, Highly Migratory Species 
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 non-
governmental organizations (NGOs); international experts; and staff of 
Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies.
    The items of discussion at the SEDAR 71 Gag Grouper Data and 
Assessment Webinar are as follows:

 Discuss and make final recommendations on any ongoing data 
issues as needed
 Discuss modeling issues as needed

    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

    This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. Requests 
for auxiliary aids should be directed to the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 business days 
prior to the meeting.

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


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


[[Page 63527]]


    Dated: October 5, 2020.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-22300 Filed 10-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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