Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery; Withdrawal of the Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, 78998-78999 [2020-26944]
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78998
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 236 / Tuesday, December 8, 2020 / Notices
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act and
regulations at 50 CFR 665.17. HLA
would test the use of tori lines in the
Hawaii deep-set longline fishery,
without using strategic offal discharge
(discharging bait and fish offal) when
seabirds are present or blue-dyed bait,
both of which are normally required
while deploying longline gear (setting)
north of 23° N (50 CFR 665.815(a)(2)). If
approved, the EFP would allow up to
four stern-setting vessels to test tori
lines north of 23° N. The EFP would be
effective for no longer than one year
from the date of issuance, unless earlier
revoked, suspended, or modified.
Nearly all of the seabird interactions
observed in the fishery are with blackfooted and Laysan albatrosses.
Interaction rates for both species are
higher in the first and second quarters
(January through June). Accordingly, the
applicant would focus fishing effort
during periods of higher seabird
abundance, as practicable.
In 2017, the Western Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) held a
workshop to explore the cause of higher
than typical fishery interactions with
black-footed albatross. The workshop
suggested that a positive (warm) Pacific
Decadal Oscillation, with its cooler sea
surface in the western Pacific and
stronger westerly winds, may increase
the overlap of fishing effort and blackfooted albatross foraging grounds,
leading to more seabird interactions in
the fishery.
In 2018, the Council held a workshop
to review seabird mitigation
requirements and identify research
needed to inform future fishing
requirements to reduce interactions
with seabirds. That workshop identified
certain mitigation measures, including
tori lines, as a high priority for further
research and development due to their
potential to provide an effective
alternative to blue-dyed bait. Workshop
participants also identified blue-dyed
bait as a candidate for removal from the
existing suite of seabird mitigation
measures due to concerns with efficacy
and practicality.
The Council recommended the EFP
research at its September 2020 meeting,
based on results from a cooperative
research project conducted in 2019–
2020. Results from that project had
indicated that tori lines, when used in
conjunction with blue-dyed bait,
significantly reduced albatross feeding
attempts and contact with longline gear.
Project results also indicated the
potential for offal discharge to increase
bird interactions during gear setting.
The project results led the Council to
identify the need for additional research
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to test the effectiveness of tori lines
without blue-dyed bait and strategic
offal discharge.
With the exception of using tori lines
without blue-dyed bait and strategic
offal discharge, vessels participating
under the EFP would carry out fishing
operations consistent with conventional
deep-set longline fishing targeting
bigeye tuna, and would continue to
employ all other required seabird
mitigation measures, including
weighted branch lines, line shooters,
and safe handling practices.
HLA anticipates that fishing under the
EFP would have similar environmental
impacts on target fish species, nontarget fish species, and non-seabird
protected species to conventional deepset fishing, and hypothesizes that
seabird interaction rates for the tori line
treatment sets would be lower. The EFP
application provides additional
information about these anticipated
impacts.
Each vessel would carry an electronic
monitoring system. A stern-mounted
video camera would monitor the
number of birds present, and seabird
attacks and contacts, during gear setting.
After a vessel returns to port, scientists
would review the video recordings, and
would verify seabird captures through
logbook data.
At the completion of the project, EFP
findings would be available to support
Council decision-making about
measures to reduce seabird interactions.
NMFS seeks comments on the
proposed experimental activity. We will
consider comments received when
deciding whether to approve the permit,
and whether to attach any additional
terms and conditions.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 3, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–26966 Filed 12–7–20; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XA693]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery;
Withdrawal of the Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement for Amendment 21 to the
Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery
Management Plan
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of withdrawal.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The New England Fishery
Management Council is drafting
Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea
Scallop Fishery Management Plan,
which considers measures related to the
Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop
Management Area and various Limited
Access General Category management
measures. Based on the range of
alternatives developed for this action,
the Council has developed an
environmental assessment to analyze
the impacts. The purpose of this notice
is to announce that the Council no
longer intends to develop an
environmental impact statement for
Amendment 21.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Travis Ford, Fishery Policy Analyst,
978–281–9233, travis.ford@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The New England Fishery
Management Council initiated
development of Amendment 21 to the
Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery
Management Plan on January 29, 2019.
Amendment 21 considers measures
related to the Northern Gulf of Maine
Scallop Management Area, Limited
Access General Category (LAGC)
individual fishing quota (IFQ)
possession limits, and the ability of
Limited Access vessels with LAGC IFQ
permits to transfer quota to LAGC IFQonly vessels. At the recommendation of
the Council, NMFS published a notice
of intent (NOI) in the Federal Register
on March 1, 2019 (84 FR 7041), to
prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act to
analyze the impacts on the human
environment resulting from Amendment
21. Additional details about the range of
alternatives considered in this action are
included in the March 1, 2019, NOI and
are not repeated here. NMFS solicited
E:\FR\FM\08DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 236 / Tuesday, December 8, 2020 / Notices
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:19 Dec 07, 2020
Jkt 253001
Dated: December 3, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–26944 Filed 12–7–20; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
[Transmittal No. 20–35]
Arms Sales Notification
Defense Security Cooperation
Agency, Department of Defense.
ACTION: Arms sales notice.
AGENCY:
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SUMMARY: The Department of Defense is
publishing the unclassified text of an
arms sales notification.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karma Job at karma.d.job.civ@mail.mil
or (703) 697–8976.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
36(b)(1) arms sales notification is
published to fulfill the requirements of
section 155 of Public Law 104–164
dated July 21, 1996. The following is a
copy of a letter to the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Transmittal
20–35 with attached Policy Justification
and Sensitivity of Technology.
Dated: November 25, 2020.
Kayyonne T. Marston,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
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public input on the scope of the analysis
through a public comment period on the
NOI from March 1, 2019, to April 15,
2019.
Based on the range of alternatives
developed for this action, the Council
has determined that it is not necessary
to prepare an EIS for Amendment 21
and, instead, is developing an
environmental assessment to analyze
the impacts of the Amendment.
Consequently, we are informing the
public that the Council will not be
developing an EIS for Amendment 21
and that we are withdrawing the NOI
published on March 1, 2019.
78999
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 236 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78998-78999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26944]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XA693]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Sea Scallop
Fishery; Withdrawal of the Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery
Management Plan
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of withdrawal.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council is drafting
Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which
considers measures related to the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop
Management Area and various Limited Access General Category management
measures. Based on the range of alternatives developed for this action,
the Council has developed an environmental assessment to analyze the
impacts. The purpose of this notice is to announce that the Council no
longer intends to develop an environmental impact statement for
Amendment 21.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Travis Ford, Fishery Policy Analyst,
978-281-9233, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The New England Fishery Management Council initiated development of
Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan on
January 29, 2019. Amendment 21 considers measures related to the
Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area, Limited Access General
Category (LAGC) individual fishing quota (IFQ) possession limits, and
the ability of Limited Access vessels with LAGC IFQ permits to transfer
quota to LAGC IFQ-only vessels. At the recommendation of the Council,
NMFS published a notice of intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on
March 1, 2019 (84 FR 7041), to prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy
Act to analyze the impacts on the human environment resulting from
Amendment 21. Additional details about the range of alternatives
considered in this action are included in the March 1, 2019, NOI and
are not repeated here. NMFS solicited
[[Page 78999]]
public input on the scope of the analysis through a public comment
period on the NOI from March 1, 2019, to April 15, 2019.
Based on the range of alternatives developed for this action, the
Council has determined that it is not necessary to prepare an EIS for
Amendment 21 and, instead, is developing an environmental assessment to
analyze the impacts of the Amendment. Consequently, we are informing
the public that the Council will not be developing an EIS for Amendment
21 and that we are withdrawing the NOI published on March 1, 2019.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 3, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-26944 Filed 12-7-20; 8:45 am]
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