Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan, 48968-48969 [2021-18848]
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48968
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 167 / Wednesday, September 1, 2021 / Proposed Rules
under Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2020–
0152.
Authors
The primary authors of this proposed
rule are the staff members of the Fish
and Wildlife Service’s Species
Assessment Team and the Tennessee
Ecological Services Field Office.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species,
Exports, Imports, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements,
Transportation.
Proposed Regulation Promulgation
Accordingly, we propose to amend
part 17, subchapter B of chapter I, title
50 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
as set forth below:
PART 17—ENDANGERED AND
THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS
1. The authority citation for part 17
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361–1407; 1531–
1544; and 4201–4245, unless otherwise
noted.
§ 17.11
[Amended]
2. Amend § 17.11 in paragraph (h) by
removing the entry for ‘‘Darter, snail’’
under FISHES from the List of
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.
■
Martha Williams,
Principal Deputy Director, Exercising the
Delegated Authority of the Director, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–18127 Filed 8–31–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
RIN 0648–BK64
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
Provisions; Fisheries of the
Northeastern United States;
Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Bluefish
Fishery Management Plan
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of availability of
proposed fishery management plan
amendment; request for comments.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
AGENCY:
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council has submitted
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:23 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 253001
Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Bluefish
Fishery Management Plan to NMFS for
review and approval. Amendment 7
proposes to implement a rebuilding
plan for the overfished bluefish stock, as
well as revisions to fishery management
plan goals and objectives,
administrative measures during the
specifications process, and the
allocation percentages of quota between
the commercial and recreational sectors
and commercial quota among the states.
The purpose of this amendment is to
implement a rebuilding plan, as
required by the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, and to update the Bluefish Fishery
Management Plan; responding to recent
changes in stock health and distribution
using the best information available,
while recognizing economic need and
reliance throughout the management
area. This notice is intended to alert the
public to this action and provide an
opportunity for comment.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before November 1, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on this document, identified by NOAA–
NMFS–2021–0071, by the following
method:
Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov,
and enter ‘‘NOAA–NMFS–2021–0071’’
in the Search box;
2. Click the ‘‘Comment’’ icon,
complete the required fields; and
3. Enter or attach your comments.
Instructions: Comments sent by any
other method, to any other address or
individual, or received after the end of
the comment period, may not be
considered by NMFS. 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.),
confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. NMFS will
accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/
A’’ in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous).
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council prepared an
environmental assessment (EA) for this
action that describes the proposed
measures and other considered
alternatives. The EA also provides a
thorough analysis of the biological,
economic, and social impacts of the
proposed measures and other
considered alternatives. Copies of
Amendment 7, including the EA, the
PO 00000
Frm 00051
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
Regulatory Impact Review, and the
Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis
prepared in support of this action, are
available upon request from: Dr.
Christopher M. Moore, Executive
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, Suite 201, 800 N
State Street, Dover, DE 19901. These
documents are also accessible via the
internet at https://www.mafmc.org/
supporting-documents.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cynthia Ferrio, Fishery Policy Analyst,
(978) 281–9180.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council) and the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (Commission)
cooperatively manage bluefish from
Maine to Florida under the Atlantic
Bluefish Fishery Management Plan
(FMP). The Council and Commission
initiated Amendment 7 as a joint action
in December 2017 to address a
comprehensive range of management
issues in the bluefish fishery from goals
and objectives of the FMP to the
allocation and transfer of quota between
the commercial and recreational sectors.
Following the overfished stock
determination from the 2019 operational
stock assessment, a rebuilding plan for
bluefish was also added to the
amendment, and final alternatives were
approved at the joint meeting of the
Council and Commission’s Bluefish
Management Board in February 2021.
Public hearings on these alternatives
were held throughout the spring of
2021, and the Council and Board
approved Amendment 7 on June 8,
2021, with the intent that the changes
would be effective for the 2022 fishing
year that begins on January 1, 2022.
The purpose of this amendment is to
implement a rebuilding plan for
bluefish, as required by the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens
Act), and to update the FMP;
responding to recent changes in stock
health and distribution using the best
information available, while recognizing
economic need and reliance throughout
the management area. This action
proposes to:
• Update the Bluefish FMP goals and
objectives from those that were initially
established for the fishery in 1991 to
better reflect today’s fishery;
• Re-allocate bluefish quota between
the commercial and recreational fishery
sectors to more accurately reflect recent
catch and landings data in the fishery,
allocating 14 percent to the commercial
E:\FR\FM\01SEP1.SGM
01SEP1
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 167 / Wednesday, September 1, 2021 / Proposed Rules
fishery and 86 percent to the
recreational fishery (a 3-percentage
point change from the current
allocations of 17 percent to the
commercial sector and 83 percent to the
recreational sector);
• Re-allocate bluefish commercial
quota to the states from Maine to Florida
based on the most recent 10 years of
landings data (2009–2018) rather than
outdated historical information (1981–
1989), including a 0.1-percent minimum
default allocation so no states in the
management unit lose quota entirely;
• Implement a 7-year rebuilding plan
using a constant fishing mortality model
where fishing mortality (F) = 0.154;
• Revise measures to allow the sector
quota transfer to be bi-directional (from
commercial to recreational or vice
versa), with a revised maximum transfer
cap of 10-percent of the Acceptable
Biological Catch; and
• Revise administrative measures in
the specifications process to allow for
the accounting of sector-specific
management uncertainty.
Additional information on these
proposed changes can be found in the
EA for this amendment and forthcoming
proposed rule.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
Public Comment Instructions
The Magnuson-Stevens Act allows
NMFS as the implementing agency to
approve, partially approve, or
disapprove measures recommended by
the Council in a regulatory amendment
based on whether the measures are
consistent with the FMP, the MagnusonStevens Act and its National Standards,
and other applicable law. As such,
NMFS is soliciting public comments on
whether the measures in Amendment 7
to the Atlantic Bluefish FMP and its
supporting documents are consistent
with the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens
Act, and other applicable law. Public
comments on this amendment may be
submitted through the end of the
comment period specified in the DATES
section of this notice of availability
(NOA).
A proposed rule that would
implement this amendment, including
draft regulatory text, will also be
published in the Federal Register for
public comment. All comments received
by the end of the comment period on
this NOA, whether specifically directed
to the NOA or the proposed rule, will
be considered in the approval/
disapproval decision on Amendment 7.
Comments received after the end of the
comment period for this NOA will not
be considered in the approval/
disapproval decision of this action.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:23 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 253001
Dated: August 27, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–18848 Filed 8–31–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 210826–0168]
RIN 0648–BK56
Fisheries Off West Coast States;
Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries;
Biennial Specifications; 2021–2022 and
2022–2023 Specifications for Pacific
Mackerel
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
NMFS proposes to implement
allowable catch levels, an overfishing
limit, an allowable biological catch, and
an annual catch limit for Pacific
mackerel in the U.S. exclusive economic
zone off the West Coast (California,
Oregon and Washington) for the fishing
seasons 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. This
proposed rule is pursuant to the Coastal
Pelagic Species Fishery Management
Plan. The proposed harvest guideline
and annual catch target for the 2021–
2022 fishing season are 8,323 metric
tons (mt) and 7,323 mt, respectively.
The proposed harvest guideline and
annual catch target for the 2022–2023
fishing season are 5,822 mt and 4,822
mt, respectively. If the fishery attains
the annual catch target in either fishing
season, the directed fishery will close,
reserving the 1,000-mt difference
between the harvest guideline and
annual catch target as a set-aside for
incidental landings in other Coastal
Pelagic Species fisheries and other
sources of mortality. This document is
intended to conserve and manage the
Pacific mackerel stock off the U.S. West
Coast.
DATES: Comments must be received by
October 1, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on this document, identified by NOAA–
NMFS–2021–0066, by any of the
following methods:
• Electronic Submissions: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA–
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00052
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
48969
NMFS–2021–0066 in the Search box.
Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete
the required fields, and enter or attach
your comments.
Instructions: Comments sent by any
other method or received after the end
of the comment period may not be
considered by NMFS. 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.),
confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. NMFS will
accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/
A’’ in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Taylor Debevec, West Coast Region,
NMFS, (562) 619–2052,
Taylor.Debevec@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
(Magnuson-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq., NMFS manages the Pacific
mackerel fishery in the U.S. exclusive
economic zone (EEZ) off the West Coast
in accordance with the Coastal Pelagic
Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan
(FMP). The CPS FMP and its
implementing regulations require NMFS
to set annual harvest specifications for
the Pacific mackerel fishery based on
the annual specification framework and
control rules in the FMP. The Pacific
mackerel fishing season runs from July
1 to June 30. The purpose of this
proposed rule is to implement these
harvest specifications, which include
allowable harvest levels (i.e., annual
catch target (ACT) and harvest guideline
(HG)), an annual catch limit (ACL), and
annual catch reference points (i.e.,
overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable
biological catch (ABC)). The uncertainty
surrounding the current biomass
estimates for Pacific mackerel for the
2021–2022 and 2022–2023 fishing
seasons was taken into consideration in
the development of these harvest
specifications. Any Pacific mackerel
harvested between July 1, 2021, and the
effective date of the final rule would
count toward the 2021–2022 ACT and
HG.
During public meetings each year, the
NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science
Center (SWFSC) presents biomass
estimates for Pacific mackerel to the
Pacific Fishery Management Council’s
(Council) CPS Management Team
(CPSMT), the Council’s CPS Advisory
Subpanel (CPSAS) and the Council’s
Scientific and Statistical Committee
E:\FR\FM\01SEP1.SGM
01SEP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 167 (Wednesday, September 1, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48968-48969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18848]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
RIN 0648-BK64
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 7 to
the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of availability of proposed fishery management
plan amendment; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted
Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan to NMFS
for review and approval. Amendment 7 proposes to implement a rebuilding
plan for the overfished bluefish stock, as well as revisions to fishery
management plan goals and objectives, administrative measures during
the specifications process, and the allocation percentages of quota
between the commercial and recreational sectors and commercial quota
among the states. The purpose of this amendment is to implement a
rebuilding plan, as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, and to update the Bluefish Fishery
Management Plan; responding to recent changes in stock health and
distribution using the best information available, while recognizing
economic need and reliance throughout the management area. This notice
is intended to alert the public to this action and provide an
opportunity for comment.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 1, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2021-0071, by the following method:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via
the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov, and enter ``NOAA-NMFS-2021-
0071'' in the Search box;
2. Click the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields; and
3. Enter or attach your comments.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NMFS. 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.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous).
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council prepared an
environmental assessment (EA) for this action that describes the
proposed measures and other considered alternatives. The EA also
provides a thorough analysis of the biological, economic, and social
impacts of the proposed measures and other considered alternatives.
Copies of Amendment 7, including the EA, the Regulatory Impact Review,
and the Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis prepared in support of this
action, are available upon request from: Dr. Christopher M. Moore,
Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Suite 201,
800 N State Street, Dover, DE 19901. These documents are also
accessible via the internet at https://www.mafmc.org/supporting-documents.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Ferrio, Fishery Policy
Analyst, (978) 281-9180.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) cooperatively
manage bluefish from Maine to Florida under the Atlantic Bluefish
Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Council and Commission initiated
Amendment 7 as a joint action in December 2017 to address a
comprehensive range of management issues in the bluefish fishery from
goals and objectives of the FMP to the allocation and transfer of quota
between the commercial and recreational sectors. Following the
overfished stock determination from the 2019 operational stock
assessment, a rebuilding plan for bluefish was also added to the
amendment, and final alternatives were approved at the joint meeting of
the Council and Commission's Bluefish Management Board in February
2021. Public hearings on these alternatives were held throughout the
spring of 2021, and the Council and Board approved Amendment 7 on June
8, 2021, with the intent that the changes would be effective for the
2022 fishing year that begins on January 1, 2022.
The purpose of this amendment is to implement a rebuilding plan for
bluefish, as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and to update the FMP;
responding to recent changes in stock health and distribution using the
best information available, while recognizing economic need and
reliance throughout the management area. This action proposes to:
Update the Bluefish FMP goals and objectives from those
that were initially established for the fishery in 1991 to better
reflect today's fishery;
Re-allocate bluefish quota between the commercial and
recreational fishery sectors to more accurately reflect recent catch
and landings data in the fishery, allocating 14 percent to the
commercial
[[Page 48969]]
fishery and 86 percent to the recreational fishery (a 3-percentage
point change from the current allocations of 17 percent to the
commercial sector and 83 percent to the recreational sector);
Re-allocate bluefish commercial quota to the states from
Maine to Florida based on the most recent 10 years of landings data
(2009-2018) rather than outdated historical information (1981-1989),
including a 0.1-percent minimum default allocation so no states in the
management unit lose quota entirely;
Implement a 7-year rebuilding plan using a constant
fishing mortality model where fishing mortality (F) = 0.154;
Revise measures to allow the sector quota transfer to be
bi-directional (from commercial to recreational or vice versa), with a
revised maximum transfer cap of 10-percent of the Acceptable Biological
Catch; and
Revise administrative measures in the specifications
process to allow for the accounting of sector-specific management
uncertainty.
Additional information on these proposed changes can be found in
the EA for this amendment and forthcoming proposed rule.
Public Comment Instructions
The Magnuson-Stevens Act allows NMFS as the implementing agency to
approve, partially approve, or disapprove measures recommended by the
Council in a regulatory amendment based on whether the measures are
consistent with the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act and its National
Standards, and other applicable law. As such, NMFS is soliciting public
comments on whether the measures in Amendment 7 to the Atlantic
Bluefish FMP and its supporting documents are consistent with the FMP,
the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law. Public comments on
this amendment may be submitted through the end of the comment period
specified in the DATES section of this notice of availability (NOA).
A proposed rule that would implement this amendment, including
draft regulatory text, will also be published in the Federal Register
for public comment. All comments received by the end of the comment
period on this NOA, whether specifically directed to the NOA or the
proposed rule, will be considered in the approval/disapproval decision
on Amendment 7. Comments received after the end of the comment period
for this NOA will not be considered in the approval/disapproval
decision of this action.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 27, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-18848 Filed 8-31-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
