Pacific Island Fisheries; Experimental Fishing Permit, 15383 [2022-05768]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 53 / Friday, March 18, 2022 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XB844]
Pacific Island Fisheries; Experimental
Fishing Permit
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit.
AGENCY:
NMFS is issuing an
experimental fishing permit (EFP) to the
Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) to
evaluate the risk of seabird interactions
in the Hawaii shallow-set longline
fishery when setting fishing gear one
hour before and one hour after local
sunset and using tori lines instead of
required blue-dyed bait and strategic
offal discharge as seabird mitigation
measures. The intent of the EFP is to
conduct a preliminary evaluation of
potential alternative effective methods
of discouraging seabird interactions
while providing operational flexibility
during setting in the shallow-set
longline fishery.
DATES: The EFP is authorized from
March 24, 2022, through September 24,
2023.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the EFP, HLA’s
application, and supporting documents
are available at https://
www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAANMFS-2021-0128.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Heather Cronin, Sustainable Fisheries,
NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office,
tel (808) 725–5179.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is
issuing an EFP to the HLA under the
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for
Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific,
and regulations at 50 CFR 665.17. Under
the EFP, HLA will conduct a pilot test
of tori lines (bird scaring streamers) as
replacement seabird mitigation
measures to discourage seabird
interactions during setting in the Hawaii
shallow-set longline fishery. The
purpose of the experiment is to test new
ways to mitigate seabird interactions
that also increase operational flexibility
during setting. HLA will use one vessel
to test tori lines as an alternate seabird
mitigation measure to currently required
blue-dyed bait, strategic offal discharge,
and night setting measures (50 CFR
665.815(a)(2) & (4)).
On December 15, 2021, NMFS
published a notice of HLA’s EFP
jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:27 Mar 17, 2022
Jkt 256001
application and request for public
comments (86 FR 71234). NMFS
received comments from 2 individuals
and considered those comments before
making a final decision to issue the EFP.
One commenter expressed support for
any strategy or technology that reduces
interactions with seabirds. The other
expressed opposition to the EFP stating,
‘‘it will wipe out stocks and jeopardize
the [sic] continued existence of these
stocks . . . .’’ NMFS expects that
fishing under the EFP will have similar
environmental impacts on seabirds as
well as target fish species, non-target
fish species, and non-seabird protected
species as conventional shallow-set
longline fishing. The project is limited
in scale (only 3 vessels, setting a
combined total of 80 sets with no more
than one vessel operating at any given
time), proposes a minor change in
fishing operations that does not have the
potential to change the overall effects of
the fishery, and will be effective for no
longer than 18 months. All other
requirements would continue, including
seabird mitigation measures such as
strategic offal discharge during hauling
and safe handling practices.
In addition, gear configurations and
operations under the EFP would be
compliant with international seabird
mitigation requirements under the
Western and Central Pacific Fisheries
Commission and the Inter-American
Tropical Tuna Commission. More
information about the EFP may be found
in the December 15, 2021 notice, and in
HLA’s EFP application (see ADDRESSES).
The EFP is effective March 24, 2022,
through September 24, 2023, unless
revoked, suspended, or modified earlier.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 15, 2022.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022–05768 Filed 3–17–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XB873]
Endangered and Threatened Species;
Take of Anadromous Fish
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability and
request for comments; announcement of
public meeting.
AGENCY:
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
15383
The National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have
received separate incidental take permit
(ITP) applications from the Oregon
Department of Forestry (ODF),
associated with the Western Oregon
State Forests habitat conservation plan
(HCP). The HCP has been submitted
pursuant to the Endangered Species Act
of 1973, as amended (ESA). In
accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA), NMFS announces the
availability of a draft environmental
impact statement (Draft EIS). NMFS is
the lead Federal agency under NEPA,
and FWS is a cooperating agency. The
Draft EIS analyzes the potential effects
of issuance of the ITPs and approval of
the HCP. If granted, the ITPs would
authorize incidental take of the covered
species resulting from the covered
activities (see SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION), as well as take resulting
from activities carried out as part of the
HCP’s conservation strategy.
DATES: Written comments must be
received by May 17, 2022. Any
comments received after the closing
date may not be considered in the final
decision on these actions. NMFS will
host a virtual public meeting on April
6, 2022, from 1 to 3 p.m. Pacific Time.
Oral comments will be accepted at the
public meeting with advance
registration.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
in two ways:
Written Comments: Written comments
on the Draft EIS and HCP submitted
with the ITP applications will be
accepted via the Federal e-Rulemaking
Portal. Go to https://
www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA–
NMFS–2021–0019 in the Search Box.
Follow instructions for submitting
comments on Docket NOAA–NMFS–
2021–0019. Please specify in your
comments whether the comments
provided pertain to the Draft EIS or the
HCP. When commenting, please refer to
the specific section and/or page number
in the subject of your comment.
Instructions: Written comments 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 part of the
public record and will generally be
posted for public viewing on https://
www.regulations.gov. All personal
identifying information (e.g., name,
address), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive
information submitted voluntarily by
the sender will be publicly accessible.
NMFS will accept anonymous
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\18MRN1.SGM
18MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 53 (Friday, March 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 15383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05768]
[[Page 15383]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XB844]
Pacific Island Fisheries; Experimental Fishing Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS is issuing an experimental fishing permit (EFP) to the
Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) to evaluate the risk of seabird
interactions in the Hawaii shallow-set longline fishery when setting
fishing gear one hour before and one hour after local sunset and using
tori lines instead of required blue-dyed bait and strategic offal
discharge as seabird mitigation measures. The intent of the EFP is to
conduct a preliminary evaluation of potential alternative effective
methods of discouraging seabird interactions while providing
operational flexibility during setting in the shallow-set longline
fishery.
DATES: The EFP is authorized from March 24, 2022, through September 24,
2023.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the EFP, HLA's application, and supporting
documents are available at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2021-0128.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Cronin, Sustainable Fisheries,
NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office, tel (808) 725-5179.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is issuing an EFP to the HLA under the
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western
Pacific, and regulations at 50 CFR 665.17. Under the EFP, HLA will
conduct a pilot test of tori lines (bird scaring streamers) as
replacement seabird mitigation measures to discourage seabird
interactions during setting in the Hawaii shallow-set longline fishery.
The purpose of the experiment is to test new ways to mitigate seabird
interactions that also increase operational flexibility during setting.
HLA will use one vessel to test tori lines as an alternate seabird
mitigation measure to currently required blue-dyed bait, strategic
offal discharge, and night setting measures (50 CFR 665.815(a)(2) &
(4)).
On December 15, 2021, NMFS published a notice of HLA's EFP
application and request for public comments (86 FR 71234). NMFS
received comments from 2 individuals and considered those comments
before making a final decision to issue the EFP. One commenter
expressed support for any strategy or technology that reduces
interactions with seabirds. The other expressed opposition to the EFP
stating, ``it will wipe out stocks and jeopardize the [sic] continued
existence of these stocks . . . .'' NMFS expects that fishing under the
EFP will have similar environmental impacts on seabirds as well as
target fish species, non-target fish species, and non-seabird protected
species as conventional shallow-set longline fishing. The project is
limited in scale (only 3 vessels, setting a combined total of 80 sets
with no more than one vessel operating at any given time), proposes a
minor change in fishing operations that does not have the potential to
change the overall effects of the fishery, and will be effective for no
longer than 18 months. All other requirements would continue, including
seabird mitigation measures such as strategic offal discharge during
hauling and safe handling practices.
In addition, gear configurations and operations under the EFP would
be compliant with international seabird mitigation requirements under
the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the Inter-
American Tropical Tuna Commission. More information about the EFP may
be found in the December 15, 2021 notice, and in HLA's EFP application
(see ADDRESSES).
The EFP is effective March 24, 2022, through September 24, 2023,
unless revoked, suspended, or modified earlier.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 15, 2022.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-05768 Filed 3-17-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
