Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Fisheries Research, 12662-12663 [2023-04103]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 28, 2023 / Notices
—Adoption of Agenda
9:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m.
—OEAP Chairperson’s Report
—Updates:
—Meetings and Webinars Attended:
NOAA Caribbean, MREP, EBFM
NOAA webinar, Descending
devices outreach webinar, CFMC
Meeting
—Calendar 2024
—Recipe Book
—Illustrated Booklet on Climate
Change and U.S. Caribbean
Fisheries
—MREP update
—DAP Workshop in St. Thomas/St.
John, U.S.V.I. on IBFMP
10:15 a.m.–10:20 a.m.
—Short Break
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for
Letter of Authorization; request for
comments and information.
AGENCY:
1 p.m.–5 p.m.
—OEAP Recommendation of Outreach
Strategies on IBFMPs for Puerto
Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, and St.
Croix, U.S.V.I.
—Liaisons Recommendations
—Liaisons Reports:
—Wilson Santiago—Puerto Rico
—Nicole Greaux/St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
—Mavel Maldonado/St. Croix,
U.S.V.I.
—CFMC Facebook, Instagram and
YouTube Communications with
Stakeholders
—Other Business
The order of business may be adjusted
as necessary to accommodate the
completion of agenda items. The
meeting will begin on March 22, 2023,
at 9:30 a.m., and will end on March 22,
2023, at 5 p.m. AST. Other than the start
time, interested parties should be aware
that discussions may start earlier or later
than indicated, at the discretion of the
Chair. In addition, the meeting may be
completed prior to the date established
in this notice.
Special Accommodations
For any additional information on this
public virtual meeting, please contact
Jkt 259001
NMFS’ Office of Protected
Resources (OPR) has received a request
from the NMFS Northwest Fisheries
Science Center (NWFSC) for
authorization to take small numbers of
marine mammals incidental to
conducting fisheries research, over the
course of 5 years from the date of
issuance. Pursuant to regulations
implementing the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA), OPR is
announcing receipt of the NWFSC’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
NWFSC’s application and request.
DATES: Comments and information must
be received no later than March 30,
2023.
SUMMARY:
12 p.m.–1 p.m.
—Lunch
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES
[FR Doc. 2023–04089 Filed 2–27–23; 8:45 am]
Taking and Importing Marine
Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to Fisheries Research
11 a.m.–12 p.m.
—Update of the Island-Based Fishery
Management Plans
—Fact Sheets on IBFMP
18:37 Feb 27, 2023
Dated: February 23, 2023.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[RTID 0648–XC797]
10:20 a.m.–11 a.m.
—Update on Status of the Fishery
Ecosystem Plan (FEP)—Liajay
Rivera
—Outreach Materials on MPAs in
Puerto Rico—Vilmarie Roma´n
—UPR Sea Grant Activities on
Consumption of Underutilized
Species—Jannette Ramos
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Diana Martino, Caribbean Fishery
Management Council, 270 Mun˜oz
Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, San Juan,
Puerto Rico, 00918–1903, telephone:
(787) 226–8849.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
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
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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
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
E:\FR\FM\28FEN1.SGM
28FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 28, 2023 / Notices
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring
and reporting of the takings are set forth.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES
Summary of Request
On August 3, 2022, we received an
application from NWFSC requesting
authorization for take of marine
mammals incidental to fisheries
research conducted by NWFSC. The
requested regulations would be valid for
5 years, from August 29, 2023, through
August 28, 2028. The NWFSC plans to
NWFSC plans to continue fisheries and
ecosystem research in three defined
research areas including the California
Current Research Area, the Puget Sound
Research Area, and the Lower Columbia
River Research Area, defined as the
estuarine and tidally influenced waters
of the lower Columbia River below the
Bonneville Dam. It is possible that
marine mammals may interact with
fishing gear (e.g., trawl nets, longlines)
used in NWFSC’s research, resulting in
injury, serious injury, or mortality.
Because the specified activities have the
potential to take marine mammals
present within these action areas,
NWFSC 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 NWFSC, following regulations
in place from 2018–2023. NWFSC has
complied with all requirements of the
previously issued Letters of
Authorization and has not exceeded the
authorized take numbers. Monitoring
reports submitted by NWFSC are
available online at: https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/
incidental-take-authorization-noaafisheries-nwfsc-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 finfish 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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:37 Feb 27, 2023
Jkt 259001
monitoring fish stock recruitment,
abundance, survival and biological
rates, geographic distribution of species
and stocks, ecosystem process changes,
and marine ecological research. The
NWFSC is the research arm of NMFS in
the Northwest Region. The NWFSC
conducts research and provides
scientific advice to manage fisheries and
conserve protected species in three
aforementioned geographic research
areas. The NWFSC provides scientific
information to support the Pacific
Fishery Management Council and
numerous other domestic and
international fisheries management
organizations.
The NWFSC collects a wide array of
information necessary to evaluate the
status of exploited fishery resources and
the marine environment. NWFSC
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
NWFSC 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
NWFSC, only pelagic trawl, hook and
line gear (including longline gears), and
seine nets are likely to interact with
marine mammals.
Information Solicited
Interested persons may submit
information, suggestions, and comments
concerning the NWFSC’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 NWFSC, if
appropriate.
Dated: February 23, 2023.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–04103 Filed 2–27–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING
COMMISSION
Request for Nominations for the Global
Market Structure Subcommittee,
Digital Asset Markets Subcommittee,
and Technical Issues Subcommittee
Under the Global Markets Advisory
Committee
Commodity Futures Trading
Commission.
AGENCY:
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
ACTION:
12663
Notice.
The Commodity Futures
Trading Commission (CFTC or
Commission) is requesting nominations
for membership on the Global Market
Structure Subcommittee, the Digital
Asset Markets Subcommittee, and/or the
Technical Issues Subcommittee
(together, Subcommittees) under the
Global Markets Advisory Committee
(GMAC). The GMAC is a discretionary
advisory committee established by the
Commission in accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act.
DATES: The deadline for the submission
of nominations is March 14, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Nominations should be
emailed to GMAC_Submissions@
cftc.gov or sent by hand delivery or
courier to Gates S. Hurand, GMAC
Designated Federal Officer and Chief
Counsel to Commissioner Caroline D.
Pham, Commodity Futures Trading
Commission, Three Lafayette Centre,
1155 21st Street NW, Washington, DC
20581. Please use the title ‘‘GMAC
Global Market Structure
Subcommittee,’’ ‘‘GMAC Digital Asset
Markets Subcommittee,’’ and/or ‘‘the
GMAC Technical Issues
Subcommittee,’’ as appropriate, for any
nominations you submit.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gates S. Hurand, GMAC Designated
Federal Officer and Chief Counsel to
Commissioner Caroline D. Pham at (202)
418–5000 or email: GMAC_
submissions@cftc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
purpose of the proposed Subcommittees
would be to provide report(s) and/or
recommendations to the GMAC that will
identify and examine key issues that
affect the integrity and competitiveness
of U.S. markets and U.S. firms engaged
in global business, including the
regulatory challenges of a global
marketplace that reflects the increasing
interconnectedness of markets and the
multinational nature of business,
including for derivatives markets; and to
assess and inform international
standards through engagement with
international policymakers and
authorities in other jurisdictions, with a
focus on global market structure, digital
asset markets, and technical issues,
respectively. The GMAC, in turn, would
consider and discuss the report(s) and/
or recommendations of each
Subcommittee. Topics and issues the
Subcommittees may consider include,
but are not limited to, the following:
• Global Market Structure
Subcommittee. Identifying and
assessing key issues and policy
proposals with an impact on global
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\28FEN1.SGM
28FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12662-12663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04103]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XC797]
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to Fisheries Research
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for Letter of Authorization;
request for comments and information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS' Office of Protected Resources (OPR) has received a
request from the NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) for
authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to
conducting fisheries research, over the course of 5 years from the date
of issuance. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA), OPR is announcing receipt of the NWFSC'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 NWFSC's application and
request.
DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than March
30, 2023.
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
[[Page 12663]]
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring and reporting of the takings
are set forth.
Summary of Request
On August 3, 2022, we received an application from NWFSC requesting
authorization for take of marine mammals incidental to fisheries
research conducted by NWFSC. The requested regulations would be valid
for 5 years, from August 29, 2023, through August 28, 2028. The NWFSC
plans to NWFSC plans to continue fisheries and ecosystem research in
three defined research areas including the California Current Research
Area, the Puget Sound Research Area, and the Lower Columbia River
Research Area, defined as the estuarine and tidally influenced waters
of the lower Columbia River below the Bonneville Dam. It is possible
that marine mammals may interact with fishing gear (e.g., trawl nets,
longlines) used in NWFSC's research, resulting in injury, serious
injury, or mortality. Because the specified activities have the
potential to take marine mammals present within these action areas,
NWFSC 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 NWFSC, following regulations in place from 2018-
2023. NWFSC has complied with all requirements of the previously issued
Letters of Authorization and has not exceeded the authorized take
numbers. Monitoring reports submitted by NWFSC are available online at:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/incidental-take-authorization-noaa-fisheries-nwfsc-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 finfish 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 NWFSC is
the research arm of NMFS in the Northwest Region. The NWFSC conducts
research and provides scientific advice to manage fisheries and
conserve protected species in three aforementioned geographic research
areas. The NWFSC provides scientific information to support the Pacific
Fishery Management Council and numerous other domestic and
international fisheries management organizations.
The NWFSC collects a wide array of information necessary to
evaluate the status of exploited fishery resources and the marine
environment. NWFSC 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 NWFSC
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 NWFSC, only
pelagic trawl, hook and line gear (including longline gears), and seine
nets are likely to interact with marine mammals.
Information Solicited
Interested persons may submit information, suggestions, and
comments concerning the NWFSC'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 NWFSC, if appropriate.
Dated: February 23, 2023.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-04103 Filed 2-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
