Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Request for Information on Research Priorities for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 45147-45148 [2023-14924]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 134 / Friday, July 14, 2023 / Notices
on the dates listed below that requests
for a permit or permit amendment had
been submitted by the below-named
applicants. To locate the Federal
Register notice that announced our
receipt of the application and a
complete description of the activities, go
to https://www.federalregister.gov and
45147
search on the permit number provided
in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1—ISSUED PERMIT AMENDMENTS
Permit No.
Applicant
Previous Federal Register
notice
Center for Whale Research, 355 Smuggler’s Cove
Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 (Responsible Party:
Michael Weiss, Ph.D.).
NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725
Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA 98112 (Responsible Party: M. Bradley Hanson, Ph.D.).
NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water
Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (Responsible Party:
Jon Hare, Ph.D.).
83 FR 34116, July 19, 2018 .......
June 7, 2023.
83 FR 34116, July 19, 2018 .......
June 7, 2023.
83 FR 34116, July 19, 2018 .......
June 7, 2023.
RTID
21238–01 .......
0648–XG028
21348–01 .......
0648–XG027
21371–01 .......
0648–XF968
In compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final
determination has been made that the
activities proposed are categorically
excluded from the requirement to
prepare an environmental assessment or
environmental impact statement.
As required by the ESA, as applicable,
issuance of these permit amendments
was based on a finding that such
permits: (1) were applied for in good
faith; (2) will not operate to the
disadvantage of such endangered
species; and (3) are consistent with the
purposes and policies set forth in
Section 2 of the ESA.
Authority: The requested permits
have been issued under the MMPA of
1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et
seq.), the regulations governing the
taking and importing of marine
mammals (50 CFR part 216), the ESA of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.), and the regulations governing the
taking, importing, and exporting of
endangered and threatened species (50
CFR parts 222–226), as applicable.
Dated: July 10, 2023.
Julia M. Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–14918 Filed 7–13–23; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD152]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone off Alaska; Request for
Information on Research Priorities for
the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notification; request for
information.
AGENCY:
The North Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) is
requesting information from the public
on research priorities for the fisheries of
the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska
for its triennial review. The Council
develops research priorities for
fisheries, habitats, and other areas
necessary for management purposes and
reviews those priorities every 3 years.
This notice invites the public to submit
written comments on the topic generally
and in response to specific questions
outlined below.
DATES: Comments must be received via
the Council’s eAgenda meeting portal by
5 p.m. AKT on October 31, 2023 (see
ADDRESSES for website URL).
ADDRESSES: Please submit written
comments to the Council’s eAgenda
meeting portal at ‘‘Request for
Information: Research Priorities
Triennial Review’’, https://
meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/
2998, using either the ‘‘Comment Now’’
function on the eAgenda page or by
using the comment form, https://
forms.gle/PPfkFPQ1JCXJrRSN9, by the
October 31, 2023, deadline.
SUMMARY:
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Issuance date
Council address: North Pacific
Fishery Management Council, 1007 W
3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501–2252;
telephone: (907) 271–2809.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nicole Watson, nicole.watson@noaa.gov
or by telephone (907) 271–2809.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
(MSA) requires that regional fishery
management councils develop ‘‘multiyear research priorities for fisheries,
fisheries interactions, habitats, and
other areas of research that are
necessary for management purposes’’
(16 U.S.C. 1852(h)(7)). This includes
research to support fishery management
plans and associated regulations for
fisheries requiring conservation and
management to prevent overfishing,
rebuild depleted fish stocks, and ensure
sustainable fishing practices. Research
priorities should be established and
updated as necessary. The Council
reviews its research priorities every 3
years, and the next triennial review of
research priorities is tentatively
scheduled for April 2024.
The MSA identifies the intended
audience for Council research priorities
as the Secretary of Commerce and, the
Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC),
‘‘for their consideration in developing
research priorities and budgets’’ for
Alaska. In past years, Council research
priorities were provided to the Secretary
of Commerce, the AFSC, as well as
research and funding entities including
universities, research boards, and other
management agencies in the region.
Additional entities that intersect with
the Council management
responsibilities may also be included as
participation in the development of
these research priorities broadens.
E:\FR\FM\14JYN1.SGM
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45148
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 134 / Friday, July 14, 2023 / Notices
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
In the past, new research priorities
were developed and reviewed by the
Council’s four stock assessment plan
teams, the Scientific and Statistical
Committee (SSC), and ultimately the
Council, with public input provided at
those plan team, SSC, and Council
meetings. Going forward, the Council
would like receive input and
suggestions from the public early in the
process of developing new research
priorities and is now soliciting input
from the public through this request for
information (RFI).
Opportunities for the public to
suggest research priorities will occur
through October 31, 2023, using either
the online submission form or the
‘‘Comment Now’’ option available on
the Council’s eAgenda meeting portal at
‘‘Request for Information: Research
Priorities Triennial Review.’’ Initial
reviews of the submissions will begin in
early November 2023 and are expected
to continue through early 2024. The
document, ‘‘Proposed Process for
Development of NPFMC Research
Priorities,’’ https://meetings.npfmc.org/
CommentReview/
DownloadFile?p=fb8df4b1-60d4-47e8afbf-cf20690b1d93.pdf
&fileName=Research%20
Priorities%20Process.pdf, includes
additional information regarding the
process for research priority
development.
The most recent Council research
priorities from the April 2021 Research
Priorities Triennial Review can be found
here: https://tinyurl.com/April-2021Research-Priorities.
Council research priority terms and
category definitions (critical ongoing
monitoring, urgent, important, or
strategic) can be found here: https://
tinyurl.com/terms-and-categorydefinitions.
Request for Information
The scope of public comments is not
limited, but questions that may be
considered include:
1. Description of suggested research
priority for the Council to consider;
2. Description of the fisheries
management concern addressed by the
suggested research priority;
3. Category of the suggested research
priority: critical ongoing monitoring,
urgent, important, or strategic;
4. General subject area of suggested
research priority: Bering Sea groundfish;
Gulf of Alaska groundfish; crab; scallop;
halibut; ecosystem related; habitat; local
knowledge, traditional knowledge,
subsistence; marine birds; marine
mammals; bycatch; electronic
monitoring; management or policy; or
other;
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5. Geographical (ecosystem) area that
best fits suggested research priority:
Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Gulf of
Alaska, or Arctic; and,
6. Approximate timeline of the
suggested research priority.
All new research priority
recommendations must be submitted by
October 31, 2023, to be considered
during this upcoming triennial review.
In addition to submitting research
priority ideas as part of this request for
information, the public will have the
opportunity to provide comments to
subject area Plan Teams and a subgroup
of the Council’s SSC. These advisory
bodies will meet, tentatively between
November 2023 and January 2024, to
provide the SSC input on prioritizing
specific research needs. Additional
opportunities to provide comment on
prioritization will occur at the February
2024 SSC meeting and at the April 2024
SSC and Council meetings; however, no
new research priority submissions will
be accepted during the Plan Team, SSC,
and Council meetings. During the April
2024 SSC meeting, a priority list
combined across subject areas,
consisting of 8 to 12 research priorities,
will be developed to present to the
Council for the Council’s consideration.
Once the review is final, the Council
will submit its research priorities to the
Secretary of Commerce (NOAA) and the
AFSC for their consideration in
developing research priorities and
budgets for the Alaska Region (16 U.S.C.
1852(h)(7)(C)).
Public Comment
Responses to this request are
voluntary. Respondents need not reply
to all questions. All responses are part
of the public record and will be posted
on a public website. Therefore,
confidential business information,
copyrighted information, or personally
identifiable information (e.g., name,
address) should not be submitted in
response to this request. NOAA and the
Council will not pay for any information
or administrative costs that you may
incur in responding to this RFI, or for
the use of any information contained in
the response. The documents and
information submitted in response to
this RFI become the property of the U.S.
Government and will not be returned.
Dated: July 10, 2023.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–14924 Filed 7–13–23; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Finding of No Significant Impact and
Final Environmental Assessment for
the Funding, Procurement, and
Operation of NOAA Small Uncrewed
Aircraft Systems
Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research (OAR), National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of
Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of issuance and
availability.
AGENCY:
NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems
Research Transition Office (UxSRTO) in
OAR announces the issuance and
availability of a finding of no significant
impact (FONSI) and a Final
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the
Funding, Procurement, and Operation of
NOAA Small Uncrewed Aircraft
Systems (UAS). The environmental
review process led us to conclude that
the proposed action will not have a
significant effect on the human
environment. Therefore, an
environmental impact statement will
not be prepared.
ADDRESSES: The Final EA and FONSI
are available online at https://
orta.research.noaa.gov/wp-content/
uploads/2023/06/PEA-for-NOAA-SmallUAS-and-FONSI-Signed-May-2023.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bryan Cole, Director, NOAA Uncrewed
Systems Research Transition Office
Email: bryan.cole@noaa.gov or (831)
601–2107.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A draft of
the EA was published in the Federal
Register (88 FR 9872) for a 30-day
comment period, from February 15,
2023 to March 17, 2023. No comments
were received. The proposed action
analyzed in the EA is the funding,
procurement, and operation of small
UAS platforms in any environment for
which NOAA has a mission and
potential need for UAS resources to
help meet related mission objectives.
For purposes of the assessment, the
use of the term ‘‘small UAS’’ follows
suit with the Federal Aviation
Administration’s (FAA) definition of
‘‘small unmanned aircraft’’ (14 CFR
107.3), which weigh ‘‘less than 55
pounds on takeoff, including everything
that is on board or otherwise attached to
the aircraft’’. The geographic scope of
the action area includes the airspace
ranging from just above the surface (for
launch and recovery), extending upward
to an operational altitude of
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45147-45148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14924]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD152]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Request for
Information on Research Priorities for the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification; request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is
requesting information from the public on research priorities for the
fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska for its triennial
review. The Council develops research priorities for fisheries,
habitats, and other areas necessary for management purposes and reviews
those priorities every 3 years. This notice invites the public to
submit written comments on the topic generally and in response to
specific questions outlined below.
DATES: Comments must be received via the Council's eAgenda meeting
portal by 5 p.m. AKT on October 31, 2023 (see ADDRESSES for website
URL).
ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments to the Council's eAgenda
meeting portal at ``Request for Information: Research Priorities
Triennial Review'', https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/2998,
using either the ``Comment Now'' function on the eAgenda page or by
using the comment form, https://forms.gle/PPfkFPQ1JCXJrRSN9, by the
October 31, 2023, deadline.
Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1007 W
3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252; telephone: (907) 271-2809.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Watson, [email protected]
or by telephone (907) 271-2809.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA)
requires that regional fishery management councils develop ``multi-year
research priorities for fisheries, fisheries interactions, habitats,
and other areas of research that are necessary for management
purposes'' (16 U.S.C. 1852(h)(7)). This includes research to support
fishery management plans and associated regulations for fisheries
requiring conservation and management to prevent overfishing, rebuild
depleted fish stocks, and ensure sustainable fishing practices.
Research priorities should be established and updated as necessary. The
Council reviews its research priorities every 3 years, and the next
triennial review of research priorities is tentatively scheduled for
April 2024.
The MSA identifies the intended audience for Council research
priorities as the Secretary of Commerce and, the Alaska Fisheries
Science Center (AFSC), ``for their consideration in developing research
priorities and budgets'' for Alaska. In past years, Council research
priorities were provided to the Secretary of Commerce, the AFSC, as
well as research and funding entities including universities, research
boards, and other management agencies in the region. Additional
entities that intersect with the Council management responsibilities
may also be included as participation in the development of these
research priorities broadens.
[[Page 45148]]
In the past, new research priorities were developed and reviewed by
the Council's four stock assessment plan teams, the Scientific and
Statistical Committee (SSC), and ultimately the Council, with public
input provided at those plan team, SSC, and Council meetings. Going
forward, the Council would like receive input and suggestions from the
public early in the process of developing new research priorities and
is now soliciting input from the public through this request for
information (RFI).
Opportunities for the public to suggest research priorities will
occur through October 31, 2023, using either the online submission form
or the ``Comment Now'' option available on the Council's eAgenda
meeting portal at ``Request for Information: Research Priorities
Triennial Review.'' Initial reviews of the submissions will begin in
early November 2023 and are expected to continue through early 2024.
The document, ``Proposed Process for Development of NPFMC Research
Priorities,'' https://meetings.npfmc.org/CommentReview/DownloadFile?p=fb8df4b1-60d4-47e8-afbf-cf20690b1d93.pdf&fileName=Research%20Priorities%20Process.pdf, includes
additional information regarding the process for research priority
development.
The most recent Council research priorities from the April 2021
Research Priorities Triennial Review can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/April-2021-Research-Priorities.
Council research priority terms and category definitions (critical
ongoing monitoring, urgent, important, or strategic) can be found here:
https://tinyurl.com/terms-and-category-definitions.
Request for Information
The scope of public comments is not limited, but questions that may
be considered include:
1. Description of suggested research priority for the Council to
consider;
2. Description of the fisheries management concern addressed by the
suggested research priority;
3. Category of the suggested research priority: critical ongoing
monitoring, urgent, important, or strategic;
4. General subject area of suggested research priority: Bering Sea
groundfish; Gulf of Alaska groundfish; crab; scallop; halibut;
ecosystem related; habitat; local knowledge, traditional knowledge,
subsistence; marine birds; marine mammals; bycatch; electronic
monitoring; management or policy; or other;
5. Geographical (ecosystem) area that best fits suggested research
priority: Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, or Arctic; and,
6. Approximate timeline of the suggested research priority.
All new research priority recommendations must be submitted by
October 31, 2023, to be considered during this upcoming triennial
review. In addition to submitting research priority ideas as part of
this request for information, the public will have the opportunity to
provide comments to subject area Plan Teams and a subgroup of the
Council's SSC. These advisory bodies will meet, tentatively between
November 2023 and January 2024, to provide the SSC input on
prioritizing specific research needs. Additional opportunities to
provide comment on prioritization will occur at the February 2024 SSC
meeting and at the April 2024 SSC and Council meetings; however, no new
research priority submissions will be accepted during the Plan Team,
SSC, and Council meetings. During the April 2024 SSC meeting, a
priority list combined across subject areas, consisting of 8 to 12
research priorities, will be developed to present to the Council for
the Council's consideration. Once the review is final, the Council will
submit its research priorities to the Secretary of Commerce (NOAA) and
the AFSC for their consideration in developing research priorities and
budgets for the Alaska Region (16 U.S.C. 1852(h)(7)(C)).
Public Comment
Responses to this request are voluntary. Respondents need not reply
to all questions. All responses are part of the public record and will
be posted on a public website. Therefore, confidential business
information, copyrighted information, or personally identifiable
information (e.g., name, address) should not be submitted in response
to this request. NOAA and the Council will not pay for any information
or administrative costs that you may incur in responding to this RFI,
or for the use of any information contained in the response. The
documents and information submitted in response to this RFI become the
property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned.
Dated: July 10, 2023.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-14924 Filed 7-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
