Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit, 79526-79528 [2024-22248]

Download as PDF ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 79526 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 189 / Monday, September 30, 2024 / Notices 6, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time and Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time. DATES: The ISPAB will meet on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time and Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held virtually via webinar. Please note participation instructions under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Brewer, ISPAB Designated Federal Official, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Telephone (301) 975– 2489. Mr. Brewer’s email address is jeffrey.brewer@nist.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authority: The ISPAB was established to function solely as an advisory body, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. The Board reports to the Director of NIST, and reports annually to the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of the National Security Agency, and appropriate committees of Congress. The Board is authorized under 15 U.S.C. 278g–4 and tasked with identifying emerging managerial, technical, administrative, and physical safeguard issues relative to information security and privacy. Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq., notice is hereby given that the ISPAB will hold an open meeting on the date and time in the DATES section and will be open to the public. Primary purpose of this meeting is to discuss and deliberate potential recommendations. 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To register and receive detailed instruction on how to join the meeting, please submit your first and last name, email address, and company name via the registration link at https://csrc.nist.gov/ Events/2024/ispab-november-2024meeting, by 5 p.m. Eastern Time, November 5, 2024. Alicia Chambers, NIST Executive Secretariat. [FR Doc. 2024–22401 Filed 9–27–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–13–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RTID 0648–XE287] Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for exempted fishing permit. AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 This notice announces NMFS’ receipt of an application and the public comment period for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Trident Seafoods. If issued, this permit would allow the applicant to develop and test modifications to the footrope of pelagic trawl gear. The purpose and goal of this EFP, if issued, would be to exempt participating vessels from complying with the regulation defining the footrope for pelagic trawl gear. Field testing would be conducted between January 20, 2025 and December 31, 2027, and the EFP would expire at the end of that period. This experiment would test trawl gear design that aims to minimize seafloor contact by the footrope when targeting pollock that are on or near the seafloor and thus promote the objective of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) to protecting habitat that fish need to spawn, breed, feed, and grow to maturity. DATES: Comments on this EFP application must be submitted to NMFS on or before October 15, 2024. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will consider the application at its meeting from September 30, 2024 through October 8, 2024. ADDRESSES: The Council meeting will be held virtually and in person in Anchorage, AK. The agenda for the Council meeting is available at https:// www.npfmc.org. In addition to submitting public comments during the Council meeting through the Council website, you may submit your comments, identified by NOAA–NMFS– 2024–0106, by either of the following methods: • Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and enter [NOAA–NMFS–2024–0106] in the Search box (note: copying and pasting the FDMS Docket Number directly from this document may not yield search results). Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. • Mail: Submit written comments to Gretchen Harrington, Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: Records Office. Mail comments to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. • 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 SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 189 / Monday, September 30, 2024 / Notices and will generally be posted for public viewing on https://www.regulations.gov without change. 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 comments (enter ‘‘N/ A’’ in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). Electronic copies of the EFP application and the basis for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act are available from https://www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS Alaska Region website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ region/alaska. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maggie Chan, 907–586–7228. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fisheries in the exclusive economic zone of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) under the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the BSAI Management Area (BSAI FMP). The Council prepared the BSAI FMP under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Regulations governing the BSAI groundfish fisheries appear at 50 CFR parts 600 and 679. The FMP and the EFP-implementing regulations at § 600.745(b) and § 679.6 allow the NMFS Regional Administrator to authorize, for limited experimental purposes, fishing that would otherwise be prohibited. Procedures for issuing EFPs are contained in the implementing regulations. ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 Background and Need for Exempted Fishing Permit As described further below, NMFS has regulatory definitions for a pelagic trawl that specify the allowable numbers of fishing line, footrope, and weighted lines. This regulatory definition limits the ability to test trawl gear redesigns on the footrope and weighted lines. In 2023, Trident Seafoods began a pilot project aimed at designing modified footrope concepts after consulting with NMFS. This pilot project occurred during the 2023 pollock fishery and underscored the need to expand the pilot project into an EFP. This EFP would help facilitate innovation to reduce impacts to the environment from pelagic trawl fishing and provide transparency in the development of new gear designs. This EFP would build on the 2023 pilot project by expanding testing modified footrope designs during commercial VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:51 Sep 27, 2024 Jkt 262001 fishing operations. The primary gear modification involves altering the length and orientation of the existing footrope components in a way that maintains sufficient weight to ensure the proper opening (i.e., shape) of the net, while also resulting in less bottom contact. The re-design of the gear results in having more than two weighted lines, but, due to the design of the modified footrope, results in less total bottom contact. The EFP would assess changes to bottom contact and catch (composition and efficiency), gear performance, and fishing operations and safety. This requested EFP would temporarily exempt fishers from the regulation at § 679.2 ‘‘Authorized fishing gear’’, paragraph (14)(vii) that states pelagic trawl gear ‘‘Has no more than one fishing line and one footrope for a total of no more than two weighted lines on the bottom of the trawl between the wing tip and the fishing circle.’’ If approved, this EFP would allow testing of trawl gear design concepts that aim to minimize seafloor contact by the trawl gear when targeting pollock that are on or near the seafloor. The EFP would expire on December 31, 2027. Exempted Fishing Permit On September 6, 2024, Dr. Noëlle Yochum and Shannon Carroll of Trident Seafoods submitted an application for an EFP to develop and test modifications to the footrope of pelagic trawl gear. The purpose and goal of this proposed EFP is to assess changes to gear performance, catch composition, fishing operations, safety, and costs. Vessel operators participating in this project would include trawl vessels that deliver catch to shoreside plants or motherships. All vessels will be equipped for pollock fishing in Alaska and will use pelagic pollock trawls. Gear and fishing operations will be conducted in compliance with current management regulations with the exception of the modifications exempted under the EFP. Vessel operators would continue to adhere to required monitoring and fishery observer requirements. Vessel operators fishing under the EFP will be responsible for providing information to the EFP applicant about gear performance and use, including areas fished and catch information. Fishing under this EFP will not be conducted within any protected or restricted areas that are otherwise closed to pollock fishing under the American Fisheries Act and Community Development Quota programs under current regulations. This project aims to minimize seafloor contact by the trawl PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 79527 gear when targeting pollock that are on or near the seafloor. Exemptions One exemption is necessary to conduct this project. An exemption would be necessary from the regulation at § 679.2 ‘‘Authorized fishing gear’’, paragraph (14)(vii) that states pelagic trawl gear ‘‘Has no more than one fishing line and one footrope for a total of no more than two weighted lines on the bottom of the trawl between the wing tip and the fishing circle.’’ Permit Conditions, Review, and Effects If issued, the exempted fishing permit would contain several conditions. Among them, the applicant would be required to submit to NMFS an annual report that includes a summary of the vessels participating, any problems and successes, and how well EFP objectives were accomplished. Within 6 months of the end of EFP fishing, a final report would be submitted to NMFS that updates the interim reports and describes how well EFP objectives were accomplished. The Alaska Fisheries Science Center found no concern with the objectives, scope, or methods described in the EFP. The activities that would be conducted under this EFP involve the development and testing of new and modified trawl fishing gear and technology in order to reduce adverse effects from trawl fishing gear on nontarget species, and is limited in size, magnitude, and duration with no potential for significant individual or cumulative impacts, as detailed in the draft categorical exclusion for this action (see ADDRESSES). In accordance with §§ 679.6 and 600.745, NMFS has determined that the application warrants further consideration and has forwarded the application to the Council to initiate consultation. The Council is scheduled to consider the EFP application during its October 2024 meeting, which will be held in person in Anchorage, AK with an option to participate virtually. The applicant has been invited to speak in support of the application. Public Comments Interested persons may comment on the application during the October 2024 Council meeting during public testimony or the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES) until October 15, 2024, when the comment period ends. Information regarding the meeting is available at the Council’s website at https://www.npfmc.org. Copies of the application and categorical exclusion are available for review from NMFS (see ADDRESSES). Comments may also be E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1 79528 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 189 / Monday, September 30, 2024 / Notices submitted directly to NMFS (see ADDRESSES) by the end of the comment period (see DATES). Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: September 24, 2024. Karen H. Abrams, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2024–22248 Filed 9–27–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Conflict of Interest Disclosure for Non-Federal Government Individuals Who Are Candidates To Conduct Peer Reviews Required by the OMB Peer Review Bulletin The Department of Commerce will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on July 26, 2024, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce. Title: Conflict of Interest Disclosure for Non-Federal Government Individuals Who are Candidates to Conduct Peer Reviews Required by the OMB Peer Review Bulletin. OMB Control Number: 0648–0567. Form Number(s): None. Type of Request: Regular submission [extension of a current information collection]. Number of Respondents: 321. Average Hours per Response: 30 minutes each: Conflict of Interest Disclosure For General Scientific and Technical Studies and Assistance; and Conflict of Interest Disclosure For Studies Related to Government Regulation. Total Annual Burden Hours: 161. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:51 Sep 27, 2024 Jkt 262001 Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a currently approved collection. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued government-wide guidance to enhance the practice of peer review of government science documents. OMB’s Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review (‘‘Peer Review Bulletin’’ or PRB) (available at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ omb/memoranda_fy2005_m05-03/) establishes minimum peer review standards for influential scientific information that Federal agencies intend to disseminate. 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One form is for peer reviewers of studies related to government regulation and the other form is for all other influential scientific information subject to the Peer Review Bulletin. In addition, the latter form has been adapted by NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research for potential reviewers of scientific laboratories. The forms include questions about employment as well as investment and property interests and research funding. Both forms also require the submission of curriculum vitae. NOAA is seeking to collect this information from potential peer reviewers who are not government employees when conducting a peer review pursuant to the PRB. The information collected in the conflict of interest disclosure is essential to NOAA’s compliance with the OMB PRB, and helps to ensure that government studies are reviewed by independent, impartial peer reviewers. Affected Public: Individuals or households. Frequency: On occasion. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. This information collection request may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Follow the instructions to view the Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/ public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or by using the search function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB Control Number 0648–0567. Sheleen Dumas, Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, Commerce Department. [FR Doc. 2024–22366 Filed 9–27–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–12–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Submission of Conservation Efforts To Make Listings Unnecessary Under the Endangered Species Act National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment. AGENCY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. 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Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 189 (Monday, September 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79526-79528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22248]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XE287]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Application 
for an Exempted Fishing Permit

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for exempted fishing permit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces NMFS' receipt of an application and the 
public comment period for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Trident 
Seafoods. If issued, this permit would allow the applicant to develop 
and test modifications to the footrope of pelagic trawl gear. The 
purpose and goal of this EFP, if issued, would be to exempt 
participating vessels from complying with the regulation defining the 
footrope for pelagic trawl gear. Field testing would be conducted 
between January 20, 2025 and December 31, 2027, and the EFP would 
expire at the end of that period. This experiment would test trawl gear 
design that aims to minimize seafloor contact by the footrope when 
targeting pollock that are on or near the seafloor and thus promote the 
objective of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) to protecting habitat that fish need to 
spawn, breed, feed, and grow to maturity.

DATES: Comments on this EFP application must be submitted to NMFS on or 
before October 15, 2024. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) will consider the application at its meeting from September 
30, 2024 through October 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES: The Council meeting will be held virtually and in person in 
Anchorage, AK. The agenda for the Council meeting is available at 
https://www.npfmc.org. In addition to submitting public comments during 
the Council meeting through the Council website, you may submit your 
comments, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2024-0106, by either of the following 
methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and enter [NOAA-NMFS-2024-0106] in the Search box 
(note: copying and pasting the FDMS Docket Number directly from this 
document may not yield search results). Click on the ``Comment'' icon, 
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Gretchen Harrington, 
Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 
Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: Records Office. Mail comments to P.O. Box 
21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
     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

[[Page 79527]]

and will generally be posted for public viewing on https://www.regulations.gov without change. 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 comments (enter 
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
    Electronic copies of the EFP application and the basis for a 
categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act are 
available from https://www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS Alaska 
Region website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maggie Chan, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fisheries in the 
exclusive economic zone of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) 
under the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the BSAI 
Management Area (BSAI FMP). The Council prepared the BSAI FMP under the 
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Regulations governing the BSAI groundfish 
fisheries appear at 50 CFR parts 600 and 679. The FMP and the EFP-
implementing regulations at Sec.  600.745(b) and Sec.  679.6 allow the 
NMFS Regional Administrator to authorize, for limited experimental 
purposes, fishing that would otherwise be prohibited. Procedures for 
issuing EFPs are contained in the implementing regulations.

Background and Need for Exempted Fishing Permit

    As described further below, NMFS has regulatory definitions for a 
pelagic trawl that specify the allowable numbers of fishing line, 
footrope, and weighted lines. This regulatory definition limits the 
ability to test trawl gear redesigns on the footrope and weighted 
lines.
    In 2023, Trident Seafoods began a pilot project aimed at designing 
modified footrope concepts after consulting with NMFS. This pilot 
project occurred during the 2023 pollock fishery and underscored the 
need to expand the pilot project into an EFP. This EFP would help 
facilitate innovation to reduce impacts to the environment from pelagic 
trawl fishing and provide transparency in the development of new gear 
designs. This EFP would build on the 2023 pilot project by expanding 
testing modified footrope designs during commercial fishing operations. 
The primary gear modification involves altering the length and 
orientation of the existing footrope components in a way that maintains 
sufficient weight to ensure the proper opening (i.e., shape) of the 
net, while also resulting in less bottom contact. The re-design of the 
gear results in having more than two weighted lines, but, due to the 
design of the modified footrope, results in less total bottom contact. 
The EFP would assess changes to bottom contact and catch (composition 
and efficiency), gear performance, and fishing operations and safety.
    This requested EFP would temporarily exempt fishers from the 
regulation at Sec.  679.2 ``Authorized fishing gear'', paragraph 
(14)(vii) that states pelagic trawl gear ``Has no more than one fishing 
line and one footrope for a total of no more than two weighted lines on 
the bottom of the trawl between the wing tip and the fishing circle.'' 
If approved, this EFP would allow testing of trawl gear design concepts 
that aim to minimize seafloor contact by the trawl gear when targeting 
pollock that are on or near the seafloor. The EFP would expire on 
December 31, 2027.

Exempted Fishing Permit

    On September 6, 2024, Dr. No[euml]lle Yochum and Shannon Carroll of 
Trident Seafoods submitted an application for an EFP to develop and 
test modifications to the footrope of pelagic trawl gear. The purpose 
and goal of this proposed EFP is to assess changes to gear performance, 
catch composition, fishing operations, safety, and costs.
    Vessel operators participating in this project would include trawl 
vessels that deliver catch to shoreside plants or motherships. All 
vessels will be equipped for pollock fishing in Alaska and will use 
pelagic pollock trawls. Gear and fishing operations will be conducted 
in compliance with current management regulations with the exception of 
the modifications exempted under the EFP.
    Vessel operators would continue to adhere to required monitoring 
and fishery observer requirements. Vessel operators fishing under the 
EFP will be responsible for providing information to the EFP applicant 
about gear performance and use, including areas fished and catch 
information. Fishing under this EFP will not be conducted within any 
protected or restricted areas that are otherwise closed to pollock 
fishing under the American Fisheries Act and Community Development 
Quota programs under current regulations. This project aims to minimize 
seafloor contact by the trawl gear when targeting pollock that are on 
or near the seafloor.

Exemptions

    One exemption is necessary to conduct this project. An exemption 
would be necessary from the regulation at Sec.  679.2 ``Authorized 
fishing gear'', paragraph (14)(vii) that states pelagic trawl gear 
``Has no more than one fishing line and one footrope for a total of no 
more than two weighted lines on the bottom of the trawl between the 
wing tip and the fishing circle.''

Permit Conditions, Review, and Effects

    If issued, the exempted fishing permit would contain several 
conditions. Among them, the applicant would be required to submit to 
NMFS an annual report that includes a summary of the vessels 
participating, any problems and successes, and how well EFP objectives 
were accomplished. Within 6 months of the end of EFP fishing, a final 
report would be submitted to NMFS that updates the interim reports and 
describes how well EFP objectives were accomplished. The Alaska 
Fisheries Science Center found no concern with the objectives, scope, 
or methods described in the EFP. The activities that would be conducted 
under this EFP involve the development and testing of new and modified 
trawl fishing gear and technology in order to reduce adverse effects 
from trawl fishing gear on non-target species, and is limited in size, 
magnitude, and duration with no potential for significant individual or 
cumulative impacts, as detailed in the draft categorical exclusion for 
this action (see ADDRESSES).
    In accordance with Sec. Sec.  679.6 and 600.745, NMFS has 
determined that the application warrants further consideration and has 
forwarded the application to the Council to initiate consultation. The 
Council is scheduled to consider the EFP application during its October 
2024 meeting, which will be held in person in Anchorage, AK with an 
option to participate virtually. The applicant has been invited to 
speak in support of the application.

Public Comments

    Interested persons may comment on the application during the 
October 2024 Council meeting during public testimony or the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES) until October 15, 2024, when the 
comment period ends. Information regarding the meeting is available at 
the Council's website at https://www.npfmc.org. Copies of the 
application and categorical exclusion are available for review from 
NMFS (see ADDRESSES). Comments may also be

[[Page 79528]]

submitted directly to NMFS (see ADDRESSES) by the end of the comment 
period (see DATES).
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: September 24, 2024.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-22248 Filed 9-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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