Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Secretarial Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, 81892-81893 [2024-23320]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 196 / Wednesday, October 9, 2024 / Notices
geodetic surveying technology,
extensive data collection initiatives, and
advances in scientific knowledge, a
more accurate, modern NSRS is
possible. The new frames and datum
shall be known as the ‘‘North American
Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2022,’’
the ‘‘Pacific Terrestrial Reference Frame
of 2022,’’ the ‘‘Caribbean Terrestrial
Reference Frame of 2022,’’ the ‘‘Mariana
Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2022,’’
and the ‘‘North American-Pacific
Geopotential Datum of 2022,’’ and may
be referred to as ‘‘NATRF2022,’’
‘‘PATRF2022,’’ ‘‘CATRF2022,’’
‘‘MATRF2022,’’ and ‘‘NAPGD2022,’’
respectively. The new reference frames
will rely primarily on GNSSs, such as
the GPS, as well as on a gravimetric
geoid model resulting from the Gravity
for the Redefinition of the American
Vertical Datum (GRAV–D) Project. The
modernized NSRS will be easier to
access and maintain than the existing
NSRS, which relies on physical survey
marks that deteriorate over time. The
modernized NSRS will define new,
more accurate, and more regularly
updated geodetic coordinates (i.e.,
latitude, longitude, ellipsoid height,
orthometric height, acceleration of
gravity, deflections of the vertical, and
others). Coordinates will be estimated
within these frames and datum at
regular reference epochs from all
historic survey data available to NGS,
beginning with 2020.00.
The following details outline the
process for the rollout of the
modernized NSRS:
• NGS plans to roll out components
of the modernized NSRS in 2025 or
2026. As each component is released at
beta.ngs.noaa.gov, it can be publicly
tested with feedback provided to NGS.
The testing will continue for at least six
months after the final component is
released on beta.ngs.noaa.gov.
• While the modernized NSRS is
being rolled out and tested, the current
NSRS will remain the official NSRS of
the United States. The official NSRS
(i.e., currently NAD 83, NAVD 88, etc.)
may be found at geodesy.noaa.gov. Only
one major improvement to the current
NSRS is expected during this time:
ITRF2020 will be integrated in all
products and services.
• Once testing is complete, and all
modernized NSRS components appear
to be stable and correct, the Federal
Geodetic Control Subcommittee (FGCS)
will be asked to vote to approve the
modernized NSRS (likely in 2026). If
FGCS approves the modernized NSRS,
NGS will publish an FRN announcing
the approval of the modernized NSRS
and begin a several-month process of
transitioning all modernized NSRS
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components to the official website at
geodesy.noaa.gov. During this
transition, the beta website may be
wiped of submitted data and no further
submissions to the NGS IDB (the
repository for the current NSRS) will be
allowed.
Additional information regarding the
modernization of the NSRS may be
found at https://geodesy.noaa.gov/
datums/newdatums/index.shtml.
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 883a et seq.
Shachak Pe’eri,
Acting Director, Office of National Geodetic
Survey, National Ocean Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024–23347 Filed 10–8–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XE304]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and South Atlantic; Secretarial
Amendment to the Fishery
Management Plan for the SnapperGrouper Fishery of the South Atlantic
Region
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement;
request for comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS, Southeast Region,
intends to prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) and conduct
scoping to analyze management
alternatives to be included in a
Secretarial Amendment to the Fishery
Management Plan for the SnapperGrouper Fishery of the South Atlantic
Region (Secretarial Amendment). The
EIS will evaluate a range of alternatives
for setting and managing catch for South
Atlantic red snapper to end overfishing
and support rebuilding objectives of the
stock. The purpose of this notice of
intent is to solicit public comments on
the scope of issues to be addressed in
the EIS.
DATES: Written comments on the scope
of issues to be addressed in the EIS must
be received on or before November 8,
2024.
SUMMARY:
You may submit comments
on this document identified by NOAA–
NMFS–2024–0107 by either of the
following methods:
• Electronic submissions: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Visit
https://www.regulations.gov and type
NOAA–NMFS–2024–0107, in the
Search box. Click the ‘‘Comment’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
• Mail: Submit written comments to
Karla Gore, Southeast Regional Office,
NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St.
Petersburg, FL 33701.
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 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).
The unique identification number for
the EIS for the Secretarial Amendment
is: EISX–006–48–1SE–1726732992.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karla Gore, Southeast Regional Office,
telephone: 727–824–5305; or email:
karla.gore@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS,
with the advice of the South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council (South
Atlantic Council), manages the snappergrouper fishery, which includes red
snapper, under the Fishery Management
Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of
the South Atlantic Region (SnapperGrouper FMP). The South Atlantic
Council prepared the Snapper-Grouper
FMP, and NMFS implements the
Snapper-Grouper FMP through
regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The
Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that
NMFS and regional fishery management
councils prevent overfishing and
achieve, on a continuing basis, the
optimum yield from federally managed
fish stocks. These mandates are
intended to ensure that fishery
resources are managed for the greatest
overall benefit to the Nation,
particularly with respect to providing
food production and recreational
opportunities and protecting marine
ecosystems.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act also
provides that the Secretary of Commerce
(Secretary) may prepare a fishery
management plan (FMP) or an
amendment to any such FMP
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 196 / Wednesday, October 9, 2024 / Notices
(Secretarial Amendment) under certain
circumstances. Section 304(c)(1)(A) of
the Magnuson-Stevens Act provides that
the Secretary may prepare an FMP or
FMP amendment in accordance with the
national standards, the other provisions
of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and any
other applicable law, ‘‘if the appropriate
Council fails to develop and submit to
the Secretary, after a reasonable period
of time’’ an FMP for such fishery, or any
necessary amendment to such an FMP,
if such fishery requires conservation
and management.
The status of the South Atlantic red
snapper stock was evaluated in the
Southeast Data, Assessment, and
Review (SEDAR) 73 stock assessment
that was completed in 2021. The results
of SEDAR 73 indicated that the South
Atlantic red snapper stock remains
overfished and is experiencing
overfishing, and the overfishing is being
primarily driven by high numbers of
dead discards in the recreational sector.
Because the South Atlantic red snapper
stock is overfished, it is managed under
a rebuilding plan implemented through
Amendment 17A to the SnapperGrouper FMP (75 FR 76874, December
9, 2010), which specified a 35-year
rebuilding schedule with the rebuilding
timeframe to end in 2044. In a letter
dated July 23, 2021, NMFS notified the
South Atlantic Council of the results of
SEDAR 73 and that overfishing of red
snapper was occurring. The South
Atlantic Council has discussed how to
address or end overfishing of this stock
since receiving the overfishing
notification from NMFS, but it has not
taken action to meet the MagnusonStevens Act requirements to end
overfishing. To reduce overfishing of
South Atlantic red snapper in the 2024
fishing year, NMFS implemented
interim measures that included
reducing the commercial and
recreational annual catch limits (89 FR
50530, June 14, 2024).
NMFS has determined that red
snapper requires conservation and
management measures to end the
overfishing, and is therefore developing
a Secretarial Amendment to end
overfishing of red snapper in
accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens
Act. While developing the EIS and
Secretarial Amendment, NMFS will
consider new information that has
become available since 2021 for
revisions to South Atlantic red snapper
management. At this time, NMFS
intends for this action to be in place
during the 2025 commercial and
recreational fishing seasons.
The EIS to support the Secretarial
Amendment would explore
management strategies to end
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:05 Oct 08, 2024
Jkt 265001
overfishing of South Atlantic red
snapper while also considering
alternatives to increase fishing
opportunities for landing red snapper by
reducing the amount of fish released
dead. NMFS will develop an EIS to
describe and analyze alternatives to
address the management needs
previously described, including the
current or ‘‘no action’’ alternatives.
Possible actions that NMFS may
consider to include in the EIS are, but
are not limited to, adjusting catch levels,
adjusting accountability measures, and
discard reduction measures.
In accordance with the Companion
Manual to NOAA Administrative Order
216–6A, NMFS has identified
preliminary environmental issues as a
means to initiate discussion for scoping
purposes only. The public is invited to
provide written comments on the
preliminary issues, which are identified
as actions in the EIS. These preliminary
issues may not represent the full range
of issues that eventually will be
evaluated in the final EIS associated
with the Secretarial Amendment.
After the draft EIS associated with the
Secretarial Amendment is completed, it
will be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). After filing,
the EPA will publish a notice of
availability of the draft EIS for public
comment in the Federal Register. The
draft EIS will have a 45-day comment
period. NMFS currently anticipates
publishing the draft EIS by January 24,
2025, with the comment period to
expected to end on March 10, 2025.
This procedure is pursuant to
regulations issued by the Council on
Environmental Quality or implementing
the procedural provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act (40
CFR parts 1500–1508) and the
Companion Manual to NOAA
Administrative Order 216–6A.
NMFS will consider public comments
received on the draft EIS in developing
the final environmental impact
statement (FEIS) and the record of
decision. NMFS will announce, through
a document published in the Federal
Register, all additional public comment
periods on the final Secretarial
Amendment, its proposed implementing
regulations, and the availability of its
associated FEIS. NMFS will consider all
public comments received, whether
they are on the draft EIS, final
amendment, the proposed regulations,
or the FEIS, prior to final agency action.
NMFS anticipates publishing the FEIS
by April 25, 2025, with a record of
decision signed by NMFS by May 25,
2025. These specific dates are
preliminary and are subject to change
based on NMFS administrative needs.
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
81893
(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.)
Dated: October 3, 2024.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–23320 Filed 10–8–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XE340]
New England Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
The New England Fishery
Management Council (Council) is
scheduling a hybrid meeting of its
Scallop Committee to consider actions
affecting New England fisheries in the
exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Recommendations from this group will
be brought to the full Council for formal
consideration and action, if appropriate.
DATES: This meeting will be held on
Friday, October 25, 2024 at 9 a.m.
ADDRESSES:
Meeting address: This meeting will be
held at Fairfield Inn & Suites, 185
MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA
02740; telephone: (777) 634–2000.
Webinar registration URL
information: https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/
meeting/register/tJMtcOytrDoqGt0YV2
v3M2JP8pZDbsFyXmar.
Council address: New England
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cate
O’Keefe, Executive Director, New
England Fishery Management Council;
telephone: (978) 465–0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Agenda
The Scallop Committee will meet to
discuss: Framework Adjustment 39:
Receive an update on plan development
team (PDT) tasking and provide input
on the range of potential access area and
days-at-sea (DAS) allocations for the
2025 and 2026 fishing years. Framework
39 will set specifications including
ABC/ACLs, days-at-sea, access area
allocations, total allowable landings for
the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM)
management area, targets for General
Category incidental catch, General
Category access area trips, and set-
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81892-81893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23320]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE304]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Secretarial Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-
Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement;
request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS, Southeast Region, intends to prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) and conduct scoping to analyze management
alternatives to be included in a Secretarial Amendment to the Fishery
Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic
Region (Secretarial Amendment). The EIS will evaluate a range of
alternatives for setting and managing catch for South Atlantic red
snapper to end overfishing and support rebuilding objectives of the
stock. The purpose of this notice of intent is to solicit public
comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the
EIS must be received on or before November 8, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document identified by NOAA-
NMFS-2024-0107 by either of the following methods:
Electronic submissions: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Visit https://www.regulations.gov and type NOAA-NMFS-2024-0107, in the Search box.
Click the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Mail: Submit written comments to Karla Gore, Southeast
Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
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
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).
The unique identification number for the EIS for the Secretarial
Amendment is: EISX-006-48-1SE-1726732992.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karla Gore, Southeast Regional Office,
telephone: 727-824-5305; or email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS, with the advice of the South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council), manages the
snapper-grouper fishery, which includes red snapper, under the Fishery
Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic
Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP). The South Atlantic Council prepared the
Snapper-Grouper FMP, and NMFS implements the Snapper-Grouper FMP
through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that NMFS and regional fishery
management councils prevent overfishing and achieve, on a continuing
basis, the optimum yield from federally managed fish stocks. These
mandates are intended to ensure that fishery resources are managed for
the greatest overall benefit to the Nation, particularly with respect
to providing food production and recreational opportunities and
protecting marine ecosystems.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act also provides that the Secretary of
Commerce (Secretary) may prepare a fishery management plan (FMP) or an
amendment to any such FMP
[[Page 81893]]
(Secretarial Amendment) under certain circumstances. Section
304(c)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act provides that the Secretary
may prepare an FMP or FMP amendment in accordance with the national
standards, the other provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and any
other applicable law, ``if the appropriate Council fails to develop and
submit to the Secretary, after a reasonable period of time'' an FMP for
such fishery, or any necessary amendment to such an FMP, if such
fishery requires conservation and management.
The status of the South Atlantic red snapper stock was evaluated in
the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) 73 stock assessment
that was completed in 2021. The results of SEDAR 73 indicated that the
South Atlantic red snapper stock remains overfished and is experiencing
overfishing, and the overfishing is being primarily driven by high
numbers of dead discards in the recreational sector. Because the South
Atlantic red snapper stock is overfished, it is managed under a
rebuilding plan implemented through Amendment 17A to the Snapper-
Grouper FMP (75 FR 76874, December 9, 2010), which specified a 35-year
rebuilding schedule with the rebuilding timeframe to end in 2044. In a
letter dated July 23, 2021, NMFS notified the South Atlantic Council of
the results of SEDAR 73 and that overfishing of red snapper was
occurring. The South Atlantic Council has discussed how to address or
end overfishing of this stock since receiving the overfishing
notification from NMFS, but it has not taken action to meet the
Magnuson-Stevens Act requirements to end overfishing. To reduce
overfishing of South Atlantic red snapper in the 2024 fishing year,
NMFS implemented interim measures that included reducing the commercial
and recreational annual catch limits (89 FR 50530, June 14, 2024).
NMFS has determined that red snapper requires conservation and
management measures to end the overfishing, and is therefore developing
a Secretarial Amendment to end overfishing of red snapper in accordance
with the Magnuson-Stevens Act. While developing the EIS and Secretarial
Amendment, NMFS will consider new information that has become available
since 2021 for revisions to South Atlantic red snapper management. At
this time, NMFS intends for this action to be in place during the 2025
commercial and recreational fishing seasons.
The EIS to support the Secretarial Amendment would explore
management strategies to end overfishing of South Atlantic red snapper
while also considering alternatives to increase fishing opportunities
for landing red snapper by reducing the amount of fish released dead.
NMFS will develop an EIS to describe and analyze alternatives to
address the management needs previously described, including the
current or ``no action'' alternatives. Possible actions that NMFS may
consider to include in the EIS are, but are not limited to, adjusting
catch levels, adjusting accountability measures, and discard reduction
measures.
In accordance with the Companion Manual to NOAA Administrative
Order 216-6A, NMFS has identified preliminary environmental issues as a
means to initiate discussion for scoping purposes only. The public is
invited to provide written comments on the preliminary issues, which
are identified as actions in the EIS. These preliminary issues may not
represent the full range of issues that eventually will be evaluated in
the final EIS associated with the Secretarial Amendment.
After the draft EIS associated with the Secretarial Amendment is
completed, it will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). After filing, the EPA will publish a notice of availability of
the draft EIS for public comment in the Federal Register. The draft EIS
will have a 45-day comment period. NMFS currently anticipates
publishing the draft EIS by January 24, 2025, with the comment period
to expected to end on March 10, 2025.
This procedure is pursuant to regulations issued by the Council on
Environmental Quality or implementing the procedural provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and the
Companion Manual to NOAA Administrative Order 216-6A.
NMFS will consider public comments received on the draft EIS in
developing the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and the
record of decision. NMFS will announce, through a document published in
the Federal Register, all additional public comment periods on the
final Secretarial Amendment, its proposed implementing regulations, and
the availability of its associated FEIS. NMFS will consider all public
comments received, whether they are on the draft EIS, final amendment,
the proposed regulations, or the FEIS, prior to final agency action.
NMFS anticipates publishing the FEIS by April 25, 2025, with a record
of decision signed by NMFS by May 25, 2025. These specific dates are
preliminary and are subject to change based on NMFS administrative
needs.
(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.)
Dated: October 3, 2024.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-23320 Filed 10-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
