[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 202 (Wednesday, October 20, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 56479-56481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27354]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 101399A]


Pelagics Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS); Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA); 
scoping meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: On October 6, 1999, NMFS announced its intent to prepare an 
EIS on Federal management of the fishery for pelagic species in the 
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters of the Western Pacific Region. The 
scope of the EIS analysis will include all activities related to the 
conduct of the fishery authorized and managed under the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region 
(FMP) and all amendments thereto. Additionally, NMFS announced its 
intention to prepare an EA on the fishery for pelagic species in the 
EEZ waters of the Western Pacific Region. The scope of the analysis of 
the EA will include all activities related to the conduct of the 
fishery for the 2-year period NMFS anticipates is necessary to prepare 
the EIS. Both the EIS and EA will examine the impacts of pelagics 
harvest on, among other things, sea turtles and seabirds.
    NMFS will hold concurrent scoping meetings to provide for public 
input into the range of actions, alternatives, and impacts that the EIS 
and EA should consider. Scoping for the EIS and EA commenced with 
publication of the document published on October 6, 1999. In addition 
to holding the scoping meetings, NMFS is accepting written comments on 
the range of actions, alternatives, and impacts it should be 
considering for this EIS, as well as comments on the scope of the EA.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted through December 6, 1999. See 
ADDRESSES for location to mail written comments. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for meeting times and special accommodations.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests to be included on a mailing 
list of persons interested in the EIS should be sent to Marilyn 
Luipold, Pacific Islands Area Office, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 
1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700.
    See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for meeting locations and special 
accommodations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marilyn Luipold, 808-973-2937 or 2935 
extension 204.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, the United States has exclusive 
fishery management authority over all living marine resources within 
the EEZ between the seaward boundary of each state or U.S. island 
possession seaward to 200 nautical miles from the baseline used to 
measure the territorial sea. The management of these marine resources 
is vested in the Secretary of Commerce and in eight regional fishery 
management councils. The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) has the responsibility to prepare FMPs for the marine 
resources that require conservation and management in the Western 
Pacific Region. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires 
preparation of EISs for major Federal actions significantly impacting 
the quality of the human environment (40 CFR 1502.9(a)).
    The FMP was developed by the Council, and regulations implementing 
management measures were published on February 17, 1987 (52 FR 5983). 
An EA was prepared for the action implementing the FMP. The FMP has 
been amended seven times, and NEPA

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environmental documents (environmental assessments, categorical 
exclusions, findings of no significant impact, and an EIS) have been 
prepared for each FMP and regulatory amendment. However, many of these 
earlier documents have become outdated and/or focused on individual 
management actions, making it difficult to obtain a comprehensive view 
of issues and management options for the fishery as it exists today. 
NMFS is undertaking preparation of a comprehensive EIS in order to 
analyze the fishery as it is currently conducted, to address any and 
all impacts that might have been overlooked in earlier analyses, and to 
improve management of the fishery. The Federal action under review is 
defined as, among other things, all activities authorized and managed 
under the FMP, as amended.
    The EIS will present an overall picture of the environmental 
effects of fishing as conducted under the FMP, rather than focusing 
narrowly on one management action, and will include a range of 
reasonable management alternatives and an analysis of their impacts in 
order to define issues and provide a clear basis for choice among 
options by the public, the Council, and NMFS. NMFS intends to assess 
the biological and socio-economic impacts that result from regulation 
of the pelagic fisheries of the Western Pacific Region, including 
license limitation, as well as present and potential controls on 
effort, harvest levels, location, timing, and methods of fishing. The 
effects on associated species, including interactions with protected 
species, will be assessed. NMFS intends to evaluate the significant 
changes that have occurred in the pelagic fisheries, including the 
significant cumulative effects of changes in fishing activities, socio-
economics, the environment, and management. The assessment will include 
analysis of the cumulative or incremental impacts of actions and 
alternatives. Impacts associated with status quo management (i.e., 
continuation of fishing as currently conducted) will be presented and 
compared to situations simulating limits on fishing areas and/or gears 
over all or parts of the management area. Possible alternatives to the 
current conduct of the fishery include a range of area and/or seasonal 
closures for the longline fishery, gear restrictions and/or 
modifications, including prohibitions on the use of longline gear in 
some or all of the management area, and adjustments to requirements for 
handling incidental hookings and takings of protected species. The 
impacts of EEZ fishing activity and harvest on the marine environment 
will be assessed under representative alternative management scenarios 
that will ensure consideration of impacts that may reach beyond the 
EEZ. As the number of possible alternatives is virtually infinite, the 
EIS will not consider detailed alternatives for every aspect of the 
FMP. Therefore, a principal objective of the scoping and public input 
process is to identify a reasonable set of management alternatives 
that, with adequate analysis, will sharply define critical issues and 
provide a clear basis for choice among the alternatives.

Issues

    The environmental consequences section of the EIS will display the 
impacts of pelagics harvest accruing with present management 
regulations and under a range of representative alternative management 
regulations on Western Pacific ecosystem issues. These issues include: 
Essential fish habitat (EFH), target and non-target species of fish 
(including tunas, swordfish, and sharks), fish that are discarded, 
marine mammals (Hawaiian monk seals and cetaceans), sea turtles, and 
seabirds present in the Western Pacific ecosystem. In addition, the 
environmental consequences section will contain a summary, 
interpretation, and predictions for socio-economic issues associated 
with conduct of the fishery on the following groups of individuals: (1) 
Those who participate in harvesting the fishery resources and other 
living marine resources, (2) those who process and market the fish and 
fishery products, (3) those who are involved in allied support 
industries, (4) those who consume fishery products, (5) those who rely 
on living marine resources in the management area either for 
subsistence needs or for recreational benefits, (6) those who benefit 
from non-consumptive uses of living marine resources, (7) those 
involved in managing and monitoring fisheries, and (8) fishing 
communities.

EA Issues

    In the EA, NMFS intends to evaluate whether the conduct of the 
current fisheries over the next 2 years will have significant 
environmental impacts. The Federal action under review in the EA is 
defined as all activities authorized and managed under the FMP, as 
amended, for the 2-year period anticipated to be necessary for 
preparation of the EIS. The EA will present an overall picture of the 
environmental effects over the next 2 years of fishing as conducted 
under the FMP. Efforts will be made to quantify and explain the 
intensity of projected impacts on EFH, target and non-target species of 
fish (including tunas, swordfish, and sharks), fish that are discarded, 
marine mammals (Hawaiian monk seals and cetaceans), sea turtles, and 
seabirds present in the Western Pacific ecosystem. Additionally, the EA 
will evaluate socio-economic impacts associated with the fishery on 
groups of individuals, including fishing communities, harvesters, 
processors and marketers, consumers, subsistence and recreational users 
of living marine resources in the management area, non-consumptive 
users, and individuals involved in allied support industries and 
management and monitoring of the fisheries. Although the focus of the 
EA will be analysis of impacts associated with continuation of fishing 
as currently conducted, reasonable alternatives for application in the 
2-year period, including area and/or seasonal closures for the longline 
fishery, gear restrictions and/or modifications including prohibitions 
on the use of longline gear in part or all of the management area, and 
adjustments to requirements for handling incidental hookings and 
takings of protected species, will be addressed.

Public Involvement

    Scoping for the EIS and EA began with publication of the document 
on October 6, 1999, at 64 FR 54272. Informational presentations of the 
project will be made at scoping meetings held in the Hawaiian Islands 
on Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii. at the following times and locations:

Dates and Times

    1. Lihue, Kauai, HI--October 25, 1999, 6 - 8 p.m., Outrigger Kauai 
Beach Hotel, 4331 Kauai Beach Dr., Lihue, HI 96766.
    2. Kona, Hawaii, HI--October 27, 1999, 6 - 8 p.m., Hotel King 
Kamehameha, 75-5660 Palani Rd., Kailua Kona, HI 96740 3. Hilo, Hawaii, 
HI--October 28, 1999, 6 - 8 p.m., Hawaii Naniloa Resort, 93 Banyan Dr., 
Hilo, HI 96720
    4. Kihei, Maui, HI--November 4, 1999, at 6 - 8 p.m., Maui Coast 
Hotel, 2259 South Kihei Rd., Kihei, HI 96753.
    5. Haleiwa, Oahu, HI--November 8, 1999, 6 - 8 p.m., Haleiwa Alii 
Beach Park, 66167 Haleiwa Rd., Haleiwa, HI 96712.
    6. Waianai, Oahu, HI -- November 30, 1999, 6 - 8 p.m., Waianai 
Public Library, 85625 Farrington Hwy., Waianai, HI 96792  Arrangements 
are being made for meetings to be held on or about November 15, 1999, 
in Pago Pago,

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American Samoa; November 17, 1999, in Saipan, Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands; and November 18, 1999, in Tumon Bay, Guam. 
Specific times and locations will be announced in a separate Federal 
Register document. The Responsible Program Manager for this EIS is 
Rodney R. McInnis, Acting Southwest Regional Administrator, NMFS.

Special Accommodations

    Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Marilyn Luipold, (see ADDRESSES),
    808-973-2937 (voice) or 808-973-2941 (fax), at least 5 days before 
the meeting date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: October 14, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-27354 Filed 10-15-99; 3:22 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F