[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 214 (Friday, November 5, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 60402-60404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29081]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 102899A]


Pelagics Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region

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

ACTION: Notice of scoping meetings; notice of cancellation of one 
scoping meeting; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: On October 6, 1999, and on October 20, 1999, NMFS announced 
its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (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 Pelagics Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (FMP) and all 
amendments thereto. Additionally, NMFS announced its intention to 
prepare an Environmental Assessment (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. NMFS is holding 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 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 or fax written comments. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for meeting times and special accommodations.

ADDRESSES: The Responsible Program Manager for this EIS is Rodney R. 
McInnis, Acting Southwest Regional Administrator, NMFS. 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. Comments also may be sent, via facsimile, to 808-973-
2941. NMFS will not accept comments sent by e-mail or the Internet. 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 affecting 
the quality of the human environment (42 U.S.C. 4332).
    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 environmental documents 
(environmental assessments, categorical exclusions, findings of no 
significant

[[Page 60403]]

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 
at 64 FR 54272, October 6, 1999. An informational presentation of the 
project will be made at a scoping meeting to be held in the Hawaiian 
Islands on Oahu at the following time and location:
    Waianae, Oahu, HI--November 30, 1999, 6--8 p.m., Waianae Public 
Library, 85625 Farrington Hwy., Waianae, HI 96792.
    Scoping meetings in American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, and Guam will be held at the following times and 
locations:
    1. Fagatogo, American Samoa, --November 15, 1999, 3--5 p.m., 
Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) Conference Room, AS. 
Phone contact c/o DMWR (684) 633-4456.
    2. Agana (Hagatna), GUAM, --November 16, 1999, 7--8 p.m., Guam 
Fishermen's Cooperative Association, Hagatna Boat Basin, Agana 
(Hagatna), GU. Phone contact c/o Guam Dept. of Commerce (671) 475-0321.
    3. Susupe, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
(CNMI), --November 17, 1999, from 7:00-8:00 p.m., Joeten-Kiyu Library, 
Beach Road, Susupe, Saipan, CNMI. Phone Division of Fish and Wildlife 
Resources (DFWR) 670-322-9627 for information.
    The meeting scheduled for Haleiwa, Oahu, HI for November 8, 1999, 
from 6--8 p.m., at Haleiwa Alii Beach Park,

[[Page 60404]]

66167 Haleiwa Rd., Haleiwa, HI 96712 has been canceled. The 
cancellation is due to loss of access to the Haleiwa Alii Beach Park 
site. Interested persons are invited to attend the meeting scheduled 
for November 30, 1999, 6--8 p.m., at the Waianae Public Library, 85625 
Farrington Hwy., Waianae, HI 96792.

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: November 2, 1999.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-29081 Filed 11-4-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P