[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 170 (Thursday, September 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53682-53683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20055]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 082504B]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Draft Generic Amendment to Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Plans for 
Offshore Aquaculture

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft supplemental environmental 
impact statement; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) and 
NMFS intend to prepare a draft supplemental environmental impact 
statement (DSEIS) in support of a proposed Generic Amendment for 
Offshore Aquaculture. The DSEIS will evaluate alternatives for 
regulating aquaculture activities in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of 
this notice of intent is to solicit public comments on the range of 
alternatives and scope of issues to be addressed in the DSEIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the DSEIS must be received by 5 
p.m. October 4, 2004. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for 
additional information regarding oral comments.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the scope of the DSEIS and requests for the 
scoping

[[Page 53683]]

document may be directed to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council, The Commons at Rivergate, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 
1000, Tampa, FL 33619; telephone: 813-228-2815; fax: 813-225-7015. 
Comments also may be submitted via e-mail. The mailbox address for 
providing e-mail comments is [email protected]. Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: 
Generic Amendment for Offshore Aquaculture. Scoping documents are also 
available to download at http://www.gulfcouncil.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Swingle (phone: 813-228-2815, 
fax: 813-225-7015, e-mail: [email protected]); Andy 
Strelcheck (phone: 727-570-5305, fax: 727-570-5583, e-mail: 
[email protected]); or visit the Council's web page at http://www.gulfcouncil.org.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council and NMFS intend to prepare a 
DSEIS in support of a proposed Generic Amendment for Offshore 
Aquaculture. The DSEIS will evaluate alternatives for regulating 
aquaculture activities in the Gulf of Mexico, including: (1) Whether to 
implement a generic amendment for offshore aquaculture, (2) the overall 
scope of the generic amendment, (3) permit and operational requirements 
for aquaculture facilities, (4) fishery management plans that would be 
affected by the amendment, and (5) stocks that would be affected by the 
amendment. The DSEIS will also evaluate: best management practices for 
cage and net-pen facilities, scientific information on the culture of 
marine fish, and the environmental effects of aquaculture. Alternatives 
currently under consideration are described in detail in ``The Scoping 
Document for a Generic Amendment to Provide for Regulation of Offshore 
Marine Aquaculture for Selected Fish.'' The Council is soliciting 
public comment on the range of alternatives and scope of issues that 
should be considered in the DSEIS. Persons may request a copy of the 
scoping document from the Council (see ADDRESSES for contact 
information).
    In accordance with NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 216-6, Section 
502(c)4, the Council previously held eight scoping hearings during 
February and March 2004 (69 FR 7185) to solicit input from interested 
parties on proposed actions and alternatives identified in the above-
mentioned scoping document. The hearings were held in the following 
locations: Biloxi, MS; Corpus Christi, TX; Galveston, TX; Key West, FL; 
Larose, LA; Madeira Beach, FL; Mobile, AL; and Panama City, FL.
    Additionally, public comments may be accepted at the following 
Council meetings and during public hearings that will be announced in 
future Federal Register notices:
    1. September 13-17, 2004, Edgewater Beach Resort, 11212 Front Beach 
Road, Panama City, FL 32407.
    2. November 7-10, 2004, Sheraton, 310 Padre Boulevard, South Padre 
Island, TX 78597.
    3. January 10-13, 2005, Sheraton, 102 France Street, Baton Rouge, 
LA 70802.
    4. March 7-10, 2005, Wynfrey, 100 Riverchase Galleria, Birmingham, 
AL 35244.
    The meetings will be physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Wayne Swingle at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES).
    The completed DSEIS associated with the draft Generic Amendment for 
Offshore Aquaculture will be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA), announced in the Federal Register, and open to public 
comment for a 45-day period. This procedure is pursuant to regulations 
issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for implementing 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (and to NAO 216-6 on 
complying with NEPA and the CEQ regulations).
    The Council will consider public comments received on the DSEIS in 
developing the final supplemental environmental impact statement 
(FSEIS), and will consider public comments before taking final action 
on the Generic Amendment for Offshore Aquaculture. The Council will 
submit both the final amendment and the supporting FSEIS to NMFS for 
Secretarial review, approval, and implementation under the requirements 
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
    NMFS will announce, through a notice published in the Federal 
Register, the availability of the final Generic Amendment for Offshore 
Aquaculture for public review during the Secretarial review period. 
During Secretarial review, NMFS will also file the FSEIS with the EPA 
for a final 30-day public comment period. This comment period will be 
concurrent with the Secretarial review period and will end prior to 
final agency action to approve, disapprove, or partially approve the 
final Generic Amendment for Offshore Aquaculture.
    NMFS will announce, through a notice published in the Federal 
Register, all public comment periods on the final Generic Amendment for 
Offshore Aquaculture, any proposed implementing regulations, and its 
associated FSEIS. NMFS will consider all public comments received 
during the Secretarial review period, whether they are on the final 
Amendment, any proposed regulations, or the FSEIS, prior to final 
agency action.

    Dated: August 30, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-20055 Filed 9-1-04; 8:45 am]
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