[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 46 (Friday, March 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12393-12394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4542]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-AV80


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Environmental Assessment for 
Amendment 30B

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

ACTION: Notice announcing the preparation of an environmental 
assessment (EA).

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SUMMARY: NMFS, in cooperation with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council (Council), is preparing an EA in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Amendment 30B to the 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf 
of Mexico. This notice is intended to inform the public of the change 
from the preparation of a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to 
an EA for Amendment 30B.

[[Page 12394]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Hood; phone: (727) 824-5305; 
fax: (727) 824-5308; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 5, 2007 (72 FR 9734), NMFS and the 
Council published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register to prepare 
a draft EIS and to announce scoping meetings regarding the actions 
proposed in Amendment 30. Amendment 30 was being developed to describe 
and analyze management alternatives to manage fishing mortality and to 
establish status criteria for greater amberjack, gray triggerfish, gag, 
and red grouper in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act. Recent stock assessments completed 
under the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review program indicated that 
management changes were warranted for these stocks.
    Based on comments received during the scoping process and further 
analyses needed for the gag and red grouper stock assessments, 
Amendment 30 was split into Amendments 30A and 30B. This allowed 
proposed actions to revise the greater amberjack rebuilding plan, end 
overfishing of gray triggerfish, and rebuild the gray triggerfish stock 
to proceed in Amendment 30A while the status of the gag and red grouper 
stocks were resolved. A draft supplemental EIS was prepared for 
Amendment 30A, in part, due to significant increases in the stock 
biomass of greater amberjack and gray triggerfish as the two species 
recover from their respective overfished states. A Notice of 
Availability for the draft supplemental EIS analyzing impacts on the 
human environment for Amendment 30A was published in the Federal 
Register on December 14, 2007 (72 FR 71137).
    Actions to be described and analyzed in Amendment 30B include: 
setting gag thresholds and benchmarks; establishing gag and red grouper 
total allowable catch (TAC), interim allocations, and accountability 
measures; ending overfishing of gag; managing gag and red grouper 
commercial and recreational harvests consistent with TAC; reducing 
grouper discard mortality; establishing marine reserves; and requiring 
compliance with Federal fishery management regulations by federally 
permitted reef fish vessels when fishing in state waters. Based on 
further analysis of the environmental impacts of actions proposed in 
Amendment 30B, NMFS and the Council do not anticipate any significant 
impacts on the human environment. Although overfishing would end for 
gag based on the proposed actions, the stock is not considered 
overfished and significant increases in stock biomass are not required. 
Consequently, NMFS and the Council are initially preparing an EA rather 
than proceeding with the development of a draft EIS. If the EA results 
in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), the EA and FONSI will be 
the final environmental documents required by NEPA. If the EA reveals 
that significant environmental impacts may be reasonably expected to 
result from the proposed actions, NMFS and the Council will develop a 
draft EIS to further evaluate those impacts.

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

    Dated: March 3, 2008.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E8-4542 Filed 3-6-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S