[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 190 (Friday, October 2, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 50944-50945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23817]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 665

RIN 0648-AU71


Fisheries in the Western Pacific; Fishery Ecosystem Plans

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of five new fishery ecosystem plans; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability for public review and comment 
of proposed Fishery Ecosystem Plans (FEPs) for American Samoa, Hawaii, 
Mariana Archipelago, Pacific remote island areas, and western Pacific 
pelagic fisheries. The FEPs would incorporate and reorganize elements 
of five existing western Pacific fishery management plans from a 
species- or fishery-basis, to one that is founded on geography. The 
FEPs would not change current management measures. The objectives of 
the FEPs are to be consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) through the 
incorporation of ecosystem-based goals and principles in fishery 
management.

DATES: Comments on the amendment must be received by December 1, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the FEPs, identified by 0648-AU71, may be sent 
to either of the following addresses:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal www.regulations.gov; or
     Mail: Mail written comments to William L. Robinson, 
Regional Administrator, NMFS, Pacific Islands Region (PIR), 1601 
Kapiolani Blvd, Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700.
    Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record 
and will generally be posted to www.regulations.gov without change. All 
personal identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.) submitted 
voluntarily by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit 
confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive or protected 
information. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the 
required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). Attachments to 
electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word or Excel, 
WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
    A Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) was prepared 
for these FEPs. The PEIS and five FEPs are available from 
www.regulations.gov or the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council), 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, 808-522-
8220, fax 808-522-8226, www.wpcouncil.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Wiedoff, NMFS PIR, 808-944-2272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Federal Register document is available 
at www.gpoaccess.gov/fr.
    The Magnuson-Stevens Act authorizes the regional fishery management 
councils to create fishery management plans. The Council developed five 
FEPs, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the national 
standards for fishery conservation and management. This notice 
announces that the FEPs are available for public review and comment for 
60 days. NMFS will consider public comments received during the comment 
period in determining whether to approve, partially approve, or 
disapprove the FEPs.

[[Page 50945]]

    To date, fisheries in the western Pacific have been managed through 
five species- or fishery-specific fishery management plans, 
specifically for bottomfish and seamount groundfish, crustaceans, 
precious corals, coral reef ecosystems, and western Pacific pelagic 
fisheries. The proposed FEPs would cover archipelagos or other broad 
geographic areas, including American Samoa, Hawaii, the Mariana Islands 
(Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands), the Pacific remote island 
areas (PRIA) (Palmyra Atoll, Kingman Reef, Jarvis Island, Baker Island, 
Howland Island, Johnston Atoll, and Wake Island), and one FEP would 
manage western Pacific pelagic fisheries. The FEPs would incorporate 
and reorganize elements of the five existing fishery management plans, 
and facilitate an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management by 
the Council and NMFS.
    Public comments on the five new FEPs must be received by December 
1, 2009 to be considered by NMFS in the decision to approve, partially 
approve, or disapprove the new plans. NMFS expects to soon publish an 
associated proposed rule and request for public comments regarding 
restructuring the Code of Federal Regulations for western Pacific 
fisheries.

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

    Dated: September 21, 2009.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-23817 Filed 10-1-09; 8:45 am]
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