[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 74 (Wednesday, April 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22846-22848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09052]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-BD07


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Snapper-Grouper Fishery Off the South Atlantic States; Regulatory 
Amendment 14

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement (DEIS); request for comments.

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[[Page 22847]]

SUMMARY: NMFS, Southeast Region, in collaboration with the South 
Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), intends to prepare a 
DEIS to describe and analyze a range of alternatives for management 
actions to be included in Regulatory Amendment 14 to the Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South 
Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 14). In Regulatory Amendment 14, 
the Council is considering management measures to modify the fishing 
year for greater amberjack; revise the minimum size limit measurement 
for gray triggerfish; increase the minimum size limit for hogfish; 
modify the commercial and recreational fishing years for black sea 
bass; adjust the commercial fishing season for vermilion snapper; 
modify the aggregate grouper bag limit; and revise the accountability 
measures (AMs) for gag and vermilion snapper. The intent of Regulatory 
Amendment 14 is to achieve optimum yield (OY) for snapper-grouper 
species and enhance socio-economic opportunities within the snapper-
grouper fishery. The purpose of this NOI is to solicit public comments 
on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the 
DEIS will be accepted until May 17, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by ``NOAA-NMFS-2013-
0052'' by any of the following methods:
     Electronic submissions: Submit electronic comments via the 
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2013-0052, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Nikhil Mehta, Southeast 
Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. 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, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nikhil Mehta, Southeast Regional 
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In Regulatory Amendment 14, the Council is considering actions to 
modify the fishing year for greater amberjack; revise the minimum size 
limit measurement for gray triggerfish; increase the minimum size limit 
for hogfish; modify the commercial and recreational fishing year for 
black sea bass; adjust the commercial fishing season for vermilion 
snapper; modify the aggregate grouper bag limit; and revise the AMs for 
gag and vermilion snapper.

Greater Amberjack Fishing Year

    The current fishing year for greater amberjack is May 1 through 
April 30. Regulatory Amendment 14 would examine the effects of 
alternatives to modify this fishing year, especially with respect to 
when the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for greater amberjack is 
being reached. When the commercial ACL is reached, the a.m. triggered 
is an inseason closure of the commercial sector. Some fishers have 
requested that the month of March remain open to harvest, because it is 
a productive month for fishing (i.e., consumers tend to buy more fish 
during Lent). Also, greater amberjack migrate out of the Florida Keys 
by mid-May, thereby offering a limited fishing opportunity for greater 
amberjack at the start of the current fishing year. In Regulatory 
Amendment 14, the Council is considering alternatives to the fishing 
year with the purpose of ensuring commercial harvest opportunities 
occur during March of each year.

Gray Triggerfish Minimum Size Limit

    For Federal waters off the east coast of Florida, the gray 
triggerfish minimum size limit is 12 inches (30.5 cm) total length. The 
state of Florida minimum size limit is 12 inches (30.5 cm) fork length. 
The Council is considering alternatives to use the same length 
measurement for gray triggerfish in Federal waters off Florida and 
other South Atlantic states as used in state waters of Florida. A 
consistent minimum size limit would reduce confusion among the public, 
better assist law enforcement, and promote efficient management of this 
species.

Hogfish Minimum Size Limit

    The Council is considering alternatives to revise the hogfish 
minimum size limit, which is 12 inches (30.5 cm), fork length. The 
Council's Snapper-Grouper Advisory Panel also expressed concern about 
the harvest of undersized hogfish before they have the opportunity to 
reproduce.

Black Sea Bass Fishing Year

    The Council is considering alternatives to modify the commercial 
and recreational fishing seasons, which begin on June 1, to coincide 
with other snapper-grouper species to reduce the likelihood of closures 
being implemented early in the fishing season and to extend fishing 
opportunities for both sectors throughout the year.

Vermilion Snapper Fishing Seasons

    The commercial fishing season for vermilion snapper is currently 
split into two seasons, January 1 through June 30, and July 1 through 
December 31. The Council is considering alternatives to modify the 
start of the second season to coincide with openings of other snapper-
grouper species to extend fishing opportunities for vermilion snapper. 
An adjustment to the start date of the second season may allow for 
additional harvest opportunities, as well as reduce the potential for 
extended seasonal closures as a result of reaching the ACL and 
triggering AMs.

Vermilion Snapper Recreational AMs

    Regulatory Amendment 18 to the FMP, which was approved by the 
Council in March of 2013, would remove the recreational vermilion 
snapper spawning season closure that occurs from November through 
March. The current recreational sector a.m. reduces the recreational 
sector ACL in the year following an ACL overage by the amount of that 
ACL overage. Therefore, without the seasonal closure, there is no 
method in place to close the sector during the fishing year which can 
lead to an overage of the ACL. In Regulatory Amendment 14, the Council 
is considering alternatives to revise the recreational sector AMs to 
ensure the ACL is not exceeded and overfishing does not occur.

Gag Commercial Trip Limits

    In Regulatory Amendment 14 the Council is considering commercial 
trip limit alternatives as a method to extend the fishing season for 
gag.

Grouper Aggregate Recreational Bag Limit

    The current grouper aggregate bag limit is three fish and within 
this limit,

[[Page 22848]]

no more than one fish may be a gag or black grouper, combined. In 
Regulatory Amendment 14, the Council is considering alternatives to 
revise this aggregate bag limit to provide for increased recreational 
harvest opportunities for gag and black grouper.
    NMFS, in collaboration with the Council, will develop a DEIS to 
describe and analyze alternatives to address the management needs 
described above. Those alternatives will include a ``no action'' 
alternative for each action. In accordance with NOAA's Administrative 
Order 216-6, Section 5.02(c), Scoping Process, NMFS, in collaboration 
with the Council, has identified preliminary environmental issues as a 
means to initiate discussion for scoping purposes only. These 
preliminary issues may not represent the full range of issues that 
eventually will be evaluated in the DEIS.
    After the DEIS associated with Regulatory Amendment 14 is 
completed, it will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA). After filing, the EPA will publish a notice of availability of 
the DEIS for public comment in the Federal Register. The DEIS will have 
a 45-day comment period. This procedure is pursuant to regulations 
issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA; 40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and to NOAA's Administrative Order 216-6 
regarding NOAA's compliance with NEPA and the CEQ regulations.
    The Council and NMFS will consider public comments received on the 
DEIS in developing the final environmental impact statement (FEIS), and 
before voting to submit the final amendment to NMFS for Secretarial 
review, approval, and implementation. NMFS will announce in the Federal 
Register the availability of the final amendment and FEIS for public 
review during the Secretarial review period, and will consider all 
public comments prior to final agency action to approve, disapprove, or 
partially approve the final amendment.
    NMFS will announce, through a document published in the Federal 
Register, all public comment periods on the final amendment, its 
proposed implementing regulations, and the availability of its 
associated FEIS. NMFS will consider all public comments received during 
the Secretarial review period, whether they are on the final amendment, 
the proposed regulations, or the FEIS, prior to final agency action.

Public Hearings, Times, and Locations

    The Council will hold public hearings to discuss the actions 
included in Regulatory Amendment 14 in August 2013. Exact dates, times, 
and locations will be announced by the Council. The public will be 
informed, via a notification in the Federal Register, of the exact 
times, dates, and locations of future scoping meetings and public 
hearings for Regulatory Amendment 14.

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

    Dated: April 12, 2013.
Kara Meckley,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-09052 Filed 4-16-13; 8:45 am]
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