[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 114 (Thursday, June 13, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35571-35572]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13692]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 120919470-3513-02]
RIN 0648-BC58


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Shrimp Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States; Amendment 9

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

ACTION: Notification of final action; revision to Fishery Management 
Plan.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this final rule to implement Amendment 9 
(Amendment 9) to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of 
the South Atlantic Region (FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South 
Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule revises 
the criteria and procedures by which a South Atlantic state may request 
a concurrent closure of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to the 
commercial harvest of penaeid shrimp (brown, pink, and white shrimp) 
when state waters close as a result of severe winter weather. Amendment 
9 also revises the overfished and overfishing status determination 
criteria for pink shrimp. The purpose of this rule is to increase the 
flexibility and timeliness of the criteria and process for implementing 
a concurrent closure of penaeid shrimp harvest in the EEZ to maximize 
protection of overwintering white shrimp in the South Atlantic.

DATES: This rule is effective July 15, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of Amendment 9, which includes an 
environmental assessment, and a regulatory impact review, may be 
obtained from the Southeast Regional Office Web site at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Michie, telephone: 727-824-5305, 
or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The penaeid shrimp fishery of the South 
Atlantic is managed under the FMP. The FMP was prepared by the Council 
and is implemented through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under the 
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
    On March 4, 2013, NMFS published a notice of availability for 
Amendment 9 and requested public comment (78 FR

[[Page 35572]]

14069). On March 20, 2013, NMFS published a proposed rule for Amendment 
9 and requested public comment (78 FR 17178). The proposed rule and 
Amendment 9 outline the rationale for the actions contained in this 
final rule. A summary of the actions implemented by this final rule is 
provided below.

Management Measures Contained in This Final Rule

    The management measures contained in Amendment 9 and this final 
rule do not require any changes to the current regulatory text within 
Sec.  622.206(a), ``South Atlantic shrimp cold weather closure.'' This 
is because the current regulations refer to the FMP for the specific 
criteria and procedures required to implement a concurrent closure of 
the EEZ for penaeid shrimp. This final rule revises those criteria and 
procedures within the FMP; however, the regulatory text does not 
change.

Criteria Used to Trigger a State's Ability To Request a Concurrent 
Closure of the EEZ to Penaeid Shrimp Commercial Harvest

    This final rule revises the criteria that a state must meet to 
request from NMFS a closure of commercial penaeid shrimp harvest in 
Federal waters following severe winter weather and a closure of state 
waters. Currently, a state must demonstrate at least an 80-percent 
reduction in the population of overwintering white shrimp in order to 
justify a closure. This rule requires that a state must demonstrate 
either at least an 80-percent reduction in the population of 
overwintering white shrimp, or that state water temperatures were 9 
[deg]C (48[emsp14][deg]F) or less, for at least 7 consecutive days. 
These revised criteria provide increased flexibility for a state to 
protect the overwintering white shrimp in adjacent EEZ waters.

Process for a State To Request a Concurrent Closure of the EEZ To 
Penaeid Shrimp Commercial Harvest

    This final rule revises the procedures for a state to request a 
closure of the penaeid shrimp commercial sector in the EEZ concurrent 
with a closure of its state waters. The revised procedures allow a 
state, after determining that the revised concurrent closure criteria 
have been met, to submit a letter directly to the NMFS Regional 
Administrator (RA) with the request and supporting data for a 
concurrent closure of penaeid shrimp harvest in the EEZ adjacent to the 
closed state waters. After a review of the request and supporting 
information, if the RA determines the recommended closure is in 
accordance with the procedures and criteria specified in the FMP and 
the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS would implement the closure through a 
notification in the Federal Register. These revised procedures reduce 
the administrative burden to the states and the Council through their 
more efficient process.

Additional Management Measure Contained in Amendment 9

    Amendment 9 also revises the overfished and overfishing status 
determination criteria (biomass at the maximum sustainable yield 
(BMSY)) for the pink shrimp stock. The BMSY proxy 
is revised based on more recent Southeast Area Monitoring and 
Assessment Program (SEAMAP) harvest data for pink shrimp. Specifically, 
Amendment 9 revises the BMSY proxy for pink shrimp using the 
lowest catch per unit effort (CPUE) value from SEAMAP during the period 
1990-2011 (0.089 individuals per hectare). The Council and NMFS 
determined that the pink shrimp stock size that produced the relatively 
low CPUE value of 0.089 individuals per hectare does not compromise the 
long-term capacity of the pink shrimp stock to achieve MSY, because the 
low stock size has historically produced a biomass the following year 
that is capable of achieving MSY, based on the best available science.

Comments and Responses

    NMFS received two comment submissions on Amendment 9 and the 
proposed rule. One letter was from an individual that expressed support 
for Amendment 9 and the proposed rule and the other submission was from 
a Federal agency stating that they had no comments on Amendment 9 or 
the proposed rule. No other comments were received. NMFS agrees with 
the individual commenter that this amendment will help protect 
overwintering white shrimp.

Changes From the Proposed Rule

    On April 17, 2013, NMFS published in the Federal Register an 
interim final rule to reorganize the regulations in 50 CFR part 622 for 
the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and the Caribbean (78 FR 22950). 
That interim final rule did not create any new rights or obligations; 
it reorganized the existing regulatory requirements in the Code of 
Federal Regulations into a new format. This final rule incorporates 
this new format but does not change the specific regulatory measures 
that were discussed in the proposed rule. As a result of this 
reorganization, the shrimp cold weather closure regulatory text 
previously located at Sec.  622.35(d) is now located at Sec.  
622.206(a).

Classification

    The Regional Administrator, Southeast Region, NMFS, has determined 
that this final rule is necessary to more efficiently manage the 
penaeid shrimp resource, and is consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Act and other applicable laws.
    This final rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866. No duplicative, overlapping, or 
conflicting Federal rules have been identified. This final rule would 
not establish any new reporting or record-keeping requirements.
    The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce 
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action would 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The factual basis for the certification was published in the 
proposed rule is not repeated here. No comments were received regarding 
this certification. As a result, a regulatory flexibility analysis was 
not required and none was prepared.

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

    Dated: June 4, 2013.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, Performing the functions and 
duties of the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-13692 Filed 6-12-13; 8:45 am]
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