[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 219 (Thursday, November 13, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 67411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26801]



[[Page 67411]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 600 and 622

[Docket No. 080225276-4124-01]
RIN 0648-AS65


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf, and South Atlantic; Aquaculture

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS reopens the comment period on the proposed rule to 
implement the Fishery Management Plan for Regulating Offshore 
Aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) that published on August 28, 
2014. The original comment period closed on October 27, 2014. NMFS is 
reopening the comment period for an additional 15 days to provide the 
public additional time to comment on this proposed rule. If 
implemented, the proposed rule would establish a comprehensive 
regulatory program for managing the development of an environmentally 
sound and economically sustainable aquaculture industry in Federal 
waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). The purpose of the proposed rule 
is to increase the yield of Federal fisheries in the Gulf by 
supplementing the harvest of wild caught species with cultured product.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule that published on 
August 28, 2014 (79 FR 51424), and closed on October 27, 2014, will 
reopen on November 13, 2014 and remain open through November 28, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the proposed rule, identified by 
``NOAA-NMFS-2008-0233,'' by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic public comments 
via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2008-0233, click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, 
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Jess Beck-Stimpert, 
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.
    Electronic copies of the FMP, which includes a final programmatic 
environmental impact statement (FPEIS), an initial regulatory 
flexibility analysis (IRFA), and a regulatory impact review (RIR) may 
be obtained from the Southeast Regional Office Web site at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.
    Comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or other aspects of 
the collection-of-information requirements contained in this proposed 
rule may be submitted in writing to Anik Clemens, Southeast Regional 
Office, NMFS, 263 13th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; and the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), by email at 
[email protected], or by fax to 202-395-7285.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jess Beck-Stimpert, 727-824-5301.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Aquaculture in the Gulf will be managed 
under the FMP. The FMP was prepared by the Council and is being 
implemented through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under the authority 
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(Magnuson-Stevens Act).
    On August 28, 2014, NMFS published a proposed rule to implement the 
FMP to authorize the development of commercial aquaculture operations 
in Federal waters of the Gulf (79 FR 51424). The FMP provides a 
comprehensive framework for authorizing and regulating offshore 
aquaculture activities. The FMP also establishes a programmatic 
approach for evaluating the potential impacts of proposed aquaculture 
operations in the Gulf.
    NMFS received several requests from the public to extend the 
comment period of the proposed rule. Due to the extensive nature of the 
FMP and the proposed rulemaking, NMFS is reopening the comment period 
on the proposed rule for an additional 15 days. Comments submitted 
during the prior comment period will be incorporated into the public 
record and will be fully considered during the preparation of the final 
rule.

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 561 and 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: November 4, 2014.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-26801 Filed 11-12-14; 8:45 am]
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