[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 205 (Monday, October 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73059-73061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25654]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE971


Caribbean Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of scoping meetings on Federal permits to harvest queen 
snapper and cardinal snapper (Snapper Unit 2) from Puerto Rico EEZ 
waters.

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SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery Management Council is considering 
establishing federal permits to harvest queen snapper and cardinal 
snapper (Snapper Unit 2) from Puerto Rico EEZ waters and is conducting 
scoping meetings to obtain public comments regarding this matter.

Dates and Addresses

November 14, 2016, 7 p.m.-10 p.m.--Corporaci[oacute]n de Pescadores 
Unidos, Playa H[uacute]cares, Sector El Morillo, Carr. #3 Km. 65.9, 
Naguabo, Puerto Rico;
November 15, 2016, 7 p.m.-10 p.m.--Mayag[uuml]ez Holiday Inn, 2701 
Hostos Avenue, Mayag[uuml]ez, Puerto Rico

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 
270 Mu[ntilde]oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-
1903, telephone: (787) 766-5926.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The goal of these scoping meetings is to 
allow the public to comment on the options listed below and to provide 
alternative options not yet considered by the Council and NMFS, on 
federal permits to harvest queen snapper and cardinal snapper (Snapper 
Unit 2) from Puerto Rico EEZ waters.

Actions and Alternatives

    Action 1: Establish a commercial permit to harvest queen snapper 
and cardinal snapper (Snapper Unit 2 [SU2]) from the Puerto Rico 
exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
    Option 1 (No Action): Do not require a commercial permit for 
harvest of queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Option 2: Require a commercial permit for harvest of queen snapper 
and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ. If Option 2 is selected, 
the Council must also select Option 3, 4, or 5.
    Sub-option A: Establish an open access commercial permit for 
harvest of queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ, 
with no limit on the number of permits that may be issued.
    Sub-option B: Establish a limited entry commercial permit for 
harvest of queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ 
in which, following some period of eligibility, no new permits would be 
issued. If this sub-option is chosen, guidelines for transferring 
permits would need to be established.
    Option 3: Recognize the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and 
Environmental Resources (PRDNER) commercial queen snapper and cardinal 
snapper harvest permit as the required commercial permit for harvest of 
queen snapper and cardinal snapper in the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Option 4: Require a federal permit as the required commercial 
permit for harvest of queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the 
Puerto Rico EEZ.

[[Page 73060]]

    Sub-option A: The required federal permit would be assigned to the 
individual fisher or to their business, and therefore valid regardless 
of the vessel from which the fisher is operating.
    Sub-option B: The required federal permit would be assigned to a 
vessel and therefore valid for all licensed fishers operating from that 
vessel.
    Option 5: Require either the Puerto Rico commercial queen snapper 
and cardinal snapper harvest permit, or a separate federal commercial 
SU2 harvest permit, for commercial harvest of queen snapper and 
cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Action 2: Permit eligibility.
    Option 1 (No Action): Do not establish eligibility requirements for 
obtaining a commercial permit to harvest queen snapper and cardinal 
snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Option 2: Require the applicant for a commercial permit to harvest 
queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ to hold a 
valid commercial license to fish in the U.S. EEZ.
    Option 3: Require the applicant for a commercial permit to harvest 
queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ to provide 
proof of previous queen snapper or cardinal snapper harvest activity 
during a specific period of time.
    Sub-option A: Use the most recent three years of reported 
commercial landings of queen snapper and/or cardinal snapper to 
determine eligibility.
    Sub-option B: Require the fisher to provide evidence of commercial 
queen snapper and/or cardinal snapper landings for at least three of 
the most recent five years for which landings data are available.
    Sub-option C: Other.
    Option 4: Require the applicant for a commercial permit to harvest 
queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ to provide 
proof of average annual landings of queen snapper and cardinal snapper 
during the specific period of time identified in Option 3.\1\
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    \1\ Choosing Option 4 assumes that Option 3 was first chosen.
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    Sub-option A: Minimum reported average annual landings of x pounds 
whole weight.
    Sub-option B: Minimum reported average annual landings of y pounds 
whole weight.
    Sub-option C: Minimum reported average annual landings of z pounds 
whole weight.
    Option 5: Other/Alternate Eligibility Requirements?
    Action 3: Allowable gear.
    Option 1 (No Action): Do not define allowable gear for commercial 
harvest of queen snapper and cardinal snapper from Puerto Rico EEZ 
waters.
    Option 2: Define the allowable gear for commercial harvest of queen 
snapper and cardinal snapper from Puerto Rico EEZ waters.
    Sub-option A: Manual hook-and-line (no power retrieval).
    Sub-option B: Bandit gear.
    Sub-option C: Other.
    Action 4: Allowable number of fishing trips.
    Option 1 (No Action): Do not specify a maximum number of allowable 
fishing trips per year for commercial harvest of queen snapper and 
cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Option 2: Specify a maximum number of allowable fishing trips per 
year for commercial harvest of queen snapper and cardinal snapper from 
the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Sub-option A: x trips.
    Sub-option B: y trips.
    Sub-option C: z trips.
    Sub-option D: Other.
    Action 5: Commercial trip limits.
    Option 1 (No Action): Do not specify a commercial trip limit for 
queen snapper and cardinal snapper harvested from the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Option 2: Specify a commercial trip limit (in pounds) for queen 
snapper and cardinal snapper harvested from the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Sub-option A: x pounds whole weight.
    Sub-option B: y pounds whole weight.
    Sub-option C: z pounds whole weight.
    Sub-option D: Other.
    Action 6: * Reporting method for fishers commercially permitted to 
harvest queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Option 1 (No Action): Do not establish a method to report landings 
of queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ. PRDNER 
requires commercial catch reporting forms be used to report commercial 
harvest of queen snapper and cardinal snapper from Puerto Rico 
territorial and EEZ waters. Forms can be submitted in-person, by fax, 
or by email.
    Option 2: Require permitted commercial fishers to report landings 
of queen snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ using a 
form specifically designed for this purpose. Forms can be submitted in-
person, by fax, or by email.
    Option 3: Require fishers to record and report landings of queen 
snapper and cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ using an 
electronic methodology. Forms will be submitted electronically via a 
pre-established communications conduit.
    Option 4: Allow fishers reporting landings of queen snapper and 
cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ to choose between the PRDNER 
commercial catch reporting form or an electronic reporting method.
    * Note--Fishers permitted to harvest queen snapper and cardinal 
snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ, who also harvest queen snapper and 
cardinal snapper from territorial waters, would be required to report 
landings from both areas.
    Action 7: Frequency of reporting for fishers permitted to harvest 
queen snapper and cardinal snapper from Puerto Rico EEZ waters.
    Option 1 (No Action): Do not specify a frequency for submitting 
landings reports of queen snapper and cardinal snapper. Puerto Rico 
requires that fishers submit landings reports of commercially harvested 
queen snapper and cardinal snapper from territorial waters within 60 
days of the fishing activity.
    Option 2: Require fishers permitted to harvest queen snapper and 
cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ to submit landings reports 
daily, regardless of fishing activity or lack thereof.
    Option 3: Require fishers permitted to harvest queen snapper and 
cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ to submit landings reports 
within 24 hours following completion of a fishing trip for which queen 
snapper and cardinal snapper were harvested from the Puerto Rico EEZ.
    Option 4: Require fishers permitted to harvest queen snpper and 
cardinal snapper from the Puerto Rico EEZ to submit landings reports 
weekly, regardless of fishing activity or lack thereof.
    Option 5: Other?
    Copy of the Scoping Document can be can be found at the Caribbean 
Council Web site at caribbeanfmc.com.
    Written comments can be sent to the Council not later than November 
30, 2016, by regular mail to the address below, or via email to 
[email protected]

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. For more information or request for sign language 
interpretation and other auxiliary aids, please contact Mr. Miguel A. 
Rol[oacute]n, Executive Director, Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 
270 Mu[ntilde]oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 
00918-1903, telephone (787) 766-5926, at least 5 days prior to the 
meeting date.


[[Page 73061]]


    Dated: October 19, 2016.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-25654 Filed 10-21-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P