[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 43 (Monday, March 5, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9257-9258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04351]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

RIN 0648-XF559


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Essential 
Fish Habitat Amendments

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

ACTION: Notification of availability of fishery management plan 
amendments; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
submitted Amendment 115 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for 
Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, 
Amendment 105 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska, 
Amendment 49 to the FMP for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner 
Crabs, Amendment 13 to the FMP for the Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ Off 
Alaska, and Amendment 2 to the FMP for Fish Resources of the Arctic 
Management Area, (collectively Amendments) to the Secretary of Commerce 
for review. If approved, these Amendments would revise the FMPs by 
updating the description and identification of essential fish habitat 
(EFH), and updating information on adverse impacts to EFH based on the 
best scientific information available. This action is intended to 
promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, the FMPs, and other applicable laws.

DATES: Comments on the amendments must be submitted on or before May 4, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2017-
0087, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2017-0087, click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, 
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Glenn Merrill, Assistant 
Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region 
NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 
AK 99802-1668.
    Instructions: NMFS may not consider comments if they are sent by 
any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after 
the comment period ends. All comments received are a part of the public 
record,

[[Page 9258]]

and NMFS will post the comments for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address), 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).
    Electronic copies of the Amendments, maps of the EFH areas, the 
Environmental Assessment (the analysis), and the Final EFH five-year 
Summary Report prepared for this action may be obtained from 
www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Mackey, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that each regional 
fishery management council submit any FMP amendment it prepares to NMFS 
for review and approval, disapproval, or partial approval by the 
Secretary of Commerce. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that 
NMFS, upon receiving a FMP amendment, immediately publish a notice in 
the Federal Register announcing that the amendment is available for 
public review and comment. This notice announces that Amendment 115 to 
the FMP for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
Management Area (BSAI Groundfish FMP); Amendment 105 to the FMP for 
Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA Groundfish FMP); Amendment 49 to 
the FMP for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (Crab 
FMP); Amendment 13 to the FMP for the Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ Off 
Alaska (Salmon FMP); and Amendment 2 to the FMP for Fish Resources of 
the Arctic Management Area (Arctic FMP) are available for public review 
and comment.
    The Council prepared the FMPs under the authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Regulations governing U.S. 
fisheries and implementing the FMPs appear at 50 CFR parts 600, 679, 
and 680. Section 303(a)(7) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that 
each FMP describe and identify EFH, minimize to the extent practicable 
the adverse effects of fishing on EFH, and identify other measures to 
promote the conservation and enhancement of EFH. The Magnuson-Stevens 
Act defines EFH as those waters and substrate necessary to fish for 
spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity. Implementing 
regulations at Sec.  600.815 list the EFH contents required in each 
fishery management plan and direct councils to conduct a complete 
review of all EFH information at least once every five years (referred 
to here as ``the 5-year review'').
    The Council developed the Amendments as a result of a new 
information available through the 5-year review that began in 2014 
(2015 5-year review) and adopted the Amendments in April 2017. The 2015 
5-year review is the Council's third review of EFH in the FMPs. Prior 
5-year reviews were conducted in 2005 and 2010. The Council recommended 
amendments to the description and identification of EFH in the FMPs 
with new information and improved mapping as described in the Final EFH 
5-year Summary Report for the 2015 5-year review (Summary Report, see 
ADDRESSES). The Council also recommended updates to EFH information 
based on the best available information in the Summary Report (see 
ADDRESSES). The Council recommended updates to EFH for all FMPs except 
for the Scallop FMP because no new information is available to update 
EFH descriptions for scallops.
    The Amendments would make the following changes to the FMPs:
     Amendment 115 to the BSAI Groundfish FMP and Amendment 105 
to the GOA Groundfish FMP (Amendments 115/105) would update the EFH 
descriptions for all managed species and update the identification of 
EFH for those managed species for which new population density or 
habitat suitability information is available. Sections 4.2.1 and 5.2.1 
of the Environmental Assessment (see ADDRESSES) describe which EFH 
updates would be made for each species and life stage. Amendments 115/
105 would also update information in Appendix F on adverse impacts to 
EFH based on the best scientific information available in the Summary 
Report (see ADDRESSES).
     Amendment 49 to the Crab FMP would update the EFH 
descriptions for all managed species and update the identification of 
EFH for those managed species for which new population density or 
habitat suitability information is available. Section 6.2.1 of the 
Environmental Assessment (See ADDRESSES) describes which EFH updates 
would be made for each species and life stage. Amendment 49 would also 
update information in Appendix F on adverse impacts to EFH based on the 
best scientific information available in the Summary Report (see 
ADDRESSES).
     Amendment 13 to the Salmon FMP would replace Appendix A, 
``Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern 
(HAPC),'' with a new Appendix A based on the best available information 
in the Summary Report (see ADDRESSES). Amendment 13 to the Salmon FMP 
would update the marine EFH descriptions for all salmon species and 
update the identification of marine EFH for each species and life stage 
for which new population density or habitat suitability information is 
available. Section 7.2.1 of the Environmental Assessment (see 
ADDRESSES) describes which EFH updates would be made for each species 
and life stage. Amendment 13 would also update information in Appendix 
A on adverse impacts to EFH based on the best scientific information 
available in the Summary Report (see ADDRESSES).
     Amendment 2 to the Arctic FMP would update the EFH 
descriptions for all managed species for which new information is 
available, and update the identification of EFH for snow crab. Section 
8.2.1 of the Environmental Assessment (See ADDRESSES) describes which 
EFH updates would be made for each species and life stage. Amendment 2 
would also update information in Appendix C on adverse impacts to EFH 
based on the best scientific information available in the Summary 
Report (see ADDRESSES).
    NMFS is soliciting public comments on the Amendments through the 
end of the comment period (see DATES). All relevant written comments 
received by the end of the applicable comment period will be considered 
by NMFS in the approval/disapproval decision for the Amendments and 
addressed in the response to comments in the final decision. Comments 
received after end of the applicable comment period will not be 
considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the Amendments. To 
be considered, comments must be received, not just postmarked or 
otherwise transmitted, by the last day of the comment period (see 
DATES).

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

    Dated: February 27, 2018.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-04351 Filed 3-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P