[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 61 (Thursday, March 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13478-13479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06314]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG018


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder, 
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Scoping Process

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

ACTION: Supplemental notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has been preparing 
an amendment to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery 
Management Plan, known as the ``Comprehensive Summer Flounder 
Amendment,'' to modify aspects of the fishery management plan related 
to summer flounder commercial and recreational management. To avoid 
delaying the amendment while waiting for updated recreational 
information, the Council is now splitting several issues within this 
original action, including fishery management plan goals and 
objectives, commercial allocation, commercial moratorium permits, and 
commercial framework provisions into a separate action that will 
continue to be developed as an EIS. The Council is taking comments on 
this modified action, which is now being referred to as the ``Summer 
Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment.'' Following completion of this 
``Commercial Issues'' amendment, the Council may then develop at least 
one future action relating to recreational fishery issues and 
commercial/recreational allocation to incorporate updated recreational 
fishery data when it becomes available later this year. The purpose of 
this notification is to alert and seek comment from the public about 
the Council's consideration of splitting this amendment, by delaying 
some issues to be pursued via later actions.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 30, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]; Include ``Summer 
Flounder Amendment Scoping Comments'' in the subject line;
     Mail: Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director, 
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. State Street, Suite 
201, Dover, DE 19901.
     Fax: (302) 674-5399.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, telephone: (302) 
526-5255.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 16, 2014, an NOI was published 
in the Federal Register (79 FR 55432) announcing the Council's intent 
to prepare an EIS for a broad management action addressing several 
categories of summer flounder issues in the Summer Flounder, Scup, and 
Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Council initiated 
this Comprehensive Summer Flounder Amendment jointly with the Atlantic 
States Marine Fisheries Commission to review all aspects of the FMP 
related to summer flounder. The amendment was intended to consider 
updating the goals and objectives of the FMP as related to summer 
flounder, revising the allocation between the commercial and 
recreational sector, and modifying many management strategies and 
requirements for both commercial and recreational fisheries for summer 
flounder. Since publication of the original NOI, the Council has 
delayed development of recreational fishery issues and recreational/
commercial allocation and narrowed the remaining range of issues to a 
more focused list of priority topics.
    The primary driver of this proposed split is the ongoing revisions 
to recreational data by the Marine Recreational Information Program 
(MRIP), which are expected to substantially change the current 
understanding of recreational catch and landings. Due to these changes, 
the Council and Commission chose to delay development of any issues 
that would rely heavily on recreational data, including quota 
allocation between the commercial and recreational sectors, as well as 
recreational management measures and strategies. If this action

[[Page 13479]]

was not split, the Council and Commission would either need to wait for 
revised MRIP data to become available to begin analysis of 
recreational-related alternatives, or begin analysis with the current 
data and later revise substantial portions of the document once new 
MRIP data became available. Because substantial progress has been made 
on development of alternatives for commercial issues, the Council and 
Commission have proposed splitting the action in order to more quickly 
complete the revisions to the commercial issues and FMP objectives 
without letting these issues become delayed by recreational data 
revisions.
    The purpose of this revised amendment is to consider revisions to 
the current qualification criteria for Federal moratorium permit 
holders, the current allocation of commercial quota, and the current 
list of frameworkable items in the FMP (i.e., including a provision for 
commercial landings flexibility). In addition, the purpose of the 
action is to revise the FMP goals and objectives for summer flounder 
only. An EIS will be prepared for this action. The Council believes 
that the measures have separate utility, a clearly unique purpose and 
need, and are not directly linked to the remaining measures from the 
original amendment proposed to be pursued in a future action.
    The Council and Commission intend to initiate a separate action or 
actions once revised MRIP data become available. This future action is 
expected to consider revisions to the allocation between the commercial 
and recreational sectors for summer flounder, as well as several 
recreational fishery issues. General categories of recreational issues 
previously identified for evaluation include: Recreational process, 
conservation equivalency framework, and recreational allocations; 
recreational sector separation (for-hire and/or private mode); 
alternative recreational strategies (allow for alternatives to minimum 
size, bag limit, and season restrictions; e.g., slot limits); 
recreational gear requirements or restrictions; and recreational data 
collection requirements and protocols.

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

    Dated: March 23, 2018.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-06314 Filed 3-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P