[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 37 (Monday, February 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5993-5994]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03199]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE308


Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
Provisions; Small-Mesh Multispecies Fishery; Notice of Intent To 
Withdraw Existing Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Amendment 22 
to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

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

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal.

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[[Page 5994]]

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council initiated 
development of Amendment 22 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan, which considered limited access alternatives for the 
small-mesh multispecies fishery, in 2015. At its December 2018 meeting, 
the Council voted to take no action on any of the limited access 
alternatives analyzed in the draft amendment and draft environmental 
impact statement. With this decision the Council and the National 
Marine Fisheries Service have completed all the necessary work on this 
action and hereby withdraw the draft environmental impact statement 
from further consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Burns, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
978-281-9144, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The small-mesh multispecies complex consists of five stocks: 
Northern silver hake, southern silver hake, and offshore hake, all 
collectively referred to as whiting; along with northern and southern 
red hake. The New England Fishery Management Council manages these 
stocks as part of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP). Fishermen targeting whiting and red hake use small-mesh trawl 
gear, authorized by multiple exemptions to the Northeast multispecies 
(also called groundfish) regulations. The small-mesh multispecies 
fishery is open access, meaning any vessel may obtain a permit to fish 
with small-mesh gear to target whiting and red hake.
    Based on specifications recommended by the Council, NMFS sets 
annual catch levels for each of the small-mesh multispecies stocks. The 
fishery routinely harvests only a small fraction of the allowable 
silver hake landings each year, due to high bycatch levels of red hake 
that reduce the possession limits to incidental levels when harvest 
levels reach a certain percentage of the red hake annual catch limits. 
All whiting and northern red hake stocks are healthy; southern red hake 
is overfished and experiencing overfishing.
    The Council expressed concerns that the fishery could become 
overcapitalized if it remains open access. In response, the Council 
developed Amendment 22 to the FMP. The amendment considered multiple 
alternatives for a limited access program, including various options 
for possession limits and permit conditions, contingent upon the 
selection of one of the limited access alternatives. The Council's 
preferred alternative prior to public hearings was to maintain open 
access, which it ultimately selected when it took final action on the 
draft Amendment on December 4, 2018.
    Amendment 22 included a draft environmental impact statement 
(DEIS), which analyzed the impacts of the various management 
alternatives. At the recommendation of the Council, NMFS published a 
Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement on 
November 23, 2015 (80 FR 72951). In July 2018, the Council hosted a 
series of public hearings and solicited comments on the DEIS and 
amendment. Along with the DEIS, the Council prepared a separate public 
hearing document to summarize the impacts of alternatives, which 
included the estimated number of vessels that would qualify under each 
limited access alternative. After the public hearings, but prior to 
final action, the Council discovered a discrepancy between the numbers 
in the public hearing document and the DEIS, prompting the Council to 
announce a second comment period during October and November 2018, 
which included an informational webinar.
    The majority of the comments received on the issue favored the no 
action/preferred alternative. The commenters argued that keeping the 
fishery open access would allow more flexibility for fishermen who may 
have few other options given the limited access approach to many 
fisheries in the Northeast. After careful consideration of the public 
comments received and extensive examination of the alternatives 
analyzed in the DEIS and draft amendment, the Council voted to maintain 
status quo and take no action to limit access to the small-mesh 
multispecies fishery. Consequently, we are informing the public that 
the work on this action is complete and the DEIS is withdrawn from 
further consideration.

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

    Dated: February 20, 2019.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-03199 Filed 2-22-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P