[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14096-14097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06957]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG932


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Comprehensive Fishery Management Plans for the Exclusive Economic Zones 
of Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, St. Croix

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

ACTION: Notice; Withdrawal of notice of intent to prepare draft 
environmental impact statements (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The NMFS Southeast Region, in collaboration with the Caribbean 
Fishery Management Council (Council), is preparing a draft EA in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for each 
of the following fishery management plans (FMP): The Comprehensive FMP 
for the Puerto Rico Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (Puerto Rico FMP), 
the Comprehensive FMP for the St. Thomas/St. John EEZ (St. Thomas/St. 
John FMP), and the Comprehensive FMP for the St. Croix EEZ (St. Croix 
FMP). The respective plans would transition the management of Federal 
fisheries in the U.S. Caribbean EEZ from a species-based approach to an 
island-based approach. This notice is intended to inform the public of 
the change from the preparation of a draft EIS to a draft environmental 
assessment (EA) for each FMP.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Stephenson, NMFS Southeast 
Regional Office, telephone: 727-824-5305; or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Currently, the Council manages Federal 
fisheries in the U.S. Caribbean under four species-based FMPs: The FMP 
for the Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands 
(USVI) (Reef Fish FMP); the FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto 
Rico and the USVI (Spiny Lobster FMP); the FMP for the Queen Conch 
Resources of Puerto Rico and the USVI (Queen Conch FMP); and the FMP 
for Corals and Reef Associated Plants and Invertebrates of Puerto Rico 
and the USVI (Coral FMP). The fishers, fishing community 
representatives, and the local governments of Puerto Rico and the USVI 
requested that the Council consider the differences between the islands 
or island groups when addressing fisheries management in the U.S. 
Caribbean EEZ to recognize the unique attributes of each U.S. Caribbean 
island. By developing island-based FMPs, NMFS and the Council would 
better account for differences among the U.S. Caribbean islands with 
respect to culture, markets, gear, seafood preferences, and the 
ecological impacts that result from these differences.
    At its March 2013 meeting, the Council began the process of 
developing island-based FMPs. The Council preliminarily determined to 
proceed with FMPs applicable to three U.S. Caribbean EEZ management 
areas: (1) Puerto Rico; (2) St. Thomas/St. John, USVI; and (3) St. 
Croix, USVI. If approved, a comprehensive FMP for each of the 
identified island management areas would replace the existing species-
based FMPs. This change in U.S. Caribbean fishery management strategy 
provides a means to increase the flexibility of fisheries management to 
the individual characteristics of each of the island management areas.
    On June 6, 2013, NMFS published in the Federal Register a notice of 
intent (NOI) to prepare a draft EIS for each of the three proposed 
island-based FMPs, the Puerto Rico FMP (78 FR 34041), St. Thomas/St. 
John FMP (78 FR 34042), and St. Croix FMP (78 FR 34044). Supplemental 
NOIs were subsequently published on March 11, 2014, and May 12, 2014, 
for the Puerto Rico FMP (79 FR 13624 and 79 FR 26946), on March 12, 
2014, and May 12, 2014, for the St. Thomas/St. John FMP (79 FR 13988 
and 79 FR 26949), and on March 10, 2014, and May 12, 2014, for the St. 
Croix FMP (79 FR 13280 and 79 FR 26947). The supplemental NOIs 
announced additional opportunity for public comment.
    Developing and implementing the Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, 
and St. Croix FMPs would transition Federal management in the U.S. 
Caribbean EEZ from a species-based approach to an island-based 
approach. Each FMP would incorporate and replace those components of 
the Caribbean-wide Reef Fish, Spiny Lobster, Queen Conch, and Coral 
FMPs that pertain to the EEZ

[[Page 14097]]

surrounding the respective island(s). For each FMP, the actions 
considered would incorporate existing management measures such as 
seasonal and area closures and revise other measures such as the 
species to be managed, stock/stock complex composition, management 
reference points, accountability measures, description of essential 
fish habitat for stocks new to Federal management, and updated 
framework procedures, as deemed necessary by the Council.
    NMFS has reassessed the actions in each FMP relative to NEPA and 
its requirements and has preliminarily determined that the proposed 
actions would not significantly affect the quality of the human 
environment and that draft EISs were not required. As a result of this 
determination, NMFS, in collaboration with the Council, will develop a 
draft EA for each new FMP rather than proceeding with the development 
of draft EISs. The Council held public hearings to discuss the actions 
included in each FMP in Puerto Rico on April 1-3, 2019, in St. Thomas 
on April 3, 2019, and in St. Croix on April 4, 2019 (84 FR 9099, March 
13, 2019), and will also take public comment on the document at the 
April 2019 Council meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Exact dates, 
times, and locations of any future public hearings will be announced by 
the Council and will be posted to their website at: https://www.caribbeanfmc.com/meeting-documents.
    NMFS will announce, through a document published in the Federal 
Register, all public comment periods on the final FMPs, their proposed 
implementing regulations, and the availability of the associated EAs. 
NMFS will consider all public comments received, whether they are on 
the final FMP, the proposed regulations, or the EA, prior to final 
agency action.

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

    Dated: April 3, 2019.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-06957 Filed 4-8-19; 8:45 am]
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