[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 32888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14668]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XP001
Pacific Island Fisheries; American Samoa Bottomfish Fishery
Disaster Relief
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental assessment;
request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of a draft environmental
assessment (EA) of the potential effects of two construction projects.
The EA would support the release by NMFS of Congressionally-
appropriated funds for disaster relief in the American Samoa (AS)
bottomfish fishery. The AS Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources
(DMWR) would use the funds to construct a boat ramp and ice house in
Pago Pago Harbor.
DATES: NMFS must receive comments by July 25, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2019-0075, by either of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2019-0075, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Mail: Send written comments to Michael D. Tosatto,
Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp
Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on http://www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 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).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phyllis Ha, Sustainable Fisheries,
NMFS PIR, tel 808-725-5000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 29, 2009, a submarine
earthquake in the Pacific generated a tsunami that caused widespread
damage, loss of life, and injuries in AS and elsewhere. The waves
damaged coastal areas of Tutuila and the other AS islands. After
President Obama declared a major disaster in the Territory of American
Samoa (DR-1859; September 29, 2009), the Governor of American Samoa
sought fishery disaster assistance in accordance with processes
provided in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the Inter-jurisdictional Fisheries Act
(IFA).
Damage assessment reports prepared by the DMWR, the Western Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council), and NMFS documented extensive
damage to the harbor and floating docks in Pago Pago, damaged and
destroyed alia (small fishing vessels), fishing gear, infrastructure,
as well as lost fishing opportunities resulting in reduced food supply
and income from the bottomfish fishery. The formerly productive and
profitable bottomfish fishery was estimated to have lost 80% of its
revenue after the tsunami. The Council reported that 17 vessels (50
percent of the fleet) were damaged or destroyed and lost income was
estimated to be around $200,000. The AS government estimated the value
of the fishery failure to be approximately $5 million.
After considering results of damage assessment reports, the
Secretary of Commerce determined that a commercial fishery failure
occurred for the bottomfish fishery in AS due to a fisheries resource
disaster. The Secretary noted that the tsunami caused significant loss
of access to the fishery resource and revenues declines and the effects
met with criteria in Magnuson-Stevens Act section 312(a) and IFA
section 308(b).
In 2014, Congress appropriated disaster relief funding for NMFS to
provide assistance to AS. DMWR proposes to use these funds to build a
small community boat ramp at the southwestern-most terminus of Pago
Pago Harbor, and a small ice house at the DMWR administrative work
station in Fagatogo (at Pago Pago Harbor). The boat ramp would relieve
boat traffic congestion in the area and result in improved launching
and return of fishing vessels. The ice house would house and protect
ice machines that produce ice used by bottomfish fishermen to maintain
the quality of the fish they harvest.
NMFS has produced a draft EA to evaluate the environmental effects
of building the boat ramp and ice house. The draft EA shows that the
construction includes several provisions intended to protect water
quality in the harbor and prevent large adverse effects on wildlife.
NMFS is seeking public comments on the draft EA.
Dated: July 5, 2019.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-14668 Filed 7-9-19; 8:45 am]
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