[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 153 (Thursday, August 8, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38918-38919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-16996]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 635

[Docket No. 190214111-9513-01]
RIN 0648-BI51


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna 
Fisheries; Pelagic Longline Fishery Management; Correction

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; correction.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service is correcting an error 
in the alternatives section of a proposed rule that published on July 
12, 2019. In that proposed rule, NMFS proposes to adjust regulatory 
measures that reduce bluefin tuna bycatch in the pelagic longline 
fishery for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS). The preferred 
alternative for the Spring Gulf of Mexico Gear Restricted Area includes 
an evaluation period to determine whether current area-based management 
measures remain necessary to reduce and/or maintain low numbers of 
bluefin tuna discards and interactions in the pelagic longline fishery. 
The description of this alternative included two timing errors, one 
about the evaluation period and one about the applicable months for 
actions within the alternative. This action corrects the errors.

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule must be submitted on or before 
September 30, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2018-0035, by any one of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2018-0035, click the 
``Comment Now'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach 
your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Craig Cockrell, NMFS/SF1, 
1315 East-West Highway, National Marine Fisheries Service, SSMC3, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Instructions: Please include the identifier NOAA-NMFS-2018-0035 
when submitting comments. Comments sent by any other method, to any 
other address or individual, or received after the close of the comment 
period, may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part 
of the public record and generally will be posted 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). 
Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Cudney, 727-824-5399 or Craig 
Cockrell, 301-427-8503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Need for Correction

    On July 12, 2019, NMFS published a proposed rule in the Federal 
Register (84 FR 33205) that would adjust regulatory measures put in 
place to reduce bluefin tuna bycatch in the pelagic longline fishery 
for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS). Specifically, the proposed 
measures address the Northeastern United States Closed Area, the Cape 
Hatteras Gear Restricted Area, and the Spring Gulf of Mexico Gear 
Restricted Area as well as the weak hook requirement in the Gulf of 
Mexico. As described in the proposed rule, the preferred alternative 
for the Spring Gulf of Mexico Gear Restricted Area included an 
evaluation period to determine whether the current area-based 
management measure remains necessary to reduce and/or maintain low 
numbers of bluefin tuna discards and interactions in the pelagic 
longline fishery. The description of this alternative cited both 
incorrect timing for the three-year evaluation period and incorrect 
timing for the months during which the pelagic longline fishery would 
be allowed to fish within a previously closed area under specific 
conditions. Corrections are necessary to provide an accurate 
description of this preferred alternative, which will be useful to the 
public as they prepare comment on the proposed rule.
    The proposed rule provides a summary of how the Spring Gulf of 
Mexico Gear Restricted Area would be managed under the preferred 
alternative, appearing in bullet form on page 33208 of the Federal 
Register. The sentence preceding the bullets states that ``This 
alternative would have a three-year evaluation period (January 1, 2010 
through December 31, 2022) for the Monitoring Area . . .''. The 
parenthetical is incorrect and should instead read that the three-year 
evaluation period would be from ``(January 1, 2020 through December 31, 
2022).'' The first bullet under this sentence incorrectly states that 
``The Monitoring Area would initially remain open to pelagic longline 
fishing from June 1 through June 30''. This bullet should instead note 
that the Monitoring Area would initially remain open to pelagic 
longline fishing from April 1 through May 31. The fourth bullet under 
this sentence states that ``On or after the effective date of the 
notice, the Monitoring Area would be closed to pelagic longline fishing 
each year from June 1 through June 30, unless NMFS takes further 
action.'' This bullet should instead state that ``On or after the 
effective date of the notice, the Monitoring Area would be closed to 
pelagic longline fishing each year from April 1 through May 31, unless 
NMFS takes further action,'' to correct the dates.
    The same corrections need to be made in the IRFA that was prepared 
to meet requirements of Section 603 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 
(RFA). Column 3 of page 33212 of the Federal Register provides a 
summary of how the Spring Gulf of Mexico Gear Restricted Area would be 
managed under the preferred alternative in bullet form. The sentence 
preceding the bullets states that ``This alternative would have a 
three-year evaluation period (January 1, 2010 through December 31, 
2022) for the Monitoring Area . . .''. The parenthetical is incorrect 
and should instead read that the three-year evaluation period would be 
from ``(January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022).'' The first bullet 
under this sentence incorrectly states that ``The Monitoring Area would 
initially remain open to pelagic longline fishing from June 1 through 
June 30''. This bullet should instead note that the Monitoring Area 
would initially remain open to pelagic longline fishing from April 1 
through May 31. The fourth bullet under this sentence states that ``On 
or after the effective date of the notice, the Monitoring Area would be 
closed to pelagic longline fishing each year from June 1 through June 
30, unless NMFS takes further action.'' This bullet should instead 
state that ``On or after the effective date of the notice, the 
Monitoring Area would be closed to pelagic longline fishing each year 
from April 1 through May 31, unless NMFS

[[Page 38919]]

takes further action,'' to correct the dates.

    Dated: August 5, 2019.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-16996 Filed 8-7-19; 8:45 am]
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