[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]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P