[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 14416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03890]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[RTID 0648-XD471]


Fisheries Off West Coast States; West Coast Salmon Fisheries; 
Amendment 24 to the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan

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

ACTION: Notice of agency decision.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the approval of amendment 24 to the Pacific 
Salmon Fishery Management Plan (Salmon FMP). The intent of amendment 24 
is to clarify the technical process for reviewing updates to the models 
used to determine the Chinook salmon abundance threshold that may 
trigger additional management measures to limit the impact of ocean 
salmon fisheries on Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW). The whales 
are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Chinook salmon, 
some of which are listed as threatened under the ESA, are their 
preferred prey. This action is administrative in nature and does not 
change the formula for calculating the threshold or the fishery 
management responses currently described in the Salmon FMP.

DATES: The amendment was approved on February 21, 2024.

ADDRESSES: The amended Salmon FMP is available on the Pacific Fishery 
Management Council's (Council) website (https://www.pcouncil.org).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Penna at 562-980-4239, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The ocean salmon fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) (3-
200 nautical miles; 5.6-370.4 kilometers) seaward of Washington, 
Oregon, and California are managed under the Salmon FMP. Amendment 24 
to the Salmon FMP will clarify the process for review of updates to the 
models used to determine the Chinook salmon abundance threshold, and 
the recalculation of the threshold value based on updated model 
information, by revising Section 6.6.8 of the Salmon FMP. The revised 
text will not change the approach used to calculate the threshold. 
Amendment 24 also includes some minor housekeeping edits, such as 
updates to references and correction of a species name.
    The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) 
requires that each regional fishery management council submit any 
fishery management plan (FMP) or plan amendment it prepares to NMFS for 
review and approval, disapproval, or partial approval by the Secretary 
of Commerce (Secretary) (MSA 304(a)). The MSA also requires that NMFS, 
upon receiving an FMP or plan amendment, immediately publish a notice 
that the FMP or plan amendment is available for public review and 
comment.
    The Notice of Availability (NOA) for amendment 24 was published in 
the Federal Register on November 27, 2023 (88 FR 82819), with a 60-day 
comment period that ended on January 26, 2024.
    NMFS determined that amendment 24 is consistent with the MSA and 
other applicable laws, and the Secretary of Commerce approved amendment 
24 on February 21, 2024. The November 27, 2023, NOA contains additional 
information on this action. Amendment 24 will be implemented through 
the annual salmon management measures; no changes to existing Federal 
regulations are necessary.

Public Comment

    We received one comment from the public in support of amendment 24.

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

    Dated: February 21, 2024.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-03890 Filed 2-26-24; 8:45 am]
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