[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 28, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 46035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11538]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[RTID 0648-XD481]


Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species 
Fisheries; Amendment 21 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery 
Management Plan

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

ACTION: Notice of agency decision of an amendment to a fishery 
management plan.

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SUMMARY: On May 20, 2024, the Regional Administrator of NMFS West Coast 
Region, with the concurrence of the Assistant Administrator for NMFS, 
approved amendment 21 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management 
Plan (CPS FMP). Amendment 21 implements a number of non-substantive, 
administrative changes to the CPS FMP including defining acronyms upon 
first use, adding hyperlinks, removing repetitive language, and 
rearranging sections for clarity and logical sequence. These changes, 
colloquially referred to as ``housekeeping'' changes, do not change the 
management of the fishery. This amendment is intended to promote the 
goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, the CPS FMP, and other applicable laws.

DATES: Amendment 21 was approved on May 20, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Taylor Debevec, Sustainable Fisheries 
Division, NMFS, (562) 980-4066, [email protected] or Jessi 
Doerpinghaus, Staff Officer, Pacific Fishery Management Council, (503) 
820-2415, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CPS fishery in the U.S. exclusive 
economic zone off the West Coast is managed under the CPS FMP. The 
Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) developed the CPS FMP 
pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The Secretary of 
Commerce approved the CPS FMP and implemented the provisions of the 
plan through regulations at 50 CFR part 660, subpart I. Species managed 
under the CPS FMP include Pacific sardine, Pacific mackerel, jack 
mackerel, northern anchovy, market squid, and krill.
    The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires each regional fishery management 
council to submit any amendment to an FMP to NMFS for review and 
approval, disapproval, or partial approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act 
also requires that NMFS, upon receiving an amendment to an FMP, 
immediately publish notification in the Federal Register that the 
amendment is available for public review and comment. NMFS published a 
notice of availability (NOA) of amendment 21 on February 20, 2024 (89 
FR 12810) with a comment period ending on April 22, 2024. NMFS received 
no public comments on the NOA and approved the amendment on May 20, 
2024, with no changes to the proposed amendment text.
    Amendment 21, colloquially referred to as a ``housekeeping'' 
amendment, made edits to the CPS FMP as amendment document for clarity 
and content and made no changes to the management of CPS fisheries. In 
addition to minor editorial clarifications in the FMP, most of the 
proposed changes fall into the following categories: abbreviations and 
acronyms, hyperlinks, chub mackerel, headings and structure, and 
organizational terminology.
    Additional background on this amendment can be found in the NOA. A 
complete list of the changes in amendment 21 to the CPS FMP is 
available on the Council website at https://www.pcouncil.org/actions/housekeeping-fmp-amendment/.

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

    Dated: May 21, 2024.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-11538 Filed 5-24-24; 8:45 am]
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