[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 150 (Monday, August 5, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 63393-63394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17152]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 223

[Docket No.: 240508-0132]
RIN 0648-BM49


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Protective 
Regulations for the Oceanic Whitetip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus), 
Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Notification of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: We, NMFS, will hold two public hearings related to our 
proposed rule to apply protective regulations to the oceanic whitetip 
shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

DATES: Public hearings on the proposed protective regulations for the 
oceanic whitetip shark will be held on the following dates in the 
evening hours of the affected jurisdictions (Hawai[hairsp][revaps]i, 
Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and 
American Samoa). Times are given in Chamorro Standard Time (ChST), 
Samoa Standard Time (SST), and Hawai[revaps]i Standard Time (HST). 
Addresses for the venue of the in-person hearing and instructions for 
joining the virtual hearing are provided under ADDRESSES below.
     An in-person public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, 
August 20, 2024, at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort, Kailua-Kona, 
Hawai[revaps]i. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. HST, the informational 
meeting will begin at 6 p.m. HST, and the public hearing will begin at 
7 p.m. HST.
     One virtual hearing is scheduled for the following time 
and date:
    [cir] Samoa Standard Time Zone: the informational meeting will 
begin on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 7 p.m. SST, and the public 
hearing will begin at 8 p.m. SST.
    [cir] Hawai[hairsp][hairsp][revaps]i Standard Time Zone: the 
informational meeting will begin on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 8 
p.m. HST, and the public hearing will begin at 9 p.m. HST.
    [cir] Chamorro Standard Time Zone: the informational meeting will 
begin on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 4 p.m. ChST, and the public 
hearing will begin at 5 p.m. ChST.
    Comments on the proposed rule (89 FR 41917, May 14, 2024) must be 
received by September 15, 2024. Comments received after this date may 
not be accepted.

ADDRESSES: The address for the venue of the in-person hearing and 
instructions for joining the virtual hearing are provided below.
     Hawai[hairsp][hairsp][revaps]i Public Hearing: King 
Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort, Kailua-Kona, Hawai[revaps]i, 75-5660 
Palani Road, Kailua-Kona, Hawai[revaps]i 96740.
     Virtual Hearing: This hearing will be conducted as a Webex 
meeting. You may join the Webex meeting using a web browser, the Webex 
desktop app (app installation required), a mobile app on a phone (app 
installation required), or audio-only using just a phone call, as 
specified below.
    [cir] Join the webinar via this link: https://noaanmfs-meets.webex.com/noaanmfs-meets/j.php?MTID=m3850e903d036865917d076acd702d934.
    [cir] Webinar number: 2830 072 6586 Webinar password: fTJBNncM788 
(38526626 when dialing from a phone or video system).
    [cir] Join by phone: +1-415-527-5035 Access code: 283 007 26586.
    You may submit comments verbally or in writing at the public 
hearings, or in writing by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic comments via 
the Federal e- Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and 
enter NOAA- NMFS-2023-0117 in the Search box. Click the ``Comment'' 
icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
     Mail: Adrienne Lohe, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Instructions: You must submit comments by one of the previously 
described methods to ensure that we receive, document, and consider 
them. 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. All comments received are a part of the public record and 
will generally be posted to https://www.regulations.gov without change. 
All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, address, etc.) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required 
fields if you wish to remain anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrienne Lohe, NMFS Office of 
Protected Resources, at [email protected] or 301-427-8442.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On May 14, 2024, we published a proposed rule to issue protective 
regulations under section 4(d) of the ESA for the threatened oceanic 
whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) (89 FR 41917). In that 
notification, we also announced a 60-day public comment period and the 
availability of a draft environmental assessment and an initial 
regulatory flexibility analysis.
    On June 28, 2024, we received a request to extend the public 
comment period and hold public hearings for fishing communities in 
Hawai[revaps]i, the Territories of American Samoa and Guam, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in order to better 
understand the potential impact of the proposed rule and for 
communities to provide comments on the proposed rule. On July 11, 2024, 
we published a Federal Register notification extending the comment 
period until September 15, 2024, and announcing that we would hold one 
or more public hearings on the proposed rule (89 FR 56847).

[[Page 63394]]

    The proposed rule and other materials prepared in support of this 
action are available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/proposed-protective-regulations-oceanic-whitetip-shark.

Public Hearings

    One public hearing will be conducted in-person and one hearing will 
be conducted online as a Webex meeting, as specified in ADDRESSES 
above. The hearings will begin with a brief presentation by NMFS that 
gives an overview of the proposed protective regulations for the 
oceanic whitetip shark under section 4(d) of the ESA. After the 
presentation but before public comments, there will be a question and 
answer session during which members of the public may ask NMFS staff 
clarifying questions about the proposed protective regulations. 
Following the question and answer session, members of the public will 
have the opportunity to provide oral comments on the record regarding 
the proposed protective regulations. Members of the public will also 
have the opportunity to submit written comments at the hearings. 
Written comments may also be submitted at any time during the relevant 
public comment period as described above (see DATES and ADDRESSES). All 
oral comments will be recorded, transcribed, and added to the public 
comment record for this proposed rule.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: July 30, 2024.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-17152 Filed 8-2-24; 8:45 am]
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