Federal Register/Vol. 85, No. 27/Monday, February 10, 2020
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules 7521 voluntarily by the sender will be ACTION: Proposed rule; request for SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS and publicly accessible. NMFS will accept comments. the Western Pacific Fishery anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in Management Council (Council) manage the required fields if you wish to remain SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to implement fisheries in the U.S. Exclusive Economic anonymous). main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) annual Zone (EEZ, or Federal waters) around Copies of Amendment 6, and of the catch limits (ACLs) and accountability the U.S. Pacific Islands under Environmental Assessment (EA), are measures (AMs) for deepwater shrimp, archipelagic fishery ecosystem plans available from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery precious corals, and gray jobfish (uku) (FEPs) for American Samoa, Hawaii, the Management Council, 800 North State in 2019–2021, and for Kona crab in Pacific Remote Islands, and the Mariana 2019. The proposed ACLs and AMs Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901. Archipelago (Guam and the CNMI). A support the long-term sustainability of The EA and Regulatory Impact fifth FEP covers pelagic fisheries. The Pacific Island fisheries. Review are also accessible via the Council developed the FEPs, and NMFS internet at: http://www.mafmc.org/ DATES: NMFS must receive comments implemented them under the authority actions/blueline-tilefish. by March 2, 2020. of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery ADDRESSES: You may submit comments FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Conservation and Management Act on the proposed rule, identified by Laura Hansen, Fishery Management (Magnuson-Stevens Act), with NOAA–NMFS–2019–0124, by either of Specialist, 978–281–9225. regulations at Title 50 Code of Federal the following methods: Regulations, Part 665 (50 CFR 665). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On • Electronic Submission: Submit all January 29, 2020, we published a rule electronic public comments via the Each FEP contains a process for the proposing to implement permitting and Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to Council and NMFS to specify ACLs and reporting for private recreational tilefish http://www.regulations.gov/ AMs; that process is codified at 50 CFR vessels (85 FR 5186). The proposed rule #!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2019- 665.4. NMFS must specify an ACL and included errors in the comment 1024, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, AM(s) for each stock and stock complex identifier and the link to the comment complete the required fields, and enter of management unit species (MUS) in an portal. The corrections have been made or attach your comments. FEP, as recommended by the Council in the ADDRESSES section of this • Mail: Send written comments to and considering the best available document. Michael D. Tosatto, Regional scientific, commercial, and other information about the fishery. If a Dated: February 4, 2020. Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands fishery exceeds an ACL, the regulations Samuel D. Rauch III, Regional Office (PIRO), 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818. require the Council to take action, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Instructions: NMFS may not consider which may include reducing the ACL Regulatory Programs, National Marine for the subsequent fishing year by the Fisheries Service. comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or amount of the overage, or other [FR Doc. 2020–02538 Filed 2–7–20; 8:45 am] received after the end of the comment appropriate action. BILLING CODE 3510–22–P period. All comments received are a NMFS proposes to implement ACLs part of the public record and will and AMs for MHI deepwater shrimp, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE generally be posted for public viewing precious corals, and uku for 2019–2021, on www.regulations.gov without change. and for Kona crab for 2019 (see Table 1). National Oceanic and Atmospheric All personal identifying information The proposed rule is consistent with Administration (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential recommendations made by the Council business information, or otherwise at its October 2017 and October 2018 50 CFR Part 665 sensitive information submitted meetings. The Council recommended voluntarily by the sender will be that NMFS implement ACLs and AMs publicly accessible. NMFS will accept [Docket No. 200204–0045] for 2019, 2020, and 2021 for all stocks, anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in except for MHI Kona crab, which they the required fields if you wish to remain recommended that NMFS implement an RIN 0648–BJ41 anonymous). ACL and AM only for 2019 because a NMFS prepared environmental Pacific Island Fisheries; 2019–2021 new stock assessment is available to analyses that describe potential impacts support ACL recommendations for this Annual Catch Limits and on the human environment. These Accountability Measures stock for 2020 and beyond. The fishing analyses are available at year for each fishery begins on January AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries www.regulations.gov. 1 and ends on December 31, except for Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: precious coral fisheries, which begin Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Brett Schumacher, NMFS PIRO July 1 and end on June 30 of the next Commerce. Sustainable Fisheries, 808–725–5185. year. TABLE 1—PROPOSED ACLS FOR STOCKS IN THIS PROPOSED RULE ACL Stock (lb) Year(s) Deepwater shrimp .................................................................................................................................................... 250,773 2019–2021 Kona crab ................................................................................................................................................................ 3,500 2019 Uku ........................................................................................................................................................................... 127,205 2019–2021 Auau Channel—Black coral ..................................................................................................................................... 5,512 2019–2021 Makapuu Bed—Pink and red coral ......................................................................................................................... 2,205 2019–2021 Makapuu Bed—Bamboo coral ................................................................................................................................. 551 2019–2021 180 Fathom Bank—Pink and red coral ................................................................................................................... 489 2019–2021 180 Fathom Bank—Bamboo coral .......................................................................................................................... 123 2019–2021 VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:29 Feb 07, 2020 Jkt 250001 PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM 10FEP1 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS 7522 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules TABLE 1—PROPOSED ACLS FOR STOCKS IN THIS PROPOSED RULE—Continued ACL Stock (lb) Year(s) Brooks Bank—Pink and red coral ........................................................................................................................... 979 2019–2021 Brooks Bank—Bamboo coral .................................................................................................................................. 245 2019–2021 Kaena Point Bed—Pink and red coral .................................................................................................................... 148 2019–2021 Kaena Point Bed—Bamboo coral ............................................................................................................................ 37 2019–2021 Keahole Bed—Pink and red coral ........................................................................................................................... 148 2019–2021 Keahole Bed—Bamboo coral .................................................................................................................................. 37 2019–2021 Hawaii Exploratory Area—precious corals .............................................................................................................. 2,205 2019–2021 As an AM for each stock, NMFS and MUS as ECS, which do not require In this proposed rule, NMFS is not the Council would evaluate the catch ACLs and AMs. The proposed action is proposing ACLs for MUS that are after each fishing year to determine if the first time that ACLs and AMs would currently subject to Federal fishing the average catch of the three most be implemented for uku as a single- moratoria or prohibitions. These MUS recent years exceeded its ACL. If it did, species stock. include all species of gold coral (83 FR the Council would recommend a Overall, NMFS does not expect the 27716, June 14, 2018), the three Hawaii reduction of the ACL of that fishery in proposed rule to result in a significant seamount groundfish (pelagic the subsequent year equal to the amount change in fishing operations to any armorhead, alfonsin, and raftfish) (84 FR of the overage. In the event that NMFS fishery, or other change that would 2767, February 8, 2019), and deepwater needs to reduce an ACL because a result in any fishery having significant precious corals at the Westpac Bed fishery exceeded its ACL, we would environmental impacts. These fisheries Refugia (75 FR 2198, January 14, 2010). implement that AM through a separate have not caught their specified ACLs in Prohibitions on fishing