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Mariana Archipelago DRAFT Amendment 3 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Mariana Archipelago Amendment 2 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Pacific Remote Island Areas Amendment 3 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for American Samoa Amendment 6 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Fishery Management in the Marianas Trench, Pacific Remote Islands, and Rose Atoll Marine National Monuments including an Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review RIN 0648-BA98 January 25, 2013 Responsible Agency: Responsible Council: Michael D. Tosatto Kitty M. Simonds Regional Administrator Executive Director Pacific Islands Regional Office Western Pacific Fishery National Marine Fisheries Service Management Council 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400 Honolulu, HI 96814 Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 944-2200 (808) 522-8220 Abstract Presidential Proclamations 8335, 8336 and 8337, dated January 6, 2009, established the Marianas Trench, Pacific Remote Islands, and Rose Atoll Marine National Monuments, respectively. Among other provisions, the Proclamations define Monument boundaries, prohibit commercial fishing, and describe the management of fishery resources. The Proclamations direct the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, to take action under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) to regulate fisheries and ensure proper care and management of the Monuments. The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) recommended incorporating certain fishery management measures into the western Pacific Pelagics, American Samoa, Pacific Remote Island Areas, and the Mariana Islands fishery ecosystem plans (FEPs), and recommended that the Secretary of Commerce establish certain provisions relating to non-commercial fishing practices. Consistent with the Proclamations, the Council would amend the FEPs to do the following: 1 Codify the boundaries of the Monuments and their various management units. Implement the prohibition on commercial fishing at Rose Atoll and PRI Monuments, and in the Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench Monument. Establish management measures for non-commercial and recreational fishing in the Monuments including, but not limited to: o Require Federal permits and reporting for non-commercial and recreational charter fishing to aid in the monitoring of fishing activities. o Limit fishing permit eligibility to residents and businesses of local fishing communities in the Rose Atoll Monument and Marianas Trench Monument, Islands Unit. o Allow customary exchange in non-commercial fishing in the Marianas Trench Islands Unit and Rose Atoll Monuments to help preserve traditional indigenous and cultural fishing practices. o Define customary exchange as the non-market exchange of marine resources between fishermen and community residents for goods, services, and/or social support for cultural, social or religious reasons, and may include cost recovery through monetary reimbursements and other means for actual trip expenses (ice, bait, food, or fuel) that may be necessary to participate in fisheries in the western Pacific. Customary exchange of fish harvested in the Monuments includes family and friends of residents of the fishing communities. o Prohibit all fishing within 12 nautical miles (nm) of the Pacific Remote Islands, subject to USFWS’s authority to allow non-commercial fishing, in consultation with NMFS and the Council. o Prohibit all fishing within 12 nm around Rose Atoll. Prohibit the conduct of commercial fishing outside of a monument, and non- commercial fishing within a monument, on the same trip. The Council and NMFS do not expect the proposed fishery management measures to result in a large change to the low level of fishing and access that may be occurring in the Monuments because they are so remote from populated areas. The foreseen low level of permitted non- commercial fishing is not expected to have adverse effects on target, non-target, or bycatch stocks, or on protected species. The opportunity for members of fishing communities in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Hawaii to continue to fish in these remote areas, and (for Guam, the CNMI and American Samoa), the opportunity for residents to continue to catch and share fish from these areas with their communities would help to maintain traditional customs, and is consistent with the intent of the Proclamations. Permits and logbooks would help fishery managers to monitor fishing in the Monuments. The Council and NMFS prepared this draft omnibus Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Amendment, including an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Regulatory Impact Review. When finalized, the document will serve as the basis for a determination by NMFS on whether or not to prepare an environmental impact statement. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the document also informs NMFS in its development of regulations that would implement the selected action. NMFS is soliciting public comment on this draft amendment, EA, and RIRInstructions on how to obtain a copy of, and submit comments on, the draft amendment, EA and RIR can be found by searching on RIN 0648-BA98 at www.regulations.gov, or by contacting the Council or NMFS 2 officials at the above addresses. NMFS must receive comments by the date specified in the Notice of Availability. List of Acronyms/Abbreviations CNMI Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands CPUE Catch per unit of effort Council Western Pacific Fishery Management Council DOC Department of Commerce DOI Department of the Interior EA Environmental Assessment EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EFH Essential Fish Habitat ESA Endangered Species Act fm Fathom(s) FAD Fish aggregation device FEP Fishery Ecosystem Plan FMP Fishery Management Plan FR Federal Register HAPC Habitat Areas of Particular Concern lb Pound(s) LVPA Large vessel prohibited area(s) MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act Monument Marine National Monument MSFCMA Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act mt Metric ton(s) nm Nautical mile(s) NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center PIRO Pacific Islands Regional Office PRI Pacific Remote Islands (Monument) SSC Scientific and Statistical Committee (of the Council) USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USCG U.S. Coast Guard WCPFC Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission WCPO Western and Central Pacific Ocean 3 Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. 1 List of Acronyms/Abbreviations ...................................................................................... 3 List of Figures .................................................................................................................... 7 List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... 8 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 10 1.1 Monument Proclamations Overview .................................................................... 10 1.2 Monument Areas Overview ................................................................................. 10 1.3 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................. 13 1.4 Proposed Action ................................................................................................... 14 1.5 Public review and comments................................................................................ 15 1.6 Initial Actions – Development of Council Recommendations and Previous Public Involvement ............................................................................................................. 15 1.7 Rationale for Council Recommendations ............................................................ 21 1.8 Additional Information the Council Used to Develop Proposed Monument Fishing Management Recommendations Related to Commercial vs. Non-commercial Fishing in the Western Pacific Region ................................................................................ 32 1.8.1 Importance of Subsistence Fishing to Communities in the Western Pacific Region 38 1.8.2 Traditional Indigenous Fishing and Modern Gear ...................................... 40 2 Alternatives .......................................................................................................... 41 2.1 Alternative 1. No-action: Do not amend the Pelagics Fishery Ecosystem Plan (Pelagics FEP) or archipelagic FEPs or promulgate regulations to implement the fishing and management directives in Proclamations 8335, 8336, and 8337. .................... 41 2.2 Alternative 2: Amend the Pelagics Fishery Ecosystem Plan (Pelagics FEP) and archipelagic FEPs and promulgate regulations to implement only the provisions of Proclamations 8335, 8336, and 8337, on prohibiting commercial fishing and codifying the boundaries of the Monuments. No new management measures for non-commercial fishing in the PRI and Rose Atoll Monuments or in the Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench Monument would be implemented. ........................................................................ 42 2.3 Alternative 3: Amend the Pelagics Fishery Ecosystem Plan (Pelagics
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