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Federal Register/Vol. 84, No. 198/Friday, October 11, 2019/Notices

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Federal Register/Vol. 84, No. 198/Friday, October 11, 2019/Notices Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 198 / Friday, October 11, 2019 / Notices 54849 IV. Request for Comments SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether Draft Agenda Dated: October 8, 2019. the proposed collection of information Tracey L. Thompson, —Call to Order is necessary for the proper performance —Adoption of the Agenda Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. of the functions of the agency, including —Review of National Standard 1 whether the information shall have Technical Guidance for Designing, [FR Doc. 2019–22288 Filed 10–10–19; 8:45 am] practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Evaluating, and Implementing Carry- BILLING CODE 3510–22–P agency’s estimate of the burden over and Phase-in Provisions within (including hours and cost) of the ABC Control Rules—Dan Holland— DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE proposed collection of information; (c) Northwest Fisheries Science Center ways to enhance the quality, utility, and —Review Draft Report to Congress as clarity of the information to be National Oceanic and Atmospheric required in Section 201 of the Administration collected; and (d) ways to minimize the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries burden of the collection of information Management Act of 2018 RIN 0648–XR007 on respondents, including through the —Stock Assessment Review: SEDAR use of automated collection techniques 57—Caribbean Spiny Lobster—Adyan Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to or other forms of information Rı´os, Southeast Fisheries Science Specified Activities; Taking Marine technology. Center Mammals Incidental to a Low-Energy Comments submitted in response to —Development of three ecosystem Geophysical Survey in the Southwest this notice will be summarized and/or conceptual models– one each for Atlantic Ocean included in the request for OMB Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, and AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries approval of this information collection; St. Croix Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and they also will become a matter of public —Summary August 2019 Meeting Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), record. Chair Presentation to CFMC 166 Commerce. —Finalize the Generic Ecosystem Sheleen Dumas, ACTION: Conceptual Model Notice; issuance of an incidental Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the harassment authorization. Chief Information Officer, Commerce —Determination of direction and Department. strengths of the boxes representing SUMMARY: In accordance with the [FR Doc. 2019–22320 Filed 10–10–19; 8:45 am] ecosystem components (e.g., regulations implementing the Marine ecological, economic, social) BILLING CODE 3510–22–P Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as —SSC Development of Puerto Rico amended, notification is hereby given Ecosystem Conceptual Model that NMFS has issued an incidental DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE —Determination of Critical Links that harassment authorization (IHA) to the can serve as Indicators Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) National Oceanic and Atmospheric —SSC Development of St. Thomas/St. to incidentally harass, by Level A and Administration John Ecosystem Conceptual Model Level B harassment, marine mammals —Determination of Critical Links that during a low-energy marine geophysical RIN 0648–XV100 can serve as Indicators survey in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. —SSC Development of St. Croix Caribbean Fishery Management Ecosystem Conceptual Model DATES: This Authorization is effective Council; Public Meeting —Determination of Critical Links that from September 12, 2019 through September 11, 2020. AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries can serve as Indicators Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and —Other Business FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), —Adjourn Amy Fowler, Office of Protected Commerce. The order of business may be adjusted Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. Electronic copies of the application and ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. as necessary to accommodate the completion of agenda items. The supporting documents, as well as a list SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery meeting will begin on October 29, 2019 of the references cited in this document, Management Council’s (Council) at 9 a.m. Other than the start time, may be obtained online at: https:// Scientific and Statistical Committee interested parties should be aware that www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ (SSC) will hold a 3-day meeting in discussions may start earlier or later incidental-take-authorizations-under- October to discuss the items contained than indicated. In addition, the meeting marine-mammal-protection-act. In case in the agenda in the SUPPLEMENTARY may be extended from, or completed of problems accessing these documents, INFORMATION. prior to the date established in this please call the contact listed above. notice. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: The meetings will be held from October 29, 2019 to October 31, 2019, Special Accommodations Background starting on Tuesday October 29 at 9 These meetings are physically The MMPA prohibits the ‘‘take’’ of a.m., through October 31 at 5 p.m. accessible to people with disabilities. marine mammals, with certain ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at For more information or request for sign exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and the Embassy Suites Hotel, 8000 Tartak language interpretation and other (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et St., Isla Verde, Carolina, Puerto Rico. auxiliary aids, please contact Mr. seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miguel A. Rolo´n, Executive Director, (as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon Miguel A. Rolo´n, Caribbean Fishery Caribbean Fishery Management Council, request, the incidental, but not Management Council, 270 Mun˜ oz 270 Mun˜ oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, intentional, taking of small numbers of Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00918–1903, marine mammals by U.S. citizens who Puerto Rico 00918–1903, telephone: telephone: (787) 766–5926, at least 5 engage in a specified activity (other than (787) 766–5926. days prior to the meeting date. commercial fishing) within a specified VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:56 Oct 10, 2019 Jkt 250001 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM 11OCN1 jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES 54850 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 198 / Friday, October 11, 2019 / Notices geographical region if certain findings The airgun array would be operated in approach does not rely on incorporating are made and either regulations are one of two different types of array every possible environmental factor in issued or, if the taking is limited to modes. The first would be highest- the marine environment. Published harassment, a notice of a proposed quality survey mode to collect the results from Tolstoy (2009), Diebold incidental take authorization may be highest-quality seismic reflection data at (2010), and Crone et al. (2014, 2017), provided to the public for review. approximately 18 potential drill sites. along with nearly 20 years of PSO Authorization for incidental takings The second mode would be a observations from previous NSF-funded shall be granted if NMFS finds that the reconnaissance mode, which is quicker, seismic surveys in various water depths taking will have a negligible impact on and will occur at approximately 75 validate the approach. L–DEO has the species or stock(s) and will not have coring locations, primarily in Survey presented their modeling approach to an unmitigable adverse impact on the Area 2 (see Figure 1 in the IHA NMFS and the Commission on several availability of the species or stock(s) for application). The reconnaissance mode occasions. Given the information taking for subsistence uses (where also allows for operations to occur in presented, numerous discussions, and relevant). Further, NMFS must prescribe poor weather where the use of streamer observations from past NSF-funded the permissible methods of taking and longer than 200-m may not be possible seismic surveys that used the L–DEO other ‘‘means of effecting the least safely. modeling approach, NMFS remains practicable adverse impact’’ on the The reconnaissance mode is carried confident that the methodology used is affected species or stocks and their out using either one or two 45-in3 appropriate and conservatively protects habitat, paying particular attention to airguns, with airguns spaced 8 m apart marine mammals. rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of (if 2 are being used) at a water depth of Comment 2: The Commission noted similar significance, and on the 2–4 m, with a 200 m hydrophone tables depicting source levels in both availability of such species or stocks for streamer and with the vessel traveling at the IHA application and the Federal taking for certain subsistence uses 8 knots (kn). The highest-quality mode Register notice contained inadequate (referred to in shorthand as is carried out using a pair of 45-in3 information and that the appendices of ‘‘mitigation’’); and requirements airguns, with airguns spaced 2 m apart SIO’s IHA application did not contain pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring at a depth of 2–4 m, with a 400, 800, or necessary information. The Commission and reporting of such takings are set 1,600 m hydrophone streamer and with recommended that NMFS ensure that all forth. the vessel traveling at to 5 kn to achieve source levels, modified source levels, high-quality seismic reflection data. and related adjustment factors are Summary of Request specified and all relevant isopleth Comments and Responses On March 13, 2019, NMFS received a figures and user spreadsheet tables are request from SIO for an IHA to take A notice of NMFS’s proposal to issue included in all future NSF-funded and marine mammals incidental to an IHA to SIO was published in the -affiliated applications prior to conducting a low-energy marine Federal Register on August 12, 2019 (84 processing them. geophysical survey in the Southwest FR 39896). That notice described, in Response: NMFS has added Atlantic Ocean. The application was detail, SIO’s activity, the marine clarification on the tables noted by the deemed adequate and complete on May mammal species that may be affected by Commission and provided the 20, 2019.
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