[Federal Register: August 21, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 161)]
[Notices]
[Page 46607-46608]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21au07-44]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XC04
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Amendment 29 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources
of the Gulf of Mexico
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare a draft environmental impact
statement (DEIS); scoping meetings; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS, Southeast Region, in collaboration with the Gulf of
Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) intends to prepare a DEIS
to describe and analyze management alternatives to be included in an
amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of
the Gulf of Mexico. These alternatives will consider measures to
rationalize effort and reduce overcapacity in the commercial grouper
fishery to achieve and maintain optimum yield in the multi-species
grouper fishery. The purpose of this notice of intent is to solicit
public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the
DEIS must be received by NMFS by September 20, 2007. Nine scoping
meetings will be held in September 2007. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
for specific dates and times.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the DEIS, suggested
alternatives and potential impacts, and requests for additional
information on the amendment should be sent to Sarah DeVido, National
Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue
South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5511; telephone (727) 824-5305; fax
(727) 824-5308. Comments may also be sent by email to
Sarah.DeVido@noaa.gov.
Requests for information packets and for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Gulf
of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite
1100, Tampa, FL 33607; telephone: 813-348-1630; fax: 813-348-1711.
Requests may also be sent by email to steven.atran@gulfcouncil.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah DeVido; phone: (727) 824-5305;
fax: (727) 824-5308; email: Sarah.DeVido@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Current regulatory measures used in the
management of the grouper complex include a license limitation system,
quotas, trip limits, minimum size limits, area/gear restrictions, and
season closures. Nonetheless, the commercial grouper fishery has become
overcapitalized which means the collective harvest capacity of
participants is in excess of that required to efficiently harvest the
commercial share of the total allowable catch. The overcapitalization
observed in the fishery has caused commercial grouper regulations to
become increasingly restrictive over time, intensifying derby
conditions under which fishermen race to harvest as many fish as
possible before the quota is reached. The intensification of derby
conditions has, in some years, led to premature closures of the
fishery.
Incentives for overcapitalization and derby fishery conditions are
expected to be maintained as long as the current management structure
persists. Under this management structure, the commercial grouper
fishery is expected to continue to be characterized by higher than
necessary levels of capital investment, increased operating costs,
increased likelihood of shortened seasons, reduced safety at-sea, wide
fluctuations in grouper supply and depressed ex vessel prices. These
conditions lead to deteriorating working conditions and profitability
for participants.
Therefore, NMFS, in collaboration with the Council will develop a
DEIS to describe and analyze management alternatives to rationalize
effort and reduce overcapacity in the commercial grouper fishery in
order to achieve and maintain optimum yield in this multi-species
fishery. These alternatives include, but are not limited to:
elimination of latent permits, a buyback or buyout program, permit
endorsements, an individual fishing quota program, or an individual
transferable effort quota program.
In accordance with NOAA's Administrative Order 216-6, Section
5.02(c), Scoping Process, NMFS in collaboration with the Council has
identified preliminary environmental issues as a means to initiate
discussion for scoping purposes only. These preliminary issues may not
represent the full range of issues that eventually will be evaluated in
the EIS.
NMFS, in collaboration with the Council, has scheduled the
following nine scoping meetings to provide the
[[Page 46608]]
opportunity for additional public input: Biloxi, MS, on September 10,
2007; New Orleans, LA, on September 10, 2007; Orange Beach, AL, on
September 11, 2007; Galveston, TX, on September 11, 2007; Panama City,
FL, on September 12, 2007; Palacios, TX, on September 12, 2007; Corpus
Christi, TX, on September 13, 2007; Madeira Beach, FL, on September 17,
2007; and Fort Myers Beach, FL, on September 18, 2007.
Copies of an information packet will be available at the meetings
and are available prior to the meetings from the Council (see
ADDRESSES).
All scoping meetings will begin at 7 p.m. The meetings will be
physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign
language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to
the Council (see ADDRESSES).
Once the DEIS associated with Amendment 29 is completed, it will be
filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA will
publish a notice of availability of the DEIS for public comment in the
Federal Register. The DEIS will have a 45-day comment period. This
procedure is pursuant to regulations issued by the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) for implementing the procedural provisions
of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 40 CFR parts 1500-1508)
and to NOAA's Administrative Order 216-6 regarding NOAA's compliance
with NEPA and the CEQ regulations.
NMFS will consider public comments received on the DEIS in
developing the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and before
adopting final management measures for the amendment. NMFS will submit
both the final amendment and the supporting FEIS to the Secretary of
Commerce (Secretary) for review as per the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act.
NMFS will announce, through a notice published in the Federal
Register, the availability of the final amendment for public review
during the Secretarial review period. During Secretarial review, NMFS
will also file the FEIS with the EPA and the EPA will publish a notice
of availability for the FEIS in the Federal Register. This comment
period will be concurrent with the Secretarial review period and will
end prior to final agency action to approve, disapprove, or partially
approve the amendment.
NMFS will announce, through a notice published in the Federal
Register, all public comment periods on the final amendment, its
proposed implementing regulations, and the availability of its
associated FEIS. NMFS will consider all public comments received during
the Secretarial review period, whether they are on the final amendment,
the proposed regulations, or the FEIS, prior to final agency action.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 14, 2007.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-16359 Filed 8-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S