[Federal Register: January 31, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 21)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 4696]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31ja02-35]
[[Page 4696]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[I.D. 012302E]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Snapper-Grouper Fishery off the Southern Atlantic States; Amendment 13
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft supplemental environmental
impact statement (DSEIS); request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council)
intends to prepare a DSEIS to assess the impacts on the natural and
human environment of the management measure proposed in its draft
Amendment 13 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper
Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP).
DATES: Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the
preliminary DSEIS will be accepted through March 4, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for copies of the DSEIS should be sent
to Robert K. Mahood, Executive Director, South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, One Southpark Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC
29407-4699, FAX: 843-769-4520; email: robert.mahood@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information
Office; 843-571-4366 or kim.iverson@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper grouper fishery off the South
Atlantic States in the exclusive economic zone is managed under the
FMP. Following Council preparation, the FMP was approved and
implemented by NMFS under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) in March of
1983. Currently, the Council is preparing draft FMP Amendment 13 and a
DSEIS as an integrated part of the Amendment. The DSEIS will discuss
the proposed Amendment 13 management measures in conjunction with
reasonable alternatives. Each alternative will be assessed in relation
to the environmental consequences with a no-action alternative
considered as one of the options.
In the snapper grouper complex, 12 species are currently
overfished, six species are not approaching an overfished condition nor
is overfishing occurring, and the status of the remaining species is
unknown. Once it is determined that overfishing is occurring, the
Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that the Council take action to develop a
rebuilding plan. Amendment 13 proposes the establishment of rebuilding
timeframes for the overfished species within the snapper-grouper
management unit.
To prevent overfishing, the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the subsequent
Sustainable Fisheries Act amendments provide national standards that
must be satisfied within the FMPs. The National Standards establish
parameters, including maximum sustainable yield (MSY), optimum yield
(OY), minimum stock size threshold (MSST), and maximum fishing
mortality rate threshold (MFMT), which are used to avoid overfished
situations. Currently, static spawning potential ratio proxies are used
to define MSY, OY, and MFMT. In Amendment 13, the Council intends to
establish values for MSY, OY, MFMT, and MSST for each of the species in
the snapper-grouper management unit, contingent upon the availability
of sufficient scientific information.
Additionally, the Council is considering that the following
management measures be included in Amendment 13: commercial permit
transfers; adjusting the harvest and/or possession of all species in
the deepwater grouper/tilefish fishery; prohibiting all possession and
sale of red porgy, greater amberjack, and mutton snapper during
spawning season closures for that species; extending the Oculina
Experimental Closed Area for an additional time period; removing queen
triggerfish from the snapper-grouper management unit; increasing the
recreational size limit of greater amberjack; modifying the minimum
mesh size regulations for black sea bass pots; modifying current red
porgy regulations; establishing a program to collect fees from the
wreckfish industry; establishing a program to collect data on snapper
and grouper permits as they are sold; and establishing a protocol for
the collection of data for Endangered Species Act/section 7
consultation.
A scoping meeting to determine the scope of significant issues to
be addressed in the DSEIS and the associated Amendment 13 will be
conducted at the Council's March 4-8, 2002, meeting in Savannah, GA.
Following consideration of public comments, the Council intends to
finalize and approve draft Amendment 13 to the FMP and the DSEIS for
public hearings in 2002. These documents are expected to be released
for public comment and filed with the Environmental Protection Agency
in 2003.
Authority: 6 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 25, 2002.
Jonathan Kerland,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-2301 Filed 1-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S