[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 46 (Friday, March 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12393-12394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4542]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-AV80
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Environmental Assessment for
Amendment 30B
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice announcing the preparation of an environmental
assessment (EA).
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SUMMARY: NMFS, in cooperation with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council (Council), is preparing an EA in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Amendment 30B to the
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf
of Mexico. This notice is intended to inform the public of the change
from the preparation of a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to
an EA for Amendment 30B.
[[Page 12394]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Hood; phone: (727) 824-5305;
fax: (727) 824-5308; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 5, 2007 (72 FR 9734), NMFS and the
Council published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register to prepare
a draft EIS and to announce scoping meetings regarding the actions
proposed in Amendment 30. Amendment 30 was being developed to describe
and analyze management alternatives to manage fishing mortality and to
establish status criteria for greater amberjack, gray triggerfish, gag,
and red grouper in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act. Recent stock assessments completed
under the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review program indicated that
management changes were warranted for these stocks.
Based on comments received during the scoping process and further
analyses needed for the gag and red grouper stock assessments,
Amendment 30 was split into Amendments 30A and 30B. This allowed
proposed actions to revise the greater amberjack rebuilding plan, end
overfishing of gray triggerfish, and rebuild the gray triggerfish stock
to proceed in Amendment 30A while the status of the gag and red grouper
stocks were resolved. A draft supplemental EIS was prepared for
Amendment 30A, in part, due to significant increases in the stock
biomass of greater amberjack and gray triggerfish as the two species
recover from their respective overfished states. A Notice of
Availability for the draft supplemental EIS analyzing impacts on the
human environment for Amendment 30A was published in the Federal
Register on December 14, 2007 (72 FR 71137).
Actions to be described and analyzed in Amendment 30B include:
setting gag thresholds and benchmarks; establishing gag and red grouper
total allowable catch (TAC), interim allocations, and accountability
measures; ending overfishing of gag; managing gag and red grouper
commercial and recreational harvests consistent with TAC; reducing
grouper discard mortality; establishing marine reserves; and requiring
compliance with Federal fishery management regulations by federally
permitted reef fish vessels when fishing in state waters. Based on
further analysis of the environmental impacts of actions proposed in
Amendment 30B, NMFS and the Council do not anticipate any significant
impacts on the human environment. Although overfishing would end for
gag based on the proposed actions, the stock is not considered
overfished and significant increases in stock biomass are not required.
Consequently, NMFS and the Council are initially preparing an EA rather
than proceeding with the development of a draft EIS. If the EA results
in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), the EA and FONSI will be
the final environmental documents required by NEPA. If the EA reveals
that significant environmental impacts may be reasonably expected to
result from the proposed actions, NMFS and the Council will develop a
draft EIS to further evaluate those impacts.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 3, 2008.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. E8-4542 Filed 3-6-08; 8:45 am]
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