[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 7 (Thursday, January 10, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 2249-2250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00345]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 120813331-2562-01]
RIN 0648-XC164
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern
United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Proposed Rule To
Implement a Targeted Acadian Redfish Fishery for Sector Vessels;
Reopening of Comment Period
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; correction and reopening of comment period.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This action reopens the comment period for an Acadian redfish-
related proposed rule that published on November 8, 2012. The original
comment period closed on November 23, 2012. This action clarifies a
bycatch threshold incorrectly explained in the proposed rule. The
public comment period is being reopened to solicit additional public
comment on this correction.
DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published November 8,
2012 (77 FR 66947), is reopened. Written comments must be received on
or before January 22, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2012-0183, by any one of the following methods:
Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2012-0183, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Fax: (978) 281-9135, Attn: William Whitmore.
Mail: Paper, disk, or CD-ROM comments should be sent to
John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries
Service, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the
outside of the envelope: ``Comments on Redfish Rule.''
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to
[[Page 2250]]
remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted
in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Whitmore, Fisheries Policy
Analyst, phone (978) 281-9182, fax (978) 281-9135.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A proposed rule published on November 8,
2012 (77 FR 66947) that would implement addenda to fishing year (FY)
2012 Northeast (NE) multispecies sector operations plans and contracts
to add additional exemptions from Federal fishing regulations for FY
2012 sectors. Specifically, the action would expand on a previously
approved sector exemption by allowing groundfish sector trawl vessels
to target redfish using nets with codend mesh as small as 4.5 inches
(11.4 cm). In addition, the action proposed to implement an industry-
funded at-sea monitoring program for sector trips targeting redfish
with trawl nets with mesh sizes that are less than the regulated mesh
size requirement.
The proposed rule published in the Federal Register with a 15-day
comment period that closed on November 23, 2012. At the request of the
New England Fishery Management Council (Council) and industry, we
extended the comment period through December 31, 2012.
After further review of the proposed rule, it was found that one of
the threshold measures was incorrectly explained. The proposed rule
included a bycatch threshold to help mitigate catches of sub-legal
sized groundfish. The rule proposed that ``total groundfish discards
(excluding redfish discards), may not exceed 5 percent of all
groundfish caught when directing on redfish with small mesh nets.''
This is incorrect. The bycatch threshold would account for total
regulated groundfish discards, including redfish discards. This is how
the threshold was explained and analyzed in the supplemental
environmental assessment. Further, a December 19, 2012, presentation on
the exemption to the Council's Groundfish Committee also explained the
threshold as including redfish discards. To clarify, the incorrect
language would be replaced with ``Additionally, to help mitigate
catches of sub-legal sized groundfish, total groundfish discards
(including redfish discards), may not exceed 5 percent of all
groundfish caught when directing on redfish with small-mesh nets.''
Because the language in the proposed rule is exactly opposite of
what was intended, we are reopening the public comment period for 15
days to allow for additional public comment specifically on the
correction to the proposed rule.
Dated: January 4, 2013.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, performing the functions and
duties of the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-00345 Filed 1-7-13; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P