Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 220 / Thursday, November 16, 2023 / Notices 78729 

Committee will address coral 

management and provide guidance on 

the utilization of deepwater coral 

modelling for management and 

resubmission of Coral Amendment 10. 

SEDAR Committee, Thursday, 

December 7, 2023, 1:30 p.m. Until 2:30 

p.m. 

The Committee will receive a report 

from the SEDAR Steering Committee, 

address Terms of Reference for the 

SEDAR assessment of Florida Keys/East 

Coast Florida and Gulf of Mexico 

hogfish (SEDAR 94), review the SEDAR 

schedule, and select species to consider 

for 2027 assessments. 

Council Session II, Thursday, December 

7, 2023, 2:30 p.m. Until 5 p.m. and 

Friday, December 8, 2023, 8:30 a.m. 

Until 12 p.m. 

The Council will receive a litigation 

brief if needed, receive a staff report, 

and a report from the Council 

Coordination Committee. The Council 

will review Allocations Review 

Guidelines and consider approval, 

receive an update on stakeholder 

meetings planning, and receive a 

presentation on offshore wind activities. 

The Council will approve topics for a 

meeting of the Law Enforcement AP and 

receive reports from NOAA Fisheries 

Southeast Regional Office and the 

Southeast Fisheries Science Center. The 

Council will receive Committee reports, 

review its workplan, review upcoming 

meetings, and take action as necessary. 

The Council will discuss any other 

business as needed. 

Documents regarding these issues are 

available from the Council office (see 

ADDRESSES). 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before these groups for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during these meetings. Action 

will be restricted to those issues 

specifically identified in this notice and 

any issues arising after publication of 

this notice that require emergency 

action under section 305(c) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, 

provided the public has been notified of 

the Council’s intent to take final action 

to address the emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for auxiliary aids should be 

directed to the Council office (see 

ADDRESSES) 5 days prior to the meeting. 

Note: The times and sequence specified in 

this agenda are subject to change. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: November 13, 2023. 

Rey Israel Marquez, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25356 Filed 11–15–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD524] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 27670 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

Iris Segura-Garcia, Ph.D., Harbor Branch 

Oceanographic Institution, Florida 

Atlantic University, 5600 US 1, Fort 

Pierce, FL 34946, has applied in due 

form for a permit to receive and import 

cetacean parts for scientific research. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before December 18, 

2023. 

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review by 

selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public 

Comment’’ from the ‘‘Features’’ box on 

the Applications and Permits for 

Protected Species (APPS) home page, 

https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then 

selecting File No. 27670 from the list of 

available applications. These documents 

are also available upon written request 

via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@

noaa.gov. 

Written comments on this application 

should be submitted via email to 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please 

include File No. 27670 in the subject 

line of the email comment. 

Those individuals requesting a public 

hearing should submit a written request 

via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@

noaa.gov. The request should set forth 

the specific reasons why a hearing on 

this application would be appropriate. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin 

Markin, Ph.D., or Shasta McClenahan, 

Ph.D., (301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject permit is requested under the 

authority of the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act of 1972, as amended 

(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the 

regulations governing the taking and 

importing of marine mammals (50 CFR 

part 216), the Endangered Species Act of 

1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 

et seq.), and the regulations governing 

the taking, importing, and exporting of 

endangered and threatened species (50 

CFR parts 222–226). 

The applicant proposes to receive and 

import parts for research from up to 200 

individual cetaceans of any species. 

Sources of samples may include animals 

in foreign countries stranded alive or 

dead or that died during rehabilitation, 

animals in captivity, and samples from 

other authorized persons. The parts 

would be used to understand cetaceans 

(1) foraging strategies when exposed to 

limited resources and/or disturbed 

habitats, (2) food web health, and (3) 

exposure to environmental toxicants 

and biomarkers of exposure and health 

effects. The permit would be valid for 5 

years from the date of issuance. 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial 

determination has been made that the 

activity proposed is categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement. 

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register, 

NMFS is forwarding copies of the 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors. 

Dated: November 13, 2023. 

Julia M. Harrison, 

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25330 Filed 11–15–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD530] 

Fisheries Off West Coast States; 

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 

Exempted Fishing Permit Application 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator, 

West Coast Region, NMFS, announces 

receipt of an exempted fishing permit 

(EFP) application, and is considering 

issuance of an EFP that seeks exemption 

from the requirements at requiring 

vessel owners and operators to retain 

sablefish, rex sole, Pacific sanddab and 

California halibut when on a declared 

optimized retention bottom trawl or 

non-whiting midwater trawl trip. At this 


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78730 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 220 / Thursday, November 16, 2023 / Notices 

time, NMFS is considering allowing 

participants in the EFP to add sablefish 

and rex sole to their Vessel Monitoring 

Plans’ (VMP) allowable discard list. 

NMFS does not expect to add the other 

two species to this EFP because Pacific 

sanddab is already listed as an 

allowable discard, thus no exemption is 

needed, and NMFS intends to address 

California halibut discard rules through 

a future regulatory change rather than 

an EFP. NMFS requests public comment 

on the application. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

December 1, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by NOAA– 

NMFS–2023–0143 by the following 

method: 

• Electronic Submissions: Submit all 

public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://

www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA– 

NMFS–2023–0143 in the Search box. 

Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete 

the required fields, and enter or attach 

your comments. The EFP application 

will be available under Supporting and 

Related Materials through the same link. 

• Instructions: Comments must be 

submitted by the above method to 

ensure that the comments are received, 

documented, and considered by NMFS. 

Comments sent by any other method or 

received after the end of the comment 

period, may not be considered. All 

comments received are a part of the 

public record and will generally be 

posted for public viewing on https://

www.regulations.gov without change. 

All personal identifying information 

(e.g., name, address, etc.) submitted 

voluntarily by the sender will be 

publicly accessible. Do not submit 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive or protected 

information. NMFS will accept 

anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in 

the required fields if you wish to remain 

anonymous). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt 

Dunlap, West Coast Region, NMFS, 

(206) 526–6119, matthew.dunlap@

noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

action is authorized by the Pacific Coast 

Groundfish Fishery Management Plan 

and the regulations implementing the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act at 50 

CFR 600.745, which state that EFPs may 

be used to authorize fishing activities 

that would otherwise be prohibited. 

On June 28, 2019 (84 FR 31146), at the 

recommendation of the Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council), NMFS 

published a final rule that authorized 

the use of electronic monitoring (EM) in 

place of human observers to meet 

requirements for 100-percent at-sea 

monitoring for catcher vessels in the 

groundfish trawl catch share fishery 

(Trawl Rationalization Program). EM 

video systems are used to record catch 

and discards by the vessel crew while 

at sea. Vessel operators are responsible 

for recording catch and discards in a 

logbook, which is then used to debit 

individual fishing quota (IFQ) accounts 

and cooperative allocations. The 

Council recommended, and NMFS 

implemented, a delay to the start of the 

regulatory program (86 FR 5525, 

October 6, 2021) until January 2024. 

The EFP applicant, California 

Groundfish Collective, seeks to add 

sablefish, rex sole, Pacific sanddab and 

California halibut to the allowable 

discard list for EFP participants for 

2024, just as these species have been 

allowable discards in the 2023 EM EFP. 

Extending the allowable discarding of 

sablefish and rex sole into 2024 via an 

EFP will provide data that could be 

used by the Council and NMFS to make 

informed decisions on refining EM 

discard regulations. NMFS does not 

expect to include Pacific sanddab in the 

EFP because that species is already an 

allowable discard in the regulations. 

NMFS expects to address California 

halibut discard rules via a future 

regulatory change, not an EFP. The EFP 

application is for approximately 20 

trawl gear vessels that use EM. 

Additional EFP participants that join 

EM under the regulatory program may 

apply at a later date. 

If approved, NMFS would issue the 

permits for the EFP project to the 

applicant and vessel owners or 

designated representatives as the ‘‘EFP 

holder.’’ NMFS intends to use an 

adaptive management approach in 

which NMFS may revise requirements 

and protocols to improve the program 

without issuing another Federal 

Register notice, provided that the 

modifications fall within the scope of 

the original EFP. NMFS would also 

accept additional applications to 

participate in the same, or similar, 

exempted fishing activity. 

The Regional Administrator has made 

a preliminary determination that the 

application described above contains all 

of the required information and, at least 

in part, constitutes an activity 

appropriate for further consideration. 

After publication of this document in 

the Federal Register, and review and 

consideration of any public comments 

received, NMFS may approve and issue 

permits for the EFP project. NMFS may 

approve the application in its entirety or 

may make any alterations needed to 

achieve the goals of the EFP. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 50 

CFR 600.745. This action is authorized 

by Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 

Management Plan and the regulations 

implementing the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act at 50 CFR 600.745, which states that 

EFPs may be used to authorize fishing 

activities that would otherwise be 

prohibited. 

Dated: November 13, 2023. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25319 Filed 11–15–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

[Req No.–OS–2024–00040–FR] 

Notice of Availability of Roundtable on 

Military Spouse Hiring Meeting 

AGENCY: Under Secretary of Defense for 

Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)), 

Department of Defense (DoD). 

ACTION: Notice of roundtable on military 

spouse hiring. 

SUMMARY: The DoD is publishing this 

notice to announce the Roundtable on 

Military Spouse Hiring will take place 

pursuant to the 2023 National Defense 

Authorization Act (NDAA). This 

Roundtable will bring together 

stakeholders from the government, 

private sector, and military families, to 

discuss the landscape of opportunities 

and challenges surrounding military 

spouse hiring. 

DATES: Thursday, November 16, 2023 

from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Standard 

Time (EST). 

ADDRESSES: Mark Center Conference 

Room 17, 4800 Mark Center Drive, 

Alexandria, VA 22311. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josie 

Beets, josie.e.beets.civ@mail.mil, (202) 

570–8977; mailing address: 4800 Mark 

Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22311. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

compliance with the 2023 NDAA, 

section 578, USD(P&R) announces an 

industry roundtable on military spouse 

hiring. 

Authority: Sec. 578, Public Law 117– 

263, Stat. 2395. 

Purpose: The purpose of the 

roundtable is to bring together 

stakeholders from the government, 

private sector, and military families, to 

discuss the landscape of opportunities 

and challenges surrounding military 

spouse hiring, the resources available 


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