14444 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2024 / Notices 

driving; (7) use of situational awareness 

monitoring for marine mammal 

presence; (8) use of sound field 

verification monitoring; (9) use of rampup acoustic sources during HRG 

surveys; (10) implementation of vessel 

separation zones between marine 

mammals and project vessels; (11) use 

of PAM within the vessel transit 

corridor for Project vessels to travel over 

10 knots (11.5 miles per hour); and (12) 

implementation of additional Vessel 

Strike Avoidance measures to reduce 

the risk of a vessel collision with a 

marine mammal. Additionally, NMFS 

may modify the LOA’s mitigation, 

monitoring, or reporting measures, 

based on new information, when 

appropriate (see also 50 CFR 

217.287(c)). Empire Wind is also 

required to submit reports, as specified 

in the final rule. 

Based on the findings and information 

discussed in the preamble of the final 

rule, the take authorized in the LOA 

will have a negligible impact on marine 

mammal stocks, will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the affected marine 

mammal stock for subsistence uses, and 

the mitigation measures provide a 

means of affecting the least practicable 

adverse impact on the affected stocks 

and their habitat. 

Dated: February 21, 2024. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03887 Filed 2–26–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD742] 

Western Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

hold its 151st Scientific and Statistical 

Committee (SSC), Executive and Budget 

Standing Committee (SC) and its 198th 

Council meeting to take actions on 

fishery management issues in the 

Western Pacific Region. The Council 

will also hold a joint meeting of the 

Advisory Panel (AP), the Fishing 

Industry Advisory Committee (FIAC), 

and the Non-Commercial Fisheries 

Advisory Committee (NCFAC). 

DATES: The meetings will be held 

between March 12 and March 20, 2024. 

For specific times and agendas, see 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

ADDRESSES: The 151st SSC meeting will 

be held as a hybrid meeting for SSC 

members and the public, with a remote 

participation option available via 

WebEx. In-person attendance will be 

hosted at the Council office, 1164 

Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 

96813. 

The Executive and Budget SC meeting 

will be held as a hybrid meeting for 

members and the public, with a remote 

participation option available via 

WebEx. In-person attendance will be 

hosted at the Council office, 1164 

Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 

96813. 

The Joint Meeting of the AP, FIAC, 

and NCFAC, and the 198th Council 

Meeting will be held as hybrid meetings 

for the advisory body members, Council 

members and the public, with a remote 

participation option available via 

Webex. In-person attendance will be 

hosted at the Ala Moana Hotel, Hibiscus 

Ballroom, 410 Atkinson Drive, 

Honolulu, HI 96814. 

Specific information on joining the 

meeting, connecting to the web 

conference and providing oral public 

comments will be posted on the Council 

website at www.wpcouncil.org. For 

assistance with the web conference 

connection, contact the Council office at 

(808) 522–8220. 

Council address: Western Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 1164 

Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 

96813. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director, 

Western Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; phone: (808) 522–8220. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 151st 

SSC meeting will be held between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time 

(HST) on March 12–13, and 9 a.m. and 

1 p.m. on March 14, 2024. The 

Executive and Budget SC meeting will 

be held between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. HST 

on March 15, 2024. The Joint Meeting of 

the AP, FIAC and NCFAC will be held 

between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. HST on 

March 19, 2024. The 198th Council 

Meeting will be held between 10 a.m. 

and 5:30 p.m. HST on March 18, 2024, 

8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. HST on March 

19, 2024 and 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. HST 

on March 20, 2024. Public Comment on 

Non-Agenda Items will be held between 

5:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. HST on March 

18, 2024. The Fishers Forum will be 

held between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. HST on 

March 18, 2024. 

Agenda items noted as ‘‘Final Action’’ 

refer to actions that may result in 

Council transmittal of a proposed 

fishery management plan, proposed 

plan amendment, or proposed 

regulations to the U.S. Secretary of 

Commerce, under Sections 304 or 305 of 

the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(MSA). In addition to the agenda items 

listed here, the Council and its advisory 

bodies will hear recommendations from 

Council advisors. An opportunity to 

submit public comment will be 

provided throughout the agendas. The 

order in which agenda items are 

addressed may change and will be 

announced in advance at the Council 

meeting. The meetings will run as late 

as necessary to complete scheduled 

business. 

Background documents for the 198th 

Council meeting will be available at 

www.wpcouncil.org. Written public 

comments on final action items at the 

198th Council meeting should be 

received at the Council office by 5 p.m. 

HST, Thursday, March 14, 2024, and 

should be sent to Kitty M. Simonds, 

Executive Director; Western Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 1164 

Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 

96813, phone: (808) 522–8220 or fax: 

(808) 522–8226; or email: info@

wpcouncil.org. Written public 

comments on all other agenda items 

may be submitted for the record by 

email throughout the duration of the 

meeting. Instructions for providing oral 

public comments during the meeting 

will be posted on the Council website. 

This meeting will be recorded (audio 

only) for the purposes of generating the 

minutes of the meeting. 

Agenda for the 151th SSC Meeting 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

HST 

1. Introductions 

2. Approval of Draft Agenda and Assignment 

of Rapporteurs 

3. Status of the 150th SSC Meeting 

Recommendations 

4. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center 

(PIFSC) Director Report 

A. Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) Deep 7 

Bottomfish Fishery Benchmark Stock 

Assessment 

A.1. Western Pacific Stock Assessment 

Review (WPSAR) Report 

A.2. Stock Assessment 

B. MHI Small Boat Fisheries Project 

Update 

C. Guam Bottomfish Stock Assessment 

Update 

C.1. WPSAR Report 

C.2. Stock Assessment 

D. Guam Bottomfish Data WPSAR Terms of 

Reference 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2024 / Notices 14445 

E. Public Comment 

F. SSC Discussion and Recommendations 

6. Pelagic and International Fisheries 

A. 2023 Longline Fishery Performance and 

Economic Snapshot Reports 

A.1. Hawaii Longline Fishery Report 

A.2. American Samoa Longline Fishery 

Report 

B. Public Comment 

C. SSC Discussion and Recommendations 

7. Program Planning and Research (Part 1) 

A. PIFSC Ongoing Research Updates 

A.1. Hawaii Shallow-Set Longline Fishery 

Species Distribution Model 

A.2. Status of Leatherback, Loggerhead, 

and Green Sea Turtle Research and 

Assessments 

A.3. NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration 

and Research Beyond the Blue Pacific 

Campaign 

B. Public Comment 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

HST 

8. Protected Species 

A. Overview of the 2024 Hawaii Pelagic 

False Killer Whale Survey 

B. SSC False Killer Whale Working Group 

Update 

C. Public Comment 

D. SSC Discussion and Recommendations 

9. Program Planning and Research (Part 2) 

A. Council 5-Year Program Plan Updates 

for 2025–2029 

B. Review of SSC Plan 2024–2026 

C. MSA 5-Year Research Priorities 2025– 

2028 

C.1. Status of Developing the MSA 5-Year 

Research Priorities 2025–2028 

C.2. SSC Work Session To Refine the MSA 

Research Priority 

D. Assessing Conservation and Biodiversity 

Protections Through Spatial 

Management 

D.1. Simulating Benefits, Costs and TradeOffs of Spatial Management 

D.2. New Framework Reveals Gaps in U.S. 

Ocean Biodiversity Protection 

E. National Academies of Sciences, 

Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) 

Committee on Assessing Equity in the 

Distribution of Fisheries Management 

Benefits 

F. Public Comment 

G. SSC Discussion and Recommendations 

Thursday, March 14, 2024, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

HST 

10. Other Business 

A. June SSC Meetings Dates 

11. Summary of SSC Recommendations to 

the Council 

Agenda for the Executive and Budget SC 

Meeting 

Friday, March 15, 2024, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. HST 

1. Introductions and Approval of Agenda 

2. Financial Reports 

3. Administrative Reports 

4. Council Family Changes 

5. Meetings and Workshops 

6. Agenda Items for May CCC Meeting 

7. Other Business 

8. Status of Pacific Remote Islands and 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

Sanctuary 

9. Public Comment 

10. Discussion and Recommendations 

Agenda for the Joint Meeting of the AP, FIAC 

and NCFAC 

Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

HST 

1. IRA Discussion 

2. EEJ Priorities Discussion 

3. Other Business 

4. Public Comment 

5. Discussion and Recommendations 

Agenda for the 198th Council Meeting 

Monday, March 18, 2024, 10 a.m. to 5:30 

p.m. HST 

1. Welcome and Introductions 

2. Approval of the 198th Council Meeting 

(CM) Agenda 

3. Approval of the 197th CM Meeting 

Minutes 

4. Executive Director’s Report 

5. Agency Reports 

A. National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS) 

A.1. Pacific Islands Regional Office 

A.2. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science 

Center 

B. NOAA Office of General Counsel Pacific 

Islands Section 

C. Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee 

D. Enforcement 

D.1. U.S. Coast Guard 

D.2. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement 

D.3. NOAA Office of General Counsel 

Enforcement Section 

E. U.S. State Department 

F. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

G. Public Comment 

H. Council Discussion and Action 

6. Council Member Island Reports 

A. American Samoa 

B. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

Islands (CNMI) 

C. Guam 

D. Hawaii 

E. Public Comment 

F. Council Discussion and Action 

7. Program Reports 

A. Advisory Panel Action Plans 

A.1. American Samoa Advisory Panel 

A.2. Guam Advisory Panel 

A.3. CNMI Advisory Panel 

A.4. Hawaii Advisory Panel 

B. 2023 Fishermen Observations 

C. Equity and Environmental Justice (EEJ) 

C.1. National EEJ Policy and Plan 

C.2. Regional Implementation EEJ Plan 

C.3. NASEM Report on Assessing Equity in 

Distribution of Fisheries Management 

Benefits 

C.4. Council EEJ and Council Coordination 

Committee (CCC) Plans 

D. Program Planning and Multi-Year 

Priorities 

D.1. MSA Research Priorities 2025–2028 

D.2. Program Plan and Budget 

D.3. SSC 3-Year Plan 

E. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Proposal 

F. Regional IRA Modernize Management 

Proposals 

G. Public Comment 

H. Council Discussion and Action 

Monday, March 18, 2024, 5:15 p.m. to 5:30 

p.m. HST 

Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items 

Monday, March 18, 2024, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

HST 

Fishers Forum—Fish ID 101: Know Your 

Catch 

Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 

p.m. HST 

8. Report from NMFS Deputy Assistant 

Administrator for Regulatory Programs 

9. Council/Advisory Body Breakout Session 

1—IRA Priority Areas 

A. Breakout Sessions (in-person only) 

10. Council/Advisory Body Breakout Session 

2—IRA Continued 

A. Breakout Sessions (in-person only) 

B. Report Out on IRA Breakout Groups 

11. Council/Advisory Body Breakout Session 

3—EEJ: Implement; Fund; Empower; 

Advocate 

A. Breakout Sessions (in-person only) 

B. Report out on EEJ Breakout Groups 

Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 8:30 a.m. to 5 

p.m. HST 

12. Action Items 

A. MHI Deep 7 Bottomfish 

A.1. 2024 MHI Deep 7 WPSAR Report 

A.2. 2024 MHI Deep 7 Stock Assessment 

B. Guam Bottomfish 

B.1. 2024 Guam WPSAR Report 

B.2. 2024 Guam Bottomfish Update Stock 

Assessment 

C. Terms of Reference for Guam Bottomfish 

Data WPSAR 

D. Advisory Group Report and 

Recommendations 

D.1. Scientific & Statistical Committee 

E. Public Comment 

F. Council Discussion and Action 

13. Program Planning 

A. Marine Resource Education Program 

B. NMFS Data Confidentiality Proposed 

Rule 

C. Status of Pacific Remote Islands and 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

Sanctuary Proposals 

D. Hawaii Small-Boat Fisheries Project 

Update 

E. Breakout Group Reports 

E.1. IRA Priorities and Projects 

E.2. EEJ Planning 

F. Advisory Group Report and 

Recommendations 

F.1. Joint Advisory Panel, FIAC, NCFAC 

F.2. Scientific & Statistical Committee 

F. Public Comment 

G. Council Discussion and Action 

14. Pelagic and International 

A. 2023 Longline Fishery Performance and 

Economic Snapshot Reports 

A.1. Hawaii Longline Fishery Report 

A.2. American Samoa Longline Fishery 

Report 

B. Report on Multi-Year Specification 

Framework for Territorial Bigeye Catch 

and Allocation Limits 

C. 12th Meeting of South Pacific Regional 

Fisheries Management Organisation 

D. Upcoming Inter-American Tropical 

Tuna Commission Management Issues 

E. Advisory Group Report and 

Recommendations 


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14446 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2024 / Notices 

E.1. Scientific & Statistical Committee 

F. Public Comment 

G. Council Discussion and Action 

15. Administrative Matters 

A. Financial Reports 

B. Administrative Reports 

C. Council Family Changes 

D. Meetings and Workshops 

E. 2025–2028 Program Plan 

F. Executive and Budget Standing 

Committee Report 

G. Public Comment 

H. Council Discussion and Action 

16. Other Business 

Non-emergency issues not contained 

in this agenda may come before the 

Council for discussion and formal 

Council action during its 198th meeting. 

However, Council action on regulatory 

issues will be restricted to those issues 

specifically listed in this document and 

any regulatory issue arising after 

publication of this document that 

requires emergency action under section 

305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, 

provided the public has been notified of 

the Council’s intent to take action to 

address the emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are accessible to 

people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Kitty M. Simonds, (808) 522–8220 

(voice) or (808) 522–8226 (fax), at least 

5 days prior to the meeting date. 

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

Dated: February 21, 2024. 

Rey Israel Marquez, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03886 Filed 2–26–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; Alaska Region Crab Permits 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit the following information 

collection request to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and clearance in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, on or after the date of publication 

of this notice. We invite the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

comment on proposed, and continuing 

information collections, which helps us 

assess the impact of our information 

collection requirements and minimize 

the public’s reporting burden. Public 

comments were previously requested 

via the Federal Register on September 

20, 2023, during a 60-day comment 

period. This notice allows for an 

additional 30 days for public comments. 

Agency: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

Title: Alaska Region Crab Permits. 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0514. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Request: Regular submission 

(extension of a current information 

collection). 

Number of Respondents: 468. 

Average Hours per Response: 

Application for Annual Crab IFQ 

Permit: 2.5 hours; Application for 

Annual Crab IPQ Permit: 2 hours; 

Application for Annual Crab Harvesting 

Cooperative IFQ Permit: 23 hours; 

Application for Registered Crab 

Receiver (RCR) Permit: 30 minutes; 

Application for BSAI Crab Hired Master 

(skipper) Permit: 1 hour; Application for 

Federal Crab Vessel Permit (FCVP): 20 

minutes; Application for Transfer of 

Crab QS: 2 hours; Application for 

Transfer of Crab PQS: 2.5 hours; 

Application for Transfer (lease) of Crab 

IFQ: 2.5 hours; Application for Transfer 

of IFQ between Crab Harvesting 

Cooperatives: 2 hours; Application for 

Transfer (Lease) of Crab IPQ: 2.5 hours; 

Application for Converted CPO QS and 

CPO IFQ: 30 minutes; Application for 

CR Program Eligibility to Receive QS/ 

PQS or IFQ/IPQ by Transfer: 2 hours; 

Application for Annual Exemption from 

Western Aleutian Islands Golden King 

Crab West Region Delivery 

Requirements: 2 hours; Application for 

Exemption from CR Crab North or South 

Region Delivery Requirements: 20 

hours; North or South Region Delivery 

Exemption Report: 20 hours; Voluntary 

Community Impact Report or IPQ 

Holder Report (N or S Response Report): 

2 hours; CDQ Group Notification of 

Community Representative: 5 hours; 

Application to Become an ECCO: 2.5 

hours; Application for Transfer of Crab 

QS/IFQ to or from an ECCO: 2 hours; 

ECCO Annual Report: 4 hours; BSAI 

Crab Rationalization Program QS 

Beneficiary Designation Form: 30 

minutes; File an Appeal to NMFS 

Decisions: 4 hours. 

Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,450 

hours. 

Needs and Uses: The National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska 

Regional Office, is requesting extension 

of a currently approved information 

collection for the Crab Rationalization 

Program (CR Program). 

This information collection is 

necessary for NMFS to manage the CR 

Program. The CR Program was 

implemented on April 1, 2005 (70 FR 

10174, March 2, 2005). The CR Program 

is a limited access privilege program 

that allocates the harvest of crab 

fisheries managed under the Fishery 

Management Plan for Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs 

(FMP) among harvesters, processors, 

and coastal communities. Regulations 

implementing the FMP and the CR 

Program are at 50 CFR part 680. 

Information on the CR Program is 

posted on the NMFS Alaska Region 

website at https://www.fisheries.

noaa.gov/alaska/sustainable-fisheries/ 

bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-crabrationalization-program. 

This information collection includes 

the forms used by participants in the CR 

Program to apply for or renew permits; 

transfer or lease individual fishing quota 

(IFQ), individual processor quota (IPQ), 

quota share (QS), or processor quota 

share (PQS); and apply for exemption 

from regional delivery requirements. 

This information collection also 

includes the following reports for which 

no collection forms are used: 

• The Community Impact Report or 

IPQ Holder Report is submitted by a 

community entity or IPQ holder, 

respectively, and provides 

documentation needed by NMFS to 

evaluate the efficacy of privately 

administered contracts. 

• The CDQ Group Notification of 

Community Representative is submitted 

by the Western Alaska Community 

Development Quota (CDQ) groups 

representing Saint Paul and Saint 

George to designate to NMFS a single 

entity as the regional representative for 

these two communities. 

• The Eligible Crab Community 

Organization (ECCO) Annual Report is 

submitted by the ECCO. It details the 

use of the crab QS and IFQ and is 

intended to ensure that the ECCO 

maintains the QS and IFQ to benefit 

residents of eligible communities. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households; Business or other for-profit 

organizations; Not-for-profit 

institutions. 

Frequency: Annually; As needed. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary; 

Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits; 

Mandatory. 

Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 

This information collection request 

may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. 

Follow the instructions to view the 

Department of Commerce collections 

currently under review by OMB. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1