Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 15, 2024 / Notices 82991 

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. NOAA will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

• Oral submission: NOAA will accept 

verbal input at a data development 

workshop. The meeting will be held at 

the Maryland Innovation Center in 

Columbia, Maryland on Wednesday, 

October 16, 2024 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 

p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 

Thursday, October 17, 2024 from 8:30 

a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST). There will be a 

registration window from 8:30 a.m. to 9 

a.m. (EST) each day before the start of 

the meeting. 

Reports of meeting results will also be 

published and made available to the 

public in the weeks following the 

meeting. If you are unable to provide 

electronic written comments or 

participate in the meeting, please 

contact Bryce O’Brien at bryce.obrien@

noaa.gov or (802) 331–0290 for 

alternative submission methods. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

James Morris, NOAA NCCOS, at 

james.morris@noaa.gov or 252–666– 

7433. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

NOAA is an agency of the United 

States Federal Government that works to 

conserve and manage coastal and 

marine ecosystems and resources. 

NOAA works to make fisheries 

sustainable and productive, provide safe 

seafood to consumers, conserve 

threatened and endangered species and 

other protected resources, and maintain 

healthy ecosystems. NOAA has 

jurisdiction and responsibility for its 

trust marine resources in the U.S. 

Central Atlantic region as well as 

significant interest in supporting the 

resilience of coastal and marinedependent communities and promoting 

equity and environmental justice. For 

these reasons, it is important for NOAA 

to invest in research that informs marine 

spatial studies in the U.S. Central 

Atlantic region, including 

socioeconomic research that ensures 

meaningful participation of local 

communities and supports equitable 

processes for planning and siting of new 

and existing marine industries and 

conservation areas. 

NOAA has been engaged with the 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

(BOEM) to support siting and 

environmental review for offshore wind 

energy areas in U.S. Federal waters 

(https://www.boem.gov/renewableenergy) to ensure protection of trust 

resources in any offshore development 

activities. 

II. Purpose of This Request for 

Information 

The purpose of this Request for 

Information is to promote data 

development to inform marine spatial 

studies in Maryland, New Jersey, and 

Delaware, with an emphasis on data 

needs for offshore wind energy. In 

addition to input received from the 

public through the electronic and verbal 

submissions, NOAA aims to inform the 

public about its coastal and ocean 

planning processes and capabilities, 

discuss the current data available for 

each ocean sector (e.g., national 

security, fisheries, industry, natural 

resources, cultural resources), and 

gather ideas for other data sources. 

NOAA hopes to come out of the 

meetings with a strengthened 

relationship with the public and a list 

of best available data and data gaps. 

III. Specific Information Requested To 

Inform Marine Spatial Studies in 

Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware 

Through this Request for Information, 

NOAA seeks written public input to 

inform marine spatial studies in the U.S. 

Central Atlantic region. NOAA is 

particularly interested in receiving 

input concerning the items listed below. 

Responses to this Request for 

Information are voluntary, and 

respondents need not reply to items 

listed. When providing input, please 

specify if you are providing general 

feedback on marine spatial studies and/ 

or if you are responding to one of the 

specific item number(s) below: 

1. Specific datasets related to ocean 

sectors, natural resources, and/or 

human activities you recommend 

NOAA use in marine spatial studies. 

2. Major concerns you have related to 

use of any specific datasets that may be 

used in marine spatial studies. 

3. Major concerns you have related to 

gaps in scientific knowledge or data that 

could impact marine spatial planning 

efforts. 

4. Specific data or information you 

recommend NOAA or other partners 

collect, if it is not currently available or 

has not been previously collected. 

5. Ways in which NOAA can better 

engage and collaborate with the public 

and local communities to promote 

economic, social, and ecological 

resilience as well as protect trust 

resources. 

6. Ways in which NOAA can build 

upon existing capacity and resources for 

regional ocean spatial planning. 

Sean Corson, 

Director, National Centers for Coastal Ocean 

Science, National Ocean Service, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23776 Filed 10–11–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE330] 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Draft Recovery Plan for the Giant 

Manta Ray (Mobula birostris); Notice of 

Initiation of a 5-Year Review for the 

Giant Manta Ray 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft 

recovery plan; request for comments; 

notice of initiation; request for 

information. 

SUMMARY: We, the National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS), announce the 

availability of a Draft Endangered 

Species Act (ESA) Recovery Plan (Draft 

Recovery Plan) for the threatened giant 

manta ray (Mobula birostris) for public 

review. We are soliciting review and 

comment from the public and all 

interested parties on the Draft Recovery 

Plan, and will consider all substantive 

comments received during the review 

period before submitting the Recovery 

Plan for final approval. We are also 

initiating a 5-year review of the giant 

manta ray and are requesting new 

information on its status. 

DATES: Comments on the Draft Recovery 

Plan must be received by December 16, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on the Draft Recovery Plan, identified 

by NOAA–NMFS–2024–0110 by any of 

the following methods: 

Electronic Submissions: Submit all 

electronic comments via the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal. Visit https://

www.regulations.gov and type NOAA– 

NMFS–2024–0110 in the Search box. 

Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete 

the required fields, and enter or attach 

your comments. 

Mail: Submit written comments to 

Endangered Species Division, Office of 

Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West 

Highway (SSMC3), Silver Spring, MD 


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82992 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 15, 2024 / Notices 

20910, Attn: Giant Manta Ray Recovery 

Plan. 

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 

remain anonymous). 

Electronic copies of the Draft 

Recovery Plan and supporting 

documents are available online at: 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/ 

giant-manta-ray/conservationmanagement. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Maggie Miller, (301) 427–8457, 

margaret.h.miller@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The ESA of 1973, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that NMFS 

develop and implement recovery plans 

for the conservation and survival of 

threatened and endangered species 

under our jurisdiction, unless it is 

determined that such plans would not 

promote the conservation of the species. 

Section 4(f)(1) of the ESA requires that 

recovery plans incorporate, to the 

maximum extent practicable: (1) sitespecific management actions necessary 

to achieve the plan’s goals; (2) objective, 

measurable criteria which, when met, 

would result in a determination that the 

species is no longer threatened or 

endangered; and (3) estimates of the 

time required and costs to implement 

recovery actions. 

We listed the giant manta ray (Mobula 

birostris) as a threatened species under 

the ESA on January 22, 2018 (83 FR 

2916). The giant manta ray is found 

worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and 

temperate bodies of water. Yet, despite 

its large range, the species is 

encountered infrequently (with the 

exception of a few areas noted for manta 

ray aggregations). Although there is 

considerable uncertainty regarding the 

species’ current abundance throughout 

its range, the best available information 

indicated that the species experienced 

population declines of potentially 

significant magnitude due to fisheriesrelated mortality within the Indian 

Ocean and the Western Pacific and 

Eastern Pacific subregions of its range, 

which we determined qualifies as a 

‘‘significant portion its range’’ under the 

final Significant Portion of Its Range 

(SPR) policy (79 FR 37577; July 1, 2014). 

Based on the best available scientific 

and commercial information, and after 

considering efforts being made to 

protect the giant manta ray, we 

determined that it was likely to become 

an endangered species within the 

foreseeable future throughout a 

significant portion of its range (83 FR 

2916; January 22, 2018). Accordingly, 

the giant manta ray was listed as 

threatened. 

Globally, giant manta rays are both 

targeted and caught as bycatch in a 

number of fisheries throughout their 

range, and are most susceptible to 

artisanal/small-scale fisheries (Miller 

and Klimovich 2017). With the 

expansion of the international mobulid 

gill plate market and increasing demand 

for manta ray products, estimated take 

of giant manta rays, particularly in 

many portions of the SPR, frequently 

exceeds numbers of identified 

individuals in those areas. Observations 

from these areas also indicate declines 

in sightings and landings of the species. 

Given the species’ extremely low 

reproductive output and overall 

productivity, it is inherently vulnerable 

to threats that would deplete its 

abundance, with a low likelihood of 

recovery. Unfortunately, efforts to 

address overutilization of the species 

through regulatory measures appear 

inadequate, with evidence of targeted 

fishing of the species and bycatch 

retention despite prohibitions, and a 

lack of local, regional, and international 

measures and/or enforcement (Miller 

and Klimovich 2017). 

Development of the Draft Recovery Plan 

In December 2019, we developed a 

recovery outline to systematically and 

cohesively guide recovery for the giant 

manta ray until we completed a 

recovery plan. The recovery outline is 

available on our website at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/giantmanta-ray/conservation-management. 

In 2022, we held a virtual meeting to 

elicit expert opinion on the challenges 

associated with recovering a wideranging species and potential ways to 

facilitate the recovery of the giant manta 

ray. We invited experts from a range of 

relevant disciplines to participate in the 

meeting and provide input and 

feedback. We utilized the information 

provided at this meeting to prioritize 

threats that are most urgent and 

significant and will need to be 

minimized/controlled for the recovery 

of the species. This helped serve as the 

foundation for our recovery criteria, 

actions and activities. 

The recovery planning components 

for the giant manta ray are divided into 

three separate documents. The first 

document, the Recovery Status Review, 

provides detailed information on the 

giant manta ray’s biology, ecology, 

status and threats, and conservation 

efforts to date, which has typically been 

included in the background section of a 

species’ recovery plan. This separate 

document is designed to inform all postlisting activities, including recovery 

planning, and is a comprehensive 

update to the original 2017 status 

review (Miller and Klimovich 2017). 

The Recovery Status Review may be 

revised as new information becomes 

available. The second document, the 

Draft Recovery Plan, focuses on the 

statutory components of a recovery 

plan, as required under the ESA to be 

incorporated to the maximum extent 

practicable: (1) a description of sitespecific management actions necessary 

for the conservation and survival of the 

species (recovery actions); (2) objective, 

measurable criteria that, when met, will 

allow the species to be removed from 

the endangered and threatened species 

list; and (3) estimates of the time and 

cost required to achieve the plan’s goals. 

Site-specific recovery actions in the 

Draft Recovery Plan are described at a 

relatively high level and are strategic in 

nature. The third document, the Draft 

Recovery Implementation Strategy, is a 

flexible, operational document separate 

from the Draft Recovery Plan. The Draft 

Recovery Implementation Strategy 

provides specific activities necessary to 

implement fully recovery actions in the 

Draft Recovery Plan, while affording us 

the ability to modify these activities 

efficiently to reflect changes in the 

information available as well as progress 

towards recovery. All three of the 

recovery planning documents, including 

the Recovery Status Review, the Draft 

Recovery Plan, and the Draft Recovery 

Implementation Strategy, are available 

on the NMFS giant manta ray website at: 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/ 

giant-manta-ray/conservationmanagement. 

We have determined that this Draft 

Recovery Plan for the giant manta ray 

meets the statutory requirements for a 

recovery plan and are proposing to 

adopt it as the ESA recovery plan for 

this threatened species. Section 4(f)(4) 

of the ESA requires that public notice 

and an opportunity to comment be 

provided prior to final approval of a 

recovery plan. This notice solicits 

comments on this Draft Recovery Plan. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 15, 2024 / Notices 82993 

Contents of the Draft Recovery Plan 

The Draft Recovery Plan presents 

NMFS’ proposed recovery goal, 

objectives, and criteria, which, when 

met, would allow the giant manta ray to 

be delisted. The proposed demographic 

and threats-based recovery objectives 

and criteria are based on the listing 

factors found in the ESA section 4(a)(1). 

The proposed demographic and threatsbased recovery objectives and criteria 

for the giant manta ray address threats 

from significant population declines, 

targeted catch in artisanal/small-scale 

fisheries, bycatch-related mortality in 

artisanal/small-scale and commercial 

fisheries, international trade of its gill 

plates, inadequate regulatory 

mechanisms, and illegal retention and 

enforcement issues. Additionally, it 

identifies stressors that should be 

monitored for potential future impact, 

such as climate change. The Draft 

Recovery Plan also describes specific 

information on the following: current 

status of the giant manta ray, threats that 

have contributed to the species’ decline, 

recovery strategies to address the 

threats, and site-specific recovery 

actions with timelines. Finally, the Draft 

Recovery Plan estimates the time and 

costs required to implement recovery 

actions. 

The Draft Recovery Implementation 

Strategy provides specific, prioritized 

activities necessary to implement fully 

recovery actions in the Draft Recovery 

Plan. This stepped-down approach will 

afford us the ability to modify these 

activities efficiently to reflect changes in 

the information available as well as 

progress towards recovery. 

How NMFS and Others Expect To Use 

the Plan 

In addition to continuing to carry out 

actions already underway, such as 

satellite and acoustic tag deployment 

and analysis, genetic sampling, and 

other research activities designed to 

improve our understanding of manta ray 

distribution, abundance, and population 

connectivity, we have begun 

implementation of other actions 

described in the Draft Recovery Plan. 

For example, we are currently providing 

domestic education and training 

programs for fishermen to enhance safe 

handling of giant manta rays and 

providing the public with outreach 

messaging to reduce harm and increase 

awareness of giant manta rays. In 

addition, we anticipate reviewing 

whether additional protective 

regulations under section 4(d) of the 

ESA may be appropriate to provide for 

the conservation of the giant manta ray 

in U.S. waters. After public comment 

and the adoption of the Recovery Plan, 

our intention is to implement the 

actions and activities for which we have 

authority and funding; encourage other 

international, Federal, State, and local 

agencies to implement recovery actions 

and activities for which they have 

responsibility, authority, and funding; 

and work cooperatively with the public 

and local stakeholders on 

implementation of other recovery 

actions and activities. We expect the 

Recovery Plan to guide us and other 

Federal agencies in evaluating Federal 

actions under ESA section 7, as well as 

in implementing other provisions of the 

ESA. 

Public Comments Solicited 

We are soliciting written comments 

on the Draft Recovery Plan. All 

substantive comments received by the 

date specified above will be considered 

and incorporated, as appropriate, prior 

to our decision on whether to approve 

this Recovery Plan. While we invite 

comments on all aspects of the Draft 

Recovery Plan, we are particularly 

interested in comments on the proposed 

objectives, criteria, and actions, as well 

as comments on the estimated time and 

cost of recovery actions and activities. 

In addition, the ESA requires that we 

conduct a review of listed species at 

least once every five years. This will be 

the first review of this species pursuant 

to this provision of the ESA since it was 

listed in 2018 under the ESA. The 

regulations in 50 CFR 424.21 require 

that we publish a notice in the Federal 

Register announcing species currently 

under active review. On the basis of 

such reviews, we determine under the 

ESA 4(c)(2)(B) whether any species 

should be removed from the list (i.e., 

delisted) or reclassified from 

endangered to threatened or from 

threatened to endangered (16 U.S.C. 

1533(c)(2)(B)). Any change in federal 

classification would require a separate 

rulemaking process. 

To ensure that the 5-year review is 

complete and based on the best 

available scientific and commercial 

information, we are soliciting new 

information from the public, 

governmental agencies, Tribes, the 

scientific community, industry, 

environmental entities, and any other 

interested parties concerning the status 

of the giant manta ray. Comments and 

information submitted will be 

considered in the 5-year review, as 

applicable. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1533(f) 

Dated: October 8, 2024. 

Lisa Manning, 

Acting Chief, Endangered Species 

Conservation Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23755 Filed 10–11–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE379] 

Pacific Fishery Management Council; 

Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery 

Management Council’s (Pacific Council) 

Habitat Committee (HC) will hold an 

online public meeting. 

DATES: The online meeting will be held 

Tuesday, October 29, 2024, from 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., Pacific Time, and Wednesday, 

October 30, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 12 

p.m., or until business for the day has 

been completed. 

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held 

online. Specific meeting information, 

including a proposed agenda and 

instructions on how to attend the 

meeting and system requirements, will 

be provided in the meeting 

announcement on the Pacific Council’s 

website (see www.pcouncil.org). You 

may send an email to Mr. Kris 

Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@

noaa.gov) or contact him at (503) 820– 

2412 for technical assistance. 

Council address: Pacific Fishery 

Management Council, 7700 NE 

Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, 

OR 97220–1384. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kerry Griffin, Staff Officer, Pacific 

Council; telephone: (503) 820–2409. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

purpose of this online meeting is for the 

HC to consider items on the Pacific 

Council’s November meeting agenda 

and to prepare supplemental reports as 

necessary. Topics will include current 

habitat issues, fishing regulation 

changes at Cordell Bank (California), 

research on benthic disturbance and 

biogeochemical cycling, and other 

topics as necessary. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in the meeting agenda may be 

discussed, those issues may not be the 

subject of formal action during this 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES