Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 49 / Thursday, March 13, 1997 / Notices 11845

bycatch information for the shrimp

fishery, fishery independent surveys

and appropriate state sampling

programs such as those conducted by

Texas Parks and Wildlife. The goal of

this review is to examine the fishery

information collection programs in the

Gulf of Mexico which provide the

scientific data for managing the fishery,

setting regulations, determining

allocations and conducting stock

assessments. The report from this

review will be part of the information to

be considered during the Science and

Management Review.

Economics Review

The Economics Review Panel will

consider the data which are available to

conduct economic inquiries and will

review and evaluate the economic

analyses which are currently available

and which contribute to the

understanding of the economic

ramifications of alternative management

strategies for red snapper. The goal of

this review is to examine the analyses

conducted in support of establishing

and individual transferable quota

system for the red snapper fishery and

determine whether the analyses were

sufficient and whether additional

analyses of other alternatives are called

for.

Science and Management Review

The Science and Management Review

Panel will consider all aspects of the

scientific and management basis for

managing the red snapper stock in the

Gulf of Mexico. The review will

consider the appropriateness of the

scientific methods, information, and

models used to assess the status and

trends of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper

stock and their usefulness as the basis

for the fishery management plan for the

Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery, and

the appropriateness and adequacy of the

management measures in the fishery

management plan for red snapper in the

Gulf of Mexico for conserving and

managing the red snapper fishery under

the Act. The goal of this review is to

examine the available scientific data

relating to the status of U.S. Gulf of

Mexico red snapper and determine the

best scientific advice to be derived from

it and to determine whether the

preferred management options are

supported by the scientific advice.

Dated: March 7, 1997.

Charles Karnella,

Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–6386 Filed 3–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 030497C]

Marine Mammals; California Sea Lion

Foraging and Predation on Salmonids

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability and

request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the

availability of an Environmental

Assessment (EA) that examines the

environmental consequences of

preventing California sea lion foraging

and predation on salmonids at the

Willamette Falls in Oregon. The

proposed non-lethal removal of

nuisance marine mammals is authorized

under the Marine Mammal Protection

Act (MMPA).

DATES: Comments on the EA must be

received by April 14, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the EA

should be addressed to William Stelle,

Jr., Administrator, Northwest Region,

NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE,

Seattle, WA 98115. Copies of the EA

may be obtained by writing to this

address or by telephoning the contact

listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe

Scordino, 206–526–6143.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

109(h)(1)(C) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C.

1361 et seq.) provides Federal, state, and

local government officials with

authority to take marine mammals in

the course of their official duties. Under

this authority NMFS and Oregon

Department of Fish and Wildlife

(ODFW) may non-lethally remove

California sea lions to prevent them

from preying on salmonids at the

Willamette Falls fish passage facility in

Oregon City, OR.

NMFS has determined that California

sea lions at the Willamette Falls are a

‘‘nuisance’’ because of the vulnerability

of salmonids to predation at this

location, and because Willamette Falls

are 128 miles (205 km) from the lower

Columbia River estuary where

California sea lions normally occur.

Since 1990, California sea lions have

been observed in the lower Willamette

River (between the falls and the

confluence with the Columbia River)

during the winter/spring months from

February to May coinciding with the

spawning migrations of spring chinook

salmon and winter and summer

steelhead, and the downstream

migration of smolts. ODFW has

documented sea lions foraging near the

fishway entrances at the Willamette

Falls fishway in each of the last 4 years

and preying on adult spring chinook

salmon and steelhead. In recent years,

the spring chinook salmon and winter

steelhead populations, which are the

only native salmonid populations above

the falls, have declined, raising

concerns from the public about the

potential effects of sea lions foraging on

salmonids migrating through the

fishway at the Willamette Falls. A

preliminary assessment of this situation

indicates that a few California sea lions

are returning each year to the Falls and

that the number of sea lions involved

may be increasing.

In response to concerns over the

possible impacts of increasing predation

on returning salmonids, NMFS and

ODFW propose to implement a program

of non-lethal removal measures to

prevent sea lion predation at the

Willamette Falls while continuing to

monitor the resource conflict at this site.

The National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) requires that federal agencies

conduct an environmental analysis of

their actions to determine if the actions

may affect the environment.

Accordingly, NMFS jointly prepared

with ODFW an EA that explores the

environmental consequences of three

alternatives: (1) No action; (2) Nonlethal removal of California sea lions

(proposed action); and, (3) Lethal

removal of sea lions foraging at

Willamette Falls. The draft EA was

prepared in accordance with NEPA and

implementing regulations at 40 CFR

Parts 1500 through 1508 and NOAA

guidelines concerning implementation

of NEPA found in NOAA

Administrative Order 216–6.

Dated: March 7, 1997.

Hilda Diaz-Soltero,

Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–6385 Filed 3–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 030597F]

Gulf of Mexico 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 Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

convene a public meeting of the

Mackerel Stock Assessment Panel.

DATES: This meeting will begin at 1:00

p.m. on March 31, 1997, and will

conclude by 5:00 p.m. on April 4, 1997.