4710 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 10 / Thursday, January 16, 2025 / Proposed Rules 

note the docket ID. Information not 

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Information marked as CBI will not be 

disclosed except in accordance with 

procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. 

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mailed CBI material should be double 

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Penny Lassiter, 

Director, Sector Policies and Programs 

Division. 

[FR Doc. 2025–00648 Filed 1–15–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Parts 216 and 300 

[Docket Number 250108–008] 

RIN 0648–BG11 

Implementation of Provisions of the 

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated 

Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015, the 

Ensuring Access to Pacific Fisheries 

Act, and the James M. Inhofe National 

Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2023 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal. 

SUMMARY: NMFS formally withdraws a 

proposed rule on the Implementation of 

Provisions of the Illegal, Unreported, 

and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement 

Act of 2015 and the Ensuring Access to 

Pacific Fisheries Act, which was 

published in the Federal Register on 

July 8, 2022. This proposed rule would 

have implemented certain provisions of 

the two acts and amended the definition 

of illegal, unreported, or unregulated 

(IUU) fishing in the regulations that 

implement the High Seas Driftnet 

Fishing Moratorium Protection Act 

(Moratorium Protection Act). After the 

proposed rule was issued, Congress 

amended the Moratorium Protection Act 

by the James M. Inhofe National Defense 

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 

(NDAA). NMFS has been developing a 

revised proposed rule in light of the 

NDAA to conform to the statutory 

changes, but does not have sufficient 

time to finalize the rule in this 

Administration. 

DATES: The National Marine Fisheries 

Service is withdrawing the proposed 

rule published July 8, 2022 (87 FR 

40763) as of January 16, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: Office of International 

Affairs, Trade, and Commerce, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway (F/IS5), Silver Spring, 

MD 20910. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Terra Lederhouse, Office of 

International Affairs, Trade, and 

Commerce, National Marine Fisheries 

Service (phone: 301–427–8360; or 

email: terra.lederhouse@noaa.gov). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On July 8, 2022, NMFS published a 

proposed rule (87 FR 40763) on the 

Implementation of Provisions of the 

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated 

Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 and 

the Ensuring Access to Pacific Fisheries 

Act. The proposed rule would have 

implemented the Agreement on Port 

State Measures to Prevent, Deter and 

Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and 

Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) and 

certain other provisions of the Illegal, 

Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing 

Enforcement Act of 2015, Public Law 

114–81 (November 15, 2015), as well as 

certain provisions of the Ensuring 

Access to Pacific Fisheries Act, Public 

Law 114–327 (December 16, 2016). The 

purpose of this proposed rule was to 

establish or amend procedures intended 

to assist the United States in combatting 

IUU fishing. It would have implemented 

the PSMA, which is intended to 

enhance regional and international 

cooperation and the ability of nations to 

detect and intercept products of IUU 

fishing before they enter into national 

and international markets. It would 

have amended the definition of IUU 

fishing in the regulations that 

implement the High Seas Driftnet 

Fishing Moratorium Protection Act as 

well as procedures to identify nations 

whose vessels undertake IUU fishing 

and other unsustainable fishing 

practices and negatively certify nations 

when they fail to take appropriate 

corrective actions. Finally, this 

proposed rule would also have amended 

the fisheries enforcement mechanisms 

of a number of existing statutes 

implementing U.S. obligations to 

regional fisheries management 

organizations and other international 

conservation organizations. 

After the proposed rule was issued, 

President Biden signed the James M. 

Inhofe National Defense Authorization 

Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA), Public 

Law 117–263 (December 23, 2022). 

NMFS has been revising the July 8, 

2022, proposed rule in light of 

amendments made to the Moratorium 

Protection Act by the NDAA to conform 

to the statutory changes. Combatting 

IUU fishing has been a top priority for 

NMFS, and NMFS has actively engaged 

with interagency partners and 

constituents on how best to address this 

critical issue through rulemaking and 

other means since the passage of the 

NDAA. Despite its best efforts, NMFS 

does not have sufficient time to finalize 

before the end of this Administration a 

revised version of the regulation that 

would appropriately address the 

statutory changes or to seek public input 

on those potential changes. 

Accordingly, NMFS hereby withdraws 

the July 2022 proposed rule and 

terminates this rulemaking proceeding. 

If, in the future, NMFS decides it is 

appropriate to issue regulations on this 

topic, it will do so via a new notice of 

proposed rulemaking, subject to the 

requirements of the Administrative 

Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 551, et seq. 

Authority: Pub. L. 114–81 (November 

15, 2015); Pub. L. 114–327 (December 

16, 2016); Pub. L. 117–263 (December 

23, 2022); 16 U.S.C. 1826d–k; 16 U.S.C. 

1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 5501 et seq.; 16 

U.S.C. 2431 et seq.; 31 U.S.C. 9701 et 

seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1826a–1826c; 16 U.S.C. 

1361 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.; 16 

U.S.C. 5601 et seq.; the Pacific Salmon 

Treaty Act, 16 U.S.C. 3631 et seq.; 16 

U.S.C. 951 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 5501 et seq. 

Dated: January 8, 2025. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2025–00716 Filed 1–15–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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