Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 152 / Wednesday, August 11, 2021 / Notices 43995 

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). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chris Fanning, NMFS, West Coast 

Region, 562–980–4198. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DSBG 

fishing trials have occurred for the past 

11 years (2011–2015, research years; 

2015–2021, EFP years) in the U.S. West 

Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 

off California. The data collected from 

this fishing activity have demonstrated 

DSBG to achieve about a 95 percent 

marketable catch composition. Nonmarketable catch rates have remained 

low and all non-marketable catch were 

released alive. Due to DSBG being 

actively tended, strikes are capable of 

being detected within minutes of a 

hooking on the line; as a result, all 

catches can be tended quickly, with 

catch brought to the vessel in good 

condition. To date, DSBG has had five 

observed or reported interactions with 

protected species, four Northern 

elephant seals and one loggerhead sea 

turtle, which were not seriously injured 

and were released alive due to the quick 

strike detection of the gear. Northern 

elephant seals are protected by the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act, and 

loggerhead sea turtles are protected by 

the Endangered Species Act. 

DSLBG trials have produced similar 

data to DSBG activities. Swordfish and 

other marketable species have 

represented about 90 percent of the 

catch. Non-marketable species are 

released alive due to DSLBG quick 

strike detection and active gear tending. 

To date, there have been no observed or 

reported interactions with protected 

species using DSLBG. 

At its June 2021 meeting, the Pacific 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

received ten applications for EFPs in 

time for review and recommended that 

NMFS issue seven of these EFPs to 

authorize use of DSBG and/or DSLBG 

(see Table 1), and recommended further 

Council consideration of the remaining 

three EFP applications at its September 

2021 meeting. Council 

recommendations can be found on the 

June 2021 meeting Decision Document 

here, https://www.pcouncil.org/june2021-decision-document/#HMS. 

At this time, NMFS is requesting 

public comment on the seven DSBG EFP 

applications recommended by the 

Council in June 2021. NMFS will take 

the Council’s comments into 

consideration along with public 

comments on whether or not to issue 

these EFPs. If all seven of the June 2021 

Council recommended applications are 

approved, a total of 52 vessels would be 

allowed to fish with permitted 

exemptions from the prohibitions 

related to unauthorized fishing gears 

used to target swordfish within the U.S. 

EEZ under the Fishery Management 

Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for 

(HMS FMP) throughout the duration of 

their respective EFPs. Thirty-seven of 

the vessels would be permitted to fish 

with DSBG only and 15 of the vessels 

would be permitted to fish using both 

DSBG and DSLBG. Aside from the 

exemption described above, vessels 

fishing under an EFP would be subject 

to all other regulations implemented in 

the HMS FMP, including measures to 

protect sea turtles, marine mammals, 

and seabirds. 

TABLE 1—SUMMARY OF DEEP-SET BUOY GEAR EXEMPTED FISHING PERMIT APPLICATIONS RECOMMENDED AT THE JUNE

2021 COUNCIL MEETING * 

F.3 attachment No. Applicant name Number of 

vessels Fishing method 

1 .................................................... Austin and Robert Ashe ..................................................... 1 StandardDSBG. 

3 .................................................... Austin Brown ...................................................................... 1 Standard and Linked DSBG. 

5 .................................................... Miguel Ferre ....................................................................... 1 Standard DSBG. 

6 .................................................... Scott and Wyatt Hawkins ................................................... 1 Linked DSBG. 

7 .................................................... Blake Hermann ................................................................... 1 Standard DSBG. 

8 .................................................... Markus Medak, Brian Sims, and Daniel Fuller .................. 1 Linked DSBG. 

10 .................................................. Mathew Rimmel .................................................................. 1 Standard DSBG. 

* Linked DSBG vessels can also use standard deep-set buoy gear (https://www.pcouncil.org/june-2021-briefing-book/#F). 

NMFS will consider all public 

comments submitted in response to this 

Federal Register notice prior to issuance 

of any EFP. Additionally, NMFS has 

analyzed the effects of issuing DSBG 

and DSLBG EFPs in accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act and 

NOAA’s Administrative Order 216–6, as 

well as for compliance with other 

applicable laws, including Section 

7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act 

(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), which requires 

the agency to consider whether the 

proposed action is likely to jeopardize 

the continued existence and recovery of 

any endangered or threatened species or 

result in the destruction or adverse 

modification of critical habitat. 

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

Dated: August 6, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–17147 Filed 8–10–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB301] 

East Coast Fisheries of the United 

States; Public Meetings; Request for 

Comments 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: Several fishery management 

bodies on the East Coast of the Atlantic 

Ocean are convening three public 

webinars to introduce a project called 

East Coast Climate Change Scenario 

Planning. This is a joint effort of the 

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 

Commission (ASMFC), the New 

England Fishery Management Council 

(NEFMC), the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council (MAFMC), the 

South Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council (SAFMC), and NOAA Fisheries. 

These webinars will introduce 

stakeholders to the overall initiative, 

present draft objectives, discuss 

potential outcomes, explain the general 


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43996 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 152 / Wednesday, August 11, 2021 / Notices 

focus of the work, and collect initial 

stakeholder input. 

DATES: These webinars will be held on 

Monday, August 30, 2021, at 

4 p.m.–5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 

September 1, 2021, at 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m.; 

Thursday, September 2, 2021, at 10 

a.m.–11:30 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: All meeting participants 

and interested parties are strongly 

encouraged to register in advance of any 

webinar they are interested in attending. 

Meeting links for each webinar can be 

located at: https://www.mafmc.org/ 

climate-change-scenario-planning. 

Meeting addresses: The meetings will 

be held via webinar (see SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492. 

Contact information and individual staff 

members working on this initiative can 

be found here: https://www.mafmc.org/ 

climate-change-scenario-planning. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Climate change is a growing threat to 

marine fisheries worldwide. On the East 

coast of the United States, there is 

evidence of climate-related shifts in 

distribution, abundance, and/or 

productivity of fishery resources. It is 

uncertain what the next couple of 

decades will bring, and how fishery 

management programs can best prepare 

to meet the challenges ahead. Over the 

next year, this joint effort will bring 

together researchers, fishery managers, 

fishery participants and others to 

discuss these questions and emerge with 

ideas and recommendations for how 

fishery management can potentially 

adapt to climate change. 

The management bodies in this region 

have decided to employ a scenario 

planning framework to discuss these 

issues. Scenario planning is a way of 

exploring how fishery management may 

need to evolve over the next few 

decades as climate change becomes a 

bigger issue. Specifically, scenarios are 

stories about possible future 

developments. This approach is 

designed to help stakeholders and 

managers think broadly about the future 

implications of climate change to help 

define what changes can potentially be 

made now to be better prepared. 

These introductory webinars are the 

first step of a multi-year scenario 

planning effort. Staff will explain the 

overall initiative and share draft 

objectives, possible outcomes and focus 

of the work. There will be a presentation 

introducing the basics of scenario 

planning and potential benefits of 

engaging in the process. At the end of 

the webinar there will be an opportunity 

for small group discussions for 

participants to share feedback and 

suggestions on the information 

presented and proposed. Additional 

details about the webinars will be 

posted to this page once available: 

https://www.mafmc.org/climate-changescenario-planning. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Thomas A. Nies, 

Executive Director, at (978) 465–0492, at 

least 5 days prior to the meeting date. 

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

Dated: August 5, 2021. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–17051 Filed 8–10–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID: 0648–XB307] 

Environmental Impact Statement on 

Phase 2 Modifications to the Atlantic 

Large Whale Take Reduction Plan To 

Reduce Serious Injury and Mortality of 

Large Whales in Commercial Trap/Pot 

and Gillnet Fisheries Along the U.S. 

East Coast 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement, 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS) intends to 

begin a rulemaking process that will 

amend the Atlantic Large Whale Take 

Reduction Plan (Plan) to reduce the risk 

of mortalities and serious injuries of 

North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena 

glacialis) and other large whales caused 

by entanglement in commercial trap/pot 

and gillnet fisheries along the U.S. East 

Coast. An Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) will be prepared in 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to 

analyze the impacts to the environment 

of alternatives to amend the Plan. This 

notice informs the public of upcoming 

scoping meetings to solicit public input 

on Phase 2 of our efforts to reduce the 

risk of entanglement to right, humpback, 

and fin whales in U.S. commercial 

fisheries managed under the Plan. Phase 

1, a final rule implementing new 

modifications to reduce mortalities and 

serious injuries caused by incidental 

entanglement in the northeast American 

lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot fishery, 

is anticipated shortly, and was analyzed 

in a Final Environmental Impact 

Statement released (FEIS) on July 2, 

2021. Phase 2 focuses on risk reduction 

in U.S. East Coast gillnet, Atlantic 

mixed species trap/pot, and MidAtlantic lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot 

fisheries. 

DATES: Written or electronic scoping 

inputs must be received at the 

appropriate address, email mailbox, or 

phone number (see ADDRESSES) by 

October 21, 2021. 

Public Hearings: At least seven virtual 

public meetings will be held during the 

public comment period. In addition, we 

will be holding three call-in days for 

interested parties to call and speak to a 

NMFS staff member to ask questions or 

submit information and 

recommendations. 

See ADDRESSES to obtain public 

hearing and call-in day notification 

details. Scoping will also occur through 

presentations and discussions at the 

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 

Commission and New England, MidAtlantic, and South Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council meetings during 

the scoping period. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit input on 

this document via email. Submit all 

electronic public comments by sending 

an email to nmfs.gar.ALWTRT2021@

noaa.gov using the subject line 

‘‘Comments on Atlantic Large Whale 

Take Reduction Plan Scoping.’’ Input 

can also be provided via webinar during 

scoping meetings or via phone on callin days. Remote public meeting dates, 

access, and call-in information is 

available in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section. Meeting 

information will also be posted on the 

Plan website fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

ALWTRP, or you may contact Marisa 

Trego for information on dates and 

times. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Marisa Trego, Take Reduction Team 

Coordinator, Greater Atlantic Region. 

Telephone: 978 282–8484. Address: 55 

Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 

01930. Email: marisa.trego@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


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