[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 2001)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 5489-5490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1589]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 229

[Docket No. 001128334-0334-01; I.D. 111300E]
RIN 648-AN40


Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Commercial Fishing 
Operations; Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Regulations

AGENCY:  National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Interim final rule; delay of effective date.

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SUMMARY: This interim final rule delays the effective date of an 
interim final rule amending the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction 
Plan (ALWTRP) from January 22, 2001, until February 21, 2001. Due to 
the rough January weather conditions in the Gulf of Maine, the affected 
fishers have not been able to implement the gear modifications in the 
interim final rule in time to meet the January 22, 2001 effective date. 
The intent of this delay of effective date is to allow fishers 30 
additional days to implement the gear modifications.

DATES:  The effective date of the interim final rule amending 50 CFR 
part 229 published at 65 FR 80368, December 21, 2000, is delayed until 
February 21, 2001.

ADDRESSES:  Send comments on this interim final rule to the Chief, 
Marine Mammal Division, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Copies of the Environmental 
Assessment, Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (ALWTRT) meeting 
summaries, progress reports on implementation of the ALWTRP, and a map 
and table of the changes to the ALWTRP may be obtained by writing 
Douglas Beach, NMFS/Northeast Region, 1 Blackburn Dr., Gloucester, MA 
01930 or Katherine Wang, NMFS/Southeast Region, 9721 Executive Center 
Dr., St. Petersburg, Fl 33702-2432.
    Send comments regarding any ambiguity or unnecessary complexity 
arising from the language used in this interim final rule to the Marine 
Mammal Division Chief at the previously listed address. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, under the heading Electronic Access, for 
Internet addresses pertaining to this interim final rule.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Beach, NMFS, Northeast Region, 
978-281-9254; Katherine Wang, NMFS, Southeast Region, 727-570-5312; or 
Patricia Lawson, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, 301-713-2322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    Several of the background documents for this interim final rule and 
the take reduction planning process can be downloaded from the ALWTRP 
web site at http://www.nero.nmfs.gov/whaletrp/.

Background

    The ALWTRP was developed pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection 
Act (MMPA) to reduce the level of serious injury/mortality of all large 
whale species in East Coast lobster trap and finfish gillnet fisheries. 
The background for the take reduction planning process and development 
of the ALWTRP is set out in the preamble to the proposed (62 FR 16519, 
April 7, 1997), interim final (62 FR 39157, July 22, 1997), and final 
(64 FR 7529, February 16, 1999) rules implementing the ALWTRP. 
Additional information is available in the report from the ALWTRT after 
its recent series of meetings in 2000. Copies of these documents and 
supporting Environmental Assessments (EAs) are available from the NMFS/
Northeast Region contact in the ADDRESSES section of this document.
    Because of the status of the right whale population, there is a 
need to further reduce entanglement. The interim final rule published 
December 21, 2000, (65 FR 80368), with an effective date of January 22, 
2001, implemented gear modifications (buoy line weak links, net panel 
weak links with anchoring systems, restrictions on number of buoy 
lines, and gear marking) that were initially discussed in the 1997 
proposed and 1999 final rules and recommended by the TRT after the 2000 
meetings. NMFS responded to these recommendations by promulgating the 
gear modifications in the December 21, 2000, interim final rule. It was 
agreed that the regulations implementing these gear modifications 
should be issued as soon as practicable. However, due to rough January 
weather conditions in the Gulf of Maine, effected fishers will be 
unable to retrieve and modify active gear by the January 22, 2001 
effective date. This interim final rule delays the effective date until 
February 21, 2001, to allow fishers time to implement the gear 
modifications.
    NMFS expects that a delay of the rule to February 21, 2001 will 
have minimal impact on the North Atlantic right whale population. 
Available sighting data for the January through February period 
suggests that most right whales in New England are congregated in Cape 
Cod Bay. Data reported by the NE Right Whale Alert System during 1999-
2001, included only two sightings of right whales in New England waters 
outside of Cape Cod Bay. Whales do not begin to leave the Bay until 
late March (when they move to Stellwagen Bank and then perhaps on to 
the Great South Channel Area) by which time gear will have been 
modified as per the Interim Final Rule. Thus, the 30 day delay is not 
expected to adversely affect right whales in these waters.

Classification

    An Environmental Assessment (EA) describing the impacts to the 
environment that would result from the implementation of the ALWTRP was 
prepared for the July 22, 1997, interim final rule (62 FR 39157). 
Supplemental EAs were also prepared for the April 9, 1999, final rule 
(64 FR 17292) and the December 21, 2000, interim final rule (65 FR 
80368). The conclusion of those EAs was that the ALWTRP's actions would 
pose no significant adverse environmental impact. The delay of the 
effective date by 30 days does not change the determination of those 
EAs. This action is categorically excluded from further review because 
it is an action of limited size and magnitude that does not result in a 
significant change in the original action.
    This interim final rule has been determined to be not significant 
for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    Given the status of the species to be protected and the fact that 
entanglements continue to occur under the existing regulations, the 
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA) NOAA, for good cause under 5 
U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), found that extending the December 21, 2000, 
interim final rule (65 FR 80368) to allow for prior notice and an 
opportunity for public comment

[[Page 5490]]

would be contrary to the public interest. In addition, the AA finds for 
good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3) that extending this interim final 
rule for prior notice and an opportunity for public comment would be 
contrary to the public interest. It would be unfair to subject fishers 
to changes in gear requirements under the December 21, 2000 interim 
final rule (65 FR 80368) when, due to weather, the affected fishers 
have been unable to implement these changes. Because prior notice and 
an opportunity for public comment are not required to be provided for 
this interim final rule by 5 U.S.C. 553 or by any other law, the 
analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 
et seq., are inapplicable.
    This interim final rule delays implementation of a collection-of 
information requirement subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act that has 
already been approved by Office of Management and Budget (OMB control 
number: 0648-0364).
    A biological opinion (BO) on the ALWTRP was finalized on July 15, 
1997. That opinion concluded that implementation of the ALWTRP and 
continued operation of fisheries conducted under the American Lobster, 
Northeast Multispecies, and Shark Fishery Management Plans (FMPs), as 
modified by the ALWTRP, may adversely affect, but are not likely to 
jeopardize the continued existence of any listed species or adversely 
modify critical habitat. A further determination was made that the 
February 16, 1999, final rule (64 FR 7529) did not change the basis for 
that BO. NMFS also determined that the December 21, 2000, interim final 
rule (65 FR 80368) does not change the basis for the 1997 and 1999 ESA 
determinations. Because this interim final rule simply delays the 
effective date of the December 21, 2000, interim final rule, NMFS finds 
this action also does not change the basis for that BO.
    This interim final rule should have no adverse impacts on marine 
mammals. Whale entanglement rates are not expected to increase 
significantly as a result of this action.
    This interim final rule does not change the determination for the 
December 21, 2000, interim final rule (65 FR 80368) that the ALWTRP 
will be implemented in a manner that is consistent to the maximum 
extent practicable with the approved coastal zone management programs 
of the U.S. Atlantic coastal states.
    This interim final rule does not contain policies with federalism 
implications sufficient to warrant preparation of a federalism 
assessment under Executive Order 12612.
    This interim final rule is promulgated in compliance with all 
procedural requirements established by the Administrative Procedure 
Act.

Plain Language Requirement for Rulemaking

    The President has directed Federal agencies to use plain language 
in their communications with the public, including regulations. To 
comply with this directive, we seek public comment on any ambiguity or 
unnecessary complexity arising from the language used in this interim 
final rule. Send comments to the NMFS Marine Mammal Division Chief (see 
ADDRESSES).

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 229

    Administrative practice and procedure, Confidential business 
information, Fisheries, Marine mammals, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    Dated: January 12, 2001.
William T. Hogarth,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 01-1589 Filed 1-18-01; 8:45 am]
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