25438 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 83 / Friday, April 29, 2022 / Proposed Rules 

(156.8 MHz) and channel 22A (157.1 

MHz). If permission is granted, the 

spectator must enter a designated 

spectator area or pass directly through 

the regulated area as instructed by Event 

PATCOM. A vessel within the regulated 

area must operate at safe speed that 

minimizes wake. A spectator vessel 

must not loiter within the navigable 

channel while within the regulated area. 

(4) Only participant vessels are 

allowed to enter and remain within the 

aerobatics box. 

(5) A person or vessel that desires to 

transit, moor, or anchor within the 

regulated area must obtain authorization 

from the COTP Maryland-National 

Capital Region or Event PATCOM. A 

person or vessel seeking such 

permission can contact the COTP 

Maryland-National Capital Region at 

telephone number 410–576–2693 or on 

Marine Band Radio, VHF–FM channel 

16 (156.8 MHz) or the Event PATCOM 

on Marine Band Radio, VHF–FM 

channel 16 (156.8 MHz). 

(6) The Coast Guard will publish a 

notice in the Fifth Coast Guard District 

Local Notice to Mariners and issue a 

marine information broadcast on VHF– 

FM marine band radio announcing 

specific event dates and times. 

(d) Enforcement officials. The Coast 

Guard may be assisted with marine 

event patrol and enforcement of the 

regulated area by other Federal, state, 

and local agencies. 

(e) Enforcement periods. This section 

will be enforced from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

on July 16, 2022, and, if necessary due 

to inclement weather on July 16, 2022, 

from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 17, 2022. 

Dated: April 25, 2022. 

David E. O’Connell, 

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the 

Port Maryland-National Capital Region. 

[FR Doc. 2022–09197 Filed 4–28–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 622 

RIN 0648–BL09 

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coral, 

Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom 

Habitats of the South Atlantic Region; 

Coral Amendment 10 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Announcement of the 

availability of a proposed fishery 

management plan amendment; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council (Council) has 

submitted Amendment 10 to the Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP) for the Coral, 

Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom 

Habitats of the South Atlantic Region 

(Coral FMP) for review, approval, and 

implementation by NMFS. If approved 

by the Secretary of Commerce 

(Secretary), Amendment 10 to the Coral 

FMP (Coral Amendment 10) would 

establish a shrimp fishery access area 

(SFAA) along the eastern boundary of 

the northern extension of the Oculina 

Bank Habitat Area of Particular Concern 

(OHAPC), where trawling for rock 

shrimp is currently prohibited. Coral 

Amendment 10 would increase access 

to historic rock shrimp fishing grounds 

while maintaining protection of the 

Oculina deep-water coral ecosystems, 

provide increased socio-economic 

benefits to fishers, and increase the 

likelihood of achieving optimum yield 

(OY) in the rock shrimp portion of the 

South Atlantic shrimp fishery. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before June 28, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on Coral Amendment 10, identified by 

‘‘NOAA–NMFS–2021–0126,’’ by either 

of the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

www.regulations.gov and enter ‘‘NOAA– 

NMFS–2021–0126’’ in the Search box. 

Click the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete 

the required fields, and enter or attach 

your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Frank Helies, Southeast Regional Office, 

NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. 

Petersburg, FL 33701. 

• 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), 

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 Coral 

Amendment 10, which includes a 

fishery impact statement, a Regulatory 

Flexibility Act analysis, and a regulatory 

impact review, may be obtained from 

the Southeast Regional Office website at 

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

amendment-10-establish-shrimpfishery-access-area/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Frank Helies, telephone: 727–824–5305, 

or email: Frank.Helies@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires each 

regional fishery management council to 

submit any FMP or FMP amendment to 

the Secretary for review and approval, 

partial approval, or disapproval. The 

Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires 

that the Secretary, upon receiving an 

FMP or FMP amendment, publish an 

announcement in the Federal Register 

notifying the public that the FMP or 

FMP amendment is available for review 

and comment. 

The Council prepared the Coral FMP 

that is being revised by Coral 

Amendment 10. If approved, Coral 

Amendment 10 would be implemented 

by NMFS through regulations at 50 CFR 

part 622 under the authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act. 

Background 

In 1984, the Council designated a 92- 

nm2 portion of the Oculina Bank as the 

OHAPC (49 FR 29607; August 22, 1984). 

Additionally, the Council prohibited the 

use of bottom trawls, bottom longlines, 

dredges, fish traps, and fish pots within 

the OHAPC to mitigate the risk of 

damage by fishing gear to Oculina coral. 

In 2000, the Council further expanded 

the protected area in the OHAPC 

through Amendment 4 to the Coral FMP 

(65 FR 37292; June 14, 2000). In 2014, 

Amendment 8 to the Coral FMP (Coral 

Amendment 8) extended the OHAPC 

northward, including the area 

considered in this notification (80 FR 

42423; July 17, 2015). 

Information on the concentrated 

shrimp fishing effort in the area and its 

economic value to the rock shrimp 

portion of the shrimp fishery was 

discussed by the Council very late in the 

development of Coral Amendment 8. 

During these discussions, rock shrimp 

fishermen requested adjustment of the 

OHAPC boundary and provided 

coordinates that comprised the 

important fishing grounds in that area. 

Coral Amendment 10 was developed by 

the Council to explore options to 

establish an SFAA within the northern 

extension of the OHAPC. The Council 

also developed Coral Amendment 10 in 

response to the Presidential Executive 

Order on Seafood Competitiveness and 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 83 / Friday, April 29, 2022 / Proposed Rules 25439 

Economic Growth (E.O. 13921) (85 FR 

28471; May 7, 2020). Coral Amendment 

10 would address the recommendation 

to reduce burdens on domestic fishing 

and to increase production within 

sustainable fisheries contained in E.O. 

13921. This would be accomplished by 

re-opening a closed area to commercial 

fishermen who have lost access to areas 

that have been traditionally fished. 

While landings and revenue from rock 

shrimp are highly variable, peak 

landings from recent years have fallen 

far short of maximum sustainable yield 

(MSY) and OY levels. Thus, the rock 

shrimp portion of the shrimp fishery has 

been consistently operating well below 

OY/MSY levels during this time. The 

purpose of Coral Amendment 10 is to 

increase economic and social benefits to 

rock shrimp fishermen by allowing 

access to historic rock shrimp fishing 

grounds. 

Action Contained in Coral Amendment 

10 

Coral Amendment 10 would establish 

an approximately 22-mi2 SFAA along 

the eastern boundary of the northern 

extension of the OHAPC, where fishing 

for and possessing rock shrimp is 

currently prohibited. Within the 

proposed SFAA, a shrimp vessel with a 

valid Federal limited access commercial 

vessel permit for rock shrimp would be 

allowed to bottom trawl for rock shrimp. 

All other existing restrictions, including 

prohibitions on anchoring and the use 

of bottom longline, dredge, pot, or trap 

gear, would remain. 

Proposed Rule for Coral Amendment 10 

A proposed rule to implement Coral 

Amendment 10 has been drafted. In 

accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, NMFS is evaluating the proposed 

rule to determine whether it is 

consistent with the Coral FMP, Coral 

Amendment 10, the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, and other applicable law. If that 

determination is affirmative, NMFS will 

submit the proposed rule for publication 

in the Federal Register for public 

review and comment. 

Consideration of Public Comments 

The Council has submitted Coral 

Amendment 10 for Secretarial review, 

approval, and implementation. 

Comments on Coral Amendment 10 

must be received by June 28, 2022. 

Comments received during the 

respective comment periods, whether 

specifically directed to Coral 

Amendment 10 or the proposed rule, 

will be considered by NMFS in the 

decision to approve, disapprove, or 

partially approve Coral Amendment 10. 

Comments received after the comment 

periods will not be considered by NMFS 

in this decision. NMFS will address all 

comments received on the amendment 

or on the proposed rule during their 

respective comment periods in the final 

rule. 

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

Dated: April 26, 2022. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–09211 Filed 4–28–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1