Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2017 / Notices 44581 

taken relative to the population size of 

the affected species or stocks. 

Unmitigable Adverse Impact Analysis 

and Determination 

There are no relevant subsistence uses 

of the affected marine mammal stocks or 

species implicated by this action. 

Therefore, NMFS has determined that 

the total taking of affected species or 

stocks would not have an unmitigable 

adverse impact on the availability of 

such species or stocks for taking for 

subsistence purposes. 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 

Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973 (ESA: 16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.) requires that each Federal 

agency insure that any action it 

authorizes, funds, or carries out is not 

likely to jeopardize the continued 

existence of any endangered or 

threatened species or result in the 

destruction or adverse modification of 

designated critical habitat. To ensure 

ESA compliance for the issuance of 

IHAs, NMFS consults internally, in this 

case with the ESA Interagency 

Cooperation Division, whenever we 

propose to authorize take for 

endangered or threatened species. 

We (the NMFS OPR Permits and 

Conservation Division) are authorizing 

the incidental take of four species of 

marine mammals which are listed under 

the ESA: The sei, fin, blue and sperm 

whale. Under Section 7 of the ESA, we 

initiated consultation with the NMFS 

OPR Interagency Cooperation Division 

for the issuance of this IHA. In 

September, 2017, the NMFS OPR 

Interagency Cooperation Division issued 

a Biological Opinion with an incidental 

take statement, which concluded that 

the issuance of the IHA was not likely 

to jeopardize the continued existence of 

sei, fin, blue and sperm whales. The 

Biological Opinion also concluded that 

the issuance of the IHA would not 

destroy or adversely modify designated 

critical habitat for these species. 

Authorization 

NMFS has issued an IHA to the 

University of Hawaii for the potential 

harassment of small numbers of 24 

marine mammal species incidental to a 

marine geophysical survey in the central 

Pacific Ocean, provided the previously 

mentioned mitigation, monitoring and 

reporting requirements are incorporated. 

Dated: September 19, 2017. 

Donna S. Wieting, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20362 Filed 9–22–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Alaska Pacific 

Halibut Fisheries: Charter Permits 

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before November 24, 

2017. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 

14th and Constitution Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at pracomments@doc.gov). 

An electronic copy of the most recent 

supporting statement for this 

information collection is available from 

http://www.cio.noaa.gov/itmanagement/ 

pdfs/0592ext14.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument and instructions should be 

directed to Kurt Iverson (907) 586–7228 

or kurt.iverson@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

This request is for an extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

The Alaska Pacific Halibut Charter 

Program established Federal Charter 

Halibut Permits (CHPs) for operators in 

the charter halibut fishery in IPHC 

regulatory Areas 2C (Southeast Alaska) 

and 3A (Central Gulf of Alaska). Since 

February 1, 2011, all vessel operators in 

Areas 2C and 3A with charter anglers 

onboard catching and retaining Pacific 

halibut must have a valid CHP onboard 

during every charter vessel fishing trip. 

CHPs must be endorsed with the 

appropriate regulatory area and number 

of anglers. 

The National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS) implemented this program 

based on recommendations by the North 

Pacific Fishery Management Council to 

meet allocation objectives in the charter 

halibut fishery. This program provides 

stability in the fishery by limiting the 

number of charter vessels that may 

participate in Areas 2C and 3A and 

decreasing the overall number of 

available CHPs over time. The program 

goals are to increase the value of the 

resource, limit boats to qualified active 

participants in the guided sport halibut 

sector, and enhance economic stability 

in rural coastal communities. 

II. Method of Collection 

Methods of submittal include mail 

and facsimile transmission of paper 

forms. Fillable pdfs are available on the 

NMFS Alaska Region Web page and 

may be downloaded, completed, and 

printed out prior to submission. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0592. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension of a currently approved 

collection). 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

68. 

Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours 

for Application for Transfer of Charter 

Halibut Permit; 0.5 hours for 

Application for Military Charter Permit; 

2 hours for Application for Transfer 

between IFQ and Guided Angler Fish 

(GAF); and 4 hours for Appeals if an 

Application for Transfer between IFQ 

and GAF is denied by NMFS. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours and Equivalent Labor Costs to the 

Public: 98 hours and $3,626 per year 

($37 per hour for preparing and 

submitting applications and $125/hr for 

preparing an appeal). 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $196 in recordkeeping/reporting 

costs for photocopying, obtaining a 

notarized signature, faxing, or mailing 

applications. 

IV. Request for Comments 

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden 

(including hours and cost) of the 

proposed collection of information; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including through the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
44582 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2017 / Notices 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for OMB 

approval of this information collection; 

they also will become a matter of public 

record. 

Dated: September 20, 2017. 

Sarah Brabson, 

NOAA PRA Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20398 Filed 9–22–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF539 

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish 

Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; 

Amendment 44 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

has submitted Amendment 44 to the 

Fishery Management Plan for the Reef 

Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico 

(FMP) for review, approval, and 

implementation by NMFS. Amendment 

44 would revise minimum stock size 

thresholds (MSST) for seven stocks in 

the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) reef fish 

fishery management unit. The MSST 

would be revised for the gag, red 

grouper, red snapper, vermilion 

snapper, gray triggerfish, greater 

amberjack, and hogfish stocks. The need 

for Amendment 44 is to provide a 

sufficient buffer between spawning 

stock biomass at maximum sustainable 

yield (BMSY) and MSST to reduce the 

likelihood that stock status changes 

frequently between overfished and not 

overfished as a result of scientific 

uncertainty or naturalfluctuations in 

biomass levels. 

DATES: Written comments on 

Amendment 44 must be received by 

November 24, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on Amendment 44 identified by 

‘‘NOAA–NMFS–2017–0101’’ by either 

of the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2017- 

0101, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Peter Hood, NMFS Southeast Regional 

Office, 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, 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). 

Electronic copies of Amendment 44 

may be obtained from 

www.regulations.gov or the Southeast 

Regional Office Web site at http://

sero.nmfs.noaa.gov. Amendment 44 

includes an environmental assessment 

and a fishery impact statement. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Peter Hood, NMFS Southeast Regional 

Office, telephone: 727–824–5305, or 

email: peter.hood@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 amendment to 

NMFS for review and approval, partial 

approval, or disapproval. The 

Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires 

that NMFS, upon receiving a plan or 

amendment, publish an announcement 

in the Federal Register notifying the 

public that the FMP or amendment is 

available for review and comment. 

Amendment 44 to the FMP was 

prepared by the Council and, if 

approved, would be incorporated into 

the management of Gulf reef fish 

through the FMP. 

Background 

In 1999, the Council submitted the 

Generic Sustainable Fisheries Act 

Amendment to comply with status 

determination criteria (SDC) 

requirements of the Sustainable 

Fisheries Act of 1996. NMFS approved 

most of the fishing mortality threshold 

(MFMT) criteria, but disapproved all of 

the definitions for maximum sustainable 

yield (MSY), optimum yield (OY), and 

MSST. The Council subsequently began 

establishing these reference points and 

SDC on a species-specific basis as stock 

assessments were later conducted, and 

is currently preparing a plan 

amendment to address all of the 

unassessed reef fish stocks. Amendment 

44 focuses on those assessed stocks with 

MSSTs, which are gag, red grouper, red 

snapper, vermilion snapper, gray 

triggerfish, greater amberjack, and 

hogfish. Red snapper, gray triggerfish, 

and greater amberjack are currently 

considered overfished and are under 

rebuilding plans. The other 4 stocks are 

not considered overfished (gag, red 

grouper, vermilion snapper, and 

hogfish). 

For most of the assessed federally 

managed reef fish stocks in the Gulf 

with defined MSSTs, the overfished 

status, when applied, has been 

evaluated using the formula: 

(1¥M) * BMSY (M is the natural 

mortality rate and B is a measure of 

stock biomass). For some stocks that 

have a very low natural mortality rate, 

the formula (1¥M) * BMSY results in an 

MSST that is very close to the BMSY. For 

example, red snapper is a moderately 

long-lived fish that has a natural 

mortality rate of about 0.1. The above 

formula results in an MSST of 90 

percent of BMSY. In such situations it 

can be difficult to determine if a stock 

is actually less than MSST due to the 

imprecision and accuracy of the data 

used in stock assessments. In addition, 

natural fluctuations in stock biomass 

levels around the BMSY level may 

temporarily reduce the stock biomass to 

be less than MSST. Setting a greater 

buffer between BMSY and MSST can 

reduce the risk of mistakenly declaring 

a stock overfished. 

In Amendment 44, the Council 

evaluated MSSTs ranging from 

0.85*BMSY (or proxy) to 0.50*BMSY (or 

proxy), and selected 0.50*BMSY (or 

proxy) as its preferred alternative. This 

is consistent with the National Standard 

1 guidelines and reduces the likelihood 

of a stock being declared overfished as 

a result of scientific uncertainty or 

natural fluctuations in biomass levels. 

Setting the MSST at this level could 

result in a very restrictive rebuilding 

plan if the biomass level of a stock 

drops below the MSST and NMFS 

declares that the stock is overfished. 

However, the Council determined that 

the requirements for overfishing limits, 

annual catch limits, and accountability 

measures, reduce the probability that 

sustained overfishing would occur and 

cause a stock to fall below the MSST. 

The MSST proposed in Amendment 

44 is used for at least some stocks 

managed by three of the other regional 

fishery management councils (New 

England, Mid-Atlantic, and North 

Pacific). If this MSST definition is 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES