Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2017 / Notices 52881 

From 2005–2016, NMFS issued three 

permits authorizing the retention of 

releasable marine mammals 

(rehabilitated animals cleared for release 

back to the wild) for public display 

purposes under section 104 of the 

MMPA and NMFS’ implementing 

regulations at 50 CFR part 216. A permit 

was required for placement of releasable 

stranded animals (as opposed to nonreleasable animals, which NMFS places 

in accordance with an administrative 

process rather than a permit) because 

NMFS views retention of a releasable 

marine mammal as the functional 

equivalent of a take from the wild (i.e., 

the animal would have otherwise been 

released and would presumably have 

contributed to the wild population). 

These three permits were based upon 

NMFS’ interpretation of the regulations 

at 50 CFR 216.27(b)(4), which state the 

NMFS OPR Director may require use of 

a rehabilitated marine mammal for 

public display purposes in lieu of 

animals taken from the wild. The three 

previous permit applicants were not 

required to request an actual ‘‘take’’ of 

animals from the wild, as the placement 

of a releasable animal was considered in 

lieu of such take. 

However, NMFS received numerous 

public comments on the three issued 

permits asserting that permits to retain 

releasable marine mammals are in direct 

contradiction to the purpose of Title IV 

and section 109(h) of the MMPA, which 

mandate the rescue and rehabilitation of 

stranded marine mammals with the goal 

of releasing the animals to the wild 

when feasible. Commenters specifically 

expressed concerns that the process for 

assessing the actual impact of a take 

from the wild was largely circumvented. 

After evaluation and reconsideration 

of this permit process and as a result of 

public comments on the three permits 

issued, NMFS has developed a new 

draft Procedural Directive to clarify its 

interpretation of MMPA regulations and 

procedures for authorizing releasable 

rehabilitated marine mammals to be 

retained for purposes of public display. 

In the Procedural Directive, NMFS is 

proposing to no longer issue permits for 

the specific purpose of obtaining 

releasable marine mammals from the 

National Stranding Network for public 

display. Instead, would-be applicants 

must apply for a permit to take (collect) 

from the wild pursuant to the MMPA. 

In the event NMFS decides to grant such 

a permit, the NMFS OPR Director may 

then, at his or her discretion, require 

that a releasable rehabilitated marine 

mammal be substituted for capturing an 

animal from the wild, in accordance 

with 50 CFR 216.27. 

NMFS believes this approach is more 

consistent with the statutory provisions 

governing rehabilitation and release of 

stranded marine mammals (MMPA 

section 109(h) and MMPA Title IV), 

which are separate and distinct from the 

provisions governing issuance of 

permits for the take of animals from the 

wild for purposes of public display 

(MMPA section 104). 

Dated: November 6, 2017. 

Donna S. Wieting, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24642 Filed 11–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF772 

Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee 

Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of open public meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the 

proposed schedule and agenda of a 

forthcoming meeting of the Marine 

Fisheries Advisory Committee 

(MAFAC). The members will discuss 

and provide advice on issues outlined 

under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

below. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

November 28 and 29, 2017, from 8:30 

a.m. to 5 p.m., and November 30, from 

8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel, 8777 

Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910; 

301–589–0800. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Heidi Lovett, MAFAC Assistant 

Director; 301–427–8034; email: 

Heidi.Lovett@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

required by section 10(a)(2) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. App. 2, notice is hereby given of 

a meeting of MAFAC. The MAFAC was 

established by the Secretary of 

Commerce (Secretary), and, since 1971, 

advises the Secretary on all living 

marine resource matters that are the 

responsibility of the Department of 

Commerce. The complete charter and 

summaries of prior meetings are located 

online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ 

ocs/mafac/. 

Matters To Be Considered 

This meeting time and agenda are 

subject to change. 

The meeting is convened to hear 

presentations and updates and to 

discuss policies and guidance on the 

following topics: The importance of 

timely data for fisheries resiliency; 

Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force 

efforts on the conservation and 

restoration of salmon and steelhead; 

aquaculture; citizen science; NMFS 

communications, outreach, and 

FishWatch; and the budget outlook for 

FY2018. MAFAC will discuss various 

administrative and organizational 

matters, and meetings of subcommittees 

and working groups will be convened. 

Special Accommodations 

The meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Heidi Lovett; 301–427–8034 by 

November 15, 2017. 

Dated: November 9, 2017. 

Jennifer Lukens, 

Director for the Office of Policy, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24720 Filed 11–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF773 

Meeting of the Columbia Basin 

Partnership Task Force of the Marine 

Fisheries Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of open public meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the 

proposed schedule and agenda of a 

forthcoming meeting of the Marine 

Fisheries Advisory Committee’s 

(MAFAC’s) Columbia Basin Partnership 

Task Force (CBP Task Force). The CBP 

Task Force will discuss the issues 

outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION below. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

December 5, 2017, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

and on December 6, 2017, from 8 a.m. 

to 4 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 

Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane, WA 

99201; 509–458–3330. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
52882 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2017 / Notices 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Katherine Cheney; NFMS West Coast 

Region; 503–231–6730; email: 

Katherine.Cheney@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given of a meeting of MAFAC’s 

CBP Task Force. The MAFAC was 

established by the Secretary of 

Commerce (Secretary) and, since 1971, 

advises the Secretary on all living 

marine resource matters that are the 

responsibility of the Department of 

Commerce. The complete MAFAC 

charter and summaries of prior MAFAC 

meetings are located online at http://

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ocs/mafac/. The 

CBP Task Force reports to MAFAC and 

is being convened to discuss and 

develop recommendations for long-term 

goals to meet Columbia Basin salmon 

recovery, conservation needs, and 

harvest opportunities. These goals will 

be developed in the context of habitat 

capacity and other factors that affect 

salmon mortality. More information is 

available at the CBP Task Force Web 

page: http://

www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

columbia_river/index.html. 

Matters To Be Considered 

The meeting time and agenda are 

subject to change. Updated information 

will be available on the CBP Task Force 

Web page above. Meeting topics include 

progress reports on applying the 

analytical framework to example species 

as prototypes and updates on 

quantitative goal setting, guiding 

principles, and vision. The meeting is 

open to the public as observers, and 

public input will be accepted on 

December 6, 2017, from 3:30 to 4 p.m., 

limited to the time available. 

Special Accommodations 

The meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Katherine Cheney; 503–231–6730, by 

November 28, 2017. 

Dated: November 9, 2017. 

Jennifer Lukens, 

Director for the Office of Policy, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24721 Filed 11–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF799 

Fisheries Off West Coast States; 

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 

Application for an Exempted Fishing 

Permit 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of exempted 

fishing permit applications; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt 

of two exempted fishing permit (EFP) 

applications. The first application was 

received from The Nature Conservancy 

(TNC) for an EFP to test commercial pot 

fishing gear for selective harvest of 

lingcod. The lingcod pot gear EFP is 

intended to provide for the selective 

harvest of lingcod with fixed gear inside 

the non-trawl rockfish conservation area 

(RCA), allowing harvest of lingcod 

within existing annual catch limits 

(ACLs) while keeping catch of cooccurring overfished species (e.g. 

yelloweye rockfish) within rebuilding 

ACLs. The second application was 

received from the West Coast Seafood 

Processors Association, Environmental 

Defense Fund, Oregon Trawl 

Commission, and Midwater Trawlers 

Cooperative for an EFP to test if and 

how the removal of certain trawl gear, 

time, and area restrictions for the 

Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota 

(IFQ) Program may impact the nature 

and extent of bycatch of prohibited 

species. This EFP is intended to allow 

participating limited entry groundfish 

bottom trawl and midwater trawl 

vessels more flexibility in 2018 to target 

pelagic rockfish species, such as widow, 

chilipepper, and yellowtail rockfish. 

The NMFS West Coast Region’s 

Assistant Regional Administrator for 

Sustainable Fisheries has made a 

preliminary determination that the 

subject EFP applications contain all the 

required information and warrant 

further consideration. Therefore, NMFS 

announces that the Assistant Regional 

Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries 

proposes to recommend that EFPs be 

issued. 

DATES: Comments must be received no 

later than 5 p.m., local time on 

November 30, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by 0648–XF799, by any one of 

the following methods: 

• Email: nmfs_gf_efp2018.wcr@

noaa.gov. 

• Mail: Barry Thom, Regional 

Administrator, West Coast Region, 

NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., 

Seattle, WA 98115–0070, Attn: Karen 

Palmigiano. 

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 would 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 

would be publicly accessible. NMFS 

would accept anonymous comments 

(enter ‘‘N/A’’ in the required fields if 

you wish to remain anonymous). 

Attachments to electronic comments 

would be accepted in Microsoft Word, 

Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only. 

Information relevant to this notice or 

the EFP applications are available for 

public review during business hours at 

the NMFS West Coast Regional Office at 

7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 

98115, or by requesting them via phone 

or the email address listed in the FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen Palmigiano at (206) 526–4491 or 

karen.palmigiano@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

action is authorized by the Pacific Coast 

Groundfish Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP) and implementing regulations at 

50 CFR 600.745, which states that EFPs 

may be used to authorize fishing 

activities that would otherwise be 

prohibited. 

Lingcod Pot Gear EFP 

At its June 2016 meeting, the Pacific 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

received an EFP application from TNC 

for the use of pot gear to target lingcod 

within the non-trawl RCA offshore of 

Washington and Oregon. An initial 

opportunity for public comment was 

provided during this meeting. At that 

time, the Council recommended that 

NMFS consider issuing the EFP for a 

period of two years (i.e., 2017 and 2018). 

The two-year duration was intended to 

coincide with the 2017–18 biennial 

harvest specifications and management 

measures process. However, due to 

unforeseen delays, NMFS was unable to 

issue this EFP for 2017, and is 

proposing to issue the EFP described 

below beginning in 2018. The EFP 

would expire no later than December 

31, 2018. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES