NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment on the need for potential revisions to the Guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, and 9 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The following is an excerpt from the advance notice of proposed rulemaking.
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR); request for comments.
SUMMARY: NMFS is publishing this ANPR to alert the public of potential future adjustments the agency may make to the implementing guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, or 9, of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Several ongoing fishing management challenges, including changes in environmental conditions, shifting distributions of fish stocks, and equity and environmental justice considerations that affect fishing communities that are currently or have been historically dependent on the resource, suggest a need to revisit the guidelines to ensure they remain appropriate for current U.S. fisheries management. The intent of this notice is to provide the public with background on some of the specific issues under consideration, seek specific input, and provide a general opportunity for comment. NMFS will take public comment into consideration when it decides whether or not to propose changes to the guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, or 9.
DATES: Comments must be received by 5 p.m., local time, on September 12, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by “NOAA–HQ–2023–0060”, by any one of the following methods:
Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via the e-Rulemaking Portal, first click the “submit a comment” icon, then enter “NOAA–HQ–2023–0060” in the keyword search. Locate the document you wish to comment on from the resulting list and click on the “Submit a Comment” icon on the right of that line.
Mail: Wendy Morrison; National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA; 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13436; Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Instructions: Comments must be submitted by one of the above methods to ensure that the comments are received, documented, and considered by NMFS. Comments sent by any other method, to another address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered. All comments received are 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.) submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter “N/A” in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Wendy Morrison, Fisheries Policy Analyst, National Marine Fisheries Service, 301–427–8564.
Read the Federal Register Notice for additional background and information about the issues under consideration.