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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 159 / Friday, August 20, 2021 / Notices
Identify and discuss potential new data sources Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305c of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency.
Special Accommodations This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council office see ADDRESSES at least 5
business days prior to the meeting.
Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 17, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
FR Doc. 202117907 Filed 81921; 8:45 am BILLING CODE 351022P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RTID 0648XA086

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species;
Final Amendment 12 to the 2006
Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a fishery management plan amendment.
AGENCY:

NMFS announces the availability of Final Amendment 12 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species HMS Fishery Management Plan FMP. The Final Amendment responds to revisions to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Magnuson-Stevens Act National Standard NS guidelines, a rulemaking addressing reporting methodologies for bycatch as defined under the MagnusonStevens Act, and recent NMFS policy directives which aim to improve and streamline fishery management
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SUMMARY:

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procedures to enhance their utility for managers and the public. This final amendment does not include a proposed rule or regulatory text. Any operational changes to fishery management measures as a result of Final Amendment 12 would be considered in future rulemakings, as appropriate.
DATES: The amendment was approved on August 16, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of Final Amendment 12 to the 2006
Consolidated HMS FMP may be obtained on the internet at: https
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/
amendment-12-2006-consolidated-hmsfishery-management-plan-msaguidelines-and-national.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sarah McLaughlin, sarah.mclaughlin@
noaa.gov, 9782819260, or Karyl Brewster-Geisz, karyl.brewster-geisz@
noaa.gov, 3014278503.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic HMS fisheries are managed under the authority of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act ATCA; 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and the Magnuson-Stevens Act 16
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.. The 2006
Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP and its amendments are implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that any FMP or FMP amendment be consistent with 10 NSs. In 2016, NMFS
published a final rule revising the guidelines for NS1, NS3, and NS7 to improve and clarify the guidance and to facilitate compliance with requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to end and prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, and achieve optimum yield OY
81 FR 71858, October 18, 2016. The final rule on the NS guidelines included a recommendation that FMP objectives should be reassessed on a regular basis to reflect the changing needs of fisheries over time. Although no time frame was prescribed, the guidelines indicated that NMFS should provide notice to the public of the expected schedule for review. The final rule also noted that, for stocks managed under international agreements, consistent with provisions in the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS
may decide to use the international stock status determination criteria SDC
defined by the relevant international body e.g., the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas ICCAT. Thus, Final Amendment 12
revises some of the objectives contained in the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS
FMP, and adopts the ICCAT SDC for ICCAT-managed HMS.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act further requires that any FMP, with respect to
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any fishery, establish standardized bycatch reporting methodology SBRM
to assess the amount and type of bycatch occurring in a fishery. On January 19, 2017, NMFS published a final rule 82 FR 6317 to interpret and provide guidance on this requirement.
Specifically, the 2017 final rule indicated that each FMP must identify the required procedure or procedures that constitute the SBRM for a fishery and conduct an analysis that explains how the SBRM meets the purposes described at 50 CFR 600.1600. Final Amendment 12 reviews of SBRMs for HMS fisheries.
Also in 2017, NMFS issued a Fisheries Allocation Review Policy Directive and Procedures 01119, which described a mechanism to ensure that fishery quota allocations are periodically reviewed and evaluated to remain relevant to current conditions, improve transparency, and minimize conflict for a process that is often controversial. Final Amendment 12
establishes triggers for review of allocations of quota-managed HMS.
Finally, the HMS Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation SAFE Report is a public document that provides a summary of scientific information concerning the most recent biological condition of stocks, stock complexes, and marine ecosystems, essential fish habitat EFH, and the social and economic condition of recreational and commercial HMS fishing interests, fishing communities, and the fish processing industries. NS2 guidelines specify that SAFE reports summarize, on a periodic basis, the best scientific information available concerning the past, present, and possible future condition of the stocks, EFH, marine ecosystems, and fisheries being managed under Federal regulation. In 2008, NMFS published Amendment 2 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP
which, among other things, indicated that publication of the HMS SAFE
Report would occur by the fall of each year. Final Amendment 12 notifies the public of modified timing for release of the HMS SAFE Report to account for unexpected delays e.g., data availability, staff availability, furloughs, emergencies, etc..
Final Amendment 12 is consistent with the revised 2016 NS guidelines, the 2017 SBRM rulemaking, and the 2017
Fisheries Allocation Review Policy Directive 01119, along with other relevant statutes and the 2006
Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP and its amendments. There is no final rule or regulatory text associated with Final Amendment 12. Quotas or other fishery management measures will not be
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