The following Federal Register Notices were published the week of July 22-26, 2024 and have relevance to Western Pacific fisheries:
- Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee Meeting. 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. The meeting will be held August 27, 2024, from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Meeting is by webinar and teleconference. Conference call and webinar access information are available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/event/august-2024-marine-fisheriesadvisory-committee-meeting. Public comment may be provided to MAFAC by one of the following methods: Submit written comments in advance of the MAFAC public meeting to katie.zanowicz@noaa.gov, with ‘‘August 2024 MAFAC’’ in the subject line of the email message. Oral public comment may be provided during the virtual meeting at the time allotted on the posted agenda. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katie Zanowicz, MAFAC Assistant, 301–427–38, katie.zanowicz@noaa.gov. - Proposed Listing Determinations for Ten Species of Giant Clams Under the Endangered Species Act. PROPOSED RULE/REQUEST FOR COMMENTS. NMFS has completed a comprehensive status review of seven species of giant clams (Hippopus hippopus, H. porcellanus, Tridacna derasa, T. gigas, T. mbalavuana, T. squamosa, and T. squamosina) in response to a petition to list these species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Based on the best scientific and commercial data available, including the Status Review Report, and after taking into account efforts being made to protect these species, NMFS has determined that H. porcellanus, T. mbalavuana, and T. squamosina are in danger of extinction throughout the entirety of their respective ranges, T. derasa and T. gigas are in danger of
extinction in a significant portion of their respective ranges, and H. hippopus is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout a significant portion of its range. Therefore, NMFS proposes to list H. porcellanus, T. mbalavuana, T. squamosina, T. derasa, and T. gigas as endangered species and H. hippopus as a threatened species under the ESA. NMFS has determined that the fluted clam, T. squamosa, is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range and is not likely to become so within the foreseeable future. Therefore, NMFS finds that T. squamosa does not meet the definition of a
threatened or an endangered species under section 4(a) of the ESA. Further, we propose to exercise the discretionary authority of section 4(d) to extend the
prohibitions of section 9 of the ESA to the proposed threatened species, H. hippopus. At this time, NMFS does not propose to designate critical habitat for
the three species proposed to be listed that occur within U.S. jurisdiction (H. hippopus, T. derasa, and T. gigas) because critical habitat for these species
is not yet determinable. Using the authority of section 4(e) of the ESA, NMFS also proposes to list T. crocea, T. maxima, T. noae, and T. squamosa as
threatened species due to the similarity of appearance of products derived from these species (e.g., meat, worked shell products, and pearls) to those derived
from the six aforementioned species proposed to be listed based on their extinction risk. NMFS proposes a special rule to define activities that would and would not be prohibited with respect to these four species in order to mitigate the substantial enforcement challenge associated with this similarity of appearance concern. NMFS is soliciting information to inform the final listing determination and to inform a future proposal for any determinable critical habitat. Comments must be received by October 23, 2024.