Economic Research Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Risk Policy Working Group to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for the golden tilefish recreational sector in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic for the 2015 fishing year through this temporary rule. NMFS estimates recreational landings of golden tilefish in 2015 have exceeded the recreational annual catch limit (ACL). Therefore, NMFS closes the golden tilefish recreational sector in the South Atlantic EEZ on August 11, 2015. This closure is necessary to protect the golden tilefish resource.

We, NMFS, announce the 90-day finding on a petition to list the bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus) range-wide, or in the alternative, as one or more distinct population segments (DPSs) identified by the petitioners as endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted for the species worldwide. Accordingly, we will initiate a status review of bigeye thresher shark range-wide at this time. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information regarding this species.

NMFS is proposing to revise its regulations to implement the import provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). These proposed regulations would establish conditions for evaluating a harvesting nation's regulatory program for reducing marine mammal incidental mortality and serious injury in fisheries that export fish and fish products to the United States. Under this proposed rule, harvesting nations must apply for and receive a comparability finding for each fishery identified by the Assistant Administrator in the List of Foreign Fisheries in order to import fish and fish products into the United States. The proposed rule establishes procedures that a harvesting nation must follow, and conditions to meet, to receive a comparability finding for a fishery. The proposed rule also establishes procedures for intermediary nations to certify that exports from those nations to the United States do not contain fish or fish products subject to an import prohibition. Agency actions and recommendations under this rule will be in accordance with U.S. obligations under applicable international trade law, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement.

The Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) is a Federal Advisory Committee established to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, the NOAA Administrator, on matters related to the responsibilities and authorities set forth in section 303 of the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, as amended, and such other appropriate matters that the Under Secretary refers to the Panel for review and advice.

Notice is hereby given that Peter Tyack, Ph.D., Senior Scientist Emeritus, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 86 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on several species of cetaceans worldwide.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's (Council) Outreach and Education Advisory Panel (OEAP) will meet.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2015 commercial Atlantic bluefish quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

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.

NMFS is implementing final specifications for the 2015 Atlantic bluefish fishery, including catch restrictions for commercial and recreational fisheries. This action is necessary to establish the 2015 harvest limits and management measures to prevent overfishing. The intent of the action is to inform the public of the 2015 catch limits and state-to-state commercial quota transfers consistent with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan and the recommendations of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. NMFS is also approving transfers of commercial bluefish quota from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Florida to the State of New York to ensure New York quota would not be exceeded.

NMFS is proposing regulations that would refinance the 30-year voluntary fishing capacity reduction loan implemented in 2004 into three separate loans, if approved through referenda, in the Pacific Coast Groundfish federal limited-entry trawl, Washington coastal Dungeness crab, and California pink shrimp fisheries (collectively known hereafter as the refinanced reduction fisheries). The refinanced loan, of up to $30 million, would establish a new industry fee system for future landings of the refinanced reduction fisheries. The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act authorized NMFS to refinance the loan and modify certain terms to extend the 30 year term to maturity to 45 years, change the interest rate to the current Treasury interest rate and, reduce the maximum repayment fee from five to three percent of ex-vessel value. If finalized, and with the receipt of an appropriation, NMFS proposes to refinance the single existing debt, which has been divided into seven loan subamounts, into three separate loans. NMFS would conduct three referenda as soon as practicable after publication of the final rule in each of the Pacific Coast Groundfish federal limited-entry trawl, Washington coastal Dungeness crab and California pink shrimp fisheries. If a referendum in one, two, or all three of the fisheries is successful, that fishery's current loan would be repaid in full and new loans in the amount of the principal and interest balance as of the date of funding would be issued per the terms in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. These terms include a new 45-year term to maturity, interest charged at a current Treasury interest rate, and a maximum repayment fee of 3 percent of ex- vessel value.

Based on Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recommendations, we, the National Marine Fisheries Service, are proposing to modify the Lobster Conservation Management Area 4 seasonal closure and are requesting comment. This action is necessary to reduce fishing effort in Area 4 by 10 percent. This action is intended to ensure fishery regulations for the lobster fishery in Federal waters remain consistent with the Commission's Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster and previously implemented state measures and the intent of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to construction activities as part of a wharf recapitalization project. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting public comment on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Navy to take, by Level B harassment only, during the specified activity.

NMFS is transferring 40 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the Harpoon category. With this transfer, the adjusted Harpoon category quota for the 2015 fishing season is 73.4 mt. The 2015 Harpoon category fishery is open until November 15, 2015, or until the Harpoon category quota is reached, whichever comes first. The action is based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments, and applies to Atlantic tunas Harpoon category (commercial) permitted vessels.

NMFS proposes regulations to allow an exemption for Northern Gulf of Maine federally permitted vessels with state-waters permits issued from the State of Maine to continue fishing in the Maine state-waters portion of the Northern Gulf of Maine management area once NMFS has announced that the Federal total allowable catch has been fully harvested in a given year. Maine requested this exemption as part of the Scallop State Water Exemption Program, which specifies that a state may be eligible for a state waters exemption to specific Federal regulations if it has a scallop fishery and a scallop conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit objectives of the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The regulations further state that the Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, NMFS, shall determine if a state meets that criteria and shall authorize the exemption for such state by publishing a rule in the Federal Register. Based on the information that Maine has submitted, NMFS has preliminarily determined that Maine qualifies for this exemption and that this exemption would not have an impact on the effectiveness of Federal management measures for the scallop fishery overall or within the Northern Gulf of Maine management area.

Notice is hereby given that we have revised an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) issued to the Maine Department of Transportation (ME DOT) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, small numbers of four species of marine mammals during construction activities associated with a breakwater replacement project in Eastport, Maine. The project has been delayed and the effective dates revised accordingly.

NMFS is prohibiting retention of squids in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary because the 2015 initial total allowable catch of squids in the BSAI has been reached.

The National Ocean Council Committee on IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud (NOC Committee) is seeking public input on draft principles for determining seafood species at risk of IUU fishing and seafood fraud (``at risk'') and a draft list of ``at risk'' species developed using the draft principles.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 153rd meeting.

Upon application from the U.S. Navy (Navy), we (the National Marine Fisheries Service) are issuing regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to training and testing activities conducted in the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) Study Area from August 2015 through August 2020. These regulations allow us to issue a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the Navy's specified activities and timeframes, set forth the permissible methods of taking, set forth other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, and set forth requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of the incidental take.

Notice is hereby given that the Secretary of Commerce has determined that the establishment of the Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment (Committee) is necessary and in the public interest. Accordingly, NOAA has chartered the Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment. NOAA is also soliciting nominations for membership on the Committee. The Committee's mission is to provide advice on sustained National Climate Assessment activities and products to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (Under Secretary) who will forward the advice to the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The Committee's scope isas requested by the Under Secretaryto advise on the engagement of stakeholders and on sustained assessment activities and the quadrennial National Climate Assessment report. Points of View: Individuals are sought with expertise in communications, engagement, and education; risk management and risk assessment; economics and social sciences; technology, tools, and data systems; and other disciplines relevant to the sustained National Climate Assessment process. In addition, individuals are sought with expertise in climate change and variability, spanning the range from climate science (physical, biological, chemical) to impacts and societal responses. Individuals with experience in the private sector, academia, public sector, non-governmental organizations, and others will all be given consideration. Nominations: Interested persons may nominate themselves or third parties. Applications: An application is required to be considered for membership, regardless of whether a person is nominated by a third party or self-nominated. The application package must include: (1) The nominee's full name, title, institutional affiliation, and contact information; (2) the nominee's area(s) of expertise; (3) a short description of his/her qualifications relative to the kinds of advice being solicited by NOAA in this Notice; and (4) a current resume (maximum length four pages). Information obtained as a result of this request may be used by the government for program planning on a non- attribution basis. Do not include any information that might be considered proprietary or confidential. If selected, members will be appointed as special government employees (SGEs) and will be subject to the ethical standards applicable to SGEs. They will also be asked to certify that they are not required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and that they are not Federally-registered lobbyists.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council), in collaboration with NMFS and NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), will convene a scientific workshop to consider the distribution of the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine. The workshop is open to the public.

This action closes the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder Trimester Total Allowable Catch Area to Northeast multispecies common pool trawl and gillnet vessels for the remainder of Trimester 1, through August 31, 2015. The closure is required by regulation because the common pool fishery has caught over 90 percent of its Trimester 1 quota for Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder. This closure is intended to prevent the overharvest of the common pool's allocation for this stock.