Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is closing the U.S. pelagic longline fishery for bigeye tuna in the western and central Pacific Ocean as a result of the fishery reaching the 2015 catch limit. This action is necessary to prevent additional fishing pressure on this fish stock.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is issuing regulations to modify the existing Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF) Thunnus orientalis recreational daily bag limit in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off California, and to establish filleting-at-sea requirements for any tuna species in the U.S. EEZ south of Point Conception, Santa Barbara County, under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). This action is intended to conserve PBF, and is based on a recommendation of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council).

The Department of Commerce publishes this rule to adopt as a final rule, without change, a joint interim final rule published with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for all Federal award-making agencies that implemented guidance on Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). This rule is necessary to incorporate into regulation and thus bring into effect the Uniform Guidance as required by OMB for the Department of Commerce.

On December 22, 2014, the United States Court of International Trade (CIT) entered its final judgment in Deacero S.A.P.I. de C.V. and Deacero Usa, Inc. v. United States and Arcelormittal USA LLC, Gerdau Ameristeel U.S. Inc., Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel, and Nucor Corporation, Court No. 12-00345, Slip Op. 14-151 (Deacero III), sustaining the Department of Commerce's (the Department) negative circumvention determination from the First Remand Results.\1\ Consistent with the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) in Timken Co. v. United States, 893 F.2d 337 (Fed. Cir. 1990) (Timken), as clarified by Diamond Sawblades Mfrs. Coalition v. United States, 626 F.3d 1374 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (Diamond Sawblades), the Department is notifying the public that the final judgment in this case is not in harmony with the Department's Final Determination \2\ that, pursuant to section 781(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act) and 19 CFR 351.225, Deacero's entries of wire rod with an actual diameter of 4.75 millimeters (mm) to 5.00 mm constitute circumvention of the Order.\3\

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's Legislative Committee is cancelling the teleconference meeting scheduled for August 4, 2015, from 1 to 5 p.m. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC) will hold meetings of the: Joint Administrative Policy and Budget/Personnel, Mackerel, Shrimp, Data Collection, and Reef Fish Management Committees; in conjunction with a meeting of the Full Council. The Council will also hold a formal public comment session.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public meetings of the Council and its Committees.

On March 23, 2015, NMFS and USFWS (or the Services) published a proposed rule to revise the listings of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas; hereafter referred to as the green turtle) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We opened a public comment period that lasted through June 22, 2015. On June 7, 2015, we published a notice extending the public comment period through July 27, 2015. Having received requests to further extend the comment period, with this document we extend the comment period to August 26, 2015.

NMFS announces its intent to prepare an SEIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The SEIS will evaluate alternatives which include petitioned changes to the regulations governing management of the northern fur seal subsistence harvest on St. Paul Island, Alaska. The SEIS will supplement the 2005 Final Environmental Impact Statement for Setting the Annual Subsistence Harvest of Northern Fur Seals on the Pribilof Islands. NMFS intends to prepare an SEIS because the petitioned action would make substantial changes to the action analyzed in the 2005 EIS that are relevant to environmental effects.

NMFS has received two requests from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to construction activities as part of two separate pier maintenance projects at Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue incidental harassment authorizations (IHA) to the Navy to incidentally take marine mammals, by Level B Harassment only, during the specified activity.

On April 1, 2015, the United States Court of International Trade (the Court) issued Toscelik II,\1\ which sustained the Final Remand Results \2\ that the Department of Commerce (the Department) issued in connection with Toscelik I, concerning the Department's final results of administrative review of the countervailing duty order on circular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from Turkey covering the period of review January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011 (POR).\3\ At issue were benefits that Toscelik Profil ve Sac Endustrisi AS (Toscelik) received in connection with land that Toscelik acquired from the Government of Turkey in 2008 and 2010. In the Final Remand Results, the Department restored the benchmark originally calculated for the 2008 land subsidy in the 2010 CVD Review \4\ and further explained aspects of the benchmark used to value the 2010 land subsidy. In addition, pursuant to a voluntary remand request, the Department examined and corrected, as necessary, duplication errors in the dataset used to calculate the land benchmark.\5\

NMFS proposes and seeks comments on a proposed rule and proposed specifications to be issued under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act). The proposed rule would establish a framework under which NMFS would specify limits on fishing effort and catches, as well as spatial and temporal restrictions on particular fishing activities and other requirements, in U.S. fisheries for highly migratory fish species in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). NMFS would issue the specifications as needed to implement conservation and management measures adopted by the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Commission or WCPFC). The proposed rule also would require that certain U.S. fishing vessels operating in the WCPO obtain ``IMO numbers.'' The proposed rule also includes changes to regulations regarding tuna catch retention requirements for purse seine vessels, requirements to install and carry vessel monitoring system (VMS) units, daily reporting requirements, and other changes that are administrative in nature. Using the proposed regulatory framework described above, NMFS proposes restrictions on the use of fish aggregating devices by purse seine vessels in 2015. These actions are necessary to satisfy the obligations of the United States under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, to which it is a Contracting Party.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Corps) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the rehabilitation of jetty system at the mouth of the Columbia River (MCR): North Jetty, South Jetty, and Jetty A. The Corps is requesting an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) for the first season of pile installation and removal at Jetty A only.

Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an authorization to WSF to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of marine mammals for a period of 1 year.

The Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''), for the period of review (``POR''), June 1, 2013, to May 31, 2014.

This rule amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the rescission of Cuba's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Specifically, this rule removes anti-terrorism (AT) license requirements from Cuba and eliminates references to Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but maintains preexisting license requirements for all items subject to the EAR unless authorized by a license exception. This rule also removes Cuba from Country Group E:1 (terrorist supporting countries), which makes Cuba eligible for a general 25 percent de minimis level and portions of four license exceptions. The Secretary of State rescinded the designation of Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism on May 29, 2015.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2015 total allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the GOA.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is partially rescinding its administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain preserved mushrooms (mushrooms) from India for the period February 1, 2014, through January 31, 2015 (POR).

On May 11, 2015, the Department received a timely request for a new shipper review (NSR) from Jinxiang Huameng Imp & Exp Co. (Huameng), in accordance with section 751(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.214(c). On May 22, 2015 Department issued a letter to Huameng requesting that it correct certain deficiencies in its initial request.\1\ On July 6, 2015, Huameng submitted a timely response to the Department's request.\2\ The Department of Commerce (Department) has determined that the request for a NSR of the antidumping duty order on fresh garlic from the People's Republic of China (PRC) meets the statutory and regulatory requirements for initiation. The period of review (POR) is November 1, 2014, through April 30, 2015.

NMFS proposes annual catch limits (ACLs) for Pacific Island bottomfish, crustacean, precious coral, and coral reef ecosystem fisheries, and accountability measures (AMs) to correct or mitigate any overages of catch limits. The proposed ACLs and AMs would be effective in fishing year 2015. The fishing year for each fishery begins on January 1 and ends on December 31, except for precious coral fisheries, which begins July 1 and ends on June 30 the following year. The proposed catch limits and accountability measures support the long-term sustainability of fishery resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands.