Department of Commerce February 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On November 29, 2004, the U.S. Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published the preliminary results of the new shipper reviews of the antidumping order on honey from the People's Republic of China (69 FR 69350). These reviews cover four exporters, Anhui Honghui Foodstuff (Group) Co., Ltd. (``Anhui Honghui''), Eurasia Bee's Products Co., Ltd. (``Eurasia''), Inner Mongolia Youth Trade Development Co., Ltd. (``Inner Mongolia Youth''), and Jiangsu Kanghong Natural Healthfoods Co., Ltd. (``Jiangsu Kanghong''). The period of review (``POR'') is December 1, 2002, through November 30, 2003. Based on our analysis of the record, and on comments from the interested parties, we have made changes to the margin calculations of all four producers/exporters as described below. See ``Final Results of Review'' section below.

The benchmark assessment of the South Atlantic black sea bass stock, completed in 2003 by SEDAR 2, will be updated with recent data during an assessment workshop to be held in Beaufort, NC.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels catching Pacific cod for processing by the offshore component in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2005 interim total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod apportioned to vessels catching Pacific cod for processing by the offshore component of the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Oversight Committee in March, 2005. Recommendations from the committee will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), on behalf of the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), publishes annual management measures governing the Pacific Halibut fishery which are approved by the Secretary of State. This action is intended to provide public notice of the effectiveness of these IPHC annual management measures and to inform persons subject to them of their restrictions and requirements.

Pursuant to the Notice of Withdrawal of the Request for Panel Review by the complainants, the panel review is terminated as of February 17, 2005. A panel has not been appointed to this panel review. Pursuant to Rule 71(2) of the Rules of Procedure for Article 1904 Binational Panel Review, this panel review is terminated.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) has received requests to conduct administrative reviews of various antidumping and countervailing duty orders and findings with January anniversary dates. In accordance with the Department's regulations, we are initiating those administrative reviews.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Neil Allen on behalf of The Georgia Aquarium. If granted, the EFP would authorize the applicant, with certain conditions, to collect limited numbers of groupers, snappers, squirrelfish, sea basses, jacks, spadefish, bluefish, grunts, porgies, surgeonfish, and triggerfish. Specimens would be collected primarily from Federal waters off the coast of Georgia but may also be collected from Federal waters off the coasts of South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas during 2005 and 2006, and displayed at The Georgia Aquarium, located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Notice is hereby given that the following institutions have applied in due form for permits to conduct scientific research on marine mammals: Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Nongame-Endangered Wildlife Program, Coastal Office, Brunswick, GA (File No. 594-1759) and the Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA (File No. 633-1763).

NMFS announces 2005 and 2006 final harvest specifications and prohibited species catch (PSC) allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2005 and 2006 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

NMFS announces the availability of Amendment 23 prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) that would establish a 10-year rebuilding plan for vermilion snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico. The rebuilding plan seeks to achieve a 25.5-percent reduction in harvest based on the 2003 predicted landings. Measures to accomplish this reduction equitably for the commercial and recreational sectors of this fishery include increases in minimum size, a decreased recreational bag limit, and a closed commercial season. Amendment 23 would also establish biological reference points and stock status determination criteria for vermilion snapper (i.e., maximum sustainable yield (MSY), optimum yield (OY), maximum fishing mortality threshold (MFMT), and minimum stock size threshold (MSST), consistent with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act). The intended effect of these measures is to end overfishing and rebuild the vermilion snapper resource consistent with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued an amended Export Trade Certificate of Review to the Association for the Administration of Rice Quotas, Inc. (``AARQ'') on February 14, 2005. The Certificate has been amended eight times. The most recent previous amendment was issued to AARQ on March 3, 2004, and published in the Federal Register March 18, 2004 (69 FR 12831). The original Export Trade Certificate of Review No. 97-00003 was issued to AARQ on January 21, 1998, and published in the Federal Register on January 28, 1998 (63 FR 4220).

In accordance with provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take small numbers of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting oceanographic seismic surveys in the southwestern Pacific Ocean (SWPO) has been issued to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, (Scripps).

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the Central Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the interim 2005 total allowable catch (TAC) of Atka mackerel specified for the Central Aleutian District.