Department of Commerce March 10, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat/MPA/Ecosystem Oversight Committee in March, 2005 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.

This proposed rule would establish the second and third trimester season quotas for large coastal sharks (LCS), small coastal sharks (SCS), pelagic, blue, and porbeagle sharks based on over- or underharvests from the 2004 second semi-annual season. In addition, this rule proposes the opening and closing dates for the LCS fishery based on adjustments to the trimester quotas. This action could affect all commercial fishermen in the Atlantic commercial shark fishery.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) publishes this notice to announce that the agency will hold a meeting on March 28, 2005 for organizations interested in exporting ``tools of trade'' items for humanitarian work in Sudan under a License Exception, as provided under the rule BIS published in the Federal Register on February 18, 2005. U.S. Government officials will provide information at this meeting on the use of this License Exception for Sudan. This meeting is open to the public.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), including various entries on the Commerce Control List (CCL), to reflect changes to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex that were agreed to by MTCR member countries at the October 2004 Plenary in Seoul, South Korea, as well as the plenary decision to allow Bulgaria to become a member of the MTCR. In addition to these changes, this rule adds four entities located in Syria to the Entity List. The Entity List is a compilation of end- users that present an unacceptable risk of using or diverting certain items to activities related to weapons of mass destruction. BIS requires a license for most exports or reexports to these entities and maintains the Entity List to inform the public of these license requirements. Lastly, this rule revises the missile catch-all controls for Restrictions on Certain Rocket Systems, by clarifying that the general prohibition includes a license requirement for items that will be used, anywhere in the world except by governmental programs for nuclear weapons delivery of NPT Nuclear Weapons States that are also members of NATO, in ``the design, development, production or use of'' rocket systems or unmanned air vehicles, regardless of range capabilities, for the delivery of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. This is a clarification of revisions published November 8, 2004 (69 FR 64657).