Department of Commerce 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that Daniel P. Costa, Ph.D., Department of Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, has applied for a permit to conduct research on pinnipeds in Antarctica and California.

The final rule implementing the specifications for the 2005 fishing year for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish (MSB) clarified the expiration date of the limited entry program for Illex squid, established a minimum mesh requirement for the butterfish fishery, and removed a regulatory requirement for annual specifications to be published by a specific date. These regulatory measures were intended to be of a permanent nature, unlike the specifications themselves, which expired January 1, 2006. An error in the final rule caused these three measures to expire; this proposed rule would restore the regulatory requirements. This action is being taken by NMFS under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

In accordance with regulations implementing 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 a barging operation within the U.S. Beaufort Sea has been issued to FEX L.P. (FEX), a subsidiary of Talisman Energy, Inc., for a period of 1 year.

NMFS announces the availability of Amendment 26 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resource of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 26) prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). Amendment 26 would establish an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program for the Gulf of Mexico commercial red snapper fishery. The intended effect of Amendment 26 is to reduce overcapacity in the commercial red snapper fishery and to eliminate, to the extent possible, the problems associated with derby fishing, in order to assist the Council in achieving optimum yield (OY) from the fishery.

NMFS has received a request from Eglin Air Force Base (EAFB) for the take of marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal School (NEODS) Training Operations at EAFB, Florida. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Air Force to take, by Level B harassment, two species of cetaceans at EAFB beginning in July, 2006. NMFS is also requesting comments on its intent to promulgate regulations in 2007 governing the take of marine mammals over a 5-year period incidental to the activities described herein. NMFS issued an IHA for these activities in 2005 (70 FR 51341, August 30, 2005), however, the activities were not conducted.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meetings of its Small Mesh Multispecies (Whiting) Advisory Panel in August, 2006, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from these groups will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting to discuss the re-engineering of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)specifically, the content of the new survey.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) will hold a Steller Sea Lion (SSL) teleconference.

The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Groundfish Oversight Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Sea Grant College Program invites applications to establish an Institutional Sea Grant Program for the Commonwealth of Virginia beginning in FY 2007. Anticipated start date is February 1, 2007. Applicants should provide a four-year plan for an institutional program that will be part of the larger National Sea Grant network, a partnership between the federal government and universities to conduct integrated research, education and outreach in fields related to ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources. Applicants must comply with all requirements contained in the full funding opportunity announcement.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take small numbers of marine mammals, by Level B Harassment, incidental to conducting a marine seismic survey in the Arctic Ocean from approximately July 15 - August 29, 2006.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat/MPA/Ecosystem Advisory Panel in August, 2006, 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.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) and its Administrative Committee will hold meetings.

On April 6, 2006, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published in the Federal Register its preliminary results of administrative review of the countervailing duty (``CVD'') order on certain welded carbon steel standard pipe from Turkey for the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2004. See Notice of Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review: Certain Welded Carbon Steel Standard Pipe from Turkey, 71 FR 17445 (April 6, 2006) (``Turkey Pipe 2004 Preliminary''). The Department has now completed the administrative review in accordance with section 751(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). Based on our analysis of the comments received, the Department has not revised the net subsidy rate for the Borusan Group (``Borusan''), the producer/exporter of subject merchandise covered by this review.\1\ Further discussion of our analysis of the comments received is provided in the accompanying issues and decision memorandum. See Issues and Decision Memorandum from Stephen J. Claeys, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, to David M. Spooner, Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, concerning the Final Results of Administrative Review of the Countervailing Duty Order on Certain Welded Carbon Steel Standard Pipe from Turkey (July 25, 2006) (``Turkey Pipe 2004 Memorandum''). The final net subsidy rate for Borusan is listed below in the ``Final Results of Review'' section.

In response to a request from Tianjin Eulia Honey Co., Ltd. (Tianjin Eulia), the Department of Commerce published in the Federal Register, on January 31, 2006, a notice announcing the initiation of a new shipper review of the antidumping duty order on honey from the People's Republic of China (PRC) covering the period of December 1, 2004, through December 31, 2005. On July 12, 2006, Tianjin Eulia, withdrew its request for a new shipper review. Therefore, we are rescinding this review.

Notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to Conoco Phillips Alaska, Inc, (Conoco) to take small numbers of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting open-water seismic data aquisition in the Chukchi Sea during the summer and fall of 2006.