Department of Commerce June 18, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NOAA publishes this notice to announce the availability of the revised draft NOAA 5-Year Research Plan for public comment. The Research Plan is revised to update it for 2007-2011.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and pelagic shelf rockfish for catcher vessels participating in the rockfish limited access fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2007 total allowable catch (TAC) of northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and pelagic shelf rockfish allocated to catcher vessels participating in the rockfish limited access fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS announces the final rule to set 2007 fishing year specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery, including quotas for each of the established domestic fishing categories and effort controls for the General category and Angling category. This action is necessary to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as required by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), and to achieve domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act). This action also makes a minor administrative change to the permit regulations.

NMFS proposes to amend the regulations governing the North and South Atlantic swordfish fisheries to implement two recommendations by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) (Recommendations 06-02 and 06-03). These recommendations establish baseline quotas for North and South Atlantic swordfish, respectively, and set caps on underharvest carryover. Additionally, recommendation 06-02 allows a contracting party (CPC) with a total allowable catch (TAC) allocation to make a transfer within a fishing year of up to 15 percent of its baseline allocation to other CPCs, as long as the transfer is conducted in a manner that is consistent with domestic obligations and conservation considerations. This action, if adopted, would remain in effect until ICCAT provides new recommendations for the U.S. swordfish fisheries. In addition, NMFS proposes to modify the North and South Atlantic swordfish quotas for the 2006 fishing year to account for updated landings information from the 2004 and 2005 fishing years. Finally, NMFS proposes to include the option of an internet Web site as an additional method for complying with the Atlantic HMS Angling or Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat category's 24 hour reporting requirement. Currently, reporting is by telephone only. NMFS solicits written comments and will hold public hearings in July 2007 to receive oral comments on these proposed actions.