Department of Commerce June 2, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries (Director), has made a preliminary determination that the subject exempted fishing permit (EFP) application submitted by Limuli Laboratories of Cape May Court House, New Jersey, contains all the required information and warrants further consideration. The proposed EFP would allow the harvest of up to 10,000 horseshoe crabs from the Carl N. Shuster Jr. Horseshoe Crab Reserve for biomedical purposes and require, as a condition of the EFP, the collection of data related to the status of horseshoe crabs within the reserve. The Director has also made a preliminary determination that the activities authorized under the EFP would be consistent with the goals and objectives of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (Commission) Horseshoe Crab Interstate Fisheries Management Plan (FMP). However, further review and consultation may be necessary before a final determination is made to issue the EFP. Therefore, NMFS announces that the Director proposes to recommend that an EFP be issued that would allow up to 3 commercial fishing vessels to conduct fishing operations that are otherwise restricted by the regulations promulgated under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (Atlantic Coastal Act). The EFP would allow for an exemption from the Carl N. Shuster Jr. Horseshoe Crab Reserve (Reserve). Regulations under the Atlantic Coastal Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.

NMFS is modifying permitting and reporting requirements for the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) International Trade Permit (ITP) program to improve program efficacy and enforceability, and implement the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) bluefin tuna catch documentation (BCD) program. The modified regulations also implement the new definition of ``import'' contained in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and require that shark fin importers, exporters, and re-exporters obtain the HMS ITP to assist NMFS in monitoring trade of shark fins. This action is necessary to implement recommendations of ICCAT, as required by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), and to achieve domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

The President's Export Council will hold a meeting via teleconference to deliberate draft letters of recommendation and their draft final report to the President.