Department of Commerce March 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is proposing to prohibit the use of spearfishing gear in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Spearfishing is often used to selectively target larger fish, and can significantly reduce abundance and alter the relative size structure of target species toward smaller fish. Therefore, the proposed prohibition would provide protection to the fishes and natural live-bottom community for which the sanctuary was designated. The proposal also would facilitate enforcement of an existing prohibition against the use of powerheads within the sanctuary. A draft environmental assessment has been prepared for this proposed action. NOAA is soliciting public comment on the proposed rule and draft environmental assessment.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) announces its spring meeting with its Species Working Group Technical Advisors on April 5-7, 2009. The Committee will meet to discuss matters relating to ICCAT, including the 2008 Commission meeting results; research and management activities; global and domestic initiatives related to ICCAT; the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act-required consultation on the identification of countries that are diminishing the effectiveness of ICCAT; the results of the meetings of the Committee's Species Working Groups; and other matters relating to the international management of ICCAT species.

NMFS proposes to implement Framework Adjustment 2 (Framework 2) to the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), developed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils (Councils). Framework 2 would broaden the FMP stock status determination criteria for spiny dogfish, while maintaining objective and measurable criteria to identify when the stock is overfished or approaching an overfished condition. The framework action would also establish acceptable categories of peer review of new or revised stock status determination criteria for the Council to use in its specification-setting process for spiny dogfish. This action is necessary to ensure that changes or modification to the stock status determination criteria, constituting the best available, peer- reviewed scientific information, are accessible to the management process in a timely and efficient manner, consistent with National Standards 1 and 2 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 m) length overall (LOA) using pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the A season allowance of the 2009 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod by catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using pot gear in the BSAI.

Export Trading Company Affairs (``ETCA''), International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, has received an application to amend an Export Trade Certificate of Review (``Certificate''). A notice summarizing the proposed amendment was published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2008 (73 FR 75999), requesting comments relevant to whether the amended Certificate should be issued. The Federal Register notice published on December 15, 2008, contained errors. This correction notice supersedes the notice dated December 15, 2008.

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

Notice is hereby given that the National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) (Jeremy Rusin, Principal Investigator), 3333 N. Torrey Pines Ct., La Jolla, CA 92037 has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 774- 1714-09.

Due to the fact that the Department of Commerce (the Department) requires additional information from the respondent, ThyssenKrupp Mexinox S.A. de C.V. and Mexinox USA, Inc. (collectively, Mexinox), in order to complete our analysis, the Department finds that it is not practicable to complete the preliminary results of this review within the original time frame. Accordingly, the Department is extending fully the time limit for completion of the preliminary results of this administrative review until no later than July 31, 2009, which is 365 days from the last day of the anniversary month.

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

The Mid-Atlantic and the New England Fishery Management Councils' (MAFMC/NEFMC) Joint Spiny Dogfish Committee.

NMFS proposes 2009 specifications for the Atlantic bluefish fishery, including state-by-state commercial quotas, a recreational harvest limit, and recreational possession limits for Atlantic bluefish off the east coast of the United States. The intent of these specifications is to establish the allowable 2009 harvest levels and possession limits to attain the target fishing mortality rate (F), consistent with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).