Department of Commerce March 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Through this action, NMFS proposes to prohibit purse seine fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and to prohibit pelagic longline fishing within 30 nautical miles (nm) of the CNMI. The purse seine prohibition is intended to reduce the potential for localized fish depletion by purse seine fishing, limit catch competition and gear conflicts between the purse seine fishery and the Guam and CNMI pelagic longline and trolling fleets, and reduce the potential impacts of purse seine fishing on the recruitment of juvenile bigeye tuna. By establishing a longline fishing prohibited area around the CNMI, NMFS intends to reduce the potential for localized fish depletion by longline fishing, and to limit catch competition and gear conflicts between the developing CNMI longline fishery and the CNMI pelagic trolling fleet. This rule also would make several administrative clarifications to the pelagic fishing regulations.

This proposed rule would establish procedures and timing for specifying annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) for western Pacific fisheries. The proposed rule is procedural in nature, and is intended to help NMFS end and prevent overfishing, rebuild overfish stocks, and achieve optimum yield.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) has received a request for a new shipper review (NSR) of the antidumping duty order on certain preserved mushrooms from the People's Republic of China (PRC). In accordance with section 751(a)(2)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.214(d), we are initiating an antidumping duty NSR of Zhangzhou Long Mountain Foods Co., Ltd. (Long Mountain). The period of review (POR) of this NSR is February 1, 2010, through January 31, 2011.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 2011 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 610 in the GOA.

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 Department of Commerce (``Department'') has determined that a request for a new shipper review (``NSR'') of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen fish fillets (``fish fillets'') from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (``Vietnam''), received on February 28, 2011, meets the statutory and regulatory requirements for initiation. The period of review (``POR'') for this NSR is August 1, 2010, through January 31, 2011.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the 2011 total allowable catch of pollock in the West Yakutat District of the GOA.

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

The SEDAR 26 assessment of Caribbean Silk snapper, Queen snapper, and Redtail parrotfish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: This notice is for a webinar associated with the Data portion of the SEDAR process. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

This notice announces a change in the start time and provides the location of the meeting of the National Climate Assessment Development and Advisory Committee (NCADAC). The start time of the meeting on April 4, 2011, is changed from 9 a.m. to 8 a.m. Please see the notice published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2011 (76 FR 4562, March 2, 2011) for background information on the meeting. The full details of the meeting times and location are provided below. The National Climate Assessment Development and Advisory Committee meeting on Monday, April 4Wednesday, April 6 will be held at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Ballrooms C and D, 480 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20024. The meeting will be held at the following times: April 4, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; April 5, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and April 6, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The meeting may have limited seating capacity; seats are available on a first come-first served basis. For more information about the meeting agenda, see http:/ /www.globalchange.gov. During this public meeting, the NCADAC will discuss initial plans for development of a first draft of the NCADAC's Report to Congress and the President, as well as advising on the development of the Assessment process. Public Comment Deadline: Public comments are being accepted in advance of the meeting and must be received by the NCADAC Designated Federal Official (DFO) by 12 p.m. (EDT) on March 31, 2011, to provide sufficient time for distribution to the members prior to the meeting. Written comments received after 12 p.m. (EDT) on March 31, 2011, will be distributed to the NCADAC, but may not be reviewed prior to the meeting date. Special Accommodations: These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for special accommodations may be directed no later than 12 p.m. on March 30, 2011, to Dr. Cynthia Decker, NCADAC Designated Federal Official (DFO), SSMC3, Room 11230, 1315 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring, MD 20910.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Tule Chinook Workgroup (TCW) will hold a meeting to review initial work products and revise future work plans relative to developing an abundance-based harvest management approach for Columbia River natural tule Chinook. This meeting of the TCW is open to the public.

NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve to the initial total allowable catch of octopus in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the fisheries to continue operating. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the BSAI.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its Spiny Lobster Advisory Panel (AP) in Key West, FL. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NOAA Fisheries announces four inseason actions in the ocean salmon fisheries. Inseason action 1 modified the commercial fishery in the area from Cape Falcon, Oregon to Humbug Mountain, Oregon. Inseason action 2 modified the commercial fishery in the area from Humbug Mountain, Oregon to the Oregon/California Border. Inseason action 3 modified the recreational fishery in the area from Horse Mountain, California to Point Arena, California. Inseason action 4 modified the recreational fishery in the area from Point Arena, California to the U.S./Mexico Border.

This notice announces receipt of an application and the public comment period for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Mr. John Gauvin of Gauvin and Associates, LLC. If granted, this permit would allow the applicant to continue the development and testing of a salmon excluder device for the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery. This activity is intended to promote the objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) by reducing salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2010 and 2011 commercial summer flounder quotas to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Vessels were authorized by Virginia to land summer flounder under safe harbor provisions, thereby requiring a quota transfer to account for an increase in Virginia's landings that would have otherwise accrued against the North Carolina quota. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

The ONMS is seeking applications for the following vacant seats on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: Diving, Education (alternate), Research (alternate), Tourism (alternate) and Agriculture (alternate). Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen should expect to serve until February 2014. The Research alternate and Agriculture alternate should expect to serve until February 2013 because the seats were vacated prematurely.

NMFS closes the penaeid shrimp commercial sector to trawling, i.e., brown, pink, and white shrimp, in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off South Carolina in the South Atlantic. This closure is necessary to protect the spawning stock of white shrimp that has been severely depleted by unusually cold weather conditions.