Department of Commerce March 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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).

On September 6, 2011, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the antidumping duty administrative review for certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (CORE) from the Republic of Korea (Korea).\1\ This review covers eight manufacturers and/or exporters (collectively, the respondents) of the subject merchandise: LG Chem., Ltd. (LG Chem); Haewon MSC Co. Ltd. (Haewon); Dongbu Steel Co., Ltd., (Dongbu); Hyundai HYSCO (HYSCO); Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (POSCO) and Pohang Coated Steel Co., Ltd. (POCOS) (collectively, POSCO); Dongkuk Industries Co., Ltd. (Dongkuk); LG Hausys, Ltd. (Hausys); and Union Steel Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Union).\2\ The period of review (POR) is August 1, 2009, through, July 31, 2010.

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS, (Assistant Administrator) has granted an affirmative finding 2-year renewal to the Government of Ecuador under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This affirmative finding renewal will allow yellowfin tuna harvested in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) in compliance with the International Dolphin Conservation Program (IDCP) by Ecuadorian-flag purse seine vessels or purse seine vessels operating under Ecuadorian jurisdiction to be imported into the United States. The affirmative finding renewal was based on review of documentary evidence submitted by the Government of Ecuador and obtained from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

SEDAR and NOAA Fisheries Service will convene a workshop to consider calibration methods for the MRFSS and MRIP estimates of marine recreational fisheries harvest.

This action corrects an error in paragraph numbering in the final rule pertaining to Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Chinook Salmon Bycatch Management in the Bering Sea Pollock Fishery; Economic Data Collection published on February 3, 2012. This correction is intended to clarify regulatory text.

NMFS is providing this notice in order to allow other agencies and the public an opportunity to review and provide comments on the proposed adoption of the California Eelgrass Mitigation Policy (CEMP) by NMFS Southwest Region (SWR) Habitat Conservation Division (HCD). The intent of the CEMP is to help ensure consistent and effective mitigation of unavoidable impacts to eelgrass habitat throughout the SWR. The CEMP is a unified policy document for SWR-HCD, based on the highly successful implementation of the Southern California Eelgrass Mitigation Policy, which has improved mitigation effectiveness since its initial adoption in 1991. This policy is needed to ensure effective, statewide eelgrass mitigation and will help ensure that unavoidable impacts to eelgrass habitat are fully and appropriately mitigated. It is anticipated that the adoption and implementation of this policy will provide for enhanced success of eelgrass mitigation in California. Given the success of the Southern California Eelgrass Mitigation Policy, the California Eelgrass Mitigation Policy reflects an expansion of the application of this policy with minor modifications to ensure a high standard of statewide eelgrass management and protection. The CEMP will supersede the Southern California Eelgrass Mitigation Policy for all areas of California upon its adoption.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using jig gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2012 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to vessels using jig gear in the Central Regulatory Area of 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 Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is hereby giving notice that the Secretary of Commerce has determined that the establishment of the National Advisory Committee of Race, Ethnic, and Other Populations is necessary and in the public interest. The Committee will function solely as an advisory body and in compliance with provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Copies of the charter will be filed with the appropriate Committees of the Congress and with the Library of Congress.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings, March 26 through April 3, 2012.

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.

As a result of the determination by the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') that termination of the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation (``Suspension Agreement'') would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping and the determination by the International Trade Commission (``ITC'') that termination of the suspended antidumping duty investigation on uranium from the Russian Federation (``Russia'') would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time, the Department is publishing this notice of continuation of the Suspension Agreement on uranium from Russia.