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

Based on affirmative final determinations by the Department of Commerce (the Department) and the International Trade Commission (ITC), the Department is issuing an antidumping duty order on large power transformers from the Republic of Korea (Korea).

On July 18, 2012, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published a notice of initiation and preliminary results of a changed circumstance review and intent to revoke, in part, the antidumping duty (``AD'') order of certain cased pencils from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). The final results do not differ from the preliminary results of review, and we are revoking the order, in part, with respect to novelty drumstick pencils. This partial revocation is effective June 1, 2011.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of Pacific cod from vessels using jig gear, catcher vessels greater than 60 feet (18.3 meters) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line gear, and catcher vessels using trawl gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow the 2012 total allowable catch of Pacific cod to be harvested.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (NPFMC) Crab Plan Team (CPT) will meet in Seattle, WA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Oversight Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

Notice is hereby given that the Georgia Aquarium Inc., 225 Baker Street, Atlanta, GA 30313, has applied in due form for a permit to import eighteen (18) beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) for public display purposes.

NMFS, in coordination with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC), will hold a public scoping meeting and accept written comments from the public to determine the issues of concern; the appropriate range of management alternatives; and the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts to be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures for the Groundfish Fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). The EIS is being prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The proposed action would restrict groundfish fishing in the BSAI to ensure the groundfish fisheries are not likely to result in jeopardy of continued existence or adverse modification or destruction of designated critical habitat (JAM) for the western distinct population segment (DPS) of Steller sea lions. The western DPS of Steller sea lions is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and NMFS must ensure that the groundfish fisheries are not likely to result in JAM for this DPS. NMFS intends to work with stakeholders to develop fisheries restrictions that avoid the likelihood of JAM and minimize the potential economic impact on the fishing industry to the extent practicable while meeting the requirements of the ESA. The analysis in the EIS will determine the impacts to the human environment resulting from this proposed action and the alternatives.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks comments concerning U.S. technical participation in the 14th Conference of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML). This conference is held once every four years and was last held in 2008. Interested parties are requested to review and submit comments on the 24 OIML Recommendations and Documents on legal measuring instruments that will be presented for ratification by the Conference. Comments may also be submitted on other issues relevant to the Conference.

As a result of the determinations by the Department of Commerce (``Department'') and the International Trade Commission (``ITC'') that revocation of the antidumping duty order on tapered roller bearings and parts thereof, finished and unfinished (``TRBs''), from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury to an industry in the United States, the Department is publishing a notice of continuation of the antidumping duty order.

NMFS reduces the trip limit for the commercial sector of king mackerel in the eastern zone of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) in the northern Florida west coast subzone to 500 lb (227 kg) of king mackerel per day in or from the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This trip limit reduction is necessary to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the National Sea Grant Advisory Board (Board). Board members will discuss and provide advice on the National Sea Grant College Program in the areas of program evaluation, strategic planning, education and extension, science and technology programs, and other matters as described in the agenda found on the National Sea Grant College Program Web site at https://www.seagrant.noaa.gov/leadership/ advisory_board.html.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a public meeting.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

NMFS will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in September 2012. The intent of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public.

NMFS announces that the 2012 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in Massachusetts for the remainder of calendar year 2012, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise Massachusetts that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in Massachusetts.

NMFS issues this final temporary rule to establish management measures to allow for the limited harvest and possession of red snapper in or from the South Atlantic exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in 2012, as requested by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This rule also announces the opening and closing dates of the 2012 commercial and recreational fishing seasons for red snapper. The intended effect of this temporary rule is to preserve a significant economic opportunity in the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery that otherwise might be foregone. Furthermore, limited commercial and recreational harvest of red snapper in 2012 will provide an opportunity to collect fishery-dependent data that could be useful for the 2014 red snapper stock assessment.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold a public meeting.

This interim final rule establishes a catch limit of 3,763 metric tons (mt) of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) for vessels in the U.S. pelagic longline fisheries in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) for calendar year 2012. The limit does not apply to vessels in the longline fisheries of American Samoa, Guam, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Once the limit of 3,763 mt is reached in 2012, retaining, transshipping, or landing bigeye tuna caught in the WCPO will be prohibited for the remainder of 2012, with certain exceptions. This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its international obligations under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention), to which it is a Contracting Party.

We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the queen conch (Strombus gigas) as threatened or endangered and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the petition and information in our files present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. We will conduct a status review of the species to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information regarding this species (see below).

NMFS has received an application from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to a bird mitigation research trial in the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to the USFWS to take, by Level B harassment only, five species of marine mammals during the specified activity.