Department of Commerce October 16, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to James Lloyd-Smith, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Box 723905, Los Angeles, California 90095-7239 to conduct research on California sea lions (Zalophus californianus).

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has determined that the Gulf of Maine (GOM) stock of haddock is subject to overfishing and is approaching an overfished condition. In addition, the rebuilding plans for American plaice and the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic (SNE/MA) stock of winter flounder were found to have not resulted in adequate progress toward rebuilding the affected fish stocks. NMFS notifies the appropriate fishery management council (Council) whenever it determines that overfishing is occurring, a stock is in an overfished condition, a stock is approaching an overfished condition, or when a rebuilding plan has not resulted in adequate progress toward ending overfishing and rebuilding affected fish stocks.

Notice is hereby given that the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have submitted five Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans, to be considered jointly, to NMFS pursuant to the limitation on take prohibitions for actions conducted under Limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule for salmon and steelhead promulgated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plans specify the propagation of five species of salmon and steelhead in the Elwha River of Washington state. This document serves to notify the public of the availability for comment of the proposed evaluation of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) as to whether implementation of the joint plan will appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Puget Sound steelhead. This notice further advises the public of the availability for review of an Environmental Assessment of the effects of the NMFS determination on the subject plans and associated harvest.

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)).