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

This temporary rule closes the White Hake Trimester Total Allowable Catch (TAC) Area to all common pool groundfish vessels fishing with trawl gear, sink gillnet gear, or longline/hook gear for the remainder of Trimester 2, through December 31, 2012. This action is necessary to prevent the common pool fishery from exceeding its Trimester 2 TAC or its annual catch limit for white hake. This rule is expected to slow the catch rate of white hake in the common pool fishery for the remainder of Trimester 2.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of Pacific cod from catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet length overall (LOA) using pot gear to hook-and-line catcher/processors, pot catcher/processors, and catcher vessels less than 60 feet 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.

On September 3, 2012, Sanderson Farms. Inc., filed a First Request for Panel Review with the Mexican Section of the NAFTA Secretariat pursuant to Article 1904 of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Panel Review was requested of the Final resolution of the Countervailing Duty Administrative Review, regarding the importation of chicken leg quarters originating from the United States of America. This determination was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federaci[oacute]n, on August 6, 2012. The NAFTA Secretariat has assigned Case Number MEX-USA- 2012-1904-01 to this request.

Notice is hereby given that Kristen Hart, Ph.D., United States Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center, 3205 College Avenue, Davie, FL 33314, has applied in due form for a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles for the purposes of scientific research.

The National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship will hold a meeting on Tuesday, December 11, 2012. The open meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and will be open to the public via conference call. The meeting will take place at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington DC 20230. The Council was chartered on November 10, 2009 to advise the Secretary of Commerce on matter related to innovation and entrepreneurship in the United States.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a one-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

NMFS is broadening the scope of individuals and entities approved to complete vessel fish hold capacity certifications for vessels issued Tier 1 and 2 limited access Atlantic mackerel permits under the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (MSB FMP). In addition, this rule extends the deadline to submit vessel fish hold capacity certifications from December 31, 2012, to December 31, 2013 or during a vessel replacement transaction, whichever comes first.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') has received requests to conduct administrative reviews of various antidumping and countervailing duty orders and findings with October anniversary dates. In accordance with the Department's regulations, we are initiating those administrative reviews.

On November 14, 2012,\1\ the United States Court of International Trade (``CIT'') sustained the Department of Commerce's (``the Department'') results of redetermination \2\ pursuant to the CIT's FENC Remand Order.\3\

NMFS issues regulations under the authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act) to implement requirements for U.S. fishing vessels used for commercial fishing that offload or receive transshipments of highly migratory species (HMS), U.S. fishing vessels used for commercial fishing that provide bunkering or other support services to fishing vessels, and U.S. fishing vessels used for commercial fishing that receive bunkering or engage in other support services, in the area of application of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention). Some of the requirements also apply to transshipments of fish caught in the area of application of the Convention (Convention Area) and transshipped elsewhere. NMFS also issues requirements regarding notification of entry into and exit from the ``Eastern High Seas Special Management Area'' (Eastern SMA) and requirements relating to discards from purse seine fishing vessels. This action is necessary for the United States to implement decisions of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Commission or WCPFC) and to satisfy its obligations under the Convention, to which it is a Contracting Party.