Department of Commerce November 13, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using pot gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2014 Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) apportioned to vessels using pot gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS issues regulations under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act) to revise the 2014 limit on fishing effort by U.S. purse seine vessels in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (U.S. EEZ) and on the high seas between the latitudes of 20[deg] N. and 20[deg] S. 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). The total limit for 2014 is revised from 2,588 fishing days to 1,828 fishing days. This action is necessary for the United States to implement provisions of a conservation and management measure (CMM) adopted by the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Commission) and to satisfy the obligations of the United States under the Convention, to which it is a Contracting Party.

NMFS reopens the comment period on the proposed rule to implement the Fishery Management Plan for Regulating Offshore Aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) that published on August 28, 2014. The original comment period closed on October 27, 2014. NMFS is reopening the comment period for an additional 15 days to provide the public additional time to comment on this proposed rule. If implemented, the proposed rule would establish a comprehensive regulatory program for managing the development of an environmentally sound and economically sustainable aquaculture industry in Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). The purpose of the proposed rule is to increase the yield of Federal fisheries in the Gulf by supplementing the harvest of wild caught species with cultured product.

On July 30, 2014, the Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') published the Preliminary Results of the 2012-2013 administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain hot- rolled carbon steel flat products (``hot-rolled steel'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'').\1\ The period of review (``POR'') is November 1, 2012, through October 31, 2013. We received no comments from interested parties. Therefore, the Department continues to find that Baosteel Group Corporation, Shanghai Baosteel International Economic & Trading Co., Ltd., and Baoshan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (collectively, ``Baosteel'') had no reviewable transactions of subject merchandise to the United States during the POR.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on drill pipe from the People's Republic of China (PRC). The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013. We preliminarily determine that Shanxi Yida Special Steel Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd. and its cross-owned affiliates received countervailable subsidies during the POR.

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), issue a final rule to designate critical habitat for three species of rockfish listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): the threatened yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) Distinct Population Segment (DPS), the threatened canary rockfish (S. pinniger) DPS, and the endangered bocaccio (S. paucispinus) DPS (listed rockfish) pursuant to section 4 of the ESA. The specific areas in the final designation include 590.4 square miles (1529 square km) of nearshore habitat for canary rockfish and bocaccio, and 414.1 square miles (1072.5 square km) of deepwater habitat for yelloweye rockfish, canary rockfish and bocaccio. This final designation represents a reduction of approximately 15.2 percent (180.3 sq mi, 467 sq km) for canary rockfish and bocaccio, and a reduction of approximately 28 percent (160 sq mi, 416.2 sq km) for yelloweye rockfish, compared to our proposed critical habitat rule on August 6, 2013 (78 FR 47635). We exclude some particular areas from designation because the benefits of exclusion outweigh the benefits of inclusion and exclusion of those areas will not result in the extinction of the species. No areas were excluded based on economic impacts. This final rule responds to and incorporates public comments received on the proposed rule and supporting documents, as well as peer reviewer comments received on our draft biological report.