Department of Commerce April 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
This notice provides an update (adds an additional committee to the joint meeting) to a notice that published on April 26, 2016. The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a joint meeting of its Hawaii Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee (REAC), Hawaii Advisory Panel (AP), Fishing Industry Advisory Committee (FIAC) (Hawaii members) and Noncommercial Fishing Advisory Committee (NCFAC) (Hawaii members) and a Hawaii AP meeting to discuss and make recommendations on issues in Hawaii and the Western Pacific region.
Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a joint meeting of its American Samoa Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee (REAC), American Samoa Advisory Panel (AP), Fishing Industry Advisory Committee (FIAC) (Hawaii members) and its Noncommercial Fishing Advisory Committee (NCFAC) (American Samoa members) as well as an American Samoa AP meeting. These meetings are to discuss and make recommendations on issues in American Samoa and the Western Pacific region.
National Advisory Committee
The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations (NAC). The NAC will address policy, research, and technical issues relating to a full range of Census Bureau programs and activities, including communications, decennial, demographic, economic, field operations, geographic, information technology, and statistics. The NAC will meet in a plenary session on May 26-27, 2016. Last minute changes to the schedule are possible, which could prevent us from giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments. Please visit the Census Advisory Committees Web site for the most current meeting agenda at: https://www.census.gov/cac/ . The meeting will be available via webcast at: https://www.census.gov/ newsroom/census-live.html https://www.ustream.tv/embed/ 6504322?wmode=direct.
Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting
The SEDAR 47 assessment of the U.S. Goliath Grouper will consist of a Review Workshop.
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council), Atlantic Herring Committee, Atlantic Herring Advisory Panel and Atlantic Herring Plan Development Team is scheduling a public workshop on the Atlantic Herring Acceptable Biological Catch Control Rule Management Strategy Evaluation 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.
Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Mariana Archipelago Advisory Panel (AP) and its Guam Mariana Archipelago AP to discuss and make recommendations on issues in Guam, CNMI and the Western Pacific region.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Longnose Skate in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska
NMFS is prohibiting retention of longnose skate in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2016 total allowable catch of longnose skate in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA will be reached.
Marine Mammals; File No. 19309
Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to the NMFS Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115-6349 (Responsible Party: John Bengtson, Ph.D.), to conduct research on pinnipeds in Alaska.
Marine Mammals; File No. 15271
Notice is hereby given that James T. Harvey, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039 has been issued a minor amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 15271.
Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud Action Plan for Implementing Recommendations 14/15; Commerce Trusted Trader Program
The National Ocean Council Committee on IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud (NOC Committee) is seeking public input on the design and implementation of a Commerce Trusted Trader Program as part of an effective seafood traceability process to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud. The Commerce Trusted Trader Program will establish within the previously proposed Seafood Import Monitoring Program such benefits as reduced targeting and inspections, and enhanced streamlined entry into U.S. commerce for holders of an International Fisheries Trade Permit that are certified for participation in the Commerce Trusted Trader Program.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Greenland Turbot in the Aleutian Islands Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Greenland turbot in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2016 Greenland turbot initial total allowable catch (ITAC) in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Special Priorities Assistance
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.
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Approved Monitoring Service Providers
NMFS has approved five companies to provide at-sea monitoring services to Northeast multispecies vessels in fishing year 2016. Regulations implementing Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan require third-party at-sea monitoring service providers to apply to, and be approved by, NMFS in a manner consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act in order to be eligible to provide at-sea monitoring services to sectors.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing Effort Survey
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.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Stock Assessment of Alaska Sablefish; Peer Review Meeting
NMFS has requested the Center for Independent Experts (CIE) to conduct a peer review of the agency's stock assessment of Alaska Sablefish (Anopoploma fimbria). The CIE is a group affiliated with the University of Miami that provides independent peer reviews of NMFS science nationwide, including reviews of stock assessments for fish and marine mammals. The Alaska Sablefish stock assessment is reviewed annually by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) Plan Team, and the NPFMC Scientific and Statistical Committee. The CIE review will examine whether the assessment incorporates the best scientific information available for making management decisions and provides a reasonable approach to understanding the population dynamics and stock status of Alaska Sablefish. The public is invited to attend and observe the presentations and discussions between the CIE panel and the NMFS scientists who collected and processed the data, and designed the underlying model.
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; 2016 Recreational Fishing Seasons for Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico
NMFS announces the 2016 recreational fishing seasons for the private angling and Federal charter vessel/headboat (for-hire) components for red snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The Federal recreational seasons for red snapper in the Gulf EEZ begin at 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 1, 2016. For recreational harvest by the private angling component, the season closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 10, 2016. For recreational harvest by the Federal for-hire component, the season closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 17, 2016. These closures are necessary to prevent the private angling and Federal for-hire components from exceeding their respective quotas (annual catch limits (ACLs)) for the fishing year and prevent overfishing of the Gulf red snapper resource.
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Red Snapper Management Measures; Amendment 28
NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in Amendment 28 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) (Amendment 28). Amendment 28 and this final rule revise the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) red snapper commercial and recreational sector allocations of the stock annual catch limits (ACLs). As a result of the revised sector allocations, this final rule revises the red snapper commercial and recreational quotas (which are equivalent to the ACLs) and the recreational annual catch targets (ACTs). This final rule also sets the Federal charter vessel/headboat and private angling component quotas and ACTs based on the revised recreational sector ACLs and ACTs. The purpose of this final rule and Amendment 28 is to reallocate the Gulf red snapper harvest consistent with the 2014 red snapper assessment update while ensuring the allowable catch and recovery benefits from the rebuilding red snapper stock are fairly and equitably allocated between the commercial and recreational sectors.
Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment
The Department of Commerce (Department) seeks public comment on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the United States during the period July 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015.
Magnesium Metal From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2014-2015
On January 5, 2016, the Department of Commerce (``Department'') published in the Federal Register the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on magnesium metal from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') covering the period April 1, 2014, through March 31, 2015.\1\ This review covers two PRC companies, Tianjin Magnesium International, Co., Ltd. (``TMI'') and Tianjin Magnesium Metal Co., Ltd. (``TMM''). The Department gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the Preliminary Results, but we received no comments. Hence, these final results are unchanged from the Preliminary Results, and we continue to find that TMI and TMM did not have reviewable entries during the period of review (``POR'').
Opportunity for U.S. Companies To Submit Smart City Products, Services, and Capabilities for Showcasing as Export Listings in the Upcoming Smart Cities, Regions and Communities: Global Tools of Engagement
Located within the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, Global Markets (GM) promotes trade and investment. GM works to improve the global business environment and helps U.S. organizations compete abroad. In furtherance of GM's mission and the U.S. Department of Commerce's strategic goal of increasing trade and investment opportunities for U.S. companies globally, GM is offering a new for-fee service for U.S. exporters to be listed in an Export Listing Guide as part of a larger Smart Cities Resource Guide inventorying the various initiatives and programming related to Smart Cities within the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Export Listing Guide aims to showcase U.S. goods and services in the various sectors comprising Smart City urban development globally. For the purposes of the Export Listing Guide, `Smart City' is a broad urban development term generally referring to urban planning and infrastructure development focused around the integration of multiple information and communications technology (ICT) solutions to better manage a city's municipal operations; and to provide real time citizen feedback for enhanced city governance. General domains of Smart City products and services can be categorized as: Energy & power; water & sanitation; information and communications technology; transportation; healthcare; design & planning; infrastructure financing; environmental protection/ safety; and/or governance solutions. Please see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional detail regarding submission requirements.
Steel Wire Garment Hangers From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2015-2016
The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is rescinding the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on steel wire garment hangers from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (``Vietnam'') for the period February 1, 2015 through January 31, 2016.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Permit Application and Reports for Permits (fka Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument)
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.
Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee; Charter Renewal
Notice is hereby given of the 2 year renewed charter for the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC), signed on April 14, 2016.
International Fisheries; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; Purse Seine Observer Requirements, and Fishing Restrictions and Limits in Purse Seine and Longline Fisheries for 2016-2017
NMFS seeks comments on this proposed rule issued under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act). The proposed rule would, first, require that U.S. purse seine vessels carry observers on fishing trips in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO); second, establish restrictions in 2016 and 2017 on the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) by U.S. purse seine vessels in the WCPO; and third, establish limits in 2016 and 2017 on the amount of bigeye tuna that may be captured by U.S. longline vessels in the WCPO. This action is necessary to satisfy the obligations of the United States 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.
Amendments to the Rules of Practice for Trials Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board; Correction
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) published a final rule in the Federal Register on April 1, 2016, revising the rules related to trial practice for inter partes review, post-grant review, the transitional program for covered business method patents, and derivation proceedings that implemented provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (``AIA'') providing for trials before the Office. This document corrects an error in that final rule.
Intellectual Property Education Outreach Council Survey
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the proposed information collection as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).
Evaluation of State Coastal Management Program
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management will hold a public meeting to solicit comments for the performance evaluation of the New Jersey Coastal Management Program.
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
NMFS has evaluated the joint resource management plans (RMPs) submitted to NMFS by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, Lummi Nation, Nooksack Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, and Tulalip Tribes, 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 RMPs specify the propagation of early winter steelhead to support recreational and tribal fishing in the Dungeness, Nooksack, Stillaguamish, Skykomish, and Snoqualmie River watersheds of Washington State. This document serves to notify the public that NMFS, by delegated authority from the Secretary of Commerce, has determined pursuant to Limit 6 of the 4(d) rule for salmon and steelhead that implementing and enforcing the RMPs will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of Puget Sound Chinook salmon, Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon, and Puget Sound steelhead. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NMFS also announces the availability of its Record of Decision (ROD) on its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the five early-winter steelhead hatchery programs in Puget Sound.
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer
NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring a portion of its 2016 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for Virginia and Massachusetts.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area; American Fisheries Act; Amendment 111
NMFS issues this final rule to implement Amendment 111 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). This final rule reduces bycatch limits, also known as prohibited species catch (PSC) limits, for Pacific halibut in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) groundfish fisheries by specific amounts in four groundfish sectors: The Amendment 80 sector (non-pollock trawl catcher/processors); the BSAI trawl limited access sector (all non-Amendment 80 trawl fishery participants); the non-trawl sector (primarily hook-and-line catcher/ processors); and the Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program (CDQ Program). This final rule establishes the following halibut PSC limits: 1,745 mt for the Amendment 80 sector; 745 mt for the BSAI trawl limited access sector; 710 mt for the BSAI non-trawl sector; and 315 mt for the CDQ Program. This results in an overall BSAI halibut PSC limit of 3,515 mt. This action is necessary to minimize halibut bycatch in the BSAI groundfish fisheries to the extent practicable and to achieve, on a continuing basis, optimum yield from the BSAI groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, and other applicable laws.
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Specifications and Management Measures
NMFS is implementing 2016-2018 specifications for Atlantic mackerel and the river herring and shad catch cap for Atlantic mackerel. This action also adjusts the butterfish mesh requirement, clarifies the use of net strengtheners in the butterfish fishery, and suspends indefinitely the pre-trip notification system requirement in the longfin squid fishery. These specifications set catch levels to prevent overfishing and allocate catch to commercial and recreational fisheries. Additionally, the adjustments to gear and reporting requirements in the squid and butterfish fisheries will make operation of the fisheries more efficient and less burdensome. These specifications and management measures are consistent with the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan and the recommendations of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
International Fisheries; Pacific Tuna Fisheries; Fishing Restrictions for the Area of Overlap Between the Convention Areas of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
NMFS is issuing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act to implement Recommendation C-12-11 of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) by revising the management regime for the area of overlapping jurisdiction between the IATTC and the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC). These regulations provide that the management measures of the IATTC no longer apply in the area of overlapping jurisdiction, with the exception of regulations governing the IATTC Regional Vessel Register. This rule is necessary for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program
NMFS issues a rule that modifies regulations governing the Crab Rationalization (CR) Program. This final rule is comprised of three actions. Under the first action, this final rule modifies regulations to create an exemption for participants in the Western Aleutian Islands golden king crab (WAG) fishery from the prohibition against resuming fishing before all CR Program crab have been fully offloaded from a vessel. The first action is intended to allow participants in the WAG fishery to offload live crab to remote ports near the fishing grounds to supply live crab markets. Under the second action, this final rule amends CR Program regulations to clarify current document submission requirements for persons applying to receive captain and crew crab quota share, called C shares, by transfer. Under the third action, this final rule amends License Limitation Program (LLP) regulations to remove the requirement for endorsements on crab LLP licenses for specific crab fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) that are no longer managed under the LLP. This final rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (Crab FMP), and other applicable laws.
North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Observer Advisory Committee (OAC) will meet May 12 through May 13, 2016.
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