Department of Commerce April 19, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has found that the following stocks are subject to overfishing or overfished: South Atlantic golden tilefish and the Western and Central Pacific stock of Pacific bigeye tuna are subject to overfishing; South Atlantic blueline tilefish is still subject to overfishing; and Pacific bluefin tuna in the North Pacific Ocean and South Atlantic red snapper are still both overfished and subject to overfishing. NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, notifies the appropriate fishery management council (Council) whenever it determines that overfishing is occurring, a stock is in an overfished condition or a stock is approaching an overfished condition.

NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for two species groups in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the U.S. Caribbean off Puerto Rico for the 2017 fishing year through this temporary rule. NMFS has determined that recreational sector annual catch limits (ACLs) in the EEZ off Puerto Rico were exceeded for wrasses and parrotfishes based on average landings during the 2013-2015 fishing years. This temporary rule reduces the lengths of the 2017 fishing seasons for these species groups by the amounts necessary to ensure that landings do not exceed the applicable recreational ACLs in 2017. NMFS closes the recreational sectors for these species groups beginning on the dates specified in the DATES section and continuing through the end of the current fishing year, December 31, 2017. These AMs are necessary to protect the Caribbean reef fish resources in the EEZ off Puerto Rico.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) has issued numerous scope determinations finding that wood flooring products consisting of only two layers are outside the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on multilayered wood flooring (MLWF) from the People's Republic of China (PRC). The products subject to these rulings typically (but not exclusively) consist of a single wood veneer layer, or ply, in combination with a base layer of various constructions and materials. Due to the large number of scope ruling requests concerning the aforementioned two-layer MLWF products since the imposition of the Orders, the Department finds it necessary to clarify the scope of the orders. Interested parties are invited to comment on this scope clarification.

NMFS proposes management measures for the 2017 summer flounder and scup recreational fisheries. The implementing regulations for these fisheries require NMFS to publish recreational measures for the fishing year and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The intent of these measures is to constrain recreational catch to established limits and prevent overfishing of the summer flounder and scup resources. We are proposing the 2017 management measures and revised specifications for the recreational black sea bass fishery in separate actions.

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 the proposed 2018 Survey of Income and Program Participation, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.