Department of Commerce May 31, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the commercial sector for yellowtail snapper in the South Atlantic exclusive economic zone (EEZ). NMFS projects that commercial landings of yellowtail snapper will reach the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for the August 2017 through July 2018 fishing year by June 5, 2018. Therefore, NMFS closes the commercial sector for yellowtail snapper in the South Atlantic EEZ on June 5, 2018, and it will remain closed until August 1, 2018, the start of the August 2018 through July 2019 fishing year. This closure is necessary to protect the South Atlantic yellowtail snapper resource.

The NMFS Assistant Administrator (Assistant Administrator) has issued a five-year affirmative finding for the Government of El Salvador under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This affirmative finding will allow importation into the United States of yellowfin tuna and yellowfin tuna products harvested in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) in compliance with the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP) by purse seine vessels operating under Salvadoran jurisdiction or exported from El Salvador. NMFS bases the affirmative finding determination on reviews of documentary evidence submitted by the Government of El Salvador and by information obtained from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

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.

Notice is hereby given that ABR, Inc. Environmental Research and Services, P.O. Box 80410, Fairbanks, AK 99708, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on 12 species of marine mammals.

NMFS has received a request from United States Geological Survey (USGS) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to a marine geophysical survey in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorizations, and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

In planning for the future operational environmental satellite system to follow the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite SystemR Series (GOES-R, S, T, and U) and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1, 2, 3, and 4), beginning about 2028, NOAA has conducted a study of the NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture (NSOSA). The development of a future system presents an opportunity to design a modern architecture by broadly examining instruments, services, platforms, and orbits, driven by user needs, new technology, and exploiting emerging space business models. The NSOSA study team developed and evaluated nearly 100 architecture alternatives, including partner and commercial contributions that are likely to become available. Through https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NESDIS- 2018-0053, the public can view the NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture Study draft report, submit ideas, review submissions from other parties, and make comments. All comments are welcome. In particular, NOAA would like comments on the following areas: Did NOAA consider a sufficiently broad range of alternatives? Are the opportunities that the analysis identified as deserving of consideration consistent with your knowledge of the state of the space enterprise? Are there outcomes or options that you recommend for further analysis? What suggestions do you have on engagement with industry, including innovative capability development approaches, partnership opportunities, and business models that may inform NOAA's path forward? What suggestions do you have on engagement with the academic and research community and other stakeholders to ensure NOAA makes the best use of the outputs of this study? NOAA previously discussed the NSOSA study at the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting in January 2018; these presentations are available at https://ams.confex.com/ams/98Annual/ meetingapp.cgi/Session/44459 and https://ams.confex.com/ams/98Annual/ meetingapp.cgi/Session/44460. NOAA will continue to engage the public regarding NOAA's future satellite architecture planning. NOAA will use the results of this public comment period and public event to shape follow-on engagements.