Department of Commerce December 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that Stephen John Trumble, Ph.D., Baylor University, 101 Bagby Ave, Waco, TX 76706, has applied in due form for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 20532 for the import, export, and receipt of marine mammal parts for scientific research.

NMFS announces 26 inseason actions in the ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the commercial and recreational salmon fisheries in the area from the U.S./Canada border to the U.S./Mexico border.

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.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminary determines that producers/exporters of steel concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey) received countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR) January 1 through December 31, 2016. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that exporters of fresh garlic from the People's Republic of China (China) sold merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR), November 1, 2016, through October 31, 2017. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that Sidenor Aceros Especiales S.L. (Sidenor), the sole exporter subject to this administrative review has made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) March 1, 2017, through August 8, 2017. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is providing notification that the agency will not identify additional fisheries to observe on the 2019 Annual Determination (AD), pursuant to its authority under the Endangered Species Act (ESA or Act). Through the AD, NMFS identifies U.S. fisheries operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Ocean that will be required to take observers upon NMFS' request. The purpose of observing identified fisheries is to learn more about sea turtle interactions in a given fishery, evaluate measures to prevent or reduce sea turtle takes, and implement the prohibition against sea turtle takes. Fisheries identified on the 2015 and 2018 ADs (see Table 1) remain on the AD for a 5-year period and are required to carry observers upon NMFS' request until December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

This notice sets forth a public comment for NOAA's Research and Development (R&D) Plan set for release in 2019. NOAA R&D is an investment in the scientific knowledge and technology that will allow the United States to protect lives and property, adapt to challenges, sustain a strong economy, and manage natural resources. The R&D strategic plan will provide a common understanding among NOAA's leadership, workforce, partners, and constituents on the value and direction of NOAA R&D activities.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that JBF RAK LLC, the sole producer/exporter subject to this administrative review, has made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that we have issued incidental harassment authorizations (IHA) to five separate applicants to incidentally harass marine mammals during geophysical survey activities in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on certain pasta from Turkey would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of a countervailable subsidy at the levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Review'' section of this notice.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for a meeting of the Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC).

Under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the NMFS Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (Assistant Administrator) has issued comparability findings for the Government of Mexico's following fisheries: Upper Gulf of California shrimp trawl fishery for both small and large vessels; Upper Gulf of California shrimp suripera fishery; Upper Gulf of California sierra purse seine fishery; Upper Gulf of California sierra hook and line fishery; Upper Gulf of California chano trawl fishery, for small vessels; Upper Gulf of California curvina purse seine fishery; and Upper Gulf of California sardine/curvina purse seine fishery for both small and large vessels. The Assistant Administrator is denying a comparability finding for the El Golfo de Santa Clara curvina rodeo-style gillnet fishery. NMFS bases the comparability findings on documentary evidence submitted by the Government of Mexico and other relevant, readily-available information including scientific literature and the reports of the ``Comit[eacute] Internacional para la Recuperaci[oacute]n de la Vaquita'' (CIRVA) (the international recovery team for vaquita).

NMFS proposes 2019 and 2020 harvest specifications, apportionments, and Pacific halibut prohibited species catch limits for the groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2019 and 2020 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the GOA in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

NMFS is issuing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act to implement Resolution C-18-05 (Amendment of Resolution C-16-01 on the Collection and Analysis of Data on Fish-Aggregating Devices), which was adopted at the 93rd Meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in August 2018. The Resolution includes construction standards for fish aggregating devices (FADs) intended to reduce entanglements of marine life when fishing for tropical tuna (i.e., bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)) in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). This final rule will revise the existing regulations for consistency with the new Resolution. In addition, this rule revises the definition of ``Active FAD'' and regulations related to activating FADs at sea that were codified in the April 2018 rule. This final rule is necessary for the conservation of living marine resources in the EPO and for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.

NMFS is transferring 129.2 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the General category, and 9.9 mt from the Harpoon category to the General category for the remainder of the 2018 fishing year, to account for accrued overharvests of previous time period subquotas. This action is intended to provide opportunities for General category fishermen to participate in the December General category fishery, which is scheduled to reopen on December 1, 2018, and is based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments. This action would affect Atlantic tunas General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat category permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT.

NMFS issues regulations to implement Regulatory Amendment 28 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) (Regulatory Amendment 28), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule revises the commercial and recreational annual catch limits (ACLs) for golden tilefish in the South Atlantic. The purpose of this final rule is to end overfishing of golden tilefish while minimizing, to the extent practicable, adverse socio-economic effects and achieve optimum yield (OY) on a continuing basis.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels less than 50 feet length overall (LOA) using hook-and- line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2018 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to catcher vessels less than 50 feet LOA using hook-and-line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in two framework actions to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). The framework actions are titled ``Modify the Annual Catch Limit (ACL) for the Gulf Red Snapper and Hogfish Stocks'' (ACL Framework Action) and ``Modify the Red Snapper Recreational Annual Catch Targets (ACT)'' (ACT Framework Action). This proposed rule would modify Gulf red snapper commercial and recreational ACLs (quotas) and ACTs, as well as the Gulf hogfish (West Florida stock) stock ACL, as a result of recent stock assessments for each species. Additionally, this proposed rule would reduce the Federal charter vessel/headboat (for-hire) component's red snapper ACT buffer to a level that would allow a greater harvest in 2019 while continuing to constrain landings to the component and total recreational ACLs. The purposes of this proposed rule are to respond to updated stock assessment information, maximize socio-economic opportunities for red snapper in the Federal for-hire component, and to continue to achieve optimum yield (OY) for each stock.

NMFS issues this notice to decrease the fee rate to 4.0 percent for the Pacific Coast Groundfish fee-share fishery to repay the $28,428,719 groundfish sub-loan of the $35,662,471 reduction loan that financed the Pacific Coast Groundfish fishing capacity reduction program. NMFS annually recalculates the fee rate that will be reasonably necessary to ensure reduction loan repayment within the specified 30-year term. NMFS has determined that the current fee rate of 4.5 percent for the groundfish fishery is projected to collect more than the annual amortization amount needed for 2019.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) will hold a webinar, which is open to the public.