Department of Commerce April 9, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Crab Plan Team will meet in April, in Anchorage, AK.

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA) is announcing five upcoming trade missions that will be recruited, organized, and implemented by ITA. These missions are: Safety and Security Trade Mission to Nigeria and Kenya, with an optional stop in South AfricaMay 21-31, 2019. Infrastructure Trade Mission to MexicoJune 16-21, 2019. Water Trade Mission to South Africa and AngolaJuly 6-16, 2019. The 12th Annual U.S. Industry Program at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Austria September 15-18, 2019. Clean Energy and Zero Emission Vehicle Technologies Business Development Mission to MexicoNovember 17-22, 2019. A summary of each mission is found below. Application information and more detailed mission information, including the commercial setting and sector information, can be found at the trade mission website: https://export.gov/trademissions. For each mission, recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce Department trade mission calendar (https://export.gov/ trademissions) and other internet websites, press releases to general and trade media, direct mail, broadcast fax, notices by industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows.

The NMFS Southeast Region, in collaboration with the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council), is preparing a draft EA in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for each of the following fishery management plans (FMP): The Comprehensive FMP for the Puerto Rico Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (Puerto Rico FMP), the Comprehensive FMP for the St. Thomas/St. John EEZ (St. Thomas/St. John FMP), and the Comprehensive FMP for the St. Croix EEZ (St. Croix FMP). The respective plans would transition the management of Federal fisheries in the U.S. Caribbean EEZ from a species-based approach to an island-based approach. This notice is intended to inform the public of the change from the preparation of a draft EIS to a draft environmental assessment (EA) for each FMP.

NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in Abbreviated Framework Amendment 2 (Abbreviated Framework 2) to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP), 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 vermilion snapper and black sea bass in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. The purpose of this final rule is to respond to the results of the latest stock assessments for the species and to help achieve optimum yield (OY) for vermilion snapper and black sea bass. Additionally, this final rule serves to announce the length of the South Atlantic black sea bass recreational fishing season for the 2019-2020 fishing year. NMFS announces that the length of the recreational fishing season for black sea bass in the Council's jurisdiction of the EEZ of the South Atlantic will extend throughout the species' April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020, recreational fishing year.