Department of Commerce January 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2022 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 610 in the GOA.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that producers and/or exporters subject to this administrative review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review (POR), July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint public meeting of its Skate Committee and Advisory Panel via webinar 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.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Committee via webinar 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.

On December 14, 2021, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) published the Federal Register notice of the final determination in the anti-circumvention inquiries of the antidumping duty (AD) orders on certain uncoated paper from Brazil, the People's Republic of China (China), and Indonesia and the countervailing duty (CVD) orders on certain uncoated paper from China and Indonesia. This notice inadvertently did not address Commerce's intent to instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to liquidate certain uncoated paper entries from China.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will host a presentation on working waterfront infrastructure in Georgia via webinar.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf)(FMP), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council)(Amendment 53). This proposed rule and Amendment 53 would modify the allocation of Gulf red grouper catch between the commercial and recreational sectors as well as revise sector annual catch limits (ACLs) and annual catch targets (ACTs). The purposes of this proposed rule and Amendment 53 are to revise the red grouper sector allocations using the best scientific information available and to modify the allowable harvest of red grouper based on results of the recent stock assessment.

NMFS proposes Northeast skate specifications for the 2022 fishing year, and projects specifications for fishing year 2023, as recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council. This action is necessary to establish annual allowable harvest levels for the skate fishery that prevent overfishing while enabling optimum yield, using the best scientific information available. This rule also informs the public of the proposed fishery specifications and provides an opportunity for comment.

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is transferring a portion of its 2021 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of Connecticut. This retroactive adjustment to the 2021 fishing year quota is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the retroactively revised 2021 commercial quotas for Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management has designated certain Connecticut state-owned lands and portions of public trust waters of the Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, Connecticut River, and Thames River as the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve (Connecticut Reserve). On January 11, 2022, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Dr. Richard W. Spinrad, signed a Record of Decision pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and the findings of designation for the Connecticut Reserve pursuant to Section 315 of the CZMA and its implementing regulations. A copy of the Record of Decision and the findings of designation are available for public review from NOAA's Office for Coastal Management at coast.noaa.gov/czm/compliance. Additionally, NOAA hereby provides notice of the results of the consistency determination for the designation of the Connecticut Reserve.

NMFS implements regulations to clarify terms used in the Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2020 (Descend Act). Section 3 of the Descend Act requires commercial and recreational fishermen to have a descending device or a venting tool on the vessel and ready for use when fishing for federally managed reef fish species in Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Federal waters. The purpose of this final rule is to clarify the definitions of descending device and venting tool in the Descend Act.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from vessels using jig gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) length overall using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow the A season apportionment of the 2022 total allowable catch of Pacific cod to be harvested.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that critical circumstances exist regarding all imports of raw honey from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam).

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a three-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Due to ongoing public safety considerations related to COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar.

The Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) established the Internet of Things Advisory Board (IoTAB) in accordance with the requirements of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, and in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (FACA), The IoTAB shall provide advice to the Internet of Things Federal Working Group on matters related to the Internet of Things as specified below. The IoTAB shall submit to the IoTFWG a report that includes any findings or recommendations related to the specific scope below. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST or Institute) invites and requests nominations of individuals for appointment to the IoTAB. Registered Federal lobbyists may not serve on NIST Federal Advisory Committees in an individual capacity.

On December 28, 2021, the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) issued its final judgment in PT. Kenertec Power System v. United States, Consol. Ct. No. 20-03687, sustaining the Department of Commerce (Commerce)'s remand redetermination pertaining to the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of utility scale wind towers (wind towers) from Indonesia covering the period of investigation, January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018. Commerce is notifying the public that the CIT's final judgment is not in harmony with Commerce's final determination in that investigation and that Commerce is amending the final determination with respect to the countervailable subsidy rate determined for PT. Kenertec Power System (Kenertec). Because the amended countervailable subsidy rate determined for Kenertec, the only individually-examined respondent in the investigation, is now de minimis, Commerce is hereby revoking the CVD order.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint public meeting of its Scallop Committee via webinar 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.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel and Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel will hold a joint public webinar meeting.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team will hold two public meetings.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public joint meeting of its Habitat Committee via webinar 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.

NMFS implements the measures included in Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan as adopted and submitted by the New England Fishery Management Council. This action allows for more controlled access to the scallop resource by the limited access and limited access general category fleets and increases monitoring to a growing directed scallop fishery in Federal waters, including the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area. These management measures are intended to promote conservation of the scallop resource in the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area and to manage total removals from the area by all fishery components. Amendment 21 also expands flexibility in the limited access general category individual fishing quota fishery to reduce impacts of potential decreases in ex-vessel price and increases in operating costs.