Department of Commerce April 7, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice is to remind the public that U.S. firms are required to report annually to the Department of Commerce (Commerce) information on contracts for the sale of defense articles or defense services to foreign countries or foreign firms that are subject to offsets agreements exceeding $5,000,000 in value. U.S. firms are also required to report annually to Commerce information on offsets transactions completed in performance of existing offsets commitments for which offsets credit of $250,000 or more has been claimed from the foreign representative. This year, such reports must include relevant information from calendar year 2022 and must be submitted to Commerce no later than June 15, 2023.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The Exempted Fishing Permit would allow commercial fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of research conducted by the applicant. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

NMFS has evaluated the joint resource management plan (RMP) submitted to NMFS by the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, pursuant to the limitation on take prohibitions for actions conducted under Limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule for salmon and steelhead promulgated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Skagit River steelhead fishery RMP manages harvest of ESA- listed, Skagit River steelhead in Treaty Indian fisheries and non- Treaty recreational fisheries in the Skagit River terminal area of Washington State. This document serves to notify the public that NMFS, by delegated authority from the Secretary of Commerce, had determined pursuant to Limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule for salmon and steelhead that implementing and enforcing this RMP will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of Puget Sound steelhead. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NMFS also announces the availability of its Finding of No Significant Impact for the Skagit River steelhead fisheries, under the RMP.

We, NMFS, have completed a comprehensive status review under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii) in response to a petition from the Animal Welfare Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity, and VIVA Vaquita to list the species. Based on the best scientific and commercial information available, including the draft status review report, and taking into account efforts being made to protect the species, we have determined that the Atlantic humpback dolphin has a high risk of extinction throughout its range and warrants listing as an endangered species. This species occurs only in coastal Atlantic waters of western Africa. We are authorized to designate critical habitat within U.S. jurisdiction only, and we are not aware of any areas within U.S jurisdiction that may meet the definition of critical habitat under the ESA. Therefore, we are not proposing to designate critical habitat. We are soliciting public comments on our draft status review report and proposal to list this species.