Department of Commerce August 30, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes regulations that would implement Amendment 32 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. The proposed regulations include a suite of changes to non-trawl area management measures seaward of California and Oregon. Specifically, NMFS proposes to: allow increased fishing access with specific gear types to the Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation Area for the commercial groundfish limited entry fixed gear sector and vessels that gear switch under the Trawl Individual Fishing Quota program; modify gear restrictions in the Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation Area for all non- trawl commercial groundfish sectors; move the seaward boundary of the Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation Area to 75 fathoms (137 meters) for all non-trawl commercial groundfish sectors and the directed commercial Pacific halibut fishery; create new Groundfish Conservation Areas, including new Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Areas seaward of Oregon and Groundfish Exclusion Areas seaward of Southern California; create new Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas off Oregon; remove the Cowcod Conservation Area seaward of Southern California for all groundfish commercial and recreational non-trawl sectors, and enable the use of Block Area Closures to control the catch of groundfish for all commercial non-trawl sectors. The purpose of Amendment 32 is to provide fishing access to healthy groundfish stocks for non-trawl groundfish fisheries and the directed commercial halibut fishery while still meeting the conservation objectives of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. NMFS also announces the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment that analyzes the potential effects of the associated proposed rule. In addition, this action proposes minor administrative regulatory revisions which would correct the name of the Cordell Bank Groundfish Conservation Area, amend the description of the Cordell Bank Groundfish Conservation Area, add new regulatory definitions for different types of fishing bait, and add new exemptions to Vessel Monitoring System reporting requirements.

In response to a request for a changed circumstances review (CCR), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a CCR of the antidumping duty (AD) order on certain cut-to-length carbon- quality steel plate products (CTL plate) from the Republic of Korea (Korea). Additionally, Commerce preliminarily determines that the post- corporate reorganization Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd. (Dongkuk Steel) is the successor-in-interest to the pre-reorganization Dongkuk Steel. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

NMFS announces a closure for the 2023 fishing season for the red snapper private angling component in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Texas in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The red snapper recreational private angling component in the Gulf EEZ off Texas closes on September 2, 2023 until 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2024. This closure is necessary to prevent the private angling component from exceeding the Texas regional management area annual catch limit (ACL) and to prevent overfishing of the Gulf red snapper resource.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management, will hold a virtual public meeting to solicit input on the performance evaluation of the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. NOAA also invites the public to submit written comments.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee provides advice to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on spectrum management policy matters.