National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration March 22, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that permits to conduct scientific research on marine mammals have been issued to Dr. Alejandro Acevedo- Gutierrez, Biology Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington (File No. 1070-1783); and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Juneau, Alaska (File No. 358-1787).

NMFS proposes to establish target total allowable catch (TAC) levels for the monkfish fishery for the 2006 fishing year (FY), adjust trip limits, and establish days-at-sea (DAS) restrictions for limited access monkfish vessels fishing in the Southern Fishery Management Area (SFMA) based upon the annual target TAC setting, trip limit, and DAS adjustment methods established in Framework Adjustment 2 (Framework 2) to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The proposed action is necessary to comply with the rebuilding plan established in the FMP and modified in Framework 2. The intent of this action is to help eliminate overfishing and rebuild the monkfish resource in accordance with Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act) requirements.

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.

NMFS issues a proposed rule that would implement Amendments 78 and 65 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI), Amendments 73 and 65 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), Amendments 16 and 12 to the FMP for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs, Amendments 7 and 9 to the FMP for the Scallop Fishery Off Alaska, and Amendments 7 and 8 to the FMP for Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone off the Coast of Alaska. These amendments, if approved, would revise the FMPs by identifying and describing essential fish habitat (EFH), designating habitat areas of particular concern (HAPCs), and including measures to minimize to the extent practicable adverse effects on EFH. This action is necessary to update the descriptions of EFH in the FMPs based on the best available scientific information and to protect those areas that have important habitat features for the sustainability of managed fish stocks.