National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (WPFMC) and NMFS have announced their intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on the Federal management of the Hawaii-based shallow-set pelagic longline fishery in the western Pacific. This notice corrects the location of an additional opportunity for public involvement.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Bldg. 4, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (Principal Investigator: Dr. John Bengtson), has requested a major amendment to scientific research Permit No. 782-1708.

This notice responds to Section 209 of the Sea Grant Program Improvement Act of 1976 (Pub. L. 94-461, 33 U.S.C. 1128), which requires the Secretary of Commerce to solicit nominations at least once a year for membership on the Sea Grant Review Panel. This advisory committee provides advice on the implementation of the National Sea Grant College Program.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat/MPA/Ecosystem Committee, in September, 2007, 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 North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Crab Plan Team will meet in Seattle, WA.

NMFS will hold a 3-day Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in October 2007. The intent of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic HMS. This meeting will also double as a scoping meeting to consider options for updating HMS essential fish habitat (EFH). The meeting is open to the public.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the C season allowance of the 2007 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock for Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.

NMFS announces that the 2007 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the State of Connecticut has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in Connecticut for the remainder of calendar year 2007, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise Connecticut that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in Connecticut.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene Public Hearings on Reef Fish Amendment 30A and Scoping Amendment 29.

NMFS issues a final rule implementing measures adopted by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to facilitate conservation and management of AMLR. This final rule requires the use of the Centralized satellite-linked vessel monitoring system (VMS) by all U.S. vessels harvesting AMLR and makes use of VMS by the harvesting vessel a condition of import for all U.S. dealers seeking to import shipments of toothfish (Dissostichus) into the United States. This final rule also exempts all shipments of fresh toothfish from the NMFS preapproval process and allows importers of frozen toothfish to submit the U.S. Customs 7501 entry number subsequent to their initial application for preapproval. This final rule requires the use of Electronic Catch Documents for all U.S. dealers seeking to import shipments of toothfish into the United States. Paper-based catch documents for toothfish will no longer be accepted. This final rule also requires the use of a seal excluder device on krill vessels using trawl gear in the Area of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (Convention Area). This final rule adds or amends definitions of ``Antarctic marine living resources'', ``export'', ``import'', ``international observer'', ``land or landing'', ``mobile transceiver unit'', ``national observer'', ``Office for Law Enforcement (OLE)'', ``Port State'', ``re- export'', ``seal excluder device'', ``transship or transshipment'', and ``vessel monitoring system (VMS)''. This final rule also expands the list of requirements and prohibitions regarding scientific observers and clarifies the duties and responsibilities of the observers on the vessels and of the vessel owners hosting the observers. This final rule identifies new information on all vessels licensed by CCAMLR Members to harvest AMLR in the area identified in the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (Convention). The intent of this rule is to incorporate new conservation measures, to revise procedures to facilitate enforcement, and to fulfill U.S. obligations in CCAMLR.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the adoption of an Endangered Species Act (ESA) Recovery Plan (Recovery Plan) and 5-year review for the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). The Recovery Plan contains revisions and additions in consideration of public comments on the proposed draft Recovery Plan for the Hawaiian Monk Seal. This is the first 5-year review completed for the Hawaiian monk seal.

Notice is hereby given that Eduardo Mercado III, Ph.D, Department of Psychology, 350 Park Hall, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, New York, 14260, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).

NMFS, Southeast Region, in collaboration with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) intends to prepare a DEIS to describe and analyze management alternatives to be included in an amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico. These alternatives will consider measures to rationalize effort and reduce overcapacity in the commercial grouper fishery to achieve and maintain optimum yield in the multi-species grouper fishery. The purpose of this notice of intent is to solicit public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publishes this notice to announce the availability for public comments for the draft document titled, U.S. Climate Change Science Program Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.4: ``Preliminary Review of Adaptation Options for Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems and Resources.'' This Synthesis and Assessment Product (SAP) analyzes information on the state of knowledge of adaptation options for key, representative ecosystems and resources that may be sensitive to climate variability and change. This draft document is being released solely for the purpose of pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. This document has not been formally disseminated by NOAA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. Any public comments submitted in accordance with this notice will be considered when revising the document.

NMFS announces that the 2007 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in Massachusetts for the remainder of calendar year 2007, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise Massachusetts that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in Massachusetts.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council)Model Evaluation Workgroup (MEW) will hold a work session by telephone conference, which is open to the public, to develop recommendations for the September 2007 Council meeting.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS) will hold a work session by telephone conference, which is open to the public, to develop recommendations for the September 2007 Council meeting.

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS or Sanctuary) is seeking applicants for the Recreational Diving, Oil and Gas Production, Education and Commercial Fishing (alternate), seat on its Sanctuary Advisory Council (Council). Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the Sanctuary. The Applicant chosen as a member should expect to serve a 2- year term, pursuant to the Council's Charter.

Notice is hereby given that Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355 (Dr. Lisa Mazzaro, Principal Investigator), has applied in due form for a permit to obtain stranded, releasable pinnipeds (up to eight otariids and 20 phocids) from the National Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program for the purposes of public display.

Notice is hereby given that NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology (Principal Investigator: Dr. Brandon Southall), Silver Spring, MD, has been issued a permit to conduct research marine mammals.

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) will publish North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) State Plane Coordinate (SPC) grid values in both meters and U.S. Survey Feet (1 ft = 1200/3937 m) in West Virginia, for all well defined geodetic survey control monuments maintained by NGS in the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and computed from various geodetic positioning utilities. The adoption of this standard is implemented in accordance with NGS policy and a request from the West Virginia Department of Transportation, the West Virginia Society of Professional Surveyors, the West Virginia GIS Coordinator, and the West Virginia Association of Geospatial Professionals.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (L-DEO) to take small numbers of marine mammals, by Level B Harassment only, incidental to conducting an acoustic calibration and seismic testing program in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) intends to prepare a DEIS to assess the impacts on the natural and human environment of the management measures proposed in its draft Amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP).

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for species that comprise the deep-water species fishery by vessels using trawl gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the third seasonal apportionment of the 2007 Pacific halibut bycatch allowance specified for the deep-water species fishery in the GOA has been reached.

NMFS announces that the spiny dogfish commercial quota available to the coastal states from Maine through Florida for the semi-annual quota period, May 1, 2007 - October 31, 2007, has been harvested. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, August 14, 2007, federally permitted commercial vessels may not fish for, possess, transfer, or land spiny dogfish until November 1, 2007, when the Period 2 quota becomes available. Regulations governing the spiny dogfish fishery require publication of this notification to advise the coastal states from Maine through Florida that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available for landing spiny dogfish in these states. This action is necessary to prevent the fishery from exceeding its Period 1 quota and to allow for effective management of this stock.