National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher processors using hook-and-line gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2008 Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to catcher processors using hook-and- line gear in the BSAI.

In accordance with the framework procedure for adjusting management measures of the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (FMP), NMFS changes the start date of the commercial trip limit for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in the southern zone to March 1. The intended effect of this final rule is to conform the trip limit to the beginning of the fishing year for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel.

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA), NOAA, announces temporary restrictions consistent with the requirements of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan's (ALWTRP) implementing regulations. These regulations will continue to apply to lobster trap/ pot and anchored gillnet fishermen in an area totaling approximately 1,767 nm\2\ (6,061 km\2\), northeast of Boston, MA, for an additional 15 days. The purpose of this action is to provide protection to an aggregation of northern right whales (right whales).

We are issuing a final determination to list the Oregon Coast coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We are also issuing final protective regulations and a final critical habitat designation for the Oregon Coast coho ESU.

NMFS has determined that the daily Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category retention limits for Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) should be adjusted in order to prevent overharvest of the 2008 Angling category quota. Vessels permitted in the HMS Angling and HMS Charter/ Headboat categories are eligible to land BFT under the HMS Angling category quota. This action is being taken to meet domestic management objectives for the BFT fishery.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Atka mackerel for vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2008 Atka mackerel allowable catch (TAC) specified for vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI.

Notice is hereby given that Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355 (Dr. Lisa Mazzaro, Principal Investigator) has been issued a permit to conduct research and enhancement on Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) being held in captivity and to import and export parts from all cetaceans and pinniped species (excluding walrus) for purposes of scientific research.

Notice is hereby given that Mr. Michael M. Hastings, University of Maine, 5717 Corbett Hall, Orono, Maine 04469, has requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 1595-01.

NMFS closes the commercial run-around gillnet fishery for king mackerel in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the southern Florida west coast subzone. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scallop Plan Team will meet in Anchorage, AK.

NMFS provides notice of Pacific halibut guideline harvest levels (GHLs) for the guided sport charter vessel fishery in the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) regulatory areas 2C and 3A. The GHLs provide a benchmark harvest level for participants in the charter fishery. This notice is necessary to meet the management and regulatory requirements for the GHLs and to inform the public about the 2008 GHLs for the charter halibut fishery.

The Trawl Survey Advisory Panel, composed of representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), and several independent scientific researchers, will hold a public meeting.

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.

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.

The Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) will meet March 27, 2008.

Notice of availability is hereby given for a 45-day public comment period on ``proposed'' Data Management and Communications (DMAC) standards for implementation of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). A description and references for currently ``proposed'' standards are posted at the following URL: https:// ioosdmac.fedworx.org. At that Web site, standards are categorized in a three level sequence as either ``submitted'', ``proposed'' or ``recommended''. This announcement seeks public comments on those categorized as ``proposed''. The public may view any standard using the anonymous guest login provided; however, submission of comments on the ``proposed'' standards using the website requires registration as provided by the website interface. Public comments are sought as part of the ongoing DMAC standards process adopted by the DMAC Steering Team in May 2006 to manage the review and adoption of standards (including guidance and best practices) in an open, objective, and balanced manner. Suggested standards may be submitted at anytime as this process will run continuously for submission of suggested standards and for public comment on those elevated to ``proposed'' status. Subsequent comment periods will be announced at approximately six-month intervals. The Web site will remain open continuously and display information about the schedule for future comment periods. All substantive comments received during a review period will be considered by a broadly based, expert panel convened by Ocean.US for that purpose. Possible decisions are to: (1) Advance the standard to ``recommended'' status; (2) defer for technical modifications, additional testing or comments; or (3) reject as not appropriate for IOOS implementation. Decisions will be posted to that Web site. Any subsequently modifications or additions to the developing set of IOOS standards shall be subjected to public review and comment through this same process.

NMFS issues this final rule to implement the annual harvest guideline (HG) for Pacific mackerel in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Pacific coast for the fishing season of July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. This HG has been calculated according to the regulations implementing the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and establishes allowable harvest levels for Pacific mackerel off the Pacific coast. The HG for the 2007-2008 fishing season is 40,000 metric tons (mt). If this total is reached, Pacific mackerel fishing will be closed to directed harvest and only incidental harvest will be allowed at a 45 percent by weight incidental catch rate when landed with other CPS, except that up to one mt of Pacific mackerel can be landed without landing any other CPS.

This document provides notice of type approval requirements for Mobile Transmitting Units (MTU) to be authorized for use on any vessel participating in the NOAA Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) program. Vessels participating in VMS program must acquire an NMFS- approved MTU to comply with VMS standards set forth in NMFS rules requiring the use of VMS.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Groundfish Allocation Committee (GAC) will hold a working meeting, which is open to the public.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), in partnership with Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is conducting a South Atlantic Ecosystem Tools and Model Development Workshop in Beaufort, NC.

We, NMFS, are extending the deadline for providing information to be used during the status review of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The initial deadline was January 29, 2008. This extension is intended to ensure that the option to submit comments electronically is available for an entire 60-day period.

NMFS announces that the annual harvest guideline for the commercial lobster fishery in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) for calendar year 2008 is established at zero lobsters.

NMFS issues this final rule to implement joint Amendment 27 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Reef Fish FMP) and Amendment 14 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (Shrimp FMP)(Amendment 27/14) prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule reduces the commercial and recreational quotas for red snapper, reduces the commercial minimum size limit for red snapper, reduces the recreational bag limit for red snapper, prohibits the retention of red snapper under the bag limit for the captain and crew of a vessel operating as a charter vessel or headboat, establishes a red snapper recreational season that is open from June 1 through September 30 each year, requires the use of non- stainless steel circle hooks when using natural baits to fish for Gulf reef fish, requires the use of venting tools and dehooking devices when participating in the commercial or recreational reef fish fisheries, and consistent with the Amendment's framework procedure, provides for implementing seasonal closures of the Gulf shrimp fishery to reduce red snapper bycatch based upon the 74 percent bycatch reduction target established in this final rule. In addition, this final rule establishes a framework procedure to adjust the target effort level and any necessary closures for the Gulf shrimp fishery. The measures contained in this final rule are intended to establish a revised red snapper rebuilding plan and to end overfishing of the red snapper resource in the Gulf of Mexico.

NMFS is reopening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 48 hours. This action is necessary to fully use the A season allowance of the 2008 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock specified for Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.