National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 5, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (Councils) announce their intention to prepare, in cooperation with NMFS, an EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act to assess potential effects on the human environment of alternative

This proposed rule would adjust the North and South Atlantic swordfish quotas for the 2009 fishing year (January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2009) to account for underharvests, and to transfer 18.8 metric tons (mt) dressed weight (dw) to Canada per the 2006 and 2008 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommendations 06-03 and 08-02. In addition, NMFS proposes to include minor regulatory modifications and clarifications, eliminate an existing sunset provision in the Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps time/area closure, and establish a small time/area closure in the Gulf of Mexico called the ``Edges 40 Fathom Contour.'' These changes could impact fishermen with a commercial swordfish, HMS Angling, or Charter/ Headboat (CHB) permit who fish for Atlantic swordfish.

NMFS is prohibiting retention of ``other rockfish'' in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2009 total allowable catch (TAC) of ``other rockfish'' in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA has been reached.

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.