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

This announcement solicits proposals for the Comparative Analysis of Marine Ecosystem Organization (CAMEO) Program which is implemented as a partnership between the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service and National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences. The purpose of CAMEO is to strengthen the scientific basis for an ecosystem approach to the stewardship of our ocean and coastal living marine resources. The program will support fundamental research to understand complex dynamics controlling ecosystem structure, productivity, behavior, resilience, and population connectivity, as well as effects of climate variability and anthropogenic pressures on living marine resources and critical habitats. CAMEO encourages the development of multiple approaches, such as ecosystem models and comparative analyses of managed and unmanaged areas (e.g., marine protected areas) that can ultimately form a basis for forecasting and decision support. Further information is available on the CAMEO web site (https://cameo.noaa.gov).

This notice describes the certification process and requirements for vendors wishing to supply western Pacific fishing vessel owners and operators with electronic logbook applications (e-log applications).

The Science Advisory Board (SAB) was established by a Decision Memorandum dated September 25, 1997, and is the only Federal Advisory Committee with responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information services. SAB activities and advice provide necessary input to ensure that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) science programs are of the highest quality and provide optimal support to resource management.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Ad Hoc Salmon Plan Amendment Committee (SPAC) will hold a meeting to initiate planning and develop draft alternatives for an amendment to the Salmon

This proposed temporary rule would implement interim measures to establish a closure of the commercial and recreational fisheries for red snapper in the South Atlantic as requested by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). The intended effect is to reduce overfishing of red snapper while permanent management measures are developed in Amendment 17 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 17) to end overfishing of red snapper.

This final rule announces inseason changes to management measures in the commercial Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries. These actions, which are authorized by the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), are intended to allow fisheries to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its Fisheries Data Coordinating Committee (FDCC), 101st Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and 145th Council meetings to take recommendations and action on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

NMFS announces a workshop to solicit comments from the Bering Sea Pollock fishing industry and other interested persons/parties on draft reporting forms for a proposed Chinook salmon bycatch data collection program.

In response to requests from members of the public, NMFS extends the public comment period on the notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by assessing potential impacts resulting from the proposed implementation of new sea turtle regulations in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico trawl fisheries. The comment period is now extended for an additional 30 days until August 10, 2009.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program (Michael Gobel, Ph D, Principal Investigator), 3333 N Torrey Pines Ct, La Jolla, CA 92037, has requested an amendment to scientific research Permit No. 774-1847- 03.

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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

NMFS issues this proposed rule to implement Amendment 15B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This proposed rule would, for South Atlantic snapper-grouper, require a private recreational vessel that fishes in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), if selected by NMFS, to maintain and submit fishing records; require a vessel that fishes in the EEZ, if selected by NMFS, to carry an observer and install an electronic logbook (ELB) and/or video monitor provided by NMFS; prohibit the sale of snapper-grouper harvested or possessed in the EEZ under the bag limits and prohibit the sale of snapper-grouper harvested or possessed under the bag limits by vessels with a Federal charter vessel/headboat permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper regardless of where the snapper-grouper were harvested; require an owner and operator of a vessel for which a commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit has been issued and that has on board any hook-and-line gear to comply with sea turtle and smalltooth sawfish release protocols, possess on board specific gear to ensure proper release of such species, and comply with guidelines for proper care and release of such species that are incidentally caught; and expand the allowable transfer of a commercial vessel permit under the limited access program and extend the allowable period for renewal of such a permit. Amendment 15B also proposes to revise the stock status determination criteria for golden tilefish and specify commercial/ recreational allocations for snowy grouper and red porgy. In addition, NMFS proposes to remove language specifying commercial quotas for snowy grouper that are no longer in effect and proposes to revise sea turtle bycatch mitigation requirements applicable to the Gulf reef fish fishery to add two devices that were inadvertently omitted from a prior rule. The intended effects of this rule are to provide additional information for, and otherwise improve the effective management of, the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery; minimize the impacts on incidentally caught threatened and endangered sea turtles and smalltooth sawfish; and remove outdated language.

NMFS announces the closure of Closed Area II Scallop Access Area (CA II) to scallop vessels until June 15, 2010. This closure is based on a determination by the Northeast Regional Administrator (RA) that scallop vessels will have caught the yellowtail flounder (yellowtail) total allowable catch (TAC) for the CA II by June 29, 2009. Effective 0001 hours, June 29, 2009, vessels may not fish for scallops in the CA II. Vessels on a CA II scallop trip at the time of this announcement must leave the CA II prior to 0001 hour, June 29, 2009. This action is being taken to prevent the scallop fleet from exceeding the yellowtail TAC allocated to the CA II for the 2009 scallop fishing year in accordance with the regulations implementing the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP), Northeast (NE) Multispecies FMP and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Notice is hereby given that the Dr. Terrie Williams, Department of Biology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 has been issued an amendment to scientific research Permit No. 984-1587-07.

NMFS announces a temporary closure of the Eastern U.S./Canada Area to limited access NE multispecies days-at-sea (DAS) vessels. Based upon Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) reports and other available information, the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) has projected that the total allowable catch (TAC) of Georges Bank (GB) cod allocated to be harvested from the Eastern U.S./ Canada Area from May 1, 2009, through July 31, 20098, would be harvested on or around June 24, 2009, if current catch rates continue. This action is being taken to prevent the Eastern U.S./Canada Area TAC specified for the first quarter of the 2009 fishing year from being exceeded. This area will be reopened on August 1, 2009, to provide access to the shared U.S./Canada Stocks of cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder.

Notice is hereby given that Lawrence Wood, Marinelife Center of Juno Beach, 14200 U.S. Hwy. 1, Juno Beach, FL 33408, has been issued a permit to take hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued a letter of authorization (LOA) to BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc. (BPXA) to take marine mammals incidental to the production of offshore oil and gas at the Northstar development in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska.

NMFS is closing the commercial fisheries for non-sandbar large coastal sharks (LCS) in both the shark research fishery and Atlantic region. This action is necessary because NMFS estimated that these fisheries have reached or exceeded 80 percent of the available quota.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting nominations for membership on the Hydrographic Services Review Panel (the Panel), a Federal advisory committee. NOAA is extending the time period for submission of membership applications from Friday, June 26, 2009 to Friday, July 24, 2009. This notice responds to the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act Amendments of 2002, Public Law 107-372, which requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to solicit nominations for Panel membership. The Panel will advise the Under Secretary on matters related to the responsibilities and authorities set forth in section 303 of the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, and such other appropriate matters as the Under Secretary refers to the Panel for review and advice. To apply for membership on the Panel, applicants

NMFS issues this final rule to resolve an error contained in the rule to implement Amendment 30B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) that published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2008. The error would have implemented a restriction for the Edges seasonal-area closure that was not intended. This final rule establishes the Edges seasonal-area closure consistent with the intent of Amendment 30B.

Notice is hereby given that Douglas Peterson, PhD, University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forest Resources, Athens, GA 30602, has applied in due form for a permit to take shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) for purposes of scientific research.

NMFS implements recreational management measures for the 2009 summer flounder and black sea bass fisheries and notifies the public that the recreational management measures for the scup fishery remain the same as in 2008. These actions are necessary to comply with regulations implementing the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and to ensure compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act). The intent of these measures is to prevent overfishing of the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass resources.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that the subject exempted fishing permit (EFP) application contains all the required information and warrants further consideration. Therefore, NMFS announces that the Assistant Regional Administrator proposes to recommend that an EFP be issued that would allow four commercial fishing vessel to conduct fishing operations that are otherwise restricted by the regulations governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United States. The EFP, which would enable the applicants to land more than one standard tote of female red crabs and to conduct at-sea sampling and tagging, would allow for exemptions for up to four vessels from the Atlantic Deep-sea Red Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

NMFS closes the commercial fishery for deepwater grouper (misty grouper, snowy grouper, yellowedge grouper, warsaw grouper, and speckled hind) in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico. NMFS has determined that the deepwater grouper quota for the commercial fishery will have been reached by June 27, 2009. This closure is necessary to protect the deepwater grouper resource.

Notice is hereby given that Blair E. Witherington, Ph.D., Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Melbourne Beach Field Laboratory, 9700 South A1A, Melbourne Beach, FL 32951, has been issued a modification to scientific research Permit No. 1506-01.