National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 22, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received an application from the Nisqually Indian Tribe for a direct take permit pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The duration of the proposed permit is five years. This document serves to notify the public of the availability for comment of the permit application. All comments received will become part of the public record and will be available for review pursuant to the ESA.

NMFS issues this final rule to implement the Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1 (CE-BA1) to the following South Atlantic fishery management plans (FMPs): The FMP for Coral, Coral reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom Habitats of the South Atlantic Region (Coral FMP); the FMP for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery off the Atlantic States (Dolphin and Wahoo FMP); the FMP for Golden Crab of the South Atlantic Region (Golden Crab FMP); the FMP for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Shrimp FMP); and the FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council); as well as the FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources (CMP FMP); and the FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (Spiny Lobster FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils. This final rule establishes Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (Deepwater Coral HAPCs) off the coast of the southern Atlantic states in which the use of specified fishing gear and methods and the possession of coral is prohibited. Within the Deepwater Coral HAPCs, fishing zones have been established that allow continued fishing on the historical grounds for golden crab and deepwater shrimp. This rule protects what is thought to be the largest distribution of pristine deepwater coral ecosystems in the world while minimizing the effects on traditional fishing in the Deepwater Coral HAPCs. Additionally, the amendment updates existing Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) information in

This proposed rule would adjust the North and South Atlantic swordfish quotas for the 2010 fishing year to account for 2009 underharvest and implement International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommendations 09-02 and 09-03, which maintain the U.S. allocation of the international total allowable catch (TAC). This rule could affect commercial and recreational fishing for swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, by establishing annual quotas.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), and Groundfish Plan Team members will hold a workshop via Web-Ex, July 8, 2010, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Alaska Standard Time (AST) to review methods for determining annual catch limits (ACLs) for Tier 6 groundfish stocks. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.