National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration July 16, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendments 95 and 96 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) and Amendment 87 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), (collectively referred to as ``the FMPs''). If approved, Amendment 95 would move skates from the ``other species'' category to the ``target species'' category in the FMP. Amendments 96 and 87 would revise the FMPs to meet the National Standard 1 guidelines for annual catch limits and accountability measures. These amendments would move all remaining species groups from the ``other species'' category to the ``target species'' category, remove the ``other species'' and ``non-specified species'' categories from the FMPs, establish an ``ecosystem component'' category, and describe the current practices for groundfish fisheries management in the FMPs, as required by the guidelines. The proposed rule would remove references to the ``other species'' category for purposes of the harvest specifications and would add skate species to the reporting codes for the BSAI groundfish fisheries. This proposed action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMPs, and other applicable laws.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to Neptune LNG LLC (Neptune) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to port commissioning and operations, including maintenance and repair activities, at its Neptune Deepwater Port.