National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 5, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is issuing this proposed rule for the 2011 Pacific whiting tribal fishery under the authority of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act). Washington coastal treaty Indian tribes mean the Hoh, Makah, and Quileute Indian Tribes and the Quinault Indian Nation. This proposed rule establishes an interim tribal allocation of Pacific whiting for the 2011 season only, based on discussions with the Makah and Quileute tribes and Quinault Indian Nation regarding their fishing plans. At the March, 2011 Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) meeting, the Council recommended a coastwide Optimum Yield (OY) of 393,751 mt. This would result in a U.S. OY of 290,903 mt. The proposed rule, based on communications to date with the tribes, proposes a tribal allocation of 66,908 mt, for 2011 only, given the Council's recommended OY.

NMFS proposes to revise vessel identification requirements for U.S. vessels based out of the U.S. West Coast that fish for highly migratory species. The new measures would allow these vessels to be marked in accordance with the international standards that were implemented by NMFS for vessels fishing on the high seas in the Area of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention Area) in early 2010. Currently, the domestic marking requirements for some U.S. West Coast vessels do not comport with these international standards. The new measures would require vessels that fish in the Convention Area to display their International Telecommunication Union Radio Call Sign (IRCS), or if an IRCS has not been assigned to the vessel, the vessel would be required to display its official number, preceded by the characters ``USA-''. The intent of the proposed action is to bring the existing vessel identification requirements into conformity with the binding vessel identification requirements adopted by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

Notice is hereby given that Michael Salmon, PhD, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, P.O. Box 3091, Boca Raton, FL 33431, has applied in due form for a permit to take green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) for purposes of scientific research.

NMFS increases the possession limit for George's Bank (GB) cod, Cape Cod (CC)/Gulf of Maine (GOM) yellowtail flounder, and Southern New England (SNE)/Mid-Atlantic (MA) yellowtail flounder, and reduces the trip limit GOM cod and GOM winter flounder for Northeast (NE) multispecies common pool vessels for the 2010 fishing year (FY), through April 30, 2011. This action is authorized under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and by the regulations implementing Amendment 16 and Framework Adjustment 44 to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The action is intended to facilitate the harvest of GB cod, CC/GOM yellowtail flounder, and SNE/MA yellowtail to allow the total catch of these stocks to approach the pertinent common pool sub-annual catch limits (sub-ACLs). This action is also intended to reduce catch rates of GOM cod and GOM winter flounder by NE common pool vessels and minimize additional overharvest of these stocks relative to the pertinent common pool sub-ACLs.

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.