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

NMFS proposes to require the use of ``weak hooks'' in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) pelagic longline (PLL) fishery. A weak hook is a circle hook that meets NMFS' current size and offset restrictions for the GOM PLL fishery, but is constructed of round stock wire that is thinner- gauge than the circle hooks currently used, i.e., no larger than 3.65 mm in diameter. Weak hooks can allow incidentally hooked bluefin tuna (BFT) to escape capture because the hooks are more likely to straighten when a large fish is hooked. Requiring weak hooks in the GOM will reduce bycatch of BFT, allow the long-term beneficial socio-economic benefits of normal operation of directed fisheries in the GOM with minimal short-term negative socio-economic impacts, and have both short- and long-term beneficial impacts on the stock status of Atlantic BFT, an overfished species. Since 2007, NMFS has conducted research on weak hooks used on PLL vessels operating in the GOM to reduce the incidental catch of large BFT during directed PLL fishing for other species. Preliminary results show that the use of a weak hook can significantly reduce the amount of BFT caught incidentally by PLL vessels in the GOM. The purpose of the proposed action is to reduce PLL catch of Atlantic BFT in the GOM, which is the only known BFT spawning area for the western Atlantic stock of BFT. This action would be consistent with the advice of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Standing Committee for Research and Statistics (SCRS) that ICCAT may wish to protect the strong 2003 year class until it reaches maturity and can contribute to spawning. The purpose is also to allow directed fishing for other species to continue within allocated BFT sub-quota limits. This measure would be consistent with the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP), including the BFT rebuilding program.

The ONMS is seeking applicants for the following seats on the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: (1) At- Large Alternate seat and (1) Maritime Heritage Member and (1) Maritime Heritage Alternate seat. Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve two and three year terms, pursuant to the Council's Charter. The Council consists also of three state and three federal non-voting ex-officio seats.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings, January 31-February 8, 2011 at the Renaissance Hotel, 515 Madison Street, South Room, Seattle, WA.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Ad Hoc Groundfish Process Improvement Committee (PIC) will hold a working meeting, which is open to the public.

This final action implements identification and certification procedures to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs) pursuant to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act). The objectives of these procedures are to promote the sustainability of transboundary and shared fishery stocks and to enhance the conservation and recovery of PLMRs. The final rule is intended to implement existing U.S. statutory authorities to address noncompliance with international fisheries management and conservation agreements, and encourage the use of bycatch reduction methods in international fisheries that are comparable to methods used in U.S. fisheries. Agency actions and recommendations under this rule will be in accordance with U.S. obligations under applicable international trade law, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement.

The Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce has approved the Management Plan Revisions of the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The revised management plan for the North Inlet-Winyah Bay, SC National Estuarine Research Reserve outlines the administrative structure; the education, training, stewardship, and research programs of the reserve; and the plans for future land acquisition and facility development to support reserve operations. The goals described in this plan provide a framework that supports program integration based on priority issues defined by the reserve. The objectives described in this plan address the most critical coastal issues in North Inlet- Winyah Bay such as impacts from coastal and watershed development, climate events on coastal ecosystems and human communities, and invasive species and habitat loss impacts on biodiversity. Since the last approved management plan in 1992, the reserve has become fully staffed; added a Coastal Training Program that delivers science-based information to key decision makers; and added significant monitoring of emergent marsh vegetation, invasive species, water quality, and bird populations. In addition to programmatic and staffing advances, the reserve upgraded its headquarters building with a 4,500 square foot structure to support research, stewardship, and the coastal training programs that includes six offices, a monitoring lab, and library. In cooperation with the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, a 12,500 square foot education facility was developed to support reserve educational programs and includes interpretive exhibits, aquaria, classrooms, and education staff offices, as well as an outdoor classroom. This plan can be accessed at https://www.northinlet.sc.edu. The revised management plan for the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve outlines a framework of overarching goals and program specific objectives that will guide the education, training, research, and developing stewardship programs of the reserve; describes land acquisition and boundary expansion; as well as outlines plans for facility use and development to support reserve operations. The goals and objectives put forth in this plan focus programmatic efforts on four critical issues that affect the reserve's ability to conserve ecological communities in support of the Bay's growing population: Climate change, species interactions, water quality, and habitat restoration. Broadly, the goals for each of these issues include increasing knowledge, understanding effects, and improving the ability of partners and stakeholders to respond to these issues. The goals described in this plan provide a framework that supports program integration for collaborative management of the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Since the last approved management plan in 2003, the reserve has hired a full complement of core staff; established a research lab, fully operational System-wide Monitoring Program, and Graduate Research Fellowship Program; added a Coastal Training Program that delivers science-based information to key decision makers; developed education programs focused on sharing estuarine research with non-academic audiences; and constructed facilities to support essential functions of the reserve at its headquarters on the Romberg Tiburon Center campus of San Francisco State University. These facilities include office space for staff, classroom space, laboratory, and meeting facilities. The reserve has also constructed facilities and interpretive exhibits at its components sites, China Camp State Park and Rush Ranch Open Space Preserve, that support on-site research and educational programs. This plan can be accessed at https://www.sfbaynerr.org

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.

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), will prepare critical habitat designation proposals for lower Columbia River (LCR) coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Puget Sound steelhead (O. mykiss) currently listed as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The areas under consideration include watersheds in the lower Columbia River basin in southwest Washington and northwest Oregon, as well as watersheds in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington. This advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) identifies issues for consideration and evaluation, and solicits comments regarding them as well as information about the areas and species under consideration.

NMFS announces that fish quotas are available for harvest by U.S. fishermen in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area. This action is necessary to make available to U.S. fishermen a fishing privilege on an equitable basis.

NMFS is adjusting the 2011 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) pollock and Pacific cod fisheries. This action is necessary because NMFS has determined these TACs are incorrectly specified, and will ensure the GOA pollock and Pacific cod TACs are the appropriate amounts based on the best available scientific information for pollock and Pacific cod in the GOA. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska.

NMFS is adjusting the 2011 total allowable catch (TAC) amount for the Bering Sea pollock fishery. This action is necessary because NMFS has determined this TAC is incorrectly specified. This action will ensure the Bering Sea pollock TAC is the appropriate amount based on the best available scientific information for pollock in the Bering Sea subarea. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a meeting of the Ecosystem Plan Development Team (EPDT) which is open to the public.

NMFS has received an application from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to a capture- recapture program of polar bears in the U.S. Chukchi Sea. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to the USFWS to take, by Level B harassment only, two species of marine mammals during the specified activity.

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.

On December 8, 2010, NOAA published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to amend the low overflight regulations of the Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones, and Olympic Coast national marine sanctuaries. Specifically, NOAA proposes to amend the regulations requiring that motorized aircraft maintain certain minimum altitudes above specified locations within the boundaries of the listed sanctuaries; and state that failure to comply with these altitude limits is presumed to disturb marine mammals or seabirds and is a violation of the sanctuary regulations.

NMFS, Southeast Region, in collaboration with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), intends to prepare an EIS to describe and analyze a range of alternatives for management actions to be included in an amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP). These alternatives will consider measures to establish a rebuilding plan for the red grouper stock, while setting annual catch limits (ACLs), accountability measures (AMs), allocations, maximum sustainable yield (MSY), and optimum yield (OY) for red grouper. The purpose of this NOI is to solicit public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS.

NMFS, Southeast Region, in collaboration with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), intends to prepare an EIS to describe and analyze a range of alternatives for management actions to be included in Amendment 5 to the Golden Crab Fishery Management Plan of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 5). These alternatives will consider measures to develop a catch share program for the golden crab fishery. The purpose of this NOI is to solicit public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS.

The SEDAR assessments of the Gulf of Mexico stocks of yellowedge grouper and tilefish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: a Data Workshop, a series of Assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop.