National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2012 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 630 in the GOA.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/processors (C/Ps) using hook-and-line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2012 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to C/Ps using hook-and-line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS has received an application from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) activities at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD). Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to the Navy to incidentally harass, by Level B Harassment only, marine mammals during the specified activity.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requires NMFS to publish in the Federal Register a list of fisheries that have been authorized to take threatened or endangered marine mammals. A list of such fisheries was published December 29, 2010, which authorized the taking of certain marine mammals listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) incidental to commercial fishing. With issuance of this notice, NMFS adds West Coast groundfish fisheries to this list for one stock of marine mammalsthe Eastern U.S. stock of Steller sea lions.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 24 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper- Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. Amendment 24 proposes actions to revise definitions of management thresholds for South Atlantic red grouper; establish a rebuilding plan; establish red grouper sector annual catch limits (ACLs) based on allocation decisions, a recreational annual catch target (ACT), and sector accountability measures (AMs); and remove the combined gag, black grouper, and red grouper ACLs and AMs. The intent of Amendment 24 is to implement a rebuilding plan for red grouper to help achieve optimum yield (OY) for the red grouper resource in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

NMFS closes the hook-and-line component of the commercial sector of the coastal migratory pelagic fishery for king mackerel in the southern Florida west coast subzone. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource.

NMFS announces that, effective 0001 hr, February 24, 2012, federally permitted vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, transfer, or land more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring in or from Management Area 1B per calendar day until January 1, 2013, when the 2013 sub-ACL for Area 1B becomes available, except when transiting as described in this notice. This action is based on the determination that the revised Atlantic herring sub-ACL limit allocated to Area 1B for 2012 has been exceeded as of February 24, 2012.

The SEDAR assessment of the HMS stocks of Gulf of Mexico blacktip sharks will consist of one workshop and a series of webinars.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued one-year Letters of Authorization (LOA) to take marine mammals incidental to the explosive removal of offshore oil and gas structures (EROS) in the Gulf of Mexico.

NMFS issues this proposed rule for the 2012 Pacific whiting fishery under the authority of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006. This proposed rule would establish a tribal allocation of 17.5 percent of the U.S. total allowable catch (TAC) for 2012. The regulations proposed by this action would also establish a process for reapportionment of unused tribal allocation of Pacific whiting to the non-tribal fisheries.

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 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene three Web based meetings of the ABC Control Rule Working Group.

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.

This action makes a correction to a notice published on December 21, 2011. The notice referenced a control date of March 7, 2011; however the correct date is April 7, 2011. This notice inserts the correct April 7, 2011, control date, as intended.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the A season allowance of the 2012 total allowable catch of pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued a one-year Letter of Authorization (LOA), followed by a revised LOA that is valid for two years, to take marine mammals by harassment incidental to the U.S. Navy's Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) mission activities at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) to the Commander, U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, 110 Vernon Avenue, Panama City, FL 32407-7001 and persons operating under his authority.

NOAA is soliciting nominations for two individuals to serve as United States Commissioners to the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). This action is necessary to ensure that the interests of the United States and all of its stakeholders in the Pacific halibut fishery are adequately represented. The intended effect of this action is to improve transparency and stakeholder participation in the nomination process.

This rule proposes 19 Northeast (NE) multispecies (groundfish) sector operations plans and contracts for fishing year (FY) 2012, and would allocate quotas of NE multispecies to the sectors. The NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) requires sectors to submit their operations plans and contracts to NMFS for approval or disapproval. Approval of a sector operations plan and contract is necessary for that sector to be allocated fish, and allows the sector members to be exempted from certain effort control regulations. If a sector operations plan and contract is not approved, the members of that sector must fish in the common pool and comply with all existing regulations. This rule also notifies the public that NMFS is extending the deadline to join a sector for FY 2012 through April 30, 2012. NMFS is soliciting comment on the proposed operations plans and contracts, and our proposal to grant 25 of the 49 exemptions requested, and deny the rest.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene its Law Enforcement Advisory Panel (LEAP) in conjunction with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission's Law Enforcement Committee (LEC).

NMFS proposes regulations under the authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act) to implement requirements for U.S. fishing vessels used for commercial fishing that offload or receive transshipments of highly migratory species (HMS), U.S. fishing vessels used for commercial fishing that provide bunkering or other support services to fishing vessels, and U.S. fishing vessels used for commercial fishing that receive bunkering or engage in other support services, in the area of application of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention). Some of the requirements would also apply to transshipments of fish caught in the area of application of the Convention (Convention Area) and transshipped elsewhere. NMFS also proposes requirements regarding notification of entry into and exit from the ``Eastern High Seas Special Management Area'' (Eastern SMA) and requirements relating to discards from purse seine fishing vessels. This action is necessary for the United States to implement decisions of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Commission or WCPFC) and to satisfy its obligations under the Convention, to which it is a Contracting Party.

NMFS closes the commercial sector for golden tilefish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. This closure is necessary to protect the golden tilefish resource.

The ONMS is seeking applications for the following vacant seats on the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: Sport diving and charter/commercial fishing. 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 3-year terms, pursuant to the council's Charter.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using pot gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2012 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to vessels using pot gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

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 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) is announcing the establishment of new indirect cost rates on the recovery of indirect costs for its component organizations involved in natural resource damage assessment and restoration activities for fiscal years (FY) 2008 and 2009. The indirect cost rates for these fiscal years and dates of implementation are provided in this notice. More information on these rates and the ONMS policy can be obtained from the address provided below.