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

NMFS is seeking information regarding nations whose vessels are engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing, bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs), and/or fishing activities in waters beyond any national jurisdiction that target or incidentally catch sharks. Such information will be reviewed for the purposes of the identification of nations pursuant to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act).

On March 16, 2012, NMFS published a proposed rule for a fishery management plan (FMP) amendment modifying the regulations governing the Federal small-scale HMS fisheries in the U.S. Caribbean, and announced that public hearings would be scheduled in a future notice. In this notice, NMFS is announcing public hearings in St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands (USVI) St. Thomas, USVI, San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR), Ponce, PR, and Mayaguez, PR, in order to provide greater opportunity for public comment on the proposed rule. Public comments on the proposed rule must be received on or before June 14, 2012.

This final rule implements a Secretarial Amendment to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan to establish a mechanism for specifying annual catch limits and accountability measures for the small-mesh multispecies fishery beginning in fishing year 2012. This amendment is necessary because the New England Fishery Management Council has been delayed in implementing a mechanism to specify annual catch limits and accountability measures for the silver hake, red hake, and offshore hake stocks that are managed as a sub-set of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan to meet the 2011 deadline in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Groundfish Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a public meeting.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 20A (Amendment 20A) to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this rule would revise the wreckfish individual transferable quota (ITQ) program, by defining and reverting inactive wreckfish quota shares, redistributing reverted quota shares to remaining shareholders, establishing a cap on the number of wreckfish quota shares a single entity may own, and establishing an appeals process for redistribution of reverted wreckfish quota shares. The intent of this rule is to help achieve the optimum yield (OY) from the wreckfish commercial sector in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

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 training exercises at the Silver Strand Training Complex (SSTC) in the vicinity of San Diego Bay, California. Subsequently, additional information on marine mammals and proposed improvement on marine mammal monitoring and mitigation measures was received from the Navy. 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, eight species of marine mammals during the specified activity.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for species that comprise the shallow-water species fishery by vessels using trawl gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the first seasonal apportionment of the Pacific halibut bycatch allowance specified for the shallow-water species fishery in the GOA has been reached.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the 2012 total allowable catch of pollock in the West Yakutat District of the GOA.

NMFS issues this notice to inform interested persons of the voting period for the fishing capacity reduction program referendum for the Southeast Alaska Purse Seine Salmon Fishery.

Notice is hereby given that Simon Nash, Parthenon Entertainment Ltd, 34 Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2LG, United Kingdom, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct commercial or educational photography on spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris).

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

The Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) announces its annual spring meeting on May 1-2, 2012. The Committee will meet with its Technical Advisors to discuss matters relating to ICCAT, including the 2011 Commission meeting results; research and management activities; global and domestic initiatives related to ICCAT; the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act-required report on any identification of countries that are diminishing the effectiveness of ICCAT; the results of meetings of the Committee's Species Working Groups; and other matters relating to the international management of ICCAT species.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 72 hours. This action is necessary to fully use the B season allowance of the 2012 total allowable catch of pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels (CVs) greater than or equal to 50 feet (15.2 meters (m)) in length overall (LOA) 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 CVs greater than or equal to 50 feet (15.2 m) LOA using hook-and-line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

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

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 620 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 2012 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 620 in the GOA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat Oversight Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

NMFS is implementing final 2012 specifications and management measures for Atlantic mackerel (mackerel), and 2012-2014 specifications for Illex and longfin squid, and interim final 2012 specifications and management measures for butterfish. This is the first year that the specifications are being set for Atlantic mackerel and butterfish under the provisions of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Annual Catch Limit and Accountability Measure Omnibus Amendment. This action also adjusts the closure threshold for the commercial mackerel fishery to 95 percent (from 90 percent), and allows the use of jigging gear to target longfin squid if the longfin squid fishery is closed due to the butterfish mortality cap. Finally, this rule makes minor corrections in existing regulatory text to clarify the intent of the regulations. These specifications and management measures promote the utilization and conservation of the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) resource.

This rule proposes a catch limit, commercial quota, and trip limit for the spiny dogfish fishery for the 2012 fishing year. The proposed action was developed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils pursuant to the fishery specification requirements of the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan. The proposed management measures are supported by the best available scientific information and reflect recent increases in spiny dogfish biomass. The proposed action is expected to result in positive economic impacts for the spiny dogfish fishery while maintaining the conservation objectives of the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan.

The Science Advisory Board (SAB) was established by a Decision Memorandum dated September 25, 1997, and is the only Federal Advisory Committee with responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information services. SAB activities and advice provide necessary input to ensure that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) science programs are of the highest quality and provide optimal support to resource management. Time and Date: The meeting will be held Thursday, April 5, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and Friday, April 6, 2012, from 9:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. These times and the agenda topics described below are subject to change. Please refer to the Web page https://www.sab.noaa.gov/ Meetings/meetings.html for the most up-to-date meeting agenda. Place: The meeting will be held at the Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle, Washington, DC 20005 Please check the SAB Web site https://www.sab.noaa.gov for directions to the meeting location. Status: The meeting will be open to public participation with a 15 minute public comment period on April 5 at 5 p.m. (check Web site to confirm time). The SAB expects that public statements presented at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted verbal or written statements. In general, each individual or group making a verbal presentation will be limited to a total time of five (5) minutes. Individuals or groups planning to make a verbal presentation should contact the SAB Executive Director by March 29, 2012 to schedule their presentation. Written comments should be received in the SAB Executive Director's Office by March 29, 2012 to provide sufficient time for SAB review. Written comments received by the SAB Executive Director after March 29, 2012 will be distributed to the SAB, but may not be reviewed prior to the meeting date. Seating at the meeting will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Special Accommodations: These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for special accommodations may be directed no later than 12 p.m. on March 29, 2012, to Dr. Cynthia Decker, SAB Executive Director, SSMC3, Room 11230, 1315 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Matters To Be Considered: The meeting will include the following topics: (1) Update from the SAB Research and Development Portfolio Review Task Force; (2) External Review of the Cooperative Institute for Climate Science (CICS), Princeton University; (3) Proposed New Members for the Data Archive and Access Requirements Working Group (DAARWG); (4) Update from the SAB Satellite Task Force; (5) NOAA Response to the SAB Report on Fisheries Enterprise Data Management; (6) NOAA Response to Congress on Compensation Policy for Specialized Satellite Data Products and Services; (7) NOAA Report on Needs Assessment for Science Advisory Board Working Groups; (8) Use of the NOAA Logo by Affiliated Partners; and (9) Updates from SAB Working Groups.

NMFS proposes 2012 quota specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery. This action is necessary to implement binding recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as required by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), and to achieve domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

NMFS has issued permit 15542 to Normandeau Associates, Incorporated [Responsible Party: Tim Salamunovich], 890 L Street, Arcata, CA 95521; permit 16608 to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) [Responsible Party: Michelle Banonis], 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-1727 Sacramento, CA 95825; and permit 16531 to FISHBIO Environmental, LLC [Responsible Party: Andrea Fuller], 599 Hi-Tech Pkwy, Oakdale, CA 95361; for purposes of scientific research.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) to review and discuss the following items: Fishery Management Plan (FMP) amendments under development; current landings and Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) values for managed stocks including the effect of revised recreational catch estimates; ABC control rule approaches; research priorities; peer review procedures; and planning for update assessments of vermilion snapper and red porgy. The meeting will be held in Savannah, GA. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) will hold a peer review meeting to evaluate the Southern California Shelf Rockfish Hook and Line Survey which was designed to collect fishery-independent data for use in the stock assessments of groundfish associated with rocky habitats.