National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration January 16, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is implementing 2013-2015 specifications and management measures for Atlantic mackerel, and 2013 specifications for butterfish. Specifications for longfin squid and Illex squid were set for 3 years in 2012 (2012-2014) and therefore are not included in this year's specification rulemaking. These final specifications also implement regulatory changes to the longfin squid fishery, the butterfish mortality cap to avoid 1-2 week closures at the end of a Trimester, and the pre-trip observer notification for longfin squid trips landing over 2,500 lb (1.3 mt) from 72 to 48 hr. Compared to 2012, the butterfish domestic annual harvest implemented in this action (2,570 mt) represents an increase of 1,698 mt over the 2012 domestic annual harvest (872 mt). The butterfish mortality cap implemented in this action (4,464 mt) represents an increase of 1,299-mt over the current 2012 cap level (3,165 mt). Due to the increase in the proposed butterfish quota, this action also implements a variety of management measures for controlling effort in the directed butterfish fishery, including changes to trip limits, the closure threshold for the directed fishery, and post-closure trip limits. Finally, this rule implements minor corrections to 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 resource.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Mid-Atlantic Council) announces its intention to prepare, in cooperation with NMFS, an EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act to assess potential effects on the human environment of alternative measures to protect deep-sea corals in the Mid-Atlantic region. This notice announces a public process for determining the scope of issues to be addressed, and for identifying the significant issues related to deep-sea coral protections in the Mid-Atlantic. This notice is to alert the interested public of the scoping process, the development of the Draft EIS, and to provide for public participation in that process. If, during development of the Draft EIS, it can be determined that the alternatives are not expected to have significant impacts on the human environment, an Environmental Assessment (EA) may be prepared in place of an EIS. This determination will depend on the scope of issues raised and the alternatives developed. Information obtained during the scoping process will be used to develop either an EIS or an EA as appropriate. This action is necessary to provide analytical support for an amendment (Amendment 16) to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB), which addresses protections of deep-sea corals from the impacts of fishing gear.

In Spring 2012, NOAA Fisheries publicly solicited nominations for two presidential appointments to serve as U.S. Commissioners to the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). While the nomination list included many strong candidates, the combination of a number of factors resulted in the decision to re-initiate this public nomination process. These factors include heightened interest by diverse user groups, the lapse of time since original nominees expressed interest in an appointment, and considerations of balanced representation on the Commission. In their official IPHC duties, Commissioners represent the interests of the United States and all of its stakeholders in the Pacific halibut fishery, while working to develop the Pacific halibut stocks to levels that will permit the optimum yield from the Pacific halibut fishery. Thus, NOAA is again soliciting nominations for two individuals to serve as U.S. Commissioners to the IPHC.

This final action sets forth identification and certification procedures to implement provisions of the Shark Conservation Act, which amended the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act), to address shark conservation in areas beyond any national jurisdiction. This action also amends the definition of illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing for purposes of the Moratorium Protection Act.