National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May 23, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued a 3-year Letter of Authorization (LOA) to the U.S. Navy (Navy) to take marine mammals incidental to Navy training and research activities to be conducted within the Gulf of Alaska Temporary Maritime Activities Area (GOA TMAA). These activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2004 (NDAA).

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and its Research Set-Aside Committee, its Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee, its Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Committee, and its Executive Committee will hold public meetings.

NOAA Fisheries announces one inseason action in the ocean salmon fisheries. This inseason action modified the commercial fisheries in the area from Oregon/California Border to Humboldt South Jetty (California Klamath Management Zone).

Notice is hereby given that major permit amendments have been issued to Joseph Mobley, Jr., University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2528 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96816; Ann Zoidis, Cetos Research Organization, 11 Des Isle Ave Bar Harbor, ME 04609; and Jim Darling, Ph.D., Whale Trust, P.O. Box 384, Tofino, BC V0R2Z0, Canada, for Scientific Research Permit Nos. 14451, 14353, and 13846, respectively.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint public meeting of its Groundfish Committee and Habitat 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 issues regulations under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act) to implement limits on fishing effort by U.S. purse seine vessels in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and on the high seas, restrictions on the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs), and requirements for U.S. purse seine vessels to carry observers. This action is necessary for the United States to implement provisions of a conservation and management measure adopted by the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC) to satisfy the international obligations of the United States under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention), to which it is a Contracting Party.