National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 12, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 14 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (Amendment 14), incorporating the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), for review by the Secretary of Commerce, and is requesting comments from the public.

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, NMFS, have completed a comprehensive review of the status of river herring (alewife and blueback herring) in response to a petition submitted by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) requesting that we list alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) throughout all or a significant portion of their range or as specific distinct population segments (DPS) identified in the petition. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) completed a comprehensive stock assessment for river herring in May 2012 which covers over 50 river specific stocks throughout the range of the species in the United States. The ASMFC stock assessment contained much of the information necessary to make an ESA listing determination for both species; however, any deficiencies were addressed through focused workshops and working group meetings and review of additional sources of information. Based on the best scientific and commercial information available, we have determined that listing alewife as threatened or endangered under the ESA is not warranted at this time. Additionally, based on the best scientific and commercial information available, we have determined that listing blueback herring as threatened or endangered under the ESA is not warranted at this time.