National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 4, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS issues this final rule to implement the annual catch limit (ACL), acceptable biological catch (ABC), annual catch target (ACT) and associated annual reference points for Pacific mackerel in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Pacific coast for the fishing season of July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014. This final rule is implemented according to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The 2013/2014 ACL for Pacific mackerel is 52,358 metric tons (mt). The ACT, which will be the directed fishing harvest target, is 39,268 mt. If the fishery attains the ACT, the directed fishery will close, reserving the difference between the ACL and ACT (which is 13,089 mt) as a set aside for incidental landings in other CPS fisheries and other sources of mortality. This final rule is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific mackerel stock off the U.S. West Coast.

NMFS has received an application from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take small numbers of marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to confined blasting operations in the Port of Miami in Miami, Florida. NMFS has reviewed the application, including all supporting documents, and determined that it is adequate and complete. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on the its proposal to issue an IHA to ACOE to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during the specified activity.

NMFS proposes to implement an annual catch limit (ACL), harvest guideline (HG), annual catch target (ACT), and associated annual reference points for Pacific sardine in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Pacific coast for a one-time interim harvest period of January 1, 2014, through June 30, 2014, and to set annual harvest levels, such as overfishing limit (OFL), available biological catch (ABC), annual catch limit (ACL), for Pacific sardine for the whole calendar year 2014. This rulemaking is proposed according to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and reflects the proposed change to the starting date of the annual Pacific sardine fishery from January 1 to July 1 as published in the Federal Register on December 23, 2013. The proposed 2014 ACT or maximum directed HG is 19,846 (mt). Based on the seasonal allocation framework in the FMP, this equates to a first period (January 1 to June 30) allocation of 6,946 mt (35% of ACT). This rulemaking also proposes an adjusted directed non-tribal harvest allocation for this period of 5,446 mt. This value was reduced from the total first period allocation by 1000 mt for potential harvest by the Quinault Indian Nation as well as 500 mt to be used as an incidental set aside for other non-tribal commercial fisheries if the 5,446 mt limit is reached and directed fishing for sardine is closed. This rulemaking is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific sardine stock off the U.S. West Coast.