National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration March 24, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS withdraws a proposed rule considering an emergency action that would have partially exempted the scallop fishery from fishing year 2012-related Georges Bank yellowtail flounder accountability measures. Because annual catch limit thresholds were not exceeded, there are no accountability measures from which to exempt the scallop fishery. As a result, the proposed rule is no longer necessary.

NMFS announces a 5-year review of essential fish habitat (EFH) for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The purpose of the 5-year review is to evaluate the EFH provisions of the fishery management plan (FMP) and revise or amend them as warranted. A 5-year review is based on the best data available regarding Atlantic HMS and their habitats; therefore, NMFS is requesting submission of any such information on Atlantic HMS EFH that has become available since publication of Final Amendment 1 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP in 2009; Final Environmental Impact Statement for Amendment 3 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP; and the interpretive rule and final action that published on September 22, 2010, and defined EFH for roundscale spearfish.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 149th meeting.

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.

NOAA has developed a draft programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) to analyze the potential impacts of anticipated research and education projects in the next five years and that may have the potential to affect White Sharks within Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) and the northern portion of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). The anticipated types of research and education projects described in the document have been evaluated for consistency with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, sanctuary goals and objectives, and ONMS permitting regulations. The draft PEA is available for download on the Web site: https:// farallones.noaa.gov/eco/sharks/sharkspea.html. Proposed projects that are outside the scope of this PEA would be further evaluated on a case- by-case basis during their individual permit review phase.