National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration July 31, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS issues a proposed rule to revise the at-sea scales program for catcher/processor vessels (C/Ps) and motherships that are required to weigh catch at sea. This action would make three major changes to current regulations. First, this action would change regulations to enhance daily scale testing and require electronic reporting of daily scale test results. Second, this action would require that scales used to weigh catch have electronics capable of logging and printing the frequency and magnitude of scale calibrations, as well as the time and date of each scale fault and scale startup. Third, this action would require that the scale and the area around the scale be monitored using video. Finally, this action would revise technical regulations that are no longer applicable. This action is being proposed to reduce the possibility of scale tampering and to improve the accuracy of catch estimation by the C/P and mothership sector. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other applicable laws.

On June 17, 2014, the White House released a Presidential Memorandum entitled ``Establishing a Comprehensive Framework to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud.'' Among other actions, the Memorandum established a Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud (Task Force), co-chaired by the Departments of State and Commerce and made up of a broad range of other federal agencies. The Task Force is directed to report to the President within 180 days with ``recommendations for the implementation of a comprehensive framework of integrated programs to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud that emphasizes areas of greatest need.'' The public meetings and request for comments initiates a public engagement process aimed at gaining broad input and expertise from key stakeholders and interest groups to inform and advise the Task Force in developing recommendations in compliance with the Memorandum.

NMFS publishes a notification of a 0.65-percent fee for cost recovery under the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program. This action is intended to provide holders of crab allocations with the fee percentage for the 2014/2015 crab fishing year so they can calculate the required payment for cost recovery fees that must be submitted by July 31, 2015.