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

NMFS has received an application from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Polar Programs, and Antarctic Support Contract (ASC) on behalf of two research institutions, University of Texas at Austin and University of Memphis, for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting a low-energy marine geophysical (seismic) survey in the Scotia Sea and South Atlantic Ocean, September to October 2014. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to NSF and ASC to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, 26 species of marine mammals during the specified activity.

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.

NMFS received a petition to ``designate the Sakhalin Bay-Amur River stock of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) as a depleted stock under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).'' NMFS finds that the petition presents substantial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted and will initiate a status review promptly. NMFS solicits information from the public that may contribute to the status review.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Electronic Monitoring (EM) workgroup will meet by teleconference.

At the request of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, this notice announces a control date that may be used to limit the number of participants in the commercial summer flounder fishery. The control date is intended to help the Council to identify latent effort in the summer flounder fishery. NMFS intends this notice to promote awareness of possible rulemaking, alert interested parties of potential eligibility criteria for future access, and discourage speculative entry into and/or investment in the summer flounder fishery while the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NMFS consider if and how participation in the summer flounder fishery should be controlled. We are soliciting comments on this action.

NMFS has received an application from the Maine Department of Transportation (ME DOT) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to in-water construction activities in Eastport, Maine. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is proposing to issue an IHA to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment, four species of marine mammals during the specified activity within a specific geographic region and is requesting comments on its proposal.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in a framework amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region (FMP) (Framework Amendment), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils (Councils). If implemented, this rule would modify the annual catch limits (ACLs) for Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) migratory group Spanish mackerel and modify the recreational annual catch target (ACT) for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel, based on the results of the most recent stock assessments for Gulf and Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel. The Framework Amendment would also update the optimum yield (OY) for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel. The purpose of this rule is to ensure ACLs are based on the best scientific information available and to ensure overfishing does not occur for the Spanish mackerel resource.

This final rule makes administrative and procedural changes to the applicable regulations with corrected addresses and fax numbers because the offices of Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea Marine National Monument have moved.

NMFS has received an application from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (Lamont-Doherty) in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (Foundation), for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (Authorization) to take marine mammals, by harassment incidental to conducting a marine geophysical (seismic) survey in the northwest Atlantic Ocean off the North Carolina coast from September through October, 2014. The proposed dates for this action would be September 15, 2014 through October 31, 2014, to account for minor deviations due to logistics and weather. In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act, we are requesting comments on our proposal to issue an Authorization to Lamont-Doherty to incidentally take, by Level B harassment only, 24 species of marine mammals during the specified activity.

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.

The SEDAR 41 assessments of the South Atlantic stocks of red snapper and gray triggerfish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: A Data Workshop; an Assessment Workshop; and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS publishes regulations to amend the hired master provisions of the Individual Fishing Quota Program (IFQ Program) for the fixed-gear commercial Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). The IFQ Program allows initial recipients of catcher vessel halibut and sablefish quota share (QS) to hire a vessel master to harvest an annual allocation of individual fishing quota (IFQ) derived from the QS. This rule prohibits an initial QS recipient from using a hired master to harvest IFQ derived from catcher vessel QS received by transfer after February 12, 2010, with a limited exception for small amounts of QS. This final rule is necessary to maintain progress toward a predominantly owner-onboard fishery. In addition, this action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the GOA, and other applicable laws.

We, NMFS, are immediately closing the Pacific loggerhead conservation area, prohibiting fishing with large mesh drift gillnet (DGN) gear (>14 in mesh) off the coast of southern California east of 120[deg] West meridian through August 31, 2014. This prohibition is based on the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries' (AA) determination that El Ni[ntilde]o conditions are occurring off the coast of southern California. This action protects Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), specifically the endangered North Pacific Ocean Distinct Population Segment. Large mesh DGN fishing vessels must cease fishing east of 120[deg] west on publication of this document.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to the Alaska Aerospace Corporation (AAC) to take two species of pinnipeds incidental to space vehicle and missile launch operations at the Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC) in Kodiak, Alaska.

This final rule announces inseason changes to management measures in the Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries. This action, which is authorized by the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP), is intended to allow fisheries to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) ad hoc Lower Columbia River Natural Coho Workgroup (LRC Workgroup) will hold a public work session August 14, 2014 at the Pacific Council office in Portland, OR. The meeting is open to the public, but is not intended as a public hearing. Public comments will be taken at the discretion of the LRC Workgroup chair as time allows.

The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the Indiana Coastal Management Program, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia. The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluations will be conducted pursuant to section 312 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended (CZMA) and regulations at 15 CFR part 923, Subpart L. The CZMA requires continuing review of the performance of states with respect to coastal management program implementation. Evaluation of a Coastal Management Program requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has met the national objectives, adhered to its Coastal Management Program document approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and adhered to the terms of financial assistance awards funded under the CZMA. The National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation will be conducted pursuant to sections 312 and 315 of the CZMA and regulations at 15 CFR part 921, subpart E and part 923, subpart L. Evaluation of a National Estuarine Research Reserve requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has met the national objectives, adhered to its Reserve final management plan approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and adhered to the terms of financial assistance awards funded under the CZMA. The evaluations will include a public meeting, consideration of written public comments and consultations with interested Federal, state, and local agencies and members of the public. When the evaluation is completed, OCRM will place a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Final Evaluation Findings. Notice is hereby given of the date, local time, and location of the public meeting.

NMFS announces approval of a marine conservation plan (MCP) for the Northern Mariana Islands.

Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to Samuel Wasser, Ph.D., University of Washington, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98195 to conduct research on killer whales (Orcinus orca).

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that we have issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the U.S. Navy (Navy) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, five species of marine mammals during construction activities associated with a wharf construction project in Hood Canal, Washington.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public meetings.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Research Steering Committee.

NMFS announces a meeting of the Permanent Advisory Committee (PAC) to advise the U.S. Commissioners to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) on October 6-October 7, 2014. Meeting topics are provided under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a series of public hearings and scoping meetings in August. Public hearings will be held for the Generic Accountability Measures and Dolphin Allocation Amendment, Amendment 32 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) addressing blueline tilefish management measures, Regulatory Amendment 20 to the Snapper Grouper FMP addressing snowy grouper measures, South Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagic Framework Amendment 2 addressing measures for Atlantic Spanish mackerel, Amendment 7 to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP and Amendment 33 to the Snapper Grouper FMP. The latter amendments address management measures for fillets to be transported from The Bahamas into the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Public scoping will be held on Amendment 35 to the Snapper Grouper FMP (species removal) and Amendment 36 to the Snapper Grouper FMP (Spawning Special Management Zones). See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

This action increases the trip limit for Southern New England/ Mid-Atlantic winter flounder for Northeast multispecies common pool vessels for the remainder of the 2014 fishing year and closes the Gulf of Maine Cod Trimester Total Allowable Catch Area for the remainder of Trimester 1, through August 31, 2014. Increasing the trip limit is intended to provide additional fishing opportunities and help allow the common pool fishery to catch its allowable quota for this stock. The closure is required because the common pool fishery has caught more than 90 percent of its Trimester 1 quota for Gulf of Maine cod. This closure is intended to prevent the overharvest of the common pool's allocation this stock.