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

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy), Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to missile launches from San Nicolas Island (SNI) from June 2014 through June 2019. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue regulations and subsequent Letters of Authorization (LOAs) to the Navy to incidentally harass marine mammals.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/processors using hook-and-line gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2014 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to catcher/processors using hook-and-line gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from vessels using jig gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) length overall using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow the A season apportionment of the 2014 total allowable catch of Pacific cod to be harvested.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program. The season will open 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 8, 2014, and will close 1200 hours, A.l.t., November 7, 2014. This period is the same as the 2014 commercial halibut fishery opening dates adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. The IFQ and CDQ halibut season is specified by a separate publication in the Federal Register of annual management measures.

NMFS announces final 2014 and 2015 harvest specifications, apportionments, and Pacific halibut prohibited species catch limits for the groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2014 and 2015 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the GOA. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the GOA in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

NMFS is seeking information regarding nations whose vessels are engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing, bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs), and/or fishing activities in waters beyond any national jurisdiction that target or incidentally catch sharks. Such information will be reviewed for the purposes of the identification of nations pursuant to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act).

NMFS has received a request from the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to Russian River estuary management activities. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to SCWA to incidentally take marine mammals, by Level B harassment only, 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.

On November 22, 2013, NMFS published a notice inviting qualified commercial shark permit holders to submit applications to participate in the 2014 shark research fishery. The shark research fishery allows for the collection of fishery-dependent data for future stock assessments and cooperative research with commercial fishermen to meet the shark research objectives of the Agency. Every year, the permit terms and permitted activities (e.g., number of hooks and trips, retention limits) specifically authorized for selected participants in the shark research fishery are designated depending on the scientific and research needs of the Agency, as well as the number of NMFS- approved observers available. In order to inform selected participants of this year's specific permit requirements and ensure all terms and conditions of the permit are met, NMFS is holding a mandatory permit holder meeting (via conference call) for selected participants. The date and time of that meeting is announced in this notice.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of its 115th Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and its 159th Council meeting to take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region. The Council will also convene meetings of the Marianas Plan Team (PT), Guam Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee (REAC), the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) REAC, the Mariana Archipelago Advisory Panel (AP) and the Council's Program Planning Standing Committee and Executive and Budget Standing Committee.

NMFS publishes the standard ex-vessel prices and fee percentage for cost recovery under the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program. This action is intended to provide participants in a rockfish cooperative with the standard prices and fee percentage for the 2013 fishing year, which was authorized from May 1 through November 15. The fee percentage is 2.5 percent. The fee liability payments were due from each rockfish cooperative by February 15, 2014.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southeast Fisheries Center (SEFSC) (hereinafter ``Permit Holder''); 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149 [Responsible Party: Bonnie Ponwith, Ph.D.], has been issued a permit to take smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) in Florida waters for purposes of scientific research.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Law Enforcement Advisory Panel (LEAP) in conjunction with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission's Law Enforcement Committee (LEC).

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) will hold a meeting of its Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel (AP) in North Charleston, SC.

NMFS issues this proposed rule for the 2014 Pacific whiting fishery under the authority of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006. This proposed rule would allocate 17.5 percent of the U.S. Total Allowable Catch of Pacific whiting for 2014 to Pacific Coast Indian tribes that have a Treaty right to harvest groundfish.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announces the availability of draft revisions to NOAA's Policy for the Assessment of Civil Administrative Penalties and Permit Sanctions (Penalty Policy) for public review and comment. The revisions to the policy will improve enforcement consistency nationally, increase predictability in enforcement, improve transparency in enforcement, and more effectively protect natural resources.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel and the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel are meeting to provide input to the Council on potential options to modify the Scup Gear Restricted Areas.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public hearings for Red Snapper AllocationAmendment 28.

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

NMFS, upon application from the U.S. Air Force (USAF), is issuing regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to launches, aircraft and helicopter operations from VAFB launch complexes and Delta Mariner operations, cargo unloading activities, and harbor maintenance dredging in support of the Delta IV/Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) launch activity on south VAFB for the period March 2014 to March 2019. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization (LOAs) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.

We (NMFS) announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list 10 species of skates and rays and 15 species of bony fishes as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted for five species of skates and rays: Dasyatis margarita, Electrolux addisoni, Okamejei pita, Pastinachus solocirostris, and Trygonorrhina melaleuca. We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted for five species of skates and rays: Bathyraja griseocauda, Raja undulata, Rhinobatos cemiculus, R. horkelii, and R. rhinobatos. We also find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted for ten species of bony fishes: Argyrosomus hololepidotus, Azurina eupalama, Chaetodontoplus vanderloosi, Colpichthys hubbsi, Enneapterygius namarrgon, Halichoeres socialis, Paraclinus magdalenae, Paraclinus walkeri, Paralabrax albomaculatus, and Tomicodon abuelorum. And we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted for five species of bony fishes: Latimeria chalumnae, Mycteroperca fusca, Mycteroperca jordani, Pterapogon kauderni, and Scarus trispinosus. Therefore, we will conduct a status review of the 10 species of skates and rays and bony fishes to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information pertaining to these petitioned species from any interested party. In addition to the petitions to list these species, the petitioner has requested that we list the coelacanth Latimeria menadoensis based on similarity of appearance to Latimeria chalumnae. If we determine that L. chalumnae warrants listing under the ESA, we will make a determination on the petitioner's request to list L. menadoensis based on similarity of appearance at a later date.

NMFS adopts a final rule that modifies the vessel ownership requirement for an exemption from the owner-on-board requirement in the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program for the fixed-gear commercial Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries off Alaska. This rule imposes a 12-month vessel ownership requirement on initial individual recipients of quota share (QS) who wish an exemption from the owner-on-board requirement and who wish to use a hired master to harvest their IFQ. For the 12-month period prior to applying to use a hired master, an individual QS holder must own a minimum 20-percent interest in the vessel that the hired master will use to fish the IFQ on behalf of the individual QS holder. The rule temporarily suspends the 12-month vessel ownership requirement for an initial individual recipient of QS whose vessel has been totally lost, irreparably damaged, or so damaged that the vessel requires at least 60 days for repairs. This action is intended to maintain a predominantly owner-operated fishery in the Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries. 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 Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska, and other applicable laws. This rule will go into effect 13 months after the publication of the rule in the Federal Register.

The Oculina Experimental Closed Area Evaluation Team will discuss the Oculina Experimental Closed Area via webinar and a series of breakout sessions. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

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 Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of its 115th Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and its 159th Council meeting to take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region. The Council will also convene meetings of the Marianas Plan Team (PT), Guam Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee (REAC), the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) REAC, the Mariana Archipelago Advisory Panel (AP) and the Council's Program Planning Standing Committee and Executive and Budget Standing Committee.