National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the NSGAB. NSGAB members will discuss and provide advice on the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) in the areas of program evaluation, strategic planning, education and extension, science and technology programs, and other matters as described in the agenda found on the NSGCP Web site at https:// seagrant.noaa.gov/WhoWeAre/Leadership/NationalSeaGrantAdvisor yBoard/ UpcomingAdvisoryBoardMeetings.aspx.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Regulatory Amendment 1 for the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery off the Atlantic States (Regulatory Amendment 1) as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this proposed rule would establish a commercial trip limit for Atlantic dolphin for vessels with a Federal commercial permit for Atlantic dolphin and wahoo. The purpose of this proposed rule is to reduce the chance of an in-season closure of the dolphin commercial sector as a result of the annual catch limit (ACL) being reached during the fishing year and to reduce the severity of social impacts caused by these closures.

NMFS is prohibitingbeginning June 27, 2016, and ending August 31, 2016Federal longfin squid vessel permit holders from fishing for, catching, possessing, transferring, or landing more than 2,500 lb (907.2 kg) of longfin squid per trip and landing such squid more than once per calendar day. This prohibition is required by regulation because NMFS projects that 90 percent of the 2016 annual Trimester II seasonal catch limit will have been caught by the effective date. In addition, based on this determination, other restrictions regarding catch of longfin squid by federally permitted Illex squid vessels and buying longfin squid by federally permit dealers go into place. This action is intended to prevent over harvest of longfin squid during Trimester II.

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will meet July 20, 2016, through July 21, 2016.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published a document in the Federal Register of June 3, 2016, entitled Interagency Working Group on the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act. The information concerning the submission date has been updated. Other Information: The updated information for when stakeholders are invited to provide input related to concerns and successes pertaining to HABs and hypoxia in the Great Lakes region follows: Stakeholders are invited to submit questions and provide input related to concerns and successes pertaining to HABs and hypoxia in the Great Lakes region. The IWG-HABHRCA continues to seek general and technical feedback on topics including: Regional, Great Lakes-specific priorities for: [cir] Ecological, economic, and social research on the causes and impacts of HABs and hypoxia; [cir] Approaches to improving monitoring and early warnings, scientific understanding, prediction and modeling, and socioeconomics of these events; and [cir] Mitigating the causes and impacts of HABs and hypoxia. Communication and information dissemination methods that state, tribal, local, and international governments and organizations may undertake to educate and inform the public concerning HABs and hypoxia in the Great Lakes; and Perceived needs for handling Great Lakes HAB and hypoxia events, as well as an action strategy for managing future situations. Inquiries and comments may be submitted via email (IWG- HABHRCA@noaa.gov) or via U.S. mail to Caitlin Gould at NOAA, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, SSMC-4, #8237, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Technical feedback in the form of brief annotated bibliographic entries would be welcome. The Interagency Working Group will gladly accept public input at any time; however, only those that are received on or before August 19, 2016, may be considered when the Interagency Working Group finalizes the plan.

In January 2011, NMFS implemented the trawl rationalization program, a type of catch share program, for the Pacific coast groundfish fishery's limited entry trawl fleet, which includes an individual fishing quota program for limited entry trawl participants. At the time of implementation, the widow rockfish stock was overfished and quota shares were allocated to quota share permit owners in the individual fishing quota program using an overfished species formula. Now that the widow rockfish stock has been rebuilt, NMFS proposes to reallocate quota shares to initial recipients based on a target species formula that will more closely represent the fishing history of permit owners when widow rockfish was a targeted species. Through this rule, NMFS also proposes to allow the trading of widow rockfish quota shares, set a deadline for divestiture in case the reallocation of widow rockfish puts any QS permit owner over an accumulation limit, and remove the daily vessel limit for widow rockfish since it is no longer an overfished species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), issue Endangered Species Act incidental take permits and help applicants develop conservation plans as a prerequisite to obtaining those permits. We announce the availability of and request public comment on a draft revision of our joint Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Handbook, which describes requirements, procedures, and guidance for permit issuance and conservation-plan development. The HCP Handbook initially was released in 1996, and revised by addendum in July 2000.

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.

We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Maui and Kona reef manta ray (Manta alfredi) populations as threatened distinct population segments (DPSs) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the petition and information in our files do not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that either the Maui or Kona reef manta ray population may qualify as a DPS under the ESA. As such, we find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the Maui and Kona reef manta ray populations are ``species'' eligible for listing under the ESA. However, in response to a previous petition to list the entire reef manta ray species under the ESA, we are currently conducting a status review of M. alfredi to determine if the species warrants listing throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

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 attain their allocations and maintain year-round fishing opportunities while keeping harvest within the annual catch limit (ACL) for sablefish north 36[deg] N. lat.

NMFS published in the Federal Register of June 3, 2016, a document proposing to designate critical habitat for the endangered Carolina distinct population segment of the Atlantic sturgeon (Carolina DPS of Atlantic sturgeon) and the endangered South Atlantic distinct population segment of the Atlantic sturgeon (South Atlantic DPS of Atlantic sturgeon) pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This correction clarifies what types of man-made structures are not included in the proposed designation.

NMFS is releasing the draft Report to Congress on Fisheries Research in accordance with section 404 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) for public review and comment. Additional information, including the draft Report for download, may be found at: https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/strategic-plan/MSA-Section-404- Report-2016/msa-section-404-report-to-congress-2016.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 025433-3149 [Responsible Party: Dr. William Karp] has applied in due form for a permit to take loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and unidentified hardshell sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

Under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act), NMFS issues this final rule that, first, requires that U.S. purse seine vessels carry observers on fishing trips in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO); second, establishes restrictions in 2016 and 2017 on the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) by U.S. purse seine vessels in the WCPO; and third, establishes limits in 2016 and 2017 on the amount of bigeye tuna that may be captured by U.S. longline vessels in the WCPO. This action implementing specific provisions of Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) 2015-01 is necessary to satisfy the obligations of the United States as a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention), pursuant to the authority of the WCPFC Implementation Act.

We are proposing to approve and implement regulations submitted by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils in Framework Adjustment 9 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. This action is necessary to better achieve the goals and objectives of the management plan and achieve optimum yield. The proposed action is intended to enhance the operational and economic efficiency of existing management measures and increase monkfish landings.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), we, NMFS, hereby issue a permit for a period of three years to authorize the incidental, but not intentional, taking of individuals from three marine mammal stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) pollock trawl and BSAI flatfish trawl fisheries: The Western North Pacific (WNP) stock of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae); Central North Pacific (CNP) stock of humpback whales; and Western U.S. stock of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus).

This rulemaking proposes catch limits, commercial quotas, and possession limits for the spiny dogfish fishery for the 2016-2018 fishing years. The proposed action was developed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils pursuant to the fishery specification requirements of the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan. These management measures are supported by the best available scientific information and reflect recent declines in spiny dogfish biomass, and are expected to result in minor positive economic impacts for the spiny dogfish fishery while maintaining the conservation objectives of the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management will hold public meetings to solicit comments for the performance evaluations of the Grand Bay and Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserves and Alabama Coastal Area Management Program (Alabama Coastal Management Program).

The SEDAR 50 assessment(s) of the Atlantic stock(s) of blueline tilefish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: Stock ID Work Group Meeting; Data Workshop; Assessment Workshop and Webinars; and a Review Workshop.

In accordance with regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an IHA to Quintillion Subsea Operations, LLC (Quintillion) to take, by harassment, small numbers of 12 species of marine mammals incidental to a subsea cable-laying operation in the state and federal waters of the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas, Alaska, during the open-water season of 2016.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), this notice announces that NMFS intends to obtain information necessary to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 11 Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs) for salmon hatchery programs jointly submitted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Lummi Nation, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (referred to as the co- managers), for NMFS's evaluation and determination under Limit 6 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 4(d) Rule for threatened salmon and steelhead. The HGMPs specify the propagation of salmon in the Nooksack River Basin in Washington State. NMFS provides this notice to advise other agencies and the public of its plans to analyze effects related to the action, and obtain suggestions and information that may be useful to the scope of issues and alternatives to include in the EIS.

NMFS announces that the Nantucket Lightship North Scallop Access Area will close to Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the remainder of the 2016 fishing year as of the effective date below. No vessel issued a Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota permit may fish for, possess, or land scallops from the Nantucket Lightship North Scallop Access Area. Regulations require this action once it is projected that 100 percent of trips allocated to the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the Nantucket Lightship North Scallop Access Area will be taken.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Atlantic Bluefish Monitoring Committee will hold a public meeting.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 103 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP). If approved, Amendment 103 and this proposed rule would allow NMFS to reapportion unused Chinook salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) within and among specific trawl sectors in the Central and Western Gulf of Alaska (GOA), based on specific criteria and within specified limits. This proposed rule would not increase the current combined annual PSC limit of 32,500 Chinook salmon that applies to Central and Western GOA trawl sectors under the FMP. This proposed rule would provide for more flexible management of GOA trawl Chinook salmon PSC, increase the likelihood that groundfish resources are more fully harvested, reduce the potential for fishery closures, and maintain the overall Chinook salmon PSC limits in the Central and Western GOA. Amendment 103 is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, and other applicable laws.

This final rule approves and implements management measures contained in Amendment 17 to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 17 management measures were developed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to: Add cost recovery provisions for the Individual Transferable Quota component of the fishery; modify how biological reference points are incorporated into the fishery management plan; and remove the plan's optimum yield range. These changes are intended to make the management plan consistent with requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and to improve the management of these fisheries.