National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 16, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from the Florida Keys Commercial Fisherman's Association (Association). If granted, the EFP would authorize the deployment of four fish trap designs at several sites in the Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and the South Atlantic to determine the effectiveness of these gear types for attracting and collecting invasive lionfish and to obtain lionfish life-history information over a 1 year period. The EFP would also utilize an outreach and education program to inform the public about the status of lionfish as an invasive species, efforts to control the spread of the population, and utilization of lionfish as a consumer food source.

We announce the reduction of the commercial per-trip possession limit for northern red hake for the remainder of the 2016 fishing year. This action is required to prevent the northern red hake total allowable landing limit from being exceeded. This announcement informs the public that the northern red hake possession limit is reduced.

NMFS proposes to approve and implement through regulations measures included in Amendment 19 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which the New England Fishery Management Council adopted and submitted to NMFS for approval. Amendment 19 would establish a specifications process outside of the current framework adjustment process to implement management measures that are typically adjusted on an annual or biennial basis and change the start of the scallop fishing year from March 1 to April 1. This amendment is intended to streamline the development and implementation of annual specifications and reduce the administrative burden.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) previously announced tests under the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) concerning the electronic transmission of certain data for NMFS-regulated commodities through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and through the Automated Export System (AES). The tests included electronic data submission for imports (published in the Federal Register on June 5, 2015) and for exports (published in the Federal Register on June 3, 2016). During the imports test, entry filers were able to use the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) and the Document Image System (DIS) to transmit the NMFS Partner Government Agency (PGA) message data and forms required for NMFS to make admissibility determinations for entries subject to the monitoring programs for tunas, swordfish and toothfish, under the Highly Migratory Species International Trade Program (HMS), the Antarctic Marine Living Resources Trade Monitoring Program (AMR), and the Tuna Tacking and Verification Program (TTVP). During the exports test, exporters were able to use the Automated Export System (AES) and the DIS to transmit the NMFS PGA data and forms required for NMFS to collect required information on exports subject to these same trade monitoring programs. It has been determined that ACE and AES are capable of accepting NMFS-regulated electronic entries. NMFS regulations effective on September 20, 2016 (published on August 3, 2016) will require the use of ACE or AES, as applicable, for electronic filings of regulated imports or exports of fish products. Accordingly, CBP and NMFS announce that the NCAP tests are ending on September 20, 2016. All importers and exporters of fish products regulated by NMFS are encouraged to use ACE or AES, as applicable, for their electronic filings in advance of September 20, 2016, when such filings will become mandatory.