National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration December 27, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the 2016 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the State of Connecticut has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in Connecticut for the remainder of calendar year 2016. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise Connecticut that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in Connecticut.

NMFS is adjusting the 2017 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) pollock and Pacific cod fisheries. This action is necessary because NMFS has determined these TACs are incorrectly specified, and will ensure the GOA pollock and Pacific cod TACs are the appropriate amounts based on the best available scientific information for pollock and Pacific cod in the GOA. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using pot gear to catcher/processors (C/Ps) using hook-and-line gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management area. This action is necessary to allow the 2016 total allowable catch of Pacific cod to be harvested.

This final rule implements status quo commercial quotas for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries for 2017, suspends the minimum shell size for Atlantic surfclams for 2017, and provides projected status quo quotas for 2018. This action is necessary to establish allowable harvest levels of Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs that will prevent overfishing and allow harvesting of optimum yield.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (Services when referring to both, and Service when referring to when the action is taken by one agency), announce revisions to the Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances policy under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We added a definition of ``net conservation benefit'' to this policy and eliminated references to the confusing requirement of ``other necessary properties'' to clarify the level of conservation effort each agreement needs to include in order for the Services to approve an agreement. In a separate document published in today's Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service changed its regulations regarding Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances to make them consistent with these changes to the policy.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a series of public hearings/scoping meetings on four amendments to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the South Atlantic Region: Amendment 43 addressing management options for red snapper and recreational reporting; Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26 addressing recreational management options based on the Council's Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery; Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 27 addressing commercial management options based on the Council's Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery; and Amendment 44 addressing management measures for yellowtail snapper including allocations. Scoping comments will be accepted for Snapper Grouper Amendment 43 and the Vision Blueprint amendments. Public hearing comments will be accepted for Amendment 44. The Council will hold a Question & Answer Session via Webinar for measures proposed in Amendment 44 for yellowtail snapper and possible management actions pertaining to red snapper and recreational reporting to be addressed in Amendment 43.