National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 30, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region; Amendment 36
NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 36 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule modifies the FMP framework procedures to allow spawning special management zones (SMZs) to be established or modified through the framework process; establishes spawning SMZs off North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida; establishes transit and anchoring provisions in the spawning SMZs; and establishes a sunset provision for most of the spawning SMZs. This final rule also moves the boundary of the existing Charleston Deep Artificial Reef Marine Protected Area (MPA). The purpose of this final rule is to protect spawning snapper-grouper species and the habitat where they spawn, and to reduce bycatch and bycatch mortality for snapper-grouper species, including speckled hind and warsaw grouper.
Endangered and Threatened Species; Listing and Recovery Priority Guidelines
On May 31, 2017, we, NMFS, published a notice of availability to revise the Recovery Plan Preparation and Implementation Priorities and Recovery Plans contained in the 1990 Listing and Recovery Priority Guidelines. We opened a public comment period that lasted through June 30, 2017. We received several requests to extend the public comment period. Thus, we are extending the period through August 28, 2017.
Endangered and Threatened Species; Initiation of 5-Year Review for the North Pacific Right Whale
NMFS announces a 5-year review of the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended. A 5-year review must be based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any such information on these whales that has become available since the last status review in 2012.
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications
NMFS issues this rule to implement annual management measures and harvest specifications to establish the allowable catch levels (i.e., annual catch limit (ACL)/harvest guideline (HG)) for the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine (hereafter, Pacific sardine), in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Pacific coast for the fishing season of July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018. These specifications were determined according to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action includes a prohibition on directed non-tribal Pacific sardine commercial fishing off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, which is required because the estimated 2017 biomass of Pacific sardine has dropped below the biomass threshold specified in the HG control rule. Under this action, Pacific sardine may still be harvested as part of either the live bait or tribal fishery, or as incidental catch in other fisheries; the incidental harvest of Pacific sardine would initially be limited to 40- percent by weight of all fish per trip when caught with other CPS or up to 2 metric tons (mt) when caught with non-CPS. The ACL for the 2017- 2018 Pacific sardine fishing year is 8,000 mt. This action is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific sardine stock off the U.S. West Coast.
Pacific Island Fisheries; 2017-18 Annual Catch Limit and Accountability Measures; Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish
NMFS specifies an annual catch limit (ACL) of 306,000 lb for Deep 7 bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) for the 2017-18 fishing year, which will begin on September 1, 2017, and end on August 31, 2018. If NMFS projects that the fishery will reach the ACL, NMFS would close the commercial and non-commercial fisheries for MHI Deep 7 bottomfish for the remainder of the fishing year as an accountability measure (AM). The ACL and AM support the long-term sustainability of Hawaii bottomfish.
Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meetings; Cancellation
The SEDAR 56 assessment of the South Atlantic stock of black seabass will consist of a series webinars. Due to changes to the schedule for the stock assessment, webinars scheduled for Thursday, July 20, 2017 and Wednesday, August 16, 2017 have been cancelled. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
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