National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) announces its annual spring meeting to be held March 5-6, 2018.

NMFS is publishing this final rule to implement Amendment 16 of the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This rule will allow for very small amounts of directed, non-live bait fishing (referred to as ``minor directed fishing'') on CPS finfish to occur when a fishery is otherwise closed to directed fishing. Currently, when directed fishing is closed, a small sector of the CPS fishery that is not part of the primary commercial directed fishery has been precluded from landing even minor amounts because this activity does not fall under the existing exemptions for incidental harvest or for harvesting CPS to be sold as live bait. This rule allows this sector to continue directed fishing after other directed fisheries are closed, unless otherwise specified in a closure notice published by NMFS or if an applicable annual catch limit (ACL) is anticipated to be exceeded. To prevent exploitation of this rule to make large aggregate harvests, ``minor directed fishing'' would not be allowed to exceed landings of 1 metric ton (mt) per day per vessel or person or one fishing trip per day by any vessel. The purpose of this rule is to provide greater flexibility to small fishing operations, while continuing to conserve the target CPS fish stocks.

The SEDAR 56 assessment of the South Atlantic stock of Black Seabass will consist of a series webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) will hold a meeting that will be open to the public and public comments are requested in advance and/or during the meeting. Information about the HSRP meeting, agenda, presentations, webinar registration, and other background documents will be posted online at: https:// www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/hsrp.htm.

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.

NMFS proposes management measures to implement special management zones for 13 New Jersey artificial reefs under the black sea bass provisions of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. The implementing regulations for the special management zones require NMFS to publish proposed measures to provide an opportunity for public comment. The intent of these measures is to reduce user group conflicts and help maintain the intended socioeconomic benefits of the artificial reefs to the maximum extent practicable.

We, NMFS, are convening a workshop to present the Southern Distinct Population Segment of Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) Draft Recovery Plan (Plan). The notice announcing availability of the Plan was published in the Federal Register on January 9, 2018. Our workshop will be held on March 5, 2018, at the NMFS office in Sacramento, CA and will be open to the public. With this notice, we announce the details of a public workshop.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its American Samoa Archipelago Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Advisory Panels (AP) to discuss and make recommendations on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of the: Personnel Committee (Closed Session); Advisory Panel Selection Committee (Close Session); Citizen Science Committee; Spiny Lobster Committee; Joint Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management/Shrimp/and Golden Crab Committees; Snapper Grouper Committee; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Committee; Mackerel Cobia Committee; Standard Operating, Policy and Procedure (SOPPs) Committee, and the Executive Finance Committee. The Council will meet as a Committee of the Whole to address the Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) Control Rule and have a meeting of the full Council. The Council will also hold an informal Question and Answer Session, a formal public comment session, and take action as necessary.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's (Council) Outreach and Education Advisory Panel (OEAP) will hold a 2-day meeting in March 8-9, 2018, to discuss items contained in the agenda in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a webinar-based meeting with the public for the purpose of providing instruction to for-hire operators on electronic reporting of vessel trip reports (VTRs).

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by non- American Fisheries Act (AFA) crab vessels that are subject to sideboard limits, and operating as catcher vessels (CVs) using pot gear, in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2018 Pacific cod sideboard limit established for non-AFA crab vessels that are operating as CVs using pot gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

Upon application from the United States Air Force (USAF), 96th Civil Engineer Group/Environmental Planning Office (96 CEG/CEIEA) at Eglin Air Force Base (hereafter referred to as Eglin AFB), NMFS is issuing regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) for the taking of marine mammals incidental to conducting testing and training activities in the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range (EGTTR) in the Gulf of Mexico over the course of five years. These regulations allow NMFS to issue a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the specified testing and training activities carried out during the rule's period of effectiveness, set forth the permissible methods of taking, set forth other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, and set forth requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of the incidental take. The specific activities are classified as military readiness activities.

Notice is hereby given that the National Marine Fisheries Service's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 (Responsible Party: Jon Hare) has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on marine mammals.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2018, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The LOF for 2018 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NMFS must classify each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the MMPA based upon the level of mortality and serious injury of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery. The classification of a fishery on the LOF determines whether participants in that fishery are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan (TRP) requirements.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's Pacific Northwest Crab Industry Advisory Committee (PNCIAC) will meet in February, in Anchorage, AK.

This final rule implements status quo commercial quotas for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries for 2018 and projected status quo quotas for 2019 and 2020. 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. This action also continues to suspend the minimum shell size for Atlantic surfclams for the 2018 fishing year. The intended effect of this action is to provide benefit to the industry from stable quotas to maintain a consistent market.

NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in an abbreviated framework action to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule removes the limit on the number of unrigged hooks that a commercial reef fish vessel with a bottom longline endorsement is allowed on board when using or carrying bottom longline gear in the Federal waters of the eastern Gulf. This final rule does not change the limit of 750 hooks that these vessels can have rigged for fishing at any given time. The purpose of this final rule is to reduce the regulatory and potential economic burden to bottom longline fishers.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using pot 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 2018 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to vessels using pot gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by non- American Fisheries Act (AFA) crab vessels that are subject to sideboard limits, and operating as catcher vessels (CVs) using pot 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 2018 Pacific cod sideboard limit established for non-AFA crab vessels that are operating as CVs using pot gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of the Aleut Corporation's and the Community Development Quota pollock directed fishing allowances from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea directed fisheries. These actions are necessary to provide opportunity for harvest of the 2018 total allowable catch of pollock, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), and after consultation with the General Services Administration, the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration have determined that renewal of the NOAA Science Advisory Board is in the public interest. The committee has been a successful undertaking and has provided advice to the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information services. The committee will continue to provide such advice and recommendations in the future. The structure and responsibilities of the Committee are unchanged from when it was originally established in September 1997. The Committee will continue to operate in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

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 access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.

This notice sets forth the proposed schedule and agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee's (MAFAC's) Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force (CBP Task Force). The CBP Task Force will discuss the issues outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.