National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration March 13, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) of three 2019 benchmark stock assessments for bottomfish in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Guam.

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.

Notice is hereby given that Sean Todd, Ph.D., College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, has applied in due form for a permit to receive, import, and export marine mammals parts for scientific research.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 2019 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 610 in the GOA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Advisory Panel to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The New England Fishery Management Council is convening its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) via webinar to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council will hold public hearings to provide an overview of the island-based fishery management plan that pertains to the island at which we present. For Puerto Rico the audience will be presented with the ``Comprehensive Fishery Management Plan for the Puerto Rico Exclusive Economic Zone''; for St. Thomas/St. John the audience will be presented with the ``Comprehensive Fishery Management Plan for the St. Thomas/St. John Exclusive Economic Zone''; for St. Croix the audience will be presented with the ``Comprehensive Fishery Management Plan for the St. Croix Exclusive Economic Zone.'' The audience will be provided with an overview of each plan, they will then be given the time and opportunity to comment on their island's plan.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its System Management Plan (SMP) Workgroup via webinar.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Herring Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

In 2018 the Southeast Revitalization Association (SRA) conducted a bid selection process accepting 36 bids to remove Southeast Alaska Purse Seine salmon permits under a proposed second fishing capacity reduction loan program. In accordance with regulations, the SRA submitted a reduction plan to NMFS to implement the proposed second loan reduction program. From February 4, 2019 through March 6, 2019, NMFS conducted a referendum in which a majority of the fisheries 315 permit holders voted to approve a $10,127,988 loan to remove 36 permits, which post reduction harvesters will repay in fees over a 40 year period. Accordingly, NMFS is preparing to tender reduction payments to the accepted bidders and implement a fee-collection system to repay the second loan.

NMFS announces final 2019 and 2020 harvest specifications, apportionments, and prohibited species catch allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the remainder of the 2019 and the start of the 2020 fishing years, and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). The 2019 harvest specifications supersede those previously set in the final 2018 and 2019 harvest specifications, and the 2020 harvest specifications will be superseded in early 2020 when the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications are published. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI in accordance with the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).