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

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a three-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Coral and Coral Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 9) and an associated framework action to the FMP, as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This proposed rule would establish new habitat areas of particular concern (HAPCs), some of which include a prohibition of the deployment of bottom-tending gear, and modify current fishing regulations for the other existing HAPCs in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). Additionally, this proposed rule would implement complementary management measures for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) in the Gulf. The purpose of this proposed rule is to protect coral essential fish habitat in the Gulf.

NMFS received a request from Point Blue Conservation Science (Point Blue) for the Renewal of their currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to seabird and pinniped research activities in central California. These activities are identical to those covered in the current authorization. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to issuing the currently active IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. The Renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed Renewal not previously provided during the initial 30-day comment period.

The SEDAR 59 assessment of the South Atlantic stock of Greater Amberjack will consist of a series of Data and Assessment webinars.

The SEDAR 65 assessment of the Atlantic stock of Blacktip Shark will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: Data Workshop; Assessment Webinars; and a Review

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is clarifying procedures for the Sanctuary Nomination Process (SNP) established in 2014. Specifically, ONMS informs the public of how it intends to treat nominations that have been accepted to the inventory of sites for potential designation as national marine sanctuaries and have been on the inventory for five years.

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service, are implementing regulations for the Jonah crab fishery in Federal waters based on Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recommendations. This action is necessary to enact measures that provide stock protections to a previously unmanaged fishery. The action is intended to ensure compatibility between state and Federal Jonah crab management measures, consistent with the Commission's Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Jonah Crab and the intent of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act.

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 to implement management measures described in a framework action to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This proposed rule would modify the red snapper Federal charter vessel/headboat (for-hire) component's annual catch target (ACT) for the 2020 and subsequent fishing years. The purpose of the framework action is to allow for greater harvest of red snapper by the Federal for-hire component.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Corps) to incidentally harass, by Level A and Level B harassment only, marine mammals during construction activities associated with the Sand Island Pile Dike System Test Piles project near the Mouth of the Columbia River.

Notice is hereby given that Robert Wayne, University of California Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, has applied in due form for a permit to receive, import, and export marine mammal parts for scientific research.

Participants in the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council's) 2019 groundfish stock assessment process will hold a meeting via webinar to review and evaluate the 2019 stock assessment review (STAR) process. The goal of the webinar is to solicit process improvements to recommend for future groundfish stock assessments and STAR panel reviews. Process recommendations will be provided to the Pacific Council at their March 2020 meeting in Rohnert Park, CA. The webinar meeting is open to the public.

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 seeks comments on this proposed rule issued under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFCIA) and the Tuna Conventions Act. The proposed rule would revise the management regime for fishing vessels that target tunas and other highly migratory fish species (HMS) in the area of overlapping jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean between the Inter- American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC). The proposed rule would apply all regulations implementing IATTC resolutions in the area of overlapping jurisdiction. Under this proposed rule, regulations implementing WCPFC decisions on catch and fishing effort limits, bycatch mitigation measures, and associated reporting requirements would no longer apply in the area of overlapping jurisdiction. However, regulations implementing WCPFC management measures related to monitoring, control, and surveillance would continue to apply in the area of overlapping jurisdiction. NMFS is undertaking this action based on an evaluation of the management regime in the area of overlapping jurisdiction, in order to satisfy the obligations of the United States as member of the IATTC and the WCPFC, pursuant to the authority of the WCPFCIA and the Tuna Conventions Act.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) from trawl catcher vessels and vessels using jig gear to catcher/processors using pot gear and catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) length overall (LOA) using hook-and- line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow the 2019 TAC of Pacific cod to be harvested.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2019 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of Connecticut. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for North Carolina and Connecticut.

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.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2019 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of Rhode Island and the Commonwealth of Virginia. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for North Carolina, Virginia, and Rhode Island.

We, NMFS, announce the extension of the comment period for the receipt of 14 (Permit Numbers 23271, 23276, 23278, 23279, 23280, 23284, 23285, 23286, 23287, 23288, 23289, 23290, 23291, 23434) applications for enhancement of survival permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and proposed entry into an associated Template Safe Harbor Agreement (Agreement) between the applicants and NMFS. The Notice of Receipt for the 14 applications published on October 15, 2019. The proposed enhancement of survival permits and Agreement are intended to promote the survival and recovery of the Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC) coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU), which is listed as threatened under the ESA. We are soliciting review and comment from the public and all interested parties on the applications and associated documents. The close of the comment period is being extendedfrom November 15, 2019, to December 31, 2019to provide additional opportunity for public comment.

NMFS is correcting a notice that informed the public that the Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an application submitted by the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance for an exempted fishing permit contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The proposed active date of the exempted fishing permit was incorrect.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop 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.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Research Steering Committee will hold a meeting.

NMFS increases the 2019 Atlantic herring annual catch limit and Area 1A sub-annual catch limit by 1,000 mt. This action is required by the herring regulations when, based on data through October 1, the New Brunswick weir fishery lands less than 4,000 mt of herring. This notice is intended to inform the public of these catch limit changes.

This final rule implements the measures of Framework Adjustment 13 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. This action establishes a 5-year rebuilding program for Atlantic mackerel, sets 2019-2021 Atlantic mackerel specifications and a river herring and shad cap for the Atlantic mackerel fishery, modifies the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's risk policy, and modifies in-season closure measures. This action is necessary to prevent overfishing and rebuild the Atlantic mackerel stock based on a recent stock assessment that found the Atlantic mackerel stock to be overfished and subject to overfishing. The intended effect of this final rule is to sustainably manage the Atlantic mackerel fishery and achieve optimum yield on a continuing basis.

NMFS is closing the U.S. pelagic longline fishery for bigeye tuna in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) because the fishery will reach the 2019 allocation limit for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This action is necessary to comply with regulations managing this fish stock.