National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during construction activities associated with the second phase of the tidal marsh restoration project in Elkhorn Slough, California.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by American Fisheries Act (AFA) trawl catcher/processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A-season limit of the Pacific cod total allowable catch specified for AFA trawl catcher/processors in the BSAI.

Notice is hereby given that Patricia Fair, Ph.D., South Carolina Aquarium, 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC 29401, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

This Notice announces a decision by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) to supersede the American Samoa Vertical Datum of 2002 (ASVD 02) and revert back to Local Tidal (LT) as the official civilian vertical datum for surveying and mapping activities for the island of Tutuila, American Samoa. As a member of the Federal Geographic Data Committee, NOAA is responsible for defining, maintaining and providing access to the National Spatial Reference System. Within NOAA, the National Geodetic Survey has the responsibility to accomplish this task. Due to geophysical activity, the ASVD 02 vertical datum is destroyed. To provide for vertical control, it is necessary to revert to heights based on a LT datum. To the extent it is legally allowable and feasible, all surveys performed or financed by the Federal agencies using or producing vertical height information will undertake an orderly transition to LT tied to the tide gauge at Pago Pago. Exceptions are for those with specific military related applications, which will use their own datum.

NMFS announces the 2020 recreational fishing season for the Federal charter vessel/headboat (for-hire) component for red snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The red snapper recreational for-hire component in the Gulf EEZ opens on June 1, 2020, and will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on August 2, 2020. This closure is necessary to prevent the Federal for-hire component from exceeding its quota and to prevent overfishing of the Gulf red snapper resource.

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 comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

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. This action proposes to extend the information collection for the Greater Atlantic Gear Identification.

NMFS announces final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications, apportionments, and Pacific halibut prohibited species catch limits for the groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the remainder of the 2020 and the start of the 2021 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. The 2020 harvest specifications supersede those previously set in the final 2019 and 2020 harvest specifications, and the 2021 harvest specifications will be superseded in early 2021 when the final 2021 and 2022 harvest specifications are published. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the GOA in accordance with the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

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

NOAA is soliciting nominations for members of the NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB is the only Federal Advisory Committee with the responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans, Atmosphere, and NOAA Administrator on long- and short-range strategies for research, education, and application of science to resource management and environmental assessment and prediction. The SAB consists of approximately fifteen members reflecting the full breadth of NOAA's areas of responsibility and assists NOAA in maintaining a complete and accurate understanding of scientific issues critical to the agency's missions.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the A season allowance of the 2020 total allowable catch of pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

In accordance with applicable federal regulations, notice is hereby given that NOAA's Office for Coastal Management approved the final environmental assessment of a proposed boundary expansion for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) National Estuarine Research Reserve in Florida. NOAA determined that the boundary expansion would not have significant environmental impacts and, therefore, issued a finding of no significant impact (FONSI). The final environmental assessment describes the alternatives considered, including the preferred alternative to add three parcels to the existing approved boundary, which would result in a net increase in size of 3,346.44 acres to the boundary. NOAA prepared a draft environmental assessment to analyze the effects of the requested expansion and solicited public comment before approving the request. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of NOAA's approval of the boundary expansion and of the availability of the final environmental assessment.

Under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the NMFS Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (Assistant Administrator) is revoking the comparability findings for the following fisheries authorized by the Government of Mexico: Upper Gulf of California shrimp trawl fishery for both small and large vessels; Upper Gulf of California shrimp suripera fishery; Upper Gulf of California sierra purse seine fishery; Upper Gulf of California sierra hook and line fishery; Upper Gulf of California chano trawl fishery, for small vessels; Upper Gulf of California curvina purse seine fishery; and Upper Gulf of California sardine/curvina purse seine fishery for both small and large vessels. The Assistant Administrator continues the determination to deny a comparability finding for the El Golfo de Santa Clara curvina rodeo-style gillnet fishery.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2020 commercial summer flounder quota to 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 2020 commercial quotas for North Carolina and Virginia.

NMFS proposes to approve and implement measures included in Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan, as submitted by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. This action would integrate Atlantic chub mackerel as a stock in the fishery under the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. This amendment would identify goals and objectives for managing Atlantic chub mackerel; specify status determination criteria; designate essential fish habitat; establish a specifications process; set annual catch limits for 2020-2022; and implement accountability measures, possession limits, permitting and reporting requirements, and other administrative measures for Atlantic chub mackerel caught from Maine through North Carolina.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 4-day meeting to consider actions affecting the Gulf of Mexico fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

At the request of the public, NMFS is reopening the comment period for an Exempted Fishing Permit application. The Exempted Fishing Permit would allow commercial fishing vessels to use dredge fishing gear with a forward facing camera within the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area to characterize habitat substrate types where dredge fishing occurs, and conduct compensation fishing that would support research conducted by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

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.

We are implementing specifications for the 2020 spiny dogfish fishery, including an annual catch limit and commercial quota. This action is necessary to ensure allowable harvest levels to prevent overfishing while allowing harvest of optimum yield, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This action is intended to establish 2020 specifications, consistent with the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan and previously announced multi-year specifications.

NMFS announces a public meeting with U.S. stakeholders to discuss issues related to Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) tropical tuna management in the eastern Pacific Ocean on May 22, 2020. The meeting topics are described under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. The meeting will be held via conference call.

We, NMFS, have determined that a designation of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is not prudent at this time. Based on a comprehensive review of the best scientific data available, we find there are no identifiable physical or biological features that are essential to the conservation of the oceanic whitetip shark within areas under U.S. jurisdiction. We also find that there are no areas outside of the geographical area occupied by the species under U.S. jurisdiction that are essential to its conservation. As such, we find there are no areas within the jurisdiction of the United States that meet the definition of critical habitat for the oceanic whitetip shark.

NMFS issues this notice to inform interested parties that the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) American Fisheries Act (AFA) Pollock loan in the fishing capacity reduction program for the inshore component of the BSAI Pollock Fishery has been repaid. Therefore, buyback fee collections on AFA Pollock will cease for all landings after February 29, 2020.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Citizen Science Operations Committee via webinar.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's (Council) District Advisory Panels (DAPs) of St. Thomas/St. John, USVI, will hold a one- day meeting in March 25, 2020, to discuss the items contained in the agenda SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

On November 22, 2019, NMFS published a notice inviting qualified commercial shark permit holders to submit applications to participate in the 2020 shark research fishery. The shark research fishery allows for the collection of fishery-dependent data for future stock assessments and cooperative research with commercial fishermen to meet the shark research objectives of the Agency. Every year, the permit terms and permitted activities (e.g., number of hooks and retention limits) specifically authorized for selected participants in the shark research fishery are designated depending on the scientific and research needs of the Agency, as well as the number of NMFS- approved observers available. In order to inform selected participants of this year's specific permit requirements and ensure all terms and conditions of the permit are met, NMFS is holding a mandatory meeting (via conference call) for selected participants. The date and time of that meeting is announced in this notice.