National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit renewal application from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require publication of this notice to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a three-day meeting via webinar of its Standing, Reef Fish, Socioeconomic, Mackerel, Shrimp and Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC).

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for two meetings of the Science Advisory Board (SAB). The members will discuss issues outlined in the section on Matters to be considered.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) via webinar. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, NMFS issued a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to Hilcorp Alaska LLC (Hilcorp) to take marine mammals incidental to oil and gas activities in Cook Inlet, Alaska.

The New England Fishery Management Council's is convening an ad-hoc social science sub-panel of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) via webinar to conduct a peer review of Northeast Multispecies and Atlantic Scallops Specifications 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 (CFMC) will hold the 173rd public meeting (virtual) to address the items contained in the tentative agenda included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2021 total allowable catch of pollock in the West Yakutat District of the GOA.

The Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (``ACCRES'') will meet for 2 half-day meetings on April 27 and April 28, 2021.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Dry Dock 1 modification and expansion in Kittery, Maine. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS is also requesting comments on a possible one-time, one-year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorizations and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of the Community Development Quota (CDQ) and Aleut Corporation pollock directed fishing allowance (DFA) from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea. This action is necessary to provide opportunity for harvest of the 2021 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 (BSAI).

NMFS has received a request from Chevron Products Company (Chevron) for an incidental harassment authorization (IHA), that would cover a subset of the take authorized in IHAs previously issued to Chevron, to incidentally take marine mammals, by Level B harassment only, during construction activities associated with the Chevron Richmond Refinery Long Wharf Maintenance and Efficiency Project (LWMEP) in San Francisco Bay, California. However, some changes have occurred during this year's evaluation of the project. Hydroacoustic monitoring data has led to changes in source levels and other noise generating criteria that affect Level A and Level B harassment and shutdown zones. The local abundance for one population has increased. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS is also requesting comments on a possible 1 year renewal IHA that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorizations and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

NMFS is closing the directed fishery for Management Area 3. This closure is required because NMFS projects 98 percent of the catch allotted to Management Area 3 has been caught. This action is intended to prevent or limit the overharvest of Atlantic herring in Management Area 3, which would result in additional quota reductions next year.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (NPFMC) Ecosystem Committee will meet April 20, 2021.

The Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel (AP) April 21-23, 2021.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a meeting of the Outreach and Communications Advisory Panel via webinar to address upcoming outreach and communications topics.

NMFS is implementing management measures described in Regulatory Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). The final rule will create 34 special management zones (SMZs) around artificial reefs in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off North Carolina and South Carolina. The purpose of the final rule is to designate new SMZs and to restrict fishing gear with greater potential to result in high exploitation rates. The restrictions are expected to reduce potentially adverse effects to snapper-grouper species and enhance recreational fishing opportunities at these SMZs.

This rule approves and implements the 2021-2023 Atlantic herring fishery specifications and management measures. Framework Adjustment 8 is required to set the specifications for 2021-2023 and adjusts measures in the herring fishery to allow greater opportunity to catch Atlantic mackerel. The specifications and management measures are intended to meet conservation objectives while providing vessels with sustainable levels of access to the fishery.