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

The SEDAR 77 assessment of the Atlantic stock of hammerhead sharks will consist of a stock identification (ID) process, data webinars/workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a review workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Salmon Technical Team (STT) will host a joint online meeting with the Salmon Subcommittee of the Scientific and Statistical Committee and the Model Evaluation Workgroup. The meeting is open to the public.

Notice is hereby given that the NMFS NEFSC (Responsible Party: Jon Hare, Ph.D.), 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026, has applied in due form for a permit to take Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

NMFS has received a request from the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to conducting estuary management activities in the Russian River, CA, over the course of five years. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is announcing receipt of SCWA's request for the development and implementation of regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals. NMFS invites the public to provide information, suggestions, and comments on SCWA's application and request.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been re-issued to bp Exploration & Production Inc. (bp) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

We, NMFS, establish a regulation under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to prohibit swimming with and approaching a Hawaiian spinner dolphin within 50 yards (45.7 meters (m)) (for persons, vessels, and objects), including approach by interception. These regulatory measures are intended to prevent take of Hawaiian spinner dolphins from occurring in marine areas where viewing pressures are most prevalent; the swim-with and approach prohibitions apply in waters within 2 nautical miles (nmi; 3.7 kilometers (km)) of the Hawaiian Islands and in designated waters bounded by the islands of L[amacr]na`i, Maui, and Kaho`olawe. Although unauthorized take of marine mammals, including harassment of spinner dolphins, already is and continues to be prohibited under the MMPA throughout their range, the purpose of this regulation is to identify and prohibit specific human activities that result in take (including harassment) of Hawaiian spinner dolphins, and thus reduce disturbance and disruption of important Hawaiian spinner dolphin behaviors in areas where human- dolphin interactions are most likely to occur. This regulation is expected to reduce take of Hawaiian spinner dolphins and the impact of human viewing and interaction on these animals in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI).

National Marine Fisheries Service, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, is seeking nominations for the General Advisory Committee (GAC) to the U.S. delegation to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC or Commission), as well as to a Scientific Advisory Subcommittee (SAS) of the GAC. The purpose of the GAC and its SAS is to provide public input and advice to the U.S. delegation to aid in the formulation of policy and positions for meetings of the IATTC and its subsidiary bodies. The SAS shall also function as the National Scientific Advisory Committee provided for in the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program.

NMFS adjusts the 2021 Winter II commercial scup quota and per- trip Federal landing limit. This action is necessary to comply with Framework Adjustment 3 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan that established the rollover of unused commercial scup quota from the Winter I to Winter II period. This notification is intended to inform the public of this quota and trip limit change.

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of New Jersey are transferring a portion of their 2021 commercial bluefish quota to the states of New York and North Carolina, respectively. These quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial bluefish quotas for Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and New York.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a webinar workshop to demonstrate electronic vessel trip reporting (eVTR) through an approved software application in preparation for required commercial electronic reporting.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) will hold an online meeting that is not open to the public.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Southern Oregon Northern California Coast (SONCC) Coho Workgroup (Workgroup) will host an online meeting that is open to the public.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will host a presentation on Tuna Management Strategy Evaluation via webinar October 12, 2021.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of a request for extension of a currently approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

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 California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during restoration activity associated with the Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project, Phase III, in Monterey Bay, California.

NMFS has approved an additional company to provide Northeast multispecies sector electronic monitoring services in fishing years 2021 and 2022. Regulations implementing the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan require at-sea and electronic monitoring companies to apply to, and be approved by, NMFS in order to be eligible to provide monitoring services to sectors. This action will allow sectors to contract for at-sea and electronic monitoring services with any of the approved service providers for fishing years 2021 and 2022.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod, except for the Community Development Quota program (CDQ), in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the non-CDQ allocation of the 2021 Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) in the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI.

NMFS announces that the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area is closed to Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the remainder of the 2021 fishing year. Regulations require this action once it is projected that 100 percent of trips allocated to the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area will be taken. This action is intended to prevent the number of trips in the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area from exceeding what is allowed under the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) applicable to all harvest of species in the mid-water snapper stock complex, consisting of silk snapper, queen snapper, blackfin snapper, and wenchman in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone (EEZ). NMFS determined that combined commercial and recreational landings of the species in the mid-water snapper complex in the 2021 fishing year have exceeded the annual catch limit (ACL). Therefore, NMFS closes the Gulf EEZ to all harvest of species in the mid-water snapper complex on September 18, 2021, for the remainder of the 2021 fishing year. This closure is necessary to protect the species in the mid-water snapper complex.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold eight in-person public hearings and one webinar to solicit public comments on Coastal Migratory Pelagics (CMP) Amendment 32 Modifications to the Gulf of Mexico Migratory Group Cobia Catch Limits, Possession Limits, Size Limits, and Framework Procedure.