National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration October 5, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England Fishery Management Council's 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.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) through this temporary rule for commercial harvest of king mackerel in the southern zone of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) using run-around gillnet gear. NMFS has determined that landings of king mackerel harvested by run- around gillnet gear in the southern zone of the Gulf EEZ exceeded the commercial annual catch limit (ACL), equivalent to the commercial quota, in the 2020-2021 fishing year. Therefore, NMFS reduces the southern zone commercial ACL for king mackerel fishing using run-around gillnet gear in the Gulf EEZ during the 2021-2022 fishing year. This commercial ACL reduction is necessary to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource.

NMFS has received a request from the Carnival Corporation & PLC (Carnival) for the re-issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the only change being effective dates. The initial IHA authorized take of five species of marine mammals, by Level A and Level B harassment, incidental to construction associated with the Port of Long Beach Cruise Terminal Improvement Project in Port of Long Beach, California. The project has been delayed and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The initial IHA was effective from November 19, 2019, through November 18, 2020, and was re-issued with new effective dates of December 10, 2020 through December 9, 2021. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. NMFS is, therefore, issuing a third identical IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.

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 State of Rhode Island and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 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, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an IHA to the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during oceanographic research activities associated with the Arctic Research Activities (Year 4) in the Beaufort and eastern Chukchi Seas. The Navy's activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (NDAA).

Notice is hereby given that Jennifer Burns, Ph.D., Texas Tech University, Biology Department, 2901 Main Street Lubbock, TX 79409-3131 has applied in due form for a permit to import and export specimens of gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) for scientific research.

NMFS proposes to approve and implement through regulations measures included in Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which the New England Fishery Management Council adopted and submitted to NMFS for approval. This action would allow for more controlled access to the scallop resource by the limited access and limited access general category fleets and increase monitoring to a growing directed scallop fishery in Federal waters, including the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area. These proposed management measures are intended to promote conservation of the scallop resource in the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area and to manage total removals from the area by all fishery components. Amendment 21 would also expand flexibility in the limited access general category individual fishing quota fishery to reduce impacts of potential decreases in ex-vessel price and increases in operating costs.