National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Marine Fisheries Service will hold a series of in-person workshops on November 2 and November 3, 2022.

Notice is hereby given that Wildstar Films Ltd., Embassy House, Queens Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1SB, UK (Responsible Party: Jennie Hammond), has applied in due form for a permit to conduct commercial or educational photography on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae; Hawaii distinct population segment).

The MAFMC will hold a public meeting regarding a video-based boat count project being conducted at the Ocean City, MD inlet.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC's) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee (MC) will hold a public meeting.

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.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has made determinations on 12 resource management plans in the form of joint tribal and state Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs) that were submitted in three bundles (Lake Washington HGMPs, Hood Canal HGMPs, and Hood River HGMPs) and four state HGMPs (Mid-Columbia HGMPs). NMFS also announces its issuance of Final Environmental Assessments (FEAs) and Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSIs) for the 11 hatchery programs in Mid- Columbia River, Hood River, and Lake Washington.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Charter Halibut Management Committee will meet October 21, 2022.

The SEDAR Procedural Workshop 8 for Fishery Independent Index Development will consist of a series of webinars, and an in-person workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

This final action will modify Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) bluefin tuna (bluefin) management measures applicable to the incidental and directed bluefin fisheries through an amendment to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan (2006 Consolidated HMS FMP). Specifically, this rule will change several aspects of the Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) Program, including the distribution of IBQ shares to active vessels only, implementation of a cap on IBQ shares that may be held by an entity, and implementation of a cost recovery program. This rule will also modify bluefin fisheries by discontinuing the Purse Seine category and reallocating that bluefin quota to all of the other bluefin quota categories; capping Harpoon category daily bluefin landings; modifying the recreational trophy bluefin areas and subquotas; modifying regulations regarding electronic monitoring of the pelagic longline fishery as well as green-stick use; and modifying the regulation regarding permit category changes.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the annual 2022 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 610 in the GOA.

This final rule creates a Federal requirement for certain vessels in the Pacific Coast Groundfish fishery target fishing for groundfish with non-trawl gear in Federal waters seaward of California, Oregon, and Washington, to complete and submit a non-trawl logbook to NMFS via an electronic application. Specifically, this non-trawl logbook requirement applies to vessels participating in the directed open access and limited entry fixed gear sectors, as well as those vessels that fish with non-trawl gear in the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota Program. The intent of this requirement is to collect valuable fishery-dependent information in non- trawl sectors with partial observer coverage, which will help better inform management of these fisheries.

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.

This final rule announces routine inseason adjustments to management measures in commercial groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to allow commercial fishing vessels to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.

The NMFS Seafood Inspection Program is notifying program participants of a revised fee schedule.

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 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). The meeting will be a hybrid meeting open to the public offering both in-person and virtual options for participation.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a half-day webinar meeting of its Groundfish Management Team (GMT) to initiate discussions and analyses on groundfish items on the Pacific Council's November 2022 meeting agenda. This meeting is open to the public.

NMFS adjusts the 2022 Winter II commercial scup quota and per- trip Federal landing limit. This action is necessary to comply with regulations implementing 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 has received a request from the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to a geophysical survey in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. 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-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.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management, will hold a public meeting to solicit comments on the performance evaluation of the Ohio Coastal Management Program.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Sustainable Fisheries will host a hybrid meeting of the Council Coordination Committee, also known as the CCC, consisting of the Regional Fishery Management Council chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors from October 18 to October 20, 2022. This meeting will be chaired by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The intent of this meeting is to discuss issues of relevance to the Councils and NMFS, including issues related to the implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act.

In preparation for an intersessional meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) on management strategy evaluation (MSE) for Atlantic bluefin tuna, the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to ICCAT is announcing the convening of a special fall meeting.