National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration September 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that the University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602 (Responsible Party: Dale Greene, Ph.D.) has requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 23096.

NMFS issued an amended experimental fishing permit (EFP) to the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) on September 20, 2023 to evaluate the risk of seabird interactions in the Hawaii shallow-set longline fishery when setting fishing gear 1 hour before and 1 hour after local sunset and using tori lines instead of required blue-dyed bait and strategic offal discharge as seabird mitigation measures. The intent of the EFP is to conduct a preliminary evaluation of potential alternative effective methods of discouraging seabird interactions while providing operational flexibility during setting in the shallow-set longline fishery. The amendment will extend the expiration date to August 24, 2024 and modify the list of vessels authorized under the EFP. All other terms and conditions of the EFP are unchanged. The amended EFP invalidates and replaces the EFP issued by NMFS to HLA on January 24, 2023.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) and its advisory bodies will meet November 1-8, 2023 in Garden Grove, California and via webinar. The Council meeting will be live streamed with the opportunity to provide public comment remotely.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a joint meeting of its Citizen Science Operations Committee and Citizen Science Projects Advisory Committee via webinar October 27, 2023.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a hybrid 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.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel on November 6-7, 2023, and a meeting of the Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel on November 7- 8, 2023.

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

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.

Notice is hereby given that Point Blue Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive No. 11, Petaluma, CA 94954, (Responsible Party: Grant Ballard, Ph.D.), has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on five species of pinnipeds.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a one day in-person meeting of its Shrimp Advisory Panel (AP).

The SEDAR 82 assessment of the South Atlantic stock of gray triggerfish will consist of a data workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a review workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve to the initial total allowable catch (ITAC) of Bering Sea (BS) Pacific ocean perch, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Kamchatka flounder, BSAI northern rockfish, BSAI sharks, and Central Aleutian Islands and Western Aleutian Islands (CAI/WAI) blackspotted/rougheye rockfish. This action is necessary to allow the fisheries to continue operating. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the BSAI management area.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2023 total allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The Groundfish and Economics Subcommittees of the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will convene an online meeting to review the non-trawl commercial fishery sablefish trip limit model used by the Pacific Council's Groundfish Management Team (GMT). The methodology review meeting is open to the public.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will hold a weeklong online work session that is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to prepare materials for the 2025-2026 harvest specifications and management measures and discuss other items on the Pacific Council's November 2023 meeting agenda.

This action proposes to implement the New England Fishery Management Council's Framework Adjustment that would identify a Habitat Area of Particular Concern offshore of Southern New England. This rule would adjust the following fishery management plans: Northeast Multispecies; Atlantic Sea Scallop; Monkfish; Northeast Skate Complex; and Atlantic Herring. The proposed Habitat Area of Particular Concern would be within and around wind lease areas in Southern New England, including Cox Ledge, to focus conservation recommendations on cod spawning habitats and complex benthic habitats that are known to serve important habitat functions to Council-managed fishery species.

NMFS announces eight inseason actions for the 2023-2024 ocean salmon fishing season. These inseason actions modify the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the U.S./Canada border to Cape Falcon, Oregon.

NMFS has received a request from the Port of Bellingham for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the maintenance and rehabilitation of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal in Bellingham, WA. 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, 1-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 authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel (AP) in Charleston, SC.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) will convene a joint meeting of the Salmon Technical Team (STT) and the Scientific and Statistical Committee's Salmon Subcommittee (SSC-SC). The Model Evaluation Workgroup may also contribute and participate in this meeting.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for commercial Spanish mackerel in the northern zone of the Atlantic exclusive economic zone (EEZ). NMFS projects that the commercial quota for Spanish mackerel in the northern zone of the Atlantic EEZ has been reached. Therefore, NMFS closes the northern zone for commercial harvest of Spanish mackerel to protect the Spanish mackerel resource in the Atlantic.

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.

NMFS has received a request from Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC (Atlantic Shores), a joint venture between EDF-RE Offshore Development LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of EDF Renewables, Inc.) and Shell New Energies US LLC, for Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and associated Letters of Authorization (LOAs) pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The requested regulations would govern the authorization of take, by Level A harassment and Level B harassment, of small numbers of marine mammals over the course of 5 years (2025-2029) incidental to the construction of Atlantic Shores South located offshore of New Jersey within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Area OCS- A 0499 (Lease Area) and associated ECCs (ECR Area). Atlantic Shores South would be divided into two projects: Project 1 and Project 2 (the combined hereafter referred to as the ``Project Area'') and Atlantic Shores has requested a 5-year LOA for each Project, both issued under these proposed regulations. Atlantic Shores' activities likely to result in incidental take include impact and vibratory pile driving and site assessment surveys using high-resolution geophysical (HRG) equipment within the Lease Area and Export Cable Corridor (ECC). NMFS requests comments on its proposed rule. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the promulgation of the requested ITR and issuance of the LOA; agency responses to public comments will be summarized in the final rule documenting our decision.