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

NMFS announces a closure for the 2023 fishing season for the red snapper private angling component in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Texas in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The red snapper recreational private angling component in the Gulf EEZ off Texas closes on September 2, 2023 until 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2024. This closure is necessary to prevent the private angling component from exceeding the Texas regional management area annual catch limit (ACL) and to prevent overfishing of the Gulf red snapper resource.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2023 total allowable catch of Pacific cod allocated to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear in the BSAI.

We, NMFS, are issuing a proposed rule to change the status of pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) on the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species from threatened to endangered as recommended in the recent 5-year review of the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. We propose this action based on population declines and susceptibility to a recently emerged coral disease.

NMFS announces that the State of New Jersey is transferring a portion of its 2023 commercial bluefish quota to the States of North Carolina and Rhode Island. These adjustments to the 2023 fishing year quotas are necessary to comply with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2023 commercial bluefish quotas for New Jersey, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Office of Coast Survey (OCS) requests public comment from all interested parties on a draft of the newly-revised Hydrographic Survey Specifications and Deliverables document (HSSD). The HSSD has been rewritten to be more forward looking with respect to new and developing technologies, best facilitate the use of automated tools, and better integrate with the S-100 based products and the National Bathymetric Source (NBS), which is the OCS database for best-available bathymetry. Additionally, the revised HSSD will better accommodate the increasing amounts of hydrographic data obtained from external sources, with metadata tags to denote data quality and universal data licenses to define terms of use, which will result in more streamlined, standardized workflows. Numerous subject matter experts collaborated to modernize the HSSD so that it best supports OCS as a data-driven organization.

Free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in October, November, and December of 2023. Certain fishermen and shark dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory requirements and to maintain valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all federally permitted Atlantic shark dealers. The Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop is mandatory for vessel owners and operators who use bottom longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear, and who have also been issued shark or swordfish limited access permits. Additional free workshops will be conducted in 2024 and will be announced in a future notice. In addition, NMFS has implemented online recertification workshops for persons who have already taken an in-person training.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC) Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Advisory Panel and Committee will hold a meeting. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for agenda details.

We, NMFS, designate and authorize the release of nonessential experimental populations (NEPs or experimental populations) of Sacramento River (SR) winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Central Valley (CV) spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) in the McCloud and Upper Sacramento Rivers upstream of Shasta Dam (the NEP Area), California, and, under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), establish a limited set of take exceptions for the experimental populations. Successful reintroduction of populations within the species' historical ranges will contribute to viability and further conservation of these species. The issuance of limited protective regulations for the conservation of these species will provide assurances regarding the regulatory provisions of the ESA as they apply to SR winter-run and CV spring-run Chinook salmon to the people in the Upper Sacramento River and McCloud River watersheds. This final rule also announces the availability of a final environmental assessment (EA) that analyzed the environmental impacts of promulgating the experimental population rule and associated take exceptions.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Monkfish Committee 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 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold a meeting.

NMFS is implementing regulation changes to integrate the vessel reporting requirements for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries with the reporting requirements for all other commercial fisheries in the Greater Atlantic Region. These changes are intended to simplify the regulations and make it easier for surfclam and ocean quahog vessel operators to submit the required fishing trip reports electronically. This action will result in improved administration and management of the surfclam and ocean quahog 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.

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 issued to ExxonMobil Corporation (ExxonMobil) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

Notice is hereby given that the Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce approves the revised management plan for the He`eia National Estuarine Research Reserve in Hawai`i. In accordance with the Coastal Zone Management Act and its implementing regulations. The University of Hawai`i Institute of Marine Biology revised the reserve's management plan, which replaces the management plan previously approved in 2016.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of the following: Mackerel Cobia Committee, Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management (Habitat) Committee, Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Committee, and the Snapper Grouper Committee. The meeting week will also include a formal public comment session and a meeting of the Full Council.

On August 8, 2023, NMFS published a final rule to implement Amendment 122 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP). The final rule included an incorrect cross reference and inadvertently left out two footnotes in a table. This correction fixes these errors.

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 before the Department submits the information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 18 scientific research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon, rockfish, and eulachon. NMFS has also received one permit application to enhance the propagation and survival of one listed salmonid species (Snake River steelhead). The proposed activities in all permits are intended to increase knowledge of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management and conservation efforts.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from vessels using jig gear, trawl catcher vessels, and catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the 2023 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) on September 7, 2023. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a webinar meeting of the Salmon Technical Team (STT) to discuss items on the Pacific Council's September meeting agenda as detailed in the Supplementary Information section below. This meeting is open to the public.

NMFS has received a request from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (L-DEO) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to a marine geophysical survey. 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.

This action approves and implements Framework Adjustment 65 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. This rule revises the rebuilding plan for Gulf of Maine cod, sets catch limits for 16 of the 20 multispecies (groundfish) stocks, and makes a temporary modification to the accountability measures for Georges Bank cod. This action also corrects erroneous regulations and removes outdated regulations. This action also implements an emergency action to set fishing year 2023 catch limits for Gulf of Maine haddock. This action is necessary to respond to updated scientific information and to achieve the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan. The measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, achieve optimum yield, and ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available. The emergency action is necessary to avoid a potential shut-down of the groundfish fishery in the Gulf of Maine in fishing year 2023, while still preventing overfishing for Gulf of Maine haddock.