National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 30, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS issues this final rule to implement amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Off Alaska (Salmon FMP). Amendment 16 and this final rule establish Federal fishery management for all salmon fishing that occurs in the Cook Inlet EEZ, which includes commercial drift gillnet and recreational salmon fishery sectors. This action is necessary to comply with rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, and to ensure the Salmon FMP is consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). This final rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Salmon FMP, and other applicable laws.

NMFS will hold two in person public meetings and one webinar regarding Amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Off Alaska (Salmon FMP). Amendment 16 establishes Federal management for the salmon fishery in the Federal (i.e., EEZ) waters of upper Cook Inlet.

NMFS issues this proposed rule for the 2024 Pacific whiting fishery under the authority of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006 (Whiting Act), and other applicable laws. This proposed rule would establish the domestic 2024 harvest specifications for Pacific whiting including the 2024 tribal allocation for the Pacific whiting fishery, the non-tribal sector allocations, and set-asides for incidental mortality in research activities and non-groundfish fisheries. The proposed measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, achieve optimum yield, ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available, and provide for the implementation of tribal treaty fishing rights.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).

NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in Framework Amendment 2 to each of the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plans (FMPs). This final rule modifies annual catch limits (ACLs) for spiny lobster in the U.S. Caribbean exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John. The purpose of this final rule is to update management reference points for spiny lobster under the FMPs, consistent with the best scientific information available to prevent overfishing and achieve optimum yield (OY).

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee meeting will be held on May 17, 2024.

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. This notice pertains to a revision and extension of the approved collection of information for the Coral Reef Conservation Program. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.