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

NMFS is transferring 10.8 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the Harpoon category. With this transfer, the adjusted Harpoon category quota for the 2024 fishing season is 70 mt. The 2024 Harpoon category fishery is open until November 15, 2024, or until the Harpoon category quota is reached, whichever comes first. This action is intended to provide further harvest opportunities for Harpoon category fishermen, based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments and applies to Atlantic Tunas Harpoon category (commercial) permitted vessels.

NMFS received a request from Invenergy Wind Offshore, LLC (IWO) for the renewal of their currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) (hereinafter, the "initial IHA") to take marine mammals incidental to marine site characterization surveys in the New York Bight, specifically 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 0542 (Lease Area) and associated Export Cable Route (ECR) survey area (ECR Area) . IWO's specified activities are identical to those included in the initial IHA. The initial IHA expires on July 30, 2024. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to issuing the initial IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. The renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed renewal not previously provided during the initial 30-day comment period.

Notice is hereby given that the Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 SE Ferry Slip Rd., Newport, Oregon 97365 (Responsible Party: James Burke), has applied in due form for a permit to import up to six Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) for public display.

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 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 announces that the Area I, Area II, and New York Bight Scallop Access Areas are closed to Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the remainder of the 2024 fishing year. Regulations require this action once it is projected that 100 percent of trips allocated to the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the Area I, Area II, and New York Bight Scallop Access Areas will be taken. This action is intended to prevent the number of trips in the Area I, Area II, and New York Bight Scallop Access Areas from exceeding what is allowed under the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan.

Notice is hereby given that permits or permit amendments have been issued to the following entities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as applicable.

The Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs (CRSRA) division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Office of Space Commerce will hold a virtual listening session for the regulated community and the public to provide input on regulations regarding Licensing of Private Remote Sensing Space Systems, and implementing practices. During the session, the regulated community and the public may express their thoughts about any challenges or concerns experienced by the regulated community stakeholders in understanding or meeting the requirements of the regulations. Representatives from CRSRA will be present during the listening session and may ask clarifying questions, but will not discuss or address the merits of any comments provided.

We, NMFS, announce the extension of the public comment period on our May 14, 2024, proposed rule to issue protective regulations under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the conservation of the threatened oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus). As part of that proposed action, we solicited comment on the proposed rule, a draft environmental assessment (EA), and an initial regulatory flexibility analysis (IRFA) over a 60-day period, to end on July 15, 2024. Today, we extend the public comment period by 60 days to September 15, 2024, and announce that we will be holding one or more public hearings on the proposed rule. Comments previously submitted do not need to be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in the agency's proposed action.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a two-day in-person meeting of its Standing, Reef Fish, Socioeconomic, and Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management, will hold an in-person public meeting to solicit input on the performance evaluation of the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. NOAA also invites the public to submit written comments.

Notice is hereby given that the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) has been issued a permit for the incidental take of shortnose (Acipenser brevirostrum) and Atlantic sturgeon (A. oxyrinchus) associated with the otherwise lawful commercial shad fishery in Georgia.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Bluefish Monitoring Committee will hold a public webinar meeting.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is holding a hybrid meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 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 Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene an online meeting of its Ad Hoc Equity and Environmental Justice Committee (EEJC) to discuss the NMFS Equity and Environmental Justice (EEJ) Strategy Regional Implementation Plan (Regional Plan). This meeting is open to the public.

The SEDAR Steering Committee will meet to discuss the SEDAR stock assessment process and assessment schedule. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold two virtual public hearings pertaining to Regulatory Amendment 36 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. This amendment considers revisions to the recreational vessel limits for gag and black grouper and stowage requirements for black sea bass pots equipped with on-demand gear while transiting closed areas.

NMFS 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 at the Chain Transform Fault in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. 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 NMFS Assistant Administrator (Assistant Administrator) has completed an affirmative finding annual renewal for the Governments of Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Spain (referred to hereafter as "The Nations") under the portions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) related to the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) tuna purse seine fishery and the importation of yellowfin tuna from nations participating in this fishery. These affirmative findings will continue to allow the importation into the United States of yellowfin tuna and yellowfin tuna products harvested in the ETP for 1 year, in compliance with the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP), by purse seine vessels operating under The Nations' jurisdiction or exported from The Nations. NMFS bases the affirmative finding annual renewals on reviews of documentary evidence submitted by the Governments of The Nations and of information obtained from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

We, NMFS, are delaying the effective date of terminal gear requirements that amend the Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan (PLTRP) regulations in a final rule that published on June 6, 2023.

Notice is hereby given of a hybrid meeting of the U. S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS[supreg]) Advisory Committee (Committee). The meeting is open to the public and an opportunity for oral and written comments will be provided.

NMFS is issuing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act (TCA) of 1950, as amended, to implement Resolutions C-23-07 (Conservation Measures for the Protection and Sustainable Management of Sharks) and C-23-11 (On the Establishment of a Vessel Monitoring System) adopted by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) at its meeting in August 2023 in Victoria, Canada. This final rule implements provisions of these Resolutions and requires U.S. longline vessels fishing for tuna or tuna-like species in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) to release incidentally caught sharks by leaving them in the water and cutting the branchline so that less than 1 meter remains on each animal. The final rule also requires large vessels fishing for tuna or tuna-like species in the EPO to make manual reports every six hours in the event of a malfunctioning vessel monitoring system (VMS) unit. This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring a portion of its 2024 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This adjustment to the 2024 fishing year quota is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2024 commercial quotas for Virginia and Massachusetts.

We, NMFS, announce the extension of the public comment period on our May 24, 2024, 90-day finding on a petition to list Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), or any evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) that may exist in the petitioned area, as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As part of that finding, we solicited scientific and commercial information about the status of this population and announced a 60-day public comment period to end on July 23, 2024. Today, we extend the public comment period by 45 days until September 6, 2024.