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

NMFS has received a request from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) for activities that were not conducted under an existing IHA. NMFS previously issued an IHA to ADOT&PF to incidentally take seven species of marine mammal, by Level A and Level B harassment, during construction activities associated with the Gustavus Ferry Terminal Improvements project in Gustavus, Alaska. The IHA, issued on April 4, 2017 (82 FR 17209; April 10, 2017), is valid from December 15, 2017 through December 14, 2018. However, ADOT&PF was unable to conduct any of the work and, therefore, has requested that NMFS re-issue the IHA with the dates changed to accommodate the analyzed work with minor modifications to the number of piles driven. The proposed IHA would authorize work for the ferry improvements project between December 15, 2018 and December 14, 2019. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on the proposed issuance of an IHA to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. Take numbers would be the same as authorized previously, and the mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements would remain the same as authorized for the 2017-2018 IHA referenced above.

NMFS is soliciting nominations to the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) as established by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA). NMFS is also soliciting nominations for Technical Advisors to the Advisory Committee's species working groups.

NMFS announces that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) proposes to amend the Fishery Ecosystem Plans (FEP) for American Samoa, the Mariana Archipelago, and Hawaii. Amendment 4 to the American Samoa FEP, Amendment 5 to the Marianas FEP, and Amendment 5 to the Hawaii FEP would reclassify certain management unit species as ecosystem component species. The intent of these amendments is to focus management efforts on species that are in need of conservation and management, and improve efficiency of fishery management in the region.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion) for the take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to high-resolution geophysical (HRG) surveys associated with unexploded ordnance investigation activities off the coast of Virginia in the area of the Research Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Virginia (OCS-A 0497) and coastal waters where one or more cable route corridors will be established (the Survey Area).

NMFS is transferring 30 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 2018 fishing season is 68.6 mt. The 2018 Harpoon category fishery is open until November 15, 2018, or until the Harpoon category quota is reached, whichever comes first. The action is based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments, and applies to Atlantic tunas Harpoon category (commercial) permitted vessels.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) will hold a meeting via webinar, which is open to the public.

The Acting Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This Exempted Fishing Permit would allow four commercial fishing vessels, directed by Coonamessett Farm Foundation, to be exempt from Atlantic sea scallop regulations for the purpose of bycatch reduction research. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has found that the following stocks are overfished or subject to overfishing. Klamath River fall-run Chinook salmon, Queets coho salmon, Juan de Fuca coho salmon, Snohomish coho salmon, and Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon are now overfished. Upper Columbia River summer-run Chinook salmon is now subject to overfishing. Thorny skate and the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico stock of sandbar shark are still overfished. The Gulf of Maine/Cape Hatteras Atlantic mackerel stock is now both overfished and subject to overfishing. NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, notifies the appropriate fishery management council (Council) whenever it determines that overfishing is occurring, a stock is in an overfished condition or a stock is approaching an overfished condition.

Notice is hereby given that Aaron Roberts, Ph.D., University of North Texas, Biological Sciences, 1155 Union Circle, #310559, Denton, TX 76203, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 21217.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Whiting Advisory Panel and Committee on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 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 SEDAR 58 assessment of the Atlantic stock of Cobia will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: Data Workshop; Assessment Webinars; and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will convene a meeting via webinar to discuss items on the Pacific Council's September 2018 meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Ecosystem Committee will hold a teleconference on August 20, 2018.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the U.S. Navy (Navy) for the take, by Level B harassment only, of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), incidental to the Bravo Wharf Recapitalization Project at Bravo Wharf, Naval Station Mayport, Florida.

NMFS will hold a 2-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in September 2018. The intent of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public.

NMFS proposes to make administrative revisions to the renewal process for Federal vessel permits, licenses, and endorsements, and dealer permits (hereafter referred to collectively as permits) in the NMFS Southeast Region. This proposed rule would remove the regulatory requirement that NMFS must mail a renewal application to a permit holder (vessel or dealer) whose Federal permit is expiring. NMFS will continue to provide notice of the upcoming expiration date to the permit holder. This proposed rule would also remove the regulatory requirement that NMFS must notify an applicant of any deficiency in a renewal application only through sending a letter via traditional mail, such as through the U.S. Postal Service, which would allow NMFS expanded options for notifying permit holders. The purpose of this proposed rule is to reduce the administrative costs and burden to NMFS of renewing Federal permits, while still maintaining the needed information and services to the public.

The Acting Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an adjustment to increase the total weight of monkfish allowed to be harvested under the two existing exempted fishing permits issued for the 2017 monkfish research set-aside program warrants further consideration. This notice provides interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed change to these exempted fishing permits.

NMFS's Office of Protected Resources (OPR) has received a request from NMFS's Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to fisheries research conducted in multiple specified geographical regions, over the course of five years from the date of issuance. As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is proposing regulations to govern that take, and requests comments on the proposed regulations. 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.

NOAA, on behalf of its co-members of the Elliott Bay Trustee Council (Trustee Council), announce the release of the Lower Duwamish River Injury Assessment Plan, which sets forward the Trustee Council's approach for assessing natural resource damages at the Lower Duwamish River. The Injury Assessment Plan is one of the first steps in the natural resources damages assessment process, and is being released to the public in accordance with the applicable regulations. Through today's notice, NOAA is announcing: (1) The Trustees' plan to begin the assessment of natural resource damages for lost ecological and human use services resulting from releases of hazardous substances and oil to the Lower Duwamish River in Seattle, Washington; and (2) a provision of a 30-day period for public comment on the plan.