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

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council submitted Amendment 32 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, Amendment 32 would: create a new type of Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Area that prohibits fishing with non-trawl bottom contact gear for all groundfish fisheries and the non-tribal directed commercial halibut fishery; remove the Cowcod Conservation Area seaward of California for commercial and recreational groundfish non-trawl fisheries; create and authorize the use of Groundfish Exclusion Areas as a new type of Groundfish Conservation Area; authorize the use of Block Area Closures for groundfish non-trawl fisheries, and make necessary administrative changes to relevant sections of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. Altogether, these changes are anticipated to provide additional fishing opportunity to groundfish non-trawl fishery sectors while continuing to protect rebuilding yelloweye rockfish and mitigating fishing impacts to sensitive areas.

On May 5, 2023, NMFS published a proposed rule for Amendment 15 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) on spatial fisheries management and electronic monitoring cost allocation. On May 8, 2023, NMFS published a notice of intent for scoping of Amendment 16 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP on shark management. In both actions, NMFS announced several public hearings and webinars to provide the opportunity for public comment. This notice announces that NMFS is adding a public hearing for both Amendment 15 and Amendment 16 based on public interest.

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 Puerto Rico Coastal Management Program. NOAA also invites the public to submit written comments.

NMFS closes the Harpoon category fishery for large medium and giant (i.e., measuring 73 inches (185 cm) curved fork length (CFL) or greater) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for the remainder of the 2023 fishing year. This closure applies to Atlantic Tunas Harpoon category permitted vessels.

The SEDAR 77 assessment of the Atlantic stock of hammerhead sharks will consist of a stock identification (ID) process, data webinars/workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a review workshop. A SEDAR 77 Review Workshop has been scheduled in person for August 28 through September 1, 2023. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS is closing the directed longfin squid fishery through the remainder of 2023 Trimester II (May 1-August 31, 2023). This closure is required by regulation because NMFS projects that 90 percent of the longfin squid Trimester II quota will be caught by the effective date. This action is necessary to comply with the regulations implementing the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan and is intended to prevent overharvest of longfin squid.

Notice is hereby given that Tamara McGuire, Ph.D., 310 W 123rd Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99515, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on the endangered Cook Inlet distinct population segment (DPS) of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas).

NMFS announces a public meeting of the Permanent Advisory Committee (PAC) to advise the U.S. Commissioners to the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC) on October 2-3, 2023. Meeting topics are provided under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

At the request of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), this document announces a control date of August 1, 2023, that may be used to determine future participation in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Pacific cod fishery by license limitation program (LLP) license holders, vessel owners and vessel operators of catcher/processors (C/Ps), and vessel owners and vessel operators of catcher vessels (C/Vs) greater than or equal to 60 ft (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA), who participate in Federal groundfish fisheries with pot gear in the BSAI. This document is necessary to inform interested parties that the Council is considering a future action that may affect or limit the number of participants in this fishery and that participants should locate and preserve all fishing related documents. This control date corresponds to the date of publication of this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR). This document provides notice to the public that any person participating in the applicable sector after the control date may not receive continued access to this fishery under a future management action. This document is intended to discourage speculative entry or fishing activity in this fishery while the Council considers whether and how access to the fishery may be further limited under a future management action.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council, Council) will convene webinar meetings of its Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team (CPSMT), Groundfish Advisory Subpanel (GAP), and Groundfish Management Team (GMT) to discuss items on the Pacific Council's September Council meeting agenda as detailed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. These meetings are open to the public.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public hybrid meeting of its Risk Policy Working Group (RPWG) to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This meeting will be held in-person with a webinar option. Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

On December 23, 2022, the President signed into law the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 2023 NDAA). Pursuant to the FY 2023 NDAA, this final rule establishes shore leave regulations for NOAA's professional mariners and authorizes payment of the difference between a NOAA professional mariner's temporary and permanent rates of pay for annual leave accrued while temporarily promoted. This final rule also makes clerical amendments to create a new subchapter specific to NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations.

The SEDAR 79 assessment process of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic mutton snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Groundfish Subcommittee of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold two online meetings to review 2023 groundfish stock assessments. These online meetings are open to the public.

NMFS approves and implements the 2023-2025 specifications for the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. This action sets the 2023-2025 chub mackerel specifications, the 2023-2024 butterfish specifications, and the 2023 Illex squid specifications. This action also reaffirms the 2023 longfin squid specifications.

NMFS proposes regulatory amendments that would apply to Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program participants and electronic monitoring (EM) service providers that participate in the EM program. This rulemaking proposes to modify submission deadlines in Federal regulations specific to vessel feedback reports, summary reports, and logbook submissions by EM service providers. In addition, this rulemaking proposes to clarify regulations on how EM discard data should be estimated via the video review process. This action is necessary because the current regulatory deadlines for EM service providers may be too restrictive. This action is expected to provide more flexibility, while still meeting the data collection and data quality requirements of the EM program. This action would also update and revise obsolete regulations, correct terminology, correct web addresses, and remove obsolete administrative requirements in the Pacific groundfish fishery. Some aspects of this action remove duplicative requirements for mail notifications or mail-based record- keeping and reporting, which are also undertaken electronically. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many administrative notifications and reporting requirements were moved to electronic methods; this action would revise the regulations to be consistent with current practice. This action is intended to support the overarching goal to continually monitor the Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program for compliance with existing regulations in an economical and flexible manner while meeting the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act; MSA), the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, and other applicable laws.

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 2023 fishing season is 70 mt. The 2023 Harpoon category fishery is open until November 15, 2023, or until the Harpoon category quota is reached, whichever comes first. This action is intended to provide further 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 issues this final rule to revise regulations for the commercial individual fishing quota (IFQ) Pacific halibut (halibut) fisheries for 2023 through 2027. This rule removes limits on the maximum amount of halibut IFQ that may be harvested by a vessel, commonly known as vessel use caps, in IFQ Regulatory Areas 4A (Eastern Aleutian Islands), 4B (Central and Western Aleutian Islands), 4C (Central Bering Sea), and 4D (Eastern Bering Sea). This action provides additional flexibility and stability to IFQ participants in Areas 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D while a longer term modification of vessel use caps is considered. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the IFQ Program, the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act), and other applicable laws.

NMFS received a request from Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Ferries Division for the renewal of their currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal Overhead Loading Replacement Project on Bainbridge Island, Washington within the Puget Sound. These activities consist of activities that are covered by the current authorization but will not be completed prior to its expiration. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to issuing the currently active 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.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting via webinar of its Snapper Grouper Recreational Permitting and Reporting Technical Advisory Panel (AP) to discuss permitting and education alternatives for the private recreational component of the snapper grouper fishery.

The New England Fishery Management Council is convening its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 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.

We, NMFS, propose to designate critical habitat for the Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei) by designating waters from the 100 meter (m) isobath to the 400 m isobath in the Gulf of Mexico (GOMx), pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have considered economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the proposed designation. We are not excluding any particular area from the critical habitat designation. We seek comments on all aspects of the proposed critical habitat designation and will consider information received before issuing a final designation.

NMFS has received a request from the United States Navy for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Mole Pier South Berth Floating Dry Dock Project in San Diego Bay. 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, one-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 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a four-day meeting to consider actions affecting the Gulf of Mexico fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) will hold an online meeting, which is open to the public.