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

Notice is hereby given that the NMFS Office of Protected Resources, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP; Responsible Party: Sarah Wilkin), 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research and enhancement on marine mammals.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management, will hold a public meeting to solicit comments on the performance evaluation of the Texas Coastal Management Program.

This document announces additional season dates for Pacific halibut recreational fisheries in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. Specifically, this action adds the following dates: the Washington Puget Sound subarea to open 7 days per week from August 11 through September 30; Washington North Coast subarea to open Thursday through Monday from August 11 through September 5, and 7 days per week from September 6 through September 30; Washington South Coast and Columbia River subareas to open August 19, 25, 28, September 3, 4, and 23; and Oregon Central Coast subarea to open every Thursday through Saturday from August 4 through October 31. This action is intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide angler opportunity where available.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management, will hold a public meeting to solicit comments on the performance evaluation of the Connecticut Coastal Management Program.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Survey Working Group (SSWG) 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.

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 Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (L-DEO) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during geophysical surveys in the Northeast Pacific Ocean.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a public hearing to obtain input on the Comprehensive Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) Control Rule Amendment, which affects the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic (Dolphin Wahoo FMP), the FMP for the Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Golden Crab FMP), and the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region.

In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS), and Consent Decree, the Federal and State natural resource trustee agencies for the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (Louisiana TIG) have approved the Final Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #8: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats (RP/EA #8) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). In the Final RP/EA #8, the Louisiana TIG selects for implementation four restoration projects to partially restore for injuries to wetlands, coastal and nearshore habitats in the Louisiana Restoration Area. The Federal Trustees of the Louisiana TIG have determined that the implementation of the Final RP/EA #8 is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the context of the NEPA. They have concluded a FONSI is appropriate, and, therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has made a final determination on the Hoopa Valley Tribe's Tribal Resource Management Plan (TRMP). The determination is pursuant to the limitation on take prohibitions for actions conducted under Tribal Resource Management Plans promulgated under the 4(d) Rule of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (Tribal 4(d) Rule). The TRMP specifies harvest, research, and monitoring activities for tribal fisheries affecting ESA-listed Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Coho Salmon in the portion of the Trinity River within the Hoopa Valley Reservation. As required by the Tribal 4(d) Rule, NMFS sought public comment on its pending determination prior to making a final determination.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) will hold an online meeting.

As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS has considered public comments for revisions of the 2021 marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs). This notice announces the availability of 50 final 2021 SARs that were updated and finalized.

NMFS approves and implements the measures included in Framework Adjustment 34 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan as adopted and submitted by the New England Fishery Management Council. Framework 34 establishes scallop specifications and other measures for fishing years 2022 and 2023. This action incorporates the new specifications-setting methodology and other changes developed in Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan into the fishing year 2022 specifications. In addition, Framework 34 implements measures to protect small scallops, promote scallop recruitment in the mid-Atlantic, and reduce bycatch of flatfish. This final rule addresses regulatory text that is unnecessary, outdated, or unclear. This action is necessary to prevent overfishing and improve both yield-per-recruit and the overall management of the Atlantic sea scallop resource.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/processors using hook-and-line (HAL) gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2022 Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) apportioned to catcher/processors using HAL gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its Social Science Planning Committee (SSPC), Archipelagic Plan Team (APT), and Fishery Data Collection and Research Committee Technical Committee for the Data Collection Subpanel (FDCRC-TC-DCSP) meetings to discuss and make recommendations on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

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 is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/processors using hook-and-line (HAL) gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2022 Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) apportioned to catcher/processors using HAL gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS proposes regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act (TCA) of 1950, as amended, to implement Resolution C-21-04 (Conservation Measures for Tropical Tunas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean During 2022- 2024) and Resolution C-21-06 (Conservation Measures for Shark Species, with Special Emphasis on the Silky Shark (Carcharhinus Falciformis), for the Years 2022 and 2023), which were adopted at the Resumed 98th Meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in October 2021. This proposed rule implements the C-21-04 fishing management measures for tropical tuna (i.e., bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)) in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). The fishing restrictions would apply to purse seine vessels of class sizes 4-6 (carrying capacity of 182 metric tons (mt) or greater) and longline vessels greater than 24 meters (m) in overall length that fish for tropical tuna in the EPO. To implement Resolution C-21-06, which extended the previous IATTC resolution on silky shark for 2 years, NMFS is proposing for existing regulations on silky shark to continue in effect with no proposed amendments. This proposed rule is necessary for the conservation of tropical tuna stocks and silky shark in the EPO and for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.

NMFS issues regulations under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Tuna Conventions Act (TCA) of 1950, as amended, to allow NMFS to issue temporary exemptions from purse seine observer requirements in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) in accordance with procedures adopted by Parties to the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP) and members of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). This final rule is necessary for the continuity of fishing activities for large U.S. purse seine vessels and 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 2022 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of New Jersey. This adjustment to the 2022 fishing year quota is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2022 commercial quotas for Virginia and New Jersey.

In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the General Services Administration (GSA) rule on Federal Advisory Committee Management, and after consultation with GSA, the Secretary of Commerce has determined that the renewal of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) is in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the Department by law. ACCRES was last renewed on March 6, 2020.

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Office, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issues this final rule to change the name for ``Regional Information Coordination Entities (RICEs)'' to ``Regional Coastal Observing Systems.'' This rule has no substantive effect.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold a two-day public hybrid meeting to address the items contained in the tentative agenda included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

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 has received a request from Orsted Wind Power North America, LLC, (Orsted) on behalf of Garden State Offshore Energy, LLC (Garden State) and Skipjack Offshore Energy, LLC (Skipjack) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to site characterization surveys off the coast of Delaware. 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.