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

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) Trawl Electronic Monitoring Committee will meet May 21, 2021.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is issuing permits for a period of three years to authorize the incidental, but not intentional, take of specific Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed marine mammal species or stocks under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), in certain U.S. commercial fisheries.

NMFS, upon request of the U.S. Navy (Navy), hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to construction activities including marine structure maintenance, pile replacement, and select waterfront improvements at Naval Station Norfolk (NAVSTA Norfolk) over the course of five years (2021-2026). These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Research Steering Committee (RSC) will hold a meeting.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued a Renewal incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) to incidentally harass marine mammals incidental to Phase I of the two-part ferry berth improvements and construction in Tongass Narrows, near Ketchikan, AK.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Private Recreational Reporting Workgroup evaluating reporting alternatives for the private recreational snapper grouper fishery.

The SEDAR 68 assessment process of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic scamp will consist of a series of data and assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals, by Level B harassment only, during target and missile launch activities on San Nicolas Island (SNI). The Navy is requesting, and NMFS is proposing to issue, an IHA authorizing incidental take of marine mammals during continuation of target and missile launch activities identical to those already analyzed in a 2019 IHA issued on June 12, 2019 and a currently active Renewal IHA issued on June 19, 2020, which expires on June 11, 2021. The proposed mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures remain the same as prescribed in the previous IHAs. This IHA would be effective from June 12, 2021 through June 11, 2022. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorizations and agency responses will be summarized in the final notification of our decision. The Navy's activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (NDAA).

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has adopted U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Placer County Conservation Program Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (FEIS/EIR), issued a ROD, and prepared an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) (No. 25641) for the incidental take of California Central Valley (CCV) steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Central Valley (CV) fall and late fall-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) associated with the proposed Placer County Conservation Program (PCCP). The PCCP was prepared by the local agencies that will become permittees (Placer County, City of Lincoln, South Placer Regional Transportation Authority, Placer County Water Agency, and Placer Conservation Authority) and describes Covered Activities and conservation activities in Placer County. The permit is issued for a duration of 50 years.

We, NMFS, are issuing a proposed rule to remove a coral, Siderastrea glynni, from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species as recommended in the recent 5-year review of the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We propose this action based on recently obtained genetic and morphological information that demonstrates that S. glynni does not meet the statutory definition of a species, and therefore does not qualify for listing under the ESA.

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 ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Program Office will hold a virtual, organizational meeting of the NIDIS Executive Council on May 4, 2021.

NMFS is adjusting the current regulations for North Atlantic swordfish and shark retention limits for certain permit holders in U.S. Atlantic and Caribbean waters. Specifically, this action will modify swordfish retention limits for highly migratory species (HMS) Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit holders, Swordfish General Commercial permit holders, and HMS Charter/Headboat permit holders with a commercial endorsement on a non-for hire (i.e., commercial) trip. This action will also modify the shark retention limits for HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit holders. Additionally, this action will add regulatory criteria for inseason adjustment of swordfish and shark retention limits for the HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit. The changes are expected to provide fishermen with greater flexibility, establish greater consistency across regions, and improve the efficiency of swordfish and shark management.

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.

NMFS announces approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of collection-of-information requirements, which were contained in regulations to allow a Pacific whiting sector cooperative or group of vessels to develop a Salmon Mitigation Plan (SMP), in a final rule published on February 23, 2021. The intent of this rule is to inform the public of the effectiveness of the collection-of-information requirements associated with the submission and reporting requirements included in the February 23, 2021 final rule.

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 Halibut Point Marine Services, LLC (HPMS) to incidentally harass, by Level A and Level B harassment only, marine mammals during construction activities associated with the Old Sitka Dock North Dolphins Expansion Project in Sitka, Alaska.

The SEDAR 72 stock assessment process for Gulf of Mexico gag grouper will consist of a series of data and assessment webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season apportionment of the 2021 Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to catcher vessels using trawl gear in the BSAI.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Skate Committee 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.

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

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 Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during construction activities associated with the Port San Luis Breakwater Repair Project in Avila Beach, California.

NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, is reopening a request for nominations for the advisory committee established under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (Act). The Permanent Advisory Committee, composed of individuals from groups concerned with the fisheries covered by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention (Convention), will be given the opportunity to provide input to the U.S. Commissioners to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (Commission) regarding the deliberations and decisions of the Commission. Nominations previously submitted in response to the notice published on January 4, 2021, need not be resubmitted.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a series of public hearings via webinar pertaining to Amendment 10 to the Coral, Coral Reef and Live Hard Bottom Habitat Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The amendment addresses establishing a Shrimp Fishery Access Area along the eastern border of the northern extension of the Oculina Bank Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC).

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC) Coho Workgroup (Workgroup) will host an online meeting that is open to the public.

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.