Economic Research Service August 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports
As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS has incorporated public comments into revisions of the 2014 marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs).
Permanent Advisory Committee To Advise the U.S. Commissioners to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission; Meeting Announcement
NMFS announces a meeting of the Permanent Advisory Committee (PAC) to advise the U.S. Commissioners to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) on October 14-October 15, 2015. Meeting topics are provided under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2015-2016 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures; Inseason Adjustments
This final rule announces inseason changes to management measures in the Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries. This action, which is authorized by the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP), is intended to protect overfished and depleted stocks while allowing fisheries to access more abundant groundfish stocks.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Bay Watershed Education and Training Program National Evaluation System
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.
International Pacific Halibut Commission Appointments
In May 2015, NOAA Fisheries publicly solicited nominations for two presidential appointments to serve as U.S. Commissioners to the IPHC. This multi-step nomination process is intended to provide extensive participation by stakeholders in the Pacific halibut fishery and result in the appointment of two highly qualified individuals to represent the U.S. Government in this important international fisheries management organization. The most recent IPHC public nomination process yielded two names for the two expiring seats, both re-nominations. U.S. Commissioners to the IPHC are appointed for a term not to exceed 2 years, but are eligible for reappointment. While this recent solicitation of nominations resulted in two strong candidates, NOAA Fisheries is seeking a greater number of nominations from which to propose two candidates for appointment by the President. Additionally, the lack of a larger candidate pool impacts the ability of recommending officials to propose Alternate Commissioners. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, may designate Alternative U.S. Commissioners to serve in the absence of duly appointed U.S. Commissioners. Nominations for IPHC U.S. Commissioner and letters of public support that have already been submitted in response to the original solicitation notice do not need to be resubmitted. Nominations are open to all qualified individuals and may include current Commissioners.
Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud Action Plan; Extension of Comment Period
The National Ocean Council Committee on IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud (NOC Committee) extends the comment period from September 2, 2015, to September 11, 2015, on the notice, which published August 3, 2015, seeking public input on draft principles for determining seafood species at risk of IUU fishing and seafood fraud (``at risk'') and a draft list of ``at risk'' species developed using the draft principles. The comment period is being extended in order to provide further opportunity for the public to review and provide thoughtful comment.
North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Electronic Monitoring Workgroup (EMWG) will meet by teleconference September 8, 2015.
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Committee 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.
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Advisory Panel 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.
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC) Scientific and Statistical Committee's (SSC) Scientific Uncertainty Subcommittee will hold a public meeting.
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Whiting Oversight Committee and Advisory Panel 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.
Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) to review stock projections and consider fishing level recommendations for blueline tilefish.
Groundfish Operational Assessment Public Meeting
NMFS and the Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW) will convene a peer review of Operational Stock Assessments of twenty fish stocks. These stocks are managed by the New England Fishery Management Council and are included within the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. This will be a formal, scientific peer review of operational assessments which incorporate recent data. Results of the review will be used as a basis for management decisions for fish stocks in U.S. waters of the northwest Atlantic. Assessments are prepared by stock assessment scientists primarily from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and reviewed by a panel of stock assessment experts. The public is invited to attend the presentations and discussions by reviewers and scientists who have participated in the stock assessment process.
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a two- day meeting of its Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).
Revisions to Framework Adjustment 53 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan and Sector Annual Catch Entitlements; Updated Annual Catch Limits for Sectors and the Common Pool for Fishing Year 2015
Based on the final Northeast multispecies sector rosters submitted as of May 1, 2015, we are adjusting the fishing year 2015 specification of annual catch limits for commercial groundfish vessels, as well as sector annual catch entitlements and common pool allocations for groundfish stocks. This revision to fishing year 2015 catch levels is necessary to account for changes in the number of participants electing to fish in either sectors or the common pool fishery. This action details unused sector quotas that may be carried over from fishing year 2014 to fishing year 2015. This action also reduces the fishing year 2015 common pool allocation of Eastern Georges Bank cod and adjusts common pool incidental catch limits to account for a common pool fishing year 2014 overage.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2016 Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishing Season
This proposed rule would establish opening dates and adjust quotas for the 2016 fishing season for the Atlantic commercial shark fisheries. Quotas would be adjusted as allowable based on any over- and/or underharvests experienced during 2015 and previous fishing seasons. In addition, NMFS proposes season openings based on adaptive management measures to provide, to the extent practicable, fishing opportunities for commercial shark fishermen in all regions and areas. The proposed measures could affect fishing opportunities for commercial shark fishermen in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Large Coastal and Small Coastal Atlantic Shark Management Measures
This final rule implements Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 6) to increase management flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of the Atlantic shark fisheries; prevent overfishing while achieving on a continuing basis optimum yield; and rebuild overfished shark stocks. Specifically, this final rule increases the large coastal shark (LCS) retention limit for directed shark permit holders to a maximum of 55 LCS per trip, with a default limit of 45 LCS per trip, and reduces the sandbar shark research fishery quota to account for dead discards of sandbar sharks during LCS trips; establishes a management boundary in the Atlantic region along 34[deg]00' N. latitude for the small coastal shark (SCS) fishery, north of which harvest and landings of blacknose sharks is prohibited and south of which the quota linkage between blacknose sharks and non- blacknose SCS is maintained; implements a non-blacknose SCS total allowable catch (TAC) of 489.3 mt dw and a commercial quota of 264.1 mt dw in the Atlantic region; apportions the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) regional commercial quotas for aggregated LCS, blacktip, and hammerhead sharks into western and eastern sub-regional quotas along 88[deg]00' W. longitude; implements a non-blacknose SCS TAC of 999.0 mt dw, increases the commercial non-blacknose SCS quota to 112.6 mt dw, and prohibits retention of blacknose sharks in the GOM; and removes the current upgrading restrictions for shark directed limited access permit (LAP) holders.
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Northeast Fisheries Science Center Fisheries Research; Correction
This document contains corrections to the preamble to the proposed rule published on August 6, 2015, that would establish a framework for authorizing the take of marine mammals incidental to the NEFSC's fisheries research activities in the Atlantic coast region for a five-year period, 2015-2020. This action is necessary to correct typographical errors in the annual estimates presented for Level B harassment of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) from 10 to 12. This change accounts for the annual estimate of level B harassment for this species in both inshore (10 individuals) and offshore waters (2 individuals) in the Atlantic coast region. The Federal Register proposed rule published on July 9, 2015, indicated that written comments were due by August 10, 2015, which allowed 30 calendar days for public input. On August 6, 2015, NMFS published a correction and extended the public comment period to August 17, 2015. NMFS has decided to extend the public comment period by an additional 30 calendar days for public input.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Meeting of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel; Correction
This document corrects the ADDRESSES section to the Notice of public meeting and webinar/conference call that was published on August 5, 2015, which did not contain all of the necessary information for those interested in participating in the webinar/conference call portion of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in September 2015. This correction changes the webinar event addresses, conference call-in number, and participant codes.
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Small-Mesh Multispecies Fishery; Adjustment to the Northern Red Hake Inseason Possession Limit
We announce the reduction of the commercial possession limit for northern red hake for the remainder of the 2015 fishing year. This action is required to prevent the northern red hake total allowable landing limit from being exceeded. This announcement informs the public that the northern red hake possession limit is reduced.
Marine Mammals; File No. 17952
Notice is hereby given that Daniel P. Costa, Ph.D., Department of Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 17952-01.
Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a joint webinar meeting of its Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team (CPSMT) and Coastal Pelagic Species Advisory Subpanel (CSPAS). The meeting is open to the public.
Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Habitat Committee (HC) will hold a webinar that is open to the public.
Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Salmon Technical Team (STT), Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS), and Model Evaluation Workgroup (MEW) will hold a webinar, which is open to the public.
Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a meeting of Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) Working Group comprised of Fishery Ecosystem Plan Team members. The working group will plan for producing a report exploring options in developing an HAPC designation process for the Western Pacific region.
Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will hold a webinar that is open to the public.
Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting
A post workshop webinar #3 will be held as a follow up to the SEDAR Procedural Workshop 7 to develop best practice recommendations for SEDAR Data Workshops that was held on June 22-26, 2015 in Atlanta, GA. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Pacific Island Fisheries; Public Meeting
NMFS announces that the Center for Independent Experts (CIE) will meet to review the work quantifying bycatch in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery, required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and their implementing regulations.
Availability of Seats for National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Councils
ONMS is seeking applications for vacant seats for seven of its 13 national marine sanctuary advisory councils (advisory councils). Vacant seats, including positions (i.e., primary member and alternate), for each of the advisory councils are listed in this notice under Supplementary Information. Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; views regarding the protection and management of marine or Great Lake resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen as members or alternates should expect to serve two- or three year terms, pursuant to the charter of the specific national marine sanctuary advisory council.
Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Front Street Transload Facility Construction
NMFS has received a request from the Bergerson Construction, Inc. (Bergerson) for an authorization to take small numbers of two species of marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to proposed construction activities for Front Street Transload Facility construction project in Newport, Oregon. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an authorization to Bergerson to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of marine mammals for a period of 1 year.
Fisheries of the Economic Exclusive Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish Fishery by Non-Rockfish Program Catcher Vessels Using Trawl Gear in the Western and Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska
NMFS is opening directed fishing for groundfish, other than pollock, by non-Rockfish Program catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the 2015 groundfish total allowable catch available for non-Rockfish Program catcher vessels directed fishing for groundfish, other than pollock, using trawl gear in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA.
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Framework Adjustment 9
NMFS is implementing regulations consistent with Framework Adjustment 9 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. This action will further enhance catch monitoring and address discarding catch before it has been sampled by observers (known as slippage) in the Atlantic mackerel fishery. Framework 9 implements slippage consequence measures, and a requirement that slippage events be reported via the vessel monitoring system. For allowable slippage events, due to safety, mechanical failure, or excess catch of spiny dogfish, vessels must move 15 nm (27.8 km) from the location of the slippage event. For non-allowable slippage events, due to reasons other than those listed previously, vessels must terminate their fishing trip. Slippage events have the potential to substantially affect analysis or extrapolations of incidental catch, including river herring and shad, and these measures are designed to address this issue.
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Amendment 15
The Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 15 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. Amendment 15 includes actions to revise the maximum sustainable yield (MSY), overfishing threshold, and overfished threshold definitions and values for three species of penaeid shrimp, and to revise the FMP framework procedures.
Programmatic Environmental Assessment on the Issuance of Take Authorizations in Cook Inlet, Alaska
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces: Its intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the environmental impacts of issuing annual Incidental Take Authorizations (ITAs) pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) for the taking of marine mammals incidental to anthropogenic activities in the waters of Cook Inlet, AK, for the 2016 season and; its intent to institute an MMPA authorization cycle wherein companies planning to submit MMPA incidental harassment authorization applications for work to be conducted in Cook Inlet in 2016 do so by no later than October 1, 2015.
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States; Regulatory Amendment 22
NMFS issues this final rule to implement Regulatory Amendment 22 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP)(Regulatory Amendment 22), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule revises the annual catch limits (ACLs) for gag grouper (gag) and wreckfish and the directed commercial quota for gag, based upon revisions to the acceptable biological catch (ABC) and the optimum yield (OY) for gag and wreckfish. The purpose of this final rule is to help achieve OY and prevent overfishing of gag and wreckfish in the South Atlantic region while minimizing, to the extent practicable, adverse social and economic effects to the snapper-grouper fishery.
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scientific & Statistical Committee 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.
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Risk Policy Working Group 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.
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals: Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Navy Operations of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active Sonar
In accordance with regulations issued under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended, we hereby give notification that we, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), have issued four 1-year Letters of Authorization (Authorizations) to the U.S. Navy (Navy) to take marine mammals by harassment incidental to their military readiness activities associated with the routine training, testing, and military operations of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) sonar within the northwest Pacific Ocean and the north-central Pacific Ocean.
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; 2015 Recreational Accountability Measure and Closure for South Atlantic Golden Tilefish
NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for the golden tilefish recreational sector in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic for the 2015 fishing year through this temporary rule. NMFS estimates recreational landings of golden tilefish in 2015 have exceeded the recreational annual catch limit (ACL). Therefore, NMFS closes the golden tilefish recreational sector in the South Atlantic EEZ on August 11, 2015. This closure is necessary to protect the golden tilefish resource.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request: Alaska Community Quota Entity (CQE) Program
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.
Evaluation of State Coastal Management Program
The NOAA Office for Coastal Management published a notice in the Federal Register on July 16, 2015, announcing its intent to evaluate the Puerto Rico Coastal Management Program. This document contains corrections to that notice, regarding the start time of the public meeting and the date for which written comments will be accepted.
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-day Finding on a Petition To List the Bigeye Thresher Shark as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act
We, NMFS, announce the 90-day finding on a petition to list the bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus) range-wide, or in the alternative, as one or more distinct population segments (DPSs) identified by the petitioners as endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted for the species worldwide. Accordingly, we will initiate a status review of bigeye thresher shark range-wide at this time. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information regarding this species.
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Smooth Hammerhead Shark as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act
We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena) range-wide or, in the alternative, any identified distinct population segments (DPSs), as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and to designate critical habitat concurrently with the listing. We find that the petition and information in our files present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. We will conduct a status review of the species to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information pertaining to this species from any interested party.
Fish and Fish Product Import Provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act
NMFS is proposing to revise its regulations to implement the import provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). These proposed regulations would establish conditions for evaluating a harvesting nation's regulatory program for reducing marine mammal incidental mortality and serious injury in fisheries that export fish and fish products to the United States. Under this proposed rule, harvesting nations must apply for and receive a comparability finding for each fishery identified by the Assistant Administrator in the List of Foreign Fisheries in order to import fish and fish products into the United States. The proposed rule establishes procedures that a harvesting nation must follow, and conditions to meet, to receive a comparability finding for a fishery. The proposed rule also establishes procedures for intermediary nations to certify that exports from those nations to the United States do not contain fish or fish products subject to an import prohibition. Agency actions and recommendations under this rule will be in accordance with U.S. obligations under applicable international trade law, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Individual Transferable Quota Administration.
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.
Hydrographic Services Review Panel Meeting
The Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) is a Federal Advisory Committee established to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, the NOAA Administrator, on matters related to the responsibilities and authorities set forth in section 303 of the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, as amended, and such other appropriate matters that the Under Secretary refers to the Panel for review and advice.
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