Economic Research Service February 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Marine Fisheries Service will hold a public webinar to present details of a previously issued proposed rule (which published December 29, 2015) for electronic filing of seafood trade documents and will allow time for questions from the public.

The SEDAR 46 assessment of the U.S. Caribbean Data-Limited Species will consist of: A Data/Assessment Workshop; a series of Assessment webinars; and a Review Workshop.

Notice is hereby given that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Wildlife Conservation, Juneau, AK [Responsible Party: Robert Small, Ph.D.], has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 18537.

NMFS issues a proposed rule that would implement Amendment 109 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). If approved, this proposed rule would amend regulations governing the Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program to support increased participation in the groundfish CDQ fisheries (primarily Pacific cod) by catcher vessels less than or equal to 46 feet (ft) (14.0 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line gear. Specifically, this proposed rule would exempt operators of registered catcher vessels greater than 32 ft (9.8 m) LOA and less than or equal to 46 ft LOA using hook-and-line gear from the requirement to obtain and carry a License Limitation Program license when groundfish CDQ fishing. The proposed rule also would reduce observer coverage requirements for catcher vessels less than or equal to 46 ft LOA when groundfish CDQ fishing, and implement new in- season management and catch accounting requirements to properly account for the harvest of groundfish and halibut and the accrual of halibut prohibited species catch in these fisheries. In addition to the proposed regulations necessary to implement Amendment 109, NMFS proposes to remove a table in the regulations because it is no longer necessary. This action is intended to facilitate increased participation by residents of CDQ communities in the groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, and to support economic development in western Alaska. This action is necessary to promote the goals of the CDQ Program, and to promote the goals and objectives of the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other applicable laws.