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

Notice is hereby given that Heather E. Liwanag, Ph.D., California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 27514-01.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 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 the Office of Management and Budget.

Notice is hereby given that NOAA is establishing a national marine sanctuary advisory council for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS), the designation of which became effective on November 30, 2024. The council will provide guidance to ONMS and will serve as liaisons with constituents and community groups. As a result, ONMS is adding the new council to the list of established national marine sanctuary advisory councils. ONMS solicits applications to fill council seats on an as needed basis and is seeking applicants for seats on the CHNMS Advisory Council. This notice contains web page links and contact information for CHNMS and application materials to apply for the newly established advisory council.

NMFS has received a request from the City of Hoonah (Hoonah) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to pile driving and removal activities associated with the Hoonah Cargo Dock project in Hoonah, Alaska. 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, 1-year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met. 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.

On June 13, 2014, NOAA published a final rule establishing the Sanctuary Nomination Process, allowing communities to submit nominations to NOAA for consideration as new national marine sanctuaries. The rule outlined the review process, national significance criteria, and management considerations that NOAA uses to evaluate nominations for inclusion in the inventory of areas that could eventually be considered for designation. The rule also states that NOAA will publish a Federal Register notice when areas have been added to the inventory of successful nominations. This notice announces that NOAA has added the Cashes Ledge area to the inventory; the agency is not moving forward with a designation at this time.

NMFS announces a U.S. stakeholder meeting to discuss North Pacific albacore (NPALB) management. This meeting is intended to prepare for potential discussions at the 2025 annual meetings of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Northern Committee (WCPFC NC) related to the results of the Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for NPALB fisheries. The meeting topics are described under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

We, NMFS, announce the initiation of the 5-year review of the threatened island grouper (Mycteroperca fusca). The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires us to conduct a review of listed species at least once every 5 years to determine whether a species should be removed from the list (i.e., delisted), reclassified from an endangered species to a threatened species (i.e., downlisted), or reclassified from a threatened species to an endangered species (i.e., uplisted). The determination must be based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. Therefore, we request relevant information (e.g., biology, threats, and conservation efforts) that has become available since our previous review of the species.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Sanctuary System Business Advisory Council (council). The meeting is open to the public, and an opportunity for oral and written comments will be provided.

The SEDAR 91 assessment of the U.S. Caribbean stock of Spiny Lobster will consist of a data scoping webinar, a workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a review workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a hybrid 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.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public hybrid meeting of its Groundfish Recreational Advisory Panel Meeting 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.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold three port meetings via webinar gathering input on Atlantic king mackerel and Atlantic Spanish mackerel as managed by the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region.

NMFS is proposing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended (TCA), to implement Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Resolution C-24-02 (Measures for the Conservation and Management of Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean) adopted by the IATTC in September 2024. This proposed rule would implement annual and trip limits on United States commercial catch of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) (PBF) in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) for 2025-2026. This action is necessary to conserve PBF and for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NMFS also announces the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) that analyzes the potential effects of the associated proposed rule.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Crab Plan Team will meet January 14, 2025 to January 15, 2025.

NMFS proposes to approve changes to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for the International Pacific Halibut Commission's regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. In addition, NMFS proposes to implement new management measures for the 2025 recreational fisheries in Area 2A that are not implemented through the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). These measures include the recreational fishery seasons and subarea allocations for Area 2A. This action would also add a new inseason management provision to transfer anticipated uncaught recreational fishery allocation from the Northern California subarea to the South of Point Arena subarea. These actions are intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide angler opportunity where available.

Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in January, February, and March of 2025. Certain fishermen and shark dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory requirements and to maintain valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all federally permitted Atlantic shark dealers. The Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop is mandatory for vessel owners and operators who use bottom longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear, and who have also been issued shark or swordfish limited access permits. Additional free workshops will be conducted in 2025 and will be announced in a future notice. In addition, NMFS has implemented online recertification workshops for persons who have already taken an in-person training.

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has found that Puerto Rico Caribbean spiny lobster and Mid-Atlantic Coast golden tilefish are now subject to overfishing, Klamath River fall Chinook salmon and Queets Spring/Summer Chinook salmon continue to be overfished, and the Western and Central North Pacific Ocean Striped Marlin continues to be subject to overfishing. NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, is required to provide this notice whenever it determines that a stock or stock complex is subject to overfishing, overfished, or approaching an overfished condition.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a second Recreational Initiative Public Engagement Workshop via webinar.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel 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.

NMFS publishes standard ex-vessel prices for groundfish and halibut for the calculation of the observer fee under the North Pacific Observer Program (Observer Program). This notice is intended to provide information to vessel owners, processors, registered buyers, and other Observer Program participants about the standard ex-vessel prices that will be used to calculate the Observer Program fee associated with landings of groundfish and halibut made in 2025. NMFS will send invoices to processors and registered buyers subject to the fee by January 15, 2026. Fees are due to NMFS on or before February 15, 2026.

NMFS will convene a workshop on walleye pollock in Alaska for the purposes of synthesizing ongoing research, building and strengthening collaborations, and highlighting topics which need more attention. The focus will be on biological and ecological scientific research.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued two incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs) to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to incidentally harass marine mammals during construction activities associated with fast response cutter (FRC) homeporting in Seward and Sitka, Alaska.

Notice is hereby given that the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater, FL 33767 (Responsible Party: James Powell, Ph.D.), has applied in due form for a permit to import up to five adult male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from Attica Zoological Park in Athina, Greece, to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for public display.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad- Hoc Klamath River Fall Chinook Workgroup (KRWG) will hold a two-day online meeting.

NMFS received a request from Virginia Electric and Power Company, doing business as (d.b.a), Dominion Virginia Power (Dominion) for modification of an incidental take permit, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for activities associated with the otherwise lawful continued operation and maintenance of the Dominion Chesterfield Power Station in Chesterfield, VA. We are publishing this notice to inform the public that we are considering re-issuing the permit, with modifications, to authorize additional take of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) from the Chesapeake Bay Distinct Population Segment.