National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application is a continuation of a collaborative project involving the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Durham, New Hampshire (NH); the Lobster Conservancy, Friendship, Maine; the New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts; and the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen's Association, Candia, NH. The EFP proposes to continue monitoring a total of 150 legal sized egg bearing female lobsters (berried lobsters) carrying early-stage eggs until the eggs mature and are released. Each berried lobster will be tagged and fitted with a small ambient temperature recording device (Tidbit temperature-loggers) and then the movement and egg-development stages of these tagged berried lobsters will be documented. When a tagged berried lobster is recaptured in commercial lobster gear, participating lobstermen will download thermal data from the attached Tidbit temperature-logger, and also preserve a maximum of 10 eggs from each tagged berried lobster to allow researchers to estimate the egg developmental stage and time to maturity. The tagged berried lobsters will then be released unharmed. The EFP would waive the prohibition on removal of eggs specified at 50 CFR 697.7(c)(1)(iv) for a maximum of 16 participating vessels and is limited to the 150 pre-tagged berried lobsters in this project. The Director, State, Federal and Constituent Programs Office, Northeast Region, NMFS (Office Director) has made a preliminary determination that the subject EFP application contains all the required information and warrants further consideration. The Office Director has also made a preliminary determination that the activities authorized under the EFPs would be consistent with the goals and objectives of Federal management of the American lobster resource. However, further review and consultation may be necessary before a final determination is made to issue EFPs. Therefore, NMFS announces that the Office Director proposes to issue EFPs that would allow a maximum of 16 Federally permitted commercial fishing vessels to participate in the continuation of a project designed to monitor the movement of berried lobsters in two inshore locations in the vicinity of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Friendship, Maine, and in two offshore locations along the northern edge of Georges Bank and in Corsair and Lydonia Canyons to the southeast of Georges Bank. This project would not involve the authorization of any additional trap gear, and all trap gear would conform to existing Federal lobster regulations. There would be no anticipated adverse effects on protected resources or habitat as a result of this research. Therefore, this document invites comments on the issuance of EFPs to allow a maximum of 16 commercial fishing vessels in possession of Federal lobster permits to remove a maximum of 10 eggs each time any one of the 150 tagged berried lobsters are captured during the course of normal fishing operations in the designated study areas.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) publishes this notice to announce the availability of the Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan Part II: Regional Priorities for public comment. The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan is being developed by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program to set priorities and guide NOAA-supported coral ecosystem research for fiscal years 2006 to 2010, including research conducted through extramural partners, grants, and contracts. The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan covers all coral reef ecosystems under the jurisdiction of the United States and the Pacific Freely Associated States; and is written for a broad audience, including resource managers, scientists, policy makers, and the public.

Following completion of a comprehensive Endangered Species Act (ESA) Status Review and Update for the North American green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris; hereafter, ``green sturgeon''), we, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), published a Proposed Rule to list the Southern distinct population segment (DPS) of green sturgeon as threatened on April 6, 2005. After considering public comments on the Proposed Rule, we are issuing a Final Rule to list the Southern DPS as a threatened species. NMFS is currently considering issuance of protective regulations that may be necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the species. With this document we are also soliciting information that may be relevant to our analysis of protective regulations and to the designation of critical habitat for the Southern DPS of green sturgeon. Details of our analyses, their outcome, and a request for public comment on our proposals will be published in subsequent Federal Register notices.

Notice is hereby given that John A. Musick, Ph.D., Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Gloucester Point, VA 23062, has been issued a permit to take loggerhead (Caretta caretta), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), green (Chelonia mydas), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 132nd meeting to consider and take final action on recommendations to limit fishing in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The Council will also hold a public hearing during this 132nd Council meeting.

The Trawl Survey Advisory Panel, composed of representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), and several independent scientific researchers, will hold a public meeting.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's Advisory Panel (AP), Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Habitat Advisory Panel (HAP), will hold meetings.

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA), NOAA, announces temporary restrictions consistent with the requirements of the ALWTRP's implementing regulations. These regulations apply to lobster trap/pot and anchored gillnet fishermen in an area totaling approximately 1,514 nm\2\ ( 5,193 km\2\), southeast of the Great South Channel, for 15 days. The purpose of this action is to provide protection to an aggregation of northern right whales (right whales).

NMFS issues a final rule to implement a groundfish retention standard (GRS) program in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Island management area (BSAI) for trawl catcher/processor vessels (C/Ps) that are 125 ft (38.1 m) length overall (LOA) or greater and that are not listed American Fisheries Act (AFA) catcher/processors referred to throughout this rule as non-AFA trawl C/Ps. This action is necessary to reduce bycatch and improve utilization of groundfish harvested by these non- AFA trawl C/Ps. This action is intended to promote the management objectives of the Improved Retention/Improved Utilization (IRIU) program, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP), and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

The NOAA Office of Education (OEd) is issuing a request for applications from informal education institutions with interest in displaying NOAA's Science on a Sphere. Awards will be made as one-year cooperative agreements and will be issued in fiscal year 2006 (FY06). Funded projects will support informal education institutions in incorporating this data visualization technology and compatible environmental data products into public exhibits. The goal of this program is to build environmental literacy among the general public through increased use of NOAA or NOAA-related data and data products in informal education institutions. See NOAA's Education Plan for more details on this goal and strategy: (https://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAAEd Plan.pdf). It is anticipated that final recommendations for funding under this announcement will be made by June 30, 2006, and that projects funded under this announcement will have a start date no earlier than October 1, 2006.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received two scientific research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon. The proposed research is intended to increase knowledge of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management and conservation efforts.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Charter Halibut Stakeholder Committee will meet in Anchorage, AK.

Congress amended the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) to require the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to approve the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Crab Rationalization Program (Program). The Program allocates BSAI crab resources among harvesters, processors, and coastal communities. Amendment 21 would modify the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/ Aleutian Islands (BSAI) King and Tanner crabs (FMP) and the Program to alter the timing for harvesters and processors to match harvesting and processing shares and the timing for initiating arbitration proceedings incorporated in the Program to resolve price and other delivery disputes among harvesters and processors. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the FMP, and other applicable laws.

Notice is hereby given that South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Marine Resources Division, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston, S.C. 29422-2559, has requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 1540.

This rule establishes the 2006 second and third trimester season quotas for large coastal sharks (LCS) and small coastal sharks (SCS) based on over- or underharvests from the 2005 second and third trimester seasons. In addition, this rule establishes the opening and closing dates for the LCS and SCS fisheries based on adjustments to the trimester quotas. This action could affect all commercial fishermen in the Atlantic commercial shark fishery. This action is necessary to ensure that the landings quotas in the Atlantic commercial shark fishery represent the latest landings data.

Amendment 13 to the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 13) authorized allocation of up to 20 percent of the annual Georges Bank (GB) cod total allowable catch (TAC) to the GB Cod Hook Sector (Sector). Pursuant to that authorization, the Sector has submitted an Operations Plan and Sector Contract entitled, ``Amendment 2 to Georges Bank Cod Hook Sector Operations Plan and Agreement'' (together referred to as the Sector Agreement), and a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA), and has requested an allocation of GB cod, consistent with regulations implementing Amendment 13. This notice provides interested parties an opportunity to comment on the proposed Sector Agreement prior to final approval or disapproval of the Sector Operations Plan and allocation of GB cod TAC to the Sector for the 2006 fishing year (FY).

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.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Framework Adjustment 18 (Framework 18) to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP) which was developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council). Framework 18 proposes the following management measures: Scallop fishery specifications for 2006 and 2007 (open area days-at-sea (DAS) and Scallop Access Area trip allocations); scallop Area Rotation Program adjustments; and revisions to management measures that would improve administration of the FMP. In addition, a seasonal closure of a proposed Scallop Access Area is proposed to reduce potential interactions between the scallop fishery and sea turtles, and to reduce finfish and scallop bycatch mortality.

This proposed rule would implement additional handling, release, and disentanglement requirements for sea turtles and other non-target species caught in the shark bottom longline (BLL) fishery. These requirements are intended to reduce post hooking mortality of sea turtles and other non-target species, which is an objective of Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks (HMS FMP) published on December 24, 2003. This proposed rule would also implement management measures that are consistent with those implemented by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) on October 28, 2005. These complementary management measures are intended to minimize adverse impacts to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for reef-dwelling species. The proposed rule would apply to all participants in the Atlantic shark fishery.

NMFS announces a meeting of the General Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the IATTC on April 11, 2006, via telephone conference call.

Notice is hereby given of the next meeting of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (MPA FAC) in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) announces its intention to prepare, in cooperation with NMFS, an EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act to assess potential effects on the human environment of alternative measures for managing the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Council intends to develop Amendment 15 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to address several issues regarding the subject fisheries (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). This notice announces a public process for determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying the significant issues related to the management of summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The intended effect of this notice is to alert the interested public of the scoping process, the development of the Draft EIS, and to provide for public participation.

NMFS proposes recreational management measures for the 2006 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. The implementing regulations for these fisheries require NMFS to publish recreational measures for the upcoming fishing year and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The intent of these measures is to prevent overfishing of the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass resources.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published two omnibus notices announcing an availability of grant funds for Fiscal Year 2006. The purpose of those notices was to provide the general public with a consolidated source of program and application information related to NOAA's competitive grant offerings. In those announcements, it was noted that additional program initiatives unanticipated at the time of the publication of this notice may be announced later in the year. This is such an announcement, for grant funding opportunities now being offered by programs within the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Applicants must comply with all requirements contained in the full funding opportunity announcements for each project competition in this announcement.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Coral Reef Ecosystem Plan Team (CREPT) in Honolulu, HI to discuss development of annual reports for coral reef ecosystem fisheries of the Western Pacific Region.