National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the 2007 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the State of New Jersey has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in New Jersey for the remainder of calendar year 2007, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise New Jersey that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in New Jersey.

This temporary rule republishes interim measures to reduce overfishing of Gulf red snapper that were previously implemented via a temporary rule published by NMFS on April 2, 2007, and extended through March 28, 2008, by a temporary rule published by NMFS on September 24, 2007. The interim measures reduce the commercial and recreational quotas for red snapper, reduce the commercial minimum size limit for red snapper, reduce the recreational bag limit for Gulf red snapper, prohibit the retention of red snapper under the bag limit for captain and crew of a vessel operating as a charter vessel or headboat, and establish a target level of reduction of shrimp trawl bycatch mortality of red snapper. The intended effect of this temporary rule is to reinstate the text of the interim measures in the Code of Federal Regulations that was inadvertently removed.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), its Mid-Atlantic section of the Monkfish Committee, its Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee, its Bycatch/Limited Access Committee, and its Executive Committee will hold public meetings.

NMFS announces that the State of Delaware is transferring commercial bluefish quota to the State of Rhode Island from its 2007 quota. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 has been issued an amendment to scientific research Permit No. 782-1702.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) and its Administrative Committee will hold meetings.

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.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (U.S. DOI), collectively acting as Federal natural resource trustees (Federal Trustees), have concluded their preliminary investigation of potential injuries to natural resources under their trusteeship that may have occurred due to releases of hazardous substances at the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site (Site). Following 43 CFR part 11, the Federal Trustees have prepared a Draft NRDA Plan outlining possible activities at this Site.

NMFS issues a proposed rule that would implement Amendment 88 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area. This amendment, if approved, would revise the Aleutian Islands Habitat Conservation Area (AIHCA) boundary to allow nonpelagic trawling in an area historically fished and to prohibit nonpelagic trawling in an area of known coral and sponge occurrence. This action is necessary to ensure the AIHCA protects areas of coral and sponge habitat from the potential effects of nonpelagic trawling and allow nonpelagic trawling in areas historically fished and without evidence of coral and sponge occurrence.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene Public Hearings on an Aquaculture Amendment.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its, Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), Spiny Lobster Committee, Joint Executive and Finance Committees, Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) Committee, Snapper Grouper Committee, Ecosystem-based Management Committee, SSC Selection Committee (Closed Session), Standard Operations, Policy, and Procedures (SOPPs) Committee, and a meeting of the full Council. The Council will also hold a meeting of the Limited Access Privilege (LAP) Program Exploratory Workgroup and public hearings regarding Amendment 15A to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to address rebuilding plans for snowy grouper, black sea bass, and red porgy, and Amendment 15B to the Snapper Grouper FMP addressing the sale of recreationally- caught snapper grouper species, methods to reduce the effects of incidental hooking on sea turtles and smalltooth sawfish, commercial permit renewal periods and transferability requirements, implementation of a plan to monitor and access bycatch, establishment of reference points, such as Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) and Optimum Yield (OY) for golden tilefish, and establishment of allocations for snowy grouper and red porgy. In addition, the Council will hold a public scoping meeting for: 1) Amendment 7 to the Shrimp FMP addressing current qualifying criteria for a limited access program for the South Atlantic rock shrimp fishery and 2) allocation of the South Atlantic commercial king mackerel quota. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional details.

NMFS announces that the spiny dogfish commercial quota available to the coastal states from Maine through Florida for the semi-annual quota period, November 1, 2007 - April 30, 2008, has been harvested. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, November 16, 2007, federally permitted commercial vessels may not fish for, possess, transfer, or land spiny dogfish until May 1, 2008, when the 2008 Period 1 quota becomes available. Federally permitted dealers are also advised that they may not purchase spiny dogfish from federally permitted spiny dogfish vessels through April 30, 2007. Regulations governing the spiny dogfish fishery require publication of this notification to advise the coastal states from Maine through Florida that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available for landing spiny dogfish in these states. This action is necessary to prevent the fishery from exceeding its Period 2 quota and to allow for effective management of this stock.

The start time for the public hearing scheduled for Atlantic Beach, NC on December 3, 2007 regarding Amendment 15A and Amendment 15B to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan has been changed from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

NMFS proposes quotas for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries for 2008, 2009, and 2010. Regulations governing these fisheries require NMFS to publish the proposed quota specifications for the 2008-2010 fishing years and seek public comment on such proposed measures. The intent of this action is to propose allowable harvest levels of Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs from the Exclusive Economic Zone.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is soliciting public comment for ideas and recommendations on alternative dietary ingredients (feedstuffs) for aquaculture. This information is being gathered as part of the NOAA-U.S. Department of Agriculture alternative feeds initiative to help guide future research and development. Public comment is being collected in advance of a 2008 workshop on alternative feeds. Information submitted in response to this notice will be shared with workshop attendees.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Salmon Technical Team Klamath Subcommittee (STTKS) will hold a meeting with members of the Yurok and Hoopa Tribes and additional agency personnel from the National Marine Fisheries Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Game to continue planning and assignments for developing an overfishing assessment for Klamath River fall Chinook (KRFC). This meeting of the STTKS is open to the public.

NMFS continues the haddock minimum size implemented by an August 10, 2007, emergency final rule that is set to expire on February 6, 2008. Specifically, this temporary rule continues the commercial minimum haddock size of 18 inches (45.7 cm) that was reduced from the previous minimum size of 19 inches (48.3 cm). This action is taken pursuant to NOAA's authority to issue emergency measures under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act). The intent of this extension is to continue measures intended to reduce regulatory discards of Georges Bank (GB) and Gulf of Maine (GOM) haddock to prevent excessive waste and comply with the goals of reducing discards and maintaining the rebuilding programs of the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP), while helping to achieve optimum yield at the same time. This action is intended to reduce discarding and maintain consistency with the FMP and the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

NMFS proposes regulations to modify the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program for the fixed-gear commercial Pacific halibut fishery and sablefish fishery by revising regulations governing use of commercial halibut quota share (QS) and processing of non-IFQ species when processed halibut is onboard a vessel. This action would amend current regulations to allow persons holding category A halibut QS to process IFQ regardless of whether a QS holder with unused category B, C, or D halibut QS is onboard the vessel. This action also would allow catcher/processor vessels to process non-IFQ species regardless of whether any processed IFQ species is onboard the vessel. This action is necessary to improve the efficiency of fishermen fishing on catcher/ processor vessels. The intended effect of this action is to allow halibut QS holders greater flexibility in using their QS, allow use of crew who hold unused category B, C, or D halibut QS while onboard a category A halibut QS vessel, and increase the product quality of non- IFQ species harvested incidentally to IFQ halibut.

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.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold a two-day meeting.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for northern rockfish for vessels participating in the rockfish entry level fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2007 total allowable catch (TAC) of northern rockfish allocated to vessels participating in the rockfish entry level fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

In 2006, NOAA established the Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Awards Program to annually recognize outstanding performances, achievements and leadership by industries, organizations and individuals who promote best stewardship practices for the sustainable use of living marine resources and ecosystems, and who have fostered change and inspired a stewardship ethic within their community. This notice solicits nominations of qualified individuals for the third annual Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Awards in six award categories listed in this Notice. NMFS has partnered with the Fish for the Future Foundation for this awards program.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received six 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 Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA), NOAA, announces the extension of temporary restrictions consistent with the requirements of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan's (ALWTRP) implementing regulations. These restrictions will continue to apply to lobster trap and anchored gillnet fishermen in an area totaling approximately 2,305 nm\2\ (7,905 km\2\), south of Portland, Maine, for an additional 15 days. The purpose of this action is to provide immediate protection to an aggregation of Northern right whales (right whales).

NMFS announces its intent to issue Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs), Scientific Research Permits (SRPs), Display Permits, Letters of Acknowledgment (LOAs), and Chartering Permits for the collection of Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) in 2008. In general, EFPs and related permits would authorize collections of a limited number of tunas, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks from Federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for the purposes of scientific data collection, public display, and chartering. Generally, these permits will be valid from the date of issuance through December 31, 2008, unless otherwise specified, subject to the terms and conditions of individual permits.