National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May 30, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, NMFS and USFWS, announce the availability for public review of the draft Recovery Plan (Plan) for the Northwest Atlantic Population of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta). We are soliciting review and comment on the Plan from the public and all interested parties, including state and local governments, and national governments beyond the U.S. whose actions may contribute to the conservation and recovery of the loggerhead turtle in the Northwest Atlantic. We will consider all substantive comments received during the review period before submitting the Plan for final approval.

This proposed rule would designate the Au`au Channel, Hawaii, black coral bed as an ``Established Bed'' with a harvest quota of 5,000 kg every two years that applies to Federal and State of Hawaii waters, and would establish a 5-year moratorium on the harvest of gold coral throughout the U.S. western Pacific. The proposed rule is intended to prevent overfishing and achieve optimum yields of black coral resources, and to prevent overfishing and stimulate research on gold corals.

The SEDAR 16 Assessment Panel will meet via conference call to review assessment model results and discuss future documentation needs. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.