National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico; Commercial Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Control Date
Document Number: 2011-30854
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2011-11-30
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This notice announces that the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) is considering creating additional restrictions limiting participation in the Red Snapper Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program. If such management measures are implemented, the Council is considering January 1, 2012, as a possible control date. Anyone entering the program after the control date will not be assured of future access should a management regime that limits participation in the program be prepared and implemented. NMFS invites comments on the establishment of this control date.
Snapper-Grouper Fishery off the Southern Atlantic States; Amendments 18A, 18B, 18C, 20A, and 20B
Document Number: 2011-30853
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-30
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) previously published a NOI for Amendment 18 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 18), on January 28, 2009, which has subsequently been divided into five separate amendments to the FMP for the Snapper- Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP). The new amendments to the Snapper-Grouper FMP are: Amendment 18A, which is supported by an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); Amendment 18B, which is supported by an Environmental Assessment (EA); Amendment 18C, for which the specific National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document type (EIS or EA) has not yet been determined; Amendment 20A, which is supported by an EA; and Amendment 20B, for which the specific NEPA document has also not yet been determined. If Amendments 18C and 20B to the Snapper-Grouper FMP subsequently require the development of DEISs, NOIs for those amendments will be published in the Federal Register at a later date. This supplemental NOI is intended to inform the public of the Council's decision to divide the actions in Amendment 18 into five separate amendments and subsequently prepare separate supporting NEPA documents for the new amendments. Comments are being solicited on each of the Amendments, regardless of the specific NEPA document being prepared.
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Bluefish Fishery; Quota Transfer
Document Number: 2011-30852
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-30
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The State of Florida is transferring a portion of its 2011 commercial bluefish quota to New York State. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.
Fishing Capacity Reduction Program for the Longline Catcher Processor Subsector of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Non Pollock Groundfish Fishery
Document Number: 2011-30851
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-30
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS issues this notice to decrease the fee rate for the non- pollock groundfish fishery to repay the $35,000,000 reduction loan to finance the non-pollock groundfish fishing capacity reduction program.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Adjustments to the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General and Harpoon Category Regulations
Document Number: 2011-30726
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-30
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS is adjusting the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery regulations to: Increase the General category maximum daily retention limit; allow the General category season to remain open until the January subquota is reached, or March 31, whichever happens first; and increase the Harpoon category daily incidental retention limit. This action is intended to enable more thorough utilization of the available U.S. BFT quota for the General and Harpoon (commercial handgear) categories; minimize bycatch and bycatch mortality to the extent practicable; expand fishing opportunities for participants in the commercial winter General category fishery; and increase NMFS' flexibility for setting the General category retention limit depending on available quota.
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Missile Launch Operations From San Nicolas Island, CA
Document Number: 2011-30731
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-29
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that a letter of authorization (LOA) has been issued to the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, U.S. Navy (Navy), to take three species of seals and sea lions incidental to missile launch operations from San Nicolas Island (SNI), California, a military readiness activity.
Fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean; Pelagic Fisheries; Vessel Identification Requirements
Document Number: 2011-30730
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-29
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS hereby revises vessel identification requirements for fishing vessels with west coast highly migratory species (HMS) permits that are required under the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species and for U.S. vessels fishing under the U.S.-Canada Albacore Treaty. The new measures allow these vessels to be marked in accordance with international standards that were implemented in early 2010 by NMFS for vessels fishing on the high seas in the area of application of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention Area). Currently, the marking requirements for fishing vessels with west coast HMS permits or under the U.S.-Canada Albacore Treaty do not comport with these international standards. These new measures require vessels that fish in the Convention Area to display at all times their International Radio Call Sign (IRCS), or if an IRCS has not been assigned to the vessel, the vessel is required to display its official number, preceded by the characters ``USA-.'' The intent of this action is to bring the existing vessel identification requirements for U.S. vessels with west coast HMS permits or under the U.S.-Canada Albacore Treaty into conformity with the binding vessel identification requirements adopted by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Revisions to Pacific Cod Fishing in the Parallel Fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
Document Number: 2011-30727
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-29
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS issues regulations to limit access of Federally permitted pot and hook-and-line catcher/processors (C/Ps) to the Pacific cod fishery in Alaska State waters within 3 nautical miles of shore adjacent to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). The affected fishery is commonly known as the ``parallel'' fishery. The parallel fishery is managed by the State of Alaska concurrent with the Federal pot and hook-and-line fishery for Pacific cod in the BSAI. This rule limits access by Federally permitted vessels to the parallel fishery for Pacific cod in three ways. First, it requires an owner of a Federally permitted pot or hook-and-line C/P vessel used to catch Pacific cod in the State of Alaska parallel fishery to be issued the same endorsements on his or her Federal fisheries permit (FFP) or license limitation program (LLP) license as currently are required for catching Pacific cod in the Federal waters of the BSAI. Second, it provides that the owner of a pot or hook-and-line C/P vessel who surrenders an FFP will not be reissued a new FFP for that vessel within the 3-year term of the permit. Third, it requires an operator of any Federally permitted pot or hook-and-line C/P vessel used to catch Pacific cod in the parallel fishery to comply with the same seasonal closures of Pacific cod that apply in the Federal fishery. These three measures are necessary to limit some C/Ps from catching a greater amount of Pacific cod in the parallel fishery than has been allocated to their sector from the BSAI total allowable catch. Maintaining Pacific cod catch amounts within BSAI sector allocations also will reduce the potential for shortened Pacific cod seasons for C/Ps in the Federal fishery. These three measures will improve the effectiveness of NMFS' catch accounting and monitoring requirements on vessels participating in the parallel fishery. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other applicable laws.
List of Fisheries for 2012
Document Number: 2011-30607
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-29
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2012, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The final LOF for 2012 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NMFS must classify each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the MMPA based upon the level of serious injury and mortality of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery. The classification of a fishery in the LOF determines whether participants in that fishery are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan (TRP) requirements.
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act
Document Number: 2011-30599
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2011-11-28
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) or, in the alternative, multiple distinct population segments (DPSs) of the scalloped hammerhead shark as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and to designate critical habitat concurrently with the listing. We find that the petition and information in our files present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. We will conduct a status review of the species to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information pertaining to this species from any interested party.
International Affairs; U.S. Fishing Opportunity in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area
Document Number: 2011-30520
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-28
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS announces a U.S. fishing opportunity for 1,000 mt yellowtail flounder in Division 3LNO of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area during 2011. This action is necessary to make available this U.S. fishing opportunity on an equitable basis.
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meetings
Document Number: 2011-30459
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-28
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and its Mid-Atlantic Monkfish Subcommittee will hold public meetings.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Certification Requirements for Distributors of NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts/NOAA Hydrographic Products
Document Number: 2011-30384
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-28
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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.
Marine Mammals
Document Number: 2011-30401
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-25
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to ABR, Inc. Environmental Research and Services, Fairbanks, AK, to conduct research on marine mammals in Alaska.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Exempted Fishing, Scientific Research, Display, and Chartering Permits; Letters of Acknowledgment
Document Number: 2011-30399
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-25
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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 2012. In general, EFPs and related permits would authorize collection 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 and public display. Chartering Permits allow the collection of HMS on the high seas or in the Exclusive Economic Zone of other nations. Generally, these permits will be valid from the date of issuance through December 31, 2012, unless otherwise specified, subject to the terms and conditions of individual permits.
Marine Mammals
Document Number: 2011-30390
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-25
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that NMFS National Marine Mammal Laboratory, (Responsible Party: Dr. John Bengtson, Director), Seattle, WA, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 15126-01 for studies of marine mammals in Alaska.
Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries; Closure of the Hawaii Shallow-Set Pelagic Longline Fishery Due To Reaching the Annual Limit on Sea Turtle Interactions
Document Number: 2011-30386
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-25
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS closes the shallow-set pelagic longline fishery north of the Equator for all vessels registered under the Hawaii longline limited access program. The shallow-set fishery has reached the 2011 limit on physical interactions with sea turtles, so the fishery must be closed for the remainder of the calendar year. This action is necessary to comply with regulations that govern the pelagic fisheries in the western Pacific that establish maximum annual limits on the numbers of interactions that occur between longline fishing gear and sea turtles.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management Measures
Document Number: 2011-30276
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2011-11-23
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS previously published, on September 16, 2011, a notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and fishery management plan (FMP) amendment that would consider catch shares for the Atlantic shark fisheries. The comment period in the NOI ends on March 1, 2012. In this notice, NMFS announces the dates and locations for five upcoming scoping workshops to provide the opportunity for public comment on various design elements for potential catch shares programs in the Atlantic shark fisheries. Additionally, NMFS is extending the comment period to March 31, 2012, to provide additional opportunities for the five Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions, and other interested parties to comment on the consideration of catch shares.
Marine Mammals; File No. 16479
Document Number: 2011-30275
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-23
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that The Pacific Whale Foundation [Responsible Party: Gregory Kaufman; Principal Investigator: Daniela Maldini], 300 Maalaea Road, Suite 211, Wailuku, HI 96793, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).
Marine Mammals; File No. 15274
Document Number: 2011-30273
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-23
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to Dan R. Salden, Ph.D., Hawaii Whale Research Foundation, 52 Cheshire Drive, Maryville, IL 62062 to conduct research on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).
Marine Mammals; File No. 16314
Document Number: 2011-30270
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-23
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to Jennifer Lewis, Ph.D., Tropical Dolphin Research Foundation, Aventura, FL to conduct research on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Electronic Dealer Reporting System Workshop
Document Number: 2011-30268
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2011-11-23
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
On June 28, 2011, NMFS published a proposed rule that considered requiring, among other things, Federal Atlantic swordfish, shark, and tunas dealers (except for dealers reporting Atlantic bluefin tuna) to report commercially-harvested Atlantic sharks, swordfish, and bigeye, albacore, yellowfin, and skipjack (BAYS) tunas to NMFS through one centralized electronic reporting system. This electronic reporting system would allow dealers to submit Atlantic sharks, swordfish, and BAYS tuna data on a more real-time basis and more efficiently, which will reduce duplicative data submissions from different regions. NMFS proposed to delay the effective date of the electronic reporting requirements until 2012 in order to give sufficient time for dealers to adjust to implementation of the new system and the additional requirements. In this notice, NMFS announces the date and location for an upcoming workshop in the Caribbean area in order to introduce the new reporting system to HMS dealers. NMFS will announce additional workshops in a future notice.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Chinook Salmon Bycatch Management in the Gulf of Alaska Pollock Fishery; Amendment 93
Document Number: 2011-30267
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2011-11-23
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 93 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP). Amendment 93, if approved, would establish separate prohibited species catch (PSC) limits in the Central and Western Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). NMFS would close the directed pollock fishery in those areas if the applicable limit is reached. This action also would require full retention of salmon in the Central and Western GOA pollock fisheries until an observer is provided the opportunity to count the number of salmon and to collect scientific data or biological samples from the salmon. This action is necessary to minimize Chinook salmon bycatch in the GOA pollock fishery to the extent practicable while preserving the potential for the full harvest of pollock total allowable catch within PSC limits. Amendment 93 is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, and other applicable laws.
Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings/Workshop
Document Number: 2011-30211
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-23
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold an online webinar to review and critique its groundfish stock assessment process in 2011. The online Groundfish Stock Assessment Process Review Workshop webinar is open to the public.
Marine Mammals; File No. 14334
Document Number: 2011-30154
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-22
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC), 301 Railway Avenue, Seward, AK 99664 (Dr. Ian Dutton, Responsible Party), has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 14334-01.
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Extension of Emergency Fishery Closure Due to the Presence of the Toxin that Causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)
Document Number: 2011-30151
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-22
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This temporary rule extends a closure of Federal waters. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that oceanographic conditions and alga sampling data suggest that the northern section of the Temporary Paralytic Shellfish Poison Closure Area remain closed to the harvest of bivalve molluscan shellfish, with the exception of sea scallop adductor muscles harvested and shucked at sea, and that the southern area remain closed to the harvest of whole or roe-on scallops. The regulations contained in the temporary rule, emergency action, first published in 2005, and have been subsequently extended several times at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. NMFS is publishing the regulatory text associated with this closure in this temporary emergency rule in order to ensure that current regulations accurately reflect the codified text that has been modified and extended numerous times, so that the public is aware of the regulations being extended.
Marine Mammals; File No. 10018
Document Number: 2011-30013
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-21
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that Rachel Cartwright, Ph.D., Keiki Kohola Project, Oxnard, California, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 10018-01.
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Physical Oceanographic Studies in the Southwest Indian Ocean, January Through February, 2012
Document Number: 2011-30010
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-21
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS has received an application from the United States Navy (Navy) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting physical oceanographic studies in the southwest Indian Ocean, January through February, 2012. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to the Navy to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, 29 species of marine mammals during the specified activity.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; “Other Flatfish” in the Bering Sea Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
Document Number: 2011-30000
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-21
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for ``other flatfish'' in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2011 allocation of ``other flatfish'' in the BSAI.
Caribbean Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
Document Number: 2011-29997
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-21
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) and its Administrative Committee will hold meetings.
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
Document Number: 2011-29950
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-21
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) on December 13, 2011 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.
Endangered Species; File No. 16174
Document Number: 2011-29889
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-18
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that Michael Salmon, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, P.O. Box 3091, Boca Raton, FL 33431, has been issued a permit to take green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) for the purposes of scientific research.
Takes of Marine Mammals During Specified Activities; Blasting Operations by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers During the Port of Miami Construction Project in Miami, FL
Document Number: 2011-29886
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-18
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS has received an application from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take small numbers of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to blasting operations in the Port of Miami in Miami, Florida. NMFS has reviewed the application, including all supporting documents, and determined that it is adequate and complete. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to ACOE to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during the specified activity.
Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; U.S. Marine Corps Training Exercises at Air Station Cherry Point
Document Number: 2011-29851
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-18
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS has received an application from the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) requesting authorization to take marine mammals incidental to various training exercises at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point Range Complex, North Carolina. The USMC's activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2004. Pursuant to the MMPA, NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the USMC to take bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), by Level B harassment only, from specified activities.
Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; 2011 Bigeye Tuna Longline Fishery Closure
Document Number: 2011-29850
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-18
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS is closing the U.S. pelagic longline fishery for bigeye tuna in the western and central Pacific Ocean as a result of the fishery reaching the 2011 catch limit.
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; American Lobster Fishery
Document Number: 2011-29845
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2011-11-18
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS proposes new Federal American lobster regulations that would limit entry into the lobster trap fishery in Lobster Conservation Management Area 1 (Federal inshore waters-Gulf of Maine). Upon qualification, permit holders would be allowed to fish in Area 1 with up to 800 lobster traps. The proposed limited entry program responds to the recommendations for Federal action in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (Commission) Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster.
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting
Document Number: 2011-29826
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-18
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold meetings of its Spiny Lobster Committee; Law Enforcement Committee; Ecosystem-Based Management Committee; Advisory Panel Selection Committee (Closed Session); Information and Education Committee; Executive Finance Committee; Personnel Committee (Closed Session); King and Spanish Mackerel Committee; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Committee; Golden Crab Committee; Snapper Grouper Committee; and a meeting of the Full Council. The Council will take action as necessary. The Council will also hold a public hearing, an informal public question and answer session regarding agenda items, and a public comment session. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional details.
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; U.S. Navy Training in the Hawaii Range Complex
Document Number: 2011-29764
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-17
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS has received an application from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for a 2-year Letter of Authorization (LOA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to training and research within the Hawaii Range Complex (HRC). The Navy is proposing additional mitigation measures tailored to the use of timed-delay firing devices (TDFDs) during mine neutralization training. The current regulations and previous LOAs analyzed the training event rather than the detonation method. NMFS is requesting comments on the proposed change because it constitutes a substantial modification to the described work, in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
Document Number: 2011-29762
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-17
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 26 scientific research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, the southern distinct population segment of Pacific eulachon, the southern distinct population segment of Pacific green sturgeon, and three species of rockfish from the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin. 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 applications may be viewed online at: https:/ /apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/previewopenforcomment.cfm.
North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
Document Number: 2011-29732
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-17
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings, December 5-13, 2011 at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Greenland Turbot in the Bering Sea Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
Document Number: 2011-29730
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-17
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve to the initial total allowable catch of Greenland turbot in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow fishing operations to continue. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area.
Interagency Ocean Observation Committee, Meeting of the Data Management and Communications Steering Team
Document Number: 2011-29699
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-17
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS[supreg]) Program publishes this notice on behalf of the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) to announce a formal meeting of the IOOC's Data Management and Communications Steering Team (DMAC-ST). The DMAC-ST membership is comprised of IOOC-approved federal agency representatives and non-federal participants representing academic, non-profit, private, regional and state sectors who will discuss issues outlined in the agenda.
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; U.S. Navy Training in the Northwest Training Range Complex
Document Number: 2011-29614
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-16
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to the U.S. Navy (Navy) to take marine mammals incidental to Navy training and research activities to be conducted within the Northwest Training Range Complex (NWTRC), off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and northern California. These activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2004 (NDAA).
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit
Document Number: 2011-29611
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-16
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This notice announces receipt of an exempted fishing permit (EFP) application from the Alaska Seafood Cooperative (AKSC). If granted, this permit would allow AKSC to evaluate how various fishing and handling practices affect halibut mortality. Operators from up to seven AKSC nonpelagic trawl vessels would remove halibut from a codend on the deck, and release those fish back to the water in a timely manner to increase survivability. These halibut will be sampled for length and physical condition using standard International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) halibut mortality assessment methodology. This activity has the potential to promote the objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Pacific Halibut Act by assessing techniques for improving survival of halibut caught incidentally in nonpelagic trawl fisheries.
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery; Closure of the Hudson Canyon Access Area to General Category Individual Fishing Quota Scallop Vessels
Document Number: 2011-29583
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-16
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS announces that the Hudson Canyon Scallop Access Area will close to Limited Access General Category IFQ scallop vessels for the remainder of the 2011 fishing year. As of November 12, 2011, no scallop vessel fishing under Limited Access General Category IFQ regulations may declare its intent to enter or fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the Hudson Canyon Scallop Access Area. This action will prevent the allocation of LAGC IFQ trips in the Hudson Canyon Scallop Access Area from being exceeded during the 2011 fishing year.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Societal Response to Tornado Warnings
Document Number: 2011-29575
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-16
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Weather Service, seeking to expand on existing developing social science, wishes to examine the societal impacts of tornado warnings, specifically the methods of receipt, response, and the impact of false alarms on the rate in which protective actions are followed.
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals: U.S. Navy Training in 12 Range Complexes and U.S. Air Force Space Vehicle and Test Flight Activities in California
Document Number: 2011-29494
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2011-11-15
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Between January 2009 and May 2011, pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS issued twelve 5-year final regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to Navy training and associated activities. Additionally, in February 2009, pursuant to the MMPA, NMFS issued 5-year regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to U.S. Air Force (USAF) space vehicle and test flight activities from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). These regulations require the issuance of annual ``Letters of Authorization'' (LOAs). Since the issuance of the rules, the Navy realized that their evolving training programs, which are linked to real world events, necessitate greater flexibility in the types and amounts of sound sources that they use. NMFS now proposes to amend the regulations for the affected Navy training ranges to provide for additional flexibility and allow for LOAs with longer periods of validity. Similarly, NMFS now proposes to amend the regulations issued to VAFB in February 2009, to allow for greater flexibility regarding the types and amounts of missile and rocket launches that the USAF conducts.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Bering Sea Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
Document Number: 2011-29474
Type: Rule
Date: 2011-11-15
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve to the initial total allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow fishing operations to continue. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area.
Pacific Fishery Management Council; Notice of Intent
Document Number: 2011-29323
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-14
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS and the Pacific Fishery Management Council announce their intent to prepare an EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 to analyze the impacts on the human (biological, physical, social, and economic) environment of setting harvest specifications (including Overfishing Limits (OFLs), Acceptable Biological Catches (ABCs), and Annual Catch Limits (ACLs)) and management measures for 2013 and 2014, pursuant to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan.
Fisheries of the Pacific Region
Document Number: 2011-29318
Type: Notice
Date: 2011-11-14
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has determined that Pacific ocean perch, (Sebastes alutus), which is managed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, is in an overfished condition. NMFS notifies the appropriate fishery management council (Council) whenever it determines that overfishing is occurring, a stock is in an overfished condition, or a stock is approaching an overfished condition.
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