National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for vessels participating in the BSAI trawl yellowfin sole fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2013 allocation of yellowfin sole total allowable catch for vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery in the BSAI.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 102 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP), and amend the Individual Fishing Quota Program for the Fixed-Gear Commercial Fisheries for Pacific Halibut and Sablefish in Waters in and off Alaska (IFQ Program). Amendment 102 and its proposed implementing regulations would create a Community Quota Entity (CQE) Program in halibut IFQ regulatory area 4B (Area 4B) and the sablefish Aleutian Islands regulatory area that is similar to the existing CQE Program in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Amendment 102 would also allow an eligible community in Area 4B and in the Aleutian Islands to establish a non-profit organization as a CQE to purchase halibut catcher vessel quota share (QS) assigned to Area 4B and sablefish QS assigned to the Aleutian Islands. The CQE could assign the resulting annual halibut and sablefish IFQ to participants according to defined CQE Program elements. An additional proposed revision to the IFQ Program regulations would allow IFQ derived from D share halibut QS to be fished on Category C vessels in Area 4B. These actions are necessary to provide additional fishing opportunities for residents of fishery dependent communities and sustain participation in the halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries. These actions are intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982, the BSAI FMP, and other applicable law.

The notice of an open meeting of the NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB) was published in the Federal Register on October 2, 2013 (78FR60851). Since the publication of the meeting notice, the starting time for the meeting on November 19, 2013 has changed from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and the meeting adjournment has changed from 2:30 p.m. on November 20, 2013 to 11:30 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Beacon Hotel, 1615 Rhode Island Avenue, Washington, DC 20036. Please see the Web site, https://www.sab.noaa.gov/Meetings/meetings.html for the most recent agenda and directions to the meeting location.

The SEDAR 33 assessment of the Gulf of Mexico stocks of gag (Mycteroperca microlepis) and greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) will consist of two workshops and a series of webinars: a Data Workshop, an Assessment process conducted via webinars, and a Review Workshop. This series of workshops and webinars will be referred to as SEDAR 33. This notice is for additional Assessment Workshop webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

Notice is hereby given of a public meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF). The meeting will be held in Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands at The Buccaneer Hotel, 5007 Estates Shoys, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands 00820. The meeting provides a forum for coordinated planning and action among federal agencies, state and territorial governments, and nongovernmental partners. The meeting will be held Friday, November 15, 2013. Additional workshops and field trips will be held in advance of the meeting on Tuesday, November 12, Wednesday, November 13 and Thursday, November 14. Registration is requested for all events associated with the meeting. This meeting has time allotted for public comment. All public comments must be submitted in written format. A written summary of the meeting will be posted on the USCRTF Web site within two months of occurrence. For information about the meeting, registering and submitting public comments, go to https://www.coralreef.gov, https:// dpnrczm.wufoo.com/forms/ or https://uscrtf-events-registration-form/or https://dpnrczm.wufoo.com/forms/uscrtf-registration-form. Commenters may address the meeting, the role of the USCRTF, or general coral reef conservation issues. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comments, you should be aware that your entire comment, including personal identifying information may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Established by Presidential Executive Order 13089 in 1998, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force mission is to lead, coordinate and strengthen U.S. government actions to better preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems. Co-chaired by the Departments of Commerce and Interior, Task Force members include leaders of 12 federal agencies, seven U.S. states and territories and three freely associated states.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's Outreach and Education Advisory Panel (OEAP) will meet.

NMFS announces that the State of Maine is transferring a portion of its 2013 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of Connecticut. NMFS is adjusting the quotas and announcing the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

Notice is hereby given that the Warnell School of Forest Resources, Fisheries Division, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 [Douglas Peterson: Responsible Party], has applied in due form for a permit modification to take Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) and shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) for purposes of scientific research.

NMFS solicits nominations for the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP). NMFS consults with and considers the comments and views of the HMS AP when preparing and implementing Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) or FMP amendments for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, sharks, and billfish. Nominations are being sought to fill approximately one-third (11) of the seats on the HMS AP for a 3-year appointment. Individuals with definable interests in the recreational and commercial fishing and related industries, environmental community, academia, and non-governmental organizations are considered for membership in the HMS AP (note that there are no Academic terms expiring, so no nominations for that sector will be considered at this time).

NMFS reviewed the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regional marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act. SARs for marine mammals in the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regions were revised according to new information. NMFS solicits public comments on the draft 2013 SARs.

We (NMFS) announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list three species of hagfish and three species of sea snakes as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the petition presents substantial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted for the sea snake, A. fuscus. We will conduct a status review of this 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 sea snake from any interested party. We find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted for the remaining five species: Eptatretus octatrema, Myxine paucidens, Paramyxine taiwanae, Aipysurus apraefrontalis, and A. foliosquama.

On August 22, 2013, NMFS published a notice of public hearings for Draft Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (2006 Consolidated HMS FMP), which provided dates and locations for ten scheduled public hearings. Three of the ten scheduled public hearings were cancelled due to the shut- down of the Federal Government from October 1 through 16, 2013. In this document, NMFS announces the dates and locations for three rescheduled public hearings to provide opportunities for members of the public to comment on the management measures proposed in Draft Amendment 7. The Amendment 7 proposed rule, which published August 21, 2013, includes a variety of management measures to ensure sustainable management of bluefin tuna consistent with the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and address ongoing management challenges in the Atlantic bluefin tuna fisheries.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Summer Flounder Monitoring Committee, Scup Monitoring Committee, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee will hold a public meeting.

This notice announces the reallocation of 2013 Monkfish Research Set-Aside days-at-sea. These days are being reallocated because they were not awarded through the 2013 Monkfish Research Set- Aside Program grant process. The reallocated days-at-sea are available to conduct monkfish research activities during fishing year 2013 (May 1, 2013-April 30, 2014).

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 solicits nominations for the Advisory Panel (AP) for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) Workshops (this AP is also called the ``SEDAR Pool''). The SEDAR Pool is comprised of a group of individuals who may be selected to consider data and advise NMFS regarding scientific information, including but not limited to data and models, used in stock assessments for oceanic sharks in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea. Nominations are being sought for a 3-year appointment (2014-2016). Individuals with definable interests in the recreational and commercial fishing and related industries, environmental community, academia, or non-governmental organizations will be considered for membership on the SEDAR Pool.

NMFS announces that the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 102 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP) for review by the Secretary of Commerce. Amendment 102 would implement a Community Quota Entity (CQE) Program for sablefish in the Aleutian Islands regulatory area. The proposed CQE Program would be similar to the existing CQE Program in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Amendment 102 is necessary to provide additional fishing opportunities in fishery dependent communities of the Aleutian Islands and sustain participation in the sablefish IFQ fisheries. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the BSAI FMP, and other applicable laws.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a public hearing pertaining to Amendment 7 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Groundfish Oversight Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).