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

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council's) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Groundfish Subcommittee will hold an online webinar to review a final draft of the 2013 cowcod rebuilding analysis, data-poor overfishing limit (OFL) estimates for kelp greenling and the Washington stock of cabezon, and other business in preparation for the SSC's March 2014 meeting. The online SSC Groundfish Subcommittee webinar is open to the public.

This action proposes to adjust 2014 sub-annual catch limits (ACLs) for the Atlantic herring (herring) fishery to account for catch overages and underharvest in 2012. Three of the four sub-ACLs are being decreased and one sub-ACL is being increased. This would result in an increase to the overall catch available to the herring fleet.

NMFS announces its request for applications for the 2014 shark research fishery from commercial shark fishermen with directed or incidental shark limited access permits. The shark research fishery allows for the collection of fishery-dependent and biological data for future stock assessments to meet NMFS's shark research objectives. The only commercial vessels authorized to land sandbar sharks are those participating in the shark research fishery. Shark research fishery permittees may also land other large coastal sharks (LCS), small coastal sharks (SCS), and pelagic sharks. Commercial shark fishermen who are interested in participating in the shark research fishery need to submit a completed Shark Research Fishery Permit Application in order to be considered.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Implementation Team will meet in Anchorage, AK.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), its Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Committee, and its Executive Committee will hold public meetings.

NMFS announces its intent to issue Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs), Scientific Research Permits (SRPs), Display Permits, Letters of Acknowledgment (LOAs), and Chartering Permits for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) in 2014. Exempted fishing permits and related permits would authorize collection of a limited number of tunas, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks (collectively known as HMS) 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 under certain conditions. Generally, EFPs and related permits will be valid from the date of issuance through December 31, 2014, unless otherwise specified, subject to the terms and conditions of individual permits.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that we have issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the U.S. Navy (Navy) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, two species of marine mammals during construction activities associated with a pier maintenance project at Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton, Washington.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings, December 9-16, in Anchorage, AK.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of Pacific cod from catcher vessels using jig gear, catcher vessels greater than 60 feet (18.3 meters) length overall (LOA) using pot gear, and catcher vessels using trawl gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) LOA using hook- and-line or pot gear, American Fisheries Act (AFA) catcher/processors (C/P), Amendment 80 (A80) C/Ps, C/P vessels using pot gear, and C/P vessels using hook-and-line gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow the 2013 total allowable catch of Pacific cod to be harvested.

We, NMFS, are issuing an interim final regulation to conserve the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus). On February 6, 2012, we listed the Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic sturgeon as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). When a species is listed as threatened under the ESA, we are required to issue protective regulations under section 4(d) of the ESA. Such protective regulations are ones deemed ``necessary and advisable for the conservation of the species'' and may include any act prohibited for endangered species under section 9(a)(1) of the ESA. This regulation extends the prohibitions listed in section 9 of the ESA to Gulf of Maine DPS Atlantic sturgeon. The prohibitions set forth in this rule are considered necessary and advisable for the conservation of this species. Given that the changes made to this rule are based on the new information that was not submitted as public comment on the proposed rule, we are publishing this rule as an interim final rule and are soliciting additional public comment. This document also announces the availability of a final Environmental Assessment that analyzes the environmental impacts of promulgating this interim final regulation.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received nine scientific research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon, sturgeon, rockfish, and eulachon. 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.

Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to Wessley Merten, Marine Sciences Department, University of Puerto Rico, Mayag[uuml]ez Campus, PO Box 9000, Mayag[uuml]ez, PR 00682, to conduct commercial or educational photography of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris), striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens), and killer whales (Orcinus orca) in waters off Puerto Rico.

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

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 City of Seattle's Department of Transportation (SDOT) for the take of nine species of marine mammals incidental to pile driving activities associated with the Elliott Bay Seawall Project (EBSP).

This action implements revisions to the Pacific coast groundfish trawl rationalization program (program), a catch share program, and includes clarifications of regulations that affect the limited entry trawl and limited entry fixed gear sectors managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action implements trailing actions for the program that are either original provisions of the program, such as quota share (QS) permit application and transfer regulations, or are provisions that increase flexibility or efficiency, or address minor revisions/clarifications.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's Advisory Panel (AP) will meet.

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.

ONMS is seeking applications for vacant seats for 7 of its 13 national marine sanctuary advisory councils and for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Advisory Council (advisory councils). Vacant seats, including positions (i.e., primary member and alternate), for each of the advisory councils are listed in this notice under Supplementary Information. Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen as primary members or alternates should expect to serve two- or three-year terms, pursuant to the charter of the specific national marine sanctuary advisory council or the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Advisory Council.

NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for the commercial sector for gag in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. Commercial landings for gag, as estimated by the Science Research Director, have reached the commercial annual catch limit (ACL). Therefore, NMFS closes the commercial sector for gag on November 13, 2013, for the remainder of the 2013 fishing year, through December 31, 2013. This action is necessary to prevent overfishing of the South Atlantic gag resource.

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.