National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, NMFS, issue a final determination to list five species of foreign sturgeon as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We updated the status reviews of the species to include additional information regarding the species and conservation efforts being made to protect them. We considered governmental and public comments on the proposed listing rule. We have made our determination that Acipenser naccarii (Adriatic sturgeon), and A. sturio (European sturgeon) in Western Europe, A. sinensis (Chinese sturgeon) in the Yangtze River basin, and A. mikadoi (Sakhalin sturgeon) and Huso dauricus (Kaluga sturgeon) in the Amur River Basin/Sea of Japan/Sea of Okhotsk region, should be listed as endangered species. We will not designate critical habitat because the geographical areas occupied by these species are entirely outside U.S. jurisdiction, and we have not identified any unoccupied areas in the U.S. that are currently essential to the conservation of any of these species.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of two forthcoming meetings of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC). The members will discuss and provide advice on issues outlined in the agenda below.

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 proposes to implement an annual catch limit (ACL), and associated annual reference points for Pacific sardine in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Pacific coast for the fishing season of July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015. This rule is proposed according to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The proposed 2014-2015 ACL for Pacific sardine is 23,293 metric tons (mt). The proposed initial overall commercial fishing target, that is to be allocated across the three allocation periods for sardine management, is 19,293 mt. This amount would be divided across the three seasonal allocation periods for the directed fishery the following way: July 1-September 147,718 mt; September 15-December 314,823 mt; and January 1-June 306,752 mt, with an incidental set-aside of 500 mt for each of the three periods. This proposed rule is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific sardine stock off the U.S. West Coast.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory entities will hold public meetings.

NMFS is adjusting the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) General category daily retention limit from the default limit of one large medium or giant BFT to four large medium or giant BFT for June 1 through August 31, 2014. This action is based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments, and applies to Atlantic tunas General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat category permitted vessels when fishing commercially for BFT.

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 New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Joint VMS/Enforcement Committee and Advisory Panel will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS) and Salmon Technical Team (STT) will hold a webinar, which is open to the public.

NMFS proposes to approve and implement regulations to implement Framework Adjustment 8 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils developed Framework Adjustment 8 to revise existing monkfish day-at-sea allocations and landing limits to better achieve optimum yield in each fishery management area. Framework Adjustment 8 would also revise biological reference points for the monkfish stocks in the Northern and Southern Fishery Management Areas based on an updated stock assessment, allow vessels issued a limited access monkfish Category H permit to fish throughout the Southern Fishery Management Area, and enable vessels to use an allocated monkfish-only day-at-sea at any time throughout the fishing year.

NOAA Fisheries has made a preliminary determination that an exempted fishing permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This request was submitted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and would allow commercial fishing vessels to evaluate if whiting can be caught in commercially viable quantities with minimal bycatch in the Gulf of Maine Grate Raised Footrope Trawl Exemption Area using a small-mesh trawl that has a standard cookie sweep, prior to the start of the current season that begins July 1. The exempted fishing permit would exempt the vessels from the Northeast multispecies minimum mesh size and seasonal restrictions at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3) and 648.80 (a)(16). Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed exempted fishing permits.

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 Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will hold a webinar to discuss items on the June Pacific Council meeting agenda (see https://tinyurl.com/ mg4p59h). The meeting is open to the public, but is not intended as a public hearing.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Oversight Committee 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.

NMFS issues final specifications for the 2014 summer flounder fishery, and the 2015 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. This final rule specifies allowed harvest limits for both commercial and recreational fisheries. This action prohibits federally permitted commercial fishing vessels from landing summer flounder in Delaware in 2014 due to continued quota repayment from previous years' overages. These actions are necessary to comply with regulations implementing the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, and to ensure compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The intent of this action is to establish harvest levels and other management measures to ensure that these species are not overfished or subject to overfishing in 2014 and 2015.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a Visioning Project Workshop, receive a presentation from NOAA Fisheries on the Development of a National Recreational Fishing Policy, and hold a joint committee meeting of the Habitat & Environmental Protection Committee and Ecosystem-Based Management Committee. The Council will also hold meetings of the: Executive Finance Committee; Protected Resources Committee; Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Selection Committee (CLOSED SESSION); Advisory Panel Selection Committee (CLOSED SESSION); Law Enforcement Committee (CLOSED SESSION); Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Committee; Snapper Grouper Committee; Joint committee meeting of the Dolphin Wahoo Committee and Snapper Grouper Committee; Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Committee; King & Spanish Mackerel Committee; Information and Education Committee; Golden Crab Committee, Data Collection Committee; and a meeting of the Full Council. The Council will take action as necessary. The Council will also hold an informal public question and answer session regarding agenda items and a formal public comment session.

The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve. The National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation will be conducted pursuant to sections 312 and 315 of the CZMA and regulations at 15 CFR part 921, subpart E and part 923, subpart L. Evaluation of a National Estuarine Research Reserve requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has met the national objectives, adhered to its Reserve final management plan approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and adhered to the terms of financial assistance awards funded under the CZMA. The evaluation will include a public meeting, consideration of written public comments and consultations with interested Federal, state, and local agencies and members of the public. When the evaluation is completed, OCRM will place a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Final Evaluation Findings. Notice is hereby given of the date, local time, and location of the public meeting.

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring a portion of its 2014 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of New Jersey. NMFS is adjusting the quotas and announcing the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel (HMSAS) will hold a webinar, which is open to the public.

NMFS, Southeast Region, in collaboration with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) intends to prepare a DEIS to describe and analyze management alternatives to be included in Amendment 28 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 28). Actions considered in Amendment 28 were initially limited to alternatives to reallocate Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) red snapper resources between the commercial and recreational sectors. However, NMFS and the Council have since modified the scope of Amendment 28 to consider actions that would revise the recreational accountability measures (AMs) for Gulf red snapper. These actions would establish an annual catch target (ACT) by applying a buffer to the recreational quota and establish recreational quota overage adjustment provisions (paybacks). These additional actions will support management efforts to maintain landings within the recreational quota and mitigate recreational quota overages should they occur. The purpose of this NOI is to solicit public comments on the modified scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS.

Notice is hereby given that the Guam Department of Agriculture Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources (DAWR), 163 Dairy Road, Mangilao, Guam 96913, has applied in due form for a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

NMFS has received a petition to ``designate the Sakhalin Bay- Amur River stock of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) as a depleted stock under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).'' In accordance with the MMPA, NMFS announces the receipt of the petition and its availability for public review and is soliciting comments on the petition.

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has found that the following stocks are subject to overfishing or are in an overfished condition: Thorny skate is subject to overfishing and continues to be in an overfished condition; winter skate is subject to overfishing but is not in an overfished condition; Gulf of Mexico red snapper continues to be in an overfished condition; the Gulf of Mexico jacks complex is subject to overfishing; Gulf of Mexico hogfish is subject to overfishing; and South Atlantic blueline tilefish is subject to overfishing and in is an overfished condition. In addition, the Western and Central North Pacific (WCNP) stock of striped marlin, which is jointly managed by the Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council and the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, continues to be subject to overfishing and is now in an overfished condition. NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, notifies the appropriate fishery management council (Council) whenever it determines that overfishing is occurring, a stock is in an overfished condition, a stock is approaching an overfished condition, or when a rebuilding plan has not resulted in adequate progress toward ending overfishing and rebuilding affected fish stocks.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's Legislative Committee will hold a public online webinar on June 11, 2014. The meeting is open to the public, but is not intended as a public hearing. Public comments will be taken at the discretion of the Legislative Committee chair as time allows.

Notice is hereby given that the National Marine Fisheries Service's National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML), 7600 Sand Point Way, Seattle, WA 98115 [Principal Investigator: Thomas Gelatt, Ph.D.], has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 14327.