National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 U.S. Marine Corps (Marine Corps) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to training operations at the Brant Island Bombing Target (BT-9) and Piney Island Bombing Range (BT-11) located within the Marine Corps' Cherry Point Range Complex in Pamlico Sound, NC.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2015 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia. These quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement is intended to inform the public of the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

The NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the San Francisco Bay 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, OCM 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.

The NOAA Office for Coastal Management announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the Puerto Rico Coastal Zone Management Program. Coastal Zone Management Program evaluations are conducted pursuant to section 312 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended (CZMA) and regulations at 15 CFR part 923, subpart L. The CZMA requires continuing review of the performance of states and territories with respect to coastal program implementation. Evaluation of a Coastal Management Program requires findings concerning the extent to which a state or territory has met the national objectives, adhered to its Coastal Management Program document approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and adhered to the terms of financial assistance awards funded under the CZMA. The evaluations 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, the Office for Coastal Management 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. Date and Time: The Puerto Rico Coastal Zone Management Program public meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. local time at the Environmental Agencies Building, PR-8838 Km. 6.3, El Cinco, Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council's) Law Enforcement Committee will hold a public meeting.

The Stock Assessment Review Panels (STAR Panels) will hold work sessions to review stock assessments for canary rockfish and darkblotched rockfish; bocaccio and China rockfish; black rockfish; and widow rockfish and kelp greenling, all of which are open to the public.

NMFS proposes regulatory changes to improve the administration of the High Seas Fishing Compliance Act program and the monitoring of U.S. fishing vessels operating on the high seas. The proposed rule includes, for all U.S. fishing vessels operating on the high seas, adjustments to permitting and reporting procedures. It also includes requirements for the installation and operation of enhanced mobile transceiver units for vessel monitoring, carrying observers on vessels, reporting of transshipments taking place on the high seas, and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems. This proposed rule has been prepared to minimize duplication and to be consistent with other established requirements.

NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for the commercial sector for vermilion snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. NMFS projects that commercial landings for vermilion snapper will reach the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for the January 1 through June 30, 2015, fishing period on April 15, 2015. Therefore, NMFS closes the commercial sector for vermilion snapper in the South Atlantic EEZ on April 15, 2015, and it will remain closed until the start of the July 1 through December 31, 2015, fishing period. This closure is necessary to protect the South Atlantic vermilion snapper resource.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a workshop in conjunction with a joint meeting of the Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel and Ecosystems and Ocean Planning Advisory Panel. The purpose of the workshop is to refine spatial alternatives for deep sea coral protection zones for inclusion the Council's Deep Sea Corals Amendment.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel (AP) will meet to review recent fishery performance and develop Fishery Performance Reports and/or other recommendations for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish fisheries in preparation for the Council's setting of MSB specifications at the June 2015 Council meeting.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a Stock Assessment Review (STAR) Panel meeting to review the Pacific mackerel stock assessment.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) River Herring and Shad (RH/S) Advisory Panel (AP) will meet to develop recommendations for the 2016-18 RH/S Cap on the Atlantic mackerel fishery and provide general input on RH/S conservation.

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 purpose of this action is to set the small-mesh multispecies specifications for the 2015-2017 fishing years, clarify what measures can be modified in a specifications package, and to correct the northern red hake accountability measure trigger rate. This action is necessary to implement the Council's recommended measures intended to reduce the risk of continuing overfishing of northern red hake and set catch and possession limits for the 2015-2017 fishing years. The proposed specifications are designed to help achieve sustainable yield and to inform the public of these measures.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Regulatory Amendment 20 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) (Regulatory Amendment 20), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this proposed rule would revise the snowy grouper annual catch limits (ACLs), commercial trip limit, and recreational fishing season. The purpose of this rule is to help achieve optimum yield (OY) and prevent overfishing of snowy grouper while enhancing socio-economic opportunities within the snapper-grouper fishery in accordance with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that an exempted fishing permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This exempted fishing permit would allow up to three commercial fishing vessels to conduct exploratory fishing in year-round groundfish closed areas (Closed Areas I and II) for the purposes of obtaining fisheries dependent catch information. This research is being conducted by Atlantic Trawlers Fishing, Inc. 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.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using jig or hook-and-line gear in the Bogoslof Pacific cod exemption area of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the limit of Pacific cod for catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using jig or hook-and-line gear in the Bogoslof Pacific cod exemption area in the BSAI.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received 11 scientific research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon 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/ preview_open_for_comment.cfm.

NMFS issues this final rule to implement management measures described in a framework action to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule revises the daily bag limit for red grouper in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and removes the recreational post-season bag limit reduction accountability measure (AM) for Gulf red grouper. Additionally, this rule corrects an error in the Gulf individual fishing quota (IFQ) multi-use provisions for the Grouper/Tilefish IFQ program. The purpose of this final rule is to modify the Gulf red grouper recreational management measures to improve recreational fishing opportunities by achieving optimal yield for the red grouper resource.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for northern rockfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2015 total allowable catch (TAC) of northern rockfish in the BSAI.

The Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) meeting on April 28, 2015 is cancelled.

We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) as an endangered distinct population segment (DPS) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Accordingly, we will conduct a review of the status of this species to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we solicit information pertaining to this species from any interested party.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a series of public hearings pertaining to Amendment 36 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the South Atlantic. The amendment addresses the establishment of Spawning Special Management Zones (SMZs) to protect important spawning habitat for species in the snapper grouper management unit. The public is asked to provide input on areas for consideration as well as other actions in the amendment.