National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration July 2, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action closes the Gulf of Maine Haddock Trimester Total Allowable Catch Area to Northeast multispecies common pool vessels fishing with trawl gear, sink gillnet gear, and longline/hook gear. The closure is required because the common pool fishery is projected to have caught over 90 percent of its Trimester 1 quota for Gulf of Maine haddock. This closure is intended to prevent an overage of the common pool's quota for this stock.

The Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel and River Herring and Shad Advisory Panel of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a joint meeting.

The SEDAR 57 stock assessment process for Caribbean spiny lobster will consist of a Data Workshop, a series of data and assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS is adjusting the Swordfish (SWO) General Commercial permit retention limits for the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. Caribbean regions for July through December of the 2018 fishing year, unless otherwise later noticed. The SWO General Commercial permit retention limit in each of these regions is increased from the regulatory default limits (either two or three fish) to six swordfish per vessel per trip. The SWO General Commercial permit retention limit in the Florida SWO Management Area will remain unchanged at the default limit of zero swordfish per vessel per trip, as discussed in more detail below. These adjustments apply to SWO General Commercial permitted vessels and to Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/ Headboat permitted vessels with a commercial endorsement when on a non- for-hire trip. This action is based upon consideration of the applicable inseason regional retention limit adjustment criteria.

NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). If granted, the EFP would authorize the deployment of modified wire spiny lobster traps in the Federal waters of the South Atlantic. The project would seek to determine the effectiveness of these traps, as applicable, for attracting and collecting invasive lionfish while avoiding impacts to non-target species, protected species, and habitats.