National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has found that the following stocks are overfished or subject to overfishing. Klamath River fall-run Chinook salmon, Queets coho salmon, Juan de Fuca coho salmon, Snohomish coho salmon, and Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon are now overfished. Upper Columbia River summer-run Chinook salmon is now subject to overfishing. Thorny skate and the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico stock of sandbar shark are still overfished. The Gulf of Maine/Cape Hatteras Atlantic mackerel stock is now both overfished and subject to overfishing. 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 or a stock is approaching an overfished condition.

Notice is hereby given that Aaron Roberts, Ph.D., University of North Texas, Biological Sciences, 1155 Union Circle, #310559, Denton, TX 76203, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 21217.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Whiting Advisory Panel and Committee on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 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.

The SEDAR 58 assessment of the Atlantic stock of Cobia will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: Data Workshop; Assessment Webinars; and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will convene a meeting via webinar to discuss items on the Pacific Council's September 2018 meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Ecosystem Committee will hold a teleconference on August 20, 2018.

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.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the U.S. Navy (Navy) for the take, by Level B harassment only, of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), incidental to the Bravo Wharf Recapitalization Project at Bravo Wharf, Naval Station Mayport, Florida.

NMFS will hold a 2-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in September 2018. The intent of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public.

NMFS proposes to make administrative revisions to the renewal process for Federal vessel permits, licenses, and endorsements, and dealer permits (hereafter referred to collectively as permits) in the NMFS Southeast Region. This proposed rule would remove the regulatory requirement that NMFS must mail a renewal application to a permit holder (vessel or dealer) whose Federal permit is expiring. NMFS will continue to provide notice of the upcoming expiration date to the permit holder. This proposed rule would also remove the regulatory requirement that NMFS must notify an applicant of any deficiency in a renewal application only through sending a letter via traditional mail, such as through the U.S. Postal Service, which would allow NMFS expanded options for notifying permit holders. The purpose of this proposed rule is to reduce the administrative costs and burden to NMFS of renewing Federal permits, while still maintaining the needed information and services to the public.

The Acting Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an adjustment to increase the total weight of monkfish allowed to be harvested under the two existing exempted fishing permits issued for the 2017 monkfish research set-aside program warrants further consideration. This notice provides interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed change to these exempted fishing permits.

NMFS's Office of Protected Resources (OPR) has received a request from NMFS's Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to fisheries research conducted in multiple specified geographical regions, over the course of five years from the date of issuance. As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is proposing regulations to govern that take, and requests comments on the proposed regulations. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.