National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration March 9, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel 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.

NOAA is soliciting nominations for members of the NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB is the only Federal Advisory Committee with the responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans, Atmosphere, and NOAA Administrator on long- and short-range strategies for research, education, and application of science to resource management and environmental assessment and prediction. The SAB consists of approximately fifteen members reflecting the full breadth of NOAA's areas of responsibility and assists NOAA in maintaining a complete and accurate understanding of scientific issues critical to the agency's missions.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the A season allowance of the 2020 total allowable catch of pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

In accordance with applicable federal regulations, notice is hereby given that NOAA's Office for Coastal Management approved the final environmental assessment of a proposed boundary expansion for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) National Estuarine Research Reserve in Florida. NOAA determined that the boundary expansion would not have significant environmental impacts and, therefore, issued a finding of no significant impact (FONSI). The final environmental assessment describes the alternatives considered, including the preferred alternative to add three parcels to the existing approved boundary, which would result in a net increase in size of 3,346.44 acres to the boundary. NOAA prepared a draft environmental assessment to analyze the effects of the requested expansion and solicited public comment before approving the request. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of NOAA's approval of the boundary expansion and of the availability of the final environmental assessment.

Under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the NMFS Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (Assistant Administrator) is revoking the comparability findings for the following fisheries authorized by the Government of Mexico: Upper Gulf of California shrimp trawl fishery for both small and large vessels; Upper Gulf of California shrimp suripera fishery; Upper Gulf of California sierra purse seine fishery; Upper Gulf of California sierra hook and line fishery; Upper Gulf of California chano trawl fishery, for small vessels; Upper Gulf of California curvina purse seine fishery; and Upper Gulf of California sardine/curvina purse seine fishery for both small and large vessels. The Assistant Administrator continues the determination to deny a comparability finding for the El Golfo de Santa Clara curvina rodeo-style gillnet fishery.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2020 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2020 commercial quotas for North Carolina and Virginia.

NMFS proposes to approve and implement measures included in Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan, as submitted by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. This action would integrate Atlantic chub mackerel as a stock in the fishery under the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. This amendment would identify goals and objectives for managing Atlantic chub mackerel; specify status determination criteria; designate essential fish habitat; establish a specifications process; set annual catch limits for 2020-2022; and implement accountability measures, possession limits, permitting and reporting requirements, and other administrative measures for Atlantic chub mackerel caught from Maine through North Carolina.