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

NMFS is prohibiting retention of Pacific cod by American Fisheries Act (AFA) trawl catcher/processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary because the Pacific cod total allowable catch allocated to AFA trawl catcher/processors in the BSAI has been reached.

The SEDAR 68 assessment process of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Scamp will consist of a series of data and assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS received a request from Chevron Products Company (Chevron) for the Renewal of their currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to the Long Wharf Maintenance and Efficiency Project (LWMEP) in San Francisco Bay, California. These activities consist of activities that are covered by the current authorization but will not be completed prior to its expiration. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to issuing the currently active IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. The Renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed Renewal not previously provided during the initial 30-day comment period.

NMFS will hold a 1-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting via webinar in May 2020. The intent of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public.

We are approving regulations to implement Framework Adjustment 6 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, including the 2019- 2021 fishery specifications and management measures, as recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council. This action is intended to establish the allowable 2020-2021 herring harvest levels and river herring and shad catch caps, consistent with the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The specifications and management measures are necessary to meet conservation objectives while providing sustainable levels of access to the fishery.

The Groundfish Subcommittee of the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council's) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and invited scientific experts will hold a meeting to review proposed length-based assessment methods followed by a workshop to explore data-moderate and data-limited assessment methods. The meeting is open to the public.

This final rule establishes annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) for deepwater shrimp, precious corals, and gray jobfish (uku) in 2019-2021, and for Kona crab in 2019. This rule supports the long-term sustainability of Pacific Island fisheries.

NMFS has determined that the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limit that applies to vessels permitted in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category and the HMS Charter/Headboat category (when fishing recreationally for BFT) should be adjusted for the remainder of 2020, based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments. NMFS is adjusting the Angling category BFT daily retention limit from the default of one school, large school, or small medium BFT to two school BFT and one large school/small medium BFT per vessel per day/trip for private vessels with HMS Angling category permits; to three school BFT and one large school/small medium BFT per vessel per day/trip for charter boat vessels with HMS Charter/Headboat permits when fishing recreationally; and to six school BFT and two large school/small medium BFT per vessel per day/trip for headboat vessels with HMS Charter/ Headboat permits when fishing recreationally. These retention limits are effective in all areas, except for the Gulf of Mexico, where NMFS prohibits targeted fishing for BFT.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Joint Advisory Panel and Plan Development Team 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 Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is requesting written comments to facilitate ONMS review of the nomination for Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS). NOAA is requesting relevant information as it pertains to the 11 national significance criteria and management considerations that NOAA applied to evaluate the CHNMS nomination for inclusion in the national inventory of areas that NOAA may consider for future designation as a national marine sanctuary. Particular attention will be given to new scientific information about the national significance of natural and cultural resources, as well as increases or decreases in the threats to resources originally proposed for protection, and changes to the management framework of the area. NOAA will also assess the level of community-based support for the nomination from a broad range of interests. NOAA has provided the original nominating party, the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, an opportunity to share its views on these same questions. Subsequent to the information gathering and internal analysis, the ONMS Director will make a final determination on whether or not the CHNMS nomination will remain in the inventory prior to the five-year anniversary of accepting the nomination, October 5, 2020.

This final rule implements the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for the International Pacific Halibut Commission's regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. In addition, this final rule implements management measures that are not implemented through the International Pacific Halibut Commission. These measures include the recreational fishery seasons and allocations, and other management measures for Area 2A, including some season dates that are different than proposed. This rule also announces that it may be necessary to further modify the opening dates or other fishing days for some subareas shortly after the publication of this final rule, in response to changes in state measures related to the spread of COVID-19. These actions are intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide angler opportunity where available.

The New England Fishery Management Council's is convening an ad-hoc sub-panel of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) to conduct a peer review of an interdisciplinary review of Atlantic Cod stock structure in the Western North Atlantic Ocean via webinar 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 Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Notice is hereby given that ONMS will solicit applications to fill non-governmental seats on its 14 established national marine sanctuary advisory councils and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Advisory Council (advisory councils), under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Executive Order, respectively. Note, the list of 15 established advisory councils in the Contact Information for Each Site section includes the advisory council established for the Proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary and excludes an advisory council for the recently designated Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary since an advisory has not yet been established. Vacant seats, including positions (i.e., primary and alternate), for each of the advisory councils will be advertised differently at each site in accordance with the information provided in this notice. This notice contains web page links and contact information for each site, as well as additional resources on advisory council vacancies and the application process.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Fisheries Field Office, 11110 Kimages Road, Charles City, VA 23030 (Responsible Party: Albert Spells), has requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 20314.

The SEDAR Steering Committee will meet via webinar to discuss the SEDAR stock assessment process and assessment schedule. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold webinar meeting to consider actions affecting the Gulf of Mexico fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The New England Fishery Management Council is convening public hearings of Draft Amendment 23 to Northeast Multispecies Fishery via webinar 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 is proposing to adjust the current regulations for North Atlantic swordfish and shark retention limits for certain permit holders in U.S. Atlantic and Caribbean waters. This action considers modifying swordfish retention limits for highly migratory species (HMS) Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit holders, Swordfish General Commercial permit holders, and HMS Charter/Headboat permit holders with a commercial endorsement on a non-for hire (i.e., commercial) trip and modifying shark retention limits for HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit holders. The action also considers adding regulatory criteria for inseason adjustment of swordfish and shark retention limits for the HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit. This proposed action would better align swordfish management measures established for HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit holders under Amendment 4 with those established in Amendment 8 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Swordfish General Commercial permit holders and HMS Charter/Headboat permit holders with a commercial sale endorsement on a commercial trip. A commercial trip in this document is defined as HMS Charter/Headboat permit holders with a commercial sale endorsement on a non-for hire trip catching swordfish with the intent to sell their catch.

NMFS is implementing final measures recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council in Framework Adjustment 8 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan. This action specifies skate catch limits for fishing years 2020 and 2021 and increases seasonal possession limits for both the wing and bait fisheries. This action is necessary to establish skate specifications consistent with the most recent scientific information and the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The intent of this action is to establish catch limits for the skate fishery, while providing operational flexibility to fishery participants.

The Gulf of Mexico (GMFMC) and South Atlantic Fishery Management (SAFMC) Councils will hold a joint workgroup for Section 102 for the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018.

This action corrects an error in the notice of approved industry-funded monitoring service providers published in the Federal Register on April 14, 2020.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 121 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Management Area (BSAI FMP) and Amendment 110 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) (GOA FMP), collectively referred to as Amendments 121/110. If approved, this proposed rule would prohibit directed fishing for sculpins by federally permitted groundfish fishermen and specify a sculpin retention limit in the GOA and BSAI groundfish fisheries. This action is necessary to properly classify sculpins in the BSAI and GOA FMPs. This proposed rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), Amendments 121/110, the BSAI and GOA FMPs, and other applicable laws.

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 53 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 53). Amendment 53 will address the conservation and management of Gulf of Mexico red grouper and will consider alternatives to revise the commercial and recreational sector allocation, the overfishing limit (OFL), acceptable biological catch (ABC), annual catch limits (ACLs), and annual catch targets (ACTs). The purpose of this NOI is to solicit public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS.