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

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will hold an online work session of its Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team (CPSMT) to review the draft Range of Alternatives (ROA) relative to the Pacific sardine rebuilding plan. This webinar is open to the public.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Regulatory Amendment 29 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper- Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this proposed rule would require descending devices be on board vessels and require the use of specific fish hook types while fishing for or possessing snapper-grouper species. The proposed rule would also allow the use of powerheads in Federal waters off South Carolina to harvest snapper-grouper species. The purpose of this proposed rule is to modify fishing gear requirements to promote best fishing practices and to ensure consistent regulations for the dive component of the snapper-grouper fishery.

NMFS closes the Angling category Gulf of Mexico area incidental trophy fishery for large medium and giant (``trophy'' (i.e., measuring 73 inches curved fork length or greater)) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT). This action is being taken to prevent further overharvest of the Angling category Gulf of Mexico incidental trophy BFT subquota.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Pacific Pelagics Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Plan Team (PT) to discuss fishery management issues and develop recommendations to the Council for future management of pelagic fisheries in the Western Pacific region.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold two public scoping meetings via webinar and a written comment period to solicit public comments on a developing management action to consider potential changes to the allocation of the black sea bass commercial quota among the states of Maine through North Carolina.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Habitat Committee (HC) and Salmon Technical Team will hold a meeting, which is open to the public.

The Regional Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an application for an Exempted Fishing Permit warrants further consideration. The application, submitted by the California Wetfish Producers Association, requests an exemption from the prohibition on directed fishing for Pacific sardine during the remainder of the 2019-2020 fishing year and the upcoming 2020-2021 fishing year. The goal of this research is to collect fishery-dependent data for potential use in the 2021 and 2022 Pacific sardine stock assessments. NMFS requests public comment on the application.

Notice is hereby given that Midwest Biodiversity Institute (MBI) has applied in due form for a permit pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The permit application is for the incidental take of ESA-listed shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum), Gulf of Main Distinct population segment (GOM DPS) Atlantic sturgeon, or the New York Bight (NYB DPS) of Atlantic sturgeon. (A. oxyrinchus) and the GOM DPS Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) associated with the otherwise lawful sampling of non-ESA listed fish in the Lower Kennebec River. The duration of the proposed permit is 10 years. NMFS is furnishing this notice in order to allow other agencies and the public an opportunity to review and comment on the application materials. All comments received will become part of the public record and will be available for review. An electronic copy of the revised application and proposed conservation plan may be obtained by contacting NMFS Office of Protected Resources (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) or visiting https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/incidental-take-permit- midwest- biodiversity-institute.

This proposed rule would establish 2020 harvest specifications and management measures for Pacific whiting, shortbelly rockfish and cowcod taken in the U.S. exclusive economic zone off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006, and other applicable laws. This rule proposes 2020 harvest specifications for Pacific whiting including the U.S. and coastwide Total Allowable Catch (TAC), the 2020 tribal allocation for the Pacific whiting fishery, allocations for three commercial whiting sectors, and set-asides for Pacific whiting research and incidental mortality in other fisheries. The proposed rule would also adjust the 2020 harvest specifications for shortbelly rockfish and cowcod. The proposed measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, achieve optimum yield, and ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available.

The Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) Steering Committee will convene a public meeting to discuss and approve the 5- year calendar for stock assessments, and to address any other concerns related to the WPSAR process.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public hearings via webinar pertaining to Regulatory Amendment 34 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic Region. The amendment would designate artificial reefs in the federal waters off the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina as Special Management Zones (SMZs) and implement fishing gear restrictions within the SMZs.

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 Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC (Atlantic Shores) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during marine site characterization surveys off the coasts of New York and New Jersey in the area of the Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS-A 0499) and along potential submarine cable routes to a landfall location in New York or New Jersey.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Abbreviated Framework Amendment 3 (Abbreviated Framework 3) to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council). If implemented, Abbreviated Framework 3 and this proposed rule would revise the commercial and recreational annual catch limits (ACLs) and recreational annual catch target (ACT) for blueline tilefish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. The purpose of this proposed rule is to ensure that ACLs for South Atlantic blueline tilefish are based on the best scientific information available, to achieve and maintain optimum yield (OY), and to prevent overfishing while minimizing to the extent practicable, adverse social and economic effects.

Notice is hereby given that the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412 (Responsible Party: Bill Post), has requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 20528-01.

NMFS issues regulations 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). This final rule revises the commercial trip limit in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for greater amberjack. In addition, this final rule revises the boundaries of several Gulf reef fish management areas to reflect a change in the seaward boundary of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The purpose of this final rule is to extend the commercial fishing season for greater amberjack by constraining the harvest rate while continuing to prevent overfishing and rebuild the stock in the Gulf, and to update the boundaries of reef fish management areas to reflect the current state water's boundaries for reef fish management.

We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) on the Oregon coast (OC) as a threatened or endangered Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to designate critical habitat concurrently with the listing. We find that the petition presents substantial scientific information indicating the petitioned action may be warranted. We will conduct a status review of OC spring-run Chinook salmon to determine whether the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information pertaining to this species from any interested party.

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. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

Notice is hereby given that Marilyn Mazzoil, Dolphin Census Inc., 9611 U.S. Highway 1, #382, Sebastian, FL 32958, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Citizen Science Operations Committee via webinar on May 5, 2020.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel will hold a meeting.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a webinar-based meeting with the public to provide information on options available to recreational anglers fishing for blueline or golden tilefish for electronically submitting Vessel Trip Reports (VTRs) in the Greater Atlantic Region. This is in support of the Council's action that could require electronic reporting of VTRs by operators fishing for tilefish managed under Amendment 6 to the Council's Tilefish Fishery Management Plan.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an exempted fishing permit application submitted by the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This exempted fishing permit would require participants to use electronic monitoring systems on 100 percent of sector trips for catch accounting in the Northeast multispecies fishery; additionally, vessels would be authorized to access portions of Northeast multispecies closed areas. 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.

This serves as a correction and notice of a new meeting for the Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) who will have a virtual public meeting on April 28, 1 p.m. EDT, by webinar. This announcement is a correction and replaces the prior public meeting notice for a meeting scheduled for April 28-30, 2020. The meeting originally scheduled for April 28-30, 2020, which will focus on Hawaii and the Pacific, has been postponed to the week of September 21, 2020, in Oahu, Hawaii. For the virtual public meeting on April 28, 2020, 1 p.m. EDT, the public comments are requested in advance and/or during the public comment period. Information about the HSRP meetings, agendas, presentations, and advance webinar registration, is posted and updated online. The meeting documents will be available for downloading prior to the meeting at: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/hsrp.html and https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/meetings.html.

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has found that Southern Atlantic greater amberjack, Southern Atlantic red grouper, Gulf of Mexico greater amberjack, and Gulf of Mexico gray triggerfish are now subject to overfishing; Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank white hake and Georges Bank winter flounder are now overfished; Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank windowpane flounder, Atlantic witch flounder, Southern New England/Mid- Atlantic yellowtail flounder, Pribilof Islands blue king crab, and Atlantic white marlin are still overfished; and both Georges Bank Atlantic cod and Gulf of Maine Atlantic cod are still subject to overfishing and still overfished. NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, notifies the appropriate regional 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.

NMFS has received a request from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (L-DEO) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to a marine geophysical survey in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS is also requesting comments on a possible one-year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorizations and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.