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

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a two-day webinar meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Due to federal and state travel restrictions and updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the new coronavirus, COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the 2020 total allowable catch of pollock in the West Yakutat District of the GOA.

This action increases the possession and trip limits of Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock, Cape Cod/ Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, American plaice, and witch flounder for Northeast multispecies common pool vessels for the remainder of the 2019 fishing year. This action will provide the common pool fishery greater opportunity to harvest, but not exceed, the annual quotas for these stocks.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee's Socio- Economic Panel (SEP) from April 8-9, 2020.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 620 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 2020 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 620 in the GOA.

Notice is hereby given that Environmental Investigation Agency, P.O. Box 53343, Washington, DC 20009 (Responsible Party: Allan Thornton), has applied in due form for a permit to conduct commercial and educational photography on beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas).

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council is cancelling a one- day meeting of the District Advisory Panels (DAPs) of St. Thomas/St. John, USVI.

Notice is hereby given that a permit, has been issued to the following entity under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

NMFS has received a request from the Hampton Roads Connector Partners (HRCP) for an authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the pile driving activities associated with the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) Expansion Project. 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 authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) is cancelling a 4-day meeting.

In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and a Consent Decree with BP Exploration & Production Inc. (BP),\1\ the Deepwater Horizon Federal natural resource trustee agencies for the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (Louisiana TIG) have prepared a Draft Phase II Restoration Plan 3.3 and Environmental Assessment (Draft RP/EA #3.3). The Draft RP/EA #3.3 describes and proposes restoration project alternatives considered by the Louisiana TIG to restore natural resources and ecological services injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Louisiana TIG evaluated these alternatives under criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource damage assessment regulations, and also evaluated the environmental consequences of the restoration alternatives in accordance with NEPA. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of the availability of the Draft RP/EA #3.3 and to seek public comments on the document.

NMFS is correcting a final rule published on October 2, 2019, that revised the subsistence use regulations for the Eastern Pacific stock of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus). NMFS also is announcing approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of collection-of-information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) and associated with the regulations revised in the final rule. The final rule incorrectly stated that the collection-of- information requirements subject to the PRA had been approved by the OMB at the time the final rule was published. On January 7, 2020, OMB approved the collection-of-information requirements subject to the PRA. The intent of this final rule is to correct this information and to inform the public of the effectiveness of the collection-of-information requirements associated with the subsistence use regulations revised in the October 2, 2019, final rule.

On February 28, 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a notice that announced the public meeting of The Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (``ACCRES'' or ``the Committee'') on March 18, 2020. This meeting has been cancelled due to developments of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in the region.

The Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold two meetings.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 2020 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 610 in the GOA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Committee 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 65 assessment of the Atlantic stock of Blacktip Shark will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: Data Workshop; Assessment Webinars; and a Review workshop.

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 Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco), a subsidiary of Williams Partners L.P., to incidentally harass, by Level A and Level B harassment, marine mammals incidental to construction activities associated with the Raritan Bay Pipeline.

In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the General Services Administration (GSA) rule on Federal Advisory Committee Management, and after consultation with GSA, the Secretary of Commerce has determined that the renewal of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) is in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the Department by law. ACCRES was last renewed on March 8, 2018.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee (SaMTAAC) will hold a webinar meeting, which will be open to the public.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint public meeting of its Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Committee 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.

NMFS has received a request from Virginia Electric and Power Company, d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion), for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to conducting construction activities off the coast of Virginia in the area of Research Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Virginia (Lease No. OCS-A-0497), in support of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) Project. 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.

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.

NMFS is closing the commercial fishery for the aggregated large coastal sharks (LCS) and hammerhead shark management groups in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region. This action is necessary because the commercial landings of sharks in the aggregated LCS management group in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region for the 2020 fishing season are projected to reach 80 percent of the available commercial quota, and are projected to reach 100 percent of the quota by the end of the fishing season, and the aggregated LCS and hammerhead shark management groups are quota-linked under the regulations. This closure will affect anyone commercially fishing for sharks in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region.