National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting.

NMFS announces that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) proposes to amend the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific (FEP). If approved, Amendment 9 would reduce regulatory barriers that may be limiting small vessel participation in the American Samoa longline fishery. Specifically, Amendment 9 would consolidate vessel class sizes, modify permit eligibility requirements, and reduce the minimum harvest requirements for small vessels. The Council recommended Amendment 9 to provide for sustained community and indigenous American Samoan participation in the small vessel longline fishery.

NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from the NMFS Panama City, FL laboratory. If granted, the EFP would authorize NMFS or NMFS contracted observers and commercial fishers aboard contracted commercial fishing vessels to collect certain deep-water snapper species in waters of the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Puerto Rico. The EFP would exempt this activity from complying with certain seasonal and area closures and from certain bag limits in the U.S. Caribbean EEZ. The purpose of the EFP is to describe benthic habitats for deep-water reef fish species off Puerto Rico and to determine life history information for black, blackfin, cardinal, queen, silk, and wenchman snappers.

The SEDAR Procedural Workshop 8 for Fishery Independent Index Development will consist of a series of webinars, and an in-person workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) in Iliamna Lake as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to designate critical habitat. We find that the petition and information readily available in our files does not present new information or analyses that had not been previously considered in our 2016 distinct population segment (DPS) assessment and petition finding and, therefore, the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.

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), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule modifies catch limits in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for gray triggerfish. The purpose of this final rule and the framework action is to modify the catch limits, as applicable, consistent with the most recent interim analysis for gray triggerfish and to achieve optimum yield (OY) for the stock.

NMFS and USFWS announce the initiation of a 5-year review for the Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). We are required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to conduct 5-year reviews to ensure that the species' listing status remains accurate. The 5-year review must be based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We request submission of any such information on the Kemp's ridley, particularly information on the status, threats, and recovery of the species that has become available since the last 5- year review was published in July of 2015.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for commercial king mackerel in the northern zone of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone (EEZ). NMFS projects that the commercial quota for king mackerel in the northern zone of the Gulf EEZ has been reached. Therefore, NMFS closes the northern zone of the Gulf EEZ to commercial king mackerel fishing on June 28, 2021. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Sanctuary System Business Advisory Council (council). The meeting is open to the public, and an opportunity for oral and written comments will be provided.

NOAA's Office for Coastal Management will hold a public meeting to solicit comments on the performance evaluation of the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

This temporary rule extends emergency measures that allow a limited one-time carryover of up to 5 percent of unharvested fishing quota from the 2020 fishing year into the 2021 fishing year. This action is necessary to allow the golden tilefish individual fishing quota shareholders that were eligible for carryover under the emergency measures, but have not yet fully harvested that carryover, an opportunity to use it. This action is intended to provide additional time for quota shareholders to fully harvest their allocations.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that two Letters of Authorization (LOA) have been issued to the U.S. Navy (Navy) for the take of marine mammals incidental to maintenance construction activities at facilities in Washington.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an IHA to Garden State Offshore Energy, LLC (Garden State) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment, marine mammals incidental to marine site characterization surveys offshore of Delaware and New Jersey in the area of the Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS-A 0482) and along potential export cable routes to landfall locations in Delaware and New Jersey.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS) has prepared a draft programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with NOS's recurring data collection projects to characterize submerged features (e.g., habitat, bathymetry, marine debris). The ``action area'' for these projects encompasses United States (U.S.) rivers, states' offshore waters, the U.S. territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (U.S. EEZ), and coastal and riparian lands. As a part of the Proposed Action, NOS may use active acoustic equipment such as sub- bottom profilers, single beam and multibeam echo sounders, side-scan sonars, and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers. The Draft PEIS analyzes NOS data collection projects for a time period of 6 years. Publication of this document begins the 60-day public comment period for the Draft PEIS.

Notice is hereby given that Sea World LLC (Responsible Party: Christopher Dold, DVM), 6240 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32821, has applied in due form for a permit to continue captive maintenance and enhancement activities on two non-releasable Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus townsendi) with the option of holding up to six non- releasable furs seals at any given time.

This announcement provides notice that the Department of Commerce (DOC) has received a ``Notice of Appeal'' filed by Norwalk Cove Marina, Inc. (Appellant), requesting that the Secretary override an objection by the New York State Department of State to a consistency certification for a proposed project to dispose of dredged material in the Central Long Island Sound Dredged Material Site.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Research Steering Committee (RSC) will hold a series of four workshops to potentially redevelop the research set-aside (RSA) program.

The SEDAR 77 assessment of the Atlantic stock of hammerheads sharks will consist of a stock ID process, data webinars/workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a review workshop.

On June 14, 2021, the Regional Administrator of the West Coast Region, NMFS, with the concurrence of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, approved Amendment 18 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 18 implements a rebuilding plan for the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine, which NMFS declared overfished in June 2019.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Bluefish Monitoring Committee will hold a public webinar meeting.

NMFS received a request from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for the Renewal of their currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to Seattle Multimodal Project at Colman Dock in Seattle, Washington State. 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 initial 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.

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

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC's) Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP) will hold a public meeting.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application from Blue Planet Strategies contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require publication of this notice to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.