National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration October 29, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule announces routine inseason adjustments to management measures in commercial groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to allow commercial fishing vessels to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting rebuilding and depleted stocks.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint public meeting of its Skate Committee and Advisory Panel 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 announces a meeting to present the results of research studies conducted on seabird cable strikes in the West Coast at-sea whiting fishery. The meeting topics are described under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

On May 6, 2021, the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality released a preliminary report on Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful (Report). The Report recommends a decade-long national initiative to advance locally led conservation and restoration in public, private, and tribal lands and waters toward addressing three threats: Disappearance of nature, climate change, and inequitable access to the outdoors. Guided by eight core principles and six focus areas for early action and progress in the Report, NOAA is seeking public input on how NOAA should, using its existing authorities and associated measures, conserve and restore America's ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

NMFS informs surfclam and ocean quahog individual transferable quota allocation holders that they will be required to purchase their fishing year 2022 (January 1, 2022-December 31, 2022) cage tags from the National Band and Tag Company. The intent of this notice is to comply with regulations for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries and to promote efficient distribution of cage tags.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Groundfish Plan Teams will meet November 15, 2021 through November 19, 2021.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a series of public hearings via webinar pertaining to Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region. The amendment addresses Atlantic migratory group king mackerel catch levels and Atlantic king and Spanish mackerel management measures.