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

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of the following: Snapper Grouper Committee; Dolphin Wahoo Committee; Mackerel Cobia Committee; and Habitat and Ecosystem- Based Management Committee. The meeting week will also include a formal public comment session and a meeting of the Full Council.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Protected Resources Committee will hold a public meeting via webinar.

The MAFMC's Spiny Dogfish Monitoring Committee will meet via webinar to develop recommendations for Spiny Dogfish specifications.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels greater than or equal to 50 feet length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2021 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to catcher vessels greater than or equal to 50 feet LOA using hook-and-line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint public meeting of its Scallop Joint Advisory Panel and Plan Development Team 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 SEDAR 74 assessment of Gulf of Mexico red snapper will consist of a Data workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a Review workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The SEDAR 77 assessment of the Atlantic stock of hammerhead sharks will consist of a stock identification (ID) process, data webinars/workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a review workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 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 the Office of Management and Budget.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to Fugro USA Marine, Inc. (Fugro) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

NMFS proposes to implement allowable catch levels, an overfishing limit, an allowable biological catch, and an annual catch limit for Pacific mackerel in the U.S. exclusive economic zone off the West Coast (California, Oregon and Washington) for the fishing seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. This proposed rule is pursuant to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan. The proposed harvest guideline and annual catch target for the 2021-2022 fishing season are 8,323 metric tons (mt) and 7,323 mt, respectively. The proposed harvest guideline and annual catch target for the 2022-2023 fishing season are 5,822 mt and 4,822 mt, respectively. If the fishery attains the annual catch target in either fishing season, the directed fishery will close, reserving the 1,000-mt difference between the harvest guideline and annual catch target as a set-aside for incidental landings in other Coastal Pelagic Species fisheries and other sources of mortality. This document is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific mackerel stock off the U.S. West Coast.

NMFS is extending the effective date of temporary specifications that implement three short-notice decisions of the Commission on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Commission or WCPFC). NMFS issued temporary specifications on June 11, 2021, to implement short-notice WCPFC decisions regarding purse seine observer coverage, purse seine transshipments at sea, and transshipment observer coverage. NMFS is extending the effective date of those temporary specifications until January 13, 2022. NMFS is undertaking this action under the authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act) to satisfy the obligations of the United States as a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention).

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a webinar workshop to demonstrate electronic vessel trip reporting (eVTR) through an approved software application in preparation for required commercial electronic reporting.

NMFS announces the rescission of the July 30, 2009, and March 31, 2014, skate wing and bait fishery control dates. The New England Fishery Management Council has decided to discontinue development of limited access alternatives for both the skate wing and skate bait fisheries as part of Amendment 5 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan. The Council also stated that the existing control dates for each sector of the fishery are too outdated to be used should the Council reconsider limited access for the skate fisheries in the future and has requested that NMFS rescind both control dates. This notification informs stakeholders and the public of this decision, and that July 30, 2009, and March 31, 2014, are no longer considered dates for entry into the bait and skate wing fisheries, respectively.

Notice is hereby given of the availability of final evaluation findings of state coastal programs and national estuarine research reserves under Sections 312 and 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Aleutian district (WAI) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2021 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch in the WAI allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Monitoring Committee will hold a public webinar meeting.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Skate 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.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Crab Plan Team will meet September 13, 2021, through September 17, 2021 and on September 24, 2021.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Herring 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 is opening directed fishing for groundfish, other than pollock, by non-Rockfish Program catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the 2021 groundfish total allowable catch available for non-Rockfish Program catcher vessels directed fishing for groundfish, other than pollock, using trawl gear in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA.

NMFS is adjusting the commercial retention limit for directed shark limited access permit holders from 45 to 55 large coastal sharks (LCS) other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip in the Gulf of Mexico region. In the eastern Gulf of Mexico sub-region, this applies to any shark in the aggregated LCS, hammerhead, or blacktip management groups. In the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region, because aggregated LCS and hammerhead management groups are closed, this increase applies only to the blacktip management group. The retention limit will remain at 55 LCS other than sandbar sharks through the remainder of 2021, or until NMFS announces via a notification in the Federal Register another adjustment to the retention limit or a fishery closure. This retention limit adjustment affects anyone with a directed shark limited access permit fishing for LCS in the Gulf of Mexico region.

This document announces two additional season dates of August 27 and September 24 for the Washington South Coast and Columbia River subareas for Pacific halibut recreational fisheries in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. This action is intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide angler opportunity where available.

Notice is hereby given to announce new indirect cost rates on the recovery of indirect costs for its component organizations involved in natural resource damage assessment and restoration activities for fiscal year (FY) 2019. The indirect cost rates for this fiscal year and date of implementation are provided in this notice. More information on these rates and the Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (``DARRP'') policy can be found at the DARRP website at www.darrp.noaa.gov.

NMFS has received a request from Office of Naval Research (ONR) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to Arctic Research Activities in the Beaufort Sea and eastern Chukchi Sea. 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-time, 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. ONR's activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (NDAA).

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a one day in-person and virtual meeting (hybrid) of its Ecosystem Technical Committee (ETC).