National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 6, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Revisions to the Economic Data Reports Requirements; Amendment 52 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Commercial King and Tanner Crab Fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Document Number: 2023-02117
Type: Rule
Date: 2023-02-06
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 52 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Commercial King and Tanner Crab Fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (Crab FMP) and a regulatory amendment to revise regulations on Economic Data Reports (EDR) requirements for groundfish and crab fisheries off Alaska. This final rule removes third party data verification audits and blind formatting requirements from the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) crab fisheries EDR, the Bering Sea American Fisheries Act (AFA) pollock fishery Chinook Salmon EDR, and the BSAI Amendment 80 fisheries EDR. This action also eliminates the EDR requirements for the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) trawl fisheries. This final rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Crab FMP, the Fishery Management Plans for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska Management Area (GOA FMP) and for the Groundfish of the BSAI Management Area (BSAI FMP), and other applicable laws.
Fisheries off West Coast States; Highly Migratory Fisheries; Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan for West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; Authorization of Deep-Set Buoy Gear
Document Number: 2023-01988
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2023-02-06
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This proposed rule would implement Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP), which authorizes deep-set buoy gear (DSBG) as a legal gear type for targeting swordfish and catching other highly migratory species (HMS) off the U.S. West Coast. The proposed rule would establish a limited entry (LE) permitting regime for use of DSBG in the Southern California Bight (SCB). DSBG fishing would be permitted on an open-access basis outside of the SCB, in Federal waters off of California and Oregon, for all vessels possessing a general HMS permit with a DSBG endorsement. DSBG fishing would not be permitted in Federal waters off of Washington. This proposed rule includes definitions for two configurations of DSBGstandard and linkedand specifies the LE management area, permitting process, and requirements for use of the gear.
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Omega Electronic Mesh Measurement Gauge Method for Measuring Net Mesh Size
Document Number: 2023-01619
Type: Rule
Date: 2023-02-06
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This rule modifies regulations to add the Omega net mesh measurement gauge as a permissible device for net mesh measurement and to correct regulatory references to gear restrictions. This action is required to allow the use of the Omega gauge as a method for measuring and enforcing net mesh size. Adoption of the Omega gauge, a handheld electronic device, is intended to improve the efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness of at-sea net mesh enforcement.
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region; 2022-2023 Commercial Trip Limit Reduction for Spanish Mackerel in the Atlantic Southern Zone
Document Number: 2023-02439
Type: Rule
Date: 2023-02-06
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS reduces the commercial trip limit for the Atlantic migratory group of Spanish mackerel in the southern zone of the Atlantic exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to 1,500 lb (680 kg) in round or gutted weight per day. This commercial trip limit reduction is necessary to increase the socioeconomic benefits of the fishery.
Marine Mammals; File No. 27102
Document Number: 2023-02403
Type: Notice
Date: 2023-02-06
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that the Institute for Marine Sciences, 115 McAllister Way, Ocean Health Building, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (Responsible Party: Logan Pallin, Ph.D.) has applied in due form for a permit to conduct scientific research on marine mammal parts.
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