National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a half-day virtual only meeting of its Shrimp Advisory Panel (AP).

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) is holding an online meeting, which is open to the public.

NOAA's Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) is announcing 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) 2020. The indirect cost rates for this fiscal year and date of implementation are provided in this notice. More information on these rates and the DARRP policy can be found at the DARRP website at www.darrp.noaa.gov.

NMFS is proposing to approve and implement specifications submitted by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils in Framework Adjustment 13 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. This action would set monkfish specifications for fishing years 2023 through 2025, adjust annual Days-At-Sea allocations, and increase the minimum gillnet mesh size for vessels fishing on monkfish Days-At- Sea. This action is needed to establish allowable monkfish harvest levels and management measures that will prevent overfishing and reduce bycatch.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will hold a public hearing via webinar regarding an amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Off Alaska (Salmon FMP). This FMP amendment would establish Federal management for the salmon fisheries in the Federal (EEZ) waters of upper Cook Inlet.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting via webinar of its Snapper Grouper Recreational Permitting and Reporting Technical Advisory Panel (AP) to discuss reporting and permitting alternatives for the private recreational snapper grouper fishery.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) will hold a meeting of the Ecosystem and Ocean Planning (EOP) Advisory Panel. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for agenda details.

The Economics Subcommittee of the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will convene an online meeting to review a comparative cost study for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program. The SSC Economics Subcommittee meeting is open to the public.

The SEDAR Steering Committee will meet to discuss the SEDAR stock assessment process and assessment schedule. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS announces the closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area for the remainder of the 2023 fishing year for Limited Access General Category vessels. Regulations require this action once NMFS projects that 100 percent of the Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside will be harvested. This action is intended to prevent the overharvest of the 2023 Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside.

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 has received a request from Community Offshore Wind, LLC (COSW) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to marine site characterization surveys in coastal waters off of New Jersey and New York in the New York Bight, specifically within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Area OCS-A 0539 (Lease Area) and associated Export Cable Route (ECR) survey area (ECR Area). Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an 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 authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (NPFMC) Ecosystem Committee will meet May 8, 2023.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will host a presentation on Florida's State Reef Fish Survey via webinar May 9, 2023.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Fishery Monitoring Advisory Committee (FMAC) will meet May 10, 2023 and May 11, 2023.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The Exempted Fishing Permit would allow commercial fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of research conducted by the applicant. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

The New England Fishery Management Council is convening its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 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.

Notice is hereby given that Erin Ashe, Ph.D., Oceans Initiative, 117 E Louisa St. #135, Seattle, Washington 98102, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research or marine mammals.

In accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NOAA is initiating the process to consider designating the submerged lands and waters surrounding the Pacific Remote Islands to the full extent of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as a new national marine sanctuary. NOAA will prepare a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the sanctuary designation process to discuss environmental impacts and inform decision makers and the public of reasonable alternatives that would avoid or minimize adverse impacts or enhance the quality of the human environment. NOAA is initiating the public scoping process to invite comments on the scope and significance of issues to be addressed in the DEIS that are related to designating this area as a national marine sanctuary. The results of this scoping process will assist NOAA in moving forward with the designation process, which would include the preparation and release of draft designation documents, as well as the formulation of alternatives for the DEIS.

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

Notice is hereby given that permits and permit amendments have been issued to the following entities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as applicable.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold public hybrid meetings to address the items contained in the tentative agenda included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) for the renewal of their recently expired incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to Port San Luis breakwater repairs in Avila Beach, California. These activities consist of activities that are covered by the initial authorization but were not completed prior to its expiration. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to issuing the initial 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 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a three-day in-person meeting of its Standing, Reef Fish, Socioeconomic, and Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC).