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

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and NMFS will convene a Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) of a benchmark stock assessment for the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) Deep 7 Bottomfish Complex.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee will hold a public webinar meeting.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad- hoc Sacramento River Fall Chinook (SRFC) Workgroup will hold two 2-day meetings.

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 (GOM), notification is hereby given that NMFS has modified the expiration date of a Letter of Authorization (LOA) issued to CGG Inc. (CGG) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the GOM.

NMFS issues this final rule to revise the regulations implementing the import provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This final rule extends, by two years, the exemption period to end December 31, 2025.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will host an online meeting of the Area 2A Pacific halibut governmental management entities that is open to the public.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a meeting of its Scallop Committee 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 has received a request from Haines Borough for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Lutak dock replacement project in Lutak, Alaska. 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, 1-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.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Port of Bellingham to incidentally harass marine mammals during construction activities associated with the Maintenance and Rehabilitation of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal project in Bellingham, WA. There are no changes from the proposed authorization in this final authorization.

In this action, NMFS proposes to maintain status quo harvest limits for the 2024 golden tilefish and blueline tilefish fisheries north of the North Carolina/Virginia border, to shift the recreational season for blueline tilefish to May 15 through November 14, and to modify regulations to reflect the January 1 start date of the golden tilefish fishing year. The proposed action is necessary to establish allowable harvest levels and other management measures to prevent overfishing while allowing optimum yield, consistent with the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its Fishing Industry Advisory Committee (FIAC), 150th Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), Hawaii Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Advisory Panel (AP), American Samoa FEP AP, Mariana Archipelago FEP Joint AP, Executive and Budget Standing Committee and its 197th Council meeting to take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

NMFS is implementing a 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) possession limit for Atlantic herring for Management Area 1A. This is required because NMFS projects that herring catch from Area 1A will reach 92 percent of the Area's sub-annual catch limit before the end of the fishing year. This action is intended to prevent overharvest of herring in Area 1A, which would result in additional catch limit reductions in a subsequent year.

NMFS issues this final rule to revise the monitoring requirements for pot gear catcher/processors (CPs) participating in Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) groundfish fisheries. This action is needed to address management challenges created by observer data collection errors that have impacted catch estimates. This action improves observer data collection by requiring participating CPs to carry a Level 2 observer and comply with pre-cruise meeting notifications and by requiring certification and testing standards for participants choosing any of the following voluntary monitoring options: providing observer sampling stations, installing motion- compensated platform and flow scales, and carrying additional observers on the vessel. Additionally, this action changes the location of existing monitoring regulations for longline CPs and halibut deck sorting by moving them under a single, new subpart within the regulations. This action promotes the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act), the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the BSAI Management Area (BSAI FMP), and other applicable laws.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Pacific Northwest Crab Industry Advisory Committee (PNCIAC) will hold a meeting.

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

The SEDAR 84 assessment process of U.S. Caribbean yellowtail snapper and stoplight parrotfish will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

Notice is hereby given that North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management (Taqulik Hepa, Responsible Party), P.O. Box 69, Barrow, AK 99723, has applied for an amendment to scientific research Permit No. 26667-01.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Crab Plan Team will hold a meeting.

The SEDAR 79 assessment process of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic mutton snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS solicits nominations for the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP). NMFS consults with and considers the comments and views of the HMS AP when preparing and implementing Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) or FMP amendments for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, sharks, and billfish. Nominations are being sought to fill approximately one-third (10) of the seats on the HMS AP for 3-year appointments. Individuals with definable interests in the recreational and commercial fishing and related industries, environmental community, academia, and non-governmental organizations are considered for membership on the HMS AP.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from catcher vessels using trawl gear and vessels using pot gear to catcher vessels using hook-and-line gear and catcher/processors using hook-and-line gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to allow the 2023 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has found that summer flounder is now subject to overfishing and thorny skate remains overfished. NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, is required to provide this notice whenever it determines that a stock or stock complex is subject to overfishing, overfished, or approaching an overfished condition.

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.

On September 6, 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a final temporary rule establishing a special use area of a 0.07 square mile area approximately five miles southeast of the community of Tavernier, on the island of Key Largo, within Federal waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) from September 6, 2023, through November 6, 2023. This document extends the temporary special use area an additional 60 days. The special use area prohibits all entry except for restoration activities under a valid Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) permit, continuous transit without interruption, and for law enforcement purposes from November 6, 2023, to January 5, 2024. This temporary extension is necessary to prevent or minimize destruction of, loss of, or injury to sanctuary resources, specifically to facilitate restoration activities to improve or repair living habitats through protecting coral nursery stock at this site from potential impacts caused by anchor damage and/or fishing gear. This extension is necessary to protect the corals in the temporary special use area until all of the corals are moved back to the original in-shore permitted nursery site. This temporary special use area will expire within 120 days from the date it was established.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District (Corps), for the re-issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the only change being to the effective dates. The initial IHA authorized take of five species of marine mammals, by Level A and Level B harassment, incidental to construction associated with the Tillamook South Jetty Repairs in Tillamook Bay, Oregon. The project has been delayed and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. NMFS is, therefore, issuing a second identical IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.