National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration January 2, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, NMFS, designate critical habitat for the threatened Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Specific areas designated as critical habitat contain approximately 2,384.67 sq. kilometers (km) (920.73 sq. miles) of aquatic habitat located in waters off the coasts of southeastern Florida, Puerto Rico, Navassa, and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). We have considered positive and negative economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the critical habitat designation, as well as all public comments that were received.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Joint Groundfish Plan Teams will meet on January 17, 2024.

The Groundfish Subcommittee of the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council's) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold a virtual meeting to review the 2023 groundfish stock assessment process and discuss process improvements for the next stock assessment cycle, review proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference for the Groundfish Stock Assessment Review Process for 2025 and 2026, review proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference for the Groundfish Rebuilding Analysis for 2025 and 2026, and update the Accepted Practices Guidelines for Groundfish Stock Assessments document. The SSC Groundfish Subcommittee meeting is open to the public.