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

NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), hereafter NOAA, in partnership with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is working to build spatial planning capacity in the United States (U.S.) Central Atlantic region. Through this Request for Information, NOAA is seeking public input to identify coastal and marine spatial data or other critical information to inform marine spatial analyses in Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware. The input we receive from the data development workshop meeting, as well as the responses to the items listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document, will be used to inform potential coastal and ocean development activities in the U.S. Central Atlantic region, such as renewable energy development.

The SEDAR 92 assessment of the Atlantic stock of blueline tilefish will consist of a series of assessment webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NOAA announces the request for written public comments on the draft National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy (National Strategy) in accordance with the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (CRCA), as reauthorized and amended by the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. NOAA administers the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), which is implemented in the coastal areas and marine waters of Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Pacific Remote Island Area, and targeted international regions, including the wider Caribbean, the Coral Triangle, the South Pacific, and Micronesia. The reauthorized CRCA directs NOAA to develop the National Strategy within two years of enactment. The National Strategy will replace the existing CRCP Strategic Plan (2018). The intended effect of this notice is to initiate a period of public review and comment on the National Strategy.

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 issued a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to WesternGeco for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the GOM.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Citizen Science Operations Committee October 30- 31, 2024. The meeting will be held in Charleston, SC.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public hybrid meeting of its Groundfish Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This meeting will be held in-person with a webinar option. Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

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.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Habitat and Ecosystem Advisory Panel (AP).

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted amendment 34 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (Groundfish FMP) to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, amendment 34 would modify the groundfish exclusion areas (GEA) section in the Groundfish FMP and refer to the GEAs described in Federal regulation.

The SEDAR 98 assessment process of Gulf of Mexico red snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS, Southeast Region, intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and conduct scoping to analyze management alternatives to be included in a Secretarial Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Secretarial Amendment). The EIS will evaluate a range of alternatives for setting and managing catch for South Atlantic red snapper to end overfishing and support rebuilding objectives of the stock. The purpose of this notice of intent is to solicit public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS.

We, NMFS, announce the revised taxonomy of the coral Euphyllia paradivisa (no common name) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). We are revising the Enumeration of threatened marine and anadromous species for Euphyllia paradivisa to reflect the scientifically accepted taxonomy and nomenclature of this species. We revise the scientific name of the species to Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa. The changes to the taxonomic classification and nomenclature do not affect the species' listing status under the ESA or any protections and requirements arising from its listing.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a joint webinar meeting of its Groundfish Management Team (GMT) and its Groundfish Advisory Subpanel (GAP). The GAP and the GMT will discuss items on the Pacific Council's November 2024 meeting agenda. This meeting is open to the public.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of the 2024 Atka mackerel incidental catch allowance (ICA) for the Bering Sea subarea and Eastern Aleutian district (BS/EAI) to the Amendment 80 cooperative allocation for the BS/EAI in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the 2024 total allowable catch of Atka mackerel in the BSAI to be fully harvested.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the individual fishing quota (IFQ) program, Federal dealer reporting, and Federal charter vessel and headboat (for-hire vessel) reporting specific to the reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), coastal migratory pelagic (CMP) fisheries in the Gulf and Atlantic, snapper-grouper fishery in the South Atlantic, and dolphin and wahoo fishery in the Atlantic, the Regional Administrator (RA), NMFS Southeast Region, has determined that Hurricane Helene has caused catastrophic conditions in the Gulf for certain Florida counties and in the Atlantic for certain Georgia counties. This temporary rule authorizes, in the affected area described in this temporary rule, any Federal dealer or for-hire electronic reporting program participant who does not have access to electronic reporting to delay reporting, and any IFQ dealer to use paper-based forms, if necessary, for basic required administrative functions, e.g., landing transactions. This temporary rule is intended to facilitate continuation of IFQ and electronic reporting operations during the period of catastrophic conditions.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the 2024 total allowable catch of Pacific cod allocated to catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a hybrid meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel 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 National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Sustainable Fisheries will host a hybrid meeting of the Council Coordination Committee, also known as the CCC, consisting of the Regional Fishery Management Council chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors from October 16 to October 17, 2024. This meeting will be chaired by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council. The intent of this meeting is to discuss issues of relevance to the Councils and NMFS, including issues related to the implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) on October 22-24, 2024.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is holding a hybrid meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 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 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.

This is to notify the public that the meeting of the Science Advisory Board (SAB)is canceled in its entirety.

NMFS solicits nominations for the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) Workshops Advisory Panel, also known as the "SEDAR Pool." The SEDAR Pool is comprised of a group of individuals who, if selected review data and advise NMFS on the scientific information, data, and models used in stock assessments for oceanic sharks in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. NMFS is seeking nominations for 5-year appointments (2025-2030). NMFS will consider individuals with definable interests in recreational and commercial fishing and related industries, including those from the environmental community, academia, and non-governmental organizations, for membership on the SEDAR Pool.

NMFS has received a request from the City of Santa Cruz for the re-issuance of previously issued incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs). The initial IHAs authorized take incidental to construction associated with Murray St. Bridge seismic retrofit project in Santa Cruz, California. The project has been delayed and none of the planned work 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 IHAs. NMFS therefor is reissuing identical IHAs, with the only change being to the effective dates.