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

Notice is hereby given that NMFS' Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037 (Responsible Party: George Watters, Ph.D.), has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on six species of Antarctic pinnipeds.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2021 total allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the GOA.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for a meeting of the Science Advisory Board (SAB). The members will discuss issues outlined in the section on Matters to be considered.

NMFS is adding Maine to the list of states for which NMFS has determined that Federal Atlantic tunas regulations are applicable within state waters, consistent with section 9(d) of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA) and implementing regulations. NMFS is taking this action after considering a request from the Maine Department of Marine Resources (MEDMR) and reviewing the state's relevant laws and regulations. Most states and territories bordering the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico are currently included in the list, except Maine, Connecticut, and Mississippi. This addition of Maine to the list makes Federal Atlantic tunas regulationsincluding but not limited to open and closed seasons, retention limits, size limits, authorized gears and gear restrictions, and permitting and reporting requirements applicable in Maine state waters.

NMFS will require the use of electronic logbooks in the Hawaii pelagic longline fisheries and on Class C and D vessels in the American Samoa pelagic longline fishery. This final rule is intended to reduce human error, improve data accuracy, save time for fishermen and NMFS, and provide more rigorous monitoring and forecasting of catch limits.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel will hold a public meeting.

We, NMFS, announce receipt of a petition to promulgate a rulemaking under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to provide for the conservation of the Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni). Specifically, the petition requests that we extend the prohibitions of the ESA to this species, including prohibitions on import, export, and all commercial activities for both wild and captive-bred populations. We solicit information and comments that may be relevant to our analysis of protective regulations.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team will hold a public meeting.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Groundfish Subcommittee of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold an online meeting to review new groundfish stock assessments.

Notice is hereby given that New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110 (Responsible Party: Vikki Spruill), has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis).

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application from the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. 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 SEDAR 80 stock assessment of U.S. Caribbean queen triggerfish will consist of a series of data webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for commercial blueline tilefish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. Commercial landings of blueline tilefish are projected to reach the commercial sector annual catch limit (ACL) by August 1, 2021. Therefore, NMFS is closing the commercial sector for blueline tilefish in the South Atlantic EEZ on August 1, 2021, and it will remain closed until the start of the next fishing year on January 1, 2022. This closure is necessary to protect the blueline tilefish resource.

NMFS is reapportioning the seasonal apportionments of the 2021 Pacific halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits for the trawl deep-water and shallow-water species fishery categories in the Gulf of Alaska. This action is necessary to account for the actual halibut PSC use by the trawl deep-water and shallow-water species fishery categories from May 15, 2021 through June 30, 2021. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for spiny lobster in the U.S. Caribbean exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Puerto Rico. NMFS has determined that the annual catch limit (ACL) for spiny lobster in Puerto Rico was exceeded based on average landings during the 2017 through 2019 fishing years. Therefore, NMFS reduces the length of the 2021 fishing season for spiny lobster in the EEZ around Puerto Rico by the amount necessary to ensure that landings do not exceed the ACL in 2021. This AM is necessary to protect the spiny lobster resource in the EEZ around Puerto Rico.

This action approves and implements Framework Adjustment 61 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. This rule revises the status determination criteria for Georges Bank and Southern New England-Mid Atlantic winter flounder, implements a revised rebuilding plan for white hake, sets or adjusts catch limits for 17 of the 20 multispecies (groundfish) stocks, and implements a universal exemption for sectors to target Acadian redfish. This action is necessary to respond to updated scientific information and to achieve the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan. The final measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, achieve optimum yield, and ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available.

NMFS has received a request from the United States Navy for the re-issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the only change being effective dates. The initial IHA authorized take of one species of marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to construction associated with the Floating Dry Dock Project at Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, California. The project has been delayed and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The initial IHA was effective from September 15, 2020, through September 14, 2021. The Navy has requested re- issuance with new effective dates of September 15, 2021, through September 14, 2022. 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.

This notice establishes selection criteria and requirements for the NOAA Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan Ocean Mapping Matching Fund program, to be known as the Brennan Matching Fund. The purpose of this notice is to encourage non-Federal entities to partner with the NOAA National Ocean Service ocean and coastal mapping programs on jointly funded ocean and coastal surveys and related activities of mutual interest. NOAA would receive and match partner funds and rely on its existing contract arrangements to conduct the surveying and mapping activities in FY 2023.

NMFS announces three inseason actions in the 2021 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the commercial salmon troll fisheries in the area from the U.S./Canada border to the U.S./Mexico border.

NMFS announces a combined public meeting of the 14th Scientific Advisory Subcommittee (SAS) to the General Advisory Committee (GAC), and the 29th GAC to the U.S. Section to the Inter- American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). This meeting will be held virtually on Friday, July 23, 2021, via webinar, and is the second combined virtual meetings of the SAS and GAC in 2021. The meeting topics are described under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Committee and MSB Advisory Panel will hold a joint public meeting.

As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS has considered public comments for revisions of the 2020 marine mammal stock assessment reports (SAR). This notice announces the availability of 80 final 2020 SARs that were updated and finalized. NMFS also announces the availability of a revised final 2019 North Atlantic right whale SAR that includes a typographic correction.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued a Renewal incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals incidental to construction activities associated with the Seattle Multimodal Project at Colman Dock in Seattle, Washington State.