Download Federal Register Vol. 74, No. 144 Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Federal Register
Vol. 74, No. 144
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; American Lobster Fishery
ACTION: Final rule
[TEXT] [PDF]
SUMMARY: NMFS announces new Federal American lobster (Homarus americanus) regulations
which implement a mandatory Federal lobster dealer electronic reporting requirement, changes to the
maximum carapace length regulations for several lobster conservation management areas
(LCMAs/Areas), and a modification of the v-notch definition for protection of egg-bearing female
American lobsters in certain LCMAs.
DATES: Effective Date: This final rule is effective August 28, 2009. Applicability dates: The revised
broodstock protection measures (maximum carapace length and v-notch definition) set forth in this final
rule in Sec. 697.20(b)(3) through Sec. 697.20(b)(6) and Sec. 697.20(g)(3) and (4) for Areas 2, 3, 4, 5
and 6 are applicable August 28, 2009. Broodstock protection measures relevant to the Outer Cape Area
are applicable July 1, 2010 as set forth in Sec. 697.20(b)(7) and (8) and Sec. 697.20(g)(7) and (8). The
weekly trip-level Federal lobster dealer electronic reporting requirements are applicable for all Federal
lobster dealers beginning January 1, 2010 as set forth in Sec. 697.6 paragraphs (n) through (s).
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Northern Rockfish and Pelagic Shelf
Rockfish for Trawl Catcher Vessels Participating in the Entry Level Rockfish Fishery in the
Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure
[TEXT] [PDF]
SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for northern rockfish and pelagic shelf rockfish
(PSR) for trawl catcher vessels participating in the entry level rockfish fishery in the Central Regulatory
Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2009 allocation of
northern rockfish and PSR allocated to trawl catcher vessels participating in the entry level rockfish
fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.
DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 24, 2009, through 1200 hrs, A.l.t.,
September 1, 2009.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch for Catcher Processors
Participating in the Rockfish Limited Access Fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf
of Alaska
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
[TEXT] [PDF]
SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by catcher processors
participating in the rockfish limited access fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska
(GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2009 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific
ocean perch allocated to catcher processors participating in the rockfish limited access fishery in the
Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.
DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 24, 2009, through 2400 hrs, A.l.t.,
December 31, 2009.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Shortraker Rockfish in the Western
Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
[TEXT] [PDF]
SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting retention of shortraker rockfish in the Western Regulatory Area of
the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2009 total allowable catch (TAC) of
shortraker rockfish in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA has been reached.
DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 26, 2009, through 2400 hrs, A.l.t.,
December 31, 2009.
Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat: Notice of Finding
on a Petition To List the Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis perotteti) as an Endangered or Threatened
Species Under the Endangered Species Act
ACTION: Notice of finding, request for information, and initiation of status review
[TEXT] [PDF]
SUMMARY: We, NMFS, announce a 90 day finding on a petition to list largetooth sawfish (Pristis
perotteti) as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the
petition presents substantial scientific and commercial information indicating the petitioned action may
be warranted. We will conduct a status review of largetooth sawfish to determine if the petitioned action
is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and
commercial data regarding this species (see below).
DATES: Information and comments on the subject action must be received by September 28, 2009.
Protective Regulations for Killer Whales in the Northwest Region under the Endangered Species
Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments, and availability of Draft Environmental Assessment on
regulations to protect killer whales from vessel effects
[TEXT] [PDF]
SUMMARY: We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), propose regulations under the
Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act to prohibit vessels from approaching killer
whales within 200 yards and from parking in the path of whales for vessels in inland waters of
Washington State. The proposed regulations would also prohibit vessels from entering a conservation
area during a defined season. Certain vessels would be exempt from the prohibitions. The purpose of
this action is to protect killer whales from interference and noise associated with vessels. In the final
rule announcing the endangered listing of Southern Resident killer whales we identified disturbance and
sound associated with vessels as a potential contributing factor in the recent decline of this population.
The Recovery Plan for Southern Resident killer whales calls for evaluating current guidelines and
assessing the need for regulations and/or protected areas. We developed this proposed rule after
considering comments submitted in response to an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR)
and preparing a draft environmental assessment (EA). We are requesting comments on the proposed
regulations and the draft EA.
DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES) no later than
October 27, 2009. Public meetings have been scheduled for September 30, 2009, 7-9 p.m. at the Seattle
Aquarium, Seattle, WA and October 5, 2009, 7-9 p.m. in The Grange Hall, Friday Harbor, WA.
Requests for additional public meetings must be made in writing by August 28, 2009.
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery off the
Southern Atlantic States and Coral and Coral Reefs Fishery in the South Atlantic; Exempted
Fishing Permit
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit; request for comments.
[TEXT] [PDF]
SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from
Mr. M. Scott Baker, Jr., on behalf of North Carolina Sea Grant in Wilmington, North Carolina. If
granted, the EFP would authorize Mr. Baker to collect, with certain conditions, seven species of reef
fish in Federal waters, off the coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The
specimens will be used to evaluate electronic monitoring as a tool to characterize fishing activities of the
commercial snapper-grouper vertical hook-and-line (bandit) fleet, and to help determine the age-size
structure of discarded fish caught as bycatch in this fishery.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., Eastern standard time, on August 28, 2009.
National Estuarine Research Reserve System
ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period for the Revised Management Plan for the Hudson River
National Estuarine Research Reserve.
[TEXT] [PDF]
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce is announcing a thirty day public comment period on the
Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan Revision.
National Estuarine Research Reserve System
ACTION: Notice of public comment period for the Revised Management Plan for the North Carolina
National Estuarine Research Reserve.
[TEXT] [PDF]
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce is announcing a thirty day public comment period on the
North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan Revision.