National

National

National

Atlantic

Northeast

Northeast

Northeast

Southeast

Southeast

Northwest

Northwest

National – Announcing New Species of Concern List Under the Endangered Species Act

NOAA Fisheries has established a new "Watch List" of potentially at-risk species called the "Species of Concern" list, adding 45 species to this list. In doing so NOAA Fisheries is clearing up some ambiguities about what are called "candidate" species under the Endangered Species Act.

A candidate species is defined as being considered for listing as endangered or threatened, but not yet formally proposed. A candidate species does not have any protection under the Act. NOAA Fisheries in the past also designated species as candidates because of uncertainty about biological status or threats to well being. To clear up ambiguity, the agency announced today that it was shifting 25 species from the old candidate list to the new "species of concern" list; a term it said more accurately describes the species’ status. It is also adding 20 other species to this list, and removing 12 other species from the candidate species list. A list of all the new species of concern, candidate species, and information about them, as well as the Federal Register notice itself, can be found on the Web at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/concern.

NOAA Fisheries is also soliciting information and comments concerning the status of, research and stewardship opportunities for, and the factors for identifying species of concern. Interested parties may send comments and documentation regarding the status of any species of concern to the Chief of Endangered Species, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, F/PR3, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for providing e-mail comments is soc.list@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: Species of Concern List.

National – Proposed “List of Fisheries” Published as Required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act; Public Comments Requested

Section 118 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act requires NOAA Fisheries to publish annually a list of commercial fisheries and classify each fishery based on whether it has frequent (Category I), occasional (Category II), or remote (Category III) likelihood of incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals. The proposed List of Fisheries for 2004 published in the Federal Register on April 13, 2004. For further information, please contact: Kristy Long, Office of Protected Resources, 301-713-1401; Kim Thounhurst, Northeast Region, 978-281-9328; Juan Levesque, Southeast Region, 727-570-5312; Cathy Campbell, Southwest Region, 562-980-4060; Brent Norberg, Northwest Region, 206-526-6733; or Bridget Mansfield, Alaska Region, 907-586-7642.

The deadline for submitting comments is May 13, 2004. Please send comments to: Chief, Marine Mammal Conservation Division, Attn: List of Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to 2004LOF.comments@noaa.gov.

National – NOAA Fisheries Announces Public Hearings on Proposed HMS International Trade Permit and Associated Dealer Reporting Requirements

NOAA Fisheries announces six public hearings, scheduled during April and May
2004, to receive public comment regarding the proposed establishment of the Highly Migratory Species International Trade Permit and associated dealer reporting requirements. The proposed rule, which published on March 29, 2004, is necessary to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission.

The proposed rule will affect dealers, freight forwarders, customs brokers and others involved in the international trade of bluefin tuna, southern bluefin tuna, bigeye tuna, and swordfish. Dealers that import or export the named species (fresh or frozen) would be required to hold an HMS ITP under the proposed rule. In addition, statistical documents would be required to accompany all import and export shipments of these species, and re-export certificates would be required to accompany re-exports. Government validation of statistical documents and re-export certificates would be required for export or re-export shipments. Dealers would be required to submit summary reports of import and export activity to NOAA Fisheries on a biweekly basis. For a list of public hearing dates and locations, visit: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Tuna/BET_SWO_Flyer.htm.

For more information on the proposed rule, read the fact sheet online at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Tuna/BET_SWO_Fact_Sheet.htm.

Atlantic – Tunas, Atlantic HMS Angling, and Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat Permits Now Available for the Fishing Year Beginning June 1, 2004

It’s time for HMS anglers to renew your fishing permits! Permits issued for the 2004 fishing year will be valid from the date of issuance through May 31, 2005. The permit fee is $22.00, payable by credit card (Visa, Master Card, Discover, or American Express) or money order.

You will need your Atlantic tunas or your Atlantic HMS permit number to renew your permit for this upcoming season. You may check your current permit information prior to renewing your permit via the automated permit system. Changes in the permit category must be made prior to the start of the fishing year (June 1). However, permit applicants are allowed to correct any potential errors in their permits within 10-calendar days of the date of issuance of their permits.

If you have questions regarding the permit process, our Customer Service representatives are available at (888) 872?8862, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. For more information, visit: www.nmfspermits.com.

Northeast – Northeast Groundfish Rules Ready on Schedule

NOAA Fisheries has announced that new management measures for the Northeast region’s groundfish fleet will become effective on May 1, 2004. Since May 2002, the fishery has been managed under a series of interim measures in response to a court-ordered settlement agreement. These measures were designed to reduce overfishing while Amendment 13 was being developed.

"Through an outstanding effort by the New England Fishery Management Council, NOAA Fisheries, the fishing industry and other interested stakeholders, we have a significant plan, developed with public input and industry cooperation,” said NOAA Fisheries Director William Hogarth. “This plan will prevent overfishing and rebuild groundfish stocks, while providing flexibility and long-term economic benefits to the Northeast fishing industry.”

Amendment 13 caps four years of intense effort to develop and implement an effective plan to end overfishing, rebuild stocks of fish such as cod, reduce bycatch, and minimize adverse effects of fishing on essential fish habitat, in this historically important Northeast fishery. Fully recovered groundfish stocks could yield three times the landings of recent years, and the plan is structured to provide long-term benefits to these important groundfish stocks.

For more information about the measures in Amendment 13, visit NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Region Amendment 13 Web site at: http://www.nero.noaa.gov/amend13.

Northeast – Proposed Measures for the 2004 Recreational Fisheries for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass

A final rule establishing quota specifications for the 2004 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries was published on January 14, 2004. The 2004 coastwide recreational harvest limits are 11.21 million lb for summer flounder, 3.99 million lb for scup, and 4.01 million lb for black sea bass.

NOAA Fisheries is now requesting public comment on proposed measures that would apply these specifications to the recreational fisheries through minimum sizes, possession limits, and closed seasons. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on April 14. The rule and supporting documents are posted at http://www.nero.noaa.gov/ro/doc/com.htm.

For more information contact Sarah McLaughlin at (978) 281-9279 or sarah.mclaughlin@noaa.gov.

Comments on the proposed rule should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope "Comments on Recreational Specifications." Comments may be submitted via fax to 978-281-9135 or via e-mail to the following address: FSBREC04@noaa.gov. Please note that comments must be received on or before April 29, 2004.

Northeast – Final Rule Establishes 2004 Fishery Management Measures for Monkfish

NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule with measures to establish target total allowable catch (TAC) levels for the monkfish fishery for the 2004 fishing year, and adjust trip limits and days-at-sea (DAS) for limited access monkfish vessels fishing in the Southern Fishery Management Area. These actions were taken based on the target TAC setting and trip limit and DAS adjustment methods established in Framework Adjustment 2 (Framework 2) to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. This final rule was published in the Federal Register on April 7, 2004, and the new measures take effect on May 7.

The Monkfish FMP established a rebuilding program beginning in 1999; the monkfish stock is expected to rebuild by 2009 according to the terms of the plan. For further information, contact Allison Ferreira, Fishery Policy Analyst, at (978) 281-9103 or by e-mail: Allison.Ferreira@noaa.gov.

Southeast – New Design Proposed for Turtle Excluder Devices

Current regulations require most shrimp trawlers and summer flounder trawlers operating in the southeastern United States to have an approved TED installed in each net that is rigged to provide for the escape of sea turtles. TEDs incorporate an escape opening, usually covered by a webbing flap, which allows sea turtles to escape from trawl nets. To be approved by NOAA Fisheries, a TED design must be shown to be 97 percent effective in excluding sea turtles during testing based upon specific testing protocols.

Fishermen have reported that the current double cover flap TED design stretches over time. This stretching causes a gap between the flap panels and the grid frame, which in turn causes shrimp loss. To address this concern, NOAA Fisheries gear technicians worked with industry to develop and test a new design. NOAA Fisheries has concluded that the new design meets the regulatory requirements for efficiency in releasing sea turtles. The modified design would allow the use of a flap that extends up to 24 inches (61 cm) past the posterior edge of the TED frame. Additional information on the testing procedures and results of the tests is provided in the proposed rule. For more information, contact Robert Hoffman by phone: 727-570- 5312 or by e-mail: Robert.Hoffman@noaa.gov.

This proposed rule published in the Federal register on April 16, 2004. Written comments on the proposal will be accepted through May 3, 2004. You may submit comments by any of the following methods: (1) E-mail: 0648AS02.proposed@noaa.gov. Include RIN number (0648-AS02) in the subject line of the message; (2) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.; (3) Fax: 727- 570-5517, Attention Mr. Robert Hoffman; (4) Mail: Comments on paper, disk, or CD-ROM should be addressed to the Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, Suite 102, St. Petersburg, Florida 33702 All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number for this proposed rule.

Southeast – King Mackerel Commercial Hook and Line Fishery Closed in Southern Florida West Coast Sub-zone

The commercial hook-and-line fishery for Gulf group king mackerel in the southern Florida west coast subzone is closed, effective April 9, 2004, through June 30, 2004, between the Lee/Collier County and the Collier/Monroe County, Florida boundaries (see reverse). NOAA Fisheries has determined that the commercial quota for the 2003/2004 fishing year of 520,312 pounds of king mackerel for this segment of the commercial fishery has been reached. Along with the previous closures of the western zone (September 24, 2003) and the northern Florida west coast subzone (November 13, 2003), the commercial fishery for Gulf group king mackerel is now closed from the U.S./Mexico border to the Collier/Monroe County, Florida boundary until July 1, 2004.

During the closure period, no person aboard a vessel for which a commercial permit for king mackerel has been issued may fish for Gulf group king mackerel in the EEZ of the closed zone, subzone, or gear type. There are exceptions, however, for a person aboard a charter vessel or headboat, and a person aboard a vessel issued a commercial vessel permit for king mackerel with a gillnet endorsement. A person aboard a vessel that has a valid charter vessel/headboat permit for coastal migratory pelagic fish may continue to retain king mackerel in or from the closed zone/subzone under the 2-fish daily bag limit, provided the vessel is operating as a charter vessel or headboat. For more information, contact Mark Godcharles, mark.godcharles@noaa.gov or 727-570-5305.

Northwest – Final Rule Establishes Rebuilding Plans for Lingcod, Canary Rockfish, Darkblotched Rockfish and Pacific Ocean Perch

Amendment 16-2 to the Pacific Groundfish Fishery Management Plan establishes rebuilding plans for the following overfished species: lingcod, canary rockfish, darkblotched rockfish, and Pacific ocean perch. The final rule becomes effective on May 13, 2004. The rebuilding plans specify the following rebuilding parameters for each stock: unfished biomass and target biomass, the year the stock would be rebuilt in the absence of fishing, the year the stock would be rebuilt if the maximum time period permissible under national standard guidelines were applied, and the target year in which the stock would be rebuilt under the adopted rebuilding plan.

Copies of Amendment 16-2 and background documents are available at: http://www.pcouncil.org or http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1sustfsh/gdfsh01.htm. For more information, contact Becky Renko (Northwest Region, NOAA Fisheries) at 206-526-6150 or becky.renko@noaa.gov. Amendment 16-2 will be followed by Amendment 16-3, which will establish rebuilding plans for bocaccio, cowcod, widow rockfish and yelloweye rockfish. Preferred alternatives are now posted on the Council’s Web site: http://www.pcouncil.org/decisions/0404decisions.html#groundfish.

Northwest – Capitalizing the Chinook

The American Fisheries Society’s Committee on Names of Fishes has announced that the common name of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) will now be spelled with a capital letter “C.” The spelling has been changed to reflect that the name of the fish is derived from the Chinook Indian Tribe. The Chinooks are a Native American Indian tribe of the Pacific Northwest who historically ranged throughout the lower Columbia River basin in present-day Oregon and Washington. The annual return of migrating salmon represented not only a staple food source for the Chinooks, but also an important cultural and spiritual identity. The remaining Chinooks still practice sacred ceremonies heralding the return of the salmon.

The Committee on Names of Fishes is a joint committee of the American Fisheries Society and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. The 6th edition of their Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico will be released in summer 2004.

April 13, 2004

Rule. Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Alaska Plaice in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Rule. Fisheries of the Caribbean; Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic, Closure
Proposed Rule. List of Fisheries for 2004
Notice. Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Coast Pilot Report
Notice. Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Rebuilding Overfished Fisheries; Correction.
Rule. Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska

April 14, 2004

Pacific Cod by Catcher Vessels Using Trawl Gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
Notice. Public Meeting
Proposed Rule. Recreational Measures for Summer Flounder, Scup

April 15, 2004

Notice. Approved Vessel Monitoring Systems for Atlantic HMS
Notice. Approved Vessel Monitoring Systems for Alaska Fisheries
Notice. 2004 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program
Notice. Notice of Establishment of Species of Concern List
Notice. New England FMC; Public Meetings
Notice. Marine Mammals
Notice. Puget Sound Chinook Salmon

April 16, 2004

Notice. Marine Mammals; File Nos. 226-1752 and 116-1742
Notice. Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; In-depth Community Profiling of Fishing Communities in the Southeast Region
Notice. Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Foreign Fishing Reporting Requirements.
Rule. Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska;
Notice. Species in the Rock Sole/Flathead Sole/"Other flatfish" Fishery Category
by Vessels Using Trawl Gear in Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
Proposed Rule. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; SeaTurtle Conservation Requirements