National

National

National

National

Pacific Islands

Pacific Islands

Pacific Coast

Alaska

Alaska

Alaska

Alaska

Atlantic

Atlantic

Northeast

Northeast and Gulf of Mexico

Action Agenda for Puget Sound

Atlantic HMS Tournament Registration for 2009

Opportunity for Educators and Community Leaders at the Papahanaumokuakeana National Monument; Applications Due January 2

Public Hearings on Critical Habitat for Smalltooth Sawfish; January 5 & 14 in Florida

Gulf Council's Shrimp Advisory Panel to Meet; January 8 in Houston, TX

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Seeks Advisors; Deadlines for Applications are January 9; January 15

Deadline for National Wetland Awards Extended to January 15

NOAA Seeks Applicants for the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship; Applications Due January 30

Cordell Bank Sanctuary Seeks Advisors; Deadline for Applications is January 30

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Seeks Advisor; Deadline for Applications is February 23

Adjusted Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Atlantic Herring

Pacific Cod Reallocation

National - New Endangered Species Act Regulations Published

The Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce have published regulations in the Federal Register to clarify the consultation process under the Endangered Species Act. According to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, federal agencies are required to ensure that any actions they fund, authorize, permit, or carry out will not jeopardize the continued existence of a listed species or adversely modify designated critical habitats. The new final rule, which takes effect January 15, 2009, incorporates some changes based on public comments that were received after the proposed regulations published in August 2008.

A summary of the rule is provided in a Department of Interior news release.

National - Sea-Surface Temperatures Vital to Predicting U.S. Regional Climate Changes

Greenhouse gases play an important role in North American climate, but differences in regional ocean temperatures may hold a key to predicting future U.S. regional climate changes, according to a new NOAA-led scientific assessment. This assessment, Reanalysis of Historical Climate Data for Key Atmospheric Features: Implications for Attribution of Causes of Observed Change, describes what has changed—and why—in North America’s climate over the past half century. The authors address the likelihood and extent to which human activity or natural variations have driven surface warming, precipitation, droughts, and floods. The assessment is one in a series of synthesis and assessment reports coordinated by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

For more information, read the NOAA news release.

National - NOAA Receives Petition for Rulemaking to Ban Imports from Fisheries that Harm Marine Mammals

NOAA Fisheries Service has received a petition for rulemaking from two non-governmental organizations: Center for Biological Diversity and Turtle Island Restoration Network. These groups petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce and other relevant Departments to initiate rulemaking to ban the importation of commercial fish or products from fish that have been caught with commercial fishing technology that results in incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals in excess of U.S. standards. This petition was filed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.

Public comments on this petition will be accepted through January 29, 2009. For more information, read the Federal Register notice or contact Lekelia Jenkins at (301) 713-9090 x131.

National - Funding Available through NOAA's Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program

NOAA B-WET is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment. Funded projects provide meaningful watershed educational experiences for students, related professional development for teachers, and support for regional education and environmental priorities in the Pacific Northwest, the northern Gulf of Mexico and New England. Eligible applicants include: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, community-based and nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, interstate agencies, and Indian tribal governments. The deadline for proposals is 5pm Eastern time on January 26, 2009.

For more information, read the Federal Register notice.

Pacific Islands - Total Allowable Catch Levels Proposed for Hawaii Bottomfish

NOAA Fisheries Service has proposed to establish a total allowable catch (TAC) for the 2008-2009 fishing year of 241,000 lb for Deep 7 bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands. The TAC would be set in accordance with regulations that support the long-term sustainability of bottomfish in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Deep 7 bottomfish include the following species: onaga, ehu, gindai, kalekale, opakapaka, lehi, and hapu'upu'u. When the TAC for the year is projected to be reached, NOAA will close the non-commercial and commercial fisheries until the end of the fishing year (August 31).

Comments on the proposed rule must be received by December 26, 2008. For more information, contact Toby Wood at (808) 944-2234.

Pacific Islands - New Permitting and Reporting Requirements for Bottomfish in the Northern Mariana Islands

NOAA Fisheries Service has established Federal permitting and reporting requirements for all commercial bottomfish vessels fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This final rule also closes certain EEZ waters around the CNMI to bottomfish fishing by vessels over 40 ft in length. Vessel monitoring system units must be installed on those larger vessels when fishing in EEZ waters around the CNMI, and the operators of those larger vessels will be required to submit Federal sales reports in addition to catch reports. The new requirements are designed to ensure adequate collection of information about the CNMI commercial bottomfish fishery, prevent the depletion of bottomfish stocks, provide for sustained community participation, and maintain a consistent supply of locally-caught bottomfish to CNMI markets and seafood consumers.

For more information, contact Brett Wiedoff at (808) 944-2272.

Pacific Coast - Public Invited to Comment on Marine Research and Information Needs

A draft report on West Coast Regional Marine Research and Information Needs is now available for public review. Development of this document was led by Sea Grant in California, Oregon and Washington, and supported by NOAA, in collaboration with the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health and with input from regional stakeholders. Comments will be accepted through January 16, 2009. After public comments have been incorporated in the report, it will be used to develop a research and information plan for the Pacific Coast. The report is available online at http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/research/RegionalPlanning/ .

Alaska - Groundfish Catch Limits Proposed, Including 2009 TAC for Eastern Bering Sea Pollock

NOAA Fisheries Service has published proposed 2009 and 2010 harvest specifications and prohibited species catch allowances for the groundfish fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. Of particular interest is the proposed TAC for Eastern Bering Sea Pollock, which would be set at 815,000 tons for 2009, down from 1,000,000 tons in 2008. In all cases, the proposed levels of allowable biological catch are based on the best available biological information, including projected biomass trends, information on assumed distribution of stock biomass, and revised technical methods used to calculate stock biomass.

Comments on the proposed rule must be received by January 9, 2009. For more information, contact Steve Whitney at (907) 586-7269.

Alaska - Change Proposed for Crab Rationalization Program

NOAA Fisheries Service has proposed regulations to implement Amendment 28 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP). This proposed rule would amend the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program to allow post-delivery transfers of all types of individual fishing quota and individual processing quota to cover overages. This action is necessary to improve flexibility of the fleet, reduce the number of violations for overages, reduce enforcement costs, and allow more complete harvest of allocations. Public comments must be received by January 26, 2009.

For more information, contact Glenn Merrill at (907) 586-7228.

Alaska - New Amendments Affect Groundfish Trawl Fisheries

Amendment 92 to the Fishery Management Plans for Groundfish of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Management Area and Amendment 82 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska would remove trawl gear endorsements on licenses issued under the license limitation program in specific management areas if those licenses have not been used on vessels that meet minimum recent landing requirements using trawl gear. Exemptions to this requirement would be provided for licenses that are used in trawl fisheries subject to quota-based management. This proposed rule would also result in new area endorsements for trawl catcher vessels in the Aleutian Islands if minimum recent landing requirements in the Aleutian Islands were met.

Comments on the amendments must be submitted by February 10, 2009. For more information, read the Federal Register notice or contact Glenn Merrill at (907) 586-7228.

Alaska - Regulatory Changes Affect Groundfish and Crab Rationalization Programs

NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule that implements new recordkeeping and reporting requirements; a new electronic groundfish catch reporting system, the Interagency Electronic Reporting System, and its data entry component, eLandings; the integration of eLandings with existing logbook requirements and future electronic logbooks; fisheries permit provisions; revisions to regulations governing the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area Crab Rationalization Program, including fee calculations; a revision to a Sitka Pinnacles Marine Reserve closure provision; and a revision to a groundfish observer provision regarding at-sea vessel-to-vessel transfers. The new provisions take effect January 14, 2009.

For more information, contact Patsy Bearden at (907) 586-7008.

Atlantic - Comment Period Extended for Proposed Swordfish Quotas and Chartering Arrangements; Change in Public Hearing Date

In order to provide additional time and opportunities for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) constituents to comment on a recent proposed rule, NOAA is extending the comment period. This proposed rule would adjust the 2008 North and South Atlantic swordfish commercial quotas and modify the vessel chartering regulations. Comments must be received by 5pm on January 16, 2009. The date and time of a public hearing in Gloucester, MA, has also been changed to January 15, 2009, from 3-5pm.

For more information, read the Federal Register notice or contact LeAnn Southward Hogan at (301) 713-2347.

Atlantic - Navy Training in Virginia Capes Range Complex

NOAA has received a request from the U.S. Navy for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to training activities conducted within the Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Range Complex for the period of April 2009 through April 2014. In response, NOAA Fisheries Service is proposing regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern that take. NOAA is also requesting information, suggestions, and comments on these proposed regulations. All public comments on this action must be received by January 12, 2009.

For more information, read the Federal Register notice or contact Shane Guan at (301) 713-2289, ext. 137.

Northeast - Temporary Gear Restrictions in Effect to Protect Endangered Right Whales

NOAA Fisheries Service has announced temporary restrictions that apply to lobster trap/pot and anchored gillnet fishermen in three separate areas. On December 3, 2008, aerial surveys reported an aggregation of 11 right whales in the Jeffreys Ledge area, as well as an aggregation of 43 right whales in the general vicinity of Jeffreys Bank/Jordans Basin. The first affected area totals approximately 1,650 nm 2, east of Gloucester, MA, and Portsmouth, NH, in the vicinity of Jeffreys Ledge, and the second area totals approximately 1,575 nm 2, east of Portland, ME. Gear restrictions are in effect in both areas through 2400 hours on December 29, 2008.

In a third action, NOAA announced that temporary restrictions will apply to lobster trap/pot and anchored gillnet fishermen in an area east of Portsmouth, NH, until 2400 hours on January 2, 2009. This action was triggered by a December 6, 2008, aerial survey that reported an aggregation of 3 right whales near Cashes Ledge.

For more information, visit http://www.nero.noaa.gov/whaletrp/.

Northeast and Gulf of Mexico - New Procedures for Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Referenda

NOAA has published a final rule implementing guidelines and procedures for the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC) to follow in determining procedures and voting eligibility requirements for referenda on Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program proposals. The intended effect of this rule is to help develop IFQ program referenda in the New England and Gulf of Mexico fisheries that are fair and equitable. The new guidelines take effect January 14, 2009.

For more information, contact Robert.Gorrell@noaa.gov.