NMFS is amending the sea turtle handling and resuscitation regulation. Recent scientific and technical information indicates that the current procedures need to be updated. This measure is necessary to improve the handling of sea turtles that are incidentally captured during scientific research or fishing activities.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues an emergency rule to establish the commercial quotas for large and small coastal sharks at 1,285 metric tons (mt) dressed weight (dw) and 1,760 mt dw, respectively. These regulations are necessary to ensure that the regulations in force are consistent with a courtapproved settlement agreement and are based on the best available

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the State of Maine, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State of Connecticut, the State of Florida, and the State of Maryland have transferred a total of 434,000 lb (196,859 kg) of commercial bluefish quota to the State of North Carolina from their respective 2001 quotas. NMFS also announces that the Commonwealth of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 3day Council meeting on January 15 through 17, 2002, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public hearings to receive public comment on the draft fishery management plan (FMP) for West Coast highly migratory species (HMS) fisheries. This notice announces the dates and locations of these public hearings. The draft FMP will be available after December 31, 2001.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS publishes for public review and comment a summary of applications submitted by the Government of the Russian Federation requesting authorization to conduct fishing operations in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in 2002 under provisions of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MagnusonStevens Act).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces the annual harvest guideline for Pacific sardine in the exclusive economic zone off the Pacific coast for the fishing season January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2002. This harvest guideline has been calculated according to the regulations implementing the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and establishes

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Notice is hereby given that Daniel J. Cox, Natural Exposures, 16595 Brackett Creek Road, Bozeman, Montana 59715 has applied in due form for a permit to take Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) for purposes of commercial/educational photography.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Notice is hereby given that the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149 (Principal Investigator: Dr. Keith D. Mullin) has been issued a permit to take marine mammals for purposes of scientific research.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene public meetings of the Standing and Special Mackerel Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and the Mackerel Advisory Panel (AP) on January 9 and January 10, 2002.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a public meeting of the Deep Water Crab Advisory Panel (AP).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues final specifications for the 2002 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries and makes preliminary adjustments to the 2002 commercial quotas for these fisheries. This final rule specifies allowed harvest limits for both commercial and recreational fisheries, as well as other commercial management measures, including scup and

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

On November 27, 2001, NMFS announced its intent to revise the Alaska Groundfish Fisheries draft Programmatic SEIS. After reviewing more than 21,000 comment letters received on the draft Programmatic SEIS, NMFS determined that revisions to the draft Programmatic SEIS are [[Page 66391]]
appropriate and necessary. NMFS also determined that these

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes this rule to amend regulations governing Atlantic billfish and North Atlantic swordfish recreational fisheries to implement recommendations adopted at the 2000 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and to enhance management programs for these species. NMFS proposes to implement a

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes a rule that would allow the transfer of certain permits issued by NMFS under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. This proposed rule would allow the transfer of permits associated with Habitat Conservation Plans, Safe Harbor Agreements with Assurances and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances. Currently,

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that a letter of authorization (LOA) to take a small number of marine mammals incidental to the production of offshore oil and gas at the Northstar development in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska has been issued to BP

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a public meeting of the Shrimp Advisory Panel (AP).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene public meetings of the Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and the Reef Fish Advisory Panel (AP) from January 7 through January 11, 2002.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Enforcement Committee and Advisory Panel, Red Crab Advisory Panel and Oversight Committee and Monkfish Oversight Committee in January, 2002 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from these

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is imposing, for a 30-day period, an additional restriction on shrimp trawlers that are required to have a turtle excluder device (TED) installed in each net rigged for fishing, and that are operating in Atlantic offshore waters out to 10 nautical miles (nm)(18.3 km) from the coast of Florida between 28 deg.N. latitude and the GeorgiaFlorida

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the summer flounder commercial quota available to the State of Rhode Island has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in Rhode Island for the remainder of calendar year 2001, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces the 90-day finding for a petition to list Atlantic white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) as threatened or endangered throughout its known range and to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NMFS finds that the petition presents substantial scientific information indicating that the petitioned action may be

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 10413 (44 U.S.C. 3506 (c)(2)(A)).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues this interim final rule to establish a voluntary fishing capacity reduction program (FCRP) for the Northeast multispecies fishery that permanently removes multispecies limited access fishing permits. Permit holders who would like to participate may submit bids, which will be ranked based on the amount of the bid and an estimate of the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces its intention to prepare an EA, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, to assess the impacts of issuing a subsistence quota for bowhead whales to the AEWC for the years 2003 through 2007. NMFS solicits comments and information to facilitate this analysis.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration