NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has published a proposed rule to amend the regulations implementing the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan (HPTRP). This proposed rule would address the increased incidental mortality and serious injury of the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy stock of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in gillnet fisheries throughout the stock’s U.S. range. The proposed rule is available on the HPTRP website under “What’s New” (www.nero.noaa.gov/hptrp). Please note that the figures associated with the proposed rule were inadvertently omitted. NMFS will be working on a subsequent Federal Register Notice with the figures to correct this. In the meantime, the figures are located as a separate link on the HPTRP website. The draft HPTRP Environmental Assessment (EA) and Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (RIR/IRFA) for this action are also available at the HPTRP website.
Comments on the proposed rule must be received by 5 p.m. EST on August 20, 2009. Comments may be submitted on this proposed rule, identified by RIN 0648–AW51 electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.