The U.S. Secretaries of Commerce, Interior, and Agriculture have made a joint commitment to work together to promote collaborative, science-based conservation of our waterways and fisheries. They will sign an agreement which will focus on partnership-based conservation efforts through the National Fish Habitat Partnership.
BEWARE THESE SIGNS OF AN ONLINE TAX SCAM
Scammers use email, websites and even social media to trick taxpayers into sharing personal and financial information, which they can then use to steal your identity. Meant to either frighten or entice, these fraudulent messages may threaten a tax audit or offer a tax refund.
But know this: The IRS does not generally send unsolicited e-mails to taxpayers or request financial account security information, such as PIN numbers. Further, they will not discuss tax account information with taxpayers via e-mail or use it to request sensitive financial and personal information from taxpayers.
SENATE PASSES BILL INCLUDING REAUTHORIZATION OF SPORT FISH RESTORATION AND BOATING TRUST FUND
The Senate has passed its version of the highway bill and it contains a straight reauthorization for Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. However, the House is struggling to bring its version of the highway bill to the floor and it is very possible that they will not be able to do so before the presidential election has passed. Congress may have to pass an extension to the present highway law and NMMA continues working with its coalition partners to ensure that SFRBTF is included, in its present form, in any extension that is considered by Congress in the weeks to come.
NACO’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SERVES ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND NACO'S PRESIDENT SERVES AS A TECHNICAL ADVISOR
The upcoming meeting will be held May 1-2 in Silver Spring Maryland
HAS THE JONES ACT PUT THE PRESIDENT IN AN ELECTION-YEAR CATCH-22?
Analysts and insiders are wrestling with the possibility of the White House waiving the Jones Act to accelerate ship flow to the East Coast, in a move that could bring badly needed gasoline to the region before the summer driving season kicks off. The Jones Act, which is technically a section of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, regulates ship flow between U.S. ports with strict rules designed to ensure U.S.-flagged vessels run by U.S. crews get the work.
DATE: Feb. 1
SOURCE: Market Watch
LINK: http://goo.gl/8QiJk
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) must judge all designs for U.S.-flagged LNG-fueled ships. Vessel owners are increasingly considering LNG as a replacement fuel to marine diesel and heavy fuel oil, also called bunker fuel.
NACO joins with other U.S. Coastal Fishermen to Rally in DC March 21 “Keep Fishermen Fishing” Organizers Unite to Fix Federal Fisheries Law
Both Massachusetts' U.S. Senators Kerry and Brown will be speaking at the rally.
Notice of availability; request for comments.
The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 7 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) (Reef Fish FMP), Amendment 6 to the FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the USVI (Spiny Lobster FMP), Amendment 5 to the FMP for the Corals and Reef Associated Plants and Invertebrates of Puerto Rico and the USVI (Coral FMP), and Amendment 4 to the FMP for the Queen Conch Resources of Puerto Rico and the USVI (Queen Conch FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. In combination, these amendments represent the Application of Accountability Measures (AM) Amendment (AM Application Amendment). The AM Application Amendment would resolve an existing inconsistency between language in the four Council FMPs and the regulations implementing application of AMs in the U.S. Caribbean exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The purpose of the AM Application Amendment is to ensure the regulations governing AMs in the Caribbean EEZ are consistent with their authorizing FMPs.
Written comments must be received on or before April 4, 2016.
Click here for the complete notice: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2015-0124-0001
On November 26, 2012, NMFS published a proposed rule for Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in response to several shark stock assessments that were completed from 2009 to 2012. As described in the proposed rule, NMFS is proposing measures that would reduce fishing mortality and effort in order to rebuild overfished Atlantic shark species while ensuring that a limited sustainable shark fishery can be maintained consistent with our legal obligations. The proposed measures include changes to commercial quotas and species groups, the creation of several time/area closures, a change to an existing time/area closure, an increase in the recreational minimum size restrictions, and the establishment of recreational reporting for certain species of sharks. Comments received by NMFS will be considered in the development and finalization of Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. This notice announces public hearings, conference calls, and an HMS Advisory Panel meeting to discuss the proposed rule.
Written comments will be accepted until February 12, 2013. Public hearings, conference calls, and an HMS Advisory Panel meeting for the Amendment 5 proposed rule will be held from December 2012 to February 2013.
This request is for a new information collection to benefit local fishery managers in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Non-commercial fishing is an important activity on St. Croix, USVI yet robust data characterizing the catch, effort and cultural attributes of such fishing are limited. Without these basic data on the non-commercial fishery on St. Croix, it is not possible to develop required fishery management plans. Consequently, local fishery managers have asked for collection of information required to make management decisions, information that will help them to balance the need for more effective fishery management with social, economic and cultural imperatives of the region.