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The Pacific Fishery Management Council will hold a two-day online meeting on January 29 and 30, 2025. The focus will be on addressing guidance from the November 2024 meeting and exploring new or updated tools for managing the Sacramento River Fall Chinook. Discussions may also cover future meetings, workload planning, and upcoming agenda items. Anyone needing special accommodations, such as sign language interpretation, should contact Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt at least 10 days in advance.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is temporarily closing the commercial fishing season for Atlantic bluefin tuna from March 1 to March 31, 2025, as the quota for this period has been exceeded. This closure affects vessels with Atlantic Tunas General category permits and HMS Charter/Headboat permits with a commercial sale endorsement. Fishermen can still tag and release bluefin tuna during the closure. The fishery will reopen on June 1, 2025, with specific limits on how many bluefin tuna can be caught.

Heather E. Liwanag, Ph.D., from California Polytechnic State University, has submitted an application to amend her Scientific Research Permit No. 27514-01, which concerns research on northern elephant seals in California. The requested amendment aims to increase the number of northern elephant seals involved in an infrared thermography project to 200 non-pups, including both juveniles and adults. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is accepting written comments on this application until February 10, 2025. This action is in accordance with legal standards under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and other related regulations.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has announced a temporary closure of the commercial longline fishing for golden tilefish in the South Atlantic's exclusive economic zone. This closure, effective from February 10, 2021, to January 1, 2022, is due to projections showing the quota for longline-caught golden tilefish will be reached. During this period, golden tilefish can still be caught using hook-and-line methods, but vessels with longline endorsements cannot catch them this way. This measure aims to protect the golden tilefish population by preventing quotas from being exceeded.

The Department of Commerce is seeking public comments on its information collection request related to the U.S. Caribbean Commercial Fishermen Census. This data collection, managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, aims to gather information from fishermen in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to improve fishery management and meet legal requirements. The survey involves around 1,500 respondents, taking an average of 45 minutes each, and is conducted annually. Public comments can be submitted within 30 days, and further details can be accessed on the website www.reginfo.gov.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is inviting public comments on their information collection methods as part of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The comments will help evaluate and improve their data collection process related to customer satisfaction with NOAA's products and services. This will involve online surveys and emails, affecting both individual citizens and various types of organizations, with an estimated 10,000 respondents. Comments must be received by April 29, 2025, and are part of the public record to ensure transparency and solicit improvement ideas.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold a public meeting on May 13-14, 2025, in Baltimore, MD, with an option to join virtually. During this meeting, the SSC will discuss new biological catch recommendations for various fish species, including Blueline Tilefish and Chub Mackerel, based on recent assessments and data. The committee will also review past recommendations for other species and discuss tasks from national coordination workshops. Meeting details and documents will be available on the council's website.

The Department of Commerce is asking for feedback on their collection of information regarding the Fishery Capacity Reduction Program. This request is part of efforts to manage the burden of reporting on the public, as mandated by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The main goal of the program is to reduce fishing capacity by compensating fishermen to give up their fishing permits or vessels. The public is encouraged to send their comments by March 23, 2021, to help evaluate and improve the information collection process.

The Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has applied for an amendment to their research permit (No. 23188) involving northern elephant seals. This amendment seeks to add a new research location and increase the number of juvenile seals studied by 50 per year. The research is aimed at comparing weaning weights across different colonies, including a new site in the King Range National Conservation Area. Comments on this application are being accepted until March 1, 2021, and the activity is considered exempt from requiring an environmental impact statement.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is holding a virtual public meeting about the evaluation of Indiana's Lake Michigan Coastal Management Program. People can submit written comments until April 16, 2021, and participate in the meeting on April 7, 2021, by registering online. The meeting is a chance for the public to give feedback on how well Indiana is managing its coastal areas. NOAA will also review how Indiana has met national objectives and used financial assistance connected to the Coastal Zone Management Act.