International Fisheries; Consolidation of Regulations; Technical Amendment; OMB Control Numbers

NMFS is consolidating 10 CFR parts into one part that contains regulations governing international fisheries in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and on the high seas. All but one of the consolidated parts implement an international agreement, convention, or treaty to which the United States is a party. The consolidated text is reorganized into a more logical and cohesive order, duplicative and outdated provisions are eliminated, and editorial changes are made for readability, clarity, and uniformity. Framework procedures are added for the specifications of annual management measures under two parts. In addition, an obsolete CFR part is removed. This final rule amends references to Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) information-collection requirements to reflect the consolidation. This final rule also contains a technical amendment to 50 CFR part 679, Fisheries of the EEZ off Alaska, to bring cross references into conformance. The purpose of this final rule is to make the regulations more concise, better organized and, therefore, easier for the public to use. This action is part of the President's Regulatory Reinvention Initiative.