Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Allocating Gulf of Alaska Fishery Resources; Notice of Rockfish Pilot Program Public Workshops, 35859 [06-5607]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 120 (Thursday, June 22, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 35859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5607]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 050306E]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Allocating 
Gulf of Alaska Fishery Resources; Notice of Rockfish Pilot Program 
Public Workshops

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public workshops.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will present two public workshops on the Central Gulf of 
Alaska Rockfish Pilot Program (Program) for potentially eligible 
participants and other interested parties. At each workshop, NMFS will 
provide an overview of the proposed Program, discuss the key Program 
elements, provide information on the proposed rule comment process, and 
answer questions. NMFS is conducting these public workshops to provide 
assistance to fishery participants in understanding and reviewing the 
proposed rule that would implement this new Program.

DATES: Two workshops will be held on the following dates:
    1. Friday, June 23, 2006, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, 
Seattle, WA.
    2. Monday, June 26, 2006, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time, 
Kodiak, AK.

ADDRESSES: The workshops will be held at the following locations:
    1. Seattle -- Nordby Conference Center in Fishermen's Terminal, 
3919 18th Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98119.
    2. Kodiak -- Kodiak Fisheries Research Center (Main Conference 
Room), 301 Research Court, Kodiak, AK 99615.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glenn Merrill, 907-586-7228 or 
glenn.merrill@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 7, 2006 (71 FR 33040), NMFS 
published a proposed rule that would implement the Program as Amendment 
68 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska 
(FMP). The proposed rule would establish a program to allocate specific 
Central Gulf of Alaska groundfish resources among harvesters and 
processors. Harvesting and processing privileges for several species of 
rockfish, incidental harvests of other groundfish species, and halibut 
prohibited species catch would be allocated to participants that meet 
specific requirements. Amendment 68 was approved by the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council (Council) on June 6, 2005. Amendment 68 
would implement the Program designed to meet the requirements of 
section 802 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 (Public Law 
108-109, Section 802). Section 802 specifies the eligible participants, 
duration of the program, methods for allocating harvesting and 
processing privileges, and provides NMFS with the authority to regulate 
processors under this Program.
    NMFS is conducting public workshops to provide assistance to 
fishery participants in reviewing the proposed requirements of this new 
program. At each workshop, NMFS will provide an overview of the 
proposed Program, discuss the key proposed Program elements, and 
provide information on the public comment process for the proposed 
rule. The key proposed Program elements to be discussed include quota 
share application; cooperative, limited access, and opt-out fishery 
participation provisions; cooperative quota transfer provisions; the 
appeals process; monitoring and enforcement; and electronic reporting. 
Additionally, NMFS will answer questions from workshop participants. 
For further information on the proposed Program, please visit the NMFS 
Alaska Region website at https://www.fakr.noaa.gov.

Special Accommodations

    These workshops are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for special accommodations should be directed to 
Glenn Merrill (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 5 working 
days before the workshop date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq., 1801 et seq., 3631 et seq.; 
and Pub. L. 108[dash]199, 118 Stat. 110.

    Dated: June 16, 2006.
James W. Balsiger,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 06-5607 Filed 6-19-06; 2:20 pm]
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