Sea Turtle Conservation; Observer Requirement for Fisheries, 76265-76269 [E6-21739]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 20, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 76265-76269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21739]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 222 and 223

[061107292-6292-01;110306A]
RIN 0648-AU81


Sea Turtle Conservation; Observer Requirement for Fisheries

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

ACTION: Proposed rule, request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes a regulation to require vessels in state and 
federal fisheries operating in the territorial seas or exclusive 
economic zone of the United States that are identified through the 
annual determination process specified in the rule to take observers 
upon NMFS request. NMFS proposes this measure to learn more about sea 
turtle interactions with fishing operations, to evaluate existing 
measures to reduce sea turtle takes, and to determine whether 
additional measures to address sea turtle takes may be necessary. NMFS 
will pay the direct costs of the observer. NMFS also proposes to extend 
the number of days from 30 to 180 that the agency may place observers 
in response to an appropriate determination by the Assistant 
Administrator under its existing regulations.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before February 20, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this proposed rule and requests for copies of 
the Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review (EA/RIR) 
should be addressed to the Chief, Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, 
Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tanya Dobrzynski, (301) 713-2322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose

    Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), 16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq., NMFS is authorized to implement programs to conserve marine life 
listed as endangered or threatened.
    All sea turtles that occur in U.S. waters are listed as either 
endangered or

[[Page 76266]]

threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), 16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.. The Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), leatherback 
(Dermochelys coriacea), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea 
turtles are listed as endangered. Loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green 
(Chelonia mydas), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles 
are listed as threatened, except for breeding colony populations of 
green sea turtles in Florida and on the Pacific coast of Mexico and 
breeding colony populations of olive ridleys on the Pacific coast of 
Mexico, which are listed as endangered. While some sea turtle 
populations have shown signs of recovery, many populations continue to 
decline.
    Incidental take, or bycatch, in fishing gear is one of the main 
sources of sea turtle injury and mortality nationwide. Section 9 of the 
ESA prohibits the take (including killing, injuring, capturing, harming 
and harassing), even incidental take, of endangered sea turtles. 
Pursuant to section 4(d) of the ESA, NMFS has issued regulations 
extending the prohibition of take, with exceptions, to threatened sea 
turtles. 50 CFR 223.306. NMFS may grant exceptions to the take 
prohibitions with an incidental take statement or an incidental take 
permit issued pursuant to section 7 or 10, respectively, of the ESA. To 
do so, NMFS must determine that the activity that will result in 
incidental take is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of 
the affected listed species. In some cases, NMFS has been able to make 
this determination because the fishery is conducted with a modified 
gear or modified fishing practice that NMFS has been able to evaluate. 
However, for some Federal fisheries and most state fisheries, NMFS has 
not granted an exception primarily because we lack information about 
fishery-turtle interactions. Therefore, any incidental take of sea 
turtles in those fisheries remains unauthorized.
    The most effective way for NMFS to learn more about sea turtle-
fishery interactions is to place observers aboard fishing vessels. NMFS 
is proposing this regulation to establish procedures under which each 
year NMFS will identify, pursuant to specified criteria and after 
notice and opportunity for comment, those fisheries in which the agency 
intends to place observers. NMFS will pay the direct costs (e.g., 
salary, insurance) for the observer. Once selected, a fishery will be 
eligible to be observed for five years without further action by NMFS. 
This will enable NMFS to develop an appropriate sampling protocol to 
determine whether incidental takes are occurring, to evaluate whether 
existing measures are minimizing or preventing interactions, and to 
determine whether additional measures are needed to conserve turtles.

Other Procedures for Observer Placement

    NMFS has established a regulatory procedure to place observers on 
vessels contingent upon a determination by the NMFS Assistant 
Administrator that the unauthorized take of sea turtles may be likely 
to jeopardize their continued existence. 50 CFR 223.206(d) (4). In this 
regulation, NMFS limited observer coverage requirements within a 
fishery to 30 days. NMFS has used this procedure to address immediate 
observer needs when fishery activity and relatively high sea turtle 
strandings have occurred simultaneously in a particular area. However, 
these temporary observer requirements are designed to respond to acute 
problems, and not for the design and implementation of monitoring 
programs that yield statistically valid information, which is the 
purpose of the observer requirements contained in this proposed rule. 
Further, because 30 days does not always provide the opportunity to 
investigate the cause of an event, such as elevated sea turtle 
strandings, NMFS is also proposing that observer coverage requirements 
under 50 CFR 223.206(d)(4) may remain effective for 180 days, with a 
possible 60-day extension. The combined 240 days is consistent with the 
emergency regulatory provision in section 4(b)(7) of the ESA.
    As a condition of authorizing incidental take in certain fisheries, 
NMFS has also implemented observer coverage requirements under the 
authority of the ESA on a fishery-by-fishery basis, such as in the 
shrimp trawl, summer flounder trawl, and Virginia pound net fisheries. 
These requirements have been implemented only after data from 
strandings, temporary observer coverage, or other sources indicated 
that prohibited sea turtle takes were occurring, and as part of a 
regulatory program to address the sea turtle takes in that fishery.
    NMFS has also placed observers on federally-managed vessels under 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as 
amended in 1996 (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act, as amended in 1994 (MMPA), to document fish bycatch and 
incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals, 
respectively. The Magnuson-Stevens Act allows NMFS to require observers 
on fisheries managed under a Federal fishery management plan, while the 
MMPA allows NMFS to require observers in both Federal and non-federal 
fisheries depending on the determined level of interaction between 
fisheries and marine mammals. Secondary to collecting information on 
fish and marine mammal bycatch through placement of observers on 
fishing vessels via the Magnuson-Stevens Act and MMPA, NMFS has also 
collected data on sea turtle interactions in fisheries.
    However, there are several limitations and restrictions to using 
the MMPA or Magnuson-Stevens Act to place observers to monitor 
potential sea turtle interactions. The Magnuson-Stevens Act only 
provides NMFS authority to require observers on vessels in fisheries 
managed under a Federal fishery management plan. Thus, the authority 
primarily covers fisheries operating in Federal waters. The MMPA only 
allows NMFS to require observers on fisheries that have been listed on 
the annual List of Fisheries as Category I (where incidental mortality 
and serious injury of marine mammals is considered ``frequent'') and 
Category II (where incidental mortality and serious injury of marine 
mammals is considered ``occasional'') (16 U.S.C. 1387(c)), but not 
Category III (where there is a remote likelihood of or no known 
incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals), under which 
the majority of fisheries are listed. Given that some state and 
Category III fisheries may be a concern for sea turtle takes, neither 
the MSA nor the MMPA provides broad enough authority to monitor 
fisheries that are likely to incidentally take sea turtles. 
Additionally, because NMFS has largely relied on the MMPA to monitor 
non-federal fisheries, many monitoring programs are designed primarily 
to monitor marine mammal bycatch in fishing gear and not necessarily to 
optimize observation of sea turtle takes. For instance, the sampling 
regime for marine mammals may not adequately cover times and areas 
where sea turtle interactions are most likely to occur. Due to observer 
sampling designs that focus on marine mammal takes, the use of MMPA 
authority to monitor fisheries for sea turtle bycatch is not optimal. 
To obtain statistically representative data on sea turtle takes in 
various fisheries, NMFS must design sampling programs based on sea 
turtle distribution and abundance and directed toward those gear types 
and fisheries that are a priority concern for sea turtle recovery.
    NMFS has also relied on using voluntary observer coverage to obtain 
data in several non-federally managed fisheries. For example, from 
November

[[Page 76267]]

1 - 20, 1999, 56 dead sea turtles washed ashore in a small area of 
Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, in the vicinity of Hatteras and Ocracoke 
Inlets. Thirty-five of the sea turtles were Kemp's ridleys, the most 
endangered species of sea turtle. Many sink gillnet fishing vessels 
were operating in the vicinity. North Carolina state observers were 
placed on a limited number of the gillnet boats to monitor sea turtle 
interactions. Because both state and NMFS' observer placement was 
voluntary, many of the fishermen elected not to carry observers, which 
resulted in limited coverage in areas where sea turtle interactions 
were believed most likely to occur. Adequate sampling occurred only 
after North Carolina received an ESA section 10(a)(1)(B) incidental 
take permit (67 FR 67150, November 4, 2002) and observer coverage was a 
requirement of the permit. These events in North Carolina highlight 
that a voluntary observer program limits the extent of coverage and 
hinders the collection of reliable data.

Sea Turtle/Fisheries Interactions

    Numerous gear types have been implicated in takes of sea turtles 
along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific coasts. Because the 
issue of incidental takes is largely due to the type of fishing gear 
used, commercial and recreational fisheries in state and federal waters 
may take sea turtles. Data available on the extent of sea turtle 
interactions vary by gear type, area, and season. Nonetheless, certain 
types of gear are more prone to incidentally capturing sea turtles than 
others, depending on the way the gear is fished and the time and area 
within which it is fished.
    Fisheries that use, for example, trawls, gillnets, seines, pound 
nets, traps, pots, dredges, longlines, and hook and line are potential 
sources of sea turtle take. Incidental take has been documented in 
these gear types where the distribution of sea turtles and fisheries 
overlaps. For example, NMFS has used alternative monitoring platforms 
to observe the VA pound net fishery. This monitoring revealed that sea 
turtle takes are a concern in the VA pound net fishery. As a result, 
NMFS has implemented management measures aimed at reducing sea turtle 
interactions in pound net leaders in the southern portion of the 
Chesapeake Bay from May 6-July 15 of each year, when sea turtles are 
known to be present (69 FR 24997, May 5, 2004). NMFS conducted an ESA 
section 7 consultation on the pound net fishery and determined that the 
fishery with the management measures was not likely to jeopardize sea 
turtles and the agency was then able to authorize incidental take in 
the fishery. While these measures may be reducing the number of sea 
turtle takes in pound nets, sea turtle strandings in the area have 
continued despite the management measures. Other fisheries, such as 
inshore gillnet and purse seine fisheries in the area, may also be 
contributing to the problem and need to be further evaluated.
    There are similar examples in other areas around the United States 
where more comprehensive and targeted observer coverage on fishing 
vessels is needed to better grasp and address the problem of sea turtle 
takes incidental to fishing activities, such as the shrimp fishery in 
the state and federal waters of the southeast United States and the 
Gulf of Mexico. This proposed rule would enable NMFS to monitor gear 
types, such as try nets and skimmer trawls, used in this fishery, which 
are not currently required to use turtle excluder devices but that have 
been documented to interact with sea turtles. Pot/trap and gillnet 
fisheries in the state waters of the U.S. have also been documented to 
interact with sea turtles; therefore, more information is needed on 
potential sea turtle interactions in these gear types/fisheries to 
better evaluate them. In addition, long-term, comprehensive coverage is 
needed to fill information gaps on sea turtle takes.
    Thus, NMFS proposes to amend the ESA regulations to specify that 
NMFS may place observers on recreational or commercial fishing vessels. 
Consistent, regular monitoring via placement of observers on fishing 
vessels is needed to gather useful data on sea turtle takes and, where 
necessary, to evaluate existing measures and develop new management 
measures to reduce sea turtle take in certain gear types. This proposed 
action, issued under the authority of the ESA, is necessary to 
implement the prohibitions of take of listed species and to conserve 
sea turtles listed as threatened or endangered.

Observer Program Design

    The design of any observer program implemented under this rule, 
including how observers would be allocated to individual vessels, would 
vary among fisheries, fishing sectors, gear types, and geographic 
regions and would ultimately be determined by the individual NMFS 
Regional Office, Science Center, and/or observer program. During the 
program design, NMFS would be guided by the following standards in the 
distribution and placement of observers among fisheries identified in 
annual determinations and vessels in those particular fisheries:
    (1) The requirements to obtain the best available scientific 
information;
    (2) The requirement that assignment of observers is fair and 
equitable among fisheries and among vessels in a fishery;
    (3) The requirement that no individual person or vessel, or group 
of persons or vessels, be subject to inappropriate, excessive observer 
coverage; and
    (4) The need to minimize costs and avoid duplication, where 
practicable.
    Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1881(b), vessels where the facilities for 
accommodating an observer or carrying out observer functions are so 
inadequate or unsafe (due to size or quality of equipment, for example) 
that the health or safety of the observer or the safe operation of the 
vessel would be jeopardized, would not be required to take observers 
under this rule.
    Observer programs designed or carried out in accordance with this 
regulation would be required to be consistent with existing observer-
related NOAA policies and regulations, such as those under the Fair 
Labor and Standards Act (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), the Service Contract 
Act (41 U.S.C. 351 et seq.), Observer Health and Safety regulations (50 
CFR part 600), and other relevant policies.

Annual Determination Process

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA) will make an 
annual proposed and final determination identifying which fisheries may 
require observer coverage to monitor potential interactions with sea 
turtles. The determination will be based on the best available 
scientific, commercial, or other information regarding sea turtle-
fishery interactions; sea turtle distribution; sea turtle strandings; 
fishing techniques, gears used, target species, seasons and areas 
fished; or qualitative data from logbooks or fisher reports.
    The AA will use the most recent version of the annually published 
MMPA List of Fisheries (LOF) as the universe of commercial fisheries 
for consideration in addition to known information on non-commercial 
fisheries in a given area. The LOF includes all known state and federal 
commercial fisheries that occur in U.S. waters. The categorization 
scheme of fisheries on the LOF would not be relevant to this process; 
all fisheries in the LOF would be used as the universe of state and 
federal commercial fisheries to be considered for monitoring under this 
proposed rule. Unlike the LOF process, recreational fisheries likely to 
interact with sea turtles on the basis of the best available 
information may also

[[Page 76268]]

be included in the determination of fisheries to be monitored under 
this rule.
    On an annual basis, the AA, in consultation with Regional 
Administrators and Science Center Directors, will determine which 
fisheries NMFS intends to monitor. The fisheries considered for 
monitoring under this proposed rule will be published as both a 
proposed and final determination in the Federal Register. Notice of the 
proposed determination will also be made in writing to individuals 
permitted for each fishery identified for monitoring. NMFS will also 
notify state agencies and provide notification through publication in 
local newspapers, radio broadcasts, and any other means as appropriate. 
Once included in the final determination, a fishery will remain 
eligible for observer coverage for five years to enable the design of 
an appropriate sampling program and to ensure collection of sufficient 
scientific data for analysis. If NMFS determines that more than five 
years is needed to obtain sufficient scientific data, NMFS must include 
the fishery in the AA's annual proposed determination again prior to 
the end of the fifth year. As part of its annual determination, NMFS 
will include, to the extent practicable, information on the fisheries 
or gear types to be sampled, geographic and seasonal scope of coverage, 
or any other relevant information. A 30-day delay in effective date for 
implementing observer coverage will follow the annual determination, 
except for those fisheries included in earlier annual determinations 
within the previous five years.
    The timing of this process should be coordinated to the extent 
possible with the annual LOF publication process, as specified in 50 
CFR 229.8.

Classification

    The AA has determined that this proposed rule is consistent with 
the ESA and with other applicable law.
    This action has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of Executive Order 12866.
    The AA prepared an environmental assessment for this proposed rule. 
A copy of the EA is available (see ADDRESSES).
    The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce 
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration that this proposed rule would not have a significant 
impact on a substantial number of small entities. The factual basis for 
this certification is as follows:
    For the purpose of this certification, all fishermen affected by 
this rule will be considered individual small entities. Given the 
nature of sampling programs and limited NMFS resources, this rule will 
likely affect less than one hundred fishermen at any given time.
    Individual small entities will incur no direct costs for complying 
with this observer requirement as NMFS will pay the direct costs 
associated with observer coverage (e.g., observer and related 
expenses). Potential indirect costs to individual small entities 
required to take observers under this rule may include: lost space on 
deck for catch, lost bunk space, and lost fishing time due to time 
needed to process bycatch data. For all these potential indirect costs, 
it is important to note that, due to limited resources and sampling 
protocols, effective monitoring will rotate observers among a limited 
number of vessels in a fishery at any given time. Thus, the potential 
indirect costs to individual small entities further described below are 
expected to be minimal since observer coverage would only be required 
for a small percentage of an individual's total annual fishing time.
    Lost space on deck for catch is a potential indirect cost to small 
entities. The indirect costs would potentially be less room to store 
catch or to house another active fishermen. However, in accordance with 
Observer Health and Safety standards, vessels too small to accommodate 
an observer will not be required to take an observer under this rule. 
Thus, the individuals most likely to be affected by this indirect cost, 
will not likely be required to accommodate an observer.
    Lost bunk space is a potential cost in that a vessel may need to 
limit the number of working fishermen onboard to accommodate an 
observer for overnight trips. While this could result in lost fishing 
effort, and therefore lost catch, this would only be a potential cost 
to that subset of fishing vessels for which overnight fishing trips are 
a regular occurrence. Furthermore, given that larger vessels are 
usually used for fishing involving multi-day trips, the circumstances 
in which an observer would significantly displace fishing effort due to 
lost bunk space are not expected to occur with frequency. Thus, for 
this and the reasons stated above, the potential indirect cost of lost 
bunk space to individual small entities resulting from this rule is 
expected to be minimal.
    Lost fishing time due to time needed to process sea turtle bycatch 
data is another potential indirect cost to fishermen of this observer 
requirement. However, while individually significant, sea turtle 
bycatch events are generally rare occurrences. Thus, the need to 
process such data is not expected to occur on a frequent basis, 
rendering this an insignificant impact on individual fishermen.
    This rule proposes an annual notification process whereby the 
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA) would make an annual 
determination identifying which fisheries require observer coverage for 
the purpose of monitoring potential sea turtle takes. The determination 
will be based on the best available commercial and biological data and 
will be published in the Federal Register as both proposed and final 
notices to the public that the AA is implementing the requirements 
specified in this section. A 30-day delay in effective date for 
implementing observer coverage will follow the annual notification, 
except for those fisheries that were listed in the preceding annual 
notification or where the AA has determined that there is good cause to 
make the rule effective without a 30-day delay. Annual notification 
will include, but not be limited to, information on the fisheries to be 
sampled, geographic and seasonal scope, and level of coverage.
    For the reasons stated herein, the proposed rule to establish 
mandatory observer coverage is not likely to impose a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
    This proposed rule does not contain a collection-of-information 
requirement subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act.
    This proposed rule contains policies with federalism implications 
as that term is defined in Executive Order 13132. Accordingly, the 
Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs will 
provide notice of the proposed action to the appropriate officials of 
affected state, local, and/or tribal governments to solicit their input 
on the development of the observer program in this proposed rule.

List of Subjects

50 CFR Part 222
    Administrative Practice and Procedure, Endangered and threatened 
species, Exports, Imports, Marine mammals.
50 CFR Part 223
    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, 
Transportation.

    Dated: December 14, 2006.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR parts 222 and 223 
are proposed to be amended as follows:

[[Page 76269]]

PART 222--GENERAL ENDANGERED AND THREATENED MARINE SPECIES

    1. The authority citation for part 222 is amended by deleting 
Section 222.403 also issued under 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 742a et seq.
    2. New subpart D is added to read as follows:

Subpart D--Observer Requirement

Sec.
222.401 Observer requirement.
222.402 Annual determination of fisheries to be observed; notice and 
comment.
222.403 Duration of selection; effective date.
222.404 Observer program sampling.

Subpart D Observer Requirement


Sec.  222.401  Observer requirement.

    Any commercial or recreational fishing vessel which operates within 
the territorial seas or exclusive economic zone of the United States in 
a fishery that is identified through the annual determination process 
specified in Sec.  222.402 must carry aboard a NMFS-approved observer 
upon request by the NMFS Assistant Administrator or a NMFS Regional 
Administrator. NMFS will pay direct costs for the observer. Owners and 
operators must comply with observer safety requirements specified at 50 
CFR 600.745 and the terms and conditions specified in the written 
notification.


Sec.  222.402  Annual determination of fisheries to be observed; notice 
and comment.

    (a) The Assistant Administrator, in consultation with Regional 
Administrators and Science Center Directors, will make an annual 
determination identifying which fisheries the agency intends to 
observe. This determination will be based on the following criteria:
    (1) The extent to which the fishery operates in the same waters and 
at the same time as sea turtles are present;
    (2) The extent to which:
    (i) The fishery operates at the same time or prior to elevated sea 
turtle strandings; or
    (ii) The fishery uses a gear or technique that is known or likely 
to result in incidental take of sea turtles based on documented or 
reported takes in the same or similar fisheries; and
    (3) The extent to which NMFS intends to monitor the fishery and 
anticipates that it will have the funds to do so.
    (b) The Assistant Administrator shall publish the proposed 
determination in the Federal Register notice and seek comment from the 
public. In addition, a written notification of the proposed 
determination will be sent to the address specified for the vessel in 
either the NMFS or state fishing permit application, or to the address 
specified for registration or documentation purposes, or upon written 
notification otherwise served on the owners or operator of the vessel. 
Additionally, NMFS will notify state agencies and provide notification 
through publication in local newspapers, radio broadcasts, and any 
other means as appropriate. The proposed and final determinations will 
include, to the extent practicable, information on fishing sector, 
targeted gear type, target fishery, temporal and geographic scope of 
coverage, or other information, as appropriate.
    (c) Fisheries listed on the most recent annual Marine Mammal 
Protection Act List of Fisheries in any given year, in accordance with 
16 U.S.C. 1387, will serve as the universe of commercial fisheries to 
be considered for inclusion in the annual determination. Select 
recreational fisheries suspected of interacting with sea turtles may 
also be included in the annual determination.
    (d) Publication of the proposed and final determinations should be 
coordinated to the extent possible with the annual Marine Mammal 
Protection Act List of Fisheries process as specified at 50 CFR 229.8.
    (e) Inclusion of a fishery included in a proposed or final 
determination does not constitute a conclusion by NMFS that those 
participating in the fishery are illegally taking sea turtles.


Sec.  222.403  Duration of selection; effective date.

    (a) Fisheries included in the final annual determination in a given 
year will remain eligible for observer coverage under this rule for 
five years, without need for NMFS to include the fishery in the 
intervening proposed annual determinations, to enable the design of an 
appropriate sampling program and to ensure collection of scientific 
data. If NMFS wishes to continue observations beyond the fifth year, 
NMFS must include the fishery in the proposed annual determination and 
seek comment, prior to the expiration of the fifth year.
    (b) A 30-day delay in effective date for implementing observer 
coverage will follow the annual notification, except for those 
fisheries that were included in a previous determination within the 
preceding five years.


Sec.  222.404  Observer program sampling.

    (a) During the program design, NMFS would be guided by the 
following standards in the distribution and placement of observers 
among fisheries and vessels in a particular fishery:
    (1) The requirements to obtain the best available scientific 
information;
    (2) The requirement that assignment of observers is fair and 
equitable among fisheries and among vessels in a fishery;
    (3) The requirement that no individual person or vessel, or group 
of persons or vessels, be subject to inappropriate, excessive observer 
coverage; and
    (4) The need to minimize costs and avoid duplication, where 
practicable.
    (b) Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1881(b), vessels where the facilities 
for accommodating an observer or carrying out observer functions are so 
inadequate or unsafe (due to size or quality of equipment, for example) 
that the health or safety of the observer or the safe operation of the 
vessel would be jeopardized, would not be required to take observers 
under this rule.

PART 223--THREATENED MARINE AND ANADROMOUS SPECIES

    1. The authority citation for part 223 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531-1543; subpart B, Sec.  223.12 also 
issued under 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 5503(d) for Sec.  
223.206(d)(9).
    2. In Sec.  223.206, the second sentence of paragraph (d)(4)(iv) is 
revised to read as follows:


Sec.  223.206  Exceptions to prohibitions relating to sea turtles.

* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (4) * * *
    (iv) Procedures. * * * An emergency notification will be effective 
for a period of up to 30 days and may be renewed for additional periods 
of up to 30 days each, except that emergency placement of observers 
will be effective for a period of up to 180 days and may be renewed for 
an additional period of 60 days.* * *
* * * * *
[FR Doc. E6-21739 Filed 12-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S