South Pacific Tuna Fisheries, 6144-6155 [07-593]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 27 / Friday, February 9, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
of 1995 (UMRA) (2 U.S.C. 1531–1538)
requires Federal agencies to assess the
effects of their discretionary regulatory
actions. In particular, UMRA addresses
actions that may result in the
expenditure by a State, local, or tribal
government, in the aggregate, or by the
private sector of $100,000,000 or more
in any one year. UMRA analysis is not
required when a rule is exempt from
notice and comment rulemaking under
5 U.S.C. 553(b). DHS determined that
good cause existed under 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(B) to exempt this rule from the
notice and comment requirements of 5
U.S.C. 553(b). See 70 FR 59209, 59210
(Oct. 12, 2005). Therefore, no UMRA
analysis is required for this rule.
Nevertheless, DHS does not expect this
rule to result in such an expenditure.
Executive Order 13132, Federalism
This final rule will not have
substantial direct effects on the States,
on the relationship between the
National Government and the States, or
on the distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government. It will not
preempt any state laws. In accordance
with section 6 of Executive Order
13132, we determine that this rule will
not have federalism implications
sufficient to warrant the preparation of
a federalism impact statement.
Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice
Reform
This final rule meets the applicable
standards in section 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of
Executive Order 12988.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This final rule will not require or
invite any additional record or
information maintenance, submission,
or collection for the DHS programs.
Therefore, this final rule will not invoke
the requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
List of Subjects in 6 CFR Part 13
Administrative practice and
procedure, Claims, Fraud, Penalties.
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
Authority and Issuance
Accordingly, for the reasons stated in
the preamble, and pursuant to my
authority as Secretary of Homeland
Security, the interim rule adding 6 CFR
part 13 that was published at 70 FR
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59209 on October 12, 2005, is adopted
as a final rule without change.
Michael Chertoff,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 07–569 Filed 2–8–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–10–P
may be submitted to NMFS, Pacific
Islands Regional Office, and by e-mail to
David_Rostker@omb.eop.gov, or fax to
202–395–7285.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Raymond P. Clarke, 808–944–2200.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
15 CFR Part 902
50 CFR Part 300
[Docket No. 050620161–7016–02; I.D.
061605A]
RIN 0648–AP61
South Pacific Tuna Fisheries
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS revises regulations
implementing the South Pacific Tuna
Act of 1988, as amended (SPTA), to
reflect the changes agreed to in the
Third Extension of the Treaty on
Fisheries between the Governments of
Certain Pacific Island States and the
Government of the United States of
America and its annexes, schedules, and
implementing agreements, as amended
(Treaty). New provisions under the
Treaty relate to vessel monitoring
system (VMS) requirements, vessel
reporting requirements, area restrictions
for U.S. purse seine vessels fishing
under the Treaty, and allowing U.S.
longline vessels to fish on the high seas
portion of the Treaty Area. These
actions are intended to bring the United
States into compliance with its
obligations under the Treaty.
DATES: Effective March 12, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the final
regulatory flexibility analysis (FRFA),
regulatory impact review,
environmental assessment, and small
entity compliance guide that were
prepared for this final rule may be
obtained from the Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Pacific Islands
Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd.,
Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814–4700,
or by contacting Raymond P. Clarke by
telephone at 808–944–2200 or by
facsimile (fax) at 808–973–2941.
Written comments regarding the
burden-hour estimates or other aspects
of the collection-of-information
requirements contained in this final rule
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On August 10, 2006, NMFS published
a proposed rule (71 FR 45752) that
would revise regulations at 50 CFR part
300, subpart D, in order to implement,
under the authority of the SPTA (16
U.S.C. 973 et seq.), certain changes
recently agreed to in the Treaty. The
proposed rule was open to public
comment through October 10, 2006.
The objective of this final rule is to
fulfill the commitments of the United
States to implement the amendments
made in the Third Extension of the
Treaty, which was agreed to in 2002 and
expires June 14, 2013, as well as
subsequent technical modifications
made in the seventeenth annual formal
consultation of the parties to the Treaty
in March 2005.
This final rule implements four
modifications to the Treaty, as
summarized below. References to the
term ‘‘FFA’’ mean the Pacific Islands
Forum Fisheries Agency, in its capacity
of Treaty Administrator on behalf of the
Pacific Island parties to the Treaty. In
addition to revising the regulations to
implement these Treaty modifications,
the regulations are revised to explicitly
include the details of certain
requirements that were until now
incorporated only by reference to the
Treaty and its annexes.
(1) Modifications to vessel reporting
requirements: The purse seine vessel
reporting requirements have been
modified such that: times must be
reported in Universal Coordinated Time
(also known as UTC) rather than
Greenwich Mean Time (or GMT);
catches must be reported in metric tons
(rather than short tons); the weekly
vessel report to the FFA, known as the
WEEK report, is eliminated; the weekly
reports to national authorities continue
but are amended to indicate whether or
not an observer is on board the vessel;
the report for entry into port for
unloading must be submitted at least 24
hours prior to (rather than any time
prior to) the vessel’s arrival into port;
and the vessel operator is required to
report the estimated date and time of
arrival and the estimated date of
departure from port in the report for
port departure and the report entry into
port for unloading, as appropriate.
(2) Modifications to Closed and
Limited Areas: Papua New Guinea’s
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archipelagic waters are now closed to
U.S. purse seine vessels (prior to the
Third Extension certain of these waters
were open to U.S. vessels fishing under
the Treaty) and the Solomon Islands
EEZ is now opened to fishing under the
Treaty, with the exception of the area
from the archipelagic baseline for the
main island group (as defined in
Solomon Islands’ Delimitation of
Marine Waters Act 1978) out to 60
nautical miles (111 kilometers) that is
closed to fishing (prior to the Third
Extension all but a small portion of the
Solomon Islands EEZ was a Closed
Area; the remainder was a Limited Area
in which effort by U.S. purse seine
vessels was restricted).
(3) VMS requirements: U.S. purse
seine vessels licensed under the Treaty
are required to have installed and to
carry, operate, and maintain a VMS unit
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while in the Treaty Area. The VMS unit
and attendant software have to be of a
type approved by the FFA as Treaty
Administrator. A list of VMS units and
associated software that are approved at
this time is provided in the following
table. The approvals are subject to
change; an up-to-date list can be
obtained from the FFA, as Treaty
Administrator.
Model No.
Software version
Thrane and Thrane Capsat transceiver .......................................................................................
Thrane and Thrane Capsat transceiver .......................................................................................
Thrane and Thrane Capsat transceiver .......................................................................................
TT–3022D ...................
TT–3022D ...................
TT–3022D ...................
Thrane and Thrane Capsat transceiver .......................................................................................
Thrane and Thrane Capsat transceiver .......................................................................................
Japan Radio Company Limited Inmarsat-C transceiver ..............................................................
Japan Radio Company Limited Inmarsat-C transceiver ..............................................................
Japan Radio Company Limited Inmarsat-C transceiver ..............................................................
Trimble Galaxy transceiver ..........................................................................................................
Trimble Galaxy transceiver ..........................................................................................................
Trimble Galaxy transceiver ..........................................................................................................
Trimble Galaxy transceiver ..........................................................................................................
Furuno Inmarsat-C Mobile Earth Station Transceiver .................................................................
Furuno Inmarsat-C transceiver ....................................................................................................
Furuno Inmarsat-C transceiver ....................................................................................................
Furuno Mini-C Mobile Earth Station Transceiver .........................................................................
Furuno Mini-C Mobile Earth Station Transceiver .........................................................................
Sailor Inmarsat-C Mobile Earth Station Transceiver (SAT–C) ....................................................
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
Model name
TT–3022D ...................
TT–3026S Mini-C ........
JUE–75C .....................
JUE–75CV ..................
JUE–95VM ..................
8005 (Courier) .............
TNL 7001 ....................
TNL 7005 (non solas)
TNL 8001 (Sentinel) ...
Felcom 15 ...................
Felcom 12 (IC–212) ....
Felcom 12 (IC–212) ....
Felcom 16 ...................
Felcom 16 ...................
H1622D .......................
3.11
3.24
3.28 non-SOLAS Fishery DistFn-1
3.32
2.12
8.0
6.1
1.0
5.10
5.10a
5.10
5.10
DCE F15 V02+FFA
DCE version .07+FFA
DCE version .08+FFA
DCE F16 V02+FFA
DCE F16 V03+FFA
TT–10202A Version
3.21 non-SOLAS
Fishery
If the VMS unit malfunctions or fails,
the owner or operator is required to
provide notice of such failure or
malfunction, submit substitute reports
by an alternative means at intervals of
no greater than 8 hours, and if directed
by the FFA or NMFS, proceed to a
designated port to repair or replace the
VMS unit. Owners and operators of
vessels licensed under the Treaty are
also required to register annually on the
FFA Vessel Register (in the past the FFA
administered a ‘‘FFA VMS Register of
Foreign Fishing Vessels’’ and a ‘‘FFA
Regional Register of Foreign Fishing
Vessels’’ but the two have been
consolidated into a single ‘‘FFA Vessel
Register’’). NMFS will administratively
facilitate the applications for
registration on the register, but vessel
owners and operators are responsible for
completing the FFA registration forms
and the payment of associated fees.
The contact information for the FFA,
as Treaty Administrator, for the purpose
of the manual position reports and the
notifications required in certain
circumstances in the VMS-related
regulations, as well as for informational
purposes, is as follows:
• Telephone: Country code 677,
number 21124.
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• Facsimile: Country code 677,
number 23995.
• E-mail: VMS.Help@ffa.int.
Updated contact information may be
obtained from NMFS (see ADDRESSES).
Additional contact information for the
FFA, as Treaty Administrator, for
informational purposes is as follows:
• Internet: https://www.ffa.int.
• Mail: Director-General, Pacific
Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, P.O.
Box 629, Honiara, Solomon Islands
Updated contact information may be
obtained from the NMFS American
Samoa field station, telephone: 684–
633–5598; facsimile: 684–633–1400, or
the NMFS Pacific Islands Regional
Office (see ADDRESSES).
The VMS data will be treated by
NMFS as confidential business
information. However, if VMS data are
requested under FOIA, the responding
agency will be required to determine the
releasability of the information pursuant
to any applicable exemptions. These
new VMS requirements appear in the
revised regulations at 50 CFR 300.45.
(4) Longline high seas access: This
final rule exempts U.S. longline vessels
from the prohibitions currently listed in
50 CFR 300.38, effectively allowing
authorized U.S. longline vessels to fish
in the high seas portions of the Treaty
Area. The original language of the
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Treaty stated that only purse seine
vessels could operate under the Treaty,
with one exception, that being for
albacore vessels that trolled (fished)
while transiting through the high seas
portion of the Treaty Area. The
unintended consequence of this
language is that it did not allow for
other types of U.S. vessels, including
longline vessels, to fish on the high seas
portions of the Treaty Area. It was never
the intent of the parties to the Treaty to
exclude U.S. longline vessels to areas
open to all others fleets in the region. In
1999, after an expressed interest on the
part of the U.S. longline industry, the
parties agreed to rectify the situation
and to allow U.S. longline vessels access
to the high seas portions of the Treaty
Area. This exemption for U.S. longline
vessels to fish in the high seas portion
of the Treaty Area appears in the revised
regulations at 50 CFR 300.39(a).
Additional background information
may be found in the preamble to the
proposed rule (71 FR 45752, August 10,
2006).
Comments and Responses
NMFS received two sets of comments
on the proposed rule; summaries of
those comments, and NMFS’ responses,
follow (see the Classification section for
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comments on the initial regulatory
flexibility analysis (IRFA) and NMFS’
responses).
Comment 1: There are many required
reports involving fish tonnages by
species and size. The crew makes
estimates of these weights without the
benefit of scales, so the estimates vary
from actual weights. The proposed
requirements in 50 CFR 300.34(a)-(c),
which call for reported information to
be true, complete, correct, accurate and
timely, are a concern with respect to the
expected accuracy of the reports. A
literal interpretation of the language
could place the vessels in an impossible
position.
Response: The reporting requirements
in 50 CFR 300.34(a) and (b) of the rule,
which state that reported information
must be ‘‘true, complete and correct’’,
are existing regulations; they will not be
altered by this rulemaking. The contents
of the required reports will not be
modified, either (except in relatively
minor ways that should have no effect
in terms of the attainable accuracy of
reported fish weights, such as changing
the reporting units for fish weights from
short tons to metric tons). The
rulemaking will only add, in 50 CFR
300.34(c), the terms ‘‘accurate’’ and
‘‘timely’’ with respect to the required
reports and notifications. NMFS
believes that it is important, as well as
reasonable, that reported information,
including fish weights, be accurate. At
the same time, NMFS does not interpret
the term ‘‘accurate’’ to necessarily mean
that measurements and reports thereof
must be absolutely precise.
Comment 2: The preamble to the
proposed rule neglected to note the
duration of the Third Extension of the
Treaty, which is 10 years, until 2013.
Response: That is correct; the
duration of the Third Extension of the
Treaty was not noted in the proposed
rule. Its duration is 10 years, expiring
June 14, 2013.
Comment 3: The preamble to the
proposed rule indicated that the contact
numbers for the NMFS American Samoa
field station include a ‘‘country code
684’’, but the office is actually dialed
from within the United States as a
domestic number.
Response: That is correct—the
preamble to the proposed rule included
incorrect contact numbers for the NMFS
field station in American Samoa.
American Samoa uses the telephone
country code for the United States,
which is 1. The correct contact numbers
for the office are: telephone: 684–633–
5598; facsimile: 684–633–1400.
Comment 4: I do not believe in
longline fishing; it is dangerous for
oceans, depletes the supply, makes the
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balance of marine life suffer, and results
in other fish and birds getting caught
and suffering and dying; please do away
with this longline fishing.
Response: The comment is
acknowledged, but it addresses an issue
that is beyond the scope of this rule, the
purpose of which is to fulfill the
obligations of the United States under
an international agreement, the Third
Extension of the Treaty.
Changes to the Proposed Rule
Three changes have been made to the
proposed rule: (1) The statement ‘‘The
initial list of approved hardware and
software will appear in the final rule for
this action’’ has been removed from
paragraph (d) of proposed 50 CFR
300.45. The referenced list is provided
in this preamble to the final rule. (2)
Corrections have been made to the
numbering of the paragraphs referred to
in 50 CFR 300.38. (3) An entry has been
added in the table in 15 CFR 902.1(b),
of control numbers issued by the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB),
which identifies the location of NOAA
regulations for which OMB control
numbers have been issued under the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) for
collections of information. The
additional entry identifies that the new
50 CFR 300.45, on VMS requirements,
contains collection-of-information
requirements and that the associated
OMB control number is 0648–0218.
Delegation of Authority
Under NOAA Administrative Order
205–11, dated December 17, 1990, the
under Secretary for Oceans and
Atmosphere has delegated authority to
sign material for publication in the
Federal Register to the Assistant
Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA.
Classification
This final rule has been determined to
be not significant for purposes of
Executive Order 12866.
A final regulatory flexibility analysis
(FRFA) was prepared. The FRFA
incorporates the IRFA (which was
summarized in the proposed rule), a
summary of the significant issues raised
by the public comments in response to
the IRFA and NMFS’ responses to those
comments, and a summary of the
analyses completed to support the
action. A copy of the FRFA is available
from NMFS (see ADDRESSES). A
summary of the FRFA follows.
Need for, and Objectives of, the Rule
A description of the need for, and
objectives of, this final rule is contained
at the beginning of this section in the
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preamble and in the SUMMARY section of
the preamble.
Summary of the Significant Issues
Raised by the Public Comments in
Response to the IRFA
NMFS received one comment on the
IRFA (as summarized in the proposed
rule) and one comment not specifically
on the IRFA but on an issue with
possible economic implications. Those
comments, and NMFS’ responses,
follow.
Comment 1: The owners of vessels
licensed under the Treaty now pay
$2,235 per year for the new combined
VMS and vessel registration fee. Should
that be indicated in the rule?
Response: The FFA has consolidated
what were previously called the ‘‘FFA
VMS Register of Foreign Fishing
Vessels’’ and the ‘‘FFA Regional
Register of Foreign Fishing Vessels’’ into
a single ‘‘FFA Vessel Register.’’ There is
a single annual fee for applying for
inclusion on the FFA Vessel Register;
the fee has been formulated as the sum
of two components (one of which is the
VMS-related component) that
correspond to the two former registers.
The IRFA summary in the preamble to
the proposed rule included an estimate
of only the additional cost that would be
imposed under the rule; that is, the
VMS-related part of the fee ($1,375 per
vessel per year). The remainder of the
payment referred to by the commenter
(which is actually $2,253, not $2,235) is
not related to, and will not be affected
by, this final rule.
Comment 2: There are many required
reports involving fish tonnages by
species and size. The crew makes
estimates of these weights without the
benefit of scales, so the estimates vary
from actual weights. The proposed
requirements in 50 CFR 300.34(a)–(c),
which call for reported information to
be true, complete, correct, accurate and
timely, are a concern with respect to the
expected accuracy of the reports. A
literal interpretation of the language
could place the vessels in an impossible
position.
Response: The reporting requirements
in 50 CFR 300.34(a) and (b) of the rule,
which state that reported information
must be ‘‘true, complete and correct’’,
are existing regulations; they will not be
altered by this rule. The contents of the
required reports will not be modified,
either (except in relatively minor ways
that should have no effect in terms of
the attainable accuracy of reported fish
weights, such as changing the reporting
units for fish weights from short tons to
metric tons). The rule will only add, in
50 CFR 300.34(c), the terms ‘‘accurate’’
and ‘‘timely’’ with respect to the
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required reports and notifications.
NMFS believes that it is important, as
well as reasonable, that reported
information, including fish weights, be
accurate. At the same time, NMFS does
not interpret the term ‘‘accurate’’ to
necessarily mean that measurements
and reports thereof must be absolutely
precise.
NMFS finds that neither of the issues
raised in these public comments gives
reason to make any changes to the rule.
The first issue, regarding the VMSrelated registration costs, is one merely
of clarifying the information presented
in the IRFA. The second issue, regarding
the potential difficulty in vessel
operators providing accurate and timely
information, is not a new issue created
by this rule, and in any case NMFS has
not identified any alternative that would
provide the needed information with a
lesser burden on small entities. NMFS
has not made any changes to the rule as
a result of these public comments.
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
Description and an Estimate of the
Number of Small Entities to Which the
Rule Will Apply
Three of the measures in this final
rule, the modified vessel reporting
requirements, the VMS requirements,
and the modified Closed and Limited
Areas, will apply to owners and
operators of U.S. purse seine vessels
that operate in the Treaty Area. The
measure to allow longline vessels access
to the high seas portion of the Treaty
Area will apply to owners and operators
of U.S. longline vessels operating in the
Pacific Ocean. Based on the number of
U.S. purse seine vessels licensed under
the Treaty and the number of U.S.
longline vessels permitted to operate in
the Pacific Ocean under the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act and/or the High Seas
Fishing Compliance Act as of June 2006,
NMFS estimates that 12 purse seine
vessels and approximately 183 longline
vessels will be subject to the rule. These
purse seine and longline vessels are
owned by approximately 9 and 183
business entities, respectively. Based on
(limited) financial information about
these fishing fleets, NMFS believes that
as many as 7 and 183 of the affected
purse seine and longline business
entities, respectively, are small business
entities (i.e., they have gross annual
revenues of less than $4.0 million).
Description of the Projected Reporting,
Recordkeeping, and Other Compliance
Requirements of the Rule
The reporting, recordkeeping, and
other compliance requirements of this
final rule are described in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
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this preamble. The classes of small
entities subject to the requirements and
the types of professional skills necessary
to fulfill the requirements are as follows:
(1) Vessel reporting requirements:
Approximately seven small business
entities will be subject to these
requirements. The cost of compliance
will be minor: because the changes have
to do only with units of measure, the
timing of reports, and the reporting of
one additional piece of information
(whether or not an observer is on board),
they will require only minor
modifications in habit on the part of the
vessel operators. Fulfillment of these
reporting requirements is not expected
to require any professional skills that
the vessel owners and operators do not
already possess.
(2) Fishing area modifications:
Approximately seven small business
entities will be subject to these
requirements. These modifications will
not impose any new reporting or
recordkeeping requirements (within the
meaning of the PRA) on purse seine
vessel owners or operators, but they
could affect the economic performance
of such vessels. It is not known whether
the density of exploitable stocks in the
affected areas is greater or less than in
the fleet’s fishing grounds generally.
Because the target stocks are a highly
fluid resource in this region, with high
turnover rates and significant
movements of fish through the region,
any such differences are likely to be
small. The measure is therefore not
expected to have a strong direct effect
on catch rates or resulting economic
returns. However, the modifications will
affect the operational flexibility of U.S.
purse seine vessels, and such effects
could in turn bring economic impacts.
Vessels will have greater operational
flexibility through enhanced access to
the Solomon Islands EEZ but less
flexibility from reduced access to the
waters around Papua New Guinea. It is
not possible to predict whether the
expected positive impacts to small
entities from the former effect will be
less than or greater than the expected
negative impacts from the latter effect.
This is due to a lack of information
about the extent and value of the
operational flexibility afforded by each
of the two affected areas, as well as the
general difficulty in predicting the
behavior of vessels that operate in
response to many biophysical and
economic factors and conditions, many
of which change markedly from year to
year. The impact, while difficult to
predict, is not expected to differ by
entity class (i.e. by small versus large
entity). Fulfillment of these
requirements is not expected to require
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any professional skills that the vessel
owners and operators do not already
possess.
(3) VMS requirements: Approximately
seven small business entities will be
subject to these requirements. The
expected annual cost of complying with
the VMS requirements is no more than
about $4,000 per vessel (including
annualized costs of $1,000-$2,000 for
the purchase of VMS units and
approximately $200 for the installation
and activation of VMS units, which
might have to be replaced as often as
once every four years; $1,375 for the
VMS portion of the annual FFA Vessel
Register registration fee; and
approximately $500 for maintenance
and routine operation). This represents
about one-tenth of one percent of the
total costs of production for a typical
purse seine vessel, and perhaps as much
as two-tenths of one percent of the total
costs of production for the smallest
affected small business entity.
Fulfillment of these VMS requirements
is not expected to require any
professional skills that the vessel
owners and operators do not already
possess.
(4) Longline high seas access:
Approximately 183 small business
entities will be subject to this measure.
Opening the high seas areas of the
Treaty Area to U.S. longline vessels will
not impose any additional reporting,
recordkeeping, or other compliance
requirements. Since the measure will
expand the fishing area available to U.S.
longline vessels, increasing their
operational flexibility, it is expected to
have positive or neutral impacts on
affected small entities.
The measures that will apply to the
purse seine entities (particularly the
VMS requirements) will impose the
same cost burden on small entities as
they will on large entities, so the cost as
a proportion of gross revenues will
generally be greater for small entities
than for large entities. The same is true
within the group of affected small
entities: the smaller the business, the
greater the burden is likely to be relative
to gross revenues, assuming that profit
margins are similar among firms.
However, there is not a great difference
in size (e.g. in terms of gross revenues)
between the affected small and large
entities or among the small entities, so
the differences in the relative burdens
by entity size are expected to be minor.
No disproportionate burdens among
affected entities according to other
characteristics, such as homeport or area
fished, are expected.
The measure that will apply to the
longline entities (all of which are small
entities) will not impose any costs on
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any entities, so no disproportionate
adverse impacts according to entity size
will occur. The measure will have
positive, if any, impacts on affected
entities, but since larger vessels tend to
have greater operating ranges, they are
more likely than smaller vessels to be
able to take advantage of the availability
of new fishing grounds and enjoy the
benefits of the measure. A similar
difference in the likelihood of
benefitting from the measure might also
exist according to where a vessel is
based (e.g. American Samoa versus
Hawaii), but the difference is not
possible to predict.
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
Steps Taken To Minimize the
Significant Economic Impact on Small
Entities
NMFS considered several alternatives
to this final rule. As a party to the
Treaty, the U.S. has committed itself to
implementation of the Treaty
amendments. Consequently, NMFS has
limited discretion with regard to
implementation of the SPTA. One
alternative NMFS considered is to take
no action. However, NMFS rejected this
alternative because it would not achieve
the objectives of the SPTA, which are to
implement the terms of the Treaty.
NMFS also considered several
alternatives to the VMS requirements.
One is to encourage voluntary
compliance with the VMS measures
rather than issuing a rule that would
make them mandatory. To the extent
that voluntary compliance is achieved,
the costs to small entities would be the
same as under the preferred alternative.
Because relying on voluntary
compliance would make it difficult to
ensure that the VMS requirements of the
Treaty are met, NMFS rejected this
alternative. Two other non-regulatory
alternatives, which would require
agreement by the parties to the Treaty,
are to obtain the desired compliance
and monitoring benefits via enhanced
vessel observer coverage or enhanced
aerial and surface surveillance activities
rather than via a VMS. These
alternatives could achieve the objectives
of the SPTA at potentially lesser cost to
small entities. However, the projected
costs to the public of enhancing vessel
observer coverage or aerial and surface
surveillance to the extent needed to
achieve the compliance and monitoring
benefits offered by a VMS are
significantly greater than the expected
total costs of the VMS alternative.
Because the cost of a VMS is
significantly less than the costs of
enhanced observer coverage or
enhanced aerial and surface monitoring,
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19:09 Feb 08, 2007
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NMFS rejected the alternatives of
enhanced observer coverage and
enhanced aerial and surface monitoring,
and selected the VMS alternative for
adoption in this final rule.
Small Entity Compliance Guide
Section 212 of the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996 states that for each rule or group
of related rules for which an agency is
required to prepare a FRFA, the agency
shall publish one or more guides to
assist small entities in complying with
the rule, and shall designate such
publications as ‘‘small entity
compliance guides.’’ The agency shall
explain the actions a small entity is
required to take to comply with a rule
or group of rules. Copies of the small
entity compliance guide for this final
rule are available from NMFS (see
ADDRESSES).
This final rule contains VMS and
vessel reporting collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) which
have been approved by OMB under
control number 0648–0218. The public
reporting burden for the modified vessel
reporting requirements is estimated to
average 1 hour per catch report, with
about five catch reports per year per
respondent, and about 30 minutes per
unloading logsheet, with about six
unloading logsheets per year per
respondent. The public reporting
burden for the VMS requirements is
estimated to average 30 minutes per
year per respondent for what was
formerly called the FFA Regional
Register of Foreign Fishing Vessels
application form, 15 minutes per year
per respondent for what was formerly
called the FFA VMS Register of Foreign
Fishing Vessels application form, and 2
hours per year per respondent for VMS
unit maintenance. As explained
previously, the FFA consolidated the
two previously-used vessel registers into
a single ‘‘FFA Vessel Register’’ on about
September 1, 2005, and there is now a
single application form for the register.
This consolidation had no effect on the
information collection requirement or
the estimated public reporting burden.
These estimated burdens include the
time for reviewing instructions,
searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data
needed, and completing and reviewing
the collection of information. Send
comments regarding these burden
estimates or any other aspect of this data
collection, including suggestions for
reducing the burden, to NMFS (see
ADDRESSES) and by e-mail to
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David_Rostker@omb.eop.gov, or fax to
202–395–7285.
Notwithstanding any other provision
of the law, no person is required to
respond to, and no person shall be
subject to penalty for failure to comply
with, a collection of information subject
to the requirements of the PRA, unless
that collection of information displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
Prior notice and opportunity for
public comment are not required with
respect to the revision to the table of
OMB control numbers in 15 CFR
902.1(b) because this action is a rule of
agency organization, procedure or
practice under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A).
List of Subjects
15 CFR Part 902
Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
50 CFR Part 300
Administrative practice and
procedure, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing,
Marine resources, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Treaties.
Dated: February 5, 2007.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Operations, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
For the reasons set out in the
preamble, 15 CFR chapter IX and 50
CFR chapter III are amended to read as
follows:
I
15 CFR CHAPTER IX—NATIONAL
OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE
PART 902—NOAA INFORMATION
REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT: OMB
CONTROL NUMBERS
1. The authority citation for part 902
continues to read as follows:
I
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
2. In § 902.1, the table in paragraph (b)
is amended by adding a new entry,
‘‘300.45’’, and its corresponding OMB
control number, under the entry ‘‘50
CFR’’, to read as follows:
I
§ 902.1 OMB control numbers assigned
pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act.
*
*
*
(b) * * *
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*
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CFR part or section where
the information collection
requirement is located
Current OMB
control No. (all
numbers begin
with 0648–)
50 CFR CHAPTER III—INTERNATIONAL
FISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
*
*
*
50 CFR .................................
*
*
........................
Subpart D—South Pacific Tuna
Fisheries
*
*
*
300.45 ...................................
*
*
¥0218
I
*
*
*
*
*
PART 300—INTERNATIONAL
FISHERIES REGULATIONS
3. The authority citation for 50 CFR
part 300, subpart D continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 973–973r.
4. In § 300.31, definitions for ‘‘FFA
Vessel Register’’, ‘‘Pacific Islands Forum
Fisheries Agency’’ or ‘‘FFA’’, ‘‘UTC’’,
I
Pacific Island Party
AUSTRALIA
COOK ISLANDS
FEDERATED STATES OF
MICRONESIA
FIJI
KIRIBATI
MARSHALL ISLANDS
NAURU
NEW ZEALAND
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
NIUE
PALAU
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
VerDate Aug<31>2005
6149
and ‘‘Vessel Monitoring System Unit’’ or
‘‘VMS unit’’ are added, the definition for
‘‘Limited Area(s)’’ is removed, and
definitions for ‘‘Regional
Administrator’’, ‘‘Applicable national
law’’, ‘‘Closed Area’’, and ‘‘Treaty Area’’
are revised to read as follows:
§ 300.31
Definitions.
*
*
*
*
*
Applicable national law means any of
the laws of Pacific Island Parties in the
following table and any regulations or
other instruments having the force of
law implemented pursuant to these
laws:
Laws
Antarctic Marine Living Resources Conservation Act, 1981.
Fisheries Management Act, 1991.
Fisheries Administration Act, 1991.
Statutory Fishing Rights Charge Act, 1991.
Fisheries Legislation (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1991.
Foreign Fishing Licences Levy Act, 1991.
Fishing Levy Act, 1991.
Fisheries Agreements (Payments) Act, 1991.
Torres Strait Fisheries Act, 1984.
Whale Protection Act, 1980.
Exclusive Economic Zone (Foreign Fishing Craft) Regulations, 1979.
Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act, 1977.
Marine Resources Act, 1989.
Titles 18 and 24 of the Code of the Federated States of Micronesia, as amended by Public Law Nos. 2–28, 2–31,
3–9, 3–10, 3–34, and 3–80.
Fisheries Act (Cap. 158).
Fisheries Regulations (Cap. 158).
Marine Spaces Act (Cap. 158A).
Marine Spaces (Foreign Fishing Vessels) Regulations, 1979.
Fisheries Ordinance, 1979.
Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1984.
Marine Zones (Declaration) Act, 1983.
Fisheries (Pacific Island States’ Treaty with the United States) Act 1988.
Title 33, Marine Resources Act, as amended by P.L. 1989–56, P.L. 1991–43, and P.L. 1992–25 of the Marshall Islands Revised Code.
Interpretation Act, 1971.
Interpretation Act (Amendment) Act No. 1 1975.
Interpretation Act (Amendment) Act No. 2 1975.
Marine Resources Act, 1978.
Antarctic Marine Living Resources Act, 1981.
Continental Shelf Act, 1964.
Conservation Act, 1987.
Driftnet Prohibition Act, 1991.
Exclusive Economic Zone (Foreign Fishing Craft) Regulations, 1978.
Fishing Industry Board Act, 1963.
Fisheries Act, 1983.
Marine Mammals Protection Act, 1978.
Marine Reserves Act, 1971.
Marine Pollution Act, 1974.
Meat Act, 1964.
Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act, 1977.
Tokelau (Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone) Act, 1977.
Submarine Cables and Pipelines Protection Act, 1966.
Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Protected Area Act, 1991.
Wildlife Act, 1953.
Niue Fish Protection Ordinance 1965.
Sunday Fishing Prohibition Act 1980.
Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act 1978.
Palau National Code, Title 27.
Fisheries Act (Cap 214).
Fisheries Regulations (Cap 214).
Fisheries (Torres Strait Protected Zone) Act, 1984.
National Seas Act (Cap 361).
Tuna Resources Management Act (Cap 224).
Whaling Act (Cap 225).
19:09 Feb 08, 2007
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Pacific Island Party
SOLOMON ISLANDS
TONGA
TUVALU
VANUATU
SAMOA
Laws
Delimitation of Marine Waters Act, 1978.
Fisheries Act, 1972.
Fisheries Limits Act, 1977.
Fisheries Regulations, 1972.
Fisheries (Foreign Fishing Vessels) Regulations, 1981.
Fisheries (United States of America) (Treaty) Act 1988.
Fisheries Act, 1989.
Fisheries Act (Cap 45).
Fisheries (Foreign Fishing Vessel) Regulations, 1982.
Marine Zones (Declaration) Act, 1983.
Foreign Fishing Vessels Licensing (US Treaty) Order 1987.
Fisheries Act 1982 (Cap 158).
Fisheries Regulations, 1983.
Maritime Zones Act 1981 (Cap 138).
Exclusive Economic Zone Act, 1977.
Territorial Sea Act, 1971.
Fisheries Act, 1988.
*
*
*
*
*
Closed area means any of the areas in
the following table, as depicted on
charts provided by the Regional
Administrator and as further described
Pacific Island Party
AUSTRALIA
COOK ISLANDS
FEDERATED STATES OF
MICRONESIA
FIJI
KIRIBATI
MARSHALL ISLANDS
NAURU
NEW ZEALAND
NIUE
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
PALAU
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
SOLOMON ISLANDS
TONGA
VerDate Aug<31>2005
in additional information that may be
provided by the Regional Administrator:
Area
All waters within the seaward boundary of the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) west of a line connecting the point of
intersection of the outer limit of the AFZ by the parallel of latitude 25° 30′ South with the point of intersection of
the meridian of longitude 151° East by the outer limit of the AFZ and all waters south of the parallel of latitude
25° 30′ South.
Territorial Sea.
Three nautical mile territorial sea and nine nautical mile exclusive fishery zone and on all named banks and reefs
as depicted on the following charts:
DMAHTC NO 81019 (2nd. ed., Mar. 1945; revised 7/17/72; corrected through NM 3/78 of 21 June 1978).
DMAHTC NO 81023 (3rd. ed., 7 Aug. 1976).
DMAHTC NO 81002 (4th. ed., 26 Jan. 1980; corrected through NM 4/80).
Internal waters, archipelagic waters and territorial seas of Fiji and Rotuma and its Dependencies.
Within archipelagic waters as established in accordance with Marine Zones (Declaration) Act 1983; within 12 nautical miles drawn from the baselines from which the territorial seas is measured; and within 2 nautical miles of
any anchored fish aggregating device within the Kiribati exclusive economic zone for which notification of its location shall be given by geographical coordinates.
12 nautical mile territorial sea and area within two nautical miles of any anchored fish aggregating device within
the Marshall Islands exclusive economic zone for which notification of its location shall be given by geographical
coordinates.
The territorial waters as defined by Nauru Interpretation Act, 1971, Section 2.
Territorial waters; waters within 6 nautical miles of outer boundary of territorial waters; all waters to west of New
Zealand main islands and south of 39° South latitude; all waters to east of New Zealand main islands south of
40° South latitude; and in respect of Tokelau: areas within 12 nautical miles of all island and reef baselines;
twelve and one half nautical miles either side of a line joining Atafu and Nukunonu and Faka’ofo; and coordinates as follows:
Atafu: 8°35′10″ S, 172°29′30″ W
Nukunonu: 9°06′25″ S, 171°52′10″ W 9°11′30″ S, 171°47′00″ W
Faka’ofo: 9°22′30″ S, 171°16′30″ W
Territorial sea and within 3 nautical miles of Beveridge Reef, Antiope Reef and Haran Reef as depicted by appropriate symbols on NZ 225F (chart showing the territorial sea and exclusive economic zone of Niue pursuant to
the Niue Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act of 1978).
Within 12 nautical miles of all island baselines in the Palau Islands; and the area:
commencing at the north-easternmost intersection of the outer limit of the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Palau
by the arc of a circle having a radius of 50 nautical miles and its center at Latitude 07°16′34″ North, longitude
134°28′25″ East, being at about the center of the reef entrance to Malakal Pass; running thence generally
south-easterly, southerly, south-westerly, westerly, north-westerly, northerly and north-easterly along that arc to
its intersection by the outer limit of the 12 nautical mile territorial sea; and thence generally northerly, north-easterly, easterly, south-easterly and southerly along that outer limit to the point of commencement.
Where for the purpose of these specifications it is necessary to determine the position on the surface of the Earth
of a point, line or area, it shall be determined by reference to the World Geodetic System 1984; that is to say,
by reference to a spheroid having its center at the center of the Earth and a major (equatorial) radius of
6,378,137 meters and a flattening of 1/298.2572.
All territorial seas, archipelagic and internal waters.
All internal waters, territorial seas and archipelagic waters; and such additional waters around the main group archipelago, as defined under the Delimitation of Marine Waters Act 1978, not exceeding sixty nautical miles.
All waters with depths of not more than 1,000 meters, within the area bounded by the fifteenth and twenty third
and one half degrees of south latitudes and the one hundred and seventy third and the one hundred and seventy seventh degrees of west longitudes; also within a radius of twelve nautical miles from the islands of Teleki
Tonga and Teleki Tokelau.
17:58 Feb 08, 2007
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Pacific Island Party
TUVALU
Area
Territorial sea and waters within two nautical miles of all named banks, that is Macaw, Kosciusko, Rose,
Bayonnaise and Hera, in Tuvalu exclusive economic zone, as depicted on the chart entitled ‘‘Tuvalu Fishery
Limits’’ prepared by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Department, Taunton, January 11, 1981.
Archipelagic waters and the territorial sea, and internal waters.
Territorial sea; reefs, banks and sea-mounts and within 2 nautical miles of any anchored fish aggregating device
within the Samoa exclusive economic zone for which notification of its location shall be given by geographical
coordinates.
VANUATU
SAMOA
*
*
*
*
*
FFA Vessel Register means the
registry of fishing vessels maintained by
the FFA, comprising those vessels
which are in good standing and licensed
to fish in the waters of FFA member
countries, including those vessels
licensed under § 300.32.
*
*
*
*
*
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries
Agency or FFA means the organization
established by the 1979 South Pacific
Forum Fisheries Agency Convention.
Regional Administrator means the
Regional Administrator, Pacific Islands
Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd.,
Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814, or a
designee.
*
*
*
*
*
Treaty Area means all waters north of
60° S. lat. and east of 90° E. long.,
subject to the fisheries jurisdiction of
Pacific Island Parties, and all other
waters within rhumb lines connecting
the following points, except for waters
subject to the jurisdiction in accordance
with international law of a State which
is not a party to the Treaty:
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
Point
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
AA
AB
AC
AD
Latitude
2°35′39″ S
1°01′35″ N
1°01′35″ N
10°00′00″ N
14°00′00″ N
14°00′00″ N
12°30′00″ N
12°30′00″ N
15°00′00″ N
15°00′00″ N
18°00′00″ N
18°00′00″ N
12°00′00″ N
12°00′00″ N
5°00′00″ N
1°00′00″ N
1°00′00″ N
8°00′00″ N
8°00′00″ N
0°00′00″
6°00′00″ S
6°00′00″ S
12°00′00″ S
26°00′00″ S
26°00′00″S
40°00′00″S
40°00′00″ S
46°00′00″ S
55°00′00″ S
59°00′00″ S
VerDate Aug<31>2005
6151
Longitude
141°00′00″
140°48′35″
129°30′00″
129°30′00″
140°00′00″
142°00′00″
142°00′00″
158°00′00″
158°00′00″
165°00′00″
165°00′00″
174°00′00″
174°00′00″
176°00′00″
176°00′00″
180°00′00″
164°00′00″
164°00′00″
158°00′00″
150°00′00″
150°00′00″
146°00′00″
146°00′00″
157°00′00″
174°00′00″
174°00′00″
171°00′00″
171°00′00″
180°00′00″
160°00′00″
16:52 Feb 08, 2007
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
E
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Point
AE
Latitude
Longitude
59°00′00″ S
152°00′00″ E and
north along the
152 degrees of
East longitude
until intersecting the
Australian 200nautical-mile
limit.
UTC means Universal Coordinated
Time.
Vessel Monitoring System Unit or
VMS unit means Administratorapproved VMS unit hardware and
software installed on a vessel and
required under § 300.45 as a component
of the regional VMS administered by the
FFA to transmit information between
the vessel and the Administrator and/or
other reporting points designated by
NMFS.
I 5. In § 300.32, paragraph (d) is revised
to read as follows:
§ 300.32
Vessel licenses.
*
*
*
*
*
(d) The number of available licenses
is 45, five of which shall only be
available to fishing vessels of the United
States engaged in joint venture
arrangements, specifically: Vessels
engaged in fishing activity designed to
promote maximization of the benefits
generated for the Pacific Island Parties
from the operations of fishing vessels
licensed pursuant to the Treaty, as
determined by the Administrator. Such
activity can include the use of canning,
transshipment, vessel slipping and
repair facilities located in the Pacific
Island Parties; the purchase of
equipment and supplies, including fuel
supplies, from suppliers located in the
Pacific Island Parties; and the
employment of nationals of the Pacific
Island Parties on board such vessels.
*
*
*
*
*
I 6. Section 300.34 is revised to read as
follows:
§ 300.34
Reporting requirements.
(a) Holders of licenses issued under
§ 300.32 shall comply with the reporting
requirements of this section with
respect to the licensed vessels.
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(b) Any information required to be
recorded, or to be notified,
communicated or reported pursuant to a
requirement of these regulations, the
Act, or the Treaty shall be true,
complete and correct. Any change in
circumstances that has the effect of
rendering any of the information
provided false, incomplete or
misleading shall be communicated
immediately to the Regional
Administrator.
(c) The operator of any vessel licensed
under § 300.32 must prepare and submit
accurate, complete, and timely
notifications, requests, and reports with
respect to the licensed vessel, as
described in paragraphs (c)(1) through
(10) of this section.
(1) Catch report forms. A record of
catch, effort and other information must
be maintained on board the vessel, on
catch report forms (also known as
‘‘Regional Purse Seine Logsheets’’, or
RPLs) provided by the Regional
Administrator. At the end of each day
that the vessel is in the Licensing Area,
all information specified on the form
must, for that day, be recorded on the
form. The completed catch report form
must be mailed by registered airmail to
the Administrator within 14 days of the
vessel’s next entry into port for the
purpose of unloading its fish catch. A
copy of the completed catch report form
must also be submitted to, and received
by, the Regional Administrator within 2
days of the vessel reaching port.
(2) Unloading and transshipment
logsheet forms. At the completion of any
unloading or transshipment of fish from
the vessel, all the information specified
on unloading and transshipment
logsheet forms provided by the Regional
Administrator must, for that unloading
or transshipment, be recorded on such
forms. A separate form must be
completed for each fish processing
destination to which the unloaded or
transshipped fish are bound. The
completed unloading and transshipment
logsheet form or forms must be mailed
by registered airmail to the
Administrator within 14 days of the
completion of the unloading or
transshipment. The submitted form
must be accompanied by a report or
reports of the size breakdown of the
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catch as determined by the receiver or
receivers of the fish, and such report
must be signed by the receiver or
receivers. A copy of the completed
unloading and transshipment logsheet,
including a copy of the accompanying
report or reports of the size breakdown
of the catch as determined by the
receiver or receivers of the fish, must
also be submitted to, and received by,
the Regional Administrator within 2
days of the completion of the unloading
or transshipment.
(3) Port departure reports. Before the
vessel’s departure from port for the
purpose of beginning a fishing trip in
the Licensing Area, a report must be
submitted to the Administrator by telex,
transmission via VMS unit, facsimile, or
e-mail that includes the following
information: Report type (‘‘LBEG’’);
Regional Register number; trip begin
date; date and time (in UTC) of report;
IRCS; port name; weight of catch on
board (in metric tons) for each of
skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and all
other species combined; intended
action; and estimated date of departure.
This information must be reported in
the format provided by the Regional
Administrator.
(4) Entry into port for unloading
reports. At least 24 hours before the
vessel’s entry into port for the purpose
of unloading fish from any trip
involving fishing within the Licensing
Area, a report must be submitted to the
Administrator by telex, transmission via
VMS unit, facsimile, or e-mail that
includes the following information:
Report type (‘‘LFIN’’); FFA Regional
Register number; trip begin date; date
and time (in UTC) of report; IRCS; port
name; weight of catch on board (in
metric tons) for each of skipjack tuna,
yellowfin tuna, and all other species
combined; intended action; and
estimated date and time (in UTC) of
entry into port. This information must
be reported in the format provided by
the Regional Administrator.
(5) Intent to transship notification and
request. At least 48 hours before
transshipping any or all of the fish on
board the vessel, a notification must be
submitted to the Administrator and a
request must be submitted to the Pacific
Island Party in whose jurisdiction the
transshipment is requested to occur.
The notification to the Administrator
and the request to the Pacific Island
Party may be identical. The notification
and request must include the following
information: Name of vessel; IRCS;
vessel position (latitude and longitude
to nearest minute of arc); weight of
catch on board the vessel (in metric
tons) for each of skipjack tuna,
yellowfin tuna, and all other species
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16:52 Feb 08, 2007
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combined; and the date, time (in UTC),
and location where such transshipment
is requested to occur. The notification to
the Administrator must be reported in
the format provided by the Regional
Administrator and submitted by telex,
transmission by VMS unit, facsimile, or
e-mail. The request to the Pacific Island
Party must be reported in the format
provided by the Regional Administrator
and sent via the means and to the
address provided by the Regional
Administrator.
(6) Zone entry and exit reports. Each
time the vessel enters or exits the waters
under the jurisdiction of a Pacific Island
Party, a report must be submitted to that
Pacific Island Party that includes the
following information: Report type
(‘‘ZENT’’ for entry or ‘‘ZEXT’’ for exit);
FFA Regional Register number; trip
begin date; date and time (in UTC) of
the entry or exit; IRCS; vessel position
(latitude and longitude to nearest
minute of arc); weight of catch on board
(in metric tons) for each of skipjack
tuna, yellowfin tuna, and all other
species combined; and intended action.
This information must be reported in
the format provided by the Regional
Administrator and sent via the means
and to the address provided by the
Regional Administrator.
(7) Weekly reports. Each Wednesday
while the vessel is within the waters
under the jurisdiction of a Pacific Island
Party, a report must be submitted to that
Pacific Island Party that includes the
following information: Report type
(‘‘WEEK’’); FFA Regional Register
number; trip begin date; date and time
(in UTC) of report; IRCS; vessel position
(latitude and longitude to nearest
minute of arc); weight of catch on board
(in metric tons) for each of skipjack
tuna, yellowfin tuna, and all other
species combined; intended action; and
whether or not there is a vessel observer
on board (‘‘Y’’ or ‘‘N’’). This information
must be reported in the format provided
by the Regional Administrator and sent
via the means and to the address
provided by the Regional Administrator.
(8) Port entry reports. At least 24
hours before the vessel’s entry into port
of any Pacific Island Party, a report must
be submitted to that Pacific Island Party
that includes the following information:
Report type (‘‘PENT’’); FFA Regional
Register number; trip begin date; date
and time (in UTC) of report; IRCS;
vessel position (latitude and longitude
to nearest minute of arc); weight of
catch on board (in metric tons) for each
of skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and all
other species combined; estimated time
(in UTC) of entry into port; port name;
and intended action. This information
must be reported in the format provided
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by the Regional Administrator and sent
via the means and to the address
provided by the Regional Administrator.
(9) Transshipment reports. Upon
completion of transshipment of any or
all of the fish on board the vessel, a
report must be submitted to the
Administrator and to the Pacific Island
Party in whose jurisdiction the
transshipment occurred. The report
must include the following information:
Report type (‘‘TRANS’’); FFA Regional
Register number; trip begin date; date
and time (in UTC) of the transshipment;
IRCS; vessel position at time of
transshipment (latitude and longitude to
nearest minute of arc); amount of fish
transshipped (in metric tons) for each of
skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and all
other species combined; name of vessel
to which the fish were transshipped;
and the destination of the transshipped
fish. The report to the Administrator
must be reported in the format provided
by the Regional Administrator and
submitted by telex, transmission by
VMS unit, facsimile, or e-mail. The
report to the Pacific Island Party must
be reported in the format provided by
the Regional Administrator and sent via
the means and to the address provided
by the Regional Administrator.
(10) Other reports and notifications to
Pacific Island Parties. Reports and
notifications must be submitted to the
relevant Pacific Island Parties in each of
the circumstances and in the manner
described in the subparagraphs of this
paragraph. Unless otherwise indicated
in this paragraph, the reports must be
prepared in the format provided by the
Regional Administrator and sent via the
means and to the address provided by
the Regional Administrator.
(i) Australia.
(A) Each day while the vessel is
within the Australian Fishing Zone, a
report must be submitted that includes
the following information: Vessel
position (latitude and longitude to
nearest minute of arc); and the amount
of catch made during the previous day,
by species.
(B) At least 24 hours before entering
the Australian Fishing Zone, a
notification must be submitted that
indicates an intent to enter the
Australian Fishing Zone.
(ii) Fiji.
(A) Each day while the vessel is in Fiji
fisheries waters, a report must be
submitted that includes the following
information: vessel name; IRCS; country
of registration of the vessel; and vessel
position at the time of the report
(latitude and longitude to nearest
minute of arc).
(B) Each week while the vessel is in
Fiji fisheries waters, a report must be
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submitted that includes the amount of
the catch made during the preceding
week, by species.
(iii) Kiribati.
(A) At least 24 hours before entering
a Closed Area under the jurisdiction of
Kiribati, a notification must be
submitted that includes the following
information: vessel name; IRCS; vessel
position at the time of the report
(latitude and longitude to nearest
minute of arc); the reason for entering
the Closed Area; and the estimated time
(in UTC) of entry into the Closed Area
(latitude and longitude to nearest
minute of arc).
(B) Immediately upon entry into or
exit from a Closed Area under the
jurisdiction of Kiribati, a report must be
submitted that includes the following
information: report type (‘‘CAENT’’ for
entry or ‘‘CAEXT’’ for exit); the number
of the vessel’s license issued under
§ 300.32; IRCS; date and time (in UTC)
of the report; vessel position (latitude
and longitude to nearest minute of arc);
amount of the catch on board the vessel,
by species; and status of the boom (‘‘up’’
or ‘‘down’’), net (‘‘deployed’’ or
‘‘stowed’’), and skiff (‘‘deployed’’ or
‘‘stowed’’).
(C) At least 24 hours prior to fueling
the vessel from a tanker in the area of
jurisdiction of Kiribati, a report must be
submitted that includes the following
information: report type (‘‘SBUNK’’); the
number of the vessel’s license issued
under § 300.32; IRCS; trip start date;
name of port from which trip started;
amount of the catch on board the vessel,
by species; estimated time of bunkering;
estimated position of bunkering
(latitude and longitude to nearest
minute of arc); and name of tanker.
(D) After fueling the vessel from a
tanker in the area of jurisdiction of
Kiribati, but no later than 12 noon local
time on the following day, a report must
be submitted that includes the following
information: report type (‘‘FBUNK’’); the
number of the vessel’s license issued
under § 300.32; IRCS; start time of
bunkering; end time of bunkering;
amount of fuel received, in kiloliters;
and name of tanker.
(iv) New Zealand.
(A) At least 24 hours before entering
the exclusive economic zone of New
Zealand, a notification must be
submitted that includes the following
information: name of vessel; IRCS;
position of point of entry into the
exclusive economic zone of New
Zealand (latitude and longitude to
nearest minute of arc); amount of catch
on board the vessel, by species; and
condition of the catch on board the
vessel (‘‘fresh’’ or ‘‘frozen’’).
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16:52 Feb 08, 2007
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(B) For each day that the vessel is in
the exclusive economic zone of New
Zealand, a notification must be
submitted no later than noon of the
following day of the vessel’s position
(latitude and longitude to nearest
minute of arc) at noon.
(C) For each week or portion thereof
that the vessel is in the exclusive
economic zone of New Zealand, a report
that covers the period from 12:01 a.m.
on Monday to 12 midnight on the
following Sunday must be submitted
and received by noon of the following
Wednesday (local time). The report
must include the amount of the catch
taken in the exclusive economic zone of
New Zealand during the reporting
period.
(D) At least 10 days prior to an
intended transshipment in an area
under the jurisdiction of New Zealand,
a notification must be submitted that
includes the intended port, date, and
time of transshipment.
(E) At least 24 hours prior to exiting
the exclusive economic zone of New
Zealand, a notification must be
submitted that includes the following
information: position of the intended
point of exit (latitude and longitude to
nearest minute of arc); the amount of
catch on board the vessel, by species;
and condition of the catch on board the
vessel (‘‘fresh’’ or ‘‘frozen’’).
(v) Solomon Islands.
(A) At least 24 hours prior to entry
into Solomon Islands Fisheries Limits, a
report must be submitted that includes
the following information: expected
vessel position (latitude and longitude
to nearest minute of arc) and expected
date and time of entry.
(B) For each week or portion thereof
that the vessel is in the exclusive
economic zone of Solomon Islands, a
report that covers the period from 12:01
a.m. on Monday to 12 midnight on the
following Sunday must be submitted
and received by noon of the following
Tuesday (local time). The report must
include the amount of the catch taken
and the number of fishing days spent in
the exclusive economic zone of
Solomon Islands during the reporting
period.
(vi) Tonga.
(A) Each day while the vessel is in the
exclusive economic zone of Tonga, a
report must be submitted that includes
the vessel’s position (latitude and
longitude to nearest minute of arc).
(B) [Reserved]
(vii) Tuvalu.
(A) At least 24 hours prior to entering
Tuvalu fishery limits, a report must be
submitted that includes the following
information: vessel name; IRCS; country
of registration of the vessel; the number
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6153
of the vessel’s license issued under
§ 300.32; intended vessel position
(latitude and longitude to nearest
minute of arc) at entry; and amount of
catch on board the vessel, by species.
(B) Every seventh day that the vessel
is in Tuvalu fishery limits, a report must
be submitted that includes vessel
position (latitude and longitude to
nearest minute of arc) and the total
amount of catch on board the vessel.
(C) Immediately upon exit from
Tuvalu fishery limits, a notification
must be submitted that includes vessel
position (latitude and longitude to
nearest minute of arc) and the total
amount of catch on board the vessel.
I 7. In § 300.38, paragraph (a)(4) is
removed, paragraphs (a)(5) through
(a)(11) are redesignated as paragraphs
(a)(4) through (a)(10), redesignated
paragraph (a)(10) is revised, and
paragraphs (a)(11) through (a)(15) are
added to read as follows:
§ 300.38
Prohibitions.
(a) * * *
(10) To transship fish on board a
vessel that fished in the Licensing Area,
except in accordance with the
requirements of § 300.46.
(11) To fail to have installed, allow to
be programmed, carry, or have
operational a VMS unit while in the
Treaty Area as specified in § 300.45(a).
(12) To fail to activate a VMS unit, to
interrupt, interfere with, or impede the
operation of a VMS unit, to tamper with,
alter, damage, or disable a VMS unit, or
to move or remove a VMS unit without
prior notification as specified in
§ 300.45(e).
(13) In the event of a VMS unit failure
or breakdown or interruption of
automatic position reporting in the
Treaty Area, to fail to submit manual
position reports as specified in
§ 300.45(f).
(14) In the event of a VMS unit failure
or breakdown or interruption of
automatic position reporting in the
Treaty Area and if directed by the
Administrator or an authorized officer,
to fail to stow fishing gear or take the
vessel to a designated port as specified
in § 300.45(f).
(15) To fail to repair or replace a VMS
unit as specified in § 300.45(h).
*
*
*
*
*
I 8. In § 300.39, paragraph (a) is revised
to read as follows:
§ 300.39
Exceptions.
(a) The prohibitions of § 300.38 and
the licensing requirements of § 300.32
do not apply to fishing for albacore tuna
by vessels using the trolling method or
to fishing by vessels using the longline
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method in the high seas areas of the
Treaty Area.
*
*
*
*
*
I 9. In § 300.42, paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and
(b) are revised to read as follows:
§ 300.42 Findings leading to removal from
fishing area.
(a) * * *
(1) * * *
(i) While fishing in the Licensing Area
did not have a license issued under
§ 300.32 to fish in the Licensing Area,
and that under the terms of the Treaty
the fishing is not authorized to be
conducted in the Licensing Area
without such a license.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) Upon being advised by the
Secretary of State that proper
notification to Parties has been made by
a Pacific Island Party that such Pacific
Island Party is investigating an alleged
infringement of the Treaty by a vessel in
waters under the jurisdiction of that
Pacific Island Party, the Secretary shall
order the vessel to leave those waters
until the Secretary of State notifies the
Secretary that the order is no longer
necessary.
*
*
*
*
*
I 10. A new § 300.45 is added to read
as follows:
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
§ 300.45
Vessel Monitoring System.
(a) Applicability. Holders of vessel
licenses issued under § 300.32 are
required, in order to have the licensed
vessel in the Treaty Area, to:
(1) Have installed a VMS unit on
board the licensed vessel;
(2) Allow the Administrator, its agent,
or a person authorized by the
Administrator to program the VMS unit
to transmit position and related
information to the Administrator;
(3) If directed by the Regional
Administrator, allow NMFS, its agent,
or a person authorized by NMFS to
program the VMS unit to transmit
position and related information to
NMFS; and
(4) Carry and have operational the
VMS unit at all times while in the
Treaty Area, except as provided in
paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section.
(b) FFA Vessel Register. Purse seine
vessels must be in good standing on the
FFA Vessel Register maintained by the
Administrator in order to be licensed
under the Treaty. FFA Vessel Register
application forms may be obtained from
the Regional Administrator or the
Administrator or from the FFA Web site:
https://www.ffa.int. Purse seine vessel
owners or operators must submit
completed FFA Vessel Register
applications to the Regional
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:52 Feb 08, 2007
Jkt 211001
Administrator for transmittal to the
Administrator and pay fees for
registration of their vessel(s) on the FFA
Vessel Register annually. The vessel
owner or operator may submit a
completed FFA Vessel Register
application form at any time, but the
application must be received by the
Regional Administrator at least seven
days before the first day of the next
licensing period to avoid the potential
lapse of the registration and license
between licensing periods.
(c) VMS unit installation. A VMS unit
required under this section must be
installed by a person authorized by the
Administrator. A list of Administratorauthorized VMS unit installers may be
obtained from the Regional
Administrator or the Administrator.
(d) Hardware and software
specifications. The VMS unit installed
and carried on board a vessel to comply
with the requirements of this section
must consist of hardware and software
that is approved by the Administrator
and able to perform all functions
required by the Administrator. A
current list of approved hardware and
software may be obtained from the
Administrator.
(e) Service activation. Other than
when in port or in a shipyard and
having given proper notification to the
Administrator as specified in paragraph
(g) of this section, the owner or operator
of a vessel licensed under § 300.32
must, when the vessel is in the Treaty
Area:
(1) Activate the VMS unit on board
the licensed vessel to transmit
automatic position reports;
(2) Ensure that no person interrupts,
interferes with, or impedes the
operation of the VMS unit or tampers
with, alters, damages, or disables the
VMS unit, or attempts any of the same;
and
(3) Ensure that no person moves or
removes the VMS unit from the
installed position without first notifying
the Administrator by telephone,
facsimile, or e-mail of such movement
or removal.
(f) Interruption of VMS unit signal.
When a vessel owner or operator is
notified by the Administrator or an
authorized officer that automatic
position reports are not being received,
or the vessel owner or operator is
otherwise alerted or aware that
transmission of automatic position
reports has been interrupted, the vessel
owner and operator must comply with
the following:
(1) The vessel owner or operator must
submit manual position reports that
include vessel name, call sign, current
position (latitude and longitude to the
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
nearest minute), date, and time to the
Administrator by telephone, facsimile,
or e-mail at intervals of no greater than
eight hours or a shorter interval if and
as specified by the Administrator or an
authorized officer. The reports must
continue to be submitted until the
Administrator has confirmed to the
vessel owner or operator that the VMS
unit is properly transmitting position
reports. If the manual position reports
cannot be made, the vessel operator or
owner must notify the Administrator of
such as soon as possible, by any means
possible.
(2) If directed by the Administrator or
an authorized officer, the vessel
operator must immediately stow the
fishing gear in the manner described in
§ 300.36, take the vessel directly to a
port designated by the Administrator or
authorized officer, and notify the
Administrator by telephone, facsimile,
or e-mail as soon as possible that the
vessel is being taken to port with fishing
gear stowed.
(g) Shutdown of VMS unit while in
port or in shipyard. When a vessel is in
port and not moving, the VMS unit may
be shut down, provided that the
Administrator has been notified by
telephone, facsimile, or e-mail that the
vessel is in port and of the intended
shutdown, and only as long as manual
position reports as described in
paragraph (f)(1) of this section are
submitted to the Administrator at
intervals of no greater than 24 hours or
a shorter interval if and as specified by
the Administrator or an authorized
officer. If the VMS unit is shut down
while the vessel is in port, the vessel
owner or operator must notify the
Administrator by telephone, facsimile,
or e-mail as soon as possible after the
vessel’s departure from port. When the
vessel is in a shipyard, the VMS unit
may be shut down and the submission
of manual position reports is not
required, provided that the
Administrator has been notified by
telephone, facsimile, or e-mail that the
vessel is in the shipyard and of the
intended VMS unit shutdown. If the
VMS unit is shut down while the vessel
is in a shipyard, the vessel owner or
operator must notify the Administrator
by telephone, facsimile, or e-mail as
soon as possible after the vessel’s
departure from the shipyard.
(h) VMS unit repair and replacement.
After a fishing trip during which
interruption of automatic position
reports has occurred, the vessel’s owner
or operator must have the VMS unit
repaired or replaced prior to the vessel’s
next trip. If the VMS unit is replaced,
the new VMS unit must be installed by
an Administrator-authorized VMS unit
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 27 / Friday, February 9, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
installer, as specified in paragraph (c) of
this section. In making such repairs or
replacements, conformity with the
current requirements must be met before
the vessel may lawfully operate under
the Treaty.
(i) Access to data. As a condition to
obtaining a license, holders of vessel
licenses issued under § 300.32 must
allow the Regional Administrator, an
authorized officer, the Administrator or
an authorized party officer or designees
access to the vessel’s position data
obtained from the VMS unit at the time
of, or after, its transmission to the
vendor or receiver.
I 11. A new § 300.46 is added to read
as follows:
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
§ 300.46
(a) Applicability. This section applies
to vessels licensed under § 300.32.
(b) Transshipping may only be done
at the time and place authorized for
transshipment by the Pacific Island
Parties, following the notification and
request requirements of § 300.34(c)(5).
(c) The operator and each member of
the crew of a vessel from which any fish
taken in the Licensing Area is
transshipped must:
(1) Allow and assist any person
identified as an officer of the Pacific
Island Party to:
(i) Have full access to the vessel and
any place where such fish is being
transshipped and the use of facilities
and equipment that the officer may
determine is necessary to carry out his
or her duties;
(ii) Have full access to the bridge, fish
on board and areas which may be used
to hold, process, weigh and store fish;
(iii) Remove samples;
(iv) Have full access to the vessel’s
records, including its log and
documentation, for the purpose of
inspection and copying; and
(v) Gather any other information
required to fully monitor the activity
without interfering unduly with the
lawful operation of the vessel; and
(2) Not assault, obstruct, resist, delay,
refuse boarding to, intimidate, or
interfere with any person identified as
an officer of the Pacific Island Party in
the performance of his or her duties.
(d) Transshipping at sea may only be
done:
(1) In a designated area in accordance
with such terms and conditions as may
be agreed between the operator of the
vessel and the Pacific Island Party in
whose jurisdiction the transshipment is
to take place;
(2) In accordance with the
requirements of § 300.34; and
16:52 Feb 08, 2007
Jkt 211001
[FR Doc. 07–593 Filed 2–8–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
26 CFR Parts 1 and 602
[TD 9312]
RIN 1545–BF95
Section 181—Deduction for Film and
Television Production Costs
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Temporary regulation.
AGENCY:
Transshipping requirements.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
(3) If the catch is transshipped to a
carrier vessel duly authorized in
accordance with national laws.
This document contains
temporary regulations relating to
deductions for the cost of producing
film and television productions under
section 181. These temporary
regulations reflect changes to the law
made by the American Jobs Creation Act
of 2004 and the Gulf Opportunity Zone
Act of 2005, and affect taxpayers that
produce films and television
productions within the United States.
The text of these temporary regulations
also serves as the text of the proposed
regulations set forth in the notice of
proposed rulemaking on this subject in
the Proposed Rules section in this issue
of the Federal Register.
DATES: Effective Date: These regulations
are effective February 9, 2007.
Applicability Dates: For dates of
applicability, see § 1.181–6T.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bernard P. Harvey, (202) 622–3110 (not
a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Paperwork Reduction Act
These temporary regulations are being
issued without prior notice and public
procedure pursuant to the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C.
553). For this reason, the collections of
information contained in these
regulations have been reviewed and,
pending receipt and evaluation of
public comments, approved by the
Office of Management and Budget under
control number 1545–2059. Responses
to these collections of information are
required to obtain a tax benefit.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless the collection of information
displays a valid OMB control number.
PO 00000
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6155
For further information concerning
this collection of information, and
where to submit comments on the
collection of information and the
accuracy of the estimated burden, and
suggestions for reducing this burden,
please refer to the preamble of the crossreferencing notice of proposed
rulemaking published in the Proposed
Rules section in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Books or records relating to a
collection of information must be
retained as long as their contents may
become material in the administration
of any internal revenue law. Generally,
tax returns and tax return information
are confidential, as required by 26
U.S.C. 6103.
Background
This document contains amendments
to 26 CFR part 1 to provide regulations
under section 181 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 (Code). Section
181 was added to the Code by section
244 of the American Jobs Creation Act
of 2004, Public Law 108–357 (118 Stat.
1418) (Oct. 22, 2004), and was modified
by section 403(e) of the Gulf
Opportunity Zone Act of 2005, Public
Law 109–135 (119 Stat. 2577) (Dec. 21,
2005).
Explanation of Provisions
For several years, independent
filmmakers and television producers
have moved production activities from
the United States to other countries.
Frequently, this has been motivated by
credits and other incentives offered by
foreign governments to attract the
economic benefits gained by hosting
these productions. Congress enacted
section 181 to make domestic
production more attractive to these
taxpayers.
Section 181 permits the owner of a
qualified film or television production
to elect to deduct production costs in
the year the costs are paid or incurred
in lieu of capitalizing the costs and
recovering them through depreciation
allowances if the aggregate costs do not
exceed $15 million for each qualifying
production ($20 million if a significant
amount of the production costs are
incurred in certain designated areas)
(the ‘‘production cost limit’’). A film or
television production is a qualified film
or television production if 75 percent of
the total compensation of the
production is compensation for services
performed in the United States by
actors, directors, producers, and other
relevant production personnel (the ‘‘75
percent test’’).
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 27 (Friday, February 9, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 6144-6155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-593]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
15 CFR Part 902
50 CFR Part 300
[Docket No. 050620161-7016-02; I.D. 061605A]
RIN 0648-AP61
South Pacific Tuna Fisheries
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS revises regulations implementing the South Pacific Tuna
Act of 1988, as amended (SPTA), to reflect the changes agreed to in the
Third Extension of the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of
Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States
of America and its annexes, schedules, and implementing agreements, as
amended (Treaty). New provisions under the Treaty relate to vessel
monitoring system (VMS) requirements, vessel reporting requirements,
area restrictions for U.S. purse seine vessels fishing under the
Treaty, and allowing U.S. longline vessels to fish on the high seas
portion of the Treaty Area. These actions are intended to bring the
United States into compliance with its obligations under the Treaty.
DATES: Effective March 12, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the final regulatory flexibility analysis (FRFA),
regulatory impact review, environmental assessment, and small entity
compliance guide that were prepared for this final rule may be obtained
from the Regional Administrator, NMFS, Pacific Islands Regional Office,
1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700, or by
contacting Raymond P. Clarke by telephone at 808-944-2200 or by
facsimile (fax) at 808-973-2941.
Written comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or other
aspects of the collection-of-information requirements contained in this
final rule may be submitted to NMFS, Pacific Islands Regional Office,
and by e-mail to David--Rostker@omb.eop.gov, or fax to 202-395-7285.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Raymond P. Clarke, 808-944-2200.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On August 10, 2006, NMFS published a proposed rule (71 FR 45752)
that would revise regulations at 50 CFR part 300, subpart D, in order
to implement, under the authority of the SPTA (16 U.S.C. 973 et seq.),
certain changes recently agreed to in the Treaty. The proposed rule was
open to public comment through October 10, 2006.
The objective of this final rule is to fulfill the commitments of
the United States to implement the amendments made in the Third
Extension of the Treaty, which was agreed to in 2002 and expires June
14, 2013, as well as subsequent technical modifications made in the
seventeenth annual formal consultation of the parties to the Treaty in
March 2005.
This final rule implements four modifications to the Treaty, as
summarized below. References to the term ``FFA'' mean the Pacific
Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, in its capacity of Treaty Administrator
on behalf of the Pacific Island parties to the Treaty. In addition to
revising the regulations to implement these Treaty modifications, the
regulations are revised to explicitly include the details of certain
requirements that were until now incorporated only by reference to the
Treaty and its annexes.
(1) Modifications to vessel reporting requirements: The purse seine
vessel reporting requirements have been modified such that: times must
be reported in Universal Coordinated Time (also known as UTC) rather
than Greenwich Mean Time (or GMT); catches must be reported in metric
tons (rather than short tons); the weekly vessel report to the FFA,
known as the WEEK report, is eliminated; the weekly reports to national
authorities continue but are amended to indicate whether or not an
observer is on board the vessel; the report for entry into port for
unloading must be submitted at least 24 hours prior to (rather than any
time prior to) the vessel's arrival into port; and the vessel operator
is required to report the estimated date and time of arrival and the
estimated date of departure from port in the report for port departure
and the report entry into port for unloading, as appropriate.
(2) Modifications to Closed and Limited Areas: Papua New Guinea's
[[Page 6145]]
archipelagic waters are now closed to U.S. purse seine vessels (prior
to the Third Extension certain of these waters were open to U.S.
vessels fishing under the Treaty) and the Solomon Islands EEZ is now
opened to fishing under the Treaty, with the exception of the area from
the archipelagic baseline for the main island group (as defined in
Solomon Islands' Delimitation of Marine Waters Act 1978) out to 60
nautical miles (111 kilometers) that is closed to fishing (prior to the
Third Extension all but a small portion of the Solomon Islands EEZ was
a Closed Area; the remainder was a Limited Area in which effort by U.S.
purse seine vessels was restricted).
(3) VMS requirements: U.S. purse seine vessels licensed under the
Treaty are required to have installed and to carry, operate, and
maintain a VMS unit while in the Treaty Area. The VMS unit and
attendant software have to be of a type approved by the FFA as Treaty
Administrator. A list of VMS units and associated software that are
approved at this time is provided in the following table. The approvals
are subject to change; an up-to-date list can be obtained from the FFA,
as Treaty Administrator.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model name Model No. Software version
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thrane and Thrane Capsat TT-3022D.......... 3.11
transceiver.
Thrane and Thrane Capsat TT-3022D.......... 3.24
transceiver.
Thrane and Thrane Capsat TT-3022D.......... 3.28 non-SOLAS
transceiver. Fishery DistFn-1
Thrane and Thrane Capsat TT-3022D.......... 3.32
transceiver.
Thrane and Thrane Capsat TT-3026S Mini-C... 2.12
transceiver.
Japan Radio Company Limited JUE-75C........... 8.0
Inmarsat-C transceiver.
Japan Radio Company Limited JUE-75CV.......... 6.1
Inmarsat-C transceiver.
Japan Radio Company Limited JUE-95VM.......... 1.0
Inmarsat-C transceiver.
Trimble Galaxy transceiver...... 8005 (Courier).... 5.10
Trimble Galaxy transceiver...... TNL 7001.......... 5.10a
Trimble Galaxy transceiver...... TNL 7005 (non 5.10
solas).
Trimble Galaxy transceiver...... TNL 8001 5.10
(Sentinel).
Furuno Inmarsat-C Mobile Earth Felcom 15......... DCE F15 V02+FFA
Station Transceiver.
Furuno Inmarsat-C transceiver... Felcom 12 (IC-212) DCE version
.07+FFA
Furuno Inmarsat-C transceiver... Felcom 12 (IC-212) DCE version
.08+FFA
Furuno Mini-C Mobile Earth Felcom 16......... DCE F16 V02+FFA
Station Transceiver.
Furuno Mini-C Mobile Earth Felcom 16......... DCE F16 V03+FFA
Station Transceiver.
Sailor Inmarsat-C Mobile Earth H1622D............ TT-10202A Version
Station Transceiver (SAT-C). 3.21 non-SOLAS
Fishery
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If the VMS unit malfunctions or fails, the owner or operator is
required to provide notice of such failure or malfunction, submit
substitute reports by an alternative means at intervals of no greater
than 8 hours, and if directed by the FFA or NMFS, proceed to a
designated port to repair or replace the VMS unit. Owners and operators
of vessels licensed under the Treaty are also required to register
annually on the FFA Vessel Register (in the past the FFA administered a
``FFA VMS Register of Foreign Fishing Vessels'' and a ``FFA Regional
Register of Foreign Fishing Vessels'' but the two have been
consolidated into a single ``FFA Vessel Register''). NMFS will
administratively facilitate the applications for registration on the
register, but vessel owners and operators are responsible for
completing the FFA registration forms and the payment of associated
fees.
The contact information for the FFA, as Treaty Administrator, for
the purpose of the manual position reports and the notifications
required in certain circumstances in the VMS-related regulations, as
well as for informational purposes, is as follows:
Telephone: Country code 677, number 21124.
Facsimile: Country code 677, number 23995.
E-mail: VMS.Help@ffa.int.
Updated contact information may be obtained from NMFS (see
ADDRESSES).
Additional contact information for the FFA, as Treaty
Administrator, for informational purposes is as follows:
Internet: https://www.ffa.int.
Mail: Director-General, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries
Agency, P.O. Box 629, Honiara, Solomon Islands
Updated contact information may be obtained from the NMFS American
Samoa field station, telephone: 684-633-5598; facsimile: 684-633-1400,
or the NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office (see ADDRESSES).
The VMS data will be treated by NMFS as confidential business
information. However, if VMS data are requested under FOIA, the
responding agency will be required to determine the releasability of
the information pursuant to any applicable exemptions. These new VMS
requirements appear in the revised regulations at 50 CFR 300.45.
(4) Longline high seas access: This final rule exempts U.S.
longline vessels from the prohibitions currently listed in 50 CFR
300.38, effectively allowing authorized U.S. longline vessels to fish
in the high seas portions of the Treaty Area. The original language of
the Treaty stated that only purse seine vessels could operate under the
Treaty, with one exception, that being for albacore vessels that
trolled (fished) while transiting through the high seas portion of the
Treaty Area. The unintended consequence of this language is that it did
not allow for other types of U.S. vessels, including longline vessels,
to fish on the high seas portions of the Treaty Area. It was never the
intent of the parties to the Treaty to exclude U.S. longline vessels to
areas open to all others fleets in the region. In 1999, after an
expressed interest on the part of the U.S. longline industry, the
parties agreed to rectify the situation and to allow U.S. longline
vessels access to the high seas portions of the Treaty Area. This
exemption for U.S. longline vessels to fish in the high seas portion of
the Treaty Area appears in the revised regulations at 50 CFR 300.39(a).
Additional background information may be found in the preamble to
the proposed rule (71 FR 45752, August 10, 2006).
Comments and Responses
NMFS received two sets of comments on the proposed rule; summaries
of those comments, and NMFS' responses, follow (see the Classification
section for
[[Page 6146]]
comments on the initial regulatory flexibility analysis (IRFA) and
NMFS' responses).
Comment 1: There are many required reports involving fish tonnages
by species and size. The crew makes estimates of these weights without
the benefit of scales, so the estimates vary from actual weights. The
proposed requirements in 50 CFR 300.34(a)-(c), which call for reported
information to be true, complete, correct, accurate and timely, are a
concern with respect to the expected accuracy of the reports. A literal
interpretation of the language could place the vessels in an impossible
position.
Response: The reporting requirements in 50 CFR 300.34(a) and (b) of
the rule, which state that reported information must be ``true,
complete and correct'', are existing regulations; they will not be
altered by this rulemaking. The contents of the required reports will
not be modified, either (except in relatively minor ways that should
have no effect in terms of the attainable accuracy of reported fish
weights, such as changing the reporting units for fish weights from
short tons to metric tons). The rulemaking will only add, in 50 CFR
300.34(c), the terms ``accurate'' and ``timely'' with respect to the
required reports and notifications. NMFS believes that it is important,
as well as reasonable, that reported information, including fish
weights, be accurate. At the same time, NMFS does not interpret the
term ``accurate'' to necessarily mean that measurements and reports
thereof must be absolutely precise.
Comment 2: The preamble to the proposed rule neglected to note the
duration of the Third Extension of the Treaty, which is 10 years, until
2013.
Response: That is correct; the duration of the Third Extension of
the Treaty was not noted in the proposed rule. Its duration is 10
years, expiring June 14, 2013.
Comment 3: The preamble to the proposed rule indicated that the
contact numbers for the NMFS American Samoa field station include a
``country code 684'', but the office is actually dialed from within the
United States as a domestic number.
Response: That is correct--the preamble to the proposed rule
included incorrect contact numbers for the NMFS field station in
American Samoa. American Samoa uses the telephone country code for the
United States, which is 1. The correct contact numbers for the office
are: telephone: 684-633-5598; facsimile: 684-633-1400.
Comment 4: I do not believe in longline fishing; it is dangerous
for oceans, depletes the supply, makes the balance of marine life
suffer, and results in other fish and birds getting caught and
suffering and dying; please do away with this longline fishing.
Response: The comment is acknowledged, but it addresses an issue
that is beyond the scope of this rule, the purpose of which is to
fulfill the obligations of the United States under an international
agreement, the Third Extension of the Treaty.
Changes to the Proposed Rule
Three changes have been made to the proposed rule: (1) The
statement ``The initial list of approved hardware and software will
appear in the final rule for this action'' has been removed from
paragraph (d) of proposed 50 CFR 300.45. The referenced list is
provided in this preamble to the final rule. (2) Corrections have been
made to the numbering of the paragraphs referred to in 50 CFR 300.38.
(3) An entry has been added in the table in 15 CFR 902.1(b), of control
numbers issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which
identifies the location of NOAA regulations for which OMB control
numbers have been issued under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) for
collections of information. The additional entry identifies that the
new 50 CFR 300.45, on VMS requirements, contains collection-of-
information requirements and that the associated OMB control number is
0648-0218.
Delegation of Authority
Under NOAA Administrative Order 205-11, dated December 17, 1990,
the under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere has delegated authority
to sign material for publication in the Federal Register to the
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA.
Classification
This final rule has been determined to be not significant for
purposes of Executive Order 12866.
A final regulatory flexibility analysis (FRFA) was prepared. The
FRFA incorporates the IRFA (which was summarized in the proposed rule),
a summary of the significant issues raised by the public comments in
response to the IRFA and NMFS' responses to those comments, and a
summary of the analyses completed to support the action. A copy of the
FRFA is available from NMFS (see ADDRESSES). A summary of the FRFA
follows.
Need for, and Objectives of, the Rule
A description of the need for, and objectives of, this final rule
is contained at the beginning of this section in the preamble and in
the SUMMARY section of the preamble.
Summary of the Significant Issues Raised by the Public Comments in
Response to the IRFA
NMFS received one comment on the IRFA (as summarized in the
proposed rule) and one comment not specifically on the IRFA but on an
issue with possible economic implications. Those comments, and NMFS'
responses, follow.
Comment 1: The owners of vessels licensed under the Treaty now pay
$2,235 per year for the new combined VMS and vessel registration fee.
Should that be indicated in the rule?
Response: The FFA has consolidated what were previously called the
``FFA VMS Register of Foreign Fishing Vessels'' and the ``FFA Regional
Register of Foreign Fishing Vessels'' into a single ``FFA Vessel
Register.'' There is a single annual fee for applying for inclusion on
the FFA Vessel Register; the fee has been formulated as the sum of two
components (one of which is the VMS-related component) that correspond
to the two former registers. The IRFA summary in the preamble to the
proposed rule included an estimate of only the additional cost that
would be imposed under the rule; that is, the VMS-related part of the
fee ($1,375 per vessel per year). The remainder of the payment referred
to by the commenter (which is actually $2,253, not $2,235) is not
related to, and will not be affected by, this final rule.
Comment 2: There are many required reports involving fish tonnages
by species and size. The crew makes estimates of these weights without
the benefit of scales, so the estimates vary from actual weights. The
proposed requirements in 50 CFR 300.34(a)-(c), which call for reported
information to be true, complete, correct, accurate and timely, are a
concern with respect to the expected accuracy of the reports. A literal
interpretation of the language could place the vessels in an impossible
position.
Response: The reporting requirements in 50 CFR 300.34(a) and (b) of
the rule, which state that reported information must be ``true,
complete and correct'', are existing regulations; they will not be
altered by this rule. The contents of the required reports will not be
modified, either (except in relatively minor ways that should have no
effect in terms of the attainable accuracy of reported fish weights,
such as changing the reporting units for fish weights from short tons
to metric tons). The rule will only add, in 50 CFR 300.34(c), the terms
``accurate'' and ``timely'' with respect to the
[[Page 6147]]
required reports and notifications. NMFS believes that it is important,
as well as reasonable, that reported information, including fish
weights, be accurate. At the same time, NMFS does not interpret the
term ``accurate'' to necessarily mean that measurements and reports
thereof must be absolutely precise.
NMFS finds that neither of the issues raised in these public
comments gives reason to make any changes to the rule. The first issue,
regarding the VMS-related registration costs, is one merely of
clarifying the information presented in the IRFA. The second issue,
regarding the potential difficulty in vessel operators providing
accurate and timely information, is not a new issue created by this
rule, and in any case NMFS has not identified any alternative that
would provide the needed information with a lesser burden on small
entities. NMFS has not made any changes to the rule as a result of
these public comments.
Description and an Estimate of the Number of Small Entities to Which
the Rule Will Apply
Three of the measures in this final rule, the modified vessel
reporting requirements, the VMS requirements, and the modified Closed
and Limited Areas, will apply to owners and operators of U.S. purse
seine vessels that operate in the Treaty Area. The measure to allow
longline vessels access to the high seas portion of the Treaty Area
will apply to owners and operators of U.S. longline vessels operating
in the Pacific Ocean. Based on the number of U.S. purse seine vessels
licensed under the Treaty and the number of U.S. longline vessels
permitted to operate in the Pacific Ocean under the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act and/or the High Seas Fishing
Compliance Act as of June 2006, NMFS estimates that 12 purse seine
vessels and approximately 183 longline vessels will be subject to the
rule. These purse seine and longline vessels are owned by approximately
9 and 183 business entities, respectively. Based on (limited) financial
information about these fishing fleets, NMFS believes that as many as 7
and 183 of the affected purse seine and longline business entities,
respectively, are small business entities (i.e., they have gross annual
revenues of less than $4.0 million).
Description of the Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Other
Compliance Requirements of the Rule
The reporting, recordkeeping, and other compliance requirements of
this final rule are described in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
of this preamble. The classes of small entities subject to the
requirements and the types of professional skills necessary to fulfill
the requirements are as follows:
(1) Vessel reporting requirements: Approximately seven small
business entities will be subject to these requirements. The cost of
compliance will be minor: because the changes have to do only with
units of measure, the timing of reports, and the reporting of one
additional piece of information (whether or not an observer is on
board), they will require only minor modifications in habit on the part
of the vessel operators. Fulfillment of these reporting requirements is
not expected to require any professional skills that the vessel owners
and operators do not already possess.
(2) Fishing area modifications: Approximately seven small business
entities will be subject to these requirements. These modifications
will not impose any new reporting or recordkeeping requirements (within
the meaning of the PRA) on purse seine vessel owners or operators, but
they could affect the economic performance of such vessels. It is not
known whether the density of exploitable stocks in the affected areas
is greater or less than in the fleet's fishing grounds generally.
Because the target stocks are a highly fluid resource in this region,
with high turnover rates and significant movements of fish through the
region, any such differences are likely to be small. The measure is
therefore not expected to have a strong direct effect on catch rates or
resulting economic returns. However, the modifications will affect the
operational flexibility of U.S. purse seine vessels, and such effects
could in turn bring economic impacts. Vessels will have greater
operational flexibility through enhanced access to the Solomon Islands
EEZ but less flexibility from reduced access to the waters around Papua
New Guinea. It is not possible to predict whether the expected positive
impacts to small entities from the former effect will be less than or
greater than the expected negative impacts from the latter effect. This
is due to a lack of information about the extent and value of the
operational flexibility afforded by each of the two affected areas, as
well as the general difficulty in predicting the behavior of vessels
that operate in response to many biophysical and economic factors and
conditions, many of which change markedly from year to year. The
impact, while difficult to predict, is not expected to differ by entity
class (i.e. by small versus large entity). Fulfillment of these
requirements is not expected to require any professional skills that
the vessel owners and operators do not already possess.
(3) VMS requirements: Approximately seven small business entities
will be subject to these requirements. The expected annual cost of
complying with the VMS requirements is no more than about $4,000 per
vessel (including annualized costs of $1,000-$2,000 for the purchase of
VMS units and approximately $200 for the installation and activation of
VMS units, which might have to be replaced as often as once every four
years; $1,375 for the VMS portion of the annual FFA Vessel Register
registration fee; and approximately $500 for maintenance and routine
operation). This represents about one-tenth of one percent of the total
costs of production for a typical purse seine vessel, and perhaps as
much as two-tenths of one percent of the total costs of production for
the smallest affected small business entity. Fulfillment of these VMS
requirements is not expected to require any professional skills that
the vessel owners and operators do not already possess.
(4) Longline high seas access: Approximately 183 small business
entities will be subject to this measure. Opening the high seas areas
of the Treaty Area to U.S. longline vessels will not impose any
additional reporting, recordkeeping, or other compliance requirements.
Since the measure will expand the fishing area available to U.S.
longline vessels, increasing their operational flexibility, it is
expected to have positive or neutral impacts on affected small
entities.
The measures that will apply to the purse seine entities
(particularly the VMS requirements) will impose the same cost burden on
small entities as they will on large entities, so the cost as a
proportion of gross revenues will generally be greater for small
entities than for large entities. The same is true within the group of
affected small entities: the smaller the business, the greater the
burden is likely to be relative to gross revenues, assuming that profit
margins are similar among firms. However, there is not a great
difference in size (e.g. in terms of gross revenues) between the
affected small and large entities or among the small entities, so the
differences in the relative burdens by entity size are expected to be
minor. No disproportionate burdens among affected entities according to
other characteristics, such as homeport or area fished, are expected.
The measure that will apply to the longline entities (all of which
are small entities) will not impose any costs on
[[Page 6148]]
any entities, so no disproportionate adverse impacts according to
entity size will occur. The measure will have positive, if any, impacts
on affected entities, but since larger vessels tend to have greater
operating ranges, they are more likely than smaller vessels to be able
to take advantage of the availability of new fishing grounds and enjoy
the benefits of the measure. A similar difference in the likelihood of
benefitting from the measure might also exist according to where a
vessel is based (e.g. American Samoa versus Hawaii), but the difference
is not possible to predict.
Steps Taken To Minimize the Significant Economic Impact on Small
Entities
NMFS considered several alternatives to this final rule. As a party
to the Treaty, the U.S. has committed itself to implementation of the
Treaty amendments. Consequently, NMFS has limited discretion with
regard to implementation of the SPTA. One alternative NMFS considered
is to take no action. However, NMFS rejected this alternative because
it would not achieve the objectives of the SPTA, which are to implement
the terms of the Treaty. NMFS also considered several alternatives to
the VMS requirements. One is to encourage voluntary compliance with the
VMS measures rather than issuing a rule that would make them mandatory.
To the extent that voluntary compliance is achieved, the costs to small
entities would be the same as under the preferred alternative. Because
relying on voluntary compliance would make it difficult to ensure that
the VMS requirements of the Treaty are met, NMFS rejected this
alternative. Two other non-regulatory alternatives, which would require
agreement by the parties to the Treaty, are to obtain the desired
compliance and monitoring benefits via enhanced vessel observer
coverage or enhanced aerial and surface surveillance activities rather
than via a VMS. These alternatives could achieve the objectives of the
SPTA at potentially lesser cost to small entities. However, the
projected costs to the public of enhancing vessel observer coverage or
aerial and surface surveillance to the extent needed to achieve the
compliance and monitoring benefits offered by a VMS are significantly
greater than the expected total costs of the VMS alternative. Because
the cost of a VMS is significantly less than the costs of enhanced
observer coverage or enhanced aerial and surface monitoring, NMFS
rejected the alternatives of enhanced observer coverage and enhanced
aerial and surface monitoring, and selected the VMS alternative for
adoption in this final rule.
Small Entity Compliance Guide
Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness
Act of 1996 states that for each rule or group of related rules for
which an agency is required to prepare a FRFA, the agency shall publish
one or more guides to assist small entities in complying with the rule,
and shall designate such publications as ``small entity compliance
guides.'' The agency shall explain the actions a small entity is
required to take to comply with a rule or group of rules. Copies of the
small entity compliance guide for this final rule are available from
NMFS (see ADDRESSES).
This final rule contains VMS and vessel reporting collection-of-
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
which have been approved by OMB under control number 0648-0218. The
public reporting burden for the modified vessel reporting requirements
is estimated to average 1 hour per catch report, with about five catch
reports per year per respondent, and about 30 minutes per unloading
logsheet, with about six unloading logsheets per year per respondent.
The public reporting burden for the VMS requirements is estimated to
average 30 minutes per year per respondent for what was formerly called
the FFA Regional Register of Foreign Fishing Vessels application form,
15 minutes per year per respondent for what was formerly called the FFA
VMS Register of Foreign Fishing Vessels application form, and 2 hours
per year per respondent for VMS unit maintenance. As explained
previously, the FFA consolidated the two previously-used vessel
registers into a single ``FFA Vessel Register'' on about September 1,
2005, and there is now a single application form for the register. This
consolidation had no effect on the information collection requirement
or the estimated public reporting burden. These estimated burdens
include the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding these
burden estimates or any other aspect of this data collection, including
suggestions for reducing the burden, to NMFS (see ADDRESSES) and by e-
mail to David--Rostker@omb.eop.gov, or fax to 202-395-7285.
Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is
required to respond to, and no person shall be subject to penalty for
failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the
requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
Prior notice and opportunity for public comment are not required
with respect to the revision to the table of OMB control numbers in 15
CFR 902.1(b) because this action is a rule of agency organization,
procedure or practice under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A).
List of Subjects
15 CFR Part 902
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
50 CFR Part 300
Administrative practice and procedure, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing,
Marine resources, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Treaties.
Dated: February 5, 2007.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
0
For the reasons set out in the preamble, 15 CFR chapter IX and 50 CFR
chapter III are amended to read as follows:
15 CFR CHAPTER IX--NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION,
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
PART 902--NOAA INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE PAPERWORK
REDUCTION ACT: OMB CONTROL NUMBERS
0
1. The authority citation for part 902 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
0
2. In Sec. 902.1, the table in paragraph (b) is amended by adding a
new entry, ``300.45'', and its corresponding OMB control number, under
the entry ``50 CFR'', to read as follows:
Sec. 902.1 OMB control numbers assigned pursuant to the Paperwork
Reduction Act.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
[[Page 6149]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current OMB
control No.
CFR part or section where the information collection (all numbers
requirement is located begin with
0648-)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * *
50 CFR.................................................. ..............
* * * * *
300.45.................................................. -0218
* * * * *
------------------------------------------------------------------------
50 CFR CHAPTER III--INTERNATIONAL FISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
PART 300--INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES REGULATIONS
Subpart D--South Pacific Tuna Fisheries
0
3. The authority citation for 50 CFR part 300, subpart D continues to
read as follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 973-973r.
0
4. In Sec. 300.31, definitions for ``FFA Vessel Register'', ``Pacific
Islands Forum Fisheries Agency'' or ``FFA'', ``UTC'', and ``Vessel
Monitoring System Unit'' or ``VMS unit'' are added, the definition for
``Limited Area(s)'' is removed, and definitions for ``Regional
Administrator'', ``Applicable national law'', ``Closed Area'', and
``Treaty Area'' are revised to read as follows:
Sec. 300.31 Definitions.
* * * * *
Applicable national law means any of the laws of Pacific Island
Parties in the following table and any regulations or other instruments
having the force of law implemented pursuant to these laws:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific Island Party Laws
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUSTRALIA Antarctic Marine Living Resources
Conservation Act, 1981.
Fisheries Management Act, 1991.
Fisheries Administration Act,
1991.
Statutory Fishing Rights Charge
Act, 1991.
Fisheries Legislation
(Consequential Provisions) Act,
1991.
Foreign Fishing Licences Levy
Act, 1991.
Fishing Levy Act, 1991.
Fisheries Agreements (Payments)
Act, 1991.
Torres Strait Fisheries Act,
1984.
Whale Protection Act, 1980.
COOK ISLANDS Exclusive Economic Zone (Foreign
Fishing Craft) Regulations,
1979.
Territorial Sea and Exclusive
Economic Zone Act, 1977.
Marine Resources Act, 1989.
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA Titles 18 and 24 of the Code of
the Federated States of
Micronesia, as amended by Public
Law Nos. 2-28, 2-31, 3-9, 3-10,
3-34, and 3-80.
FIJI Fisheries Act (Cap. 158).
Fisheries Regulations (Cap. 158).
Marine Spaces Act (Cap. 158A).
Marine Spaces (Foreign Fishing
Vessels) Regulations, 1979.
KIRIBATI Fisheries Ordinance, 1979.
Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1984.
Marine Zones (Declaration) Act,
1983.
Fisheries (Pacific Island States'
Treaty with the United States)
Act 1988.
MARSHALL ISLANDS Title 33, Marine Resources Act,
as amended by P.L. 1989-56, P.L.
1991-43, and P.L. 1992-25 of the
Marshall Islands Revised Code.
NAURU Interpretation Act, 1971.
Interpretation Act (Amendment)
Act No. 1 1975.
Interpretation Act (Amendment)
Act No. 2 1975.
Marine Resources Act, 1978.
NEW ZEALAND Antarctic Marine Living Resources
Act, 1981.
Continental Shelf Act, 1964.
Conservation Act, 1987.
Driftnet Prohibition Act, 1991.
Exclusive Economic Zone (Foreign
Fishing Craft) Regulations,
1978.
Fishing Industry Board Act, 1963.
Fisheries Act, 1983.
Marine Mammals Protection Act,
1978.
Marine Reserves Act, 1971.
Marine Pollution Act, 1974.
Meat Act, 1964.
Territorial Sea and Exclusive
Economic Zone Act, 1977.
Tokelau (Territorial Sea and
Exclusive Economic Zone) Act,
1977.
Submarine Cables and Pipelines
Protection Act, 1966.
Sugar Loaf Islands Marine
Protected Area Act, 1991.
Wildlife Act, 1953.
NIUE Niue Fish Protection Ordinance
1965.
Sunday Fishing Prohibition Act
1980.
Territorial Sea and Exclusive
Economic Zone Act 1978.
PALAU Palau National Code, Title 27.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA Fisheries Act (Cap 214).
Fisheries Regulations (Cap 214).
Fisheries (Torres Strait
Protected Zone) Act, 1984.
National Seas Act (Cap 361).
Tuna Resources Management Act
(Cap 224).
Whaling Act (Cap 225).
[[Page 6150]]
SOLOMON ISLANDS Delimitation of Marine Waters
Act, 1978.
Fisheries Act, 1972.
Fisheries Limits Act, 1977.
Fisheries Regulations, 1972.
Fisheries (Foreign Fishing
Vessels) Regulations, 1981.
Fisheries (United States of
America) (Treaty) Act 1988.
TONGA Fisheries Act, 1989.
TUVALU Fisheries Act (Cap 45).
Fisheries (Foreign Fishing
Vessel) Regulations, 1982.
Marine Zones (Declaration) Act,
1983.
Foreign Fishing Vessels Licensing
(US Treaty) Order 1987.
VANUATU Fisheries Act 1982 (Cap 158).
Fisheries Regulations, 1983.
Maritime Zones Act 1981 (Cap
138).
SAMOA Exclusive Economic Zone Act,
1977.
Territorial Sea Act, 1971.
Fisheries Act, 1988.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * *
Closed area means any of the areas in the following table, as
depicted on charts provided by the Regional Administrator and as
further described in additional information that may be provided by the
Regional Administrator:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific Island Party Area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUSTRALIA All waters within the seaward
boundary of the Australian
Fishing Zone (AFZ) west of a
line connecting the point of
intersection of the outer limit
of the AFZ by the parallel of
latitude 25[deg] 30[min] South
with the point of intersection
of the meridian of longitude
151[deg] East by the outer limit
of the AFZ and all waters south
of the parallel of latitude
25[deg] 30[min] South.
COOK ISLANDS Territorial Sea.
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA Three nautical mile territorial
sea and nine nautical mile
exclusive fishery zone and on
all named banks and reefs as
depicted on the following
charts:
DMAHTC NO 81019 (2nd. ed., Mar.
1945; revised 7/17/72; corrected
through NM 3/78 of 21 June
1978).
DMAHTC NO 81023 (3rd. ed., 7 Aug.
1976).
DMAHTC NO 81002 (4th. ed., 26
Jan. 1980; corrected through NM
4/80).
FIJI Internal waters, archipelagic
waters and territorial seas of
Fiji and Rotuma and its
Dependencies.
KIRIBATI Within archipelagic waters as
established in accordance with
Marine Zones (Declaration) Act
1983; within 12 nautical miles
drawn from the baselines from
which the territorial seas is
measured; and within 2 nautical
miles of any anchored fish
aggregating device within the
Kiribati exclusive economic zone
for which notification of its
location shall be given by
geographical coordinates.
MARSHALL ISLANDS 12 nautical mile territorial sea
and area within two nautical
miles of any anchored fish
aggregating device within the
Marshall Islands exclusive
economic zone for which
notification of its location
shall be given by geographical
coordinates.
NAURU The territorial waters as defined
by Nauru Interpretation Act,
1971, Section 2.
NEW ZEALAND Territorial waters; waters within
6 nautical miles of outer
boundary of territorial waters;
all waters to west of New
Zealand main islands and south
of 39[deg] South latitude; all
waters to east of New Zealand
main islands south of 40[deg]
South latitude; and in respect
of Tokelau: areas within 12
nautical miles of all island and
reef baselines; twelve and one
half nautical miles either side
of a line joining Atafu and
Nukunonu and Faka'ofo; and
coordinates as follows:
Atafu: 8[deg]35[min]10[sec] S,
172[deg]29[min]30[sec] W
Nukunonu: 9[deg]06[min]25[sec] S,
171[deg]52[min]10[sec] W
9[deg]11[min]30[sec] S,
171[deg]47[min]00[sec] W
Faka'ofo: 9[deg]22[min]30[sec] S,
171[deg]16[min]30[sec] W
NIUE Territorial sea and within 3
nautical miles of Beveridge
Reef, Antiope Reef and Haran
Reef as depicted by appropriate
symbols on NZ 225F (chart
showing the territorial sea and
exclusive economic zone of Niue
pursuant to the Niue Territorial
Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone
Act of 1978).
PALAU Within 12 nautical miles of all
island baselines in the Palau
Islands; and the area:
commencing at the north-
easternmost intersection of the
outer limit of the 12 nautical
mile territorial sea of Palau by
the arc of a circle having a
radius of 50 nautical miles and
its center at Latitude
07[deg]16[min]34[sec] North,
longitude 134[deg]28[min]25[sec]
East, being at about the center
of the reef entrance to Malakal
Pass; running thence generally
south-easterly, southerly, south-
westerly, westerly, north-
westerly, northerly and north-
easterly along that arc to its
intersection by the outer limit
of the 12 nautical mile
territorial sea; and thence
generally northerly, north-
easterly, easterly, south-
easterly and southerly along
that outer limit to the point of
commencement.
Where for the purpose of these
specifications it is necessary
to determine the position on the
surface of the Earth of a point,
line or area, it shall be
determined by reference to the
World Geodetic System 1984; that
is to say, by reference to a
spheroid having its center at
the center of the Earth and a
major (equatorial) radius of
6,378,137 meters and a
flattening of 1/298.2572.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA All territorial seas,
archipelagic and internal
waters.
SOLOMON ISLANDS All internal waters, territorial
seas and archipelagic waters;
and such additional waters
around the main group
archipelago, as defined under
the Delimitation of Marine
Waters Act 1978, not exceeding
sixty nautical miles.
TONGA All waters with depths of not
more than 1,000 meters, within
the area bounded by the
fifteenth and twenty third and
one half degrees of south
latitudes and the one hundred
and seventy third and the one
hundred and seventy seventh
degrees of west longitudes; also
within a radius of twelve
nautical miles from the islands
of Teleki Tonga and Teleki
Tokelau.
[[Page 6151]]
TUVALU Territorial sea and waters within
two nautical miles of all named
banks, that is Macaw, Kosciusko,
Rose, Bayonnaise and Hera, in
Tuvalu exclusive economic zone,
as depicted on the chart
entitled ``Tuvalu Fishery
Limits'' prepared by the United
Kingdom Hydrographic Department,
Taunton, January 11, 1981.
VANUATU Archipelagic waters and the
territorial sea, and internal
waters.
SAMOA Territorial sea; reefs, banks and
sea-mounts and within 2 nautical
miles of any anchored fish
aggregating device within the
Samoa exclusive economic zone
for which notification of its
location shall be given by
geographical coordinates.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * *
FFA Vessel Register means the registry of fishing vessels
maintained by the FFA, comprising those vessels which are in good
standing and licensed to fish in the waters of FFA member countries,
including those vessels licensed under Sec. 300.32.
* * * * *
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency or FFA means the
organization established by the 1979 South Pacific Forum Fisheries
Agency Convention.
Regional Administrator means the Regional Administrator, Pacific
Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI
96814, or a designee.
* * * * *
Treaty Area means all waters north of 60[deg] S. lat. and east of
90[deg] E. long., subject to the fisheries jurisdiction of Pacific
Island Parties, and all other waters within rhumb lines connecting the
following points, except for waters subject to the jurisdiction in
accordance with international law of a State which is not a party to
the Treaty:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Latitude Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A 2[deg]35'39'' S 141[deg]00'00'' E
B 1[deg]01'35'' N 140[deg]48'35'' E
C 1[deg]01'35'' N 129[deg]30'00'' E
D 10[deg]00'00'' N 129[deg]30'00'' E
E 14[deg]00'00'' N 140[deg]00'00'' E
F 14[deg]00'00'' N 142[deg]00'00'' E
G 12[deg]30'00'' N 142[deg]00'00'' E
H 12[deg]30'00'' N 158[deg]00'00'' E
I 15[deg]00'00'' N 158[deg]00'00'' E
J 15[deg]00'00'' N 165[deg]00'00'' E
K 18[deg]00'00'' N 165[deg]00'00'' E
L 18[deg]00'00'' N 174[deg]00'00'' E
M 12[deg]00'00'' N 174[deg]00'00'' E
N 12[deg]00'00'' N 176[deg]00'00'' E
O 5[deg]00'00'' N 176[deg]00'00'' E
P 1[deg]00'00'' N 180[deg]00'00''
Q 1[deg]00'00'' N 164[deg]00'00'' W
R 8[deg]00'00'' N 164[deg]00'00'' W
S 8[deg]00'00'' N 158[deg]00'00'' W
T 0[deg]00'00'' 150[deg]00'00'' W
U 6[deg]00'00'' S 150[deg]00'00'' W
V 6[deg]00'00'' S 146[deg]00'00'' W
W 12[deg]00'00'' S 146[deg]00'00'' W
X 26[deg]00'00'' S 157[deg]00'00'' W
Y 26[deg]00'00''S 174[deg]00'00'' W
Z 40[deg]00'00''S 174[deg]00'00'' W
AA 40[deg]00'00'' S 171[deg]00'00'' W
AB 46[deg]00'00'' S 171[deg]00'00'' W
AC 55[deg]00'00'' S 180[deg]00'00''
AD 59[deg]00'00'' S 160[deg]00'00'' E
AE 59[deg]00'00'' S 152[deg]00'00'' E and north
along the 152 degrees of
East longitude until
intersecting the Australian
200-nautical-mile limit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UTC means Universal Coordinated Time.
Vessel Monitoring System Unit or VMS unit means Administrator-
approved VMS unit hardware and software installed on a vessel and
required under Sec. 300.45 as a component of the regional VMS
administered by the FFA to transmit information between the vessel and
the Administrator and/or other reporting points designated by NMFS.
0
5. In Sec. 300.32, paragraph (d) is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 300.32 Vessel licenses.
* * * * *
(d) The number of available licenses is 45, five of which shall
only be available to fishing vessels of the United States engaged in
joint venture arrangements, specifically: Vessels engaged in fishing
activity designed to promote maximization of the benefits generated for
the Pacific Island Parties from the operations of fishing vessels
licensed pursuant to the Treaty, as determined by the Administrator.
Such activity can include the use of canning, transshipment, vessel
slipping and repair facilities located in the Pacific Island Parties;
the purchase of equipment and supplies, including fuel supplies, from
suppliers located in the Pacific Island Parties; and the employment of
nationals of the Pacific Island Parties on board such vessels.
* * * * *
0
6. Section 300.34 is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 300.34 Reporting requirements.
(a) Holders of licenses issued under Sec. 300.32 shall comply with
the reporting requirements of this section with respect to the licensed
vessels.
(b) Any information required to be recorded, or to be notified,
communicated or reported pursuant to a requirement of these
regulations, the Act, or the Treaty shall be true, complete and
correct. Any change in circumstances that has the effect of rendering
any of the information provided false, incomplete or misleading shall
be communicated immediately to the Regional Administrator.
(c) The operator of any vessel licensed under Sec. 300.32 must
prepare and submit accurate, complete, and timely notifications,
requests, and reports with respect to the licensed vessel, as described
in paragraphs (c)(1) through (10) of this section.
(1) Catch report forms. A record of catch, effort and other
information must be maintained on board the vessel, on catch report
forms (also known as ``Regional Purse Seine Logsheets'', or RPLs)
provided by the Regional Administrator. At the end of each day that the
vessel is in the Licensing Area, all information specified on the form
must, for that day, be recorded on the form. The completed catch report
form must be mailed by registered airmail to the Administrator within
14 days of the vessel's next entry into port for the purpose of
unloading its fish catch. A copy of the completed catch report form
must also be submitted to, and received by, the Regional Administrator
within 2 days of the vessel reaching port.
(2) Unloading and transshipment logsheet forms. At the completion
of any unloading or transshipment of fish from the vessel, all the
information specified on unloading and transshipment logsheet forms
provided by the Regional Administrator must, for that unloading or
transshipment, be recorded on such forms. A separate form must be
completed for each fish processing destination to which the unloaded or
transshipped fish are bound. The completed unloading and transshipment
logsheet form or forms must be mailed by registered airmail to the
Administrator within 14 days of the completion of the unloading or
transshipment. The submitted form must be accompanied by a report or
reports of the size breakdown of the
[[Page 6152]]
catch as determined by the receiver or receivers of the fish, and such
report must be signed by the receiver or receivers. A copy of the
completed unloading and transshipment logsheet, including a copy of the
accompanying report or reports of the size breakdown of the catch as
determined by the receiver or receivers of the fish, must also be
submitted to, and received by, the Regional Administrator within 2 days
of the completion of the unloading or transshipment.
(3) Port departure reports. Before the vessel's departure from port
for the purpose of beginning a fishing trip in the Licensing Area, a
report must be submitted to the Administrator by telex, transmission
via VMS unit, facsimile, or e-mail that includes the following
information: Report type (``LBEG''); Regional Register number; trip
begin date; date and time (in UTC) of report; IRCS; port name; weight
of catch on board (in metric tons) for each of skipjack tuna, yellowfin
tuna, and all other species combined; intended action; and estimated
date of departure. This information must be reported in the format
provided by the Regional Administrator.
(4) Entry into port for unloading reports. At least 24 hours before
the vessel's entry into port for the purpose of unloading fish from any
trip involving fishing within the Licensing Area, a report must be
submitted to the Administrator by telex, transmission via VMS unit,
facsimile, or e-mail that includes the following information: Report
type (``LFIN''); FFA Regional Register number; trip begin date; date
and time (in UTC) of report; IRCS; port name; weight of catch on board
(in metric tons) for each of skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and all
other species combined; intended action; and estimated date and time
(in UTC) of entry into port. This information must be reported in the
format provided by the Regional Administrator.
(5) Intent to transship notification and request. At least 48 hours
before transshipping any or all of the fish on board the vessel, a
notification must be submitted to the Administrator and a request must
be submitted to the Pacific Island Party in whose jurisdiction the
transshipment is requested to occur. The notification to the
Administrator and the request to the Pacific Island Party may be
identical. The notification and request must include the following
information: Name of vessel; IRCS; vessel position (latitude and
longitude to nearest minute of arc); weight of catch on board the
vessel (in metric tons) for each of skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and
all other species combined; and the date, time (in UTC), and location
where such transshipment is requested to occur. The notification to the
Administrator must be reported in the format provided by the Regional
Administrator and submitted by telex, transmission by VMS unit,
facsimile, or e-mail