New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting, 17873 [E7-6715]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 68 / Tuesday, April 10, 2007 / Notices
subsistence uses of bowhead whales. As
SOI notes in its IHA application, there
could be an adverse impact on the
Inupiat bowhead subsistence hunt if the
whales were deflected seaward (further
from shore) in the traditional hunting
areas north of Pt. Thomson in Camden
Bay. NMFS believes that this could
result in whaling crews being forced to
travel greater distances to intercept
westward migrating whales thereby
creating a significant safety hazard for
whaling crews (with a potential loss of
life), limiting chances of successfully
striking and landing bowheads, and/or
not landing bowheads quickly before
decomposition and spoilage occurs.
Prior to issuing an IHA for activities that
take place in Arctic waters, NMFS must
ensure that the taking by the activity
will not have an unmitigable adverse
impact on subsistence uses of marine
mammals. In 50 CFR 216.103, NMFS
has defined an ‘‘unmitigable adverse
impact’’ to mean:
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an impact resulting from the specified
activity: (1) That is likely to reduce the
availability of the species to a level
insufficient for a harvest to meet subsistence
needs by: (i) Causing the marine mammals to
abandon or avoid hunting areas; (ii) Directly
displacing subsistence users; or (iii) Placing
physical barriers between the marine
mammals and the subsistence hunters; and
(2) That cannot be sufficiently mitigated by
other measures to increase the availability of
marine mammals to allow subsistence needs
to be met.
While SOI states that the potential
impact will be mitigated by the
application of mitigation procedures
described in its application and
implemented by a CAA between the
SOI, the AEWC and the whaling
captains’ associations of Kaktovik,
Nuiqsut and Barrow, the IHA
application does not contain suggested
measures to mitigate impacts on the fall
bowhead subsistence hunt. NMFS
presumes that SOI preferred to not make
these measures public while it
continued discussions with the AEWC
and affected whaling captains (see Plan
of Cooperation). Mitigation measures
suggested publically include warm
shutdown of drilling operations during
the subsistence hunt and moving the
drilling structures either further offshore
or behind the barrier islands. Therefore,
while SOI believes that the mitigation
measures that will be implemented will
minimize any adverse effects on whales
and whalers, NMFS has not been
provided an opportunity to make a
similar determination. In its application,
SOI states that it would provide results
of its discussion of measures to reduce
impacts to subsistence uses for bowhead
whales this spring. NMFS encourages
SOI to complete its negotiations quickly
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:22 Apr 09, 2007
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to ensure NMFS being able to make the
determinations necessary under the
MMPA within the time frames provided
by the MMPA.
Therefore, provided the mitigation
measures contained in the CAA are
agreed upon by the involved parties
(which does not include NMFS) and
provided publically during the public
comment period, NMFS proposes to
issue an IHA to SOI for conducting an
offshore drilling program in the U.S.
Beaufort Sea in 2007, provided the
previously mentioned monitoring and
reporting requirements are incorporated.
NMFS has preliminarily determined
that the proposed activity would result
in the harassment of small numbers of
marine mammals; would have no more
than a negligible impact on the affected
marine mammal stocks; and, subject to
development of mitigation measures
during discussions with interested
parties, would not have an unmitigable
adverse impact on the availability of
species or stocks for subsistence uses.
Dated: April 4, 2007.
P. Michael Payne,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7–6753 Filed 4–9–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
17873
Paul
J. Howard, Executive Director, New
England Fishery Management Council;
telephone: (978) 465–0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Committee will continue development
of sector programs and operational
guidelines addressing the specific terms
of reference issues provided by the
Council.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained in this agenda may come
before this group for discussion, those
issues may not be the subject of formal
action during this meeting. Action will
be restricted to those issues specifically
listed in this notice and any issues
arising after publication of this notice
that require emergency action under
section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Act, provided the public has been
notified of the Council’s intent to take
final action to address the emergency.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul
J. Howard, Executive Director, at (978)
465–0492, at least 5 days prior to the
meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Dated: April 5, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7–6715 Filed 4–9–07; 8:45 am]
[I.D. 040507D]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
New England Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
AGENCY:
The New England Fishery
Management Council (Council) is
scheduling a public meeting of its Ad
Hoc Sector Omnibus Committee
(Committee) in April, 2007, to consider
actions affecting New England fisheries
in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Recommendations from this group will
be brought to the full Council for formal
consideration and action, if appropriate.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Thursday, April 26, 2007, at 9:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Sheraton Ferncroft, 50 Ferncroft
Road, Danvers, MA 01923; telephone:
(978) 777–2500; fax: (978) 750–7959.
Council address: New England
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00058
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[I.D. 040507C]
North Pacific Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) Salmon
Bycatch Workgroup will meet in
Anchorage, AK.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Friday, April 27, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Anchorage Hilton, 500 West 3rd
Avenue, Lupine Room, Anchorage, AK.
Council address: North Pacific
Fishery Management Council, 605 W.
E:\FR\FM\10APN1.SGM
10APN1
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[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 10, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 17873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-6715]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 040507D]
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is
scheduling a public meeting of its Ad Hoc Sector Omnibus Committee
(Committee) in April, 2007, to consider actions affecting New England
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from
this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration
and action, if appropriate.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 26, 2007, at 9:30
a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Ferncroft, 50
Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923; telephone: (978) 777-2500; fax:
(978) 750-7959.
Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Committee will continue development of
sector programs and operational guidelines addressing the specific
terms of reference issues provided by the Council.
Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to
those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising
after publication of this notice that require emergency action under
section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has
been notified of the Council's intent to take final action to address
the emergency.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, at (978) 465-
0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 5, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-6715 Filed 4-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
