Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Exempted Fishing, Scientific Research, Display, and Chartering Permits; Letters of Acknowledgment, 63559-63561 [E7-22071]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 217 / Friday, November 9, 2007 / Notices
Commerce, Room 1104. Tel: (202) 482–
3575.
The U.S.
Electronic Education Fairs for China
and India are part of a joint initiative
between the U.S. Department of
Commerce and the U.S. Department of
State. The purpose of the initiative is to
inform Chinese and Indian students
who are interested in studying outside
of their home countries about the
breadth and depth of the higher
education opportunities available in the
United States. The initiative utilizes a
three-pronged multimedia approach
through the Internet, on-ground
activities, and television, including two
twenty-three minute TV programs and a
series of short, 1–2 minute programs
airing on local cable and national
satellite TV stations throughout China
and India. All programming directs
viewers to the corresponding Internet
landing page. DVDs distributed through
education trade fairs and EducationUSA
advising centers throughout China and
India will further this message.
Accredited U.S. educational
institutions are invited to sponsor the
China and India Internet landing pages.
Sponsorships for China OR India will be
available in Gold and Silver categories.
Institutions that purchase Gold
Sponsorship, priced at $8,000, will
receive a banner-sized ad with their
school’s logo and name which will link
to their institution’s Web site.
Institutions that purchase Silver
Sponsorship, priced at $3,000, will have
their name listed on the site with a link
to their institution’s Web site. If an
institution would like to sponsor and
purchase space on both the China and
India Internet landing pages, they will
receive a 50 percent discount for the
second sponsorship, for a total of
$12,000 for Gold and $4,500 for Silver.
Applications by qualifying
institutions will be selected on a rolling
basis, capacity permitting.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: November 5, 2007.
David Long,
Director, Office of Service Industries,
International Trade Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–21976 Filed 11–8–07; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XD52
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species;
Exempted Fishing, Scientific Research,
Display, and Chartering Permits;
Letters of Acknowledgment
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to
issue Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs),
Scientific Research Permits (SRPs),
Display Permits, Letters of
Acknowledgment (LOAs), and
Chartering Permits for the collection of
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
(HMS) in 2008. In general, EFPs and
related permits would authorize
collections of a limited number of tunas,
swordfish, billfishes, and sharks from
Federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean,
Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for
the purposes of scientific data
collection, public display, and
chartering. Generally, these permits will
be valid from the date of issuance
through December 31, 2008, unless
otherwise specified, subject to the terms
and conditions of individual permits.
DATES: Written comments on these
activities received in response to this
notice will be considered by NMFS
when issuing EFPs and related permits
and must be received on or before
December 10, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted by any of the following
methods:
• Email: HMSEFP.2008@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line the following
identifier: 0648–XD52
• Mail: Margo Schulze-Haugen, Chief,
Highly Migratory Species Management
Division (F/SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
• Fax: (301) 713–1917.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Clark, phone: (301) 713–2347,
fax: (301) 713–1917 or Jackie Wilson,
phone: (240) 338–3936.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Issuance
of EFPs and related permits are
necessary for the collection of HMS for
public display and scientific research
because regulations (e.g., seasons,
prohibited species, authorized gear, and
minimum sizes) may prohibit the
collection of live animals or biological
samples for these purposes. Collection
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63559
for scientific research and display
represents a small portion of the overall
fishing mortality for HMS and this
mortality will be counted against the
quota of the species harvested, as
appropriate. The terms and conditions
of individual permits are unique;
however, all permits will include
reporting requirements, limit the
number and species of HMS to be
collected, and only authorize collection
in Federal waters of the Atlantic Ocean,
Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea.
EFPs and related permits are issued
under the authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Reauthorization Act
(Magnuson-Stevens RA) (16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.) and/or the Atlantic Tunas
Convention Act (ATCA) (16 U.S.C. 971
et seq.). Regulations at 50 CFR 600.745
and 50 CFR 635.32 govern scientific
research activity, exempted fishing,
chartering arrangements, and exempted
educational activities with respect to
Atlantic HMS. Since the MagnusonStevens Act does not consider scientific
research to be ‘‘fishing’’, scientific
research is exempt from this statute, and
NMFS does not issue EFPs for bona fide
research activities (e.g., research
conducted from a research vessel and
not a commercial or recreational fishing
vessel) involving species that are only
regulated under the Magnuson-Stevens
Act (e.g., sharks) and not under ATCA.
NMFS requests copies of scientific
research plans for these activities and
indicates concurrence by issuing an
LOA to researchers to indicate that the
proposed activity meets the definition of
research and is therefore exempt from
regulation.
Scientific research is not exempt
under ATCA. NMFS issues SRPs for
collection of species managed under
this statute (e.g., tunas, swordfish, and
billfish), which authorize researchers to
collect HMS from bona fide research
vessels. EFPs are issued to researchers
collecting ATCA-managed species and
conducting research from commercial or
recreational fishing vessels. NMFS
regulations concerning the implantation
or attachment of archival tags in
Atlantic HMS require scientists to report
their activities associated with
implantation of these tags.
NMFS seeks public comment on its
intent to issue EFPs for the purpose of
collecting biological samples under atsea fisheries observer programs. NMFS
intends to issue EFPs to any NMFS
employee or NMFS-approved
contractor/observer to bring onboard
and possess (for scientific research
purposes, biological sampling,
measurement, etc.) Atlantic tuna,
swordfish, shark, or billfish provided
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 217 / Friday, November 9, 2007 / Notices
the fish is a tagged and recaptured fish,
dead prior to being brought onboard,
and specifically authorized for sampling
by the Director of NMFS’ Office of
Sustainable Fisheries at the request of
the Southeast or Northeast Fisheries
Science Center. On average, several
hundred swordfish, tunas, and sharks
are collected by at-sea observers under
such EFPs in any given year. Issuing
these permits allows observers to utilize
fish for scientific information that
would have been discarded dead
anyway. In 2006 and 2007, NMFS
issued three exempted fishing permits
per year authorizing observers to collect
HMS while observing commercial
fishing activities.
NMFS is seeking public comment on
its intent to issue Display Permits for
the collection of sharks and other HMS
for public display in 2008. Collection of
sharks and other HMS sought for public
display in aquariums often involves
collection when the commercial fishing
seasons are closed, collection of
prohibited species, and collection of
fish below the minimum size for
recreational permit holders. NMFS
established a 60–metric ton (mt) whole
weight (ww) (approximately 3,000
sharks) quota for the public display and
research of sharks (combined) in the
final Fishery Management Plan (FMP)
for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and
Sharks (1999 FMP). This quota has been
analyzed in conjunction with other
sources of mortality, and NMFS has
determined that harvesting this amount
for public display will not have a
significant impact on the stock.
Additionally, the number of sharks
actually harvested for display and
research has remained under the annual
60 mt quota every year since inception
of the quota. For instance, in 2006,
approximately 18 percent of sharks
authorized for public display were
actually collected. Only two, non-shark
HMS were collected under display
permits in 2006. A proposed rule (72 FR
41392, July 27, 2007) accompanying the
draft Amendment 2 to the Consolidated
HMS FMP is re-evaluating this display
and scientific research quota for sharks
in light of the results of recent stock
assessments. Specifically, the rule
proposes that collections of sandbar
sharks and dusky sharks collected under
the auspices of EFPs and Display
Permits be more restricted than in the
past given the results of recent shark
stock assessments. The rule does not
propose modifying the overall 60 mt ww
quota.
NMFS may also consider applications
for bycatch reduction research in closed
regions of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of
Mexico, and Caribbean Sea to test gear
modifications and fishing techniques
aimed to avoid incidental capture of
non-target species. These permits may
require further National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) analyses. NMFS will
seek additional public comment on
these applications, as necessary, unless
the research is being conducted from
bona fide scientific research vessels.
Comments are also requested on the
issuance of Chartering Permits to vessels
fishing for HMS while operating under
chartering arrangements within the EEZ
of other nations. Chartering Permits
allow a U.S. fishing vessel to fish in a
manner consistent with another
country’s regulations without violating
U.S. regulations and ensure that such
vessels report to the proper authorities,
consistent with International
Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
recommendations. To date, NMFS has
only issued one Chartering Permit for a
pelagic longline vessel (2004). The
Agency received an application for a
chartering permit to allow a U.S. HMS
permit holder to charter a Canadian
flagged vessel that would fish in
conformity with U.S. pelagic longline
regulations yet attribute associated
landings to quotas of the United States.
The application was denied because it
did not conform with domestic law that
prohibits foreign vessels from fishing or
landing HMS within the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone or the ICCAT
recommendation (02–21) that authorizes
Chartering Permits.
In 2007, NMFS issued an exempted
fishing permit to collect Atlantic bluefin
tuna from a commercial fishing vessel in
international waters (the central north
Atlantic Ocean, including the Northeast
Distant gear restricted area). This
research is important to improving the
understanding of the distribution of
bluefin tuna during times they are not
traditionally fished and to improve the
knowledge of bluefin tuna stock mixing,
migration, and life history patterns
based on microconstituent analysis and
biological sampling. NMFS seeks public
comment on issuing permits authorizing
similar activities in 2008.
The current preferred alternative in
the proposed rule accompanying the
draft Amendment 2 to the Consolidated
HMS FMP would establish a shark
research fishery. As proposed, a limited
number of vessels (e.g. 5–10) with
directed or incidental shark permits
would be issued shark research permits
and could participate in a small
research fishery for sandbar sharks that
would harvest the proposed commercial
sandbar quota (116.6 metric tons
dressed weight). These vessels would
also be able to harvest, and sell, other
authorized species of sharks subject to
the terms and conditions of individual
permits. If this measure is finalized,
NMFS would publish a notice at that
time outlining the research objectives
for the fishery and seeking applications
for the following fishing year.
The authorized number of species for
2007, as well as the number of
specimens collected in 2006, are
summarized in Table 1. The number of
specimens collected in 2007 will be
available when 2007 interim and annual
reports are submitted to NMFS. In 2006,
the number of specimens collected was
less than the number of authorized
specimens for all permit types. In all
cases, mortality associated with an EFP,
SRP, Display, or LOA (except for larvae)
is counted against the appropriate
quota. A total of 44 EFPs and related
permits were issued by NMFS in 2006
for the collection of HMS. As of
October, there have been 38 permits
issued in 2007.
TABLE 1. SUMMARY OF HMS EXEMPTED PERMITS ISSUED IN 2006 AND 2007. AHMS@ REFERS TO MULTIPLE SPECIES
BEING COLLECTED UNDER A GIVEN PERMIT TYPE.
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2006
Number of
Permits
Issued
Number of
Authorized
Fish
2007
Number of
Authorized
Larvae
Number of
Fish Taken
Number of
Larvae
Taken
Number of
Permits
Issued
Number of
Authorized
Fish
Number of
Authorized
Larvae
EFP
HMS
Shark
Tuna
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63561
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 217 / Friday, November 9, 2007 / Notices
TABLE 1. SUMMARY OF HMS EXEMPTED PERMITS ISSUED IN 2006 AND 2007. AHMS@ REFERS TO MULTIPLE SPECIES
BEING COLLECTED UNDER A GIVEN PERMIT TYPE.—Continued
2006
Number of
Permits
Issued
Number of
Authorized
Fish
2007
Number of
Authorized
Larvae
Number of
Fish Taken
Number of
Larvae
Taken
Number of
Permits
Issued
Number of
Authorized
Fish
Number of
Authorized
Larvae
Billfish
3
179
0
57
0
2
73
1,000
HMS
Shark
Billfish
Tuna
4
2
1
0
485
400
0
0
1,200
0
500
0
2
284
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
1
18
670
0
12
0
0
0
0
HMS
Shark
1
7
89
505
0
0
2
89
0
0
2
6
90
266
0
0
39
3,973
1,700
850
0
31
2,503
1,000
5
2,853
0
1,021
0
7
3,120
0
SRP
Display
Total
LOA*
Shark
*LOAs are issued for bonafide scientific research activities involved non-ATCA managed species (i.e., sharks). Collections made under an
LOAs are not authorized; rather this estimated harvest for research is acknowledged by NMFS. Permitees are encouraged to report all fishing
activities in a timely manner.
Final decisions on the issuance of any
EFPs, SRPs, Display, and Chartering
Permits will depend on the submission
of all required information about the
proposed activities, NMFS’ review of
public comments received on this
notice, an applicant’s reporting history
on past permits issued, past law
enforcement violations, consistency
with relevant NEPA documents, and
any consultations with appropriate
Regional Fishery Management Councils,
states, or Federal agencies. NMFS does
not anticipate any significant
environmental impacts from the
issuance of these EFPs as assessed in the
1999 FMP.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 16
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 1, 2007.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7–22071 Filed 11–8–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
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Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare Draft Environmental
Impact Statement for Revised Water
Control Manuals for the AlabamaCoosa-Tallapoosa River Basin
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (Corps), Mobile District,
intends to prepare an update of the
water control manuals for the AlabamaCoosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin.
Concurrent with that revision, a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
will be prepared, as required by the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA). The Draft EIS will address
updated operating criteria and
guidelines for managing the water
storage and release actions of agency
water managers and associated
environmental impacts.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the manual update or
NEPA process can be answered by: Mr.
Chuck Sumner, Environment and
Resources Branch, Planning Division,
U.S. Army Engineer District-Mobile,
Post Office Box 2288, Mobile, AL
36628–0001; Telephone (251)694–3857;
or delivered by electronic facsimile at
(251) 694–3815; or E-mail:
lewis.c.sumner@usace.army.mil. You
may also request to be included on the
mailing list for public distribution of
notices, meeting announcements and
documents.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background. Water control manuals are
guidance documents that assist federal
water managers in the operation of
individual and multiple interdependent
federal reservoirs on the same river
system. They provide technical,
historical, hydrological, geographic,
demographic, policy and other
information that guide the proper
management of reservoirs during times
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of high water, low water, and normal
conditions. The manuals also contain
drought plans and zones to assist federal
water managers in knowing when to
reduce or increase reservoir releases,
and how to ensure the safety of dams
during extreme conditions. The
authority and guidance for the Corps to
prepare and update these manuals may
be found in Section 7 of the 1944 Flood
Control Act, the Federal Power Act,
Section 9 of Public Law 436–83, and the
following Corps of Engineer
Regulations: ER 1110–2–240, ER 1110–
2–241, ER 1110–2–1941 and ER 1110–
2–8156.
The ACT Basin provides water
resources for multiple purposes from
northwestern GA down through central
AL and to the Gulf Coast at the mouth
of Mobile Bay, extending a distance of
approximately 320 miles and
encompassing an area of approximately
22,800 square miles. The master
operating manual for the ACT River
Basin and the individual reservoir
manuals were last updated at various
dates as far back as the early 1950’s.
Sixteen major dams and reservoirs (five
Federal and eleven non-Federal) are
located in the basin. In Georgia, these
include Allatoona Dam and Lake, and
Carters Dam and Lake, both owned and
operated by the Corps. In Alabama they
include Weiss Dam and Lake, H. Neely
Henry Dam and Lake, Logan Martin
Dam and Lake, Lay Dam and Lake,
Mitchell Dam and Lake, Walter Bouldin
Dam and Lake, Jordan Dam and Lake,
Harris Dam and Lake, Martin Dam and
Lake, Yates Dam and Lake, and Thurlow
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[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 217 (Friday, November 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63559-63561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22071]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XD52
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Exempted Fishing, Scientific
Research, Display, and Chartering Permits; Letters of Acknowledgment
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to issue Exempted Fishing Permits
(EFPs), Scientific Research Permits (SRPs), Display Permits, Letters of
Acknowledgment (LOAs), and Chartering Permits for the collection of
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) in 2008. In general, EFPs and
related permits would authorize collections of a limited number of
tunas, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks from Federal waters in the
Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for the purposes of
scientific data collection, public display, and chartering. Generally,
these permits will be valid from the date of issuance through December
31, 2008, unless otherwise specified, subject to the terms and
conditions of individual permits.
DATES: Written comments on these activities received in response to
this notice will be considered by NMFS when issuing EFPs and related
permits and must be received on or before December 10, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
Email: HMSEFP.2008@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line
the following identifier: 0648-XD52
Mail: Margo Schulze-Haugen, Chief, Highly Migratory
Species Management Division (F/SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway,
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Fax: (301) 713-1917.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Clark, phone: (301) 713-2347,
fax: (301) 713-1917 or Jackie Wilson, phone: (240) 338-3936.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Issuance of EFPs and related permits are
necessary for the collection of HMS for public display and scientific
research because regulations (e.g., seasons, prohibited species,
authorized gear, and minimum sizes) may prohibit the collection of live
animals or biological samples for these purposes. Collection for
scientific research and display represents a small portion of the
overall fishing mortality for HMS and this mortality will be counted
against the quota of the species harvested, as appropriate. The terms
and conditions of individual permits are unique; however, all permits
will include reporting requirements, limit the number and species of
HMS to be collected, and only authorize collection in Federal waters of
the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea.
EFPs and related permits are issued under the authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization
Act (Magnuson-Stevens RA) (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and/or the Atlantic
Tunas Convention Act (ATCA) (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.). Regulations at 50
CFR 600.745 and 50 CFR 635.32 govern scientific research activity,
exempted fishing, chartering arrangements, and exempted educational
activities with respect to Atlantic HMS. Since the Magnuson-Stevens Act
does not consider scientific research to be ``fishing'', scientific
research is exempt from this statute, and NMFS does not issue EFPs for
bona fide research activities (e.g., research conducted from a research
vessel and not a commercial or recreational fishing vessel) involving
species that are only regulated under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (e.g.,
sharks) and not under ATCA. NMFS requests copies of scientific research
plans for these activities and indicates concurrence by issuing an LOA
to researchers to indicate that the proposed activity meets the
definition of research and is therefore exempt from regulation.
Scientific research is not exempt under ATCA. NMFS issues SRPs for
collection of species managed under this statute (e.g., tunas,
swordfish, and billfish), which authorize researchers to collect HMS
from bona fide research vessels. EFPs are issued to researchers
collecting ATCA-managed species and conducting research from commercial
or recreational fishing vessels. NMFS regulations concerning the
implantation or attachment of archival tags in Atlantic HMS require
scientists to report their activities associated with implantation of
these tags.
NMFS seeks public comment on its intent to issue EFPs for the
purpose of collecting biological samples under at-sea fisheries
observer programs. NMFS intends to issue EFPs to any NMFS employee or
NMFS-approved contractor/observer to bring onboard and possess (for
scientific research purposes, biological sampling, measurement, etc.)
Atlantic tuna, swordfish, shark, or billfish provided
[[Page 63560]]
the fish is a tagged and recaptured fish, dead prior to being brought
onboard, and specifically authorized for sampling by the Director of
NMFS' Office of Sustainable Fisheries at the request of the Southeast
or Northeast Fisheries Science Center. On average, several hundred
swordfish, tunas, and sharks are collected by at-sea observers under
such EFPs in any given year. Issuing these permits allows observers to
utilize fish for scientific information that would have been discarded
dead anyway. In 2006 and 2007, NMFS issued three exempted fishing
permits per year authorizing observers to collect HMS while observing
commercial fishing activities.
NMFS is seeking public comment on its intent to issue Display
Permits for the collection of sharks and other HMS for public display
in 2008. Collection of sharks and other HMS sought for public display
in aquariums often involves collection when the commercial fishing
seasons are closed, collection of prohibited species, and collection of
fish below the minimum size for recreational permit holders. NMFS
established a 60-metric ton (mt) whole weight (ww) (approximately 3,000
sharks) quota for the public display and research of sharks (combined)
in the final Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Tunas,
Swordfish, and Sharks (1999 FMP). This quota has been analyzed in
conjunction with other sources of mortality, and NMFS has determined
that harvesting this amount for public display will not have a
significant impact on the stock. Additionally, the number of sharks
actually harvested for display and research has remained under the
annual 60 mt quota every year since inception of the quota. For
instance, in 2006, approximately 18 percent of sharks authorized for
public display were actually collected. Only two, non-shark HMS were
collected under display permits in 2006. A proposed rule (72 FR 41392,
July 27, 2007) accompanying the draft Amendment 2 to the Consolidated
HMS FMP is re-evaluating this display and scientific research quota for
sharks in light of the results of recent stock assessments.
Specifically, the rule proposes that collections of sandbar sharks and
dusky sharks collected under the auspices of EFPs and Display Permits
be more restricted than in the past given the results of recent shark
stock assessments. The rule does not propose modifying the overall 60
mt ww quota.
NMFS may also consider applications for bycatch reduction research
in closed regions of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean
Sea to test gear modifications and fishing techniques aimed to avoid
incidental capture of non-target species. These permits may require
further National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses. NMFS will
seek additional public comment on these applications, as necessary,
unless the research is being conducted from bona fide scientific
research vessels.
Comments are also requested on the issuance of Chartering Permits
to vessels fishing for HMS while operating under chartering
arrangements within the EEZ of other nations. Chartering Permits allow
a U.S. fishing vessel to fish in a manner consistent with another
country's regulations without violating U.S. regulations and ensure
that such vessels report to the proper authorities, consistent with
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
recommendations. To date, NMFS has only issued one Chartering Permit
for a pelagic longline vessel (2004). The Agency received an
application for a chartering permit to allow a U.S. HMS permit holder
to charter a Canadian flagged vessel that would fish in conformity with
U.S. pelagic longline regulations yet attribute associated landings to
quotas of the United States. The application was denied because it did
not conform with domestic law that prohibits foreign vessels from
fishing or landing HMS within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone or the
ICCAT recommendation (02-21) that authorizes Chartering Permits.
In 2007, NMFS issued an exempted fishing permit to collect Atlantic
bluefin tuna from a commercial fishing vessel in international waters
(the central north Atlantic Ocean, including the Northeast Distant gear
restricted area). This research is important to improving the
understanding of the distribution of bluefin tuna during times they are
not traditionally fished and to improve the knowledge of bluefin tuna
stock mixing, migration, and life history patterns based on
microconstituent analysis and biological sampling. NMFS seeks public
comment on issuing permits authorizing similar activities in 2008.
The current preferred alternative in the proposed rule accompanying
the draft Amendment 2 to the Consolidated HMS FMP would establish a
shark research fishery. As proposed, a limited number of vessels (e.g.
5-10) with directed or incidental shark permits would be issued shark
research permits and could participate in a small research fishery for
sandbar sharks that would harvest the proposed commercial sandbar quota
(116.6 metric tons dressed weight). These vessels would also be able to
harvest, and sell, other authorized species of sharks subject to the
terms and conditions of individual permits. If this measure is
finalized, NMFS would publish a notice at that time outlining the
research objectives for the fishery and seeking applications for the
following fishing year.
The authorized number of species for 2007, as well as the number of
specimens collected in 2006, are summarized in Table 1. The number of
specimens collected in 2007 will be available when 2007 interim and
annual reports are submitted to NMFS. In 2006, the number of specimens
collected was less than the number of authorized specimens for all
permit types. In all cases, mortality associated with an EFP, SRP,
Display, or LOA (except for larvae) is counted against the appropriate
quota. A total of 44 EFPs and related permits were issued by NMFS in
2006 for the collection of HMS. As of October, there have been 38
permits issued in 2007.
Table 1. Summary of HMS Exempted Permits Issued in 2006 and 2007. AHMS@ refers to multiple species being collected under a given permit type.
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2006 2007
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Number of Permits Number of Number of Number of Fish Number of Larvae Number of Permits Number of Number of
Issued Authorized Fish Authorized Larvae Taken Taken Issued Authorized Fish Authorized Larvae
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EFP .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. ..................
HMS 4 1,120 0 126 0 9 875 0
Shark 7 605 0 219 0 4 224 0
Tuna 10 590 0 71 0 4 275 0
[[Page 63561]]
Billfish 3 179 0 57 0 2 73 1,000
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SRP .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. ..................
HMS 4 485 1,200 2 0 1 18 0
Shark 2 400 0 284 0 2 670 0
Billfish 1 0 500 0 0 0 0 0
Tuna 0 0 0 0 0 1 12 0
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Display .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. ..................
HMS 1 89 0 2 0 2 90 0
Shark 7 505 0 89 0 6 266 0
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Total 39 3,973 1,700 850 0 31 2,503 1,000
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LOA* .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. ..................
Shark 5 2,853 0 1,021 0 7 3,120 0
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*LOAs are issued for bonafide scientific research activities involved non-ATCA managed species (i.e., sharks). Collections made under an LOAs are not authorized; rather this estimated harvest
for research is acknowledged by NMFS. Permitees are encouraged to report all fishing activities in a timely manner.
Final decisions on the issuance of any EFPs, SRPs, Display, and
Chartering Permits will depend on the submission of all required
information about the proposed activities, NMFS' review of public
comments received on this notice, an applicant's reporting history on
past permits issued, past law enforcement violations, consistency with
relevant NEPA documents, and any consultations with appropriate
Regional Fishery Management Councils, states, or Federal agencies. NMFS
does not anticipate any significant environmental impacts from the
issuance of these EFPs as assessed in the 1999 FMP.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 1, 2007.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-22071 Filed 11-8-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
