Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit, 11515-11516 [2010-5259]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 47 / Thursday, March 11, 2010 / Notices
website, which is accessible via
www.trade.gov/ftz.
For further information, contact
Claudia Hausler at
Claudia.Hausler@trade.gov or (202)
482–1379.
Dated: February 24, 2010.
Andrew McGilvray,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010–5281 Filed 3–10–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XU32
Fisheries Off West Coast States and in
the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast
Groundfish Fishery; Application for an
Exempted Fishing Permit
jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; intent to issue exempted
fishing permits, request for comment.
SUMMARY: NMFS announces the intent
to issue exempted fishing permits
(EFPs) to Pacific whiting shoreside
vessels and first receivers that
participate in a maximized retention
and monitor program for the 2010
Pacific whiting shoreside fishery. EFPs
are needed to allow vessels to retain
catch in excess of the cumulative limits
and to retain prohibited species until
offloading. EFPs are also needed to
allow first receivers to possess Pacific
whiting deliveries with prohibited
species, to possess catch that is in
excess of cumulative limits, and to use
hopper type scales to derive accurate
catch weights prior to sorting. Issuance
of the EFPs would allow NMFS to
collect catch data on incidentally caught
species, including salmonids listed
under the Endangered Species Act, and
would allow new components of an
overall monitoring program to continue
to be investigated before
implementation of a regulatory program.
DATES: Comments must be received by
March 26, 2010.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by RIN 0648–XU32, by any
one of the following methods:
• E-mail: whitingEFP@noaa.gov.
Include 0648–XU32 in the subject line
of the message.
• Fax: 206–526–6736, Attn: Becky
Renko
• Mail: Barry A. Thom, Acting
Regional Administrator, Northwest
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:35 Mar 10, 2010
Jkt 220001
Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way
NE, Seattle, WA 98115–0070, Attn:
Becky Renko.
Instructions: Attachments to e-mail
comments will be accepted in Microsoft
Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe
PDF file formats only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Becky Renko or Kevin Duffy at (206)
526–6140.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
action is authorized by the Magnuson
Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act provisions at 50 CFR
600.745 which states that EFPs may be
used to authorize fishing activities that
would otherwise be prohibited in order
to collect data among other activities.
NMFS Northwest Region sent a letter to
the Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council) that included a proposal for
issuance of EFPs to vessels and first
receivers participating in the 2010
Pacific whiting shoreside fishery. The
Council considered the EFP activity at
their November 2009 meeting. If issued,
the EFPs would provide for a
maximized retention and monitoring
program for the Pacific whiting
shoreside fishery. The maximized
retention and monitoring program
requirements specified in the EFP are
intended to allow for the Pacific whiting
shoreside fishery to be efficiently
prosecuted while providing accurate
catch data such that the Endangered
Species Act and Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act requirements for this fishery are
adequately met.
The issuance of EFPs would allow
approximately 40 vessels to delay
sorting of groundfish catch and to retain
catch in excess of cumulative trip limits
and prohibited species catch until
offloading. These activities are
otherwise prohibited by regulations at
50 CFR 660.306(a)(10) and 50 CFR
660.306(a)(2) respectively.
Additionally, issuance of the EFPs to
approximately 15 first receivers
(generally land-based processing
facilities) would allow first receivers to
possess more than a single cumulative
limit of a particular species, per vessel,
per applicable cumulative limit period.
The possession of catch in excess of the
cumulative limits is otherwise
prohibited by regulations at 50 CFR
660.306(a)(10). In addition, the EFPs
would include an allowance for first
receivers to use hopper type scales to
derive an accurate total catch weight
prior to sorting. Regulations pertaining
to sorting at § 660.370(h)(6) and
prohibitions at § 660.306(a)(7) require
vessels to sort the catch before
weighing.
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
11515
Issuance of the EFPs would allow for
the collection of information on the
catch of salmon, non-whiting
groundfish, and other non-groundfish
species incidentally taken with Pacific
whiting. These data are needed to
monitor the attainment of the shore
based whiting allocation while assuring
that the fishery specifications (bycatch
limits, species allocations, OYs, and
biological opinion thresholds) are not
exceeded. Because whiting flesh
deteriorates rapidly once the fish are
caught, whiting must be minimally
handled and immediately chilled to
maintain the flesh quality. Allowing
Pacific whiting shoreside vessels to
retain unsorted catch will also enable
whiting quality to be maintained.
At the June 2007 Pacific Fishery
Management Council (PFMC) meeting,
the PFMC recommended that NMFS
implement a maximized retention
program in Federal regulations that
would allow full retention of Pacific
whiting catch by the vessels, that is
delivered to first receivers on shore. The
terms and conditions of the EFPs used
in 2008 and 2009 were consistent with
the Council’s June 2007
recommendation for implementing the
provisions of Amendment 10 to the
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery
Management Plan (FMP), which allows
implementation of this program.
Although it was expected that a
regulatory program would be in place at
this time, it has not yet been
implemented. At the June 2009 meeting
the Council recommended a preferred
alternative for implementation of a trawl
rationalization program under
Amendment 20 to the FMP that would
change the future management and
monitoring needs for the Pacific whiting
shoreside fishery. EFPs will continue to
be used until regulations implementing
Amendment 10 to the groundfish FMP
are implemented, or until tracking and
monitoring regulations implementing
the trawl rationalization program under
Amendment 20 are effective. Additional
information collected under this EFP
program will benefit the development
tracking and monitoring provisions of
Amendment 20 to the groundfish FMP.
The vessel EFPs would require Pacific
whiting shoreside vessels to dump
unsorted catch directly below deck and
would allow unsorted catch to be
landed, providing that an electronic
monitoring system (EMS) is used on all
fishing trips to verify retention of catch
at sea. The EMS has shown to be an
effective tool for accurately monitoring
catch retention and identifying the time
and location of discard events. The EFPs
would include provisions for EMS, paid
for by the vessels, similar to the 2009
E:\FR\FM\11MRN1.SGM
11MRN1
11516
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 47 / Thursday, March 11, 2010 / Notices
EFP and similar to the proposed Federal
regulatory program.
Proposed Federal regulations for a
maximized retention and monitoring
program would also require first
receivers to have onshore monitoring
conducted by catch monitors. Catch
monitors are third-party employees,
paid for by industry, and trained to
NMFS standards. The EFP would
include provisions for third-party catch
monitors from a NMFS specified
provider. Like the proposed Federal
regulatory program under development,
catch monitors used under the EFPs
would be trained in techniques that
would be used for the verification of
fish ticket data and in species
identification. Catch monitor duties
include overseeing the sorting,
weighing, and recordkeeping process, as
well as gathering information on
incidentally caught salmon. Catch
monitors verify the accuracy of
electronic fish ticket data used to
manage the Pacific whiting shoreside
fishery such that inaccurate or delayed
information does not result in any
fishery specifications (bycatch limits,
species allocations, OYs, and biological
opinion thresholds) being exceeded. To
insure the integrity of sector-specific
bycatch limits, the 2010 EFPs would
require full catch monitor coverage.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 5, 2010.
Alan D. Risenhoover
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–5259 Filed 3–10–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XU88
Marine Mammals; File No. 808–1735
jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application
for amendment.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that
Andrew Read, Ph.D., Duke University
Marine Laboratory, 135 Pivers Island
Road, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516,
has applied for an amendment to
Scientific Research Permit No. 808–
1735.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:35 Mar 10, 2010
Jkt 220001
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail
comments must be received on or before
April 12, 2010.
ADDRESSES: The application and related
documents are available for review by
selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public
Comment’’ from the Features box on the
Applications and Permits for Protected
Species (APPS) home page, https://
apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting
File No. 808–1735 from the list of
available applications.
These documents are also available
upon written request or by appointment
in the following offices:
Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301) 713–2289; fax (301) 713–0376; and
Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West
Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach,
CA 90802–4213; phone (562) 980–4001;
fax (562) 980–4018;
Written comments on this application
should be submitted to the Chief,
Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, at the address listed above.
Comments may also be submitted by
facsimile to (301) 713–0376, or by email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov.
Please include the File No. in the
subject line of the e-mail comment.
Those individuals requesting a public
hearing should submit a written request
to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and
Education Division at the address listed
above. The request should set forth the
specific reasons why a hearing on this
application would be appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amy Hapeman or Kristy Beard, (301)
713–2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
subject amendment to Permit No. 808–
1735 is requested under the authority of
the Marine Mammal Protection Act of
1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et
seq.), and the regulations governing the
taking and importing of marine
mammals (50 CFR part 216).
Permit No. 808–1735, issued on June
27, 2007 (72 FR 36429), authorizes the
permit holder to take humpback
(Megaptera novaeangliae), blue
(Balaenoptera musculus), fin (B.
physalus), sei (B. borealis), and
Antarctic minke (B. bonaerensis) whales
in the Southern Ocean to examine their
foraging behavior relative to krill
patches. The permit authorizes the close
approach of whales during vessel
surveys for photo-identification,
behavioral observation, tracking, and
incidental harassment. A subset of
whales may be suction-cup tagged
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
during surveys. The permit is valid
through May 31, 2012. The permit
holder is requesting the permit be
amended to include authorization for
the take of Arnoux’s beaked whales
(Berardius arnouxii) during vessel
surveys in the Southern Ocean. Up to
200 whales would be closely
approached annually for photoidentification, behavioral observation,
and incidental harassment. Dr. Read is
also requesting 10 takes for the suctioncup tagging of up 5 whales annually.
The purpose of the research is to gain
information on the distribution, biology,
ecology, movement patterns, and
behavior of these extremely rare marine
mammals and generate a catalog of
known individuals that can then be
used for a mark-recapture experiment.
The amendment would be valid for the
life of the permit.
Concurrent with the publication of
this notice in the Federal Register,
NMFS is forwarding copies of this
application to the Marine Mammal
Commission and its Committee of
Scientific Advisors.
Dated: March 4, 2010.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–5251 Filed 3–10–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economic Development Administration
Notice of Petitions by Firms for
Determination of Eligibility to Apply for
Trade Adjustment Assistance
AGENCY: Economic Development
Administration, Department of
Commerce
ACTION: Notice and Opportunity for
Public Comment.
Pursuant to section 251 of the Trade
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2341 et seq.), the
Economic Development Administration
(EDA) has received petitions for
certification of eligibility to apply for
Trade Adjustment Assistance from the
firms listed below. EDA has initiated
separate investigations to determine
whether increased imports into the
United States of articles like or directly
competitive with those produced by
each firm contributed importantly to the
total or partial separation of the firm’s
workers, or threat thereof, and to a
decrease in sales or production of each
petitioning firm.
E:\FR\FM\11MRN1.SGM
11MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 47 (Thursday, March 11, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11515-11516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-5259]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XU32
Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific;
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Application for an Exempted Fishing
Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; intent to issue exempted fishing permits, request for
comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces the intent to issue exempted fishing permits
(EFPs) to Pacific whiting shoreside vessels and first receivers that
participate in a maximized retention and monitor program for the 2010
Pacific whiting shoreside fishery. EFPs are needed to allow vessels to
retain catch in excess of the cumulative limits and to retain
prohibited species until offloading. EFPs are also needed to allow
first receivers to possess Pacific whiting deliveries with prohibited
species, to possess catch that is in excess of cumulative limits, and
to use hopper type scales to derive accurate catch weights prior to
sorting. Issuance of the EFPs would allow NMFS to collect catch data on
incidentally caught species, including salmonids listed under the
Endangered Species Act, and would allow new components of an overall
monitoring program to continue to be investigated before implementation
of a regulatory program.
DATES: Comments must be received by March 26, 2010.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0648-XU32, by any
one of the following methods:
E-mail: whitingEFP@noaa.gov. Include 0648-XU32 in the
subject line of the message.
Fax: 206-526-6736, Attn: Becky Renko
Mail: Barry A. Thom, Acting Regional Administrator,
Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-0070,
Attn: Becky Renko.
Instructions: Attachments to e-mail comments will be accepted in
Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Becky Renko or Kevin Duffy at (206)
526-6140.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by the Magnuson
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act provisions at 50 CFR
600.745 which states that EFPs may be used to authorize fishing
activities that would otherwise be prohibited in order to collect data
among other activities. NMFS Northwest Region sent a letter to the
Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) that included a proposal
for issuance of EFPs to vessels and first receivers participating in
the 2010 Pacific whiting shoreside fishery. The Council considered the
EFP activity at their November 2009 meeting. If issued, the EFPs would
provide for a maximized retention and monitoring program for the
Pacific whiting shoreside fishery. The maximized retention and
monitoring program requirements specified in the EFP are intended to
allow for the Pacific whiting shoreside fishery to be efficiently
prosecuted while providing accurate catch data such that the Endangered
Species Act and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act requirements for this fishery are adequately met.
The issuance of EFPs would allow approximately 40 vessels to delay
sorting of groundfish catch and to retain catch in excess of cumulative
trip limits and prohibited species catch until offloading. These
activities are otherwise prohibited by regulations at 50 CFR
660.306(a)(10) and 50 CFR 660.306(a)(2) respectively.
Additionally, issuance of the EFPs to approximately 15 first
receivers (generally land-based processing facilities) would allow
first receivers to possess more than a single cumulative limit of a
particular species, per vessel, per applicable cumulative limit period.
The possession of catch in excess of the cumulative limits is otherwise
prohibited by regulations at 50 CFR 660.306(a)(10). In addition, the
EFPs would include an allowance for first receivers to use hopper type
scales to derive an accurate total catch weight prior to sorting.
Regulations pertaining to sorting at Sec. 660.370(h)(6) and
prohibitions at Sec. 660.306(a)(7) require vessels to sort the catch
before weighing.
Issuance of the EFPs would allow for the collection of information
on the catch of salmon, non-whiting groundfish, and other non-
groundfish species incidentally taken with Pacific whiting. These data
are needed to monitor the attainment of the shore based whiting
allocation while assuring that the fishery specifications (bycatch
limits, species allocations, OYs, and biological opinion thresholds)
are not exceeded. Because whiting flesh deteriorates rapidly once the
fish are caught, whiting must be minimally handled and immediately
chilled to maintain the flesh quality. Allowing Pacific whiting
shoreside vessels to retain unsorted catch will also enable whiting
quality to be maintained.
At the June 2007 Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting,
the PFMC recommended that NMFS implement a maximized retention program
in Federal regulations that would allow full retention of Pacific
whiting catch by the vessels, that is delivered to first receivers on
shore. The terms and conditions of the EFPs used in 2008 and 2009 were
consistent with the Council's June 2007 recommendation for implementing
the provisions of Amendment 10 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery
Management Plan (FMP), which allows implementation of this program.
Although it was expected that a regulatory program would be in place at
this time, it has not yet been implemented. At the June 2009 meeting
the Council recommended a preferred alternative for implementation of a
trawl rationalization program under Amendment 20 to the FMP that would
change the future management and monitoring needs for the Pacific
whiting shoreside fishery. EFPs will continue to be used until
regulations implementing Amendment 10 to the groundfish FMP are
implemented, or until tracking and monitoring regulations implementing
the trawl rationalization program under Amendment 20 are effective.
Additional information collected under this EFP program will benefit
the development tracking and monitoring provisions of Amendment 20 to
the groundfish FMP.
The vessel EFPs would require Pacific whiting shoreside vessels to
dump unsorted catch directly below deck and would allow unsorted catch
to be landed, providing that an electronic monitoring system (EMS) is
used on all fishing trips to verify retention of catch at sea. The EMS
has shown to be an effective tool for accurately monitoring catch
retention and identifying the time and location of discard events. The
EFPs would include provisions for EMS, paid for by the vessels, similar
to the 2009
[[Page 11516]]
EFP and similar to the proposed Federal regulatory program.
Proposed Federal regulations for a maximized retention and
monitoring program would also require first receivers to have onshore
monitoring conducted by catch monitors. Catch monitors are third-party
employees, paid for by industry, and trained to NMFS standards. The EFP
would include provisions for third-party catch monitors from a NMFS
specified provider. Like the proposed Federal regulatory program under
development, catch monitors used under the EFPs would be trained in
techniques that would be used for the verification of fish ticket data
and in species identification. Catch monitor duties include overseeing
the sorting, weighing, and recordkeeping process, as well as gathering
information on incidentally caught salmon. Catch monitors verify the
accuracy of electronic fish ticket data used to manage the Pacific
whiting shoreside fishery such that inaccurate or delayed information
does not result in any fishery specifications (bycatch limits, species
allocations, OYs, and biological opinion thresholds) being exceeded. To
insure the integrity of sector-specific bycatch limits, the 2010 EFPs
would require full catch monitor coverage.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 5, 2010.
Alan D. Risenhoover
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-5259 Filed 3-10-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
