International Affairs; U.S. Fishing Opportunities in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area, 74467-74469 [2012-30136]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2012 / Notices
Timken Notice
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
In its decision in Timken 17 as
clarified by Diamond Sawblades, the
CAFC has held that, pursuant to section
516A(e) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (the Act), the Department
must publish a notice of a court
decision that is not ‘‘in harmony’’ with
a Department determination and must
suspend liquidation of entries pending
a ‘‘conclusive’’ court decision. The CIT’s
November 30, 2012, judgment in
MacLean Fogg IV sustaining the
Department’s decision to designate the
all others rate as equal to the
preliminary rate it calculated for the
mandatory respondents (137.65 percent
ad valorem), constitutes a final decision
of that court that is not in harmony with
the Department’s Final Determination.
This notice is published in fulfillment
of the publication requirements of
Timken.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Administration.
What Fishing Opportunities Are
Available?
RIN 0648–XC368
International Affairs; U.S. Fishing
Opportunities in the Northwest Atlantic
Fisheries Organization Regulatory
Area
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of U.S. fishing
opportunities.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS announces fishing
opportunities in the Northwest Atlantic
Fisheries Organization (NAFO)
Regulatory Area. This action is
necessary to make fishing privileges
available on an equitable basis.
DATES: Effective January 1, 2013,
through December 31, 2013. Expressions
Amended Final Determination
of interest regarding fishing
opportunities in NAFO will be accepted
Because there is now a final court
through December 31, 2012.
decision with respect to the Final
Determination, the Department amends
ADDRESSES: Expressions of interest
its Final Determination. The Department regarding U.S. fishing opportunities in
NAFO should be made in writing to
finds the following revised net subsidy
Patrick E. Moran in the NMFS Office of
rate exists:
International Affairs, at 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Ad valorem
Company
net subsidy
(phone: 301–427–8370, fax: 301–713–
rate
2313, email: Pat.Moran@noaa.gov).
Information relating to NAFO fishing
All Others Rate .................... 137.65 percent
opportunities, NAFO Conservation and
ad valorem.
Enforcement Measures, and the High
Seas Fishing Compliance Act (HSFCA)
For companies subject to the all
Permit is available from Douglas
others rate, the cash deposit rate will be Christel, at the NMFS Northeast
the rate listed above and the Department Regional Office at 55 Great Republic
will instruct U.S. Customs and Border
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930 (phone:
Protection accordingly. This notice is
978–281–9141, fax: 978–281–9135,
issued and published in accordance
email: douglas.christel@noaa.gov) and
with sections 516A(e)(1), 751(a)(1), and
from NAFO on the World Wide Web at
777(i)(1) of the Act.
https://www.nafo.int.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dated: December 6, 2012.
Patrick E. Moran, 301–427–8370.
Paul Piquado,
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Assistant Secretary for Import
[FR Doc. 2012–30213 Filed 12–13–12; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
17 See
The principal species managed by
NAFO are cod, flounder, redfish,
American plaice, halibut, hake, capelin,
shrimp, skates and Illex squid. NAFO
maintains conservation measures for
fishery resources in its Regulatory Area
that include one effort limitation fishery
(shrimp), as well as the other fisheries
that are managed by total allowable
catches (TACs) allocated among NAFO
Contracting Parties. At the 2012 NAFO
Annual Meeting, the United States
received national quota allocations for
Timken, 893 F.2d at 341.
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74467
three NAFO stocks to be fished during
2013. However, only redfish and squid
will be made available to U.S. fishing
interests during 2013, as further
described below. The species, location,
and allocation (in metric tons (mt)) of
these 2013 U.S. fishing opportunities, as
found in Annexes I.A, I.B, and I.C of the
2013 NAFO Conservation and
Enforcement Measures, are as follows:
1. Redfish, NAFO Division 3M, 69 mt.
2. Squid (Illex), NAFO Subareas 3 &
4, 453 mt.
3. Shrimp, NAFO Division 3L, 96 mt.
Additionally, the United States may
be transferred up to 1,000 mt (with the
possibility of 500 additional mt) of
NAFO Division 3LNO yellowtail
flounder from Canada’s quota allocation
if requested before January 1 of each
year, or any succeeding year through
2018, based upon a bilateral
arrangement with Canada. The United
States has already requested this 1,000
mt of Division 3LNO yellowtail flounder
from Canada for 2013. Up to 500 mt of
additional Division 3LNO yellowtail
flounder could be made available on the
condition that the United States
transfers its Division 3L shrimp
allocation (96 mt in 2013) to Canada.
The United States has requested this
additional Division 3LNO yellowtail
flounder for 2013 to provide additional
fishing opportunities for U.S. vessels
following the successful development of
a U.S. yellowtail flounder fishery within
the NAFO Regulatory Area during 2012.
If Canada accepts this request, the U.S.
allocation of Division 3L shrimp will
not be available to U.S. vessels in 2013.
The arrangement for the transfer of
Canadian yellowtail flounder quota
would enable U.S. vessels to harvest
American plaice as bycatch in the
yellowtail flounder fishery in an amount
equal to 15 percent of the total
yellowtail flounder quota transferred to
the United States. Additional quota for
these and other stocks managed within
the NAFO Regulatory Area may be
available to U.S. vessels through
industry-initiated chartering
arrangements or transfers of quota from
other NAFO Contracting Parties.
U.S. fishermen may also access stocks
in which the United States has not
received a national quota (also known as
the ‘‘Others’’ allocation), including:
Division 3M cod (57 mt); Division 3LN
redfish (39 mt); Division 3O redfish (100
mt); Division 3NO white hake (59 mt);
Division 3LNO skates (258 mt). Note
that the United States shares these
allocations with other NAFO
Contracting Parties, and access to such
stocks is on a first-come-first-served
basis. Fishing is halted by NAFO when
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2012 / Notices
the ‘‘Others’’ allocation for a particular
stock has been fully harvested.
Who can apply for these fishing
opportunities?
Expressions of interest to fish for any
or all of the 2013 U.S. fishing
opportunities in NAFO described above
will be considered from all U.S. fishing
interests (e.g., vessel owners, processors,
agents, others). Applicants are urged to
carefully review and thoroughly address
the application requirements and
selection criteria as detailed below.
Expressions of interest should be
directed in writing to Patrick E. Moran
(see ADDRESSES).
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with
What information is required in an
application letter?
Expressions of interest should include
a detailed description of anticipated
fishing operations in 2013. This
includes, but is not limited to, the
following elements: Intended target
species; proposed dates of fishing
operations; vessels to be used to harvest
fish, including the name, registration,
and home port of the intended
harvesting vessel, as appropriate; the
number of fishing personnel involved in
vessel operations; intended landing
port; for landing ports outside of the
United States, whether or not the
product will be shipped to the United
States for processing; processing
facilities to be employed; target market
for harvested fish; and evidence
demonstrating the ability of the
applicant to successfully prosecute
fishing operations in the NAFO
Regulatory Area. Note that U.S.
applicant vessels must be in possession
of, or eligible for, a valid HSFCA permit,
which is available from the NMFS
Northeast Regional Office. Information
regarding other requirements for fishing
in the NAFO Regulatory Area is detailed
below and is also available from the
NMFS Northeast Regional Office (see
ADDRESSES). U.S. applicants wishing to
harvest U.S. allocations using a vessel
from another NAFO Contracting Party,
or transfer U.S. allocations to another
NAFO Contracting Party should see
below for details on U.S. and NAFO
requirements for such activities. If you
have further questions regarding what
information is required in an expression
of interest, please contact Patrick E.
Moran (see ADDRESSES).
What criteria will be used in identifying
successful applicants?
Applicants demonstrating the greatest
benefits to the United States through
their intended operations will be most
successful. Such benefits might include
(but are not limited to): The use of U.S
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16:41 Dec 13, 2012
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vessels; detailed, positive impacts on
U.S. employment; use of U.S. processing
facilities; transport, marketing and sales
of product within the United States;
other benefits to U.S. businesses; and
documentation of the physical
characteristics and economics of the
fishery for future use by the U.S. fishing
industry. After reviewing all requests for
allocations submitted, NMFS may
decide not to grant any allocations if it
is determined that no requests
adequately meet the criteria described
in this notice. To ensure equitable
access by U.S. fishing interests, NMFS
may provide additional guidance or
procedures, or may promulgate
regulations designed to allocate fishing
interests to one or more U.S. applicants
from among qualified applicants.
All applicants will be notified of the
allocation decision as soon as possible.
Once allocations have been awarded,
NMFS will immediately take
appropriate steps to notify NAFO and
other appropriate actions to facilitate
operations by U.S. fishing interests.
What if I want to charter a vessel to fish
available U.S. allocations?
Under the bilateral arrangement with
Canada, the United States may enter
into a chartering (or other) arrangement
with a Canadian vessel to harvest the
transferred yellowtail flounder. For
other NAFO-regulated stocks, the
United States may enter into a
chartering arrangement with a vessel
from any other NAFO Contracting Party.
Prior notification to the NAFO
Executive Secretary is necessary in
either case. Expressions of interest
intending to make use of another NAFO
Contracting Party vessel under
chartering arrangements should provide
the following information: The name
and registration number of the intended
vessel; a copy of the charter agreement;
a detailed fishing plan; a written letter
of consent from the applicable NAFO
Contracting Party; the date from which
the vessel is authorized to commence
fishing; and the duration of the charter
(not to exceed six months). Note that
expressions of interest using another
NAFO Contracting Party vessel under
charter should be accompanied by a
detailed description of anticipated
benefits to the United States, as
described above.
Any vessel wishing to enter into a
chartering arrangement with the United
States must be in full current
compliance with the requirements
outlined in the NAFO Convention and
Conservation and Enforcement
Measures. These requirements include,
but are not limited to, submission of the
following reports to the NAFO
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Sfmt 4703
Executive Secretary: Notification that
the vessel is authorized by its flag State
to fish within the NAFO Regulatory
Area during 2013, provisional monthly
catch reports for all vessels of that
NAFO Contracting Party operating in
the NAFO Regulatory Area, daily catch
reports for each day fished by the
subject vessel within the Regulatory
Area, observer reports within 30 days
following the completion of a fishing
trip, and an annual statement of actions
taken by its flag state to comply with the
NAFO Convention. The United States
may also consider the vessel’s previous
compliance with NAFO bycatch,
reporting and other provisions, as
outlined in the NAFO Conservation and
Enforcement Measures, before entering
into a chartering arrangement. More
details on NAFO requirements for
chartering operations are available from
NMFS (see ADDRESSES).
What if I want to transfer U.S. quota
allocations to another NAFO party?
Under NAFO rules in effect for 2013,
the United States may transfer fishing
opportunities with the consent of the
receiving NAFO Contracting Party and
with prior notification to the NAFO
Executive Secretary. An applicant may
request to be allocated one of the above
U.S. opportunities so that it may be
transferred to another NAFO party,
although such applications will
generally be given lesser priority than
those that involve more direct
harvesting or processing by U.S.
entities. Applications to transfer U.S.
fishing opportunities should contain a
letter of consent from the receiving
NAFO Contracting Party, and should
also be accompanied by a detailed
description of anticipated benefits to the
United States. As in the case of
chartering operations, the United States
may also consider a NAFO Contracting
Party’s previous compliance with NAFO
bycatch, reporting and other provisions,
as outlined in the NAFO Conservation
and Enforcement Measures, before
entering agreeing to a transfer.
What rules must I follow while fishing?
U.S. applicant vessels must be in
possession of, or eligible for, a valid
HSFCA permit, which is available from
the NMFS Northeast Regional Office.
Note that vessels issued valid HSFCA
permits under 50 CFR part 300 are
exempt from the Northeast multispecies
and monkfish permit, mesh size, effortcontrol, and possession limit
restrictions, specified in §§ 648.4,
648.80, 648.82, 648.86, 648.87, 648.91,
648.92, and 648.94, respectively, while
transiting the U.S. exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) with multispecies and/or
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2012 / Notices
monkfish on board the vessel, or
landing multispecies and/or monkfish
in U.S. ports that were caught while
fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area,
provided:
1. The vessel operator has a letter of
authorization issued by the Regional
Administrator on board the vessel;
2. For the duration of the trip, the
vessel fishes, except for transiting
purposes, exclusively in the NAFO
Regulatory Area and does not harvest
fish in, or possess fish harvested in, or
from, the U.S. EEZ;
3. When transiting the U.S. EEZ, all
gear is properly stowed in accordance
with one of the applicable methods
specified in § 648.23(b); and
4. The vessel operator complies with
the provisions/conditions specified on
the HSFCA permit and all NAFO
conservation and enforcement measures
while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory
Area.
Relevant NAFO Conservation and
Enforcement Measures include, but are
not limited to, maintenance of a fishing
logbook with NAFO-designated entries;
adherence to NAFO hail system
requirements; presence of an on-board
observer; deployment of a functioning,
autonomous vessel monitoring system
authorized by issuance of the HSFCA
permit; and adherence to all relevant
minimum size, gear, bycatch, and other
requirements. Further details regarding
U.S. and NAFO requirements are
available from the NMFS Northeast
Regional Office, and can also be found
in the current NAFO Conservation and
Enforcement Measures on the Internet
(see ADDRESSES).
Dated: December 7, 2012.
Elizabeth McLanahan,
Acting Director, Office of International
Affairs, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–30136 Filed 12–13–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XC395
Pacific Fishery Management Council;
Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery
Management Council’s (Pacific Council)
Groundfish Management Team (GMT)
will hold a week long working meeting,
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which is open to the public. The GMT
will also meet with a subgroup of the
Council’s Scientific and Statistical
Committee (SSC).
The GMT meeting will be held
Monday, January 14, 2013 from 1 p.m.
until business for the day is completed.
The GMT meeting will reconvene
Tuesday, January 15 through Friday,
January 18 from 8:30 a.m. until business
for each day has been completed. The
joint meeting of the SSC subgroup and
the GMT will occur on January 17, 2013.
DATES:
74469
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign
language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr.
Kris Kleinschmidt at (503) 820–2280 at
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Dated: December 11, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–30208 Filed 12–13–12; 8:45 am]
The meetings will be held at
the Hotel Deca, Governor’s Room, 4507
Brooklyn Avenue NE., Seattle, WA;
telephone: (206) 634–2000.
Council address: Pacific Fishery
Management Council, 7700 NE
Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland,
OR 97220–1384.
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
Ms.
Kelly Ames or Mr. John DeVore, Staff
Officers, Pacific Council; telephone:
(503) 820–2280.
AGENCY:
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The
primary purpose of the GMT working
meeting is to prepare for the 2013
Council meetings, including the
upcoming harvest specifications and
management measures cycle. Specific
agenda topics include the use of
descending devices to recompress
rockfish discarded in west coast
recreational fisheries and the associated
revised mortality rates; changes to the
harvest specifications and management
measures process under the proposed
Amendment 24 to the groundfish
Fishery Management Plan; evaluation of
and proposed changes to the groundfish
stock complexes; and a review of impact
projection models. The GMT may also
address other assignments relating to
groundfish management. No
management actions will be decided by
the GMT. The GMT’s task will be to
develop recommendations for
consideration by the Council at its
meetings in 2013.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained in the meeting agenda may
come before the GMT for discussion,
those issues may not be the subject of
formal GMT action during this meeting.
GMT 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 Fishery
Conservation and Management Act,
provided the public has been notified of
the GMT’s intent to take final action to
address the emergency.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM
PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR
SEVERELY DISABLED
Procurement List; Proposed Additions
Committee for Purchase From
People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled.
ACTION: Proposed Additions to the
Procurement List.
SUMMARY: The Committee is proposing
to add products and a service to the
Procurement List that will be furnished
by nonprofit agencies employing
persons who are blind or have other
severe disabilities.
DATES: Comments Must Be Received on
or Before: 1/14/2013.
ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase
From People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800,
1421 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Arlington, Virginia 22202–3259.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO SUBMIT
COMMENTS CONTACT: Barry S. Lineback,
Telephone: (703) 603–7740, Fax: (703)
603–0655, or email
CMTEFedReg@AbilityOne.gov.
This
notice is published pursuant to 41
U.S.C. 8503(a)(2) and 41 CFR 51–2.3. Its
purpose is to provide interested persons
an opportunity to submit comments on
the proposed actions.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Additions
If the Committee approves the
proposed additions, the entities of the
Federal Government identified in this
notice will be required to procure the
products and service listed below from
nonprofit agencies employing persons
who are blind or have other severe
disabilities.
The following products and service
are proposed for addition to
Procurement List for production by the
nonprofit agencies listed:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 241 (Friday, December 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74467-74469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30136]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XC368
International Affairs; U.S. Fishing Opportunities in the
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of U.S. fishing opportunities.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces fishing opportunities in the Northwest Atlantic
Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area. This action is necessary
to make fishing privileges available on an equitable basis.
DATES: Effective January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013.
Expressions of interest regarding fishing opportunities in NAFO will be
accepted through December 31, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Expressions of interest regarding U.S. fishing opportunities
in NAFO should be made in writing to Patrick E. Moran in the NMFS
Office of International Affairs, at 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910 (phone: 301-427-8370, fax: 301-713-2313, email:
Pat.Moran@noaa.gov).
Information relating to NAFO fishing opportunities, NAFO
Conservation and Enforcement Measures, and the High Seas Fishing
Compliance Act (HSFCA) Permit is available from Douglas Christel, at
the NMFS Northeast Regional Office at 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930 (phone: 978-281-9141, fax: 978-281-9135, email:
douglas.christel@noaa.gov) and from NAFO on the World Wide Web at
https://www.nafo.int.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick E. Moran, 301-427-8370.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
What Fishing Opportunities Are Available?
The principal species managed by NAFO are cod, flounder, redfish,
American plaice, halibut, hake, capelin, shrimp, skates and Illex
squid. NAFO maintains conservation measures for fishery resources in
its Regulatory Area that include one effort limitation fishery
(shrimp), as well as the other fisheries that are managed by total
allowable catches (TACs) allocated among NAFO Contracting Parties. At
the 2012 NAFO Annual Meeting, the United States received national quota
allocations for three NAFO stocks to be fished during 2013. However,
only redfish and squid will be made available to U.S. fishing interests
during 2013, as further described below. The species, location, and
allocation (in metric tons (mt)) of these 2013 U.S. fishing
opportunities, as found in Annexes I.A, I.B, and I.C of the 2013 NAFO
Conservation and Enforcement Measures, are as follows:
1. Redfish, NAFO Division 3M, 69 mt.
2. Squid (Illex), NAFO Subareas 3 & 4, 453 mt.
3. Shrimp, NAFO Division 3L, 96 mt.
Additionally, the United States may be transferred up to 1,000 mt
(with the possibility of 500 additional mt) of NAFO Division 3LNO
yellowtail flounder from Canada's quota allocation if requested before
January 1 of each year, or any succeeding year through 2018, based upon
a bilateral arrangement with Canada. The United States has already
requested this 1,000 mt of Division 3LNO yellowtail flounder from
Canada for 2013. Up to 500 mt of additional Division 3LNO yellowtail
flounder could be made available on the condition that the United
States transfers its Division 3L shrimp allocation (96 mt in 2013) to
Canada. The United States has requested this additional Division 3LNO
yellowtail flounder for 2013 to provide additional fishing
opportunities for U.S. vessels following the successful development of
a U.S. yellowtail flounder fishery within the NAFO Regulatory Area
during 2012. If Canada accepts this request, the U.S. allocation of
Division 3L shrimp will not be available to U.S. vessels in 2013. The
arrangement for the transfer of Canadian yellowtail flounder quota
would enable U.S. vessels to harvest American plaice as bycatch in the
yellowtail flounder fishery in an amount equal to 15 percent of the
total yellowtail flounder quota transferred to the United States.
Additional quota for these and other stocks managed within the NAFO
Regulatory Area may be available to U.S. vessels through industry-
initiated chartering arrangements or transfers of quota from other NAFO
Contracting Parties.
U.S. fishermen may also access stocks in which the United States
has not received a national quota (also known as the ``Others''
allocation), including: Division 3M cod (57 mt); Division 3LN redfish
(39 mt); Division 3O redfish (100 mt); Division 3NO white hake (59 mt);
Division 3LNO skates (258 mt). Note that the United States shares these
allocations with other NAFO Contracting Parties, and access to such
stocks is on a first-come-first-served basis. Fishing is halted by NAFO
when
[[Page 74468]]
the ``Others'' allocation for a particular stock has been fully
harvested.
Who can apply for these fishing opportunities?
Expressions of interest to fish for any or all of the 2013 U.S.
fishing opportunities in NAFO described above will be considered from
all U.S. fishing interests (e.g., vessel owners, processors, agents,
others). Applicants are urged to carefully review and thoroughly
address the application requirements and selection criteria as detailed
below. Expressions of interest should be directed in writing to Patrick
E. Moran (see ADDRESSES).
What information is required in an application letter?
Expressions of interest should include a detailed description of
anticipated fishing operations in 2013. This includes, but is not
limited to, the following elements: Intended target species; proposed
dates of fishing operations; vessels to be used to harvest fish,
including the name, registration, and home port of the intended
harvesting vessel, as appropriate; the number of fishing personnel
involved in vessel operations; intended landing port; for landing ports
outside of the United States, whether or not the product will be
shipped to the United States for processing; processing facilities to
be employed; target market for harvested fish; and evidence
demonstrating the ability of the applicant to successfully prosecute
fishing operations in the NAFO Regulatory Area. Note that U.S.
applicant vessels must be in possession of, or eligible for, a valid
HSFCA permit, which is available from the NMFS Northeast Regional
Office. Information regarding other requirements for fishing in the
NAFO Regulatory Area is detailed below and is also available from the
NMFS Northeast Regional Office (see ADDRESSES). U.S. applicants wishing
to harvest U.S. allocations using a vessel from another NAFO
Contracting Party, or transfer U.S. allocations to another NAFO
Contracting Party should see below for details on U.S. and NAFO
requirements for such activities. If you have further questions
regarding what information is required in an expression of interest,
please contact Patrick E. Moran (see ADDRESSES).
What criteria will be used in identifying successful applicants?
Applicants demonstrating the greatest benefits to the United States
through their intended operations will be most successful. Such
benefits might include (but are not limited to): The use of U.S
vessels; detailed, positive impacts on U.S. employment; use of U.S.
processing facilities; transport, marketing and sales of product within
the United States; other benefits to U.S. businesses; and documentation
of the physical characteristics and economics of the fishery for future
use by the U.S. fishing industry. After reviewing all requests for
allocations submitted, NMFS may decide not to grant any allocations if
it is determined that no requests adequately meet the criteria
described in this notice. To ensure equitable access by U.S. fishing
interests, NMFS may provide additional guidance or procedures, or may
promulgate regulations designed to allocate fishing interests to one or
more U.S. applicants from among qualified applicants.
All applicants will be notified of the allocation decision as soon
as possible. Once allocations have been awarded, NMFS will immediately
take appropriate steps to notify NAFO and other appropriate actions to
facilitate operations by U.S. fishing interests.
What if I want to charter a vessel to fish available U.S. allocations?
Under the bilateral arrangement with Canada, the United States may
enter into a chartering (or other) arrangement with a Canadian vessel
to harvest the transferred yellowtail flounder. For other NAFO-
regulated stocks, the United States may enter into a chartering
arrangement with a vessel from any other NAFO Contracting Party. Prior
notification to the NAFO Executive Secretary is necessary in either
case. Expressions of interest intending to make use of another NAFO
Contracting Party vessel under chartering arrangements should provide
the following information: The name and registration number of the
intended vessel; a copy of the charter agreement; a detailed fishing
plan; a written letter of consent from the applicable NAFO Contracting
Party; the date from which the vessel is authorized to commence
fishing; and the duration of the charter (not to exceed six months).
Note that expressions of interest using another NAFO Contracting Party
vessel under charter should be accompanied by a detailed description of
anticipated benefits to the United States, as described above.
Any vessel wishing to enter into a chartering arrangement with the
United States must be in full current compliance with the requirements
outlined in the NAFO Convention and Conservation and Enforcement
Measures. These requirements include, but are not limited to,
submission of the following reports to the NAFO Executive Secretary:
Notification that the vessel is authorized by its flag State to fish
within the NAFO Regulatory Area during 2013, provisional monthly catch
reports for all vessels of that NAFO Contracting Party operating in the
NAFO Regulatory Area, daily catch reports for each day fished by the
subject vessel within the Regulatory Area, observer reports within 30
days following the completion of a fishing trip, and an annual
statement of actions taken by its flag state to comply with the NAFO
Convention. The United States may also consider the vessel's previous
compliance with NAFO bycatch, reporting and other provisions, as
outlined in the NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures, before
entering into a chartering arrangement. More details on NAFO
requirements for chartering operations are available from NMFS (see
ADDRESSES).
What if I want to transfer U.S. quota allocations to another NAFO
party?
Under NAFO rules in effect for 2013, the United States may transfer
fishing opportunities with the consent of the receiving NAFO
Contracting Party and with prior notification to the NAFO Executive
Secretary. An applicant may request to be allocated one of the above
U.S. opportunities so that it may be transferred to another NAFO party,
although such applications will generally be given lesser priority than
those that involve more direct harvesting or processing by U.S.
entities. Applications to transfer U.S. fishing opportunities should
contain a letter of consent from the receiving NAFO Contracting Party,
and should also be accompanied by a detailed description of anticipated
benefits to the United States. As in the case of chartering operations,
the United States may also consider a NAFO Contracting Party's previous
compliance with NAFO bycatch, reporting and other provisions, as
outlined in the NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures, before
entering agreeing to a transfer.
What rules must I follow while fishing?
U.S. applicant vessels must be in possession of, or eligible for, a
valid HSFCA permit, which is available from the NMFS Northeast Regional
Office. Note that vessels issued valid HSFCA permits under 50 CFR part
300 are exempt from the Northeast multispecies and monkfish permit,
mesh size, effort-control, and possession limit restrictions, specified
in Sec. Sec. 648.4, 648.80, 648.82, 648.86, 648.87, 648.91, 648.92,
and 648.94, respectively, while transiting the U.S. exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) with multispecies and/or
[[Page 74469]]
monkfish on board the vessel, or landing multispecies and/or monkfish
in U.S. ports that were caught while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory
Area, provided:
1. The vessel operator has a letter of authorization issued by the
Regional Administrator on board the vessel;
2. For the duration of the trip, the vessel fishes, except for
transiting purposes, exclusively in the NAFO Regulatory Area and does
not harvest fish in, or possess fish harvested in, or from, the U.S.
EEZ;
3. When transiting the U.S. EEZ, all gear is properly stowed in
accordance with one of the applicable methods specified in Sec.
648.23(b); and
4. The vessel operator complies with the provisions/conditions
specified on the HSFCA permit and all NAFO conservation and enforcement
measures while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area.
Relevant NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures include, but
are not limited to, maintenance of a fishing logbook with NAFO-
designated entries; adherence to NAFO hail system requirements;
presence of an on-board observer; deployment of a functioning,
autonomous vessel monitoring system authorized by issuance of the HSFCA
permit; and adherence to all relevant minimum size, gear, bycatch, and
other requirements. Further details regarding U.S. and NAFO
requirements are available from the NMFS Northeast Regional Office, and
can also be found in the current NAFO Conservation and Enforcement
Measures on the Internet (see ADDRESSES).
Dated: December 7, 2012.
Elizabeth McLanahan,
Acting Director, Office of International Affairs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-30136 Filed 12-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
