Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management Measures; 2014 Research Fishery, 70018-70020 [2013-28101]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 226 / Friday, November 22, 2013 / Notices
hold its regular Business Session to
receive Organizational Reports to
include an update on forms and process
for data collection for the surfclam and
ocean quahog fisheries, South Atlantic
and New England Liaison Reports, the
Executive Director’s Report, Science
Report, Committee Reports, and conduct
any continuing and/or new business.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically
accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aid
should be directed to M. Jan Saunders,
(302) 526–5251, at least 5 days prior to
the meeting date.
Dated: November 19, 2013.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013–28021 Filed 11–21–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XC990
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 of the
North Pacific Fishery Management
Council Charter Management
Implementation Committee.
AGENCY:
The North Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) Charter
Implementation Committee will meet in
Anchorage, AK.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
December 9, 2013, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Council office, 605 W. 4th Avenue,
Room 205, Anchorage, AK.
Council address: North Pacific
Fishery Management Council, 605 W.
4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK
99501–2252.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane
DiCosimo, Council staff, telephone:
(907) 271–2809.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
agenda is to identify a preferred
management measure(s), from the
following committee recommendations.
For Regulatory Area 2C: (1) Annual
limit combined with maximum size
limit; (2) Annual limit combined with
reverse slot limit; (3) Bag limit of one
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SUMMARY:
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fish with a maximum size limit; and (4)
Status quo management of one fish less
than 45 inches or greater than 68 inches.
For Regulatory Area 3A: (1) Status quo
management of a bag limit of two fish,
with no size limit; (2) Bag limit of two
fish, with a maximum size limit on
second fish; (3) Annual limit, with bag
limit of two fish; and (4) Prohibit
retention of skipper/crew harvest.
Committee recommendations will be
incorporated into an analysis for
Council review in December 2013. The
Council will recommend a preferred
measure(s) for each area for
consideration by the International
Pacific Halibut Commission for
implementation in 2014.
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
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, provided the public has been
notified of the Council’s intent to take
final action to address the emergency.
Special Accommodations
The meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Gail
Bendixen at (907) 271–2809 at least 7
working days prior to the meeting date.
Dated: November 19, 2013.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013–28071 Filed 11–21–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XC934
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species;
Atlantic Shark Management Measures;
2014 Research Fishery
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for
applications.
AGENCY:
NMFS announces its request
for applications for the 2014 shark
research fishery from commercial shark
fishermen with directed or incidental
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
shark limited access permits. The shark
research fishery allows for the collection
of fishery-dependent and biological data
for future stock assessments to meet
NMFS’s shark research objectives. The
only commercial vessels authorized to
land sandbar sharks are those
participating in the shark research
fishery. Shark research fishery
permittees may also land other large
coastal sharks (LCS), small coastal
sharks (SCS), and pelagic sharks.
Commercial shark fishermen who are
interested in participating in the shark
research fishery need to submit a
completed Shark Research Fishery
Permit Application in order to be
considered.
DATES: Shark Research Fishery
Applications must be received no later
than 5 p.m., local time, on December 23,
2013.
ADDRESSES: Please submit completed
applications to the Highly Migratory
Species (HMS) Management Division at:
• Mail: Attn: Delisse Ortiz, HMS
Management Division (F/SF1), NMFS,
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,
MD 20910.
• Fax: (301) 713–1917.
For copies of the Shark Research
Fishery Permit Application, please write
to the HMS Management Division at the
address listed above, call (301) 427–
8503 (phone), or fax a request to (301)
713–1917. Copies of the Shark Research
Fishery Application are also available at
the HMS Web site at https://
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/index.htm.
Additionally, please be advised that
your application may be released under
the Freedom of Information Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karyl Brewster-Geisz or Delisse Ortiz, at
(301) 427–8503 (phone) or (301) 713–
1917 (fax).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Atlantic shark fisheries are managed
under the authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens
Act). The 2006 Consolidated HMS
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) is
implemented by regulations at 50 CFR
part 635.
The final rule for Amendment 2 to the
Consolidated HMS FMP (Amendment 2)
(73 FR 35778, June 24, 2008, corrected
at 73 FR 40658, July 15, 2008)
established, among other things, a shark
research fishery to maintain time series
data for stock assessments and to meet
NMFS’ research objectives. Since the
shark research fishery was established
in 2008, the research fishery has
allowed for: the collection of fishery
dependent data for current and future
stock assessments; the operation of
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 226 / Friday, November 22, 2013 / Notices
cooperative research to meet NMFS’
ongoing research objectives; the
collection of updated life history
information used in the sandbar shark
(and other species) stock assessment;
the collection of data on habitat
preferences that might help reduce
fishery interactions through bycatch
mitigation; and the evaluation of the
utility of the mid-Atlantic closed area
on the recovery of dusky sharks and
collection of hook timer and pop-up
satellite tag information to determine atvessel and post-release mortality of
dusky sharks.
The shark research fishery also allows
selected commercial fishermen the
opportunity to earn revenue from selling
additional sharks, including sandbar
sharks. Only the commercial shark
fishermen selected to participate in the
shark research fishery are authorized to
land sandbar sharks subject to the
sandbar quota available each year. The
base quota is 116 mt dw per year,
although this number may be reduced in
the event of overharvests, if any. The
selected shark research fishery
permittees will also be allowed to land
other LCS, SCS, and pelagic sharks as
specifically authorized on their shark
research fishery permit. The shark
research fishery permits are valid only
for the calendar year for which they are
issued.
Specific 2014 trip limits and number
of trips permitted per month will
depend on the number of selected
vessels, the availability of observers, the
available quota, and the objectives of the
research fishery and will be included in
the permit terms at the time of issuance.
The number of participants in the
research fishery change each year. In
2013, six fishermen were chosen to
participate. From 2008 through 2013, an
average of eight participants each year
were selected for permits, with a range
from five to eleven annually. The trip
limits and the number of trips taken per
month have changed each year the
research fishery has been active.
Participants may also be limited on the
amount of gear they can deploy on a
given set (e.g., number of hooks and
sets, soak times, length of longline). In
2013, we split the sandbar and LCS
research fishery quotas equally among
selected participants, with each vessel
allocated 15.5 metric tons (mt) dressed
weight (dw) of sandbar shark research
fishery quota and 6.7 mt dw of other
LCS research fishery quota. NMFS also
established a dusky bycatch cap in six
designated regions, which required that
once vessels in a region had interacted
with five dusky sharks, the region was
closed to any fishing by shark research
fishery participants for the rest of the
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16:47 Nov 21, 2013
Jkt 232001
year. Participants were also required to
keep any dead sharks, unless they were
a prohibited species, in which case the
permittees were required to release
them, and were restricted to a certain
number of longline sets as well as the
number of hooks they could deploy and
have on board the vessel. The vessels
participating in the shark research
fishery fished an average of one trip per
month.
In order to participate in the shark
research fishery, commercial shark
fishermen need to submit a completed
Shark Research Fishery Application by
the deadline noted above (see DATES)
showing that the vessel and owner(s)
meet the specific criteria outlined
below.
Research Objectives
Each year, the research objectives are
developed by a shark board, which is
comprised of representatives within
NMFS, including representatives from
the Southeast Fisheries Science Center
(SEFSC) Panama City Laboratory,
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
(NEFSC) Narragansett Laboratory, the
Southeast Regional Office, Protected
Resources Division (SERO\PRD), and
the HMS Management Division. The
research objectives for 2014 are based
on various documents including the
2012 Biological Opinion for the
Continued Authorization of the Atlantic
Shark Fisheries and the Federal
Authorization of a Smoothhound
Fishery; 2010/2011 U.S. South Atlantic
blacknose, U.S Gulf of Mexico
blacknose, sandbar, and dusky sharks
stock assessments; and the SEDAR 29,
2012 U.S. Gulf of Mexico blacktip shark
stock assessment. The 2014 research
objectives are:
• Collect reproductive, length, sex,
and age data from sandbar and other
sharks throughout the calendar year for
species-specific stock assessments;
• Monitor the size distribution of
sandbar sharks and other species
captured in the fishery;
• Continue on-going shark tagging
programs for identification of migration
corridors and stock structure using dart
and/or spaghetti tags;
• Maintain time-series of abundance
from previously derived indices for the
shark bottom longline observer program;
• Acquire fin-clip samples of all
shark and other species for genetic
analysis;
• Attach satellite archival tags to
endangered smalltooth sawfish to
provide information on critical habitat
and preferred depth, consistent with
ESA requirements for such tagging
under the SEFSC observer program take
permit obtained through the 2008
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
70019
Section 7 Consultation and Biological
Opinion for the Continued
Authorization of Shark Fisheries
(Commercial Shark Bottom Longline,
Commercial Shark Gillnet and
Recreational Shark Handgear Fisheries)
as Managed under the Consolidated
Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic
Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks
(Consolidated HMS FMP), including
Amendment 2 to the Consolidated HMS
FMP (F/SER/2007/05044)
• Attach satellite archival tags to
prohibited dusky and other sharks, as
needed, to provide information on daily
and seasonal movement patterns, and
preferred depth;
• Evaluate hooking mortality and
post-release survivorship of dusky,
hammerhead, blacktip, and other sharks
using hook timers and temperaturedepth recorders;
• Evaluate the effects of controlled
gear experiments in order to determine
the effects of potential hook changes to
prohibited species interactions and
fishery yields; and
• Examine the size distribution of
sandbar and other sharks captured
throughout the fishery including in the
Mid-Atlantic shark time/area closure off
the coast of North Carolina from January
1 through July 31.
Selection Criteria
Shark Research Fishery Permit
Applications will be accepted only from
commercial shark fishermen who hold a
current directed or incidental shark
limited access permit. While incidental
permit holders are welcome to submit
an application, to ensure that an
appropriate number of sharks are landed
to meet the research objectives for this
year, NMFS will give priority to
directed permit holders as
recommended by the shark board. As
such, qualified incidental permit
holders will be selected only if there are
not enough qualified directed permit
holders to meet research objectives.
The Shark Research Fishery Permit
Application includes, but is not limited
to, a request for the following
information: Type of commercial shark
permit possessed; past participation in
the commercial shark fishery (not
including sharks caught for display);
past involvement and compliance with
HMS observer programs per 50 CFR
635.7; past compliance with HMS
regulations at 50 CFR part 635;
availability to participate in the shark
research fishery; ability to fish in the
regions and season requested; ability to
attend necessary meetings regarding the
objectives and research protocols of the
shark research fishery; and ability to
carry out the research objectives of the
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 226 / Friday, November 22, 2013 / Notices
Agency. An applicant who has been
charged criminally or civilly (e.g.,
issued a Notice of Violation and
Assessment (NOVA) or Notice of Permit
Sanction) for any HMS-related violation
will not be considered for participation
in the shark research fishery. In
addition, applicants who were selected
to carry an observer in the previous 2
years for any HMS fishery, but failed to
contact NMFS to arrange the placement
of an observer as required per 50 CFR
635.7, will not be considered for
participation in the 2014 shark research
fishery. Applicants who were selected
to carry an observer in the previous 2
years for any HMS fishery and failed to
comply with all the observer regulations
per 50 CFR 635.7 will also not be
considered. Exceptions will be made for
vessels that were selected for HMS
observer coverage but did not fish in the
quarter when selected and thus did not
require an observer. Applicants who do
not possess a valid USCG safety
inspection decal when the application is
submitted will not be considered.
Applicants who have been noncompliant with any of the HMS observer
program regulations in the previous 2
years, as described above, may be
eligible for future participation in shark
research fishery activities by
demonstrating 2 subsequent years of
compliance with observer regulations at
50 CFR 635.7.
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Selection Process
The HMS Management Division will
review all submitted applications and
develop a list of qualified applicants
from those applications that are deemed
complete. A qualified applicant is an
applicant that has submitted a complete
application by the deadline (see DATES)
and has met the selection criteria listed
above. Qualified applicants are eligible
to be selected to participate in the shark
research fishery for 2014. The HMS
Management Division will provide the
list of qualified applicants without
identifying information to the SEFSC.
The SEFSC will then evaluate the list of
qualified applicants and, based on the
temporal and spatial needs of the
research objectives, the availability of
observers, the availability of qualified
applicants, and the available quota for a
given year, will randomly select
qualified applicants to conduct the
prescribed research. Where there are
multiple qualified applicants that meet
the criteria, permittees will be randomly
selected through a lottery system. If a
public meeting is deemed necessary,
NMFS will announce details of a public
selection meeting in a subsequent
Federal Register notice.
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16:47 Nov 21, 2013
Jkt 232001
Once the selection process is
complete, NMFS will notify the selected
applicants and issue the shark research
fishery permits. The shark research
fishery permits will be valid only in
calendar year 2014. If needed, NMFS
will communicate with the shark
research fishery permit holders to
arrange a captain’s meeting to discuss
the research objectives and protocols.
The shark research fishery permit
holders must contact the NMFS
observer coordinator to arrange the
placement of a NMFS-approved
observer for each shark research trip.
A shark research fishery permit will
only be valid for the vessel and owner(s)
and terms and conditions listed on the
permit, and, thus, cannot be transferred
to another vessel or owner(s). Issuance
of a shark research permit does not
guarantee that the permit holder will be
assigned a NMFS-approved observer on
any particular trip. Rather, issuance
indicates that a vessel may be issued a
NMFS-approved observer for a
particular trip, and on such trips, may
be allowed to harvest Atlantic sharks,
including sandbar sharks, in excess of
the retention limits described in 50 CFR
635.24(a). These retention limits will be
based on available quota, number of
vessels participating in the 2014 shark
research fishery, the research objectives
set forth by the shark board, the extent
of other restrictions placed on the
vessel, and may vary by vessel and/or
location. When not operating under the
auspices of the shark research fishery,
the vessel would still be able to land
LCS, SCS, and pelagic sharks subject to
existing retention limits on trips
without a NMFS-approved observer.
The shark research permit may be
revoked or modified at any time and
does not confer the right to engage in
activities beyond those listed on the
shark research fishery permit.
NMFS annually invites commercial
shark permit holders (directed and
incidental) to submit an application to
participate in the shark research fishery.
Permit applications can be found on the
HMS Management Division’s Web site
at https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/
index.htm or by calling (301) 427–8503.
Final decisions on the issuance of a
shark research fishery permit will
depend on the submission of all
required information by the deadline
(see DATES), and NMFS’ review of
applicant information as outlined above.
The 2014 shark research fishery will
start after the opening of the shark
fishery and under available quotas as
published in a separate Federal Register
final rule.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
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Dated: November 18, 2013.
Kelly Denit,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013–28101 Filed 11–21–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
Privacy Act of 1974; System of
Records
United States Patent and
Trademark Office, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of proposed new Privacy
Act system of records.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974,
as amended, the United States Patent
and Trademark Office (USPTO) gives
notice of a proposed new system of
records entitled ‘‘COMMERCE/PAT–
TM–24 Background Investigations.’’ We
invite the public to comment on the
system announced in this publication.
DATES: Written comments must be
received no later than December 23,
2013. The proposed system of records
will be effective on December 23, 2013,
unless the USPTO receives comments
that would result in a contrary
determination.
SUMMARY:
You may submit written
comments by any of the following
methods:
• Email: Joseph.Burns@uspto.gov.
Include ‘‘Privacy Act PAT–TM–24
comment’’ in the subject line of the
message.
• Fax: (571) 273–1537, marked to the
attention of Joseph Burns, Office of
Security and Safety, Office of
Administrative Services.
• Mail: Joseph Burns, Director, Office
of Security and Safety, Office of
Administrative Services, United States
Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box
1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–1450.
• Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov.
All comments received will be available
for public inspection at the Federal
rulemaking portal located at
www.regulations.gov.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joseph Burns, Director, Office of
Security and Safety, Office of
Administrative Services, United States
Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box
1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–1450, (571)
272–1537.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
United States Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO) is giving notice of a new
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70018-70020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28101]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XC934
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management
Measures; 2014 Research Fishery
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for applications.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces its request for applications for the 2014 shark
research fishery from commercial shark fishermen with directed or
incidental shark limited access permits. The shark research fishery
allows for the collection of fishery-dependent and biological data for
future stock assessments to meet NMFS's shark research objectives. The
only commercial vessels authorized to land sandbar sharks are those
participating in the shark research fishery. Shark research fishery
permittees may also land other large coastal sharks (LCS), small
coastal sharks (SCS), and pelagic sharks. Commercial shark fishermen
who are interested in participating in the shark research fishery need
to submit a completed Shark Research Fishery Permit Application in
order to be considered.
DATES: Shark Research Fishery Applications must be received no later
than 5 p.m., local time, on December 23, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Please submit completed applications to the Highly Migratory
Species (HMS) Management Division at:
Mail: Attn: Delisse Ortiz, HMS Management Division (F/
SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Fax: (301) 713-1917.
For copies of the Shark Research Fishery Permit Application, please
write to the HMS Management Division at the address listed above, call
(301) 427-8503 (phone), or fax a request to (301) 713-1917. Copies of
the Shark Research Fishery Application are also available at the HMS
Web site at https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/index.htm. Additionally,
please be advised that your application may be released under the
Freedom of Information Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karyl Brewster-Geisz or Delisse Ortiz,
at (301) 427-8503 (phone) or (301) 713-1917 (fax).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic shark fisheries are managed
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The 2006 Consolidated HMS
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) is implemented by regulations at 50 CFR
part 635.
The final rule for Amendment 2 to the Consolidated HMS FMP
(Amendment 2) (73 FR 35778, June 24, 2008, corrected at 73 FR 40658,
July 15, 2008) established, among other things, a shark research
fishery to maintain time series data for stock assessments and to meet
NMFS' research objectives. Since the shark research fishery was
established in 2008, the research fishery has allowed for: the
collection of fishery dependent data for current and future stock
assessments; the operation of
[[Page 70019]]
cooperative research to meet NMFS' ongoing research objectives; the
collection of updated life history information used in the sandbar
shark (and other species) stock assessment; the collection of data on
habitat preferences that might help reduce fishery interactions through
bycatch mitigation; and the evaluation of the utility of the mid-
Atlantic closed area on the recovery of dusky sharks and collection of
hook timer and pop-up satellite tag information to determine at-vessel
and post-release mortality of dusky sharks.
The shark research fishery also allows selected commercial
fishermen the opportunity to earn revenue from selling additional
sharks, including sandbar sharks. Only the commercial shark fishermen
selected to participate in the shark research fishery are authorized to
land sandbar sharks subject to the sandbar quota available each year.
The base quota is 116 mt dw per year, although this number may be
reduced in the event of overharvests, if any. The selected shark
research fishery permittees will also be allowed to land other LCS,
SCS, and pelagic sharks as specifically authorized on their shark
research fishery permit. The shark research fishery permits are valid
only for the calendar year for which they are issued.
Specific 2014 trip limits and number of trips permitted per month
will depend on the number of selected vessels, the availability of
observers, the available quota, and the objectives of the research
fishery and will be included in the permit terms at the time of
issuance. The number of participants in the research fishery change
each year. In 2013, six fishermen were chosen to participate. From 2008
through 2013, an average of eight participants each year were selected
for permits, with a range from five to eleven annually. The trip limits
and the number of trips taken per month have changed each year the
research fishery has been active. Participants may also be limited on
the amount of gear they can deploy on a given set (e.g., number of
hooks and sets, soak times, length of longline). In 2013, we split the
sandbar and LCS research fishery quotas equally among selected
participants, with each vessel allocated 15.5 metric tons (mt) dressed
weight (dw) of sandbar shark research fishery quota and 6.7 mt dw of
other LCS research fishery quota. NMFS also established a dusky bycatch
cap in six designated regions, which required that once vessels in a
region had interacted with five dusky sharks, the region was closed to
any fishing by shark research fishery participants for the rest of the
year. Participants were also required to keep any dead sharks, unless
they were a prohibited species, in which case the permittees were
required to release them, and were restricted to a certain number of
longline sets as well as the number of hooks they could deploy and have
on board the vessel. The vessels participating in the shark research
fishery fished an average of one trip per month.
In order to participate in the shark research fishery, commercial
shark fishermen need to submit a completed Shark Research Fishery
Application by the deadline noted above (see DATES) showing that the
vessel and owner(s) meet the specific criteria outlined below.
Research Objectives
Each year, the research objectives are developed by a shark board,
which is comprised of representatives within NMFS, including
representatives from the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC)
Panama City Laboratory, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)
Narragansett Laboratory, the Southeast Regional Office, Protected
Resources Division (SERO\PRD), and the HMS Management Division. The
research objectives for 2014 are based on various documents including
the 2012 Biological Opinion for the Continued Authorization of the
Atlantic Shark Fisheries and the Federal Authorization of a Smoothhound
Fishery; 2010/2011 U.S. South Atlantic blacknose, U.S Gulf of Mexico
blacknose, sandbar, and dusky sharks stock assessments; and the SEDAR
29, 2012 U.S. Gulf of Mexico blacktip shark stock assessment. The 2014
research objectives are:
Collect reproductive, length, sex, and age data from
sandbar and other sharks throughout the calendar year for species-
specific stock assessments;
Monitor the size distribution of sandbar sharks and other
species captured in the fishery;
Continue on-going shark tagging programs for
identification of migration corridors and stock structure using dart
and/or spaghetti tags;
Maintain time-series of abundance from previously derived
indices for the shark bottom longline observer program;
Acquire fin-clip samples of all shark and other species
for genetic analysis;
Attach satellite archival tags to endangered smalltooth
sawfish to provide information on critical habitat and preferred depth,
consistent with ESA requirements for such tagging under the SEFSC
observer program take permit obtained through the 2008 Section 7
Consultation and Biological Opinion for the Continued Authorization of
Shark Fisheries (Commercial Shark Bottom Longline, Commercial Shark
Gillnet and Recreational Shark Handgear Fisheries) as Managed under the
Consolidated Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and
Sharks (Consolidated HMS FMP), including Amendment 2 to the
Consolidated HMS FMP (F/SER/2007/05044)
Attach satellite archival tags to prohibited dusky and
other sharks, as needed, to provide information on daily and seasonal
movement patterns, and preferred depth;
Evaluate hooking mortality and post-release survivorship
of dusky, hammerhead, blacktip, and other sharks using hook timers and
temperature-depth recorders;
Evaluate the effects of controlled gear experiments in
order to determine the effects of potential hook changes to prohibited
species interactions and fishery yields; and
Examine the size distribution of sandbar and other sharks
captured throughout the fishery including in the Mid-Atlantic shark
time/area closure off the coast of North Carolina from January 1
through July 31.
Selection Criteria
Shark Research Fishery Permit Applications will be accepted only
from commercial shark fishermen who hold a current directed or
incidental shark limited access permit. While incidental permit holders
are welcome to submit an application, to ensure that an appropriate
number of sharks are landed to meet the research objectives for this
year, NMFS will give priority to directed permit holders as recommended
by the shark board. As such, qualified incidental permit holders will
be selected only if there are not enough qualified directed permit
holders to meet research objectives.
The Shark Research Fishery Permit Application includes, but is not
limited to, a request for the following information: Type of commercial
shark permit possessed; past participation in the commercial shark
fishery (not including sharks caught for display); past involvement and
compliance with HMS observer programs per 50 CFR 635.7; past compliance
with HMS regulations at 50 CFR part 635; availability to participate in
the shark research fishery; ability to fish in the regions and season
requested; ability to attend necessary meetings regarding the
objectives and research protocols of the shark research fishery; and
ability to carry out the research objectives of the
[[Page 70020]]
Agency. An applicant who has been charged criminally or civilly (e.g.,
issued a Notice of Violation and Assessment (NOVA) or Notice of Permit
Sanction) for any HMS-related violation will not be considered for
participation in the shark research fishery. In addition, applicants
who were selected to carry an observer in the previous 2 years for any
HMS fishery, but failed to contact NMFS to arrange the placement of an
observer as required per 50 CFR 635.7, will not be considered for
participation in the 2014 shark research fishery. Applicants who were
selected to carry an observer in the previous 2 years for any HMS
fishery and failed to comply with all the observer regulations per 50
CFR 635.7 will also not be considered. Exceptions will be made for
vessels that were selected for HMS observer coverage but did not fish
in the quarter when selected and thus did not require an observer.
Applicants who do not possess a valid USCG safety inspection decal when
the application is submitted will not be considered. Applicants who
have been non-compliant with any of the HMS observer program
regulations in the previous 2 years, as described above, may be
eligible for future participation in shark research fishery activities
by demonstrating 2 subsequent years of compliance with observer
regulations at 50 CFR 635.7.
Selection Process
The HMS Management Division will review all submitted applications
and develop a list of qualified applicants from those applications that
are deemed complete. A qualified applicant is an applicant that has
submitted a complete application by the deadline (see DATES) and has
met the selection criteria listed above. Qualified applicants are
eligible to be selected to participate in the shark research fishery
for 2014. The HMS Management Division will provide the list of
qualified applicants without identifying information to the SEFSC. The
SEFSC will then evaluate the list of qualified applicants and, based on
the temporal and spatial needs of the research objectives, the
availability of observers, the availability of qualified applicants,
and the available quota for a given year, will randomly select
qualified applicants to conduct the prescribed research. Where there
are multiple qualified applicants that meet the criteria, permittees
will be randomly selected through a lottery system. If a public meeting
is deemed necessary, NMFS will announce details of a public selection
meeting in a subsequent Federal Register notice.
Once the selection process is complete, NMFS will notify the
selected applicants and issue the shark research fishery permits. The
shark research fishery permits will be valid only in calendar year
2014. If needed, NMFS will communicate with the shark research fishery
permit holders to arrange a captain's meeting to discuss the research
objectives and protocols. The shark research fishery permit holders
must contact the NMFS observer coordinator to arrange the placement of
a NMFS-approved observer for each shark research trip.
A shark research fishery permit will only be valid for the vessel
and owner(s) and terms and conditions listed on the permit, and, thus,
cannot be transferred to another vessel or owner(s). Issuance of a
shark research permit does not guarantee that the permit holder will be
assigned a NMFS-approved observer on any particular trip. Rather,
issuance indicates that a vessel may be issued a NMFS-approved observer
for a particular trip, and on such trips, may be allowed to harvest
Atlantic sharks, including sandbar sharks, in excess of the retention
limits described in 50 CFR 635.24(a). These retention limits will be
based on available quota, number of vessels participating in the 2014
shark research fishery, the research objectives set forth by the shark
board, the extent of other restrictions placed on the vessel, and may
vary by vessel and/or location. When not operating under the auspices
of the shark research fishery, the vessel would still be able to land
LCS, SCS, and pelagic sharks subject to existing retention limits on
trips without a NMFS-approved observer. The shark research permit may
be revoked or modified at any time and does not confer the right to
engage in activities beyond those listed on the shark research fishery
permit.
NMFS annually invites commercial shark permit holders (directed and
incidental) to submit an application to participate in the shark
research fishery. Permit applications can be found on the HMS
Management Division's Web site at https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/index.htm or by calling (301) 427-8503. Final decisions on the issuance
of a shark research fishery permit will depend on the submission of all
required information by the deadline (see DATES), and NMFS' review of
applicant information as outlined above. The 2014 shark research
fishery will start after the opening of the shark fishery and under
available quotas as published in a separate Federal Register final
rule.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 18, 2013.
Kelly Denit,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-28101 Filed 11-21-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
