Whaling Provisions; Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling Quotas, 2427-2428 [2018-00677]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 11 / Wednesday, January 17, 2018 / Notices Dated: January 10, 2018. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2018–00666 Filed 1–16–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Title: Alaska American Fisheries Act (AFA) Reports. OMB Control Number: 0648–0401. Form Number(s): None. Type of Request: Regular (extension of a currently approved information collection). Number of Respondents: 8. Average Hours per Response: AFA cooperative contract, 8 hours; annual cooperative report, 16 hours; inshore cooperative weekly catch report, 45 minutes; incentive plan agreement (IPA) amendment, 50 hours; incentive plan agreement disapproval appeals, 4 hours; IPA annual report, 80 hours. Burden Hours: 599. Needs and Uses: On October 21, 1998, the President signed into law The American Fisheries Act, 16 U.S.C. 1851 (AFA). The AFA authorizes the formation of fishery cooperatives in all sectors of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) pollock fishery, grants antitrust exemptions to cooperatives in the mothership sector, and imposes operational limits on fishery cooperatives in the BSAI pollock fishery. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issues a single pollock allocation to each cooperative, and the cooperative may make sub-allocations of pollock to each individual vessel owner in the cooperative. With respect to the fisheries off Alaska, the AFA Program is a suite of management measures that fall into four general regulatory categories: • Limit access into the fishing and processing sectors of the BSAI pollock fishery and that allocate pollock to such sectors (50 CFR 679.64). • Govern the formation and operation of fishery cooperatives in the BSAI VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:14 Jan 16, 2018 Jkt 244001 pollock fishery, including filing of cooperative contracts (50 CFR 679.61 and 679.62). • Protection of other fisheries from spillover effects from the AFA (50 CFR 679.64). • Govern catch measurement and monitoring in the BSAI pollock fishery, including filing of annual reports and completing and submitting inshore catcher vessel pollock cooperative catch reports (50 CFR 679.63). Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. Frequency: Annually and on occasion. Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA_Submission@ omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806. Dated: January 11, 2018. Sarah Brabson, NOAA PRA Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 2018–00691 Filed 1–16–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XF951 Whaling Provisions; Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling Quotas National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; notification of quota for bowhead whales. AGENCY: NMFS notifies the public of the aboriginal subsistence whaling quota for bowhead whales that it has assigned to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC), and of limitations on the use of the quota deriving from regulations of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). For 2018, the quota is 75 bowhead whales struck. This quota and other applicable limitations govern the harvest of bowhead whales by members of the AEWC. DATES: Applicable January 17, 2018. ADDRESSES: Office for International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 2427 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Doherty, (301) 427–8385. Aboriginal subsistence whaling in the United States is governed by the Whaling Convention Act (WCA) (16 U.S.C. 916 et seq.). Under the WCA, IWC regulations shall generally become effective with respect to all persons and vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, within 90 days of notification from the IWC Secretariat of an amendment to the IWC Schedule (16 U.S.C. 916k). Regulations that implement the WCA, found at 50 CFR 230.6, require the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to publish, at least annually, aboriginal subsistence whaling quotas and any other limitations on aboriginal subsistence whaling deriving from regulations of the IWC. At the 64th Annual Meeting of the IWC, the Commission set catch limits for aboriginal subsistence use of bowhead whales from the BeringChukchi-Beaufort Seas stock. The bowhead catch limits were based on a joint request by the United States and the Russian Federation, accompanied by documentation concerning the needs of two Native groups: Alaska Eskimos and Chukotka Natives in the Russian Far East. The IWC set a 6-year block catch limit of 336 bowhead whales landed. For each of the years 2013 through 2018, the number of bowhead whales struck may not exceed 67, except that any unused portion of a strike quota from any prior year may be carried forward. No more than 15 strikes may be added to the strike quota for any one year. At the end of the 2017 harvest, there were 15 unused strikes available for carryforward, so the combined strike quota set by the IWC for 2018 is 82 (67 + 15). An arrangement between the United States and the Russian Federation ensures that the total quota of bowhead whales landed and struck in 2018 will not exceed the limits set by the IWC. Under this arrangement, the Russian natives may use no more than seven strikes, and the Alaska Eskimos may use no more than 75 strikes. Through its cooperative agreement with the AEWC, NOAA has assigned 75 strikes to the Alaska Eskimos. The AEWC will in turn allocate these strikes among the 11 villages whose cultural and subsistence needs have been documented, and will ensure that its hunters use no more than 75 strikes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Other Limitations The IWC regulations, as well as the NOAA regulation at 50 CFR 230.4(c), forbid the taking of calves or any whale accompanied by a calf. E:\FR\FM\17JAN1.SGM 17JAN1 2428 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 11 / Wednesday, January 17, 2018 / Notices NOAA regulations (at 50 CFR 230.4) contain a number of other prohibitions relating to aboriginal subsistence whaling, some of which are summarized here: • Only licensed whaling captains or crew under the control of those captains may engage in whaling. • Captains and crew must follow the provisions of the relevant cooperative agreement between NOAA and a Native American whaling organization. • The aboriginal hunters must have adequate crew, supplies, and equipment to engage in an efficient operation. • Crew may not receive money for participating in the hunt. • No person may sell or offer for sale whale products from whales taken in the hunt, except for authentic articles of Native American handicrafts. • Captains may not continue to whale after the relevant quota is taken, after the season has been closed, or if their licenses have been suspended. They may not engage in whaling in a wasteful manner. Dated: January 11, 2018. John Henderschedt, Director, Office for International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2018–00677 Filed 1–16–18; 8:45 am] Dated: January 11, 2018. Sarah Brabson, NOAA PRA Clearance Officer. BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE [FR Doc. 2018–00690 Filed 1–16–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Title: Greater Atlantic Region Dealer Purchase Reports. OMB Control Number: 0648–0229. Form Number(s): None. Type of Request: Regular (extension of a currently approved information collection). Number of Respondents: 657. Average Hours per Response: 4 minutes. Burden Hours: 2,278. Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a currently approved information collection. Federally permitted dealers, and any individual acting in the capacity of a VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:14 Jan 16, 2018 Jkt 244001 dealer, must submit to the Regional Administrator or to the official designee a detailed report of all fish purchased or received for a commercial purpose, other than solely for transport on land, by one of the available electronic reporting mechanisms approved by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The information obtained is used by economists, biologists, and managers in the management of the fisheries. The data collection parameters are consistent with the current requirements for Federal dealers under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations; individuals or households. Frequency: Weekly. Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA_Submission@ omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Title: Southeast Region Individual Fishing Quota Programs. OMB Control Number: 0648–0551. Form Number(s): None. Type of Request: Regular (revision and extension of a currently approved information collection). Number of Respondents: 1,069. Average Hours per Response: Share Transfer Receipt form, Cost Recovery Fee Submission form, 1 minute; Share Transfer form, IFQ Close Account form, PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Cost Recovery Fee Submission form, Landing Transaction Correction Request form, Landing Location Submission form, Transfer Allocation form, Cost Recovery Fee payment through pay.gov, 3 minutes; Notification of Landing form, 5 minutes; Landing Transaction Report form, 6 minutes; IFQ Online Account Application form, 15 minutes; Wreckfish Quota Share Transfer form, 18 minutes. Burden Hours: 2,156. Needs and Uses: This request is for an extension and revision of a currently approved information collection. The NMFS Southeast Regional Office manages three commercial IFQ and individual transferable quota (ITQ) programs in the Southeast Region under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. The IFQ programs for red snapper, and grouper and tilefish occur in Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and the ITQ program for wreckfish occurs in Federal waters of the South Atlantic. This collection of information tracks the transfer and use of IFQ and ITQ shares, and IFQ allocation and landings necessary to operate, administer, and review management of the IFQ and ITQ programs. Regulations for the IFQ and ITQ programs are located at 50 CFR part 622. The NMFS Southeast Regional Office also proposes to revise parts of the information collection approved under OMB Control Number 0648–0551 to account for updates to burden time and cost estimates, as well as administrative updates to online and paper forms. NMFS intends the revisions would make instructions and data collection requirements clearer and easier to understand, resulting in more accurate and efficient information available for use by fishery managers. Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations; individuals or households. Frequency: Annually, quarterly and on occasion. Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA_Submission@ omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806. E:\FR\FM\17JAN1.SGM 17JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2427-2428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00677]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF951


Whaling Provisions; Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling Quotas

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; notification of quota for bowhead whales.

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SUMMARY: NMFS notifies the public of the aboriginal subsistence whaling 
quota for bowhead whales that it has assigned to the Alaska Eskimo 
Whaling Commission (AEWC), and of limitations on the use of the quota 
deriving from regulations of the International Whaling Commission 
(IWC). For 2018, the quota is 75 bowhead whales struck. This quota and 
other applicable limitations govern the harvest of bowhead whales by 
members of the AEWC.

DATES: Applicable January 17, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Office for International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, 
National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Doherty, (301) 427-8385.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Aboriginal subsistence whaling in the United 
States is governed by the Whaling Convention Act (WCA) (16 U.S.C. 916 
et seq.). Under the WCA, IWC regulations shall generally become 
effective with respect to all persons and vessels subject to the 
jurisdiction of the United States, within 90 days of notification from 
the IWC Secretariat of an amendment to the IWC Schedule (16 U.S.C. 
916k). Regulations that implement the WCA, found at 50 CFR 230.6, 
require the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to publish, at least 
annually, aboriginal subsistence whaling quotas and any other 
limitations on aboriginal subsistence whaling deriving from regulations 
of the IWC.
    At the 64th Annual Meeting of the IWC, the Commission set catch 
limits for aboriginal subsistence use of bowhead whales from the 
Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas stock. The bowhead catch limits were based 
on a joint request by the United States and the Russian Federation, 
accompanied by documentation concerning the needs of two Native groups: 
Alaska Eskimos and Chukotka Natives in the Russian Far East.
    The IWC set a 6-year block catch limit of 336 bowhead whales 
landed. For each of the years 2013 through 2018, the number of bowhead 
whales struck may not exceed 67, except that any unused portion of a 
strike quota from any prior year may be carried forward. No more than 
15 strikes may be added to the strike quota for any one year. At the 
end of the 2017 harvest, there were 15 unused strikes available for 
carry-forward, so the combined strike quota set by the IWC for 2018 is 
82 (67 + 15).
    An arrangement between the United States and the Russian Federation 
ensures that the total quota of bowhead whales landed and struck in 
2018 will not exceed the limits set by the IWC. Under this arrangement, 
the Russian natives may use no more than seven strikes, and the Alaska 
Eskimos may use no more than 75 strikes.
    Through its cooperative agreement with the AEWC, NOAA has assigned 
75 strikes to the Alaska Eskimos. The AEWC will in turn allocate these 
strikes among the 11 villages whose cultural and subsistence needs have 
been documented, and will ensure that its hunters use no more than 75 
strikes.

Other Limitations

    The IWC regulations, as well as the NOAA regulation at 50 CFR 
230.4(c), forbid the taking of calves or any whale accompanied by a 
calf.

[[Page 2428]]

    NOAA regulations (at 50 CFR 230.4) contain a number of other 
prohibitions relating to aboriginal subsistence whaling, some of which 
are summarized here:
     Only licensed whaling captains or crew under the control 
of those captains may engage in whaling.
     Captains and crew must follow the provisions of the 
relevant cooperative agreement between NOAA and a Native American 
whaling organization.
     The aboriginal hunters must have adequate crew, supplies, 
and equipment to engage in an efficient operation.
     Crew may not receive money for participating in the hunt.
     No person may sell or offer for sale whale products from 
whales taken in the hunt, except for authentic articles of Native 
American handicrafts.
     Captains may not continue to whale after the relevant 
quota is taken, after the season has been closed, or if their licenses 
have been suspended. They may not engage in whaling in a wasteful 
manner.

    Dated: January 11, 2018.
John Henderschedt,
Director, Office for International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-00677 Filed 1-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

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