Schedules for Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops, 58552-58554 [2023-18493]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 165 / Monday, August 28, 2023 / Notices
whether to approve or deny a permit
application. In making this decision, the
agencies will consider such factors as:
• the professional qualifications and
financial ability of the applicant as
related to the proposed activity;
• the duration of the activity and its
effects;
• the appropriateness of the methods
and procedures proposed by the
applicant for the conduct of the activity;
• the extent to which the conduct of
the activity may diminish or enhance
the qualities for which the Monument
was designated;
• the end value of the activity; and
• other such matters as agency staff
deem appropriate.
In addition to informing the agencies’
decisions on permit applications,
information submitted in permit
applications and reports submitted
pursuant to permit conditions may also
be used by the agencies to inform—
• administrative appeals of permit
decisions;
• decision making on a permit
amendment request or another permit
application; or
• other management actions (e.g.,
emergency response and enforcement).
In terms of frequency of use, the
information submitted in permit
applications will, in general, only be
used at the time the application is
submitted to make a final decision on
the application. Some of the information
may also be used subsequent to the
initial decision making to inform
management actions or decision
making. For example, a survey of a
project location by one permit applicant
may be used by the agencies in the
future to respond to a vessel grounding
in the same area to facilitate the
agencies’ decision in response to that
matter. Information submitted in a
report will be used to periodically
assess the permittee’s compliance with
permit terms and conditions and to
assist in evaluating the appropriateness
of the permitted activity.
II. Method of Collection
Respondents have a choice of either
electronic or paper forms. Methods of
submittal include email of electronic
forms, and mail and facsimile
transmission of paper forms.
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III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0548.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission,
extension of a current information
collection.
Affected Public: Individuals, nonprofit institutions; Federal, State, local,
government, Native Hawaiian
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:55 Aug 25, 2023
Jkt 259001
organizations; business or other forprofit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
411.
Estimated Time per Response:
Conservation and Management and
Education (‘‘general’’ permits), 5 hours;
Special Ocean Use permits, 10 hours;
Native Hawaiian Practices permits, 8
hours; Recreation permits, 6 hours;
permit modification requests and final
reports, 10 hours; and annual reports, 5
hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 1,343.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $61,783 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs and vessel monitoring
system installation and maintenance.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
Obtain or Retain Benefits, or Mandatory.
Legal Authority: 54 U.S.C. 320301 et
seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C.
742f, 16 U.S.C. 742l; 16 U.S.C. 1431 et
seq.
IV. Request for Comments
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs,
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023–18477 Filed 8–25–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD249]
Schedules for Atlantic Shark
Identification Workshops and
Protected Species Safe Handling,
Release, and Identification Workshops
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice of public workshops.
Free Atlantic Shark
Identification Workshops and Safe
Handling, Release, and Identification
Workshops will be held in October,
November, and December of 2023.
Certain fishermen and shark dealers are
required to attend a workshop to meet
regulatory requirements and to maintain
valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic
Shark Identification Workshop is
mandatory for all federally permitted
Atlantic shark dealers. The Safe
Handling, Release, and Identification
Workshop is mandatory for vessel
owners and operators who use bottom
longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet
gear, and who have also been issued
shark or swordfish limited access
permits. Additional free workshops will
be conducted in 2024 and will be
announced in a future notice. In
addition, NMFS has implemented
online recertification workshops for
persons who have already taken an inperson training.
SUMMARY:
We are soliciting public comments to
permit the Department/Bureau to: (a)
Evaluate whether the proposed
information collection is necessary for
the proper functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the
accuracy of our estimate of the time and
cost burden for this proposed collection,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
Evaluate ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (d) Minimize the
reporting burden on those who are to
respond, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or
summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this Information
Collection Review. Before including
your address, phone number, email
address, or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire
comment—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you may ask us in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
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cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
The Atlantic Shark Identification
Workshops will be held on October 12,
2023 and November 9, 2023. The Safe
Handling, Release, and Identification
Workshops will be held on October 19,
2023, November 7, 2023, and December
5, 2023.
DATES:
The Atlantic Shark
Identification Workshops will be held in
Mount Pleasant, SC and Largo, FL. The
Safe Handling, Release, and
Identification Workshops will be held in
Warwick, RI, Kitty Hawk, NC, and
Manahawkin, NJ.
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\28AUN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 165 / Monday, August 28, 2023 / Notices
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter Cooper by email at peter.cooper@
noaa.gov or by phone at 301–427–8503.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic
highly migratory species (HMS)
fisheries are managed under the
authority of the Atlantic Tunas
Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.)
and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The 2006
Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery
Management Plan and its amendments
are implemented by regulations at 50
CFR part 635. Section 635.8 describes
the requirements for the Atlantic Shark
Identification Workshops and Safe
Handling, Release, and Identification
Workshops. The workshop schedules,
registration information, and a list of
frequently asked questions regarding the
Atlantic Shark Identification and Safe
Handling, Release, and Identification
workshops are available online at:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantichighly-migratory-species/atlantic-sharkidentification-workshops and https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highlymigratory-species/safe-handling-releaseand-identification-workshops.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Atlantic Shark Identification
Workshops
Since January 1, 2008, Atlantic shark
dealers have been prohibited from
receiving, purchasing, trading, or
bartering for Atlantic sharks unless a
valid Atlantic Shark Identification
Workshop certificate is on the premises
of each business listed under the shark
dealer permit that first receives Atlantic
sharks (71 FR 58057, October 2, 2006).
Dealers who attend and successfully
complete a workshop are issued a
certificate for each place of business that
is permitted to receive sharks. These
certificate(s) are valid for 3 years. Thus,
certificates that were initially issued in
2020 will expire in 2023.
Currently, permitted dealers may send
a proxy to an Atlantic Shark
Identification Workshop. However, if a
dealer opts to send a proxy, the dealer
must designate a proxy for each place of
business covered by the dealer’s permit
that first receives Atlantic sharks. Only
one certificate will be issued to each
proxy. A proxy must be a person who
is currently employed by a place of
business covered by the dealer’s permit;
is a primary participant in the
identification, weighing, and/or first
receipt of fish as they are offloaded from
a vessel; and who fills out dealer
reports. Atlantic shark dealers are
prohibited from renewing a Federal
shark dealer permit unless a valid
Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:55 Aug 25, 2023
Jkt 259001
certificate for each business location
that first receives Atlantic sharks has
been submitted with the permit renewal
application. Additionally, a copy of a
valid dealer or proxy Atlantic Shark
Identification Workshop certificate must
be in any trucks or other conveyances
that are extensions of a dealer’s place of
business.
Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations
1. October 12, 2023, 12 p.m.–4 p.m.,
Holiday Inn Express Charleston NE
Mount Pleasant, 1104 Stockade Lane,
Mount Pleasant, SC 29466.
2. November 9, 2023, 12 p.m.–4 p.m.,
Hampton Inn & Suites Largo, 100 East
Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33770.
Registration
To register for a scheduled Atlantic
Shark Identification Workshop, please
contact Eric Sander at ericssharkguide@
yahoo.com or at 386–852–8588. Preregistration is highly recommended, but
not required.
Registration Materials
To ensure that workshop certificates
are linked to the correct permits,
participants will need to bring the
following specific items to the
workshop:
• Atlantic shark dealer permit holders
must bring proof that the attendee is an
owner or agent of the business (such as
articles of incorporation), a copy of the
applicable permit, and proof of
identification; and
• Atlantic shark dealer proxies must
bring documentation from the permitted
dealer acknowledging that the proxy is
attending the workshop on behalf of the
permitted Atlantic shark dealer for a
specific business location, a copy of the
appropriate valid permit, and proof of
identification.
Workshop Objectives
The Atlantic Shark Identification
Workshops are designed to reduce the
number of unknown and improperly
identified sharks reported in the dealer
reporting form and increase the
accuracy of species-specific dealerreported information. Reducing the
number of unknown and improperly
identified sharks will improve quota
monitoring and the data used in stock
assessments. These workshops will train
shark dealer permit holders or their
proxies to properly identify Atlantic
shark carcasses.
Safe Handling, Release, and
Identification Workshops
Since January 1, 2007, shark limited
access and swordfish limited access
permit holders who fish with longline
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
58553
or gillnet gear have been required to
submit a copy of their Safe Handling,
Release, and Identification Workshop
certificate in order to renew either
permit (71 FR 58057, October 2, 2006).
These certificate(s) are valid for 3 years.
Certificates issued in 2020 will expire in
2023. As such, vessel owners who have
not already attended a workshop and
received a NMFS certificate, or vessel
owners whose certificate(s) will expire
prior to the next permit renewal, must
attend a workshop to fish with, or
renew, their swordfish and shark
limited access permits. Additionally,
new shark and swordfish limited access
permit applicants who intend to fish
with longline or gillnet gear must attend
a Safe Handling, Release, and
Identification Workshop and submit a
copy of their workshop certificate before
either of the permits will be issued.
In addition to vessel owners, at least
one operator on board vessels issued a
limited access swordfish or shark permit
that uses longline or gillnet gear is
required to attend a Safe Handling,
Release, and Identification Workshop
and receive a certificate. Vessels that
have been issued a limited access
swordfish or shark permit and that use
longline or gillnet gear may not fish
unless both the vessel owner and
operator have valid workshop
certificates on board at all times. Vessel
operators who have not already
attended a workshop and received a
NMFS certificate, or vessel operators
whose certificate(s) will expire prior to
their next fishing trip, must attend a
workshop to operate a vessel with
swordfish and shark limited access
permits on which longline or gillnet
gear is used.
Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations
1. October 19, 2023, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.,
Hilton Garden Inn, 1 Thurber Street,
Warwick, RI 02886.
2. November 7, 2023, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.,
Hilton Garden Inn/Outer Banks-Kitty
Hawk, 5353 North Virginia Dare Trail,
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949.
3. December 5, 2023, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.,
The Mainland 151 Route 72 East,
Manahawkin, NJ 08050.
Registration
To register for a scheduled Safe
Handling, Release, and Identification
Workshop, please contact Angler
Conservation Education at 386–682–
0158. Pre-registration is highly
recommended, but not required.
Registration Materials
To ensure that workshop certificates
are linked to the correct permits,
participants will need to bring the
E:\FR\FM\28AUN1.SGM
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58554
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 165 / Monday, August 28, 2023 / Notices
following specific items with them to
the workshop:
• Individual vessel owners must
bring a copy of the appropriate
swordfish and/or shark permit(s), a copy
of the vessel registration or
documentation, and proof of
identification;
• Representatives of a businessowned or co-owned vessel must bring
proof that the individual is an agent of
the business (such as articles of
incorporation), a copy of the applicable
swordfish and/or shark permit(s), and
proof of identification; and
• Vessel operators must bring proof of
identification.
The Safe Handling, Release, and
Identification Workshops are designed
to teach the owner and operator of a
vessel that fisheries with longline or
gillnet gear the required techniques for
the safe handling and release of
entangled and/or hooked protected
species, such as sea turtles, marine
mammals, smalltooth sawfish, Atlantic
sturgeon, and prohibited sharks. In an
effort to improve reporting, the proper
identification of protected species and
prohibited sharks will also be taught at
these workshops. Additionally,
individuals attending these workshops
will gain a better understanding of the
requirements for participating in these
fisheries. The overall goal of these
workshops is to provide participants
with the skills needed to reduce the
mortality of protected species and
prohibited sharks, which may prevent
additional regulations on these fisheries
in the future.
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Online Recertification Workshops
NMFS implemented an online option
for shark dealers and owners and
operators of vessels that fish with
longline and gillnet gear to renew their
certificates in December 2021. To be
eligible for online recertification
workshops, dealers and vessel owners
and operators need to have previously
attended an in-person workshop.
Information about the courses is
available online at https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highlymigratory-species/atlantic-sharkidentification-workshops and https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highlymigratory-species/safe-handling-releaseand-identification-workshops. To access
the course please visit: https://
hmsworkshop.fisheries.noaa.gov/start.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
15:55 Aug 25, 2023
[FR Doc. 2023–18493 Filed 8–25–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD277]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod Trawl
Cooperative Program; Public
Workshop
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of public workshop.
AGENCY:
Workshop Objectives
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Dated: August 23, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service.
Jkt 259001
NMFS will present a public
workshop on the implementation of the
Pacific cod Trawl Cooperative Program
(PCTC Program or Program) for
potentially eligible participants and
other interested parties. The PCTC
Program allocates Pacific cod harvest
quota to qualifying groundfish License
Limitation Program (LLP) license
holders and qualifying processors and
requires participants to form
cooperatives to harvest the quota. At the
workshop, NMFS will provide an
overview of the PCTC Program, discuss
the key PCTC Program elements,
describe the process for participating in
the Program, and answer questions.
NMFS is conducting this public
workshop to provide assistance to
fishery participants in understanding
and reviewing this Program.
DATES: The same workshop will be
presented in Seattle and then via
webinar. The first workshop will be
held in-person on Wednesday,
September 20, 2023 from 5:30 to 7:30
p.m. Pacific Standard Time in Seattle,
Washington and will not have a webinar
option. The second workshop will be
held via webinar on Wednesday,
September 27, 2023 from 5:30 to 7:30
p.m. Alaska Standard Time.
ADDRESSES: The first workshop on
September 20 will be held in Seattle,
Washington at The Mountaineers Seattle
Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way
NE, Seattle, WA 98115. The second
workshop will be held via webinar and
the link to the meeting is: https://
meet.google.com/oky-ajgw-nhm. A
phone connect is also available by
calling +1 502–518–3401 and entering
the following pin number: 163 659
782#.
SUMMARY:
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephanie Warpinski,
stephanie.warpinski@noaa.gov, (907)586–7234.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
published a final rule that implements
Amendment 122 to the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area
(BSAI) Groundfish Fishery Management
Plan (FMP) on (88 FR 53704, August 8,
2023). The PCTC Program assigns
Pacific cod harvest quota to qualifying
groundfish LLP license holders and
qualifying processors. The Program is a
limited access privilege program for the
harvest of Pacific cod in the BSAI trawl
catcher vessel (CV) sector. Under the
Program, participants holding quota
share (QS) form harvesting cooperatives
in association with a processor to
harvest the annual harvest privilege of
Pacific cod.
The PCTC Program implements a
complex suite of measures to improve
fishery conditions for all participants.
This Program establishes criteria for
harvesters and processors in the BSAI
trawl CV sector Pacific cod fishery to
qualify for and receive QS, criteria for
allocating QS in the initial year of
implementation, and criteria for the
transfer of QS. QS holders are required
to join a cooperative (harvesters) or
associate with a cooperative
(processors). The aggregate QS of
cooperative members and associated
processors yields an exclusive harvest
privilege for PCTC Program
cooperatives, which NMFS will issue as
cooperative quota (CQ) each year. CQ
represents a portion of the A and B
season BSAI trawl CV sector Pacific cod
Directed Fishing Allowance (DFA). Of
the total annual CQ, 77.5 percent is
derived from QS issued to LLP licenses,
and 22.5 percent is derived from QS
issued to processors. The DFA for the C
season remains available for harvest as
a limited access fishery open to all CVs
with the required trawl gear and area
endorsements on the LLP license
assigned to the vessel.
As required under Magnuson-Stevens
Act section 303A(c)(5)(D), the PCTC
Program includes ownership and use
caps to prevent a permit holder from
acquiring an excessive share of the
fishery. No person is permitted to hold
more than 5 percent of harvester-issued
QS or 20 percent of processor-issued
QS. In addition, no vessel is allowed to
harvest more than 5 percent of the
annual CQ, and no company is allowed
to process more than 20 percent of the
annual CQ. The PCTC Program also
includes legacy exemptions for persons
over these ownership and use caps at
the time of PCTC Program
E:\FR\FM\28AUN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 165 (Monday, August 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58552-58554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18493]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD249]
Schedules for Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and
Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public workshops.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Safe
Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in
October, November, and December of 2023. Certain fishermen and shark
dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory
requirements and to maintain valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic
Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all federally permitted
Atlantic shark dealers. The Safe Handling, Release, and Identification
Workshop is mandatory for vessel owners and operators who use bottom
longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear, and who have also been
issued shark or swordfish limited access permits. Additional free
workshops will be conducted in 2024 and will be announced in a future
notice. In addition, NMFS has implemented online recertification
workshops for persons who have already taken an in-person training.
DATES: The Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops will be held on
October 12, 2023 and November 9, 2023. The Safe Handling, Release, and
Identification Workshops will be held on October 19, 2023, November 7,
2023, and December 5, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops will be held in
Mount Pleasant, SC and Largo, FL. The Safe Handling, Release, and
Identification Workshops will be held in Warwick, RI, Kitty Hawk, NC,
and Manahawkin, NJ.
[[Page 58553]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Cooper by email at
[email protected] or by phone at 301-427-8503.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS)
fisheries are managed under the authority of the Atlantic Tunas
Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The 2006
Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan and its amendments
are implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635. Section 635.8
describes the requirements for the Atlantic Shark Identification
Workshops and Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops. The
workshop schedules, registration information, and a list of frequently
asked questions regarding the Atlantic Shark Identification and Safe
Handling, Release, and Identification workshops are available online
at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/atlantic-shark-identification-workshops and https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/safe-handling-release-and-identification-workshops.
Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops
Since January 1, 2008, Atlantic shark dealers have been prohibited
from receiving, purchasing, trading, or bartering for Atlantic sharks
unless a valid Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop certificate is on
the premises of each business listed under the shark dealer permit that
first receives Atlantic sharks (71 FR 58057, October 2, 2006). Dealers
who attend and successfully complete a workshop are issued a
certificate for each place of business that is permitted to receive
sharks. These certificate(s) are valid for 3 years. Thus, certificates
that were initially issued in 2020 will expire in 2023.
Currently, permitted dealers may send a proxy to an Atlantic Shark
Identification Workshop. However, if a dealer opts to send a proxy, the
dealer must designate a proxy for each place of business covered by the
dealer's permit that first receives Atlantic sharks. Only one
certificate will be issued to each proxy. A proxy must be a person who
is currently employed by a place of business covered by the dealer's
permit; is a primary participant in the identification, weighing, and/
or first receipt of fish as they are offloaded from a vessel; and who
fills out dealer reports. Atlantic shark dealers are prohibited from
renewing a Federal shark dealer permit unless a valid Atlantic Shark
Identification Workshop certificate for each business location that
first receives Atlantic sharks has been submitted with the permit
renewal application. Additionally, a copy of a valid dealer or proxy
Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop certificate must be in any
trucks or other conveyances that are extensions of a dealer's place of
business.
Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations
1. October 12, 2023, 12 p.m.-4 p.m., Holiday Inn Express Charleston
NE Mount Pleasant, 1104 Stockade Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466.
2. November 9, 2023, 12 p.m.-4 p.m., Hampton Inn & Suites Largo,
100 East Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33770.
Registration
To register for a scheduled Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop,
please contact Eric Sander at [email protected] or at 386-852-
8588. Pre-registration is highly recommended, but not required.
Registration Materials
To ensure that workshop certificates are linked to the correct
permits, participants will need to bring the following specific items
to the workshop:
Atlantic shark dealer permit holders must bring proof that
the attendee is an owner or agent of the business (such as articles of
incorporation), a copy of the applicable permit, and proof of
identification; and
Atlantic shark dealer proxies must bring documentation
from the permitted dealer acknowledging that the proxy is attending the
workshop on behalf of the permitted Atlantic shark dealer for a
specific business location, a copy of the appropriate valid permit, and
proof of identification.
Workshop Objectives
The Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops are designed to reduce
the number of unknown and improperly identified sharks reported in the
dealer reporting form and increase the accuracy of species-specific
dealer-reported information. Reducing the number of unknown and
improperly identified sharks will improve quota monitoring and the data
used in stock assessments. These workshops will train shark dealer
permit holders or their proxies to properly identify Atlantic shark
carcasses.
Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops
Since January 1, 2007, shark limited access and swordfish limited
access permit holders who fish with longline or gillnet gear have been
required to submit a copy of their Safe Handling, Release, and
Identification Workshop certificate in order to renew either permit (71
FR 58057, October 2, 2006). These certificate(s) are valid for 3 years.
Certificates issued in 2020 will expire in 2023. As such, vessel owners
who have not already attended a workshop and received a NMFS
certificate, or vessel owners whose certificate(s) will expire prior to
the next permit renewal, must attend a workshop to fish with, or renew,
their swordfish and shark limited access permits. Additionally, new
shark and swordfish limited access permit applicants who intend to fish
with longline or gillnet gear must attend a Safe Handling, Release, and
Identification Workshop and submit a copy of their workshop certificate
before either of the permits will be issued.
In addition to vessel owners, at least one operator on board
vessels issued a limited access swordfish or shark permit that uses
longline or gillnet gear is required to attend a Safe Handling,
Release, and Identification Workshop and receive a certificate. Vessels
that have been issued a limited access swordfish or shark permit and
that use longline or gillnet gear may not fish unless both the vessel
owner and operator have valid workshop certificates on board at all
times. Vessel operators who have not already attended a workshop and
received a NMFS certificate, or vessel operators whose certificate(s)
will expire prior to their next fishing trip, must attend a workshop to
operate a vessel with swordfish and shark limited access permits on
which longline or gillnet gear is used.
Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations
1. October 19, 2023, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, 1 Thurber
Street, Warwick, RI 02886.
2. November 7, 2023, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn/Outer Banks-
Kitty Hawk, 5353 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949.
3. December 5, 2023, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., The Mainland 151 Route 72 East,
Manahawkin, NJ 08050.
Registration
To register for a scheduled Safe Handling, Release, and
Identification Workshop, please contact Angler Conservation Education
at 386-682-0158. Pre-registration is highly recommended, but not
required.
Registration Materials
To ensure that workshop certificates are linked to the correct
permits, participants will need to bring the
[[Page 58554]]
following specific items with them to the workshop:
Individual vessel owners must bring a copy of the
appropriate swordfish and/or shark permit(s), a copy of the vessel
registration or documentation, and proof of identification;
Representatives of a business-owned or co-owned vessel
must bring proof that the individual is an agent of the business (such
as articles of incorporation), a copy of the applicable swordfish and/
or shark permit(s), and proof of identification; and
Vessel operators must bring proof of identification.
Workshop Objectives
The Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops are
designed to teach the owner and operator of a vessel that fisheries
with longline or gillnet gear the required techniques for the safe
handling and release of entangled and/or hooked protected species, such
as sea turtles, marine mammals, smalltooth sawfish, Atlantic sturgeon,
and prohibited sharks. In an effort to improve reporting, the proper
identification of protected species and prohibited sharks will also be
taught at these workshops. Additionally, individuals attending these
workshops will gain a better understanding of the requirements for
participating in these fisheries. The overall goal of these workshops
is to provide participants with the skills needed to reduce the
mortality of protected species and prohibited sharks, which may prevent
additional regulations on these fisheries in the future.
Online Recertification Workshops
NMFS implemented an online option for shark dealers and owners and
operators of vessels that fish with longline and gillnet gear to renew
their certificates in December 2021. To be eligible for online
recertification workshops, dealers and vessel owners and operators need
to have previously attended an in-person workshop. Information about
the courses is available online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/atlantic-shark-identification-workshops and https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/safe-handling-release-and-identification-workshops. To access
the course please visit: https://hmsworkshop.fisheries.noaa.gov/start.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 23, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-18493 Filed 8-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
