Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 38 / Friday, February 25, 2011 / Notices 10563 

interpretation and/other auxiliary aids, 

please contact Mr. Miguel A. Rolo ́n, 

Executive Director, Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council, 268 Mun ̃ oz 

Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan, 

Puerto Rico 00918–1920, telephone: 

(787) 766–5926, at least 5 days prior to 

the meeting date. 

Dated: February 22, 2011. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–4284 Filed 2–24–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA166 

Nominations for the Western and 

Central Pacific Fisheries Commission 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Request for nominations. 

SUMMARY: NMFS, on behalf of the 

Secretary of Commerce, is seeking 

nominations for the advisory committee 

established under the Western and 

Central Pacific Fisheries Convention 

Implementation Act (Act). The advisory 

committee, to be composed of 

individuals from groups concerned with 

the fisheries covered by the Western and 

Central Pacific Fisheries Convention 

(Convention), will be given the 

opportunity to provide input to the 

United States Commissioners to the 

Western and Central Pacific Fisheries 

Commission (Commission) regarding 

the deliberations and decisions of the 

Commission. 

DATES: Nominations must be received 

no later than April 11, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be 

directed to Michael Tosatto, Acting 

Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific 

Islands Regional Office, and may be 

submitted by any of the following 

means: 

• E-mail: pir.wcpfc@noaa.gov. 

Include in the subject line the following 

document identifier: ‘‘Advisory 

committee nominations’’. E-mail 

comments, with or without attachments, 

are limited to 5 megabytes. 

• Mail or hand delivery: 1601 

Kapiolani Blvd. Suite 1110, Honolulu, 

HI 96814. 

• Facsimile: 808–973–2941. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Oriana Villar, NMFS Pacific Islands 

Regional Office; telephone: 808–944– 

2256; facsimile: 808–973–2941; e-mail: 

Oriana.Villar@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

The Convention and the Commission 

The objective of the Convention is to 

ensure, through effective management, 

the long-term conservation and 

sustainable use of highly migratory fish 

stocks in the western and central Pacific 

Ocean in accordance with the United 

Nations Convention on the Law of the 

Sea of 10 December 1982 (UNCLOS) and 

the Agreement for the Implementation 

of the Provisions of the UNCLOS 

Relating to the Conservation and 

Management of Straddling Fish Stocks 

and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. The 

Convention establishes the Commission, 

the secretariat of which is based in 

Pohnpei, Federated States of 

Micronesia. 

The Convention applies to all highly 

migratory fish stocks (defined as all fish 

stocks of the species listed in Annex I 

of the UNCLOS occurring in the 

Convention Area, and such other 

species of fish as the Commission may 

determine), except sauries. 

The United States played a very active 

role in supporting the negotiations and 

the development of the Convention and 

signed the Convention when it was 

opened for signature in 2000. It 

participated as a cooperating nonmember of the Commission since it 

became operational in 2005. The United 

States became a Contracting Party to the 

Convention and a full member of the 

Commission when it ratified the 

Convention in January 2007. Under the 

Act, the United States will be 

represented on the Commission by five 

United States Commissioners, 

appointed by the President. 

Advisory Committee 

The Act (16 U.S.C. 6902) provides (in 

section 6902(d)) that the Secretary of 

Commerce, in consultation with the 

United States Commissioners to the 

Commission, will appoint certain 

members of the advisory committee 

established under the Act. 

The members to be appointed to the 

advisory committee are to include not 

less than 15 nor more than 20 

individuals selected from the various 

groups concerned with the fisheries 

covered by the Convention, providing, 

to the extent practicable, an equitable 

balance among such groups. On behalf 

of the Secretary of Commerce, NMFS is 

now seeking nominations for these 

appointments. 

In addition to the 15–20 appointed 

members, the advisory committee also 

includes the chair of the Western Pacific 

Fishery Management Council’s 

Advisory Committee (or designee), and 

officials of the fisheries management 

authorities of American Samoa, Guam, 

and the Northern Mariana Islands (or 

their designees). 

Members of the advisory committee 

will be invited to attend all nonexecutive meetings of the United States 

Commissioners to the Commission and 

at such meetings will be given 

opportunity to examine and be heard on 

all proposed programs of investigation, 

reports, recommendations, and 

regulations of the Commission. 

Each appointed member of the 

advisory committee will serve for a term 

of two years and is eligible for 

reappointment. 

The Secretaries of Commerce and 

State will furnish the advisory 

committee with relevant information 

concerning fisheries and international 

fishery agreements. 

NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of 

Commerce, will provide to the advisory 

committee administrative and technical 

support services as are necessary for its 

effective functioning. 

Appointed members of the advisory 

committee will serve without pay, but 

while away from their homes or regular 

places of business in the performance of 

services for the advisory committee will 

be allowed travel expenses, including 

per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the 

same manner as persons employed 

intermittently in the Government 

service are allowed expenses under 

section 5703 of title 5, United States 

Code. They will not be considered 

Federal employees while performing 

service as members of the advisory 

committee except for the purposes of 

injury compensation or tort claims 

liability as provided in chapter 81 of 

title 5, United States Code and Chapter 

171 of title 28, United States Code. 

Procedure for Submitting Nominations 

Nominations for the advisory 

committee should be submitted to 

NMFS (see ADDRESSES). Self 

nominations are acceptable. 

Nominations should include the 

following information: (1) Full name, 

address, telephone, facsimile, and email of nominee; (2) nominee’s 

organization(s) or professional 

affiliation(s) serving as the basis for the 

nomination, if any; and (3) a 

background statement, not to exceed 

one page in length, describing the 

nominee’s qualifications, experience 

and interests, specifically as related to 

the fisheries covered by the Convention. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
10564 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 38 / Friday, February 25, 2011 / Notices 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 6902. 

Dated: February 22, 2011. 

Margo Schulze-Haugen, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–4296 Filed 2–24–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA191 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; St. George Reef 

Light Station Restoration and 

Maintenance at Northwest Seal Rock, 

Del Norte County, CA 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of an incidental 

take authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

regulations implementing the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as 

amended, notification is hereby given 

that NMFS has issued an Incidental 

Harassment Authorization (IHA) to the 

St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation 

Society (SGRLPS) to incidentally harass, 

by Level B harassment only, four 

species of marine mammals during 

aircraft operations, and lighthouse 

renovation and light maintenance 

activities on the St. George Reef Light 

Station on Northwest Seal Rock (NWSR) 

in the northeast Pacific Ocean, from the 

period of February 18, 2011, through 

April 30, 2011, or during the period of 

November 1, 2011, through December 

31, 2011. 

DATES: This authorization is effective 

from February 18, 2011, through April 

30, 2011, and during the period of 

November 1, 2011, through December 

31, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: A copy of the IHA and 

application are available by writing to P. 

Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910. A copy of the application 

containing a list of the references used 

in this document may be obtained by 

writing to the above address, 

telephoning the contact listed here (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) or 

visiting the Internet at: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ 

incidental.htm#applications. The 

following associated documents are also 

available at the same Internet address: 

Environmental Assessment (EA) 

prepared by NMFS; and the finding of 

no significant impact (FONSI). 

Documents cited in this notice may be 

viewed, by appointment, during regular 

business hours, at the aforementioned 

address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeannine Cody, NMFS, Office of 

Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 713– 

2289 or Monica DeAngelis, NMFS 

Southwest Regional Office, (562) 980– 

3232. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA (16 

U.S.C. 1371(a)(5)(D)) directs the 

Secretary of Commerce to authorize, 

upon request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking by harassment of 

small numbers of marine mammals of a 

species or population stock, by United 

States citizens who engage in a specified 

activity (other than commercial fishing) 

within a specified geographical region if 

certain findings are made, and a notice 

of a proposed authorization is provided 

to the public for review. 

Authorization for incidental taking of 

small numbers of marine mammals shall 

be granted if NMFS finds that the taking 

will have a negligible impact on the 

species or stock(s), and will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the species or stock(s) for 

subsistence uses (where relevant). The 

authorization must set forth the 

permissible methods of taking, other 

means of effecting the least practicable 

adverse impact on the species or stock 

and its habitat, and monitoring and 

reporting of such takings. NMFS has 

defined ‘‘negligible impact’’ in 50 CFR 

216.103 as ‘‘* * * an impact resulting 

from the specified activity that cannot 

be reasonably expected to, and is not 

reasonably likely to, adversely affect the 

species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival.’’ 

Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA 

establishes a 45-day time limit for 

NMFS’ review of an application 

followed by a 30-day public notice and 

comment period on any proposed 

authorizations for the incidental 

harassment of small numbers of marine 

mammals. Within 45 days of the close 

of the public comment period, NMFS 

must either issue or deny the 

authorization. 

Except with respect to certain 

activities not pertinent here, the MMPA 

defines ‘‘harassment’’ as: 

any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance 

which (i) has the potential to injure a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild 

[Level A harassment]; or (ii) has the potential 

to disturb a marine mammal or marine 

mammal stock in the wild by causing 

disruption of behavioral patterns, including, 

but not limited to, migration, breathing, 

nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering 

[Level B harassment]. 

Summary of Request 

NMFS received a letter on October 13, 

2010, from the SGRLPS requesting the 

taking by harassment, of small numbers 

of marine mammals, incidental to 

aircraft operations and restoration and 

maintenance activities on the St. George 

Reef Light Station (Station). At NMFS’ 

request, the SGRLPS submitted a 

complete and adequate application on 

November 3, 2010. The SGRLPS aims to: 

(1) Restore and preserve the Station on 

a monthly basis (November 1–April 30, 

annually); and (2) perform periodic, 

annual maintenance on the Station’s 

optical light system. 

The Station, which is listed in the 

National Park Service’s National 

Register of Historic Places, is located on 

Northwest Seal Rock (NWSR) offshore 

of Crescent City, California in the 

northeast Pacific Ocean. 

The specified activities would occur 

in the vicinity of a possible pinniped 

haul out site located on NWSR. 

Acoustic and visual stimuli generated 

by: (1) Helicopter landings/takeoffs; (2) 

noise generated during restoration 

activities (e.g., painting, plastering, 

welding, and glazing); (3) maintenance 

activities (e.g., bulb replacement and 

automation of the light system); and (4) 

human presence, may have the potential 

to cause any pinnipeds hauled out on 

NWSR to flush into the surrounding 

water or to cause a short-term 

behavioral disturbance. These types of 

disturbances are the principal means of 

marine mammal taking associated with 

these activities and the SGRLPS has 

requested an authorization to take 204 

California sea lions (Zalophus 

californianus); 36 Pacific Harbor seals 

(Phoca vitulina); 172 Steller sea lions 

(Eumetopias jubatus); and six northern 

fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) by Level 

B harassment. 

Description of the Specified Activity 

SGRLPS would conduct the proposed 

activities (aircraft operations, lighthouse 

restoration, and light maintenance 

activities) between February 18, 2011, 

through April 30, 2011, and during the 

period of November 1, 2011, through 

December 31, 2011, at a maximum 

frequency of one session per month. The 

duration for each session would last no 

more than three days (e.g., Friday, 

Saturday, and Sunday). 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES