Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 57 / Thursday, March 24, 2011 / Notices 16617 

or Cheri McCarty (ph. 301–713–9090). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Shark 

Conservation Act of 2010 (S.850) 

amended the Moratorium Protection Act 

(16 U.S.C.1826d–k) to require actions be 

taken by the United States to strengthen 

shark conservation. Specifically, these 

amendments to the Moratorium 

Protection Act require the Secretary of 

Commerce to identify nations whose 

fishing vessels are engaged, or have 

been engaged during the preceding 

calendar year, in fishing activities or 

practices in waters beyond any national 

jurisdiction that target or incidentally 

catch sharks and the nation has not 

adopted a regulatory program to provide 

for the conservation of sharks, including 

measures to prohibit removal of any of 

the fins of a shark (including the tail) 

and discarding the carcass of the shark 

at sea, that is comparable to that of the 

United States, taking into account 

different conditions. The Secretary is 

required to begin making identifications 

not later than January 4, 2012. 

The Moratorium Protection Act also 

requires the Secretary of Commerce to 

certify whether each nation identified 

has taken the following steps to warrant 

receipt of a positive certification: 

Provided documentary evidence of 

adoption of a regulatory program that is 

comparable to that of the United States, 

taking into account different conditions 

and established a management plan 

containing requirements that will assist 

in gathering species-specific data. If a 

nation does not receive a positive 

certification by the Secretary of 

Commerce, it could be subject to 

sanctions under the High Seas Driftnet 

Fisheries Enforcement Act (Enforcement 

Act) (16 U.S.C. 1826a). 

In fulfillment of its requirements 

under the Moratorium Protection Act, 

NMFS is in the process of collecting and 

analyzing information on nations whose 

vessels target or incidentally catch 

sharks in waters beyond any national 

jurisdiction in anticipation of making 

identifications by January 4, 2012. 

NMFS is soliciting information from the 

public that could assist in its 

identification of nations engaged in 

such activities. Information that may 

prove useful to NMFS includes: 

• Documentation (photographs, etc.) 

of fishing vessels engaged in targeted or 

incidental catch of sharks on the high 

seas; 

• Fishing vessel records; 

• Trade data supporting evidence that 

a nation’s vessels are engaged in shark 

catch; 

• Reports from off-loading facilities, 

port-side government officials, 

enforcement agents, military personnel, 

port inspectors, transshipment vessel 

workers and fish importers; 

• RFMO catch documents and 

statistical document programs, as 

appropriate; 

• Nation’s domestic regulations for 

shark conservation and management; 

and 

• Reports from governments, 

international organizations, or 

nongovernmental organizations. 

NMFS will consider all available 

information, as appropriate, when 

making a determination whether or not 

to identify a particular nation whose 

fishing vessels are engaged, or have 

been engaged during the preceding 

calendar year, in fishing activities or 

practices in waters beyond any national 

jurisdiction that target or incidentally 

catch sharks and the nation has not 

adopted a regulatory program to provide 

for the conservation of sharks, including 

measures to prohibit removal of any of 

the fins of a shark (including the tail) 

and discarding the carcass of the shark 

at sea, that is comparable to that of the 

United States, taking into account 

different conditions. NMFS is interested 

in information on shark fishing activity 

during calendar year 2011. Information 

should be as specific as possible to 

assist NMFS in its review. 

NMFS will consider several criteria 

when determining whether information 

is appropriate for use in making 

identifications, including but not 

limited to: 

• Corroboration of information; 

• Whether multiple sources have 

been able to provide information in 

support of an identification; 

• The methodology used to collect 

the information; 

• Specificity of the information 

provided; 

• Susceptibility of the information to 

falsification and alteration; and 

• Credibility of the individuals or 

organization providing the information. 

On January 12, 2011, NMFS 

published a final rule to implement both 

the identification and certification 

procedures for nations whose vessels 

were engaged in illegal, unreported, or 

unregulated (IUU) fishing or bycatch of 

protected living marine resources. 

NMFS plans to publish a proposed rule 

to establish the identification and 

certification procedures for nations 

whose fishing vessels are engaged in 

fishing activities or practices in waters 

beyond any national jurisdiction that 

target or incidentally catch sharks if the 

nation has not adopted a regulatory 

program for the conservation of sharks 

that is comparable to that of the United 

States, taking into account different 

conditions. 

Dated: March 21, 2011. 

Rebecca Lent, 

Director, Office of International Affairs, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6980 Filed 3–21–11; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA315 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council (MAFMC); Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council (Council) and its 

Ecosystems and Ocean Planning 

Committee, its Squid, Mackerel, and 

Butterfish Committee, its Spiny Dogfish 

Committee, and its Executive 

Committee will hold public meetings. 

DATES: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 through 

Thursday, April 14, 2011. On Tuesday, 

April 12—The Ecosystems and Ocean 

Planning Committee will meet from 2 

p.m. until 5 p.m. On Wednesday, April 

13—The Squid, Mackerel, and 

Butterfish Committee will meet from 

8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. From 11 a.m. 

until 12 p.m. there will be a Squid 

Trawl Proposed Rule Highly Migratory 

Species (HMS) Presentation. From 1 

p.m. to 3 p.m. there will be a 

continuation of the Squid, Mackerel, 

and Butterfish Committee. The Spiny 

Dogfish Committee will meet from 3 

p.m. until 5 p.m. There will be a Public 

Listening Session from 5 p.m. until 6 

p.m. On Thursday, April 14—The 

Executive Committee will meet from 8 

a.m. until 9 a.m. The Council will 

convene at 9 a.m. A 3–Year 

Standardized Bycatch Reporting 

Methodology Report (SBRM) will be 

from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. There will be 

a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) 

Presentation from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. 

From 11 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. the 

Council will receive an Update on 

Amendment 6 to the Monkfish Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP). The Council 

will hold its regular Business Session 

from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. to 

approve the February 2011 minutes, 

receive Organizational Reports, the 

South Atlantic Liaison Report, the 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
16618 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 57 / Thursday, March 24, 2011 / Notices 

Executive Director’s Report, the Science 

Report, Committee Reports, and conduct 

any continuing and/or new business. 

ADDRESSES: Historic Inns of Annapolis, 

58 State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401; 

telephone: (410) 263–2641. 

Council Address: Mid-Atlantic 

Fishery Management Council, 800 N. 

State St., Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; 

telephone: 302–674–2331. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christopher M. Moore, PhD, Executive 

Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council; telephone: 302– 

526–5255. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Agenda 

items by day for the Council’s 

Committees and the Council itself are: 

On Tuesday, April 12—The Ecosystems 

and Oceans Planning Committee will 

prioritize recommendations from the 

December Workshop. On Wednesday, 

April 13—The Squid, Mackerel, and 

Butterfish Committee will review 

Advisory Panel (AP) Membership, 

review Amendment 14 analysis and 

direct the Fishery Management Action 

Team (FMAT), and adjust Amendment 

14 range of alternatives as appropriate. 

The Council will hear an HMS 

presentation on the Squid Trawl 

Proposed Rule and look at options to 

minimize discards of swordfish in the 

Illex fishery and the trawl retention 

limits for incidental catch of smooth 

dogfish. The Spiny Dogfish Committee 

will identify action alternatives for 

Amendment 3. There will be a Public 

Listening Session where the Council 

invites the public to engage Council 

leadership and NMFS representatives in 

a Q & A roundtable session. Those in 

attendance will be able to ask questions 

or comment on any issue related to MidAtlantic Fisheries Management 

including annual specifications, 

ecosystem management, bycatch 

reduction, catch shares, etc. On 

Thursday, April 14—The Executive 

Committee will discuss the Council 

budget, the process and timeline for 

2012 specifications, the AP Performance 

Report, the ecosystem based fisheries 

management goals and objectives, the 

Advisory Panel composition and 

governance, Council communications, 

and hold a NRCC Meeting review. Dr. 

Paul Rago will provide the Council with 

a presentation regarding the 3-Year 

SBRM Report. The Council will hear a 

BOEMRE presentation which will 

provide the Council with an overview of 

offshore wind energy, introduction to 

the Smart from the Start Energy 

Initiative, and an overview of the 

Proposed Mid-Atlantic Wind Energy 

Areas. Howard King will provide the 

Council with an update on Amendment 

6 to the Monkfish FMP. The Council 

will hold its regular Business Session to 

approve the February 2011 minutes, 

receive Organizational Reports, hear the 

South Atlantic Liaison Report, the 

Executive Director’s Report, the Science 

Report, Committee Reports, and conduct 

any continuing and/or new business. 

Special Accommodations 

This meeting is 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 

five days prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: March 21, 2011. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6954 Filed 3–23–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA317 

Western Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

hold meetings of its Hawaii Advisory 

Panel (AP), Hawaii Plan Team (PT), 

Pelagic PT and Regional Ecosystem 

Advisory Committee (REAC). 

DATES: The Hawaii PT meeting will be 

held on April 12 to 13, 2011, Hawaii AP 

meeting on April 13 to 14, 2011, and 

Hawaii REAC meeting on April 20, 

2011. The Pelagic PT meeting will be 

held on April 26 to 28, 2011. For 

specific times and agendas, see 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

ADDRESSES: The Hawaii AP, PT, REAC 

and Pelagic PT meetings will be held at 

the Council Office Conference Room, 

1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, 

Honolulu, Hawaii. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; 

telephone: (808) 522–8220. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public 

comment periods will be provided 

throughout the agendas. The order in 

which agenda items are addressed may 

change. The meetings will run as late as 

necessary to complete scheduled 

business. 

Schedule and Agenda for Hawaii PT 

Meeting 

9 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 

April 12–13, 2011 

The Hawaii PT will meet to hear 

reports on, discuss and consider 

developing recommendations on the 

following upcoming Council meeting 

actions: 

1. Status of Fishery Monitoring 

Programs and Research Projects 

A. Coral Reef Fisheries 

B. Crustacean Fisheries 

C. Precious Coral Fisheries 

D. Pacific Islands Regional Office 

(PIRO) Administrative Activities 

E. Bottomfish Fisheries 

i. Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) Total 

Allowable Catch (TAC) Monitoring 

ii. Market/Economic Report 

iii. PIRO Report on TAC and Annual 

Catch Limits (ACL) process update 

iv. Recreational permit and reporting 

2. Hawaii Archipelago Fishery 

Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Draft Annual 

Report Structure 

3. Improving Fishery Data Collection 

and Research 

A. Update on Recommendations from 

2009 Fishery Data Workshop 

B. Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) FiveYear Priorities 

C. Review of Cooperative Research 

D. Review of PT Risk Ranking Results 

for Stock Assessment and ACLs 

4. Other Business 

5. National Fisheries Mandates 

A. Coastal and Marine Spatial 

Planning (CMSP) 

i. Overview of CMSP 

ii. Community CMSP Workshop Plans 

B. Update on ACLs 

C. Report on ACL and Catch Share 

Workshops 

6. Upcoming Fishery Management 

Actions 

A. Options for Non-Commercial 

Fishery Data Reporting 

B. Hawaiian Archipelago Bottomfish 

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Habitat 

Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) 

Review 

C. Status of State Bottomfish 

Regulatory Changes 

D. Options for Limited Entry of 

Offshore Aquaculture 

7. Coral Reef Funded Projects 

A. Kona Crab Stock Assessment 

B. Black Coral Mapping 

C. Deepwater Chorusing Phenomenon 

D. Report on Tournament Sampling 

E. Upcoming Coral Reef Projects 

Schedule and Agenda for Hawaii AP 

Meeting 

9 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday to Thursday, 

April 13–14, 2011 

The Hawaii AP will meet to hear 

reports on, discuss and consider 


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