Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 19, 2011 / Notices 21861 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA323 

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Northeast Multispecies 

Fishery; Approved Sector Monitoring 

Service Providers 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notification of NMFS-approved 

sector monitoring service providers. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces that 

the Administrator, Northeast Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator) has 

approved five service providers who 

applied as eligible to provide dockside 

and/or at-sea monitoring services to 

Northeast (NE) multispecies sectors in 

FY 2011. Amendment 16 to the NE 

Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP) expanded sector management in 

the NE multispecies fishery, including a 

requirement for independent, thirdparty dockside and at-sea monitoring of 

sector trips beginning in fishing years 

(FY) 2010 and 2012, respectively; 

however, sectors could elect to have an 

at-sea monitoring program starting in FY 

2010. Regulations implementing 

Amendment 16 require such third-party 

monitoring service providers to apply 

to, and be approved by, NMFS in a 

manner consistent with the 

Administrative Procedure Act in order 

to be eligible to provide dockside and/ 

or at-sea monitoring services to sectors. 

The regulations specify application 

requirements and criteria for the 

approval of service providers, which 

potential providers must demonstrate 

their compliance with as part of an 

application for approval by NMFS. 

Consistent with these regulatory 

requirements, the Regional 

Administrator received and reviewed 

applications from five monitoring 

service providers for approval to 

provide dockside and/or at-sea 

monitoring services to NE multispecies 

sectors in FY 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the list of NMFSapproved sector monitoring service 

providers are available at http:// 

www.nero.noaa.gov/sfd/ 

sfdmultisector.html or by sending a 

written request to: 

• Fax: (978) 281–9135, Attn: Mark 

Grant. 

• Mail: 55 Great Republic Drive, 

Gloucester, MA 01930, Attn: Mark 

Grant. 

For service provider contact 

information, see the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this notice. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark Grant, Sector Policy Analyst, (978) 

281–9145, fax (978) 281–9135, e-mail 

Mark.Grant@NOAA.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Amendment 16 to the FMP expanded 

the sector management program, 

including adding a requirement to 

ensure accurate monitoring of sector 

catch at sea and landings dockside. The 

regulations implementing Amendment 

16 required (75 FR 18262; April 9, 2010) 

dockside monitoring (DSM) of a 

minimum of 50 percent of all sector 

trips in FY 2010 and a minimum of 20 

percent of sector trips in FY 2011. 

Sector vessels were also required to 

have a sector-funded at-sea monitoring 

program in place by FY 2012. 

Framework Adjustment 45 (FW 45) to 

the FMP, which is expected to be 

effective May 1, 2011, revises several 

DSM requirements. Proposed changes to 

the DSM program in FW 45 would 

include an increase in the DSM 

coverage level for FY 2011 and a 

requirement for dockside monitors to 

board vessels after offload to verify that 

all catch has been offloaded. 

Regulations at 50 CFR 648.87(b)(4) 

describe the criteria for the approval of 

service providers interested in offering 

dockside and/or at-sea monitoring 

services to sectors. These include 

informational requirements that 

providers must include in applications 

for approval to NMFS. Additionally, 

once approved, service providers must 

be able to document having met 

performance requirements specified by 

the regulations (§ 648.87(b)(4)(ii)) during 

the FY, including required coverage 

levels, in order to maintain eligibility. 

NMFS can disapprove any previously 

approved service provider at anytime 

during the FY through notice in writing 

to the individual service provider if the 

service provider ceases to meet the 

performance standards. NMFS approved 

service providers for FY 2010 based 

upon the completeness of their 

application addressing the information 

requirements specified in the 

regulations (§ 648.87(b)(4)(i)), and a 

determination of the applicant’s ability 

to perform the duties and 

responsibilities of a sector monitoring 

service provider. 

To approve service providers for FY 

2011 (beginning May 1, 2011), NMFS 

specified that FY 2011 applications 

from approved FY 2010 service 

providers must demonstrate that the 

regulatory performance requirements 

had been met for the first two quarters 

of FY 2010 (through October 31, 2010), 

in addition to providing the minimum 

informational requirements. NMFS 

received complete applications from 

two service providers intending to 

provide dockside and/or at-sea 

monitoring services to sectors in FY 

2011, two service providers intending to 

provide only dockside monitoring 

services, and one service provider 

intending to provide only at-sea 

monitoring services. All five of these 

providers were previously approved and 

provided dockside and/or at-sea 

monitoring services to sectors in FY 

2010. Based on the information 

provided by the FY 2011 applications, 

the Regional Administrator has 

approved the following service 

providers as eligible to provide dockside 

monitoring services to sectors in FY 

2011: 

• A.I.S., Inc., 89 North Water Street, 

New Bedford, MA 02747, phone 508– 

990–9054, fax 508–990–9055, Web site 

http://www.aisobservers.com. 

• MRAG Americas, 65 Eastern Ave., 

Unit B2C, Essex, MA 01929, phone 978– 

768–3880, fax 978–768–3878, Web site 

http://www.mragamericas.com. 

• Saltwater Inc., 733 N. Street, 

Anchorage, AK 99501, phone 907–276– 

3241, fax 907–258–5999, Web site 

http://www.saltwaterinc.com. 

• Atlantic Catch Data Ltd., 99 Wyse 

Road, Suite 815, Dartmouth, Nova 

Scotia, CANADA B3A 4S5, phone 

1–902–422–4745, fax 1–902–422–9780, 

website http:// 

www.atlanticcatchdata.ca. 

The Regional Administrator has 

approved the following service 

providers as eligible to provide at-sea 

monitoring services to sectors in 

FY 2011: 

• A.I.S., Inc. 

• MRAG Americas 

• East West Technical Services, LLC, 

34 Batterson Drive, New Britain, CT 

06053, phone 860–223–5165, fax 860– 

223–6005, Web site http:// 

www.ewts.com. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: April 13, 2011. 

Margo Schulze-Haugen, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9458 Filed 4–18–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

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