8304 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 36 / Wednesday, February 24, 2010 / Notices 

Dated: February 18, 2010. 

Tammy C. Adams, 

Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and 

Education Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–3742 Filed 2–23–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XS88 

Schedules for Atlantic Shark 

Identification Workshops and 

Protected Species Safe Handling, 

Release, and Identification Workshops; 

Correction 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public workshops; 

correction. 

SUMMARY: Due to an unanticipated 

temporary closure of the Princess 

Bayside Hotel in Ocean City, MD, NMFS 

is changing the location of its March 24, 

2010, Protected Species Safe Handling, 

Release, and Identification Workshop 

that was announced in the Federal 

Register on December 8, 2009. The 

locations of the remaining workshops in 

February and March 2010 remain 

unchanged. The Protected Species Safe 

Handling, Release, and Identification 

Workshops are mandatory for vessel 

owners and operators who use bottom 

longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet 

gear, and have also been issued shark or 

swordfish limited access permits. 

Additional free workshops will be held 

in 2010 and announced in the Federal 

Register. 

DATES: The dates and times for the 

remaining Protected Species Safe 

Handling, Release and Identification 

Workshops in February and March 2010 

have not been changed and will be held 

February 24, March 10, and March 24, 

2010. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

for further details. 

ADDRESSES: The remaining Protected 

Species Safe Handling, Release, and 

Identification workshops will be held in 

Boston, MA; Galveston, TX; and Ocean 

City, MD. See SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION for the corrected Ocean 

City, MD, workshop location. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Richard A. Pearson by phone:(727) 824– 

5399, or by fax: (727) 824–5398. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Correction 

In the Federal Register of December 8, 

2009, in FR Doc. E9–29258, on page 

64665, in the third column, correct the 

location of the sixth workshop listed 

under the heading ‘‘Workshop Dates, 

Times, and Locations’’ to read: 

Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations 

6. March 24, 2010, from 9 a.m. - 5 

p.m., Princess Royal Hotel, 9100 Coastal 

Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842. 

Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop 

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 Protected Species 

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 three years. 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 Protected Species Safe Handling, 

Release, and Identification Workshop 

and submit a copy of their workshop 

certificate before either of the permits 

will be issued. Approximately 78 free 

Protected Species Safe Handling, 

Release, and Identification Workshops 

have been conducted since 2006. 

At least one operator on vessels using 

longline or gillnet gear must be issued, 

and possess on board, a valid Protected 

Species Safe Handling, Release, and 

Identification Workshop certificate 

issued to that operator, in addition to 

having on board a valid workshop 

certificate issued to the vessel owner. 

Both vessel owner and operator 

certificates are valid for three years. As 

such, 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. 

Registration 

To register for a scheduled Protected 

Species Safe Handling, Release, and 

Identification Workshop, please contact 

Angler Conservation Education at (386) 

852–9137. 

Registration Materials 

To ensure that workshop certificates 

are linked to the correct permits, 

participants will need to bring the 

following 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. 

Vessel operators must bring proof of 

identification. Workshop Objectives 

The protected species safe handling, 

release, and identification workshops 

are designed to teach longline and 

gillnet fishermen the required 

techniques for the safe handling and 

release of entangled and/or hooked 

protected species, such as sea turtles, 

marine mammals, and smalltooth 

sawfish. The proper identification of 

protected species will also be taught at 

these workshops in an effort to improve 

reporting. 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, which 

may prevent additional regulations on 

these fisheries in the future. 

Dated: February 18, 2010. 

Emily Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–3733 Filed 3–23–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XU53 

Notice of Public Scoping Meetings for 

the Environmental Impact Statement 

on the Effects of Oil and Gas Activities 

in the Arctic Ocean 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public scoping 

meetings. 

SUMMARY: NMFS will hold five public 

scoping meetings in March 2010 to 


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