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[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 210 (Tuesday, October 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63753-63754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8980]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 102306A]

Vessel Monitoring Systems; Announcement of the Enhanced Mobile 
Transmitter Unit Reimbursement Program for the Reef Fish Fishery of the 
Gulf of Mexico

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of grant funds for vessel 
owners and/or operators who have purchased an Enhanced Mobile 
Transmitter Unit (E-MTU) to comply with fishery regulations requiring 
the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) in the Reef Fish Fishery of 
the Gulf of Mexico. These funds will be used to reimburse vessel owners 
and/or operators for the purchase price of the E-MTU.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For current listing information, 
questions regarding VMS installation or activation checklists, contact 
the VMS Support Center, NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement 
(OLE), 8484 Georgia Avenue, Suite 415, Silver Spring, MD 20910, phone 
888-219-9228, fax 301-427-0049.
    For questions regarding E-MTU type approval or information 
regarding the status of VMS systems being evaluated by NOAA for 
approval, contact Jonathan Pinkerton, National VMS Program Manager, 
phone 301-427-2300; fax 301-427-2055.
    For questions regarding reimbursement applications contact Randy 
Fisher, Executive Director, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission 
(PSMFC), 205 SE Spokane Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97202, phone 
503-595-3100, fax 503-595-3232.

[[Page 63754]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    This reimbursement opportunity is available to fishing vessel 
owners and/or operators that have purchased an approved E-MTU device in 
order to comply with fishery regulations developed in accordance with 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Public 
Law 94-265). Only those vessel owners and/or operators purchasing an E-
MTU for compliance with fishery management regulations applicable to 
the Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico are eligible for this 
funding opportunity. The reimbursable expense is the purchase price of 
the least expensive E-MTU type-approved for the Reef Fish Fishery of 
the Gulf of Mexico for which the owner and/or operator holds a valid 
commercial fishing permit.

II. Eligibility

    To be eligible to receive reimbursement, vessel owners and/or 
operators must first purchase an E-MTU type-approved for in the Reef 
Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico for which the vessel owner and/or 
operator holds a valid commercial fishing permit. The vessel owner and/
or operator must also have the E-MTU properly installed on the vessel 
and activated utilizing a type-approved communications provider. Upon 
completion of the installation and activation process, the vessel owner 
and/or operator must contact the VMS Support Center by calling 888-219-
9228 to ensure the vessel is properly registered in the VMS system. OLE 
does not consider a vessel in compliance until the E-MTU signal has 
been received and processed by OLE.
    Vessel owners and/or operators must not be in arrears with a 
payment owed to the Agency for a civil monetary penalty. However, 
affected vessel owners and/or operators may become eligible for the 
reimbursement if the outstanding penalty is paid in full within 30 days 
of the denial of the reimbursement. After payment, vessel owners and/or 
operators must contact the VMS Support Center and provide documentation 
to support the defrayment of the penalty to receive a confirmation code 
for reimbursement purposes.

III. Process

    Vessel owners and/or operators that have purchased an E-MTU, and 
have validated their compliance with the applicable regulations through 
OLE, may contact the PSMFC, 205 SE Spokane Street, Suite 100, Portland, 
OR 97202, phone 503-595-3100, fax 503-595-3232, for a reimbursement 
application. Once the application is received and completed by the 
vessel owner and/or operator, it must be returned to PSMFC along with 
proof of eligibility in order to qualify for an award. The required 
proof of eligibility must include: proof of a valid commercial fishing 
permit for the Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; proof of 
purchase and the purchase price of a type-approved E-MTU; and a valid 
compliance confirmation code issued by OLE.
    Vessel owners and/or operators are not restricted as to which type-
approved E-MTU device they can purchase. However, the amount of the 
reimbursement will be limited to the cost of the least expensive E-MTU 
type-approved for the permitted fishery. Vessel owners and/or operators 
are encouraged to compare the features of all E-MTU devices type-
approved for the Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and explore 
finance options prior to making a purchase decision. Vessel owners/
operators are limited to the reimbursement of the cost of purchasing E-
MTU per permitted vessel.

    Dated: October 26, 2006.
William T. Hogarth,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 06-8980 Filed 10-26-06; 2:50 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
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