Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2012 / Notices 2039 

comments on the Small Mesh 

Multispecies Secretarial Amendment, 

an action that which will address the 

small mesh hake fishery and is 

scheduled to become effective on May 1, 

2012. The Council also will be asked to 

approve final Draft Amendment 19 to 

Northeast Multispecies FMP for 

purposes of holding public hearings on 

the proposed alternatives. This will be 

followed by a discussion of progress to 

develop a range of alternatives for 

consideration in Amendment 6 to the 

Monkfish FMP. The Council also will 

consider adopting a committee 

recommendation to establish a control 

date for use in the development of 

future management measures including, 

but not limited to, catch shares and 

accumulation limits. There will be a 

briefing by NOAA Fisheries concerning 

its intent to prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement and FMP amendment 

that would consider catch shares for the 

Atlantic shark fisheries. Council 

meeting adjournment will take place 

once the Enforcement Committee asks 

for Council input on recommendations 

concerning gear stowage and NOAA 

Enforcement’s draft priorities document. 

Although other non-emergency issues 

not contained in this agenda may come 

before this Council for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subjects of formal 

action during this meeting. Council 

action will be restricted to those issues 

specifically listed in this notice and any 

issues arising after publication of this 

notice that require emergency action 

under section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Act, provided that the public 

has been notified of the Council’s intent 

to take final action to address the 

emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

This meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul 

J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at least 

5 days prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: January 10, 2012. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–553 Filed 1–12–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA930 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Meetings of the North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council and its 

advisory committees. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) and its 

advisory committees will hold public 

meetings, January 30—February 7, 2012, 

at the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle, WA. 

DATES: The Council will begin its 

plenary session at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, 

February 1 continuing through Tuesday, 

February 7. Council’s Advisory Panel 

(AP) will begin at 8 a.m., Monday, 

January 30 and continue through Friday, 

February 6. The Scientific Statistical 

Committee (SSC) will begin at 8 a.m. on 

Monday, January 30 and continue 

through Wednesday, February 1. The 

Ecosystem Committee will meet January 

31, 9 a.m. The Enforcement Committee 

will meet January 31 at 1 p.m. All 

meetings are open to the public, except 

executive sessions. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Renaissance Hotel, 515 Madison 

Street, Seattle, WA. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 

4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99501–2252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Witherell, Council staff; 

telephone: (907) 271–2809. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Council Plenary Session: The agenda 

for the Council’s plenary session will 

include the following issues. The 

Council may take appropriate action on 

any of the issues identified. Reports: 

1. Executive Director’s Report 

(including update on Halibut Catch 

Share Plan, review and approve 

Standard Operations and Procedures 

(SOPPs)). 

NMFS Management Report (including 

update on Essential Fish Habitat 

(EFH) process) 

Alaska Department of Fish & Game 

Report 

NOAA Enforcement Report 

United States Coast Guard Report 

United States Fish & Wildlife Service 

Report 

International Pacific Halibut 

Commission (IPHC) Report 

Protected Species Report (Steller Sea 

Lion (SSL) Center of Independent 

Experts (CIE) Terms of Reference). 

2. Final action to allow formation of 

a Community Quota Entity (CQE) in 

Area 4B. 

3. Halibut Prohibited Species Catch 

(PSC): Initial review of Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP) amendment to 

set Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Halibut PSC. 

4. Bering Sea Aleutian Island (BSAI) 

Crab Management: Update on Pribilof 

Blue King Crab Rebuilding Plan, action 

as necessary; BSAI Crab Model 

Workshop Report. (SSC only); 

Preliminary Review on BSAI Tanner 

Crab Rebuilding Plan; Report on BSAI 

Crab Right of First Refusal (ROFR) 

Workgroup, action as necessary (T); 

Final action on BSAI Crab Electronic 

Data Reporting (EDR) Revisions. 

5. Habitat Issues; Initial review of 

GOA Trawl Sweep modifications; Initial 

review Habitat Area Particular Concern 

(HAPC)—Skate egg deposition sites; 

Updated discussion paper on Bristol 

Bay Red King Crab spawning area/ 

fishery effects(T); Report on 2012–2015 

Deep Sea Coral Research 

6. Groundfish Issues/Miscellaneous; 

Discussion paper on GOA Chinook 

Bycatch in all trawl fisheries; 

Discussion paper on GOA Pollock Dseason; Discussion paper on American 

Fisheries Act (AFA) Vessel Replacement 

GOA Sideboards; Discussion paper on 

BSAI Flatfish specification flexibility. 

7. Staff Tasking: Review Committees 

and tasking; discuss schedule for 

Groundfish Programmatic Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement 

(PSEIS); Review Individual Fishing 

Quotas (IFQs) proposals and provide 

direction. 

8. Other Business 

The SSC agenda will include the 

following issues: 

1. Crab Management 

2. Habitat Issues 

3. Halibut PSC 

4. SSC workshop—Stock Recruitment 

The Advisory Panel will address most 

of the same agenda issues as the 

Council, except C–1, and B reports. The 

Agenda is subject to change, and the 

latest version will be posted at http:// 

www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/ 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before this group for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during these meetings. Action 

will be restricted to those issues 

specifically listed in this notice and any 

issues arising after publication of this 

notice that require emergency action 

under section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

2040 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2012 / Notices 

Management Act, provided the public 

has been notified of the Council’s intent 

to take final action to address the 

emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Gail Bendixen at 

(907) 271–2809 at least 7 working days 

prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: January 10, 2012. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–534 Filed 1–12–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA932 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

hold a public meeting in the form of a 

workshop. The workshop topic is 

volunteer angler data collection. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Thursday, February 2, 2012, from 8:30 

a.m. until 4:30 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Four Points Sheraton BWI Airport, 

7032 Elm Road, Baltimore, MD 21240; 

telephone: (410) 859–3300. 

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, 800 N. State 

Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; 

telephone: (302) 674–2331. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christopher M. Moore Ph.D., Executive 

Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, 800 N. State 

Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; 

telephone: (302) 526–5255. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

workshop will include briefings on 

established volunteer data collection 

programs, statistical consultant 

presentations, and discussions of 

various options for volunteer angler data 

collections and their uses. This 

workshop is a product of the Marine 

Recreational Information Program 

(MRIP—http:// 

www.countmyfish.noaa.gov) and was 

organized by the Council in cooperation 

with the National Marine Fisheries 

Service and the Atlantic States Marines 

Fisheries Commission. Workshop 

outcomes may include 

recommendations, limitations, uses, and 

best practices that could inform state 

efforts and/or feed into a pilot project 

proposal to be submitted to the Marine 

Recreational Information Program for 

funding in 2013. The workshop will be 

available via GoToMeeting and 

registration can be made at the 

following link: https:// 

www1.gotomeeting.com/register/ 

409337168. A public comment period 

will take comments from those at the 

meeting and also via webinar if feasible. 

Special Accommodations: 

The meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to M. 

Jan Saunders at the Mid-Atlantic 

Council Office, (302) 526–5251, at least 

5 days prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: January 10, 2012. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–589 Filed 1–12–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XT82 

Marine Mammals; File No. 14676 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit 

amendment. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a 

major amendment to Permit No. 14676 

has been issued to Paul Ponganis, Ph.D., 

University of California at San Diego, La 

Jolla, CA for research on California sea 

lions (Zalophus californianus). 

ADDRESSES: The permit amendment and 

related documents are available for 

review upon written request or by 

appointment in the following offices: 

Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, 

Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone (301) 

427–8401; fax (301) 713–0376; and 

Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West 

Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, 

CA 90802–4213; phone (562) 980–4001; 

fax (562) 980–4018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tammy Adams or Amy Sloan, (301) 

427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

November 7, 2011, notice was published 

in the Federal Register (76 FR 68719) 

that a request for an amendment Permit 

No. 14676 to conduct research on 

California sea lions had been submitted 

by the above-named applicant. The 

requested permit amendment has been 

issued under the authority of the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and 

the regulations governing the taking and 

importing of marine mammals (50 CFR 

part 216). 

The amendment includes 

authorization for capture of up to 30 

animals over two field seasons and an 

additional procedure, deployment of a 

heart rate/stroke rate recorder on half of 

the animals. The amendment is valid 

through the original permit expiration 

date, February 1, 2015. 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final 

determination has been made that the 

activity proposed is categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement. 

Dated: January 9, 2012. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–502 Filed 1–12–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA627 

Taking and Importing Marine 

Mammals: Taking Marine Mammals 

Incidental to Navy Training Exercises 

in Three East Coast Range Complexes 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of three 

modified Letters of Authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), as amended, and 

implementing regulations, notification 

is hereby given that NMFS has made 

modifications to three Letters of 

Authorization (LOAs) to take marine 

mammals by harassment incidental to 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES