82338 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 225 / Friday, November 24, 2023 / Notices 

that processed landings of BSAI or CDQ 

Pacific cod. 

Using the fee percentage formula 

described generally above, the estimated 

percentage of direct program costs to 

fishery value for the 2023 calendar year 

is 1.37 percent for the Amendment 80 

Program. For 2023, NMFS applied the 

fee percentage to each Amendment 80 

species landing that was debited from 

an Amendment 80 cooperative quota 

allocation between January 1 and 

December 31 to calculate the 

Amendment 80 fee liability for each 

Amendment 80 cooperative. The 2023 

fee payments must be submitted to 

NMFS on or before December 31, 2023. 

Payment must be made in accordance 

with the payment methods set forth in 

§ 679.95(a)(3)(iv). 

AFA Standard Price and Fee 

Percentages 

The AFA Program allocates the Bering 

Sea directed pollock fishery TAC to 

three sectors: catcher/processor, 

mothership, and inshore. Each sector 

has established cooperatives to harvest 

the sector’s exclusive allocation. In 

2023, each cooperative for the inshore 

sector is responsible for paying the fee 

for Bering Sea pollock landed under the 

AFA Program. Cost recovery 

requirements for the AFA sectors are 

found at § 679.66. 

NMFS calculates the standard price 

for pollock using the most recent annual 

value information reported to the Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game for the 

Commercial Operator’s Annual Report 

and compiled in the Alaska Commercial 

Fisheries Entry Commission Gross 

Earnings data. Due to the time required 

to compile the data, there is a 1-year 

delay between the gross earnings data 

year and the fishing year to which it is 

applied. For example, NMFS used 2022 

gross earnings data to calculate the 

standard price for 2023 pollock 

landings. 

Under the fee percentage formula 

described above, the estimated 

percentage of direct program costs to 

fishery value for the 2023 calendar year 

is 0.26 percent for the AFA inshore 

sector. To calculate the 2023 fee 

liabilities, NMFS applied the respective 

fee percentages to the landings of Bering 

Sea pollock debited from each 

cooperative’s fishery allocation that 

occurred between January 1 and 

December 31. The 2023 fee payments 

must be submitted to NMFS on or before 

December 31, 2023. Payment must be 

made in accordance with the payment 

methods set forth in § 679.66(a)(4)(iv). 

AIP Program Standard Price and Fee 

Percentage 

The AIP Program allocates the 

Aleutian Islands directed pollock 

fishery TAC to the Aleut Corporation, 

consistent with the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 

108–109) and implementing regulations. 

Annually, prior to the start of the 

pollock season, the Aleut Corporation 

provides NMFS with the identity of its 

designated representative for harvesting 

the Aleutian Islands directed pollock 

fishery TAC. The same individual is 

responsible for the submission of all 

cost recovery fees for pollock landed 

under the AIP Program. Cost recovery 

requirements for the AIP Program are at 

§ 679.67. 

NMFS calculates the standard price 

for pollock using the most recent annual 

value information reported to the Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game for the 

Commercial Operator’s Annual Report 

and compiled in the Alaska Commercial 

Fisheries Entry Commission Gross 

Earnings data for Aleutian Islands 

pollock. As explained above, due to the 

time required to compile the data, there 

is a 1-year delay between the gross 

earnings data year and the fishing year 

to which it is applied. 

For the 2023 fishing year, the Aleut 

Corporation did not select any 

participants to harvest or process the 

Aleutian Islands directed pollock 

fishery TAC, and most of that TAC was 

reallocated to the Bering Sea directed 

pollock fishery TAC. Since there was no 

fishery for the AIP Program in 2023, the 

fee percentage is zero. 

CDQ Standard Price and Fee Percentage 

The CDQ Program was implemented 

in 1992 to provide access to BSAI 

fishery resources to villages located in 

Western Alaska. Section 305(i) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act identifies 65 

villages eligible to participate in the 

CDQ Program and the six CDQ groups 

to represent these villages. CDQ groups 

receive exclusive harvesting privileges 

of the TACs for a broad range of crab 

species, groundfish species, and halibut. 

NMFS implemented a CDQ cost 

recovery program for the BSAI crab 

fisheries in 2005 (70 FR 10174, March 

2, 2005) and published the cost recovery 

fee percentage for the 2022/2023 crab 

fishing year on August 3, 2023 (88 FR 

51301). This notice provides the cost 

recovery fee percentage for the CDQ 

Program with respect to groundfish and 

halibut. Each CDQ group is subject to 

cost recovery fee requirements and the 

designated representative of each CDQ 

group is responsible for submitting 

payment for their CDQ group. Cost 

recovery requirements for the CDQ 

Program are at § 679.33. 

For most CDQ groundfish species, 

NMFS annually summarizes volume 

and value information for landings of all 

fishery species subject to cost recovery 

in order to estimate a standard price for 

each fishery species. The volume and 

value information are obtained from the 

First Wholesale Volume and Value 

Report and the Pacific Cod Ex-Vessel 

Volume and Value Report. For CDQ 

halibut and fixed-gear sablefish, NMFS 

calculates the standard prices using 

information from the Individual Fishing 

Quota (IFQ) Ex-Vessel Volume and 

Value Report, which collects 

information on both IFQ and CDQ 

volume and value. 

Using the fee percentage formula 

described above, the estimated 

percentage of direct program costs to 

fishery value for the 2023 calendar year 

is 1.07 percent for the CDQ Program. For 

2023, NMFS applied the calculated CDQ 

fee percentage to all CDQ groundfish 

and halibut landings made between 

January 1 and December 31 to calculate 

the CDQ fee liability for each CDQ 

group. The 2023 fee payments must be 

submitted to NMFS on or before 

December 31, 2023. Payment must be 

made in accordance with the payment 

methods set forth in § 679.33(a)(3)(iv). 

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

Dated: November 20, 2023. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25957 Filed 11–22–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD553] 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic and New 

England Fishery Management Councils 

(Councils) will hold a public meeting of 

their joint Northeast Trawl Advisory 

Panel (NTAP). 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Thursday, December 14, 2023, from 12 

p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. For agenda details, 

see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held 

via webinar. Connection information 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 225 / Friday, November 24, 2023 / Notices 82339 

will be posted to the calendar at 

www.mafmc.org prior to the meeting. 

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, 800 N State 

Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; 

telephone: (302) 674–2331; 

www.mafmc.org. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive 

Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, telephone: (302) 

526–5255. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Councils’ NTAP will meet to discuss the 

new Operational Manual and 

Orientation Document. The intent of 

this meeting is to discuss NTAP in 

detail, including background, 

organization, purpose, and member 

expectation. This meeting will be an 

opportunity for new and existing NTAP 

members to discuss and learn about the 

goals and purposes of NTAP. 

Special Accommodations 

The meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Shelley Spedden, (302) 526–5251 at 

least 5 days prior to the meeting date. 

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

Dated: November 20, 2023. 

Rey Israel Marquez, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25967 Filed 11–22–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD225] 

2024 Annual Determination To 

Implement the Sea Turtle Observer 

Requirement 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notification of Annual 

Determination of fisheries. 

SUMMARY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS) is providing 

notification that the agency will not 

identify additional fisheries to observe 

on the 2024 Annual Determination 

(AD), pursuant to its authority under the 

Endangered Species Act (ESA). Through 

the AD, NMFS identifies U.S. fisheries 

operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and Pacific Ocean that will be 

required to take observers upon NMFS’ 

request. The purpose of observing 

identified fisheries is to learn more 

about sea turtle bycatch in a given 

fishery, evaluate measures to prevent or 

reduce sea turtle bycatch, and 

implement the prohibition against sea 

turtle takes. Fisheries identified on the 

2020 and 2023 ADs (see table 1) remain 

on the AD for a 5-year period and are 

required to carry observers upon NMFS’ 

request until September 29, 2025, for 

the 2020 AD and December 31, 2027, for 

the 2023 AD. 

ADDRESSES: Chief, Marine Mammal and 

Sea Turtle Conservation Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 

East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Wendy Piniak, Office of Protected 

Resources, 301–427–8402; Ellen Keane, 

Greater Atlantic Region, 978–282–8476; 

Dennis Klemm, Southeast Region, 727– 

824–5312; Dan Lawson, West Coast 

Region, 206–526–4740; Irene Kelly, 

Pacific Islands Region, 808–725–5141. 

Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the 

hearing impaired may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service at 800–877– 

8339 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern 

time, Monday through Friday, excluding 

Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose of the Sea Turtle Observer 

Requirement 

Under the ESA, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq., 

NMFS has the responsibility to 

implement programs to conserve marine 

life listed as endangered or threatened. 

All sea turtles found in U.S. waters are 

listed as either endangered or 

threatened under the ESA. Kemp’s 

ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), 

loggerhead (Caretta caretta; North 

Pacific distinct population segment 

(DPS)), leatherback (Dermochelys 

coriacea), green (Chelonia mydas; 

Central West Pacific and Central South 

Pacific DPSs), and hawksbill 

(Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles are 

listed as endangered. Loggerhead 

(Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS), green 

(North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Central 

North Pacific, and East Pacific DPSs), 

and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) 

sea turtles are listed as threatened, 

except for breeding colony populations 

of olive ridleys on the Pacific coast of 

Mexico, which are listed as endangered. 

Due to the inability to distinguish 

between populations of olive ridley 

turtles away from the nesting beach, 

NMFS considers these turtles 

endangered wherever they occur in U.S. 

Pacific waters. While some sea turtle 

populations have shown signs of 

recovery, many populations continue to 

decline. 

Bycatch in fishing gear is the primary 

anthropogenic source of sea turtle injury 

and mortality in U.S. waters. Section 9 

of the ESA prohibits the take (defined to 

include harassing, harming, pursuing, 

hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, 

trapping, capturing, or collecting or 

attempting to engage in any such 

conduct), including incidental take, of 

endangered sea turtles. Pursuant to 

section 4(d) of the ESA, NMFS has 

issued regulations extending the 

prohibition of take, with exceptions, to 

threatened sea turtles (50 CFR 223.205 

and 223.206). Section 11 of the ESA 

provides for civil and criminal penalties 

for anyone who violates the ESA or a 

regulation issued to implement the ESA. 

NMFS may grant exceptions to the take 

prohibitions with an incidental take 

statement or an incidental take permit 

issued pursuant to ESA section 7 or 10, 

respectively. To do so, NMFS must 

determine that the activity that will 

result in incidental take is not likely to 

jeopardize the continued existence of 

the affected listed species. For some 

Federal fisheries and most state 

fisheries, NMFS has not granted an 

exception for incidental takes of sea 

turtles primarily because we lack 

information about fishery-sea turtle 

interactions. 

For most fisheries, the most effective 

way for NMFS to learn more about 

bycatch in order to implement the take 

prohibitions and prevent or minimize 

take is to place observers aboard fishing 

vessels. In 2007, NMFS issued a 

regulation (50 CFR 222.402) establishing 

procedures to annually identify, 

pursuant to specified criteria and after 

notice and opportunity for comment, 

those fisheries in which the agency 

intends to place observers (72 FR 43176; 

August 3, 2007). These regulations 

specify that NMFS may place observers 

on U.S. fishing vessels, commercial or 

recreational, operating in U.S. territorial 

waters, the U.S. exclusive economic 

zone, or on the high seas, or on vessels 

that are otherwise subject to the 

jurisdiction of the U.S. Failure to 

comply with the requirements under 

this regulation may result in civil or 

criminal penalties under the ESA. 

NMFS will pay the direct costs for 

vessels to carry the required observers. 

These include observer salary and 

insurance costs. NMFS may also 

evaluate other potential direct costs, 

should they arise. Once selected, a 

fishery will be required to carry 

observers, if requested, for a period of 5 

years without further action by NMFS. 

This will enable NMFS to develop 

appropriate observer coverage and 


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