[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 29 (Monday, February 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9840-9842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02843]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XD641]


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern 
United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Approved Monitoring 
Service Providers

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

[[Page 9841]]

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of approved Northeast multispecies at-sea and electronic 
monitoring service providers for fishing year 2024.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has approved nine companies to provide Northeast 
multispecies sector at-sea catch monitoring (ASM) and/or electronic 
catch monitoring (EM) services in fishing year 2024. Regulations 
implementing the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan require 
ASM and EM companies to meet service provider performance standards to 
be approved by NMFS to provide catch monitoring services to sectors. 
This action approves service providers that sectors may contract with 
for catch monitoring services for fishing year 2024.

DATES: Northeast multispecies at-sea and electronic monitoring service 
provider approvals are effective May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025.

ADDRESSES: The list of NMFS-approved sector monitoring service 
providers is available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/data/observer-providers-northeast-and-mid-atlantic-programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Nelson, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (808) 725-5179, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#470f2226332f22356909222b342829072928262669202831"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="db93bebaafb3bea9f595beb7a8b4b59bb5b4babaf5bcb4ad">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan includes a requirement for industry-funded monitoring 
of catch by sector vessels. NMFS approves independent third-party 
service providers with which sectors may contract to provide ASM and/or 
EM services to their vessels. NMFS requires full applications for 
approval from ASM and EM companies that are not currently approved to 
be a service provider. Previously approved ASM and EM companies are not 
required to submit a full application to maintain their approval status 
if they continue to meet all service provider performance standards and 
submit required updated information annually. The required updated 
information to maintain approval includes an updated Emergency Action 
Plan, evidence of adequate insurance coverage, and, if applicable, any 
updates to staffing or operations. Regulations at 50 CFR 648.11(h) 
describe the criteria for approval of ASM and EM service provider 
applications. NMFS approves service providers based on: (1) 
Completeness and sufficiency of applications; and (2) determination of 
the applicant's ability to meet the performance requirements of a 
sector monitoring service provider. Once approved, service providers 
must meet specified performance requirements outlined in Sec.  
648.11(h)(5) and (6), including required coverage levels, in order to 
maintain eligibility. NMFS must notify service providers, in writing, 
if NMFS withdraws approval for any reason.

Approved Monitoring Service Providers

    On September 28, 2023, NMFS announced an opportunity for new 
monitoring companies to apply for approval to provide ASM and/or EM 
services in fishing year 2024, and an opportunity for currently 
approved providers to submit updated documentation to maintain their 
approval status in fishing year 2024. NMFS previously approved nine 
companies to provide catch monitoring services to the Northeast 
multispecies sectors in fishing year 2023. Five of the nine approved 
companies provide both ASM and EM services: A.I.S., Inc.; East West 
Technical Services, LLC; Fathom Research, LLC; New England Marine 
Monitoring; and Saltwater, Inc. The other four approved companies 
provide EM services only: Archipelago Marine Research, Ltd.; Flywire 
Cameras; Satlink US, LLC; and Teem Fish Monitoring, Inc.
    All currently approved ASM and EM companies continue to meet all 
service provider performance standards, submitted all required 
documentation, and are therefore approved service providers for fishing 
year 2024. We did not receive any new ASM or EM provider applications. 
Table 1 includes the revised list of approved monitoring service 
providers.
    NMFS has the authority to remove a service provider from its 
approved status in accordance with the regulations at Sec.  
648.11(h)(7). A monitoring service provider that fails to meet the 
requirements, conditions, and responsibilities will be notified in 
writing that it is subject to removal from the list of approved 
monitoring service providers. Withdrawing approval of a service 
provider will be based on an evaluation of the service providers 
ability to meet the third-party catch monitoring provider standards in 
Sec.  648.11(h)(5) and (6). NMFS will closely monitor the performance 
of approved service providers, and will withdraw approval during the 
current approval term if it determines performance standards are not 
being met.
    NMFS did not solicit applications to provide dockside monitoring 
(DSM) services related to the maximized retention EM program. NMFS is 
currently evaluating whether to operate the maximized retention EM 
program in fishing year 2024. NMFS will continue to administer the DSM 
program if it is operational in fishing year 2024. In future fishing 
years, NMFS intends to solicit applications to be an approved DSM 
provider when the DSM program transitions to industry-funding.

                                                    Table 1--Approved Providers for Fishing Year 2024
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               Provider                        Services                     Address                  Phone            Fax                Website
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A.I.S., Inc..........................  ASM/EM..................  540 Hawthorn St., Dartmouth,     508-990-9054    508-990-9055  https://aisobservers.com/
                                                                  MA 02747.                                                      .
Archipelago Marine Research, Ltd.....  EM......................  525 Head St., Victoria, BC       250-383-4535    250-383-0103  https://
                                                                  V9A 5S1, Canada.                                               www.archipelago.ca/.
East West Technical Services, LLC....  ASM/EM..................  91 Point Judith Rd., Suite 26    860-910-4957    860-223-6005  https://www.ewts.com/.
                                                                  Unit 347, Narragansett, RI
                                                                  02882.
Fathom Resources, LLC................  ASM/EM..................  855 Aquidneck Ave., Unit 9,      508-990-0997    508-858-5383  https://
                                                                  Middletown, RI 02842.                                          fathomresources.com/.
Flywire Cameras......................  EM......................  PO Box 55048, Lexington, KY      888-315-7796    502-861-6568  https://
                                                                  40511.                                                         www.flywirecameras.com/
                                                                                                                                 .
New England Marine Monitoring........  ASM/EM..................  350 Commercial St., Portland,    508-269-8138            none  https://
                                                                  ME 04101.                                                      www.nemarinemonitoring.
                                                                                                                                 com/.
Saltwater, Inc.......................  ASM/EM..................  733 N St., Anchorage, AK         907-276-3241    907-258-5999  https://
                                                                  99501.                                                         www.saltwaterinc.com/.
Satlink US, LLC......................  EM......................  16423 Sawgrass Drive,            703-447-5287            none  https://www.satlink.es/
                                                                  Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.                                      en/.
Teem Fish Monitoring, Inc............  EM......................  309 2nd Ave., Suite 363,         778-884-2598            none  https://teem.fish/.
                                                                  Prince Rupert, BC V8J 3T1,
                                                                  Canada.
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Note: ASM/EM = At-sea and electronic monitoring; EM = Electronic monitoring only.


[[Page 9842]]

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

    Dated: February 7, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-02843 Filed 2-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-23-P


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