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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89615-89616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26185]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XE396]

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 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Approval of Northeast multispecies monitoring service providers 
for fishing year 2025.

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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 2025. 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 2025.

DATES: Northeast multispecies at-sea and electronic monitoring service 
provider approvals are effective May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026.

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, (978) 281-9334, email [email protected].

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 3, 2024, NMFS announced an opportunity for new 
monitoring companies to apply for approval to provide ASM and/or EM 
services in fishing year 2025 and an opportunity for currently approved 
providers to submit updated documentation to maintain their approval 
status in fishing year 2025. NMFS previously approved nine companies to 
provide catch monitoring services to the Northeast multispecies sectors 
in fishing year 2024. 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 2025. We did not receive any new ASM or EM provider applications. 
Table 1 includes

[[Page 89616]]

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). All companies provided proof of holding 
insurance consistent with the regulations at 50 CFR 648.11(h)(3)(vii) 
as a part of their application. However, companies whose insurance 
expires before the end of the 2025 fishing year must submit updated 
insurance documents at the time of their current policy's expiration to 
maintain approval. 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 
services related to the maximized retention EM program. NMFS suspended 
the operation of the MREM program in fishing year 2024, and we are 
currently considering whether we will operate the program in 2025.

                                                    Table 1--Approved Providers for Fishing Year 2025
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              Provider                       Services                Address               Phone                  Fax                     Website
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A.I.S., Inc.........................  ASM/EM...............  540 Hawthorn St,           508-990-9054  508-990-9055..............  https://
                                                              Dartmouth, MA 02747.                                                 aisobservers.com/.
Archipelago Marine Research, Ltd....  EM...................  525 Head St, Victoria,     250-383-4535  250-383-0103..............  https://
                                                              BC V9A 5S1, Canada.                                                  www.archipelago.ca/.
East West Technical Services, LLC...  ASM/EM...............  91 Point Judith Rd,        860-910-4957  860-223-6005..............  https://www.ewts.com/.
                                                              Suite 26 Unit 347,
                                                              Narragansett, RI 02882.
Fathom Resources, LLC...............  ASM/EM...............  855 Aquidneck Ave.,        508-990-0997  508-858-5383..............  https://
                                                              Unit 9, Middletown, RI                                               fathomresources.com/.
                                                              02842.
Flywire Cameras.....................  EM...................  PO BOX 55048,              888-315-7796  502-861-6568..............  https://
                                                              Lexington, KY 40511.                                                 www.flywirecameras.co
                                                                                                                                   m/.
New England Marine Monitoring.......  ASM/EM...............  350 Commercial St,         508-269-8138  none......................  https://
                                                              Portland, ME 04101.                                                  www.nemarinemonitorin
                                                                                                                                   g.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                                                   en/.
                                                              19971.
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.

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

    Dated: November 6, 2024.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-26185 Filed 11-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-23-P
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