9080 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 39 / Monday, March 2, 2009 / Notices 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Becky Renko or Kevin Duffy at (206) 

526–6140. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

action is authorized by the Magnuson– 

Stevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act provisions at 50 CFR 

600.745 which states that EFPs may be 

used to authorize fishing activities that 

would otherwise be prohibited in order 

to collect data among other activities. 

On January 14, 2009, NMFS Northwest 

Region sent a letter to the Pacific 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

that included a proposal for issuance of 

EFPs to vessels and first receivers 

participating in the 2009 Pacific whiting 

shoreside fishery. If issued, the EFPs 

would provide for a maximized 

retention and monitoring program for 

the Pacific whiting shoreside fishery. 

The proposed maximized retention and 

monitoring program regulations are 

intended to allow for the Pacific whiting 

shoreside fishery to be efficiently 

prosecuted while providing accurate 

catch data such that the Endangered 

Species Act and Magnuson–Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act requirements for this fishery are 

adequately met. 

The issuance of EFPs would allow 

approximately 40 vessels to delay 

sorting of groundfish catch and to retain 

catch in excess of cumulative trip limits 

and prohibited species catch until 

offloading. These activities are 

otherwise prohibited by regulations at 

50 CFR 660.306(a)(10) and (a)(2), 

respectively. 

Additionally, issuance of the EFPs to 

approximately 15 first receivers 

(generally land–based processing 

facilities) would allow first receivers to 

possess more than a single cumulative 

limit of a particular species, per vessel, 

per applicable cumulative limit period. 

The possession of catch in excess of the 

cumulative limits is otherwise 

prohibited by regulations at 50 CFR 

660.306(a)(10). In addition, the EFPs 

would include an allowance for first 

receivers to use hopper type scales to 

derive an accurate total catch weight 

prior to sorting. Regulations pertaining 

to sorting at § 660.370(h)(6) and 

prohibitions at § 660.306(a)(7) require 

vessels to sort the catch before 

weighing. 

Issuance of the EFPs would allow for 

the collection of information on the 

catch of salmon, non–whiting 

groundfish, and other non–groundfish 

species incidentally taken with Pacific 

whiting. These data are needed to 

monitor the attainment of the shore– 

based whiting allocation while assuring 

that the fishery specifications (bycatch 

limits, species allocations, OYs, and 

biological opinion thresholds) are not 

exceeded. Because whiting flesh 

deteriorates rapidly once the fish are 

caught, whiting must be minimally 

handled and immediately chilled to 

maintain the flesh quality. Allowing 

Pacific whiting shoreside vessels to 

retain unsorted catch will also enable 

whiting quality to be maintained. 

At the June 2007 Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (PFMC) meeting, 

the PFMC recommended that NMFS 

implement a maximized retention 

program in Federal regulations that 

would allow full retention of Pacific 

whiting catch by the vessels and 

delivered to first receivers on shore. 

NMFS Northwest Region is in the 

process of transitioning the Pacific 

whiting shoreside fishery from a 

maximized retention and monitoring 

program conducted under EFPs to a 

Federal regulatory program. Though it 

was expected that the program would be 

in place at the start of the 2009 fishing 

season, it will not be possible given the 

complexity in developing the program. 

The EFPs, as proposed, would be used 

to investigate the new components of 

the overall monitoring program before 

regulatory implementation. The EFPs 

would be in effect until the effective 

date of the new Federal maximized 

retention and monitoring program, or 

December 31, 2009, if the regulatory 

program is not in effect by that time. 

Proposed Federal regulations for a 

maximized retention and monitoring 

program would require Pacific whiting 

shoreside vessels to dump unsorted 

catch directly below deck and would 

allow unsorted catch to be landed, 

providing that an electronic monitoring 

system (EMS) is used on all fishing trips 

to verify retention of catch at sea. The 

EMS is an effective tool for accurately 

monitoring catch retention and 

identifying the time and location of 

discard events. The EFPs would include 

provisions for EMS, paid for by the 

vessels, similar to the 2008 EFP and 

similar to the proposed Federal 

regulatory program. 

Proposed Federal regulations for a 

maximized retention and monitoring 

program would also require first 

receivers to have on shore monitoring 

conducted by catch monitors. Catch 

monitors are third party employees, 

paid for by industry, and trained to 

NMFS standards. The EFP would 

include provisions for third party catch 

monitors from a NMFS specified 

provider. Like the proposed Federal 

regulatory program, catch monitors used 

under the EFPs would be trained in 

techniques that would be used for the 

verification of fish ticket data and in 

species identification. Catch monitor 

duties include overseeing the sorting, 

weighing, and recordkeeping process, as 

well as gathering information on 

incidentally caught salmon. Catch 

monitors verify the accuracy of 

electronic fish ticket data used to 

manage the Pacific whiting shoreside 

fishery such that inaccurate or delayed 

information does not result in any 

fishery specifications (bycatch limits, 

species allocations, OYs, and biological 

opinion thresholds) being exceeded. 

In 2008, the first receiver EFPs 

required each first receiver to have one 

catch monitor on each day that Pacific 

whiting deliveries were received. In 

June 2008, to insure the integrity of 

sector–specific bycatch limits, the 

Council recommended as part of the 

2009–2010 harvest specifications and 

management measures, that NMFS 

increase the catch monitor coverage in 

the proposed monitoring program to full 

coverage. With full coverage all Pacific 

whiting deliveries are monitored by 

catch monitors (the number of 

individual catch monitors per facility 

would vary depending on the hours of 

operation and the number of Pacific 

whiting deliveries received each day). 

NMFS intends to implement the 

Council’s recommendations for full 

catch monitoring coverage in its 

rulemaking for a maximized retention 

and monitoring program. To be 

consistent with Council 

recommendations, the first receiver 

EFPs would also require full catch 

monitor coverage for 2009. 

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

Dated: February 24, 2009. 

Emily H. Menashes 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–4299 Filed 2–27–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XN61 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council; 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 and the 

New England Fishery Management 

Councils’ (MAFMC/NEFMC) Joint Spiny 

Dogfish Committee. 


erowe on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 39 / Monday, March 2, 2009 / Notices 9081 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Thursday, March 19, 2009, from 9 a.m. 

to 4 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Renaissance Philadelphia Airport 

Hotel, 500 Stevens Drive, Philadelphia, 

PA 19113; telephone: (610) 521–5900. 

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, 300 S. New 

Street, Room 2115, Dover, DE 19904; 

telephone: (302) 674–2331. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council, 300 S. New Street, Room 2115, 

Dover, DE 19904; telephone: (302) 674– 

2331, extension 19. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

purpose of the meeting will be to 

develop recommendations on a range of 

issues that will potentially amend the 

Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management 

Plan (FMP). The issues that may be 

discussed at the upcoming meeting 

include, but are not limited to: 

Adding a research set-aside allocation 

option of up to 3% of the quota for use 

during annual specification setting 

•Developing commercial quota 

allocation measures that would serve as 

alternatives to the current seasonal 

allocation system 

•Establishing an approvable biomass 

rebuilding target 

•Establishing a male-only dogfish 

fishery 

•Considering the possibility of 

including smooth dogfish in the current 

FMP 

•Establishing a limited access permit 

for spiny dogfish 

Interested parties are welcome to 

attend the meeting. At the discretion of 

the Committee Chair, public comments 

may be taken during and/or just before 

the conclusion of the meeting. 

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 this meeting. 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 Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, provided 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 aid should be directed to M. 

Jan Bryan, (302) 674–2331 ext 18, at 

least 5 days prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: February 25, 2009. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–4301 Filed 2–27–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XN65 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery 

Management Council’s (Council) 

Herring Oversight Committee will meet 

to consider actions affecting New 

England fisheries in the exclusive 

economic zone (EEZ). 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Tuesday, March 24, 2009, at 9:30 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

theClarion Hotel, 1230 Congress Street, 

Portland, ME; telephone: (207) 774– 

5611; fax: (207) 871–0510. 

Council address: New England 

Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 

Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul 

J. Howard, Executive Director, New 

England Fishery Management Council; 

telephone: (978) 465–0492. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The items 

of discussion in the committee’s agenda 

are as follows: 

1. Continue development of 

management alternatives to be included 

in Amendment 4 to the Atlantic Herring 

Fishery Management Plan (FMP); 

2. Develop alternatives for annual 

catch limits (ACLs) and accountability 

measures (AMs) and discuss related 

changes to the Atlantic herring fishery 

specification process; 

3. Continue discussion and 

development of management 

alternatives related to catch monitoring, 

which may include: monitoring and 

reporting requirements for herring 

vessels and processors, observer 

coverage and at-sea monitoring, shoreside monitoring and sampling, vessel 

monitoring system (VMS) requirements, 

and other measures. 

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 this meeting. Action will 

be restricted to those issues specifically 

identified in this notice and any issues 

arising after publication of this notice 

that require emergency action under 

section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act, provided 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. 

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

Dated: February 25, 2009. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–4303 Filed 2–27–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XN62 

Western Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings and 

hearings. 

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

hold meetings of its Scientific and 

Statistical Committee (SSC), American 

Samoa Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem 

Plan Regional Ecosystem Advisory 

Committee (REAC), Advisory Panel 

(AP), and Plan Team (PT). The Council 

will also hold its 144th meeting to 

consider advisory group 

recommendations and take actions on 

fishery management issues in the 

Western Pacific Region. 

DATES: The 100th SSC Meeting will be 

held on March 17–19, 2009, and the 

American Samoa REAC will be held on 

March 20, 2009. The Advisory Panel 

and Plan Team will meet on March 23, 

2009. The 144th Council meeting will 

be held on March 23–26, 2009. All 

meetings will be held in Pago Pago, 

American Samoa. For specific times and 

agendas, see SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 


erowe on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES