Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 79 / Tuesday, April 25, 1995 / Proposed Rules 20253

promulgate more explicit provisions on

whether organizational changes made

by contractors do or do not result in cost

accounting practice changes.

After consideration of the public

comments received, the Board

concluded that contractors and Federal

officials appear to be interpreting the

Board’s rules and regulations governing

changes in cost accounting practice

under CAS-covered contracts

differently. Furthermore, the contract

price and cost adjustment provisions

governing cost accounting practice

changes under CAS-covered contracts

do not appear to be clearly understood

and, consequently, some inefficient,

uneconomical and possibly inequitable

practices may have evolved as the

contracting parties proceeded to comply

with the Board’s requirements.

Therefore, the Board is proposing to

amend Chapter 99 by:

Revising the definitions and

illustrations governing cost accounting

practice changes, for purposes of

making it explicit that a change in the

manner in which costs are grouped and

accumulated constitutes a change in

cost accounting practice and that

organizational changes must be

evaluated on a case-by-case basis in

order to determine if a change in cost

accounting practice has occurred.

Adding a new Subpart 9903.4 to

delineate the contract price and cost

adjustment process to be applied when

a contractor changes a cost accounting

practice, fails to comply with a

Standard, or fails to consistently follow

its established cost accounting practices.

The proposed coverage is intended to

facilitate the resolution of the cost

impact of such compliant and

noncompliant cost accounting practice

changes under the requirements of

existing and future CAS-covered

contracts. Accordingly, when issued as

a final rule, the proposed Subpart

9903.4 provisions would apply to all

CAS-covered contracts requiring

adjustment, including those CAScovered contracts awarded prior to the

effective date of the final rule.

The purpose of this ANPRM is to seek

broad public comment concerning the

proposed amendments. In particular,

the Board is considering the

establishment of certain new

requirements that it believes would

clarify and facilitate the overall cost

impact process governing cost

accounting practice changes.

Accordingly, the Board invites

interested parties to specifically

comment on the following ANPRM

provisions:

—Proposed 9903.201–4, in paragraphs

(a)(4) of the proposed contract

clauses, includes new provisions

requiring a contractor to agree to price

adjustments if its CAS-covered

subcontractors make required,

voluntary or desirable changes to their

cost accounting practices pursuant to

the subcontracts’ terms and

conditions.

—Proposed 9903.201–6(b) establishes

new criteria for determining when a

voluntary change in cost accounting

practice may be treated as a desirable

change.

—Proposed 9903.404(b)(ii)(A) requires

CAS-covered contractors to notify the

Government of and fully disclose cost

accounting practice changes required

to comply with a new or modified

Standard 60 days prior to the

Standard’s effective date. This

requirement is predicated on the

Board’s decision that final rules will

generally be issued 120 days prior to

the effective date of a new or modified

Standard.

—Proposed 9903.404(b)(ii)(B)

establishes new notification

requirements for voluntary and

desirable changes.

—Proposed 9903.404(b)(vi) provides a

new equitable adjustment provision

for contracts negotiated within 60

days after a contractor notifies the

Government of a voluntary change

that would otherwise be subject to a

CAS-covered contract’s ‘‘no increased

cost’’ provision.

—Proposed 9903.404(e) provides for the

use of a cost impact settlement

proposal that would permit early

resolution of the estimated cost

impact in lieu of the use of a detailed

cost impact proposal.

Richard C. Loeb,

Executive Secretary, Cost Accounting

Standards Board.

[FR Doc. 95–10071 Filed 4–24–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3110–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Parts 675 and 677

[Docket No. 95041405–5105–01; I.D.

033095A]

RIN 0648–AH69

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands Area; Chum Salmon

Savings Area

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for

comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS proposes regulations

that would implement Amendment 35

to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP)

for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (BSAI).

This amendment proposes to prohibit

the use of trawl gear in a specified area

of the Bering Sea (BS) during the

pollock nonroe season. Regulatory

amendments also are proposed that

would increase 1995 observer coverage

for mothership processor vessels, and

some shoreside processors receiving

pollock harvested in the catcher vessel

operational area (CVOA) and require the

mothership processor vessels and

shoreside processors to obtain the

capability for electronic transmission of

daily observer reports. This action is

necessary to reduce chum salmon

bycatch amounts in the pollock fishery

and is intended to promote the

objectives of the FMP.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by

June 5, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to

Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries

Management Division, Alaska Region,

NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK,

99802, Attn: Lori Gravel, or delivered to

the Federal Building, 709 West 9th

Street, Juneau, AK. Copies of

Amendment 35 and the environmental

assessment/regulatory impact review/

initial regulatory flexibility analysis

(RIR/IRFA) prepared for Amendment 35

are available from the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council, P.O. Box

103136, Anchorage, AK 99510;

telephone: 907–271–2809.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kaja

Brix, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fishing

for groundfish by U.S. vessels in the

exclusive economic zone of the BSAI is

managed by NMFS according to the

FMP for the Groundfish Fishery of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area.

The FMP was prepared by the North

Pacific Fishery Management Council

(Council) under the Magnuson Fishery

Conservation and Management Act (16

U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) (Magnuson Act),

and is implemented by regulations

governing the U.S. groundfish fisheries

at 50 CFR parts 675 and 676. General

regulations that also pertain to U.S.

fisheries are codified at 50 CFR part 620.

Regulations governing observer coverage

requirements for specified U.S. fisheries

under the North Pacific Fisheries

Research Plan (Research Plan) are

codified at 50 CFR part 677.

This action proposes regulations to

implement Amendment 35 to the FMP.
20254 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 79 / Tuesday, April 25, 1995 / Proposed Rules

If approved by NMFS, this amendment

would prohibit the use of trawl gear in

a specified area of the BS that

historically contributes to relatively

high salmon bycatch rates during late

summer months. This action also

proposes two associated regulatory

amendments that would (1) require

mothership processor vessels and some

shoreside processing plants to obtain an

additional observer, and (2) require the

affected mothership processor vessels

and 100–percent-observer-coverage

shoreside processing plants to obtain

the necessary software and hardware for

electronic transmission of daily observer

reports.

In 1993, the total ‘‘other’’ salmon

bycatch amount in the BSAI fisheries

was 245,000 fish—approximately six

times the bycatch level estimated for

each of the previous 2 years and triple

the previous highest bycatch amount of

72,000 ‘‘other’’ salmon estimated in the

1984 foreign trawl fishery. ‘‘Other’’

salmon is defined as salmon other than

chinook salmon. Historical observer

data indicate that approximately 95

percent of the ‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch

in the BS is chum salmon.

The magnitude of the 1993 chum

salmon bycatch in the pollock nonroe

season is of concern especially in view

of poor returns of chum salmon to

western Alaska river systems during

recent years. These poor returns have

precipitated closure, by the Alaska

Department of Fish and Game, of

commercial, sport, and subsistence

fisheries in several western Alaska

Districts.

To address the problems of high

salmon bycatch in the BS, NMFS

implemented an emergency rule on

August 15, 1994 (59 FR 35476, July 12,

1994) that imposed restrictions on

‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch during the

pollock nonroe season of 1994. The

emergency rule closed a specific area

(the salmon savings area) in the CVOA

after a limit of 42,000 ‘‘other’’ salmon

had been taken in the CVOA. The

salmon savings area (SSA) was defined

based on historical observer data that

indicated a relatively high ‘‘other’’

salmon bycatch rate. Under the

emergency rule the SSA was closed to

all trawling on August 20, 1994, 5 days

after the opening of the pollock nonroe

season. As in past years, vessels fishing

in the SSA in 1994, prior to closure of

this area, experienced a high ‘‘other’’

salmon bycatch rate. Continued fishing

in the SSA in 1994 would likely have

led to higher bycatch rates than those

seen after the closure.

At its January 1995 meeting, the

Council recommended that NMFS

implement the following long-term

management measures to address the

chum salmon bycatch problem in the

BSAI pollock nonroe season:

1. The chum salmon savings area

(CSSA), defined under the emergency

rule as the SSA, would be closed to all

trawling for the month of August, with

the closure continuing or being

reinstated once a bycatch limit of 42,000

‘‘other’’ salmon has been reached in the

CVOA. Accounting for chum salmon

bycatch attributable towards the bycatch

limit would begin on August 15. The

CSSA would reopen to trawling on

October 15.

2. Mothership processor vessels that

receive pollock harvested in the CVOA

during the 1995 pollock nonroe season

would be required to carry two

observers until the bycatch limit for

‘‘other’’ salmon is reached or until

October 15, whichever occurs first. For

the same period of time, those shoreside

processing plants that also receive

pollock harvested in the CVOA during

the 1995 pollock nonroe season and that

offload fish at two locations on the same

dock and have distinct and separate

equipment at each location to process

those fish would also be required to

have an extra observer. For 1996 and

beyond, observer coverage requirements

for these vessels and shoreside plants

could be specified annually under the

Research Plan.

3. Electronic communication

capabilities would be required for each

mothership processor vessel that

receives pollock harvested in the CVOA

during the pollock nonroe season and

for each shoreside processing facility

that receives pollock harvested from the

CVOA during the pollock nonroe season

and that is required to have 100–

percent-observer-coverage under 50 CFR

677.10.

These measures are described in

detail and justified below.

Chum Salmon Savings Area

At its January 1995 meeting, the

Council adopted an FMP amendment

that would provide the authority to

prohibit trawl fisheries in an area within

the CVOA that historically accounts for

relatively high salmon bycatch rates

during summer and fall months. The

area would be closed from August 1

through August 31. The closure would

continue or be reinstated once a bycatch

limit of 42,000 ‘‘other’’ salmon is

reached and the area would remain

closed through October 14. Accounting

of salmon towards the bycatch limit

would start at the beginning of the

pollock nonroe season on August 15.

Only salmon caught in the CVOA would

be counted towards the bycatch limit.

This measure is intended to reduce

chum salmon bycatch in the pollock

nonroe fishery.

The closure area (the CSSA) is

defined by straight lines connecting the

following coordinates in the order

listed:

56°00′ N., 167°00′ W.;

56°00′ N., 165°00′ W.;

55°30′ N., 165°00′ W.;

55°30′ N., 164°00′ W.;

55°00′ N., 164°00′ W.;

55°00′ N., 167°00′ W.;

56°00′ N., 167°00′ W.

At its January 1995 meeting, the

Council considered three different

alternatives with seven options for time/

area closures to limit chum salmon

bycatch during the pollock nonroe

season. The Council recommended the

same closure area that was previously

chosen for closure under the emergency

rule. This area was chosen as a

minimum closure area that would

provide the most consistent protection

to ‘‘other’’ salmon during the pollock

nonroe season, but would still allow

access to productive pollock fishing

grounds.

The CSSA historically has accounted

for a large proportion of ‘‘other’’ salmon

bycatch and a relatively small

proportion of groundfish harvest. The

recommended 42,000 ‘‘other’’ salmon

bycatch limit represents 50 percent of

the 1991, 1992, and 1993 average of

‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch in the CVOA.

The 42,000 ‘‘other’’ salmon limit

approximates the 1991 and 1992

bycatch, while providing some buffer to

accommodate slight increases in

bycatch.

During the period July through

October, the recommended CSSA

accounted for 1.0, 0.8, and 7.0 percent

of the total annual observed groundfish

catch in the BSAI pollock and Pacific

cod trawl fisheries during 1991, 1992,

and 1993, respectively. During the

period July through October of 1991,

1992, and 1993, this area accounted for

38, 40, and 54 percent, respectively, of

the total annual ‘‘other’’ salmon

bycatch. During the period July through

October 1993, the CSSA had the highest

‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch rate of the areas

analyzed—approximately 1.2 ‘‘other’’

salmon per metric ton (mt) of

groundfish. Also, during the pollock

nonroe season in 1994, the CSSA had a

similarly high ‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch

rate (1.12 salmon/mt groundfish) prior

to the closure of this area. The initial

number of salmon estimated in the first

week of the 1994 pollock nonroe season

was similar in both 1993 and 1994.

Total bycatch was reduced in 1994

following the closure of the CSSA.

Determining whether the reduced

weekly catch of ‘‘other’’ salmon was due
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 79 / Tuesday, April 25, 1995 / Proposed Rules 20255

to the closure or would have occurred

without the closure is difficult. Given

the high bycatch rates within the CSSA,

closing this area likely had the desired

effect of reducing overall ‘‘other’’

salmon bycatch.

This proposed rule is intended to

prevent a recurrence of the high 1993

chum salmon bycatch experienced

during the BSAI pollock nonroe season.

The bycatch of ‘‘other’’ salmon appears

to be a function of the time of year,

distribution of fishing effort, and spatial

distribution of salmon. Historical data

indicate that ‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch is

reduced generally during the winter

months and elevated during the months

of July through October. Approximately

67 percent of all ‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch

in observed hauls during 1991 was

taken during August, and 40 percent

and 62 percent of the 1992 and 1993

‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch, respectively,

was taken during the month of

September. Starting in 1993, the

opening of the pollock nonroe season

was delayed from June 1 until August

15 (58 FR 30997, May 28, 1993). This

delay was implemented to achieve

increased revenues from the harvest of

BSAI pollock during the nonroe season

and to provide participants in the

pollock nonroe fishery increased

opportunities to fish in other groundfish

fisheries.

Although the delay of the pollock

nonroe season until August 15 was

expected to increase chum salmon

bycatch, the magnitude of the 1993

bycatch amount was not anticipated.

Spatially, the number of ‘‘other’’ salmon

appears to be highest south of 57° N. lat.

and east of 168° W. long. Consistent

with historical data, about 80 percent of

the 1993 BSAI ‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch

was taken in the CVOA.

Increased Observer Coverage and

Electronic Transmission of Observer

Data

NMFS must rely on data collected by

NMFS-certified observers to manage the

‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch limit of 42,000

fish. Currently, one observer is required

on each mothership processor vessel

participating in either the inshore or

offshore component pollock fishery and

at most shoreside processing plants

receiving pollock. Regulations at

§ 675.20(c)(6) require that all salmon

taken in BSAI trawl operations be

retained until the number of salmon is

determined by a NMFS-certified

observer. NMFS intends to use these

observed counts to monitor the ‘‘other’’

salmon bycatch limit. To monitor the

chum salmon bycatch limit effectively

and close the CSSA once the 42,000 fish

bycatch limit has been reached, NMFS

must receive daily electronic reports of

salmon bycatch numbers. NMFS

typically receives weekly reports on

groundfish catch and on prohibited

species bycatch to monitor the fisheries.

The time required to process these

reports results in a delay between the

receipt of reports and determination of

overall catch statistics that provide the

basis for determining whether a closure

is required. If the ‘‘other’’ salmon

bycatch were to proceed at the 1993 or

1994 rates, weekly reporting would not

be sufficient to allow timely closure of

the CSSA once the 42,000 ‘‘other’’

salmon limit had been reached, thus

contributing to higher than necessary

salmon bycatch during the pollock

nonroe season.

Effective monitoring of the bycatch

limit requires a second observer on each

mothership processor vessel and at

some shoreside processing plants that

receive fish from catcher boats fishing in

the CVOA during the pollock nonroe

season. This requirement is necessary to

ensure accurate and timely counts of

salmon bycatch, without compromising

the other groundfish sampling duties of

the observer. The time required by

observers to count salmon bycatch for

each haul and transmit these data on a

daily basis, places an extra burden on

observers. Because large numbers of

hauls are delivered to mothership

processor vessels compared to some

other processors a greater burden would

be placed on a single observer to obtain

the necessary salmon counts and

transmit that information on a daily

basis. Those shoreside processors that

offload fish at more than one location on

the same dock and have distinct and

separate equipment at each location to

process those fish would also be

required to have an extra observer to

monitor the large number of deliveries.

Salmon counts, to be attributed to the

bycatch limit, would begin on August

15. NMFS would require the additional

observers to be aboard the mothership

processor vessels and at the shoreside

processing plants from August 15, the

start of the pollock nonroe season, until

the bycatch limit of 42,000 fish has been

reached. These vessels and shoreside

plants would be directly responsible for

observer coverage costs in 1995 and

would not receive credit for these costs,

under § 677.6(d), against 1995 Research

Plan fee assessments authorized under

§ 677.6(b). Subsequent assignment of

observer coverage for 1996 and beyond

would be annually specified under the

Research Plan (§ 677.11).

To enable the observers to report

haul-by-haul statistics and salmon

bycatch numbers on a daily basis, the

operator of each mothership processor

vessel that receives fish harvested in the

CVOA must provide specific

communication equipment.

The specific equipment listed below

is similar to the requirements for the

emergency rule that also imposed

restrictions on ‘‘other’’ salmon bycatch

during the pollock nonroe season of

1994. The processors affected by this

rule should already have this

communication equipment, except that

some computers may need to be

upgraded. Significant additional costs

would not be incurred. This specific

equipment is necessary to ensure

compatibility with the software

developed by the NMFS Observer

Program Office. Equipment that differs

from these specifications would not

operate the data-entry software that

allows electronic data transmission. Not

all computer hardware and software and

satellite systems are compatible and it

would be economically and practically

inefficient to set up multiple systems to

transmit and collect the same

information. These equipment

requirements are consistent with the

applicable specifications for vessel

monitoring systems published in the

Federal Register on March 31, 1994 (59

FR 15180).

Mothership processor vessels would

be required to have INMARSAT

Standard A satellite communication

capabilities and associated software

(cc:Mail remote and a data entry

program provided by the Regional

Director) for observer’s use. Each

mothership processor vessel must also

have the following equipment or

equipment compatible therewith and

having the ability to operate the NMFSsupplied data entry software program: a

personal computer (PC) with a 486 or

better processing chip, a DOS version

3.0 or better operating system, and 10

megabytes of free hard disk storage, and

eight megabytes of random access

memory (RAM) available to support the

program used by the observer. Each

shoreside facility that receives pollock

harvested in the CVOA during the

pollock nonroe season and that is

required to have 100–percent-observercoverage under 50 CFR 677.10, must

have the capability to transmit data over

telephone lines using a computer

modem. These processors would make

available to observers the following

equipment or equipment compatible

therewith: a PC with a 486 or better

processing chip, with at least a 9600

baud modem, and a phone line. The PC

must be equipped with a mouse,

Windows version 3.1, or a program

having the ability to operate the NMFSsupplied data entry software program,

and have at least 10 megabytes of free
20256 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 79 / Tuesday, April 25, 1995 / Proposed Rules

hard disk storage with eight megabytes

RAM to support the software program

used by the observer.

Vessels and shoreside processing

facilities would be required to maintain

fully functional and operational

electronic-data communication

equipment.

The affected mothership processor

vessels and shoreside processors must

obtain for observers’ use the data entry

software program provided by the

Regional Director.

Classification

Section 304(a)(1)(D) of the Magnuson

Act requires NMFS to publish

regulations proposed by a Council

within 15 days of receipt of the FMP

amendment and regulations. At this

time NMFS has not determined that the

FMP amendment that these rules would

implement is consistent with the

national standards, other provisions of

the Magnuson Act, and other applicable

laws. NMFS in making that

determination, will take into account

the data, views, and comments received

during the comment period.

The Council prepared an IRFA as part

of the RIR, which describes the impact

of this proposed rule on small entities,

if adopted. The IRFA indicates that the

preferred option was the most costeffective of the options considered.

Although, the groundfish historically

caught in this area can be harvested

elsewhere in the BS, this proposed

action could have a significant

economic impact on the segment of the

fishing industry that fishes for nonroe

pollock because all of the catcher

vessels would be prohibited from

trawling in the closure area and would

have to relocate, incurring

undeterminable expenses. Operating

costs could increase for catcher vessels

that are forced to fish in locations other

than the closure area and the catch-perunit-effort in the locations that these

vessels are displaced to may be less than

in the closure area. These factors could

contribute, for these catcher vessels, to

reductions in gross revenues of more

than 5 percent, annual compliance costs

that increased total costs of production

by more than 5 percent, or compliance

costs for small entities that are at least

10 percent higher than compliance costs

as a percent of sales for large entities.

A copy of this analysis is available

from the Council (see ADDRESSES).

This proposed rule has been

determined to be not significant for

purposes of E.O. 12866.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Parts 675 and

677

Fisheries, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements.

Dated: April 19, 1995.

Richard H. Schaefer,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

For reasons set out in the preamble,

50 CFR parts 675 and 677 are proposed

to be amended as follows:

PART 675—GROUNDFISH OF THE

BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS

AREA

1. The authority citation for part 675

continues to read as follows:

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

2. Section 675.22, paragraph (h) is

added to read as follows:

§ 675.22 Time and area closures.

* * * * *

(h) Chum Salmon Savings Area. (1)

Trawling is prohibited from August 1

through August 31 in the area defined

by straight lines connecting the

following coordinates in the order

listed:

56°00′ N. 167°00′ W.,

56°00′ N. 165°00′ W.,

55°30′ N. 165°00′ W.,

55°30′ N. 164°00′ W.,

55°00′ N. 164°00′ W.,

55°00′ N. 167°00′ W.,

56°00′ N. 167°00′ W.

(2) When the Regional Director

determines that 42,000 nonchinook

salmon have been caught by vessels

using trawl gear during the time period

of August 15 through October 14 in the

catcher vessel operational area, defined

in paragraph (g) of this section, NMFS

will prohibit fishing with trawl gear for

the remainder of the period September

1 through October 14 in the area defined

under paragraph (h)(1) of this section.

3. Section 675.25 is revised as

follows:

§ 675.25 Observer requirements.

(a) General. Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands management area groundfish

observer requirements are contained in

part 677 of this chapter.

(b) Additional observer coverage

requirements applicable through

December 31, 1995. (1) Each mothership

processor vessel that receives pollock

harvested by catcher vessels in the

catcher vessel operational area, defined

at § 675.22(g), during the second pollock

season that starts on August 15 under

§ 675.23(e), is required to have a second

NMFS-certified observer aboard, in

addition to the observer required under

§ 677.10(a)(1)(i) of this chapter for each

day of the second pollock season until

the chum salmon savings area is closed

under § 675.22(h)(2).

(2) Each shoreside processor that

offloads fish at more than one location

on the same dock and has distinct and

separate equipment at each location to

process those fish and that receives

pollock harvested by catcher vessels in

the catcher vessel operational area,

defined at § 675.22(g), during the second

pollock season that starts on August 15,

under § 675.23(e) is required to have a

NMFS-certified observer, in addition to

the observer required under

§ 677.10(a)(1)(i) of this chapter, at each

location where fish is offloaded, for

each day of the second pollock season

until the chum salmon savings area is

closed under § 675.22(h)(2).

PART 677—NORTH PACIFIC

FISHERIES RESEARCH PLAN

4. The authority citation for part 677

continues to read as follows:

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

5. Section 677.10, paragraphs (c)(3)

and (d)(3) are revised to read as follows:

§ 677.10 General requirements.

* * * * *

(c) * * *

(3) Facilitate transmission of observer

data by:

(i) Allowing observers to use the

vessel’s communication equipment and

personnel, on request, for the entry,

transmission, and receipt of workrelated messages, at no cost to the

observers, the State of Alaska, or the

United States;

(ii) Ensuring that each mothership

that receives pollock harvested in the

catcher vessel operational area, defined

at

§ 675.22(g) of this chapter, during the

pollock nonroe season that starts on

August 15, is equipped with

INMARSAT Standard A satellite

communication capabilities, cc:Mail

remote, and the data entry software,

provided by the Regional Director, for

use by the observer. The operator of

each mothership processing vessel shall

also make available for the observers’

use the following equipment compatible

therewith and having the ability to

operate the NMFS-supplied data entry

software program: a personal computer

with a 486 or better processing chip, a

DOS 3.0, or better operating system with

10 megabytes free hard disk storage and

8 megabytes RAM; and

(iii) Ensuring that the communication

equipment that is on mothership

processor vessels as specified at

paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section, and
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 79 / Tuesday, April 25, 1995 / Proposed Rules 20257

that is used by observers to transmit

data is fully functional and operational.

* * * * *

(d) * * *

(3) Facilitate transmission of observer

data by:

(i) Allowing observers to use the

shoreside processing facility’s

communication equipment and

personnel, on request, for the entry,

transmission, and receipt of workrelated messages, at no cost to the

observers, the State of Alaska, or the

United States;

(ii) Ensuring that each shoreside

processing facility that is required to

have 100–percent-observer-coverage

under § 677.10 and that receives pollock

harvested in the catcher vessel

operational area, defined at § 675.22(g)

of this chapter, during the second

pollock season that starts on August 15,

under § 675.23(e) of this chapter, makes

available to the observer the following

equipment or equipment compatible

therewith: a personal computer with a

minimum of a 486 processing chip with

at least a 9600–baud modem and a

telephone line. The personal computer

must be equipped with a mouse,

Windows version 3.1, or a program

having the ability to operate the NMFSsupplied data entry software program,

10 megabytes free hard disk storage, 8

megabytes RAM, and with data entry

software provided by the Regional

Director for use by the observers; and

(iii) Ensuring that the communication

equipment that is in the shoreside

processing facility as specified at

paragraph (d)(3)(ii) of this section, and

that is used by observers to transmit

data is fully functional and operational.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 95–10150 Filed 4–20–95; 2:46 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F