Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 29, 2005 / Notices 71467 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steven Atran, Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council (GMFMC), 2203 

North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa 

FL 33607. telephone: (813) 348–1630. 

John Carmichael, SEDAR Coordinator, 1 

Southpark Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, 

SC 29414. (843) 571–4366. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf 

of Mexico, South Atlantic, and 

Caribbean Fishery Management 

Councils, in conjunction with NOAA 

Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf 

States Marine Fisheries Commissions 

have implemented the Southeast Data, 

Assessment and Review (SEDAR) 

process, a multi-step method for 

determining the status of fish stocks in 

the Southeast Region. SEDAR includes 

three workshops: (1) Data Workshop, (2) 

Stock Assessment Workshop and (3) 

Review Workshop. The product of the 

Data Workshop and the Stock 

Assessment Workshop is a stock 

assessment report which describes the 

fisheries, evaluates the status of the 

stock, estimates biological benchmarks, 

projects future population conditions, 

and recommends research and 

monitoring needs. The Assessment 

Report is independently peer reviewed 

at the Review Workshop. The product of 

the Review Workshop is a Consensus 

Summary which reports Panel opinions 

regarding the strengths and weaknesses 

of the stock assessment and input data. 

Participants for SEDAR Workshops are 

appointed by the regional Fishery 

Management Councils, NOAA Fisheries’

Southeast Regional Office (SERO), and 

the NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast 

Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), and 

include data collectors and database 

managers; stock assessment scientists, 

biologists, and researchers; constituency 

representatives including fishermen, 

environmentalists, and NGO’s; 

International experts; and staff of 

Councils, Commissions, and state and 

federal agencies. 

The stock assessments assigned to 

SEDAR 9 were not completed during the 

August Assessment Workshop. 

Therefore, an additional workshop will 

be held in December 2005 to finalize the 

stock assessment reports and complete 

the Assessment Workshop tasks. As a 

result of delay in completing the stock 

assessments, the Review Workshop will 

be moved from December 2005 to March 

2006. The original announcement of the 

SEDAR Workshops for the Gulf of 

Mexico vermillion snapper, greater 

amberjack, and gray triggerfish 

published at 70 FR 25018, May 12, 

2005. 

SEDAR 9 Workshop Schedule: 

December 19–20, 2005. SEDAR 9 

Assessment Workshop II 

December 19, 2005, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. and 

December 20, 2005,8 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Participants will review proposed 

assessment models and recommend the 

most appropriate methods and 

configurations for determining stock 

status and estimating population 

parameters. Participants will review 

assessment reports, compare and 

contrast various assessment approaches, 

and determine whether the assessments 

are adequate for submission to the 

review panel. 

March 27–31, 2006. SEDAR 9 Review 

Workshop 

March 27, 2006, 1 p.m.–8 p.m., March 

28–30, 2006, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. and March 

31, 2006, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. 

The Review Workshop is an 

independent peer review of the 

assessment developed during the Data 

and Assessment Workshops. Workshop 

Panelists will review the assessment 

and document their comments and 

recommendations in a Consensus 

Summary. Panellists will summarize the 

assessment results in an Advisory 

Report. 

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 Accoomodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to the Council office 

(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) 

at least 5 business days prior to each 

workshop. 

Dated: November 23, 2005 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E5–6650 Filed 11–28–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 110905B] 

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 

Exempted Fishing, Scientific Research, 

Display, and Chartering Permits 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to issue 

exempted fishing, scientific research, 

display, and chartering permits; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the intent 

to issue Exempted Fishing Permits 

(EFPs), Scientific Research Permits 

(SRPs), Display Permits, and Chartering 

Permits for the collection of Atlantic 

highly migratory species (HMS). The 

permits would authorize collections of a 

limited number of tunas, swordfish, 

billfishes, and sharks from Federal 

waters in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf 

of Mexico for the purposes of scientific 

data collection and public display. 

Generally, these permits would be valid 

from the date of issuance through 

December 31, 2006. NMFS also 

announces the intent to consider issuing 

permits upon receiving applications 

from U.S. fishermen whose vessels fish 

for Atlantic HMS while operating under 

chartering arrangements within the 

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of other 

nations to collect data consistent with 

the International Commission for the 

Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) 

recommendations and to ensure 

consistency with that country’s 

regulations without violating U.S. 

regulations. 

DATES: Written comments on these 

collection, research, and fishing 

activities will be considered by NMFS 

when issuing EFPs, SRPs, Display, and/ 

or Chartering Permits if received on or 

before December 29, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted by any of the following 

methods: 

• Email: ID110905B@noaa.gov. 

Include in the subject line the following 

identifier: I.D. 110905B. 

• Mail: Margo Schulze-Haugen, Chief, 

Highly Migratory Species Management 

Division (F/SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 

• Fax: (301)713–1917. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Heather Stirratt, by phone: (301)713–

2347; or fax: (301)713–1917. 

71468 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 29, 2005 / Notices 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EFPs, 

SRPs, Display, and Chartering Permits 

are requested and issued under the 

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and/or the 

Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (16 

U.S.C. 971 et seq.). Regulations at 50 

CFR 600.745 and 50 CFR 635.32 govern 

scientific research activity, exempted 

fishing, chartering arrangements, and 

exempted educational activity with 

respect to Atlantic HMS. 

Issuance of EFPs, SRPs, Display, and 

Chartering Permits may be necessary for 

the collection of scientific data and for 

public display because the possession of 

certain shark species is prohibited, 

possession of billfishes on board 

commercial fishing vessels is 

prohibited, and/or because the 

commercial fisheries for bluefin tuna, 

swordfish, and large coastal sharks may 

be closed for extended periods, during 

which time the collection of live 

animals and/or biological samples 

would be otherwise prohibited. 

Collection of bluefin tuna may be 

authorized for scientific research, age 

and growth, genetic, and spawning 

studies. NMFS regulations at 50 CFR 

635.32 regarding the implantation or 

attachment of archival tags in Atlantic 

HMS require prior authorization and a 

report on implantation activities. 

NMFS seeks public comment on its 

intent to issue EFPs for the purpose of 

collecting biological samples under atsea fisheries observer programs. NMFS 

intends to issue EFPs to any NMFS 

employee or NMFS-approved 

contractor/observer to bring onboard 

and possess (for scientific research 

purposes, biological sampling, 

measurement, etc.) any Atlantic 

swordfish, Atlantic shark, or Atlantic 

billfish provided the fish is a tag 

recapture fish, dead prior to being 

brought onboard, or specifically 

authorized for sampling by the Director 

of NMFS’ Office of Sustainable Fisheries 

at the request of the Southeast Fisheries 

Science Center or the Northeast 

Fisheries Science Center. On average, 

several hundred swordfish and sharks 

are collected by at-sea observers under 

such EFPs in any given year. 

NMFS is also seeking public comment 

on its intent to issue Display Permits for 

the collection of restricted species of 

sharks for the purpose of public display. 

In the Final Fishery Management Plan 

for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and 

Sharks (1999 HMS FMP), NMFS 

established a 60 metric ton wet weight 

quota for the public display and 

research of sharks. NMFS preliminarily 

determined that, based on average 

weight of sharks landed, approximately 

3,000 sharks could be taken with this 

current quota. The actual number of 

sharks taken depends on the species and 

size of the sharks collected. NMFS 

believes that harvesting this amount for 

public display will have a minimal 

impact on the stock and that the number 

of sharks harvested for display and 

research will remain under the annual 

60 metric ton quota. In 2005, seven 

Display Permits were issued, 

authorizing the collection of 258 large 

coastal, 133 small coastal, and 92 

prohibited sharks for display purposes. 

The total number reported as actually 

taken will not be known until early 

2006. However, of the 373 large coastal, 

60 small coastal, and 72 prohibited 

sharks authorized for collection via the 

issuance of nine Display Permits in 

2004, only 10 large coastal sharks, no 

small coastal sharks, and nine 

prohibited species were reported taken 

from Federal waters. In 2004, 23.68 

percent of the shark display and 

research quota was used for public 

display collections. 

Generally, authorized collections or 

exemptions involve activities otherwise 

prohibited by regulations implementing 

the 1999 HMS FMP and Amendment 1 

to the Atlantic Billfish FMP. The EFPs, 

if issued, may authorize recipients to 

fish for and possess tunas, billfish, 

swordfish, and sharks outside the 

applicable Federal commercial seasons, 

size limits and/or retention limits; to 

fish for and possess prohibited species; 

or to fish for and possess HMS collected 

for research purposes in closed areas. 

NMFS may consider exempted fishing 

applications for bycatch reduction 

research in closed regions of the 

Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and 

Caribbean Sea to test gear modifications 

and fishing techniques aimed to avoid 

incidental capture of non-target species. 

Such applications would likely require 

further National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) analyses and possibly 

public comment. 

Comments are also requested on the 

issuance of Chartering Permits to vessels 

fishing for HMS while operating under 

chartering arrangements within the EEZ 

of other nations. Chartering Permits 

allow a U.S. fishing vessel to fish in a 

manner consistent with another 

country’s regulations without violating 

U.S. regulations, and ensure that such 

vessels report to the proper authorities, 

consistent with ICCAT 

recommendations. To date, NMFS has 

only issued one Chartering Permit for a 

pelagic longline vessel. 

Table 1 summarizes the number of 

exempted permits and authorized 

collections in 2004 and 2005, as well as 

the number of specimens collected in 

2004. The number of specimens 

collected in 2005 will be available when 

all of the 2005 annual reports are 

submitted to NMFS. In 2004, the 

number of authorized specimens for 

collection was greater than the number 

specimens actually collected under each 

permit. A total of 43 exempted permits 

were issued by NMFS in 2004 for the 

collection of HMS, whereas the number 

of permits issued in 2005 declined to 35 

permits. In both 2004 and 2005, the 

greatest number of exempted permits 

issued were Tuna EFPs. Shark SRPs had 

the greatest number of specimens 

authorized for collection in 2004, 

whereas tuna EFPs authorized the 

greatest number of specimens in 2005. 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 29, 2005 / Notices 71469 

Final decisions on the issuance of any 

EFPs, SRPs, Display, and Chartering 

Permits will depend on the submission 

of all required information about the 

proposed activities, NMFS’ review of 

public comments received on this 

notice, consistency with conclusions in 

the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) contained in the Final 

HMS FMP (64 FR 13575; March 19, 

1999), Environmental Assessments 

(EAs) or EISs, and any consultations 

with appropriate Regional Fishery 

Management Councils, states, or Federal 

agencies. NMFS does not anticipate any 

environmental impacts from the 

issuance of these EFPs other than 

impacts already assessed in the 1999 

HMS FMP. 

All requests for EFPs, SRPs, Display, 

and Chartering Permits of a type or 

nature not addressed in this Federal 

Register notice will have a separate 

notice filed and separate public 

comment period. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 16 

U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: November 22, 2005. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 05–23469 Filed 11–28–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[Docket No. [051121306–5306–01]] 

Announcement of Funding 

Opportunity for the Coastal and 

Estuarine Land Conservation Program 

AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal 

Resource Management (OCRM), the 

National Ocean Service (NOS), National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), Commerce. 

ACTION: Announcement of funding 

opportunity for financial assistance for 

project grants. 

SUMMARY: NOS/OCRM is soliciting 

coastal and estuarine land conservation 

acquisition projects from eligible coastal 

states. The Coastal and Estuarine Land 

Conservation Program (CELCP) was 

established ‘‘for the purpose of 

protecting important coastal and 

estuarine areas that have significant 

conservation, recreation, ecological, 

historical, or aesthetic values, or that are 

threatened by conversion from their 

natural or recreational state to other 

uses.’’ This announcement solicits 

proposals for land acquisition projects, 

up to 3 years in duration, with the 

purpose of protecting important coastal 

and estuarine areas. Project proposals 

should reflect priorities identified in an 

approved state CELC plan or, if a state 

plan has not been completed, by the 

state’s approved coastal management 

program. This solicitation will result in 

a prioritized list of projects that will be 

submitted to Congress in March 2006 for 

consideration in the FY 2007 

appropriations process. Proposals 

should be prepared assuming a cost of 

no more than $3,000,000 per project and 

three projects per eligible applicant. 

DATES: Proposals must be received by 

the NOS/OCRM no later than 5 p.m. 

e.s.t., December 30, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: It is strongly preferred that 

you submit your application through 

Grants.gov at the Internet site: http:// 

www.grants.gov. You may access, 

download, and submit an electronic 

grant application through Grants.gov. 


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