Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 76 / Friday, April 18, 2008 / Notices 21111 

help to oversee and guide the 

aforementioned study. Interested 

companies should contact the 

Manufacturing & Services’ Office of 

Trade Policy Analysis at the number 

listed above. 

Dated: April 9, 2008. 

Matthew Howard, 

Office of Trade Policy Analysis. 

[FR Doc. E8–8359 Filed 4–17–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XG93 

Fisheries in the Western Pacific; 

Marine Conservation Plan for Pacific 

Insular Areas; Western Pacific 

Sustainable Fisheries Fund 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of agency decision. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the 

approval of a three-year marine 

conservation plan (MCP) for Pacific 

Insular Areas other than American 

Samoa, Guam, and the Northern 

Mariana Islands. 

DATES: This agency decision is effective 

April 11, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the marine 

conservation plan are available from the 

Western Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (Council), 1164 Bishop St., 

Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, tel. 

808–522–8220, fax 808–522–8226. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Alvin Katekaru, NMFS Pacific Islands 

Regional Office, 808–944–2207. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 

section 204(e)of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the 

Secretary of State, with the concurrence 

of the Secretary of Commerce 

(Secretary) and in consultation with the 

Council, may negotiate and enter into a 

Pacific Insular Area fishery agreement 

(PIAFA) to allow foreign fishing within 

the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 

adjacent to any Pacific Insular Area 

other than American Samoa, Guam, or 

the Northern Mariana Islands, which, by 

definition, does not include the State of 

Hawaii. Prior to entering into a PIAFA, 

the Council shall develop a three-year 

Marine Conservation Plan (MCP) 

providing details on uses for funds to be 

collected by the Secretary under the 

PIAFA. The Magnuson-Stevens Act 

authorizes that any payment received 

under a PIAFA in support of 

conservation and management 

objectives in an MCP developed by the 

Council and, in the case of violations by 

foreign vessels occurring within the EEZ 

off any Pacific Insular Area (other than 

American Samoa, Guam, or the 

Northern Mariana Islands), any amounts 

received by the Secretary attributable to 

fines and penalties imposed under the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, shall be 

deposited into the Western Pacific 

Sustainable Fisheries Fund for use by 

the Council. 

The MCP to be approved by the 

Secretary must be consistent with the 

Council’s fishery management plans, 

must identify conservation and 

management objectives (including 

criteria for determining when such 

objectives have been met), and must 

prioritize planned marine conservation 

projects. Although no foreign fishing is 

being contemplated at this time, the 

Council has developed an MCP for the 

Pacific Insular Areas here defined as the 

EEZ around Johnston and Palmyra 

Atolls, Kingman Reef, and Jarvis, 

Howland, Baker, and Wake Islands. 

These areas are sometimes known as the 

‘‘Pacific remote island areas’’ or ‘‘U.S. 

island possessions in the Central Pacific 

Ocean.’’

At its 139th meeting held in October 

2007, the Council approved its 

‘‘Western Pacific Sustainable Fisheries 

Fund Marine Conservation Plan,’’ dated 

August 29, 2007. The MCP contains 

seven objectives: 

1. Support quality research and obtain 

the most complete scientific information 

available to assess and manage fisheries; 

2. Promote an ecosystem approach in 

fisheries management, including 

reducing waste in fisheries and 

minimizing impacts on marine habitats 

and impacts on protected species; 

3. Conduct education and outreach to 

foster good stewardship principles and 

broad and direct public participation in 

the Council’s decision-making process; 

4. Recognize the importance of island 

cultures and traditional fishing practices 

in managing fishery resources, and 

foster opportunities for participation; 

5. Promote environmentallyresponsible fishing and the utilization of 

sustainable fisheries that provide longterm economic growth and stability; 

6. Promote regional cooperation to 

manage domestic and international 

fisheries; and 

7. Encourage development of 

technologies and methods to achieve the 

most effective level of monitoring, 

control, and surveillance, and to ensure 

safety at sea. 

The MCP also identifies major task 

areas that include data collection and 

monitoring, management, biological 

research and assessment, social 

economic research and assessment, 

policy development, protected species, 

public outreach, etc., within which 

projects are ranked in order of priority. 

On November 6, 2007, the Council 

transmitted its MCP to NMFS (designee 

of the Secretary) for approval. This 

notice announces that NMFS has 

determined that the Council’s MCP 

satisfies the requirements of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, and that NMFS 

has approved the MCP for the three-year 

period from April 11, 2008, through 

April 10, 2011. 

Dated: April 14, 2008. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 08–1150 Filed 4–15–08; 2:24 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA34 

Marine Mammal Stock Assessment 

Reports 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; response to comments. 

SUMMARY: As required by the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS 

has incorporated public comments into 

revisions of marine mammal stock 

assessment reports (SARs). These 

reports for 2007 are now final and 

available to the public. 

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of SARs 

are available on the Internet as regional 

compilations and individual reports at 

the following address: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/. You also 

may send requests for copies of reports 

to: Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea 

Turtle Conservation Division, Office of 

Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910–

3226, Attn: Stock Assessments. 

Copies of the Alaska Regional SARs 

may be requested from Robyn Angliss, 

Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 

Sand Point Way, BIN 15700, Seattle, 

WA 98115. 

Copies of the Atlantic Regional SARs 

may be requested from Gordon Waring, 

Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 

Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543. 


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