Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 106 / Friday, June 4, 2021 / Notices 30005 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB092] 

Schedules for Atlantic Shark 

Identification Workshops and 

Protected Species Safe Handling, 

Release, and Identification Workshops 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public workshops. 

SUMMARY: Free Atlantic Shark 

Identification Workshops and Safe 

Handling, Release, and Identification 

Workshops will be held in July, August, 

and September of 2021. Certain 

fishermen and shark dealers are 

required to attend a workshop to meet 

regulatory requirements and to maintain 

valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic 

Shark Identification Workshop is 

mandatory for all federally permitted 

Atlantic shark dealers. The Safe 

Handling, Release, and Identification 

Workshop is mandatory for vessel 

owners and operators who use bottom 

longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet 

gear, and who have also been issued 

shark or swordfish limited access 

permits. Additional free workshops will 

be conducted during 2021 and will be 

announced in a future notice. 

DATES: The Atlantic Shark Identification 

Workshops will be held on July 8, 

August 19, and September 9, 2021. The 

Safe Handling, Release, and 

Identification Workshops will be held 

on July 20, July 28, August 3, August 31, 

September 3, and September 10, 2021. 

See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 

further details. 

ADDRESSES: The Atlantic Shark 

Identification Workshops will be held in 

Bohemia, NY; Norfolk, VA; and Panama 

City Beach, FL. The Safe Handling, 

Release, and Identification Workshops 

will be held in Galveston, TX; 

Manahawkin, NJ; Vero Beach, FL; 

Charleston, SC; Ronkonkoma, NY; and 

Gulfport, MS. See SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION for further details on 

workshop locations. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick 

Pearson by phone: (727) 824–5399, or by 

email at rick.a.pearson@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic 

highly migratory species (HMS) 

fisheries are managed under the 

authority of the Atlantic Tunas 

Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.) 

and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act (16 

U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The 2006 

Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery 

Management Plan and its amendments 

are implemented by regulations at 50 

CFR part 635. Section 635.8 describes 

the requirements for the Atlantic Shark 

Identification Workshops and Safe 

Handling, Release, and Identification 

Workshops. The workshop schedules, 

registration information, and a list of 

frequently asked questions regarding the 

Atlantic Shark Identification and Safe 

Handling, Release, and Identification 

workshops are posted online at: https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highlymigratory-species/atlantic-sharkidentification-workshops and https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highlymigratory-species/safe-handling-releaseand-identification-workshops. 

Atlantic Shark Identification 

Workshops 

Since January 1, 2008, Atlantic shark 

dealers have been prohibited from 

receiving, purchasing, trading, or 

bartering for Atlantic sharks unless a 

valid Atlantic Shark Identification 

Workshop certificate is on the premises 

of each business listed under the shark 

dealer permit that first receives Atlantic 

sharks (71 FR 58057; October 2, 2006). 

Dealers who attend and successfully 

complete a workshop are issued a 

certificate for each place of business that 

is permitted to receive sharks. These 

certificate(s) are valid for 3 years. Thus, 

certificates that were initially issued in 

2018 will be expiring in 2021. 

Approximately 183 free Atlantic Shark 

Identification Workshops have been 

conducted since October 2008. 

Currently, permitted dealers may send 

a proxy to an Atlantic Shark 

Identification Workshop. However, if a 

dealer opts to send a proxy, the dealer 

must designate a proxy for each place of 

business covered by the dealer’s permit 

that first receives Atlantic sharks. Only 

one certificate will be issued to each 

proxy. A proxy must be a person who 

is currently employed by a place of 

business covered by the dealer’s permit; 

is a primary participant in the 

identification, weighing, and/or first 

receipt of fish as they are offloaded from 

a vessel; and who fills out dealer 

reports. Atlantic shark dealers are 

prohibited from renewing a Federal 

shark dealer permit unless a valid 

Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop 

certificate for each business location 

that first receives Atlantic sharks has 

been submitted with the permit renewal 

application. Additionally, a copy of a 

valid dealer or proxy Atlantic Shark 

Identification Workshop certificate must 

be in any trucks or other conveyances 

that are extensions of a dealer’s place of 

business. 

Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations 

1. July 8, 2021, 12 p.m.–4 p.m., 

LaQuinta Inn, 10 Aero Road, Bohemia, 

NY 11716. 

2. August 19, 2021, 12 p.m.–4 p.m., 

Doubletree Hotel, 1500 North Military 

Highway, Norfolk, VA 23502. 

3. September 9, 2021, 12 p.m.–4 p.m., 

LaQuinta Inn and Suites, 7115 Coastal 

Palms Boulevard, Panama City Beach, 

FL 32407. 

Registration 

To register for a scheduled Atlantic 

Shark Identification Workshop, please 

contact Eric Sander at ericssharkguide@

yahoo.com or at (386) 852–8588. Preregistration is highly recommended, but 

not required. 

Registration Materials 

To ensure that workshop certificates 

are linked to the correct permits, 

participants will need to bring the 

following specific items to the 

workshop: 

• Atlantic shark dealer permit holders 

must bring proof that the attendee is an 

owner or agent of the business (such as 

articles of incorporation), a copy of the 

applicable permit, and proof of 

identification. 

• Atlantic shark dealer proxies must 

bring documentation from the permitted 

dealer acknowledging that the proxy is 

attending the workshop on behalf of the 

permitted Atlantic shark dealer for a 

specific business location, a copy of the 

appropriate valid permit, and proof of 

identification. 

Workshop Objectives 

The Atlantic Shark Identification 

Workshops are designed to reduce the 

number of unknown and improperly 

identified sharks reported in the dealer 

reporting form and increase the 

accuracy of species-specific dealerreported information. Reducing the 

number of unknown and improperly 

identified sharks will improve quota 

monitoring and the data used in stock 

assessments. These workshops will train 

shark dealer permit holders or their 

proxies to properly identify Atlantic 

shark carcasses. 

Safe Handling, Release, and 

Identification Workshops 

Since January 1, 2007, shark limitedaccess and swordfish limited-access 

permit holders who fish with longline 

or gillnet gear have been required to 

submit a copy of their Safe Handling, 

Release, and Identification Workshop 

certificate in order to renew either 

30006 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 106 / Friday, June 4, 2021 / Notices 

permit (71 FR 58057; October 2, 2006). 

These certificate(s) are valid for 3 years. 

Certificates issued in 2018 will be 

expiring in 2021. As such, vessel 

owners who have not already attended 

a workshop and received a NMFS 

certificate, or vessel owners whose 

certificate(s) will expire prior to the next 

permit renewal, must attend a workshop 

to fish with, or renew, their swordfish 

and shark limited-access permits. 

Additionally, new shark and swordfish 

limited-access permit applicants who 

intend to fish with longline or gillnet 

gear must attend a Safe Handling, 

Release, and Identification Workshop 

and submit a copy of their workshop 

certificate before either of the permits 

will be issued. Approximately 376 free 

Safe Handling, Release, and 

Identification Workshops have been 

conducted since 2006. 

In addition to vessel owners, at least 

one operator on board vessels issued a 

limited-access swordfish or shark 

permit that uses longline or gillnet gear 

is required to attend a Safe Handling, 

Release, and Identification Workshop 

and receive a certificate. Vessels that 

have been issued a limited-access 

swordfish or shark permit and that use 

longline or gillnet gear may not fish 

unless both the vessel owner and 

operator have valid workshop 

certificates onboard at all times. Vessel 

operators who have not already 

attended a workshop and received a 

NMFS certificate, or vessel operators 

whose certificate(s) will expire prior to 

their next fishing trip, must attend a 

workshop to operate a vessel with 

swordfish and shark limited-access 

permits on which longline or gillnet 

gear is used. 

Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations 

1. July 20, 2021, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Hilton 

Hotel, 5400 Seawall Boulevard, 

Galveston, TX 77551. 

2. July 28, 2021, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., 

Holiday Inn, 151 Route 72, 

Manahawkin, NJ 08050. 

3. August 3, 2021, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., 

Holiday Inn, 3384 Ocean Drive, Vero 

Beach, FL 32963. 

4. August 31, 2021, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., 

Hampton Inn, 678 Citadel Haven Drive, 

Charleston, SC 29414. 

5. September 3, 2021, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., 

Marriott Courtyard, 5000 Express Drive 

South, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779. 

6. September 10, 2021, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., 

Holiday Inn, 9515 US 49, Gulfport, MS 

39503. 

Registration 

To register for a scheduled Safe 

Handling, Release, and Identification 

Workshop, please contact Angler 

Conservation Education at (386) 682– 

0158. Pre-registration is highly 

recommended, but not required. 

Registration Materials 

To ensure that workshop certificates 

are linked to the correct permits, 

participants will need to bring the 

following specific items with them to 

the workshop: 

• Individual vessel owners must 

bring a copy of the appropriate 

swordfish and/or shark permit(s), a copy 

of the vessel registration or 

documentation, and proof of 

identification; 

• Representatives of a businessowned or co-owned vessel must bring 

proof that the individual is an agent of 

the business (such as articles of 

incorporation), a copy of the applicable 

swordfish and/or shark permit(s), and 

proof of identification; and 

• Vessel operators must bring proof of 

identification. 

Workshop Objectives 

The Safe Handling, Release, and 

Identification Workshops are designed 

to teach longline and gillnet fishermen 

the required techniques for the safe 

handling and release of entangled and/ 

or hooked protected species, such as sea 

turtles, marine mammals, smalltooth 

sawfish, Atlantic sturgeon, and 

prohibited sharks. In an effort to 

improve reporting, the proper 

identification of protected species and 

prohibited sharks will also be taught at 

these workshops. Additionally, 

individuals attending these workshops 

will gain a better understanding of the 

requirements for participating in these 

fisheries. The overall goal of these 

workshops is to provide participants 

with the skills needed to reduce the 

mortality of protected species and 

prohibited sharks, which may prevent 

additional regulations on these fisheries 

in the future. 

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

Dated: May 28, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–11712 Filed 6–3–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB083] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to a Geophysical 

Survey of the Queen Charlotte Fault 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental 

harassment authorization; request for 

comments on proposed authorization 

and possible renewal. 

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request 

from the Lamont-Doherty Earth 

Observatory of Columbia University (L– 

DEO) for authorization to take marine 

mammals incidental to a marine 

geophysical survey of the Queen 

Charlotte Fault in the Northeast Pacific 

Ocean. The proposed survey would be 

funded by the National Science 

Foundation (NSF). Pursuant to the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments 

on its proposal to issue an incidental 

harassment authorization (IHA) to 

incidentally take marine mammals 

during the specified activities. NMFS is 

also requesting comments on a possible 

one-time, one-year renewal that could 

be issued under certain circumstances 

and if all requirements are met, as 

described in Request for Public 

Comments at the end of this notice. 

NMFS will consider public comments 

prior to making any final decision on 

the issuance of the requested MMPA 

authorizations and agency responses 

will be summarized in the final notice 

of our decision. 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than July 6, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should be 

addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief, 

Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. Physical 

comments should be sent to 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 

and electronic comments should be sent 

to ITP.Laws@noaa.gov. 

Instructions: NMFS is not responsible 

for comments sent by any other method, 

to any other address or individual, or 

received after the end of the comment 

period. Comments received 

electronically, including all 

attachments, must not exceed a 25- 

megabyte file size. All comments 

received are a part of the public record