50778 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 168 / Thursday, August 28, 2008 / Notices 

determination of the issuance of the 

IHA. 

Preliminary Determinations 

NMFS has preliminarily determined 

that the impact of conducting the 

seismic survey in the SBC may result, at 

worst, in a temporary modification in 

behavior (Level B Harassment) of small 

numbers of 26 species of marine 

mammals. This activity is expected to 

result in a negligible impact on the 

affected species or stocks. There are no 

subsistence uses of affected marine 

mammals in this area. 

For reasons stated previously in this 

document, this determination is 

supported by: (1) The likelihood that, 

given sufficient notice through 

relatively slow ship speed, marine 

mammals are expected to move away 

from a noise source that is annoying 

prior to its becoming potentially 

injurious; (2) the fact that marine 

mammals would have to be closer than 

35 m (114 ft) in water less than 1,000 

m to be exposed to levels of sound 

which could result in Level A 

harassment (injury); (3) the 35 m 

distance is conservative as it is for the 

airgun opening at full chamber size (45 

in3) and the airgun will likely be 

operating at reduced chamber size; and 

(4) the marine mammal detection ability 

by trained observers is high at that very 

short distance from the vessel. As a 

result, no take by injury or death is 

anticipated, and the potential for 

temporary or permanent hearing 

impairment is very low and will be 

avoided through the incorporation of 

the proposed mitigation measures. 

While the number of marine 

mammals potentially harassed will 

depend on the distribution and 

abundance of marine mammals in the 

vicinity of the survey activity, the 

number of potential harassment takings 

is estimated to be small, less than a few 

percent of any of the estimated 

population sizes, and has been 

mitigated to the lowest level practicable 

through incorporation of the measures 

mentioned previously in this document. 

Proposed Authorization 

As a result of these preliminary 

determinations, NMFS proposes to issue 

an IHA to SIO for conducting a marine 

geophysical survey in the Santa Barbara 

Channel, November 2008, provided the 

previously mentioned mitigation, 

monitoring, and reporting requirements 

are incorporated. 

Dated: August 22, 2008. 

Helen M. Golde, 

Deputy Director, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–20014 Filed 8–27–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XI06 

Marine Mammal Authorization Program 

Integration of Registration for Selected 

West Coast Fisheries 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; expansion of integrated 

registration program. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is providing notice that 

it is increasing the number of fisheries 

for which the Marine Mammal 

Authorization Program (MMAP) 

registration is integrated with existing 

state and Federal fishery licensing and 

permitting programs, beginning with the 

2009 List of Fisheries (LOF). NMFS is 

integrating MMAP registration at this 

time only for specific Category I or II 

fisheries regulated under fishery 

management plans (FMPs) administered 

by the Southwest Regional Office, or 

fisheries under permits issued by the 

state of California. Fishermen who 

participate in a Category I or II fishery 

for which registration is not integrated 

with existing state or Federal permitting 

programs must continue to register 

directly with NMFS through the MMAP. 

ADDRESSES: For West Coast fisheries, 

registration information and marine 

mammal injury/mortality reporting 

forms may be obtained from the 

following regional office: NMFS, 

Southwest Region, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Attn: Lyle Enriquez, 501 West 

Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, 

CA 90802. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Patricia Lawson, Office of Protected 

Resources, 301–713–2322; or Lyle 

Enriquez, Southwest Regional Office, 

562–980–4025. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: According 

to the Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), all fishermen who participate 

in a Category I or II fishery listed in the 

annual LOF must be registered with a 

MMAP (section 118(c)(2)(A)). A fishery 

is classified on the LOF based on 

whether it has frequent (Category I), 

occasional (Category II), or remote 

(Category III) likelihood of incidental 

mortality and serious injury (or bycatch) 

of marine mammals. The MMAP 

provides an authorization for 

commercial fishermen which allows the 

incidental (i.e., non-intentional) taking 

of marine mammals pursuant to the 

MMPA during the course of commercial 

fishing operations. Participants in 

Category III fisheries are not required to 

register with the MMAP. Fishermen 

participating in any commercial fishery, 

regardless of category, are required to 

report all incidental injuries and 

mortalities of marine mammals to 

NMFS within 48 hours of returning 

from a fishing trip. For a complete 

description of requirements for 

fishermen participating in Category I, II, 

and III fisheries, please consult 50 CFR 

part 229, subpart A. 

Rather than requiring all participants 

in Category I and II fisheries to register 

individually, the MMPA directs NMFS 

to integrate registration with existing 

state or Federal fishery permitting or 

licensing programs (section 

118(c)(5)(A)). NMFS’ goals for the 

integrated registration program include 

ensuring consistency in registration 

procedures across a greater number of 

fisheries, increasing the number of 

registrants to better reflect the level of 

participation in the fisheries, and 

conducting outreach to the fishing 

industry with regard to MMPA 

requirements. Using data from existing 

fishery licensing programs, the MMAP 

integration will reduce the registration 

burden on the fishing industry while 

facilitating the protection and 

conservation of marine mammals 

through increased outreach efforts. In a 

licensing system that is integrated with 

the MMAP, fishermen are not required 

to submit an MMAP registration/ 

renewal form or the $25 processing fee 

to NMFS in order to receive or renew 

their MMAP Authorization Certificates. 

NMFS will integrate the following 

fisheries that are managed under the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, 16 

U.S.C. 1801 et seq.: the Coastal Pelagics 

FMP (California anchovy, mackerel, and 

sardine purse seine fishery) fisheries, 

and the Highly Migratory Species FMP 

(California pelagic longline, California 

tuna purse seine, and California/Oregon 

drift gillnet fisheries) fisheries. In order 

to integrate state-managed fisheries, 

NMFS is obtaining fishery licenseholder information from the State of 

California. Category I and II state 

managed fisheries that NMFS will 

integrate include the California angel 

shark/halibut and other species set 

gillnet; and California squid purse seine 

fisheries. NMFS will make an annual 


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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 168 / Thursday, August 28, 2008 / Notices 50779 

data request to the state of California for 

permit or license-holder information. 

Using this information, NMFS will mail 

MMAP Authorization Certificates, 

marine mammal injury/mortality 

reporting forms, and other program 

information to each permit or licenseholder. Fishermen who participate in an 

integrated Category I or II state fishery 

do not need to take any additional 

action to register under the MMAP, as 

long as they hold a valid state fishing 

permit or license for the affected fishery. 

However, fishermen who participate in 

Category I or II state and/or Federal 

fisheries not yet integrated with the 

MMAP registration system (i.e., fisheries 

for which no Federal or state permits are 

required) must contact the NMFS, 

Southwest Regional Office, Sustainable 

Fisheries Division (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT), in order to 

register and receive an MMAP 

Authorization Certificate. If a fisherman 

participating in a Category I or II fishery, 

who expects to receive automatic 

registration, does not receive an 

Authorization Certificate by January 1 of 

each calendar year hereafter, the 

fisherman should contact NMFS (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) to 

inquire about the status of his/her 

registration. Alternatively, he/she may 

apply for registration directly, following 

the procedures in 50 CFR 229.4(b). In 

any case, every fisherman fishing in a 

Category I or II fishery must have an 

Authorization Certificate. 

NMFS will work with the permitissuing agencies in each state to identify 

and attempt to limit mailing of 

Authorization Certificates to only those 

participants in Category I and II 

fisheries. Some permit systems, 

however, do not allow identification of 

fishermen using specific gear types in a 

way that matches the fishery 

designation referenced in the LOF. In 

cases where NMFS or the state permitissuing agency cannot confidently 

determine which specific fishery 

identified in the LOF each fishermen 

participates in, based on the permit or 

license information, NMFS may 

inadvertently issue Authorization 

Certificates to fishermen participating in 

Category III fisheries. This approach, 

which may be confusing to Category III 

fishermen who are not required to be 

registered under the MMAP, is 

necessary to ensure that fishermen who 

must register with the MMAP are not 

unintentionally excluded from 

notification. 

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

Dated: August 25, 2008. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–20006 Filed 8–27–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XK01 

North Pacific 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 North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council’s Crab Plan Team 

(CPT) will meet in Seattle, WA. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

September 16–18, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 

5 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: Alaska Fishery Science 

Center, 7600 Sand Point Way NE. Bldg 

4, Observer Room, Seattle, WA 98115. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 

4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99501–2252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Diana Stram, North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council; telephone: (907) 

271–2809. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Plan 

Team will address the following issues: 

Overview of Crab Rationalization 

program; discussion of Economic Data 

review issues; summary of 3-year review 

documentation for Crab Rationalization 

Program; Structure and content for 

Economic Stock Assessment Fishery 

Evaluation Report (SAFE); NMFS 2008 

summer trawl survey overview; NMFS 

catch accounting data; handling 

mortality rates utilized for Crab, 

Groundfish, and Scallop fisheries; Stock 

assessment overviews for Eastern Bering 

Sea snow crab, Bristol Bay red king 

crab, Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab, St. 

Mathew Blue king crab, Norton Sound 

red king crab, Aleutian Island golden 

king crab, Pribilof Island red and golden 

king crab; Adak red king crab. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before this group for discussion, in 

accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during these meetings. Actions 

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 Act, provided the 

public has been notified of the Council’s 

intent to take final action to address the 

emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Gail Bendixen at 

(907) 271–2809 at least 7 working days 

prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: August 25, 2008. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–19953 Filed 8–27–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XK02 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council’s (Council) Gulf of 

Alaska (GOA) and Bering Sea/Aleutian 

Islands (BS/AI) groundfish plan teams 

will meet in Seattle, WA. 

DATES: The meetings will be held 

September 22–24, 2008. The meetings 

will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, 

September 22, and continue through 

Wednesday, September 24, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held a 

the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 

7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4, 

Observer Training Room (GOA Plan 

Team) and Traynor Room (BS/AI Plan 

Team), Seattle, WA. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 

4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99501–2252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane 

DiCosimo or Diana Stram, North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council; 

telephone: (907) 271–2809. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Agenda: 

Principal business is to prepare and 

review the draft Economic Report, the 


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