Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/06/03/2013-13172/fisheries-of-the-northeastern-united-states-atlantic-herring-fishery-amendment-5
Timestamp: 2018-04-20 09:36:40
Document Index: 128467808

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648']

Federal Register :: Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring Fishery; Amendment 5
A Proposed Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 06/03/2013
33020-33040 (21 pages)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-13172 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-13172
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/​#!docketDetail;​D=​NOAA-NMFS-2013-0066, click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
On May 8, 2008 (73 FR 26082), the Council published a notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS for Amendment 4 to the Atlantic Herring FMP to consider measures to: Improve long-term monitoring of catch (landings and bycatch) in the herring fishery, implement annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), and develop a sector allocation process or other limited access privilege program for the herring Start Printed Page 33021fishery. The Council subsequently conducted scoping meetings during May and June of 2008 to discuss and take comments on alternatives to these measures. After considering the complexity of the issues under consideration in Amendment 4, the Council voted on June 23, 2009, to split the action into two amendments to ensure the MSA requirements for complying with provisions for ACLs and AMs would be met by 2011. The ACL and AM components moved forward in Amendment 4, all other measures formerly considered in Amendment 4 were to be considered in Amendment 5. A supplementary NOI was published on December 28, 2009, (74 FR 68577) announcing the split between the amendments, and that impacts associated with alternatives considered in Amendment 5 would be analyzed in an EIS. At that time, measures considered under Amendment 5 included: A catch-monitoring program; measures to address river herring bycatch; midwater trawl access to Northeast multispecies (groundfish) closed areas; and measures to address interactions with the Atlantic mackerel (mackerel) fishery.
Amendment 5 would revise the regulatory definitions of transfer at-sea and offload to clarify these activities for the herring fishery. Amendment 5 would define a herring transfer at-sea as a transfer of fish from one herring vessel (including fish from the hold, deck, codend, or purse seine) to another vessel, with the exception of fish moved between vessels engaged in pair trawling. Amendment 5 would also define a herring offload as removing fish Start Printed Page 33022from a herring vessel to be sold to a dealer. Both transfers at-sea and offloading are frequent activities in the herring fishery, and the differences between these activities are not always well understood. These definition revisions attempt to more clearly differentiate between activities that trigger reporting requirements. By clarifying these activities for the herring fishery, fishery participants are more likely to report these activities consistently, thereby improving reporting compliance, helping ensure data accuracy and completeness, and lessening the likelihood of double counting herring catch.
Amendment 5 does not state that Category E permits would be subject to the same catch monitoring requirements as Category C vessels, including the proposed vessel requirements to help improve at-sea sampling and measures to minimize the discarding of catch before it has been made available to observers for sampling. When describing or analyzing catch monitoring requirements, Amendment 5 does not describe extending catch monitoring requirements for Category C vessels to Category E vessels, nor does Start Printed Page 33023it analyze the impacts of catch monitoring requirements on Category E vessels. Because the Category C catch monitoring requirements were not discussed or analyzed in relation to Category E vessels, this action does not propose extending those catch monitoring requirements to Category E vessels.
Amendment 5 would expand and modify trip notification and VMS requirements for vessels with herring permits to assist with observer deployment and provide enforcement with advance notice of trip information to facilitate enforcement monitoring of landings. Currently, vessels with Category A or B permits, as well as any vessels fishing with midwater trawl gear in Areas 1A, 1B, and/or 3, are required to contact NMFS at least 72 hr in advance of a fishing trip to request an observer. Amendment 5 would modify this pre-trip observer notification requirement, such that vessels with limited access herring permits, vessels with open access Category D permits fishing with midwater trawl gear in Areas 1A, 1B, and/or 3, vessels with open access Category E permits, and herring carrier vessels would be required to contact NMFS at least 48 hr in advance of a fishing trip to request an observer. This measure would assist NMFS's scheduling and deployment of observers across the herring fleet, with minimal additional burden on the industry, helping ensure that observer coverage targets for the herring fishery are met. NMFS intends for the change from a 72-hr notification requirement to a 48-hr notification requirement to allow vessels more flexibility in their trip planning and scheduling. The list of information that must be provided to NMFS as part of this pre-trip observer notification is described in the proposed regulations. Vessels with herring permits currently contact NMFS via phone. If this measure is implemented, details of how vessels should contact NMFS will be provided in the small entity compliance guide. If a vessel is required to notify NMFS to request an observer before its fishing trip, but it does not notify NMFS before beginning the fishing trip, that vessel would be prohibited from possessing, harvesting, or landing herring on that trip. If a fishing trip is cancelled, a vessel representative must notify NMFS of the cancelled trip, even if the vessel is not selected to carry an observer. All waivers or selection notices for observer coverage will be issued by NMFS to the vessel via VMS so the vessel would have an on-board verification of either the observer selection or waiver. However, a vessel is still subject to the more restrictive 72-hr notification associated with the groundfish midwater trawl or purse seine gear exempted fisheries specified at 50 CFR § 648.80(d)-(e).
During the development of Amendment 5, some stakeholders expressed concern that herring catch is not accounted for accurately and that there needs to be a standardized method to determine catch. In an effort to address that concern, Amendment 5 would require herring dealers to accurately weigh all fish and, if catch is Start Printed Page 33024not sorted by species, dealers would be required to document for each transaction how they estimate relative species composition. During the development of Amendment 5, NMFS identified potential concerns with the utility of this measure.
Recognizing these funding challenges, the Council recommended status quo observer coverage levels and funding for up to 1 year following the implementation of Amendment 5, with the 100-percent observer coverage and partial industry funding requirement to become effective 1 year after the implementation of Amendment 5. During that year, the Council and NMFS, in cooperation with the industry, would attempt to develop a way to fund 100-percent observer coverage. A technical team, comprised of Council, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and NMFS staff, is currently attempting to develop a legal mechanism to allow the at-sea costs of increased observer coverage to be funded by the industry. Even if the 100-percent observer coverage measure in Amendment 5 cannot be approved at this time, the team will continue to work on finding a funding solution to pay for the at-sea cost of the observer coverage in the herring fishery. If the technical team can develop a way to fund the at-sea costs of 100-percent observer coverage, a measure requiring 100-percent observer coverage on Category A and B vessels may be implemented in a future action, perhaps within the 1-year period specified in Amendment 5, subject to NMFS's budget appropriations and other observer data collection needs in the Northeast Region and elsewhere in the country.Start Printed Page 33025
Additionally, other measures proposed in this action would help improve monitoring in the herring fishery regardless of whether the 100-percent observer coverage measure is approved at this time. These proposed measures include the requirement for vessels to contact NMFS at least 48 hr in advance of a fishing trip to facilitate the placement of observers, observer sample station and reasonable assistance requirements to improve an observer's ability collect quality data in a safe and efficient manner, and the sampling requirements for midwater trawl vessels fishing in groundfish closed areas to minimize the discarding of unsampled catch.
In summary, NMFS seeks public comment on whether there is a biological need for the proposed Start Printed Page 33026slippage caps, whether the trigger (10 slippage events by area and gear type) for the proposed slippage caps has adequate justification, and whether the requirement to return to port would be inequitable or result in safety concerns. After evaluating public comment, NMFS will determine if the proposed slippage caps can be approved or if they must be disapproved. Even if the slippage caps must be disapproved, the ongoing data collection by NEFOP and the proposed sampling requirements for midwater trawl vessels fishing in groundfish closed areas, including a released catch affidavit requirement, would still allow for improved monitoring in the herring fishery, increased information regarding discards, and an incentive to minimize the discarding of unsampled catch.
Amendment 5 contains some preliminary analysis of a river herring catch cap, but additional development of a range of alternatives (e.g., amount of cap, seasonality of cap, consequences of harvesting cap) and the environmental impacts (e.g., biological, economic) of a river herring catch cap would be necessary prior to implementation. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to consider implementing a river herring catch cap through a framework, rather than through the specifications. The Council Start Printed Page 33027may begin development of the river herring catch cap framework immediately, but the framework cannot be implemented prior to the approval and implementation of Amendment 5.
Analyses in the Amendment 5 FEIS suggest that midwater trawl vessels are not catching significant amounts of groundfish either inside or outside the Closed Areas. Additionally, the majority of groundfish catch by midwater trawl vessels is haddock, and the catch of haddock by midwater trawl vessels is already managed through a haddock catch cap for the herring fishery. However, as described previously, the Council believes it is important to determine the extent and nature of bycatch in the herring fishery. This proposed measure would still allow the herring midwater trawl fishery to operate in the Closed Areas, but it would ensure that opportunities for monitoring and sampling were maximized.Start Printed Page 33028
Amendment 5 would establish two new herring permits. The application process to obtain a new Areas 2/3 Open Access Permit takes an estimated 1 min to complete and costs $0.45 to mail. The Start Printed Page 33029new Areas 2/3 Open Access Herring Permit would require the vessel to purchase and maintain a VMS. Because other Northeast Federal permits require vessels to maintain a VMS, it is estimated that only 6 vessels that were issued open access herring permits do not already have a VMS. The average cost of purchasing and installing a VMS is $3,400, the VMS certification form takes an estimated 5 min to complete and costs $0.45 to mail, and the call to confirm a VMS unit takes an estimated 5 min to complete and costs $1. The average cost of maintaining a VMS is $600 per year. Northeast regulations require VMS activity declarations and automated polling of VMS units to collect position data. Each activity declaration takes an estimated 5 min to complete and costs $0.50 to transmit. If a vessel takes an average of 5 trips per year, the burden estimate for the activity declarations would be 25 min and $3. Each automated polling transmission costs $0.06 and a vessel is polled once per hour every day of the year. The annual estimated cost associated with polling is $526. In summary, the total annual burden estimate for a vessel to purchase and maintain a VMS would be 35 min and $4,530.
Amendment 5 would also require that vessels issued the new Areas 2/3 Open Access Herring Permit comply with existing catch reporting requirements for Category C vessels, specifically the submission of daily VMS reports and weekly VTRs. The cost of transmitting a catch report via VMS is $0.60 per transmission and it is estimated to take 5 min to complete. If a vessel takes an average of 5 trips per year and each trip lasts an average of 2 days, the total annual burden estimate of daily VMS reporting for a vessel is estimated to be 50 min and $6. Category D vessels are currently required to submit weekly VTRs, so there would be no additional burden associated with VTRs for those vessels. If a vessel without a Category D permit was issued the new Areas 2/3 Open Access Herring Permit, the annual burden estimate of VTR submissions is $18. This cost was calculated by multiplying 40 (52 weeks in a year minus 12 (number of monthly reports)) by $0.45 to equal $18. The VTR is estimated to take 5 min to complete. Therefore, the total annual burden estimate of weekly VTRs is $18 and 3 hr and 20 min.
Amendment 5 would expand the number of herring vessels required to submit a VMS pre-landing notification and would add a gear declaration to the existing VMS activity declaration requirement. A subset of herring vessels are currently required to notify NMFS OLE via VMS 6 hr prior to landing, and this action proposes to expand that requirement to all limited access herring vessels, vessels issued the new Areas 2/3 Open Access Herring Permit (Category E), and herring carrier vessels. It is estimated that Amendment 5 would require an additional 51 Herring Category C vessels, 80 Herring Category E vessels, and 25 herring carriers to submit VMS pre-landing notification. Each VMS pre-landing notification is estimated to take 5 min to complete and costs $1. Category C vessels are estimated to take an average of 13 trips per year, so the total annual burden estimate for a Category C vessel making VMS pre-landing notifications would be 65 min and $13. The new Category E vessels would take an estimated 5 trips per year, so the total burden estimate for a Category E vessel making VMS pre-landing notifications would be 25 min and $5. Herring carriers are estimated to take an average of 4 trips per year, so the total annual burden estimate for a herring carrier making VMS pre-landing notifications would be 20 min and $4. The proposed gear declaration would apply to limited access herring vessels. There would be no additional reporting burden associated with the gear declaration because it would only be an additional field added to the existing VMS pre-trip notification requirement, approved under OMB 0648-0202.
Amendment 5 would increase the reporting burden for measures designed to improve at-sea sampling by NMFS-approved observers. A subset of herring vessels are currently required to notify NMFS to request an observer, and this action proposes to expand that requirement to all limited access herring vessels, vessels issued the new Areas 2/3 Open Access Herring Permit (Category E), and herring carrier vessels. This pre-trip observer notification requirement is estimated to affect 156 additional vessels. Vessels would be required to call NMFS to request an observer at least 48 hr prior to beginning a herring trip. The phone call is estimated to take 5 min to complete and is free. If a vessel has already contacted NMFS to request an observer and then decides to cancel that fishing trip, Amendment 5 would require that vessel to notify NMFS of the trip cancelation. The call to notify NMFS of a cancelled trip is estimated to take 1 min to complete and is free. If a vessel takes an estimated 25 trips per year, the total annual reporting burden associated with the pre-trip observer notification would be 2 hr 30 min.
Amendment 5 would also require vessels fishing with midwater trawl gear in Groundfish Closed Areas to complete Start Printed Page 33030a released catch affidavit if catch is discarded before it is brought aboard the vessel and made available for sampling by an observer. At this time, there are no known Category D vessels that fish with midwater trawl gear; therefore, there is no additional reporting burden, beyond that described above, for the released catch affidavit associated with Groundfish Closed Areas.
Total time burden (hours)
Observer deployment report by email 6 1500 0.167 251 $0 $0
Observer availability report by email 6 900 0.167 150 0 0
Safety refusals by email 6 150 0.5 75 0 0
Raw observer data by express mail 6 1500 0.083 125 13 19,500
Observer debriefing 6 420 2 840 12 5,040
Other reports 6 210 0.5 105 0 0
Biological samples 6 1500 0.083 125 0.50 750
New application to be a service provider 3 3 10 30 0.44 1
Applicant response to denial 1 1 10 10 0 0
Request for observer training 3 6 0.5 3 1.80 11
Rebuttal of pending removal from list of approved observer providers 1 1 8 8 0 0
Observer contact list updates 3 36 0.083 3 0 0
Observer availability updates 3 36 0.017 1 0 0
Service provider material submissions 6 12 0.5 6 2.50 30
Start Printed Page 33031
Service provider contracts 6 12 0.5 6 2.50 30
Total 1736 25,363
Amendment 5 proposes that existing pre-trip observer notification and VMS pre-landing notification requirements be expanded to additional herring vessels and that a gear declaration be added to the existing VMS activity declaration. The intent of these requirements is: (1) To better inform NEFOP of when/where herring fishing activity may occur and assist in the effective deployment of observers; (2) to better inform NMFS OLE of when/where vessels will be landing their catch land to facilitate monitoring of the landing and/or catch; and (3) to provide OLE with trip-by-trip information on the gear being fished to improve the enforcement of herring gear regulations. Amendment 5 considered only one alternative to the proposed action, the no action alternative. The no action alternative would not impose additional trip notification requirements, therefore there would be no additional impacts on fishery-related business and communities. Any impact to the herring fishery because of the proposed action would be through increased administrative and regulatory burden, but the number of vessels Start Printed Page 33032affected and the actual cost of the additionally reporting is low. In comparison to the no action alternative, the proposed action is anticipated to result in improved catch monitoring and enforcement of herring regulations, translating into low positive impacts for fishery-related businesses and communities.
Negative impacts to the herring fishery associated with all these alternatives include increased time spent pumping fish aboard the vessel to be sampled by an observer, potential decrease in vessel safety during poor operating conditions, and the administrative burden of completing a released catch affidavit. The penalties associated with slippage vary slightly across the alternatives. A deduction of 100,000 lb (45 mt) per slippage event in each management area (Option 4) would reduce the harvest available to fishing vessels and a trip termination (proposed action) after a slippage event would result in higher costs for fishing vessels, especially those fishing in offshore areas. The overall impacts of the options that propose catch deductions (Option 4) and trip termination (proposed action) are similar and, in comparison to the no action alternative, are negative. Costs associated with herring fishing trips are high, particularly with the current cost of fuel. Trips terminated prematurely could result in unprofitable trips, leaving not only the owners with debt, but crewmembers without income and negative impacts on fishery-related businesses and communities.Start Printed Page 33033
Amendment 5 would expand the existing monitoring and sampling requirements for Groundfish Closed Area I to all herring vessels fishing with midwater trawl gear in the Groundfish Closed Areas. Amendment 5 considered three alternatives to the proposed action (Alternative 3/4), the no action alternative (maintain existing sampling requirements for Closed Area I), Alternative 2 (removing existing sampling requirements for Closed Area I), and Alternative 5 (prohibiting fishing with midwater trawl gear in the Closed Areas). Compared to the no action alternative and the non-selected alternatives, the proposed action would have the highest negative impact on fishery participants because of the following requirements: (1) 100-percent observer coverage; (2) bringing all catch aboard for sampling; (3) leaving the Closed Areas if catch is released before it has been sampled by an observer; (4) and completing a released catch affidavit. The midwater trawl fleet may avoid the Closed Areas if fishing in the Areas becomes too expensive. If observers are not available, the impact of the proposed action would be similar to Alternative 5 that would close the Closed Areas to midwater trawl vessels. While a portion of the herring revenue has been shown to come from the Closed Areas, that revenue is not expected to completely disappear. Instead, the midwater fleet would likely fish in other areas, this would be a potential additional cost for the fleet if those areas are less productive than the Closed Areas.
2. In § 648.2, definitions of “Atlantic herring carrier” and “Atlantic herring dealer” are revised and definitions of “Atlantic herring offload,” “Atlantic herring transfer at-sea” and “Slippage in the Atlantic herring fishery” are added in alphabetical order to read as follows:
Atlantic herring carrier means a fishing vessel that may receive and transport herring caught by another fishing vessel, provided the vessel has been issued a herring permit, does not have any gear on board capable of catching or processing herring, and that has on board a letter of authorization from the Regional Administrator to transport herring caught by another fishing vessel or has declared an Atlantic herring carrier trip via VMS consistent with the requirements at § 648.4(a)(10)(ii).
3. In § 648.4, paragraphs (a)(10)(ii) and (a)(10)(v) are revised to read as follows:
(ii) Atlantic herring carrier. An Atlantic herring carrier must have been Start Printed Page 33034issued and have on board a herring permit and a letter of authorization to receive and transport Atlantic herring caught by another permitted fishing vessel or it must have been issued and have on board a herring permit and have declared an Atlantic herring carrier trip via VMS consistent with the requirements at § 648.10(m)(1). On Atlantic herring carrier trips under either the letter of authorization or an Atlantic herring carrier VMS trip declaration, an Atlantic herring carrier is exempt from the VMS, IVR, and VTR vessel reporting requirements, as specified in § 648.7 and subpart K of this part, except as otherwise required by this part. If not declaring an Atlantic herring carrier trip via VMS, an Atlantic herring carrier vessel must request and obtain a letter of authorization from the Regional Administrator and there is a minimum enrollment period of 7 calendar days for a letter of authorization. Atlantic herring carrier vessels operating under a letter of authorization or an Atlantic herring carrier VMS trip declaration may not conduct fishing activities, except for purposes of transport, or possess any fishing gear on board the vessel, and they must be used exclusively as an Atlantic herring carrier vessel and must carry observers if required by NMFS. While operating under a valid letter of authorization or Atlantic herring carrier VMS trip declaration, such vessels are exempt from any herring possession limits associated with the herring vessel permit categories. Atlantic herring carrier vessels operating under a letter of authorization or an Atlantic herring carrier VMS trip declaration may not possess, transfer, or land any species other than Atlantic herring, except that they may possess Northeast multispecies transferred by vessels issued either an All Areas Limited Access Herring Permit and/or an Areas 2 and 3 Limited Access Herring Permit, consistent with the applicable possession limits for such vessels.
4. In § 648.7, paragraph (a)(1)(iv) is added, and paragraphs and (b)(2)(i) introductory text, (b)(3)(i) introductory text, (b)(3)(i)(A), and (b)(3)(i)(C)( 2) are revised to read as follows:
(i) Atlantic herring owners or operators issued a limited access permit or Areas 2/3 open access permit. The owner or operator of a vessel issued a limited access permit or Areas 2/3 open access permit to fish for herring must report catches (retained and discarded) of herring daily via VMS, unless exempted by the Regional Administrator. The report shall include at least the following information, and any other information required by the Regional Administrator: Fishing Vessel Trip Report serial number; month and day herring was caught; pounds retained for each herring management area; and pounds discarded for each herring management area. Daily Atlantic herring VMS catch reports must be submitted in 24-hr intervals for each day and must be submitted by 0900 hr of the following day. Reports are required even if herring caught that day has not yet been landed. This report does not exempt the owner or operator from other applicable reporting requirements of this section.
5. In § 648.10, paragraphs (b)(8) and (c)(2)(i)(B) are revised, paragraph (c)(2)(i)(C) is removed and reserved, and paragraph (m) is added to read as follows:
(B) For vessels fishing with a valid NE multispecies limited access permit, a valid surfclam and ocean quahog permit specified at § 648.4(a)(4), an Atlantic sea scallop limited access permit, or an Atlantic herring permit, the vessel owner signs out of the VMS program for Start Printed Page 33035a minimum period of 30 consecutive days by obtaining a valid letter of exemption pursuant to paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section, the vessel does not engage in any fisheries until the VMS unit is turned back on, and the vessel complies with all conditions and requirements of said letter; or
6. In § 648.11, paragraphs (h)(1), (h)(3)(vi), (h)(3)(ix), (h)(4)(i)-(iii), (h)(5)(i), (h)(5)(ii)(B) and (C), (h)(5)(iii), (h)(5)(vi), (h)(5)(viii)(A), (h)(7) introductory text, (i)(2), and (i)(3)(ii) are revised, and paragraph (m) is added to read as follows:
(iii) Observer deployment logistics. Each approved observer service provider must assign an available certified observer to a vessel upon request. Each approved observer service provider must provide for access by industry 24 hr per day, 7 days per week, to enable an owner, operator, or manager of a vessel to secure observer coverage when requested. The Start Printed Page 33036telephone system must be monitored a minimum of four times daily to ensure rapid response to industry requests. Observer service providers approved under paragraph (h) of this section are required to report observer deployments to NMFS daily for the purpose of determining whether the predetermined coverage levels are being achieved in the scallop or Atlantic herring fishery.
(m) Atlantic herring observer coverage. (1) Pre-trip notification. At least 48 hr prior to the beginning of any trip on which a vessel may harvest, possess, or land Atlantic herring, a vessel issued a Limited Access Herring Permit or a vessel issued an Areas 2/3 Open Access Herring Permit on a declared herring trip or a vessel issued an All Areas Open Access Herring Permit fishing with midwater trawl gear in Management Areas 1A, 1B, and/or 3, as defined in § 648.200(f)(1) and (3), and herring carriers must provide notice of the following information to NMFS: Vessel name, permit category, and permit number; contact name for coordination of observer deployment; telephone number for contact; the date, time, and port of departure; gear type; target species; and intended area of fishing, including whether the vessel intends to engage in fishing in the Northeast Multispecies Closed Areas, Closed Area I, Closed Area II, Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, Cashes Ledge Closure Area, and Western GOM Closure Area, as defined in § 648.81(a) through (e), respectively, at any point in the trip. Trip notification calls must be made no more than 10 days in advance of each fishing trip. The vessel owner, operator, or manager must notify NMFS of any trip plan changes at least 12 hr prior to vessel departure from port.
(i) A safe sampling station adjacent to the fish deck, including: A safety harness, if footing is compromised and Start Printed Page 33037grating systems are high above the deck; a safe method to obtain samples; and a storage space for baskets and sampling gear.
(i) Vessels issued an All Areas Limited Access Herring Permit or an Areas 2/3 Limited Access Herring Permit may not fish for, take, retain, possess, or land Atlantic herring without carrying a NMFS-approved observer, unless the vessel owner, operator, and/or manager has been notified that the vessel has received a waiver of this observer requirement for that trip pursuant to paragraph (m)(5)(vi) of this section.
(ii) At least 48 hr prior to the beginning of any trip on which a vessel may harvest, possess, or land Atlantic herring, a vessel issued a Limited Access Herring Permit must provide notice to NMFS if it intends to fish in the River Herring Monitoring/Avoidance Areas, described at § 648.200(f)(4), at any point in the trip. Trip notification calls must be made no more than 10 days in advance of each fishing trip. The vessel owner, operator, or manager must notify NMFS of any trip plan changes at least 12 hr prior to vessel departure from port.
(iv) An owner, operator, or manager of a vessel required to carry an observer under paragraph (m)(5)(i) of this section must arrange for carrying an observer certified through the Atlantic Herring High Volume Fisheries observer training class operated by the NMFS/NEFOP from an observer service provider approved by NMFS under paragraph (h) of this section or from a state agency. The owner, operator, or vessel manager of a vessel selected to carry an observer must contact the observer service provider and must provide at least 48-hr notice in advance of the fishing trip for the provider to arrange for observer deployment for the specified trip. The observer service provider will notify the vessel owner, operator, or manager within 24 hr whether they have an available observer. A list of approved observer service providers shall be posted on the NMFS/NEFOP Web site at http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/​femad/​fsb/​.
(vii) Vessels issued an All Areas Limited Access Herring Permit or an Areas 2/3 Limited Access Herring Permit may not fish for, take, retain, possess, or land Atlantic herring from within the River Herring Monitoring/Avoidance Areas, described at § 648.200(f)(4) without carrying a NMFS-approved observer.
7. In § 648.13, paragraph (f)(2)(i) is revised to read as follows:
(i) A vessel issued an Atlantic herring permit may operate as a herring carrier vessel and receive herring provided it either is issued a carrier vessel letter of authorization and complies with the terms of that authorization, as specified in § 648.4(a)(10)(ii), or it must have been issued and have on board a herring permit and have declared an Atlantic herring carrier trip via VMS, consistent with the requirements at § 648.10(l)(1).
8. In § 648.14, paragraphs (r)(1)(ii)(C) and (r)(1)(vii)(B) are revised, and paragraphs (r)(1)(viii)(C) and (D) and (r)(2)(viii) through (xiii) are added to read as follows:
(C) Possess or land more herring than is allowed by the vessel's Atlantic herring permit or the most restrictive herring possession limit associated with the permits issued to vessels working Start Printed Page 33038cooperatively, including vessels pair trawling, purse seining, or transferring herring at-sea.
(B) Receive Atlantic herring at sea in or from the EEZ, solely for transport, without an Atlantic herring carrier letter of authorization from the Regional Administrator or having declared an Atlantic herring carrier trip via VMS consistent with the requirements at § 648.4(a)(10)(ii).
(D) Fail to notify NMFS Office of Law Enforcement through VMS of the time and place of offloading at least 6 hr prior to crossing the VMS demarcation line on their return trip to port, or, for a vessel that has not fished seaward of the VMS demarcation line, at least of 6 hr prior to landing, if a vessel has been issued a Limited Access Herring Permit or issued an Areas 2/3 Open Access Herring Permit or has declared an Atlantic herring carrier trip via VMS.
(viii) Fish with midwater trawl gear in any Northeast Multispecies Closed Area, as defined in § 648.81(a) through (e), without a NMFS-approved observer on board, if the vessel has been issued an Atlantic herring permit.
(ix) Release fish from the codend of the net, transfer fish to another vessel that is not carrying a NMFS-approved observer, or otherwise discard fish at sea before bringing the fish aboard and making it available to the observer for sampling, unless subject to one of the exemptions defined at § 648.202(b)(2), if fishing any part of a tow inside the Northeast Multispecies Closed Areas, as defined at § 648.81(a) through (e).
(x) Fail to immediately leave the Northeast Multispecies Closed Areas and complete, sign, and submit an affidavit as required by § 648.202(b)(2) and (4).
(xi) Release fish from the net, transfer fish to another vessel that is not carrying a NMFS-approved observer, or otherwise discard fish at sea, unless the fish has first been brought aboard the vessel and made available for sampling and inspection by the observer, unless subject to one of the exemptions defined at defined at § 648.11(m)(4)(i).
(xii) Fail to complete, sign, and submit an affidavit if fish are released pursuant to the requirements at § 648.11(m)(4)(iii)(A).
(xiii) Fail to immediately return to port after slipping catch while carrying a NMFS-approved observer when fishing with a particular gear type in a particular herring management area after NMFS has determined that the slippage cap for that particular gear type and management area has been reached, pursuant to § 648.203(c).
9. In § 648.200, paragraph (f)(4) is added and paragraph (g) is revised to read as follows:
(iii) May-June River Herring Monitoring/Avoidance Areas. The May-June River Herring Monitoring/Start Printed Page 33039Avoidance Areas include 2 sub-areas. Each sub-area includes the waters bounded by the coordinates below, connected in the order listed by straight lines unless otherwise noted.
10. In § 648.202, paragraph (b) is added to read as follows:
(b) Fishing in Northeast Multispecies Closed Areas. (1) No vessel issued an Atlantic herring permit and fishing with midwater trawl gear, may fish for, possess or land fish in or from the Closed Areas, including Closed Area I, Closed Area II, Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, Cashes Ledge Closure Area, Western GOM Closure Area, as defined in § 648.81(a) through (e), respectively, unless it has declared first its intent to fish in the Closed Areas as required by § 648.11(m)(1), and is carrying onboard a NMFS-approved observer.
11. In § 648.203, paragraph (c) is added to read as follows:
(c) Slippage cap. If NMFS determines that there have been 10 slippage events in a management area by gear type, including midwater trawl, bottom trawl, or purse seine, by vessels issued limited access Atlantic herring permits and carrying NMFS-approved observers, limited access vessels using that particular gear type that subsequently slip catch in that management area while carrying a NMFS-approved Start Printed Page 33040observer must immediately stop fishing and return to port after each slippage event. NMFS shall implement these restrictions in accordance with the APA.
12. In § 648.204, paragraph (b) is revised to read as follows:
13. Section 648.205 is revised to read as follows:
The owner or operator of any limited access herring vessel or vessel issued an Areas 2/3 Open Access Permit, with the exception of fixed gear fishermen, must install and operate a VMS unit consistent with the requirements of § 648.9. The VMS unit must be installed on board, and must be operable before the vessel may begin fishing. Atlantic herring carrier vessels are not required to have VMS. (See § 648.10(m) for VMS notification requirements.)
14. In § 648.206, paragraphs (b)(30) and (b)(31) are revised, and paragraphs (b)(32) through (39) are added to read as follows: