[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 223 (Monday, November 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-28683]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 21, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 677

[Docket No. 940412-4310; I.D. 102094A]
RIN 0648-AD80

 

North Pacific Fisheries Research Plan

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues a proposed rule to clarify and make minor changes 
to regulations implementing the North Pacific Fisheries Research Plan 
(Research Plan). The proposed rule would clarify 1995 observer coverage 
requirements, revise the definition of the term ``processor,'' specify 
who is and is not included in the definition of processor, and exempt 
certain processors included in the definition from the requirement to 
have a Federal Processor Permit. These clarifications will be 
incorporated as minor revisions to the instructions accompanying the 
Federal Processor Permit Application. In addition, the definition of 
``round weight'' will be revised to conform it to recent regulatory 
changes. This proposed rule is consistent with the intent of the final 
rule implementing the Research Plan and is intended to reduce confusion 
during the first year of the fee-collection program authorized under 
the Research Plan. NMFS expects these changes to be effective by 
January 1, 1995.

DATES: Comments on this proposed rule must be received by December 2, 
1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this proposed rule may be sent to Ronald J. 
Berg, Chief, Fisheries Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, 709 
West 9th Street, Juneau, AK 99801, or P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-
1668, Attn: Lori J. Gravel. Copies of the Research Plan and the 
environmental assessment/regulatory impact review prepared for the 
Research Plan may be obtained from the North Pacific Fishery Management 
Council, P.O. Box 103136, Anchorage, AK 99510. Copies of the Observer 
Plan may be obtained from NMFS at the address noted above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Salveson, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Regulations implementing the Research Plan became effective October 
6, 1994 (59 FR 46126, September 6, 1994). A correction subsequently was 
published in the Federal Register that delayed specified parts of the 
implementing rule until January 1, 1995 (59 FR 51874, October 13, 
1994). The purpose for, and description of, the Research Plan are 
contained in the preamble to that final rule.
    NMFS has identified five areas of ambiguity and inconsistency in 
the final rule implementing the Research Plan. Consequently, the 
following changes are proposed:
    1. The 1995 observer coverage requirements set out at 
Sec. 677.10(a)(1)(i)(C) are clarified to continue to exempt from 
observer coverage any vessel that delivers unsorted codends to a 
processor.
    2. The definition of ``processor'' under the Research Plan is 
amended to make clear NMFS' interpretation that tender vessels are not 
considered processors for purposes of the Research Plan, and that 
fishermen who transfer fish to persons outside of the United States are 
included in the definition.
    3. The requirement for a Federal Processor Permit is also revised. 
Certain persons, although considered processors under the definition of 
that term, are not required to obtain this permit. Fishermen who sell 
fish directly to a restaurant or to another individual for use as bait 
or personal consumption or fishermen who transfer fish to a person 
outside the United States are not required to have a processor permit.
    4. The Federal Processor Permit Application (Form FPP-1) is revised 
to reflect changes referenced in items 2. and 3., above; and
    5. The definition of ``round weight or round-weight equivalent'' is 
revised to reflect the recent amendment of the definition of this term 
in 50 CFR 672.2 and 675.2 (59 FR 50699, October 5, 1994).
    A further description of and justification for the proposed 
regulatory amendments listed under the first three items follow.

1995 Observer Coverage Requirements

    Prior to the effective date of the Research Plan, Amendments 13 and 
18 to the FMPs for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska and Groundfish of 
the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area respectively, authorized the 
Observer Plan, which set out domestic observer coverage requirements 
for groundfish vessels and processors. The Observer Plan stated `` * * 
* operators of catcher vessels which transport unsorted codends to a 
mothership are not required to comply with this Observer Plan.'' On 
April 29, 1994, a final rule was published in the Federal Register to 
revise observer coverage requirements that inadvertently deleted this 
exemption for catcher vessels 125 ft (38.1 m) length overall (LOA) or 
longer (59 FR 22133). This erroneous regulatory language was 
incorporated into the final rule implementing 1995 observer coverage 
requirements under the Research Plan (Sec. 677.10(a)(1)(i)(C)). The 
result is that current regulations under the Research Plan require 
catcher vessels 125 ft (38.1 m) LOA or longer to carry an observer at 
all times, even when the vessel is delivering unsorted codends to a 
processor and no opportunity exists for the observer to observe the 
catch.
    This proposed rule would revise regulations at 
Sec. 677.10(a)(1)(i)(C) to correct this error by requiring a catcher 
vessel 125 ft (38.1 m) LOA or longer to carry an observer 100 percent 
of its fishing days. The term ``fishing days'' currently is defined at 
Sec. 677.2 to exclude days during which a vessel only delivers unsorted 
codends to a processor.

Definition of the Term ``Processor''

    The definition of the term ``processor,'' as published in the 
September 6, 1994, final rule implementing the Research Plan, includes 
any person, except a restaurant, who receives fish from fishermen for 
commercial purposes. The final rule implementing the Research Plan 
added the exclusion for restaurants, but indicated the intent was that 
all landings of fish harvested in Research Plan fisheries be accounted 
for so that fees may be assessed based on the amount of fish landed and 
an annually specified fee per pound.
    Under the definition published in the September 6, 1994, final 
rule, a tender vessel receiving fish from fishermen for delivery to a 
shoreside processing facility could be considered a processor. 
Inclusion of tender vessels as processors for purposes of the Research 
Plan was not the intent of the final rule implementing the Research 
Plan and is unnecessary to account for landings of fish. Accordingly, 
NMFS proposes to revise the definition of ``processor'' so that it is 
clear that tender vessels are not included.
    The definition of processor in the September 6, 1994, final rule 
also inadvertently excluded fishermen who transport fish to persons 
outside the United States. To date, the amount of fish transferred by 
fishermen to persons outside the United States is believed to be small. 
However, the halibut and sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) 
program scheduled for implementation in 1995 (58 FR 59375, November 9, 
1993) is anticipated to result in increased deliveries of these species 
to persons in Canada and elsewhere outside the United States. Such 
deliveries could result in unreported landings. Consequently, NMFS 
proposes to revise the definition of ``processor'' to clarify that 
these fishermen are considered processors so that they are held 
accountable for payment of billed fee assessments.

Exemption of Certain Processors From Applying for a Processor 
Permit

    The final rule implementing the Research Plan requires that all 
processors of fish from Research Plan fisheries must have a Federal 
Processor Permit. This requirement is reasonable for those processors 
that anticipate participation in a Research Plan fishery, but is not 
necessary for a fisherman who delivers fish outside of the United 
States or sells fish directly to restaurants or to individuals for use 
as bait or personal consumption. Furthermore, the fisherman may not be 
the owner of the catcher vessel. Vessel owners often cannot anticipate 
the number or identity of operators of their vessels during a given 
fishing year. As a result, individual fishermen who are processors 
under the Research Plan may be difficult to identify until after an 
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) fish ticket or other 
documentation of landing has been submitted. Therefore, this proposed 
rule would make it explicit that these processors are exempt from such 
requirements.
    NMFS further notes its intent that the following sections of the 
Observer Plan still are effective during the first year of the Research 
Plan (1995): (1) Standards of observer conduct (attachment number 3); 
and (2) the description, specifications, and work statement for 
certified domestic observer contractors, including conflict of interest 
standards for NMFS-certified observers and contractors and conditions 
for contractor and observer certification revocation (attachment number 
4). Copies of the Observer Plan dated May 1994 are available from NMFS 
(see ADDRESSES).
    After the first year of the Research Plan, standards and criteria 
for conduct, certification, conflict of interest, and revocation of 
certification of observers and observer contractors will be included as 
part of the contractual arrangements between NMFS and observer 
contractors.

Classification

    This proposed rule includes minor revisions to the instructions 
accompanying the collection of information approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget, OMB control number 0648-0206 (Processor Permit 
Application). No new information is collected, but the number of 
persons required to comply with this collection-of-information 
requirement is reduced.
    The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, NMFS, and the ADF&G 
prepared a final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis as part of the 
Regulatory Impact Review prepared for the Research Plan. A copy of this 
analysis is available from the Council (see ADDRESSES).
    NMFS finds that this proposed action should be implemented as soon 
as possible so that clear instructions may be sent out to the industry 
that reflect what will be in place for the 1995 fee collection program 
authorized under the Research Plan. Delay in implementing the proposed 
revisions would create unnecessary confusion within the fishing 
industry concerning implementation of the Research Plan during 1995. 
NMFS is providing a 15-day comment period to expedite final action 
while allowing an opportunity for public comment.
    This proposed rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of E.O. 12866.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 677

    Fisheries, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: November 15, 1994.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 677 is 
proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 677--NORTH PACIFIC FISHERIES RESEARCH PLAN

    1. The authority citation for part 677 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    2. In Sec. 677.2, the definitions of ``processor'' and paragraph 
(1) of ``round-weight or round-weight equivalent'' are revised and the 
definition of ``tender vessel'' is added, in alphabetical order, to 
read as follows:


Sec. 677.2  Definitions.

* * * * *
    Processor means any shoreside processing facility or vessel that 
processes fish, any person who receives fish from fishermen for 
commercial purposes, any fisherman who transfers fish outside of the 
United States, and any fisherman who sells fish directly to a 
restaurant or to an individual for use as bait or personal consumption. 
Processor does not include a tender vessel or a restaurant, or a person 
who receives fish from fishermen for personal consumption or bait.
* * * * *
    Round weight or round-weight equivalent means:
    (1) For groundfish or halibut--the weight of fish calculated by 
dividing the weight of the primary product made from that fish by the 
standard product recovery rate for that primary product as listed in 
Sec. 672.20(j) of this chapter, or, if not listed, the weight of fish 
calculated by dividing the weight of a primary product by the standard 
product recovery rate as determined using the best available evidence 
on a case-by-case basis.
* * * * *
    Tender vessel means a vessel that does not process fish but that is 
used to transport fish from another vessel to a shoreside processing 
facility or to a vessel that processes fish for commercial use or 
consumption, or for delivery to such a processing facility or vessel.
    3. In Sec. 677.4, paragraph (a) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 677.4  Permits.

    (a) General. In addition to the permit and licensing requirements 
at Sec. 301.3 of this title and Secs. 672.4, 675.4, and Sec. 676.13 of 
this chapter, a processor of fish from a Research Plan fishery must 
have a Federal Processor Permit issued by the Regional Director under 
this section, except that this requirement does not apply to any 
fisherman who transfers fish outside of the United States, or any 
fisherman who sells fish directly to a restaurant or to an individual 
for use as bait or personal consumption. Federal Processor Permits will 
be issued without charge.
* * * * *
    4. In Sec. 677.7, paragraph (e) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 677.7  General prohibitions.

* * * * *
    (e) Process or receive fish from a Research Plan fishery without a 
valid permit issued pursuant to this part.
* * * * *
    5. In Sec. 677.10, paragraph (a)(1)(i)(C) is revised to read as 
follows:


Sec. 677.10  General requirements.

    (a) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (i) * * *
    (C) A catcher/processor or catcher vessel 125 ft (38.1 m) LOA or 
longer must carry a NMFS-certified observer during 100 percent of its 
fishing days while fishing for groundfish, except for a vessel fishing 
for groundfish with pot gear as provided in paragraph (a)(1)(i)(F) of 
this section.
* * * * *


Figure 1 to Part 677  [Amended]

    6. Figure 1 to part 677, Federal Processor Permit Application (Form 
FPP-1), is revised to read as follows:

BILLING CODE 3510-22-M

TP21NO94.000


TP21NO94.001


TP21NO94.002


TP21NO94.003


TP21NO94.004


[FR Doc. 94-28683 Filed 11-17-94; 8:57 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-C