[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 23 (Friday, February 2, 1996)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 3851-3852] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-2145] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 229 [Docket No. 950605147-5288-03; I.D. 112895A] RIN 0648-AH33 Delay of the Effective Date of the 1996 Marine Mammal Protection Act Final List of Fisheries AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Final rule; delay of effective date. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NMFS published its Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA) final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 1996 on December 28, 1995. In that rule, the effective period for the 1995 LOF was extended until March 1, 1996. The recent government shutdown delayed NMFS from mailing out registration packets to commercial fishers for the Marine Mammal Authorization Program. Therefore, NMFS is delaying the effective date of the 1996 final LOF from March 1, 1996 to April 1, 1996. EFFECTIVE DATE: February 2, 1996. The effective date of the MMPA final LOF for 1996 is delayed from March 1, 1996 to April 1, 1996. ADDRESSES: Information and registration material for the region in which a fishery occurs may be obtained from the following addresses: NMFS, Northeast Region, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298, Attn: Sandra Arvilla; NMFS, Southeast Region, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702; NMFS, MMAP, Protected Species Management Division, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213; NMFS, Northwest Region, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, Attn: Permits Office; NMFS - PMRD, P.O. Box 22668, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK 99082. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victoria Cornish, Office of Protected Resources, 301-713-2322; Douglas Beach, Northeast Region, 508-281-9254; Charles Oravetz, Southeast Region, 813-570-5312; James Lecky, Southwest Region, 310-980-4015; Brent Norberg, Northwest Region, 206-526-6140; Steven Zimmerman, Alaska Region, 907-586-7235. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with section 118 of the MMPA of 1972, and 50 CFR 229.4, [[Page 3852]] commercial fishers in Category I and II fisheries must register with NMFS for authorization to seriously injure or kill marine mammals incidental to fishing operations. On December 28, 1995, NMFS published its MMPA final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 1996 (60 FR 67063), which classified fisheries according to frequency of serious injury or mortality of marine mammals. The preamble to the final regulations implementing section 118 (60 FR 45086, August 30, 1995) stated that vessel owners holding a valid Exemption Certificate under section 114 will be deemed by NMFS to have registered under section 118 through December 31, 1995. Because it took longer than expected to publish the MMPA final LOF for 1996, NMFS extended the MMPA LOF for 1995 to remain in effect until March 1, 1996 (60 FR 67063, December 28, 1995). Vessel owners holding a valid Exemption Certificate under section 114 were deemed to have registered under section 118 until March 1, 1996. The extension was intended to allow vessel owners sufficient time to register under section 118 of the MMPA. The recent government shutdown delayed NMFS from mailing registration packets to commercial fishers for the Marine Mammal Authorization Program. Therefore, NMFS is extending the effective date of the 1996 LOF from March 1, 1996 to April 1, 1996. In conjunction with this action, NMFS is extending the effective period for the 1995 LOF through March 31, 1996, and vessel owners holding a valid Exemption Certificate under section 114 will be deemed to have registered under section 118 through March 31, 1996. Owners or authorized representatives of fishing vessels or non-vessel fishing gear that will participate in a Category I or II fishery as of April 1, 1996 must register for and obtain a valid section 118 Authorization Certificate before April 1, 1996. Owners or authorized representatives of fishing vessels or non-vessel fishing gear that will participate in a Category I or II fishery after April 1, 1996 must register for and obtain a valid section 118 Authorization Certificate before fishing activity starts. NMFS expects to mail registration packets to commercial fishers during the second week of February, 1996. Commercial fishers who plan to participate in Category I and II fisheries during the spring of 1996 should submit their completed registration forms and $25 fee to NMFS by March 1, 1996 to allow NMFS at least 30 days to process the forms. Commercial fishers who will be participating in affected fisheries that begin later in the year should submit their completed registration form and $25 fee at least 30 days before they expect to begin fishing. Dated: January 26, 1996. Gary Matlock, Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 96-2145 Filed 2-1-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F