[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 43 (Monday, March 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10992-10993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4379]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 030105C]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Notice of 
Crab Rationalization Program Public Workshops

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

ACTION: Notice of public workshops.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will present a series of public workshops on the new Crab 
Rationalization Program (Program) for participants the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands (BSAI) king and Tanner crab fisheries. At each 
workshop, NMFS will provide an overview of the Program, discuss the key 
Program elements, provide information on the application process, and 
answer questions. NMFS is conducting these public workshops to provide 
assistance to fishery participants in complying with the requirements 
of this new Program.

DATES: Workshops will be held in March and April 2005. For specific 
dates and times see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Workshops will be held in Kodiak, AK; Seattle, WA; Newport, 
OR; and Anchorage, AK. For specific locations see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheela McLean, 907-586-7032 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 2, 2005, NMFS published a final 
rule implementing the Crab Rationalization Program (Program) as 
Amendments 18 and 19 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/ 
Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs. In January 2004, the U.S. 
Congress amended section 313(j) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act through the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 (Pub. L. No. 108-199, section 
801). As amended, section 313(j)(1) requires the Secretary to approve 
and implement the Program, as it was approved by the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council (Council) between June 2002 and April 2003, 
and all trailing amendments, including those reported to Congress on 
May 6, 2003. In June 2004, the Council consolidated its actions on the 
Program into the Council motion, which is contained in its entirety in 
Amendment 18. Additionally, in June 2004, the Council developed 
Amendment 19, which represents minor changes necessary to implement the 
Program. The Notice of Availability for these amendments was published 
in the Federal Register on September 1, 2004 (69 FR 53397). NMFS 
approved Amendments 18 and 19 on November 19, 2004. NMFS published a 
proposed rule to implement Amendments 18 and 19 in the Federal Register 
on October 29, 2004 (69 FR 63200).
    NMFS is conducting public workshops to provide assistance to 
fishery participants in complying with the requirements of this new 
Program. At each workshop, NMFS will provide an overview of the 
Program, discuss the key Program elements, and provide information on 
the application process. The key Program elements to be discussed 
include economic data collection, the Arbitration System, community 
measures, monitoring and enforcement, electronic reporting, quota share 
and individual fishing quota application and transfer provisions, the 
appeals process, fee collection, and the loan program. Additionally, 
NMFS will answer questions from workshop participants. For further 
information on the Crab Rationalization Program, please visit the NMFS 
Alaska Region Internet site at www.fakr.noaa.gov.

Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations

    NMFS will hold public workshops as follows:
    1. Friday, March 18, 2005, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Alaska local time (ALT) 
- Choral Pod, Kodiak High School, Kodiak, AK.
    2. Wednesday, March 30, 2005, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Pacific Standard 
Time (PST) - Leif Erickson Hall, 2245 Northwest 57th Street, Seattle, 
WA.
    3. Friday, April 1, 2005, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. PST - Seminar Room, 
Marine Hatfield Science Center, 2030 Southeast Marine Science Drive, 
Newport, OR
    4. Tuesday, April 5, 2005, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. ALT - Anchorage Hilton, 
Katmai/Dillingham Room, 500 West Third Avenue, Anchorage, AK.
    Special Accommodations
    These workshops are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for special accommodations should be directed to 
Sheela McLean (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least five 
working days before the workshop date.


[[Page 10993]]


    Dated: March 1, 2005.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-4379 Filed 3-4-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S