[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 76 (Thursday, April 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 20736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1874]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 041805A]


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

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

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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

DATES: Workshop will be held May 9, 2005. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Workshop will be held in Seattle, WA.

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 by regulation 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 conducted four public workshops in March and April in Alaska, 
Oregon, and Washington to provide assistance to fishery participants in 
complying with the requirements of this new Program (70 FR 10992). At 
these workshops, NMFS provided an overview of the Program, discussed 
the key Program elements, and provide information on the application 
process.
    The May 9, 2005 workshop is intended to specifically focus on the 
Arbitration System. Elements related to economic data collection, 
monitoring and enforcement, electronic reporting, quota share and 
individual fishing quota application and transfer provisions, the 
appeals process, fee collection, and the loan program may be addressed 
secondarily. 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 the public workshop as follows:
    Monday, May 9, 2005, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST)-
Leif Erickson Hall, 2245 Northwest 57th Street, Seattle, WA.

Special Accommodations

    This workshop is 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.

    Dated: April 18, 2005.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-1874 Filed 4-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S