[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 22, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36120-36121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12342]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 060805C]


Atlantic Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Team Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of establishment of an Atlantic Longline Take Reduction 
Team and meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is establishing a Take Reduction Team (TRT) and convening 
a TRT meeting to address the incidental mortality and serious injury of 
long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) and short-finned pilot 
whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) in the Atlantic region of the 
Atlantic pelagic longline fishery. The TRT will develop a Take 
Reduction Plan (TRP) as required in the Marine Mammal Protection Act 
(MMPA). NMFS will seek input from the Atlantic Pelagic Longline TRT on 
all scientific data related to stock structure, abundance, and human-
caused mortality and serious injury of pilot whales. The TRT will focus 
on developing a plan to reduce incidental catch of pilot whales in the 
Atlantic pelagic longline fishery to a level approaching a zero 
mortality and serious injury rate within 5 years of implementation of 
the plan.

DATES: The meeting will be held on June 29, 2005, from 1 p.m. to 5 
p.m., and on June 30, 2005, from 8:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The PLTRT meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency, 7400 
Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. Phone: (301) 657-1234, Fax: (301) 
657-6453.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victoria Cornish: (727) 824-5312 or 
Kristy Long: (301) 713-2322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMPA defines the Potential Biological 
Removal (PBR) level of a marine mammal stock as the maximum number of 
animals, not including natural mortalities, that may be removed from a 
marine mammal stock while allowing that stock to reach or maintain its 
optimum sustainable population. The PBR level is the product of the 
following factors: the minimum population estimate of the stock; one-
half the maximum theoretical or estimated net productivity rate of the 
stock at a small population size; and a recovery factor of between 0.1 
and 1.0.
    The Western North Atlantic stocksof short-finned and long-finned 
pilot whales (Globicephala sp.) were designated as strategic in the 
2003 marine mammal stock assessment report. However, NMFS has revised 
the abundance estimates for pilot whales based on recent surveys 
conducted throughout their range. The 2005 draft stock assessment 
report now indicates that the PBR for the combined stock of long-finned 
and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala sp.) is 247, and that total 
fishery-related mortality and serious injury is 201. Therefore, the 
status of this combined stock in the 2005 draft stock assessment report 
will change from strategic to non-strategic because fishery-related 
serious injuries and mortalities are less than PBR.
    For a non-strategic stock, a take reduction plan shall be completed 
within 11 months of the establishment of the team, and shall focus on 
reducing incidental mortalities and serious injuries of pilot whales to 
a level approaching a zero mortality and serious injury rate within 5 
years of implementation of the plan.
    Both species of pilot whales are known to interact with the pelagic 
longline fishery, which is classified on the MMPA List of Fisheries as 
a Category I fishery, or one that has frequent incidental mortalities 
or serious injuries of marine mammals. Most of the observed 
interactions of pilot whales with the pelagic longline fishery have 
occurred in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, where the ranges of the two species 
overlap. Other commercial fisheries known to occasionally cause 
incidental mortality and serious injury of short-finned and long-finned 
pilot whales include the southern New England and mid-Atlantic midwater 
and bottom trawl fisheries targeting squid, mackerel, butterfish, and 
herring. These fisheries are identified in the 2004 List of Fisheries 
(69 FR 48407, August 10, 2004).
    As required under section 118 (f)(8) of the MMPA, the TRT shall 
develop a draft TRP by consensus, and shall submit this draft TRP to 
NMFS not later than 11 months after the date of the establishment of 
the TRT. The Secretary shall then consider the TRP, and no later than 
60 days after the submission of the draft TRP, NMFS shall publish in 
the Federal Register the TRP and any implementing regulations proposed 
by the team for a public comment period not to exceed 90 days. Within 
60 days of the close of the comment period, NMFS shall issue a final 
TRP and any implementing regulations.
    List of invited participants: MMPA section 118 (f)(6)(C) requires 
that members of TRTs have expertise regarding the conservation or 
biology of the marine mammal species that the TRP will address, or the 
fishing practices that result in the incidental mortality or serious 
injury of such species. The MMPA further specifies that TRTs shall, to 
the maximum extent practicable, consist of an equitable balance among 
representatives of resource user and non-user interests.
    NMFS has asked the following individuals to serve as members of the 
TRT, which will focus on reducing bycatch of long-finned and short-
finned pilot whales in the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery:
    Nelson Beidman, Blue Water Fishermen's Association; Jim Budi, 
Shoreside; Vicki Cornish, NMFS; Jean Cramer, Thunder Mountain 
Consulting; Brendan Cummings, Center for Biological Diversity; Damon 
Gannon, Mote Marine Laboratory; Charlotte Hudson Gray, Oceana; Gail 
Johnson, Fishing Vessel Seneca; David Kerstetter, Virginia Institute of 
Marine Science; Bill McLellan, University of North Carolina at 
Wilmington; Dan Mears, Fishing Vessel Monica; Tim Ragen, Marine Mammal 
Commission; Scott Rucky, Fishing Vessel Dakota; Rick Seagraves, Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council; and Sharon Young, Humane Society 
of the United States.
    Other individuals from NMFS and state and Federal agencies may be 
present as observers or for their scientific expertise. Members of TRTs 
serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed by NMFS, upon 
request, for reasonable travel costs and expenses incurred in 
performing their duties as members of the team. The TRT process will be 
facilitated by Scott McCreary and Eric Poncelet, CONCUR, Inc., 
Berkeley, California. The TRT will hold its first meeting from June 29-
30, 2005 in Bethesda, Maryland (see DATES and ADDRESSES).
    NMFS fully intends to conduct the TRT process in a way that 
provides for national consistency yet accommodates the unique regional 
characteristics of the fishery and marine mammal stocks involved. Take 
Reduction Teams are not subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(5 App. U.S.C.). Meetings are open to the public.


[[Page 36121]]


    Dated: June 16, 2005.
P. Michael Payne,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-12342 Filed 6-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S