[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 178 (Thursday, September 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54273-54274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15265]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 091106A]


Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction Team Meeting

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

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS is establishing a Take Reduction Team (TRT) to address 
incidental mortality and serious injury of long-finned pilot whales 
(Globicephala melas), short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala 
macrorhynchus), white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus), and 
common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in several trawl gear fisheries in 
the Atlantic Ocean. The TRT will develop a Take Reduction Plan (TRP) as 
required by section 118 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). 
NMFS will seek input from the Atlantic Trawl Gear TRT on all scientific 
data related to stock structure, abundance, and human-caused mortality 
and serious injury of pilot whales, white-sided dolphins, and common 
dolphins. The TRT will focus on developing a plan to reduce incidental 
catch of these species in Atlantic trawl gear fisheries to a level less 
than the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level within 6 months of 
implementation of the plan and 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 September 19, 2006, from 10 a.m. to 
5 p.m., on September 20-21, 2006, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on 
September 22, 2006, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Providence, RI.

ADDRESSES: The Atlantic Trawl Gear TRT meeting will be held at the 
Providence Courtyard Marriott Downtown, 32 Exchange Terrace, 
Providence, RI 02903. Phone: (401) 272-1191, Fax: (401) 272-1416.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Minton, NMFS, Northeast Region, 
978-281-9300 Ext. 6534, [email protected] or Melissa Andersen, NMFS, 
Office of Protected Resources, 301-713-2322 Ext. 173, 
[email protected].

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 stocks of long-finned and short-finned 
pilot whales (Globicephala sp.) were designated as non-strategic in the 
2005 marine mammal stock assessment report (Waring et al., 2006) 
because fishery-related serious injuries and mortalities are less than 
PBR. The 2005 stock assessment report indicates that the PBR for the 
combined stock of long-finned and short-finned pilot whales 
(Globicephala sp.) is 239, and that total fishery-related mortality and 
serious injury is 210. The Western North Atlantic (WNA) stock of white-
sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) is designated as non-strategic in 
the 2005 marine mammal stock assessment report (Waring et al., 2006) 
because fishery-related serious injuries and mortalities are less than 
PBR. The 2005 stock assessment report indicates that the PBR for the 
WNA stock of white-sided dolphins is 364 and that total fishery-related 
mortality and serious injury is 38.
    The Western North Atlantic stock of common dolphin (Delphinus 
delphis) is designated as non-strategic in the 2005 marine mammal stock 
assessment report (Waring et al., 2006) because fishery-related serious 
injuries and mortalities are less than PBR. The 2005 stock assessment 
report indicates that the PBR for the WNA stock of common dolphin is 
960 and that total fishery-related mortality and serious injury is 119.
    For non-strategic stocks, section 118 of the MMPA calls for a take 
reduction plan to be completed within 11 months of the establishment of 
the team, and to focus in this case, on reducing incidental mortalities 
and serious injuries of pilot whales, white-sided dolphins and common 
dolphins to a level approaching a zero mortality and serious injury 
rate within 5 years of implementation of the plan.
    All three species of marine mammals are known to interact with the 
Mid-Atlantic Mid-water Trawl fishery, which is classified on the MMPA 
List of Fisheries (LOF) as a Category I fishery (i.e., one that has 
frequent incidental mortalities or serious injuries of marine mammals). 
All three species of marine mammals are also known to interact with the 
Mid-Atlantic Bottom Trawl, Northeast Mid-water Trawl, and the Northeast 
Bottom Trawl fisheries, which are classified as Category II fisheries 
(i.e., those that have annual mortality and serious injury greater than 
1 percent and less than 50 percent of the PBR level) on the MMPA LOF.
    Other commercial fisheries known to occasionally cause incidental 
mortality and serious injury of pilot whales, white-sided dolphins, and 
common dolphins include the pelagic longline fishery (excluding the 
Northeast distant water fishery) and the Northeast Multispecies Sink 
Gillnet fishery.
    Section 118 (f)(8) of the MMPA calls on the TRT to develop a draft 
TRP by consensus, and to submit this draft TRP to NMFS not later than 
11 months after the date of the establishment of the TRT. The Secretary 
is then to consider the TRP, and no later than 60 days after the 
submission of the draft TRP, NMFS is to 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 is to 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. Section 118 requires that TRTs, to the maximum 
extent practicable, consist of an equitable balance among

[[Page 54274]]

representatives of resource user and non-user interests.
    NMFS has asked the following individuals to serve as members on 
this TRT:
    Melissa Andersen, NMFS; David Beutel, University of Rhode Island; 
William Bright, Fishing Vessel Retriever; Brendan Cummings, Center for 
Biological Diversity; Glenn Delaney, Northeast Seafood Coalition; 
Gregory DiDomenico, Garden State Seafood Association; Pat Fiorelli, 
Northeast Fishery Management Council; Damon Gannon, Mote Marine 
Laboratory; Mike Genovese, Fishing Vessel White Dove; Glen Goodwin, 
Fishing Vessel Relentless; Elizabeth Griffin, Oceana; Nick Jenkins, 
Fishing Vessels Isabelle Taylor and Jean McCausland; Jessica Koelsch, 
The Ocean Conservancy; Robert Lane, Fishing Vessels Isabel S. and 
Melissa Jayne; Stephen Lee, Fishing Vessel Kristen Lee; Jim Lovgren, 
Fishing Vessel Sea Dragon; Rick Marks, Garden State Seafood 
Association; William McLellan, University of North Carolina, 
Wilmington; Mark Minton, NMFS; Peter Moore, American Pelagic 
Association; Gerry O'Neill, Fishing Vessel, Voyager, Challenger, 
Endeavor; Ryan Rabar, Fishing Vessel Providian; Eoin Rochefort, 
Northern Pelagic Group, LLC (NORPEL); Jim Ruhle, Fishing Vessel Darana 
R; Rich Seagraves, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Michael 
Simpkins, Marine Mammal Commission; and Sharon Young, Human 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 
preforming their duties as members of the team. The TRT process will be 
facilitated by Robin Roberts and Dana Mason, RESOLVE, Washington, D.C. 
The ATGTRT will hold its first meeting from September 19-22, 2006, in 
Providence, RI (see DATES and ADDRESSES).
    NMFS 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.

    Dated: September 11, 2006.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E6-15265 Filed 9-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S