[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 31 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7417-7418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-2686]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 010307C]


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS); Pelagic and Bottom 
Longline Fisheries

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of a revised list of equipment 
models that NMFS has approved as meeting the minimum design 
specifications for the careful release of sea turtles caught in hook 
and line fisheries. The revised list is available at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Protected%20Resources/Required_Gear.pdf. The 
list is not a list of required gears, but is a list of NMFS approved 
models of equipment that may be used as options to meet the 
requirements for gear that must be carried on board vessels 
participating in the Atlantic pelagic and bottom longline fisheries. 
Equipment may also be fabricated and used by individuals according to 
the minimum design specifications. The benefit of using these gears is 
to maximize safe and efficient gear removal from incidentally captured 
sea turtles thereby minimizing the potential for serious injury or 
mortality.

ADDRESSES: For copies of the list of NMFS approved equipment models for 
the careful release of sea turtles caught in hook and line fisheries, 
the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) (issued 
by NMFS in June 2004) that provides for the approval of new or 
additional equipment for careful release of sea turtles caught in hook 
and line fisheries and the Final Environmental Impact Statement that 
the FSEIS supplements (issued by NMFS in April 1999), contact Margo 
Schulze-Haugen, Chief, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, 
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or at (301) 713-1917 
(fax). These documents are also available at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Randy Blankinship, Greg Fairclough, 
Richard A. Pearson or Russell Dunn at 727-570-5447 or 727-570-5656 
(fax).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic tuna and swordfish fisheries 
are managed under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the 
Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA). Atlantic sharks are managed under 
the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The Consolidated Atlantic 
Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan, finalized in 2006, is 
implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635. The Atlantic pelagic and 
bottom longline fisheries are also subject to the requirements of the 
Endangered Species

[[Page 7418]]

Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
    NMFS announces the availability of a revised list of equipment 
models that NMFS has approved as meeting the minimum design 
specifications for the careful release of sea turtles caught in hook 
and line fisheries. The revised list is available at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Protected%20Resources/Required_Gear.pdf. To 
see the previous list of NMFS approved models for the careful release 
of sea turtles caught in hook and line fisheries, see 69 FR 40734, July 
6, 2004. Revision of the list is necessary due to NMFS approval of the 
following additional sea turtle bycatch mitigation gear for use in the 
pelagic and bottom longline fisheries for Atlantic HMS: (1) Robey 
dehooker (for external hooks only), (2) NOAA/Bergmann dehooker (with 
modification) and (3) notch modification of the previously approved 
Aquatic Release Conservation (ARC) dehooker pigtail curl. Other sea 
turtle bycatch mitigation gears previously approved remain approved for 
use in the fishery.
    The list is not a list of required gears, but is a list of NMFS 
approved models of equipment that may be used as options to meet the 
requirements for gear that must be carried on board vessels 
participating in the Atlantic pelagic and bottom longline fisheries (50 
CFR 635.21(c)(5)(i) and (d)(3)(i)). Equipment may also be fabricated 
and used by individuals according to the minimum design specifications 
(50 CFR 635.21(c)(5)(i)). The benefit of using these gears is to 
maximize safe and efficient gear removal from incidentally captured sea 
turtles, thereby minimizing the potential for serious injury or 
mortality.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; 16 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: February 8, 2007.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E7-2686 Filed 2-14-07; 8:45 am]
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