[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 95 (Thursday, May 17, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 27798-27799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9530]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 041307D]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Allocating 
Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Fishery Resources; Notice of Limited Access 
Privilege Program Public Workshop

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

ACTION: Notification of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will present a public workshop on the proposed program to 
implement the Amendment 80 Program (Program) for potentially eligible 
participants and other interested parties. The Program would implement 
a limited access privilege program (LAPP) for specific groundfish 
fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area 
(BSAI). At the workshop, NMFS will provide an overview of the proposed 
Program, discuss the key proposed Program elements, and answer 
questions. NMFS is conducting this public workshop to provide 
assistance to fishery participants in understanding and reviewing this 
proposed Program.

DATES: The workshop will be held on Wednesday, May 23, 2007, from 1 
p.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific standard time.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Leif Erikson Lodge, 2245 NW 
57th Street, Seattle, WA 98119.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glenn Merrill, 907-586-7228 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS intends to publish a proposed rule that 
would implement a LAPP for Amendment 80 to the Fishery Management Plan 
for BSAI Groundfish (FMP). Among other things, Amendment 80 would 
allocate specific BSAI groundfish resources among a defined group of 
harvesters under a LAPP; limit the bycatch of halibut and crab 
resources; assign Amendment 80 quota share (QS) that could be used to 
yield an exclusive harvest privilege on an annual basis; allow 
Amendment 80 QS holders to form a cooperative with other Amendment 80 
QS holders on an annual basis to receive an exclusive harvest 
privilege; implement use caps to limit the amount of Amendment 80 QS a 
person could hold; limit the total amount of catch in other groundfish 
fisheries that could be taken by participants in the Program; ensure 
minimum retention of groundfish while fishing in the BSAI; and 
establish necessary monitoring and enforcement standards. Amendment 80 
was approved by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
on June 9, 2006.
    In addition to other laws, the Program is specifically designed to 
meet the requirements of:
     Section 219 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 
(Public Law 108-447; December 8, 2004), which defined the Amendment 80 
sector and implemented a capacity reduction program for several 
catcher/processor sectors;
     Section 416 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation 
Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-241; July 11, 2006), which amended 
provisions of the Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program in the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA); and
     The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Reauthorization Act (Public Law 109-479, January 12, 2007), which 
modified provisions related to the CDQ Program and instituted other 
measures applicable to LAPPs.
    NMFS anticipates that a proposed rule implementing the Program will 
be published by mid-May. NMFS is conducting this public workshop to 
provide assistance to fishery participants in understanding and 
reviewing the proposed requirements. At the workshop, NMFS will provide 
an overview of the proposed Program, and discuss the key Program 
elements, including: quota share application; cooperative and limited 
access participation provisions; cooperative quota transfer provisions; 
measures to establish sideboard limits to protect non-LAPP fishery 
participants, the appeals process; catch accounting; monitoring and 
enforcement; and electronic reporting. Additionally, NMFS will answer 
questions from workshop participants. For further information on the 
Program, please visit

[[Page 27799]]

the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov.

Special Accommodations

    This workshop is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for special accommodations should be directed to Glenn Merrill 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 5 working days before 
the workshop date.

    Dated: May 11, 2007.
James P. Burgess
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-9530 Filed 5-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S