[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 110 (Friday, June 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 31812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11051]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA61


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS); Atlantic Tuna Fisheries

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

ACTION: Notice of public information meetings.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces public information meetings regarding the use 
of green-stick fishing gear in Atlantic tuna fisheries including 
bluefin tuna. The purpose of these meetings is to communicate details 
and issues related to gear authorization including gear configuration 
and definitions, quota management, catch reporting, and other related 
topics.

DATES: The meeting dates are:
    1. June 19, 2007, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., Manteo, NC.
    2. June 20, 2007, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., Silver Spring, MD.
    3. June 21, 2007, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., Foxboro, MA.
    4. June 25, 2007, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., Saint Petersburg, FL.

ADDRESSES: The meeting locations are:
    1. Manteo - Roanoke Island Festival Park, 1 Festival Park, Manteo, 
NC 27954.
    2. Silver Spring - NOAA/NMFS Headquarters (Building 3 Room 1311-B), 
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    3. Foxboro - Boyden Library, 10 Bird Street, Foxboro, MA 02035.
    4. Saint Petersburg - NOAA/NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 263 
13\th\ Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701.
    For copies of current regulations regarding green-stick gear use 
outlined in the Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the 
Guide for Complying with the Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, Sharks, and 
Billfish Regulations, contact Margo Schulze-Haugen, Chief, HMS 
Management Division, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or 
at (301) 713-1917 (fax). These documents are also available on the 
internet at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Randy Blankinship at 727-824-5399 or 
727-824-5398 (fax).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS will hold public information meetings 
to discuss details related to the use of green-stick fishing gear for 
Atlantic tunas including bluefin tuna. The purpose of these meetings is 
to communicate details and issues related to gear authorization 
including gear configuration and definitions, quota management, catch 
reporting and other related topics.
    In the Draft Consolidated HMS FMP, NMFS preferred an alternative to 
authorize green-stick fishing gear for the commercial harvest of 
Atlantic bigeye, albacore, yellowfin, and skipjack (BAYS) tunas; 
however, NMFS did not select this alternative as preferred in the Final 
Consolidated HMS FMP (October 2, 2006; 71 FR 58058). The intent of the 
draft preferred alternative was to allow commercial tuna handgear 
fishermen targeting BAYS tunas with green-stick fishing gear to 
increase the number of hooks on their gear from two hooks to no more 
than 10 hooks. The draft preferred alternative would have also 
prohibited commercial vessels using or possessing green-sticks from 
retaining or possessing BFT on board.
    During public comment on the Draft Consolidated HMS FMP (71 FR 
58058, October 2, 2006), NMFS received comments ranging from opposition 
to the draft alternative to support for it. The comments that NMFS 
received included those that expressed confusion over the current 
regulatory regime; concern over the need for better reporting, 
monitoring, and overall data collection for this gear-type; a desire to 
land bluefin tuna with the gear; and the need for further understanding 
of the technical nature of the gear itself. Based on these comments, 
NMFS decided to clarify the currently allowed use of the gear in the 
Final Consolidated HMS FMP rather than authorize and define the gear in 
a manner that may cause further confusion and have unintended negative 
consequences to the fishery and the resource.
    Currently, green-stick fishing gear meets the definitions for 
longline or handgear depending on the configuration and may only be 
used aboard vessels possessing the permits necessary to use longline or 
handgear. Authorization of green-stick fishing gear for Atlantic tunas 
could provide for less restrictive use of green-sticks when and where 
appropriate.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretations or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Randy Blankinship at 727-824-5399 
at least 7 days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: May 30, 2007.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E7-11051 Filed 6-7-07; 8:45 am]
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