[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 174 (Monday, September 10, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 51570-51571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17772]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 041307D]
RIN 0648-AU68


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Allocating 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area Fishery Resources; Notice of 
Amendment 80 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 implementation of 
the Amendment 80 Program (Program) for potentially eligible 
participants and other interested parties. The Program

[[Page 51571]]

implements 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 
Program, discuss the key Program elements, describe the process for 
participating in the Program, and answer questions. NMFS is conducting 
this public workshop to provide assistance to fishery participants in 
understanding and reviewing this Program.

DATES: The workshop will be held on Monday, September 24, 2007, 1 p.m. 
to 4 p.m. Pacific standard time.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Swedish Cultural Center, 
1920 Dexter Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS will publish a final rule that will 
implement a LAPP for Amendment 80 to the Fishery Management Plan for 
BSAI Groundfish (FMP) in mid-September, 2007. Among other things, 
Amendment 80 will 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 can 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 can 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. NMFS published a proposed rule to 
implement the Program on May 30, 2007 (72 FR 30052). The Secretary of 
Commerce approved Amendment 80 on July 26, 2007. The Program implements 
Amendment 80 and also meets 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; 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 is conducting a public workshop to provide assistance to 
fishery participants in reviewing the requirements of the Program. At 
the workshop, NMFS will provide an overview of the Program, and discuss 
the key Program elements, including quota share application; 
cooperative and limited access participation provisions; cooperative 
quota transfer provisions; the appeals process; monitoring and 
enforcement; and electronic reporting. Additionally, NMFS will answer 
questions from workshop participants. For further information on the 
Program, please visit the NMFS Alaska Region website 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: September 4, 2007.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-17772 Filed 9-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S