[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67287-67288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23141]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE09


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish 
Observer Program; Notice of Observer 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 implementation of 
new Alaska groundfish observer sampling protocols for fishery 
participants and other interested parties. At the workshop, NMFS will 
provide an overview of the changes to observer sampling protocols, 
discuss alterations made in the observer electronic data submission and 
communications system, and answer questions. NMFS is conducting this 
public workshop to provide assistance to fishery participants in 
understanding the sampling protocols which will be used by groundfish 
observers in 2008 and beyond.

DATES: The workshop will be held on Tuesday, December 11, 2007, from 10 
a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific standard time.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Nordic Heritage Museum, 
3014 NW 67th Street, Seattle, WA 98117.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Ferdinand, 206-526-4076 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Groundfish fisheries in waters of the Gulf 
of Alaska (GOA) and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area 
(BSAI) are managed under quotas set annually for groundfish species and 
for several other species that the groundfish fishery is prohibited 
from retaining. These quotas may be apportioned among areas, seasons, 
gear types, processor and catcher vessel sectors, cooperatives, and 
individual fishermen. Both retained and discarded catch are credited 
against these annual quotas, which generally are based on stock 
assessments generated principally by NMFS and on recommendations from 
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. NMFS' Alaska Region is 
responsible for monitoring the progress of fisheries toward attainment 
of these quotas and allocations, and for closing the fisheries when 
quotas are reached. Stock assessments, quota monitoring, and management 
require collection of data from the fishery to account for all 
groundfish and prohibited species catch, including the portion of the 
catch that is discarded. North Pacific groundfish observers aboard 
vessels and at shoreside or floating stationary processors collect the 
data necessary for these purposes.
    The Alaska Fisheries Science Center's groundfish observer program 
has embarked on an ambitious set of observer data collection changes 
for implementation in the 2008 fishing year. The new sampling 
procedures eliminate much of the need for observers to summarize and 
calculate information at sea and take steps to ensure all data points 
are recorded at the level from which they are observed.
    NMFS is conducting a public workshop to provide assistance to 
fishery participants in reviewing the new observer sampling protocols 
and the changes that were necessary to the observer electronic data 
submission and communications system. Additionally, NMFS will answer 
questions from workshop participants. For further information on the 
groundfish observer

[[Page 67288]]

program, please visit the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center website 
at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/FMA/.htm.

Special Accommodations

    This workshop is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for special accommodations should be directed to Jennifer 
Ferdinand (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) before December 6, 
2007.

    Dated: November 21, 2007.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-23141 Filed 11-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S