[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 130 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39858-39859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17081]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE



National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration



RIN 0648-XA520




Western Pacific Fisheries; Approval of a Marine Conservation Plan 

for Guam



AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.



ACTION: Notice of agency decision.



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SUMMARY: NMFS announces approval of a marine conservation plan for 

Guam.



DATES: This agency decision is effective from June 28, 2011, through 

June 27, 2014.



ADDRESSES: Copies of the MCP are available from http://www.regulations.gov, or the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council 

(Council), 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, tel 808-

522-8220.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jarad Makaiau, Sustainable Fisheries, 

NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office, 808-944-2108.



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 204(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) 

authorizes the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the 

Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) and in consultation with the Council, 

to negotiate and enter into a Pacific Insular Area fishery agreement 

(PIAFA). A PIAFA would allow foreign fishing within the U.S. Exclusive 

Economic Zone (EEZ) adjacent to American Samoa, Guam, or the Northern 

Mariana Islands with the concurrence of, and in consultation with, the 

Governor of the Pacific Insular Area to which the PIAFA applies. Before 

entering into a PIAFA, the appropriate Governor, with the concurrence 

of the Council, must develop a 3-year Marine Conservation Plan (MCP) 

providing details on uses for any funds collected by the Secretary 

under the PIAFA.

    The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires payments received under a PIAFA 

to be deposited into the United States Treasury and then covered over 

to the Treasury of the Pacific Insular Area for which funds were 

collected. In the case of violations by foreign fishing vessels 

occurring within the EEZ off any Pacific Insular Area, amounts received 

by the Secretary attributable to fines and penalties imposed under the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, including sums collected from the forfeiture and 

disposition or sale of property seized subject to its authority, shall 

be deposited into the Treasury of the Pacific Insular Area adjacent to 

the EEZ in which the violation occurred, after direct costs of the 

enforcement action are subtracted. Any funds deposited into the 

Treasury of the Pacific Insular Area may be used by the jurisdiction 

for fisheries enforcement and for implementation of an MCP.

    An MCP must be consistent with the Council's fishery ecosystem 

plans, must identify conservation and management objectives (including 

criteria for determining when such objectives have been met), and must 

prioritize planned marine conservation projects. Although no foreign 

fishing is being considered at this time, the Council, at its 151st 

meeting held June 15-18, 2011, reviewed and approved the Guam MCP and 

recommended its submission to the Secretary for approval. On June 20, 

2011, the Governor of Guam submitted the MCP to NMFS, the designee of 

the Secretary, for review and approval.

    The Guam MCP contains eight conservation and management objectives 

under which planned projects and activities designed to meet the 

objective are identified and described, as follows:

    Objective 1. Fisheries resource assessment and monitoring.

    Objective 2. Effective surveillance and enforcement monitoring, 

including:

    a. Implementation of an at-sea observer program to collect 

information on foreign fishing activities.

    b. Increase enforcement and surveillance of the U.S. EEZ around 

Guam.

    Objective 3. Regional cooperation, including development of a 

longline permit, reporting, and quota utilization program to facilitate 

responsible fisheries development.

    Objective 4. Public participation, including increased public 

participation in the development and review of Guam's 3-year marine 

conservation plan.

    Objective 5. Habitat assessment and monitoring, including support 

for long-term habitat assessment and monitoring of Guam coral reef flat 

communities.

    Objective 6. Domestic fisheries development, including:

    a. Rehabilitation and improvements to the Agat small boat marina 

docks.

    b. Construction of an American with Disabilities Act compliant 

access ramp and fishing platform at Hagatna Marina.

    c. Establishing a manahak (rabbit fish) hatchery and restocking 

program.

    d. Construction of a Guam Fishermen's Cooperative Marine Building 

Complex.



[[Page 39859]]



    e. Rehabilitation and improvements to the Agat small boat marina, 

including lighting, security camera and repair of refueling and 

boarding piers.

    f. Collection of life-history data of nearshore reef fish.

    g. Support Guam volunteer fishery data collection project.

    h. Support deployment and replacement of Guam Division of Fish and 

Wildlife fish aggregation device and mooring buoys.

    Objective 7. Marine conservation education, including support for 

the development and distribution of materials focused on sustainable 

marine resource use.

    Objective 8. Western Pacific Demonstration Project to promote 

awareness of traditional fishing and conservation practices through 

education workshops and demonstrations.

    This notice announces that NMFS has determined that the Guam MCP 

satisfies the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and approves the 

MCP for the 3-year period from June 28, 2011, through June 27, 2014.



    Dated: July 1, 2011.

Margo Schulze-Haugen,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 2011-17081 Filed 7-6-11; 8:45 am]

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