[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8218-8219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3423]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA970


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management 
Measures; 2012 Research Fishery

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: On October 31, 2011, NMFS published a notice inviting 
qualified commercial shark permit holders to submit an application to 
participate in the 2012 shark research fishery. The shark research 
fishery allows for the collection of fishery-dependent data for future 
stock assessments while also allowing NMFS and commercial fishermen to 
conduct cooperative research to meet the shark research objectives of 
the Agency. Every year, the permit terms and permitted activities 
(e.g., number of hooks and trip, retention limits) specifically 
authorized for selected participants in the shark research fishery are 
designated depending on the scientific and research needs of the Agency 
as well as the number of NMFS-approved observers available. In order to 
inform selected participants of this year's specific permit 
requirements and ensure all terms and conditions of the permit are met, 
NMFS is holding a mandatory permit holder meeting for selected 
participants. In this notice, NMFS announces the date and time of that 
meeting.

DATES: A conference call will be held on February 17, 2012.

ADDRESSES: A conference call will be conducted. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for information on how to access the conference call.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karyl Brewster-Geisz or Delisse Ortiz 
at (301) 427-8503, or online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic shark fisheries are managed 
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The 2006 Consolidated Highly 
Migratory species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) is implemented by 
regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
    The final rule for Amendment 2 to the Consolidated HMS FMP (73 FR 
35778, June 24, 2008, corrected at 73 FR 40658, July 15, 2008) 
established, among other things, a shark research fishery to maintain 
time series data for stock assessments and to meet NMFS' research 
objectives. The shark research fishery gathers important scientific 
data and NMFS allows selected commercial fishermen the opportunity to 
earn more revenue from selling the sharks caught, including sandbar 
sharks. Only the commercial shark fishermen selected to participate in 
the shark research fishery are authorized to land/harvest sandbar 
sharks subject to the sandbar quota available each year. The sandbar 
shark base quota is 87.9 mt dw per year through December 31, 2012, 
although this number may be reduced in the event of overharvests, if 
any. The selected shark research fishery participants also have access 
to the non-sandbar large coastal sharks (LCS), small coastal sharks 
(SCS), and pelagic shark quotas subject to retention limits and quotas 
per Sec. Sec.  635.24 and 635.27, respectively.
    On October 31, 2011 (76 FR 67149), NMFS published a notice inviting 
qualified commercial shark permit holders to submit an application to 
participate in the 2012 shark research fishery. NMFS received 19 
applications, of which 16 applicants were determined to meet all the 
qualifications. From the 16 qualified applicants, NMFS randomly 
selected 5 participants after considering how to meet research 
objectives in particular regions. During the annual application period, 
commercial shark permit holders (directed and incidental) are invited 
to submit an application to participate in the shark research fishery. 
NMFS expects to invite qualified commercial shark permit holders to 
submit an application for the 2013 shark research fishery later this 
year.
    Every year, the permit terms and permitted activities (e.g., number 
of

[[Page 8219]]

hooks and trip, retention limits) specifically authorized for selected 
participants in the shark research fishery are designated depending on 
the scientific and research needs of the Agency as well as the number 
of NMFS-approved observers available. In order to inform selected 
participants of this year's specific permit requirements and ensure all 
terms and conditions of the permit are met, per the requirements of 
Sec.  635.32(f)(4), NMFS is holding a mandatory permit holder meeting 
via conference call.
    The conference call will be held on February 17, 2012, from 3 to 5 
p.m. Participants and interested parties should call 800-857-3903 and 
use the passcode 9425509. Selected participants who do not attend will 
not be allowed to participate in the shark research fishery. While the 
conference call is mandatory for selected participants, other 
interested parties may call in and listen to the discussion.

    Dated: February 9, 2012.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-3423 Filed 2-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P