[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19214-19215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07351]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC583


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Monitoring 
Requirements for American Fisheries Act Catcher Vessels Subject to 
Amendment 91; Public Workshops

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

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces a workshop to solicit input from owners and 
operators of American Fisheries Act (AFA) catcher vessels and shoreside 
processors participating in the pollock fishery in the Bering Sea off 
Alaska. The workshop concerns accurate accounting of Chinook salmon 
bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery under Amendment 91 to the 
Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 
Islands. The workshop will discuss potential regulatory changes to 
address (1) the practice of leaving significant amounts of loose fish 
on the deck not contained inside the codend; (2) the installation of 
software and communication equipment to enhance observer data 
collection; and (3) the definition of directed fishing for pollock. The 
meeting is open to the public, but NMFS is particularly seeking 
participation by people who are knowledgeable about AFA catcher vessel 
operations in the Bering Sea pollock fishery and who can discuss with 
NMFS the potential operational impacts of the proposed monitoring 
requirements.

DATES: The workshop will be held on Thursday, May 16, 2013, from 9 a.m. 
to 12 p.m. Pacific daylight savings time.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Swedish Cultural Center, 
1920 Dexter Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109. Directions to the Swedish 
Cultural Center are on its Web site at http://www.swedishculturalcenter.org/contacts.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Watson, 907-586-7537, or 
Michael Camacho, 907-586-7471.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is developing proposed revisions to 
some monitoring components of Amendment 91 for AFA catcher vessels in 
the Bering Sea pollock fishery. Currently, all salmon are required to 
be stored in refrigerated saltwater tanks prior to delivery to a 
shoreside processor. The intent of this requirement is to reduce the 
potential for sorting of catch, to prevent unlawful discarding of 
salmon, and to make all salmon available to the observer for census and 
sampling at delivery. However, loose fish on deck not contained inside 
the codend creates numerous challenges to the intent of this 
requirement.
    In addition to the agency's concerns about loose fish on deck not 
contained inside the codend, there are additional revisions that will 
improve the monitoring and enforcement of Chinook salmon bycatch 
regulations under Amendment 91. These revisions include a requirement 
for all AFA catcher vessels to maintain a computer and an electronic 
transmission system for use by an observer and a change to specify that 
the Amendment 91 monitoring requirements apply when a catcher

[[Page 19215]]

vessel named in the AFA is using pelagic gear in the Bering Sea.
    This meeting is open to the public, but NMFS is particularly 
seeking participation by people who are knowledgeable about operations 
aboard AFA catcher vessels and the feasibility of preventing loose fish 
from remaining on deck outside the codend.
    Special Accommodations
    The meeting will be physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Jennifer Watson, 907-586-7537, at 
least 10 workdays prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: March 26, 2013.
Kara Meckley,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-07351 Filed 3-28-13; 8:45 am]
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