[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 82 (Tuesday, April 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23944-23945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09732]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD249


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; At-Sea 
Scales Requirements

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

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces a workshop to solicit input from owners and 
operators of catcher/processor vessels (C/Ps) and motherships that are 
required to weigh catch at sea. The workshop concerns proposed changes 
to equipment and operational requirements for motion compensating 
scales that weigh catch at sea. These proposed changes would affect the 
owners and operators of three groups of vessels: trawl C/Ps and 
motherships permitted to fish for or to receive pollock in the Bering 
Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) under the (American Fisheries Act) AFA; 
trawl C/Ps permitted to fish for groundfish under Amendment 80 to the 
Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI or rockfish in the 
Central Gulf of Alaska; and longline C/Ps with a license limitation 
program license endorsed for C/P operations that fish for Pacific cod 
using hook-and-line gear in the Bering Sea or Aleutian Islands areas. 
The workshop will be divided into three sections, and each section will 
focus on how the proposed changes will affect the three groups of 
vessels described above. The workshop is open to the public, but NMFS 
is specifically requesting those who are knowledgeable about the 
operations of the three groups of vessels (described above) to attend.

DATES: The public workshop will be held on Friday, May 16, 2014. The 
workshop will be divided into three sessions: AFA trawl C/Ps and 
motherships, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Pacific daylight savings time; 
Amendment 80

[[Page 23945]]

and Central GOA trawl C/Ps, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pacific daylight 
savings time; and Pacific cod longline C/Ps, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 
Pacific daylight savings time.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the International Pacific 
Halibut Commission (IPHC) Seattle Office, 2320 West Commodore Way, 
Suite 300, Seattle, WA. Directions to the IPHC are on its Web site at 
http://www.iphc.int/component/content/article/135-new-office.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Kinsolving, 928-774-4362 or 
Jennifer Watson, 907-586-7537.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is developing proposed revisions to the 
at-sea scales program for C/Ps and motherships that are required to 
weigh catch at sea. NMFS is considering three major changes to current 
regulations. First, NMFS is proposing to change regulations concerning 
daily scale testing and require electronic reporting of daily scale 
test results. Second, scales used to weigh catch would need electronics 
capable of logging and printing the frequency and magnitude of scale 
calibrations as well as the time and date of each scale fault and scale 
startup. Finally, NMFS is proposing to require that the area around the 
scale be monitored using video. These changes are being proposed to 
reduce the possibility of scale tampering, to improve the accuracy of 
catch estimation by the C/P and mothership sector, and to revise 
technical regulations that are no longer applicable.
    The workshop--to be held Friday, May 16, 2014 (see DATES section 
for the specific times of the three sessions)--is open to the public, 
but NMFS is particularly seeking participation by those who are 
knowledgeable about the operations of the three groups of vessels 
described above and who can discuss with NMFS the potential operational 
impacts of proposed monitoring requirements.

Special Accommodations

    The workshop 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 working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: April 24, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-09732 Filed 4-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P