[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 21 (Monday, February 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5516-5518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01967]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD743


International Affairs; U.S. Fishing Opportunities in the 
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area

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

ACTION: Notification of U.S. fishing opportunities.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces fishing opportunities in the Northwest Atlantic 
Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area. This action is necessary 
to make fishing privileges available on an equitable basis.

DATES: Effective January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2015. 
Expressions of interest regarding fishing opportunities in NAFO will be 
accepted through February 17, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Expressions of interest regarding U.S. fishing opportunities 
in NAFO should be made in writing to Douglas W. Christel in the NMFS 
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office at 55 Great Republic Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930 (phone: 978-281-9141, email: 
[email protected]).
    Information relating to chartering vessels of another NAFO 
Contracting Party, or transferring NAFO fishing opportunities to or 
from another NAFO Contracting Party is available from Patrick E. Moran 
in the NMFS Office of International Affairs at 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910 (phone: 301-427-8370, fax: 301-713-2313, email: 
[email protected]). Information relating to NAFO fishing 
opportunities, NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures, and the High 
Seas Fishing Compliance Act (HSFCA) Permit is available from Douglas 
Christel, in the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office at 55 
Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930 (phone: 978-281-9141, fax: 
978-281-9135, email: [email protected]) and from NAFO on the 
World Wide Web at http://www.nafo.int.

[[Page 5517]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas W. Christel, 978-281-9141.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

What fishing opportunities are available?

    The principal species managed by NAFO are cod, flounder, redfish, 
American plaice, Greenland halibut, hake, capelin, shrimp, skates and 
Illex squid. NAFO maintains conservation measures for fishery resources 
in its Regulatory Area, including, for those principal species, total 
allowable catches (TACs) that are allocated among NAFO Contracting 
Parties. At the 2014 NAFO Annual Meeting, the United States received 
national quota allocations for two NAFO stocks to be fished during 
2015. The species, location, and allocation (in metric tons (mt)) of 
these 2015 U.S. fishing opportunities, as found in Annexes I.A, I.B, 
and I.C of the 2015 NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures (CEM), 
are as follows:

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1. Redfish......................  NAFO Division 3M...  69 mt.
2. Squid (Illex)................  NAFO Subareas 3 & 4  453 mt.
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    Additionally, the United States may be transferred up to 1,000 mt 
of NAFO Division 3LNO yellowtail flounder from Canada's quota 
allocation if requested before January 1 of each year, or any 
succeeding year through 2018, based upon a bilateral arrangement with 
Canada. The United States has already requested this 1,000 mt of 
Division 3LNO yellowtail flounder from Canada for 2015. The arrangement 
for the transfer of Canadian yellowtail flounder quota would enable 
U.S. vessels to harvest American plaice as bycatch in the yellowtail 
flounder fishery in an amount equal to 15 percent of the total catch on 
board of regulated species listed in Annex I.A of the 2015 NAFO CEM . 
Additional quota for these and other stocks managed within the NAFO 
Regulatory Area may be available to U.S. vessels through industry-
initiated chartering arrangements or transfers of quota from other NAFO 
Contracting Parties.
    U.S. fishermen may also access stocks in which the United States 
has not received a national quota (also known as the ``Others'' 
allocation), including: Division 3M cod (55 mt); Division 3LN redfish 
(63 mt); Division 3O redfish (100 mt); Division 3NO witch flounder (10 
mt); Division 3NO white hake (59 mt); and Division 3LNO skates (258 
mt). Note that the United States shares these allocations with other 
NAFO Contracting Parties, and access to such stocks is on a first-come-
first-served basis. Fishing is halted by NAFO when the ``Others'' 
allocation for a particular stock has been fully harvested.
    U.S. fishermen interested in harvesting species not listed in 
Annexes I.A or I.B of the 2015 NAFO CEM, but occurring within the NAFO 
Regulatory Area, should contact the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional 
Fisheries Office (see ADDRESSES) for information. Authorization to fish 
for such species will include appropriate conditions or restrictions, 
such as, but not limited to, minimum size requirements and catch 
limits, as may be appropriate to ensure the optimum utilization, long-
term sustainability, and rational management and conservation of 
fishery resources in the NAFO Regulatory Area, consistent with the 
Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic 
Fisheries as well as the Amendment to the Convention on Future 
Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, which has 
been adopted by all NAFO Contracting Parties by consensus.

Who can apply for these fishing opportunities?

    Expressions of interest to fish for any or all of the 2015 U.S. 
fishing opportunities in NAFO described above will be considered from 
all U.S. fishing interests (e.g., vessel owners, processors, agents, 
others). Applicants are urged to carefully review and thoroughly 
address the application requirements and selection criteria as detailed 
below. Expressions of interest should be directed in writing to Douglas 
W. Christel (see ADDRESSES).

What information is required in an application letter?

    Expressions of interest should include a detailed description of 
anticipated fishing operations in 2015. This includes, but is not 
limited to, the following elements: Intended target species; proposed 
dates of fishing operations; vessels to be used to harvest fish, 
including the name, registration, and home port of the intended 
harvesting vessel, as appropriate; the number of fishing personnel 
involved in vessel operations; intended landing port; for landing ports 
outside of the United States, whether or not the product will be 
shipped to the United States for processing; processing facilities to 
be employed; target market for harvested fish; and evidence 
demonstrating the ability of the applicant to successfully prosecute 
fishing operations in the NAFO Regulatory Area. Note that U.S. 
applicant vessels must be in possession of, or eligible for, a valid 
HSFCA permit, which is available from the NMFS Greater Atlantic 
Regional Fisheries Office. Information regarding other requirements for 
fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area is detailed below and is also 
available from the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (see 
ADDRESSES). U.S. applicants wishing to harvest U.S. allocations using a 
vessel from another NAFO Contracting Party, or hoping to transfer U.S. 
allocations to another NAFO Contracting Party, should see below for 
details on U.S. and NAFO requirements for such activities. If you have 
further questions regarding what information is required in an 
expression of interest, please contact Douglas W. Christel (see 
ADDRESSES).

What criteria will be used in identifying successful applicants?

    Applicants demonstrating the greatest benefits to the United States 
through their intended operations will be most successful. Such 
benefits might include (but are not limited to): The use of U.S. 
vessels; detailed, positive impacts on U.S. employment; use of U.S. 
processing facilities; transport, marketing and sales of product within 
the United States; other benefits to U.S. businesses; and documentation 
of the physical characteristics and economics of the fishery for future 
use by the U.S. fishing industry. A documented history of successful 
fishing operations in NAFO or other similar fisheries will also be 
considered. After reviewing all requests for allocations submitted, 
NMFS may decide not to grant any allocations if it is determined that 
no requests adequately meet the criteria described in this notice. To 
ensure equitable access by U.S. fishing interests, NMFS may provide 
additional guidance or procedures, or may promulgate regulations 
designed to allocate fishing interests to one or more U.S. applicants 
from among qualified applicants.
    All applicants will be notified of the allocation decision as soon 
as possible. Once allocations have been awarded, NMFS will immediately 
take appropriate steps to notify NAFO and other appropriate actions to 
facilitate operations by U.S. fishing interests.

What if I want to charter a vessel to fish available U.S. allocations?

    Under the bilateral arrangement with Canada, the United States may 
enter into a chartering (or other) arrangement with a Canadian vessel 
to harvest the transferred yellowtail flounder. For other NAFO-
regulated species listed in Annexes I.A or I.B, the United States may 
enter into a chartering arrangement with a vessel from any other NAFO

[[Page 5518]]

Contracting Party. Prior notification to the NAFO Executive Secretary 
is necessary in either case. Expressions of interest intending to make 
use of another NAFO Contracting Party vessel under chartering 
arrangements should provide the following information: The name and 
registration number of the intended vessel; a copy of the charter 
agreement; a detailed fishing plan; a written letter of consent from 
the applicable NAFO Contracting Party; the date from which the vessel 
is authorized to commence fishing; and the duration of the charter (not 
to exceed six months). Note that expressions of interest using another 
NAFO Contracting Party vessel under charter should be accompanied by a 
detailed description of anticipated benefits to the United States, as 
described above.
    Any vessel wishing to enter into a chartering arrangement with the 
United States must be in full current compliance with the requirements 
outlined in the NAFO Convention and Conservation and Enforcement 
Measures. These requirements include, but are not limited to, 
submission of the following reports to the NAFO Executive Secretary: 
Notification that the vessel is authorized by its flag state to fish 
within the NAFO Regulatory Area during 2015; provisional monthly catch 
reports for all vessels of that NAFO Contracting Party operating in the 
NAFO Regulatory Area; daily catch reports for each day fished by the 
subject vessel within the Regulatory Area; observer reports within 30 
days following the completion of a fishing trip; and an annual 
statement of actions taken by its flag state to comply with the NAFO 
Convention. The United States may also consider the vessel's previous 
compliance with NAFO bycatch, reporting and other provisions, as 
outlined in the NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures, before 
entering into a chartering arrangement. More details on NAFO 
requirements for chartering operations are available from Patrick E. 
Moran (see ADDRESSES).

What if I want to arrange for a transfer of U.S. quota allocations to 
another NAFO party?

    Under NAFO rules in effect for 2015, the United States may transfer 
fishing opportunities with the consent of the receiving NAFO 
Contracting Party and with prior notification to the NAFO Executive 
Secretary. An applicant may request to arrange for any of the above 
U.S. opportunities to be transferred to another NAFO party, although 
such applications will likely to be given lesser priority than those 
that involve more direct harvesting or processing by U.S. entities. 
Applications to arrange for a transfer of U.S. fishing opportunities 
should contain a letter of consent from the receiving NAFO Contracting 
Party, and should also be accompanied by a detailed description of 
anticipated benefits to the United States. As in the case of chartering 
operations, the United States may also consider a NAFO Contracting 
Party's previous compliance with NAFO bycatch, reporting and other 
provisions, as outlined in the NAFO Conservation and Enforcement 
Measures, before entering agreeing to a transfer. More details on NAFO 
requirements for transferring NAFO allocations are available from 
Patrick E. Moran (see ADDRESSES).

What if I want to arrange to receive a transfer of NAFO quota 
allocations from another NAFO party?

    Under NAFO rules in effect for 2015, the United States may receive 
transfers of additional fishing opportunities from other NAFO 
Contracting Parties. The United States is required to provide a letter 
of consent to this transfer and prior notification to the NAFO 
Executive Secretary. In the event that an applicant is able to arrange 
for the transfer of additional fishing opportunities from another NAFO 
Contracting Party, the United States may agree to facilitate such a 
transfer insofar as fulfilling the NAFO requirements for such transfers 
after soliciting additional public input on such transfers as 
appropriate. As in the case of chartering operations, the United States 
may also consider a NAFO Contracting Party's previous compliance with 
NAFO bycatch, reporting and other provisions, as outlined in the NAFO 
Conservation and Enforcement Measures, before agreeing to accept a 
transfer. Any fishing quota or other harvesting opportunities received 
via this type of transfer are subject to all U.S. and NAFO rules as 
detailed below. For more details on NAFO requirements for transferring 
NAFO allocations, contact Patrick E. Moran (see ADDRESSES).

What rules must I follow while fishing?

    U.S. applicant vessels must be in possession of, or obtain, a valid 
HSFCA permit, which is available from the NMFS Greater Atlantic 
Regional Fisheries Office. Note that vessels issued valid HSFCA permits 
under 50 CFR part 300 are exempt from the Northeast multispecies and 
monkfish permit, mesh size, effort-control, and possession limit 
restrictions, specified in Sec. Sec.  648.4, 648.80, 648.82, 648.86, 
648.87, 648.91, 648.92, and 648.94, respectively, while transiting the 
U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with multispecies and/or monkfish on 
board the vessel, or landing multispecies and/or monkfish in U.S. ports 
that were caught while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area, provided:
    1. The vessel operator has a letter of authorization issued by the 
Regional Administrator on board the vessel;
    2. For the duration of the trip, the vessel fishes, except for 
transiting purposes, exclusively in the NAFO Regulatory Area and does 
not harvest fish in, or possess fish harvested in, or from, the U.S. 
EEZ;
    3. When transiting the U.S. EEZ, all gear is properly stowed and 
not available for immediate use as defined under Sec.  648.2; and
    4. The vessel operator complies with the provisions, conditions, 
and restrictions specified on the HSFCA permit and all NAFO 
Conservation and Enforcement Measures while fishing in the NAFO 
Regulatory Area.
    Relevant NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures include, but 
are not limited to, maintenance of a fishing logbook with NAFO-
designated entries; adherence to NAFO hail system requirements; 
presence of an on-board observer; deployment of a functioning, 
autonomous vessel monitoring system authorized by issuance of the HSFCA 
permit; and adherence to all relevant minimum size, gear, bycatch, and 
other requirements. Further details regarding U.S. and NAFO 
requirements are available from the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional 
Fisheries Office, and can also be found in the 2015 NAFO Conservation 
and Enforcement Measures on the Internet (see ADDRESSES).

    Dated: January 28, 2015.
Paul Doremus,
Acting Director, Office of International Affairs and Seafood 
Inspection, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-01967 Filed 1-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P