[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 83 (Friday, April 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25650-25651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09970]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE583


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern 
United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Approved Monitoring 
Service Providers

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

ACTION: Notice of approved monitoring service providers.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has approved five companies to provide at-sea monitoring 
services to Northeast multispecies vessels in fishing year 2016. 
Regulations implementing Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies 
Fishery Management Plan require third-party at-sea monitoring service 
providers to apply to, and be approved by, NMFS in a manner consistent 
with the Administrative Procedure Act in order to be eligible to 
provide at-sea monitoring services to sectors.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the list of NMFS-approved sector monitoring 
service providers are available at http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/sustainable/species/multispecies/ or by sending a written request to: 55 Great Republic 
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930, Attn: Mark Grant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Grant, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
(978) 281-9145, fax (978) 281-9135, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amendment 16 (75 FR 18262; April 9, 2010) to 
the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) expanded the 
sector management program, including requirements to ensure accurate 
monitoring of sector at-sea catch and dockside landings, and common 
pool dockside landings. Framework Adjustment 48 to the FMP (Framework 
48, 78 FR 26118; May 3, 2013) revised the goals and objectives for 
sector monitoring programs.

Standards for Approving At-Sea Monitoring Service Providers

    Regulations at 50 CFR 648.87(b)(4) describe the criteria for NMFS 
approval of at-sea monitoring service providers. NMFS is approving 
service providers for fishing year 2016 (beginning May 1, 2016) based 
on: (1) Completeness and sufficiency of applications; (2) determination 
of the applicant's ability to meet the performance requirements of a 
sector monitoring service provider; and (3) documented successful 
performance as NMFS-funded providers in fishing year 2015. Northeast 
multispecies sectors are required to design and implement independent, 
third-party at-sea monitoring programs in fishing year 2016, and are 
responsible for the at-sea portion of the costs of these monitoring 
requirements.
    For fishing year 2015, NMFS approved A.I.S., Inc.; East West 
Technical Services, LLC; MRAG Americas, Inc.; Fathom Research, LLC; and 
ACD USA Ltd. as service providers. Once approved, providers must be 
able to document ongoing compliance with performance requirements in 
order to maintain eligibility (Sec.  648.87(b)(4)(ii)). NMFS can 
disapprove any previously approved service provider during the fishing 
year if the service provider in question ceases to meet the performance 
standards. NMFS must notify service providers of disapproval in 
writing.

Approved Monitoring Service Providers

    NMFS received complete applications from five companies interested 
in providing at-sea monitoring services in fishing year 2016; these 
were the same five service providers that were approved for fishing 
year 2015. The Regional Administrator has approved all five service 
providers as eligible to provide at-sea monitoring services in fishing 
year 2016 because they have met the application requirements, 
documented an ability to comply with service provider standards, and 
have been determined to have met the service provider performance 
criteria:

[[Page 25651]]



                                  Table 1--Approved Fishing Year 2016 Providers
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           Provider name                   Address              Phone            Fax              Web site
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ACD USA Ltd.......................  1801 Hollis St.,         902-749-5107    902-749-4552  www.atlanticcatchdata
                                     Suite 1220, Halifax,                                   .ca.
                                     Nova Scotia, Canada
                                     B35 3N4.
A.I.S., Inc.......................  14 Barnabas Rd., P.O.    508-990-9054    508-990-9055  aisobservers.com.
                                     Box 1009, Marion, MA
                                     02738.
East West Technical Services, LLC.  1415 Corona Ln., Vero    860-214-2435    860-223-6005  www.ewts.com.
                                     Beach, FL 32963.
Fathom Research, LLC..............  1213 Purchase St.,       508-990-0997    508-991-7372  www.fathomresearchllc
                                     New Bedford, MA                                        .com.
                                     02740.
MRAG Americas, Inc................  65 Eastern Ave., Unit    978-768-3880    978-768-3878  www.mragamericas.com.
                                     B2C, Essex, MA 01929.
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    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: April 25, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-09970 Filed 4-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P