[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 22 (Friday, February 1, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1067-1068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-00720]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG717
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 four companies to provide Northeast
multispecies sector at-sea monitoring services in fishing years 2019
and 2020. Regulations implementing the Northeast Multispecies Fishery
Management Plan require at-sea monitoring companies to apply to, and be
approved by, NMFS in order to be eligible to provide at-sea monitoring
services to sectors. This action will allow sectors to contract at-sea
monitoring services with any of the
[[Page 1068]]
approved providers for fishing years 2019 and 2020.
ADDRESSES: The list of NMFS-approved sector monitoring service
providers is 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: Kyle Molton.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyle Molton, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9236, email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northeast Multispecies Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) includes a requirement for industry-funded
monitoring of catch by sector vessels. Sectors must contract with
independent third-party service providers to provide at-sea monitoring
services to their vessels. In order to provide at-sea monitoring
services to sectors, monitoring companies must apply to, and be
approved by, NMFS. Once approved, service providers must meet specified
performance requirements outlined in 50 CFR 648.87(b)(4), including
required coverage levels, in order to maintain eligibility.
At-Sea Monitoring Service Provider Approval Process
Applications approved this year will cover both fishing year 2019
and fishing year 2020 (May 1, 2019, through April 30, 2021). There will
be an opportunity in 2019 for additional monitoring companies to apply
for approval to provide services in fishing year 2020.
The regulations at Sec. 648.87(b)(4) describe the criteria for
approval of at-sea monitoring service providers. We approve service
providers based on: (1) Completeness and sufficiency of applications;
and (2) determination of the applicant's ability to meet the
performance requirements of a sector monitoring service provider. We
must notify service providers, in writing, if approval is withdrawn for
any reason.
Approved Monitoring Service Providers
We received complete applications from four companies: A.I.S.,
Inc.; East West Technical Services, LLC; Fathom Research, LLC; and MRAG
Americas, Inc. These four companies were previously approved for
fishing years 2017 and 2018. In fishing year 2018, a number of sectors
have realized at-sea monitoring coverage levels below the target
coverage level. We are working with the approved providers and sectors
to increase coverage levels, and we have scheduled additional at-sea
monitor certification trainings to increase monitor staffing levels.
We approved all four companies to provide at-sea monitoring
services in fishing years 2019 and 2020 because they have met the
application requirements, documented their ability to comply with
service provider standards, and have a sufficient track record of
providing at-sea monitoring services. We expect providers will have
adequate staff and resources to fulfill performance requirements during
the approval term. We will closely monitor the performance of approved
providers, and we will be prepared to withdraw approval during the
current approval term, or disapprove a provider in future fishing years
if we determine performance standards are not being met.
Table 1--Approved Providers for Fishing Years 2019 and 2020
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Provider Address Phone Fax Website
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A.I.S., Inc....................... 14 Barnabas Rd., P.O. 508-990-9054 508-990-9055 www.aisobservers.com.
Box 1009, Marion, MA
02738.
East West Technical Services, LLC. 1415 Corona Ln., Vero 860-910-4957 860-223-6005 www.ewts.com.
Beach, FL 32963.
Fathom Research, LLC.............. 855 Aquidneck Ave., 508-990-0997 508-991-7372 www.fathomresearchllc
Unit 9, Middletown, .com.
RI 02842.
MRAG Americas, Inc................ 8950 Martin Luther 978-768-3880 978-768-3878 www.mragamericas.com.
King Jr. Street N.,
Suite 202, Saint
Petersburg, FL 33702.
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Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 29, 2019.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-00720 Filed 1-31-19; 8:45 am]
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