[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 52 (Monday, March 18, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 9761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04995]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG514


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management 
Measures; 2019 Research Fishery

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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

SUMMARY: On November 1, 2018, NMFS published a notice inviting 
qualified commercial shark permit holders to submit applications to 
participate in the 2019 shark research fishery. The shark research 
fishery allows for the collection of fishery-dependent data for future 
stock assessments and cooperative research with commercial fishermen to 
meet the shark research objectives of the Agency. Every year, the 
permit terms and permitted activities (e.g., number of hooks and 
retention limits) specifically authorized for selected participants in 
the shark research fishery are designated depending on the scientific 
and research needs of the Agency, as well as the number of NMFS-
approved observers available. In order to inform selected participants 
of this year's specific permit requirements and ensure all terms and 
conditions of the permit are met, NMFS is holding a mandatory meeting 
(via conference call) for selected participants. The date and time of 
that meeting is announced in this notice.

DATES: A conference call will be held on March 25, 2019.

ADDRESSES: A conference call will be conducted. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for information on how to access the conference call.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Latchford at (301) 427-8503, or 
Delisse Ortiz at (240) 681-9037.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic shark fisheries are managed 
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The 2006 Consolidated Highly 
Migratory species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) is implemented by 
regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
    The final rule for Amendment 2 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP (73 
FR 35778, June 24, 2008, corrected at 73 FR 40658, July 15, 2008) 
established, among other things, a shark research fishery to maintain 
time-series data for stock assessments and to meet NMFS' research 
objectives. The shark research fishery gathers important scientific 
data and allows selected commercial fishermen the opportunity to earn 
more revenue from selling the sharks caught, including sandbar sharks. 
Only the commercial shark fishermen selected to participate in the 
shark research fishery are authorized to land/harvest sandbar sharks 
subject to the sandbar quota available each year. The 2019 sandbar 
shark quota is 90.7 mt dw per year. The selected shark research fishery 
participants also have access to the research large coastal shark, 
small coastal shark, and pelagic shark quotas subject to retention 
limits and quotas per Sec. Sec.  635.24 and 635.27, respectively.
    On November 1, 2018 (83 FR 54917), NMFS published a notice inviting 
qualified commercial shark directed and incidental permit holders to 
submit an application to participate in the 2019 shark research 
fishery. NMFS received 11 applications and selected five participants. 
In order to inform selected participants of this year's specific permit 
requirements and to ensure all terms and conditions of the permit are 
met, per the requirements of Sec.  635.32 (f)(4), NMFS is holding a 
mandatory permit holder meeting via conference call.

Conference Call Date, Time, and Dial-In Number

    The conference call will be held on March 25, 2019, from 1:30 to 
3:30 p.m. (EDT). Participants and interested parties should call 1-888-
603-8940 and use the passcode 3680172. This call is mandatory for 
selected participants. Selected participants who do not attend will not 
be allowed to participate in the shark research fishery. While the 
conference call is mandatory for selected participants, other 
interested parties may call in and listen to the discussion. Selected 
participants are encouraged to invite their captain, crew, or anyone 
else who may assist them in meeting the terms and conditions of the 
shark research fishery permit.

    Dated: March 13, 2019.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-04995 Filed 3-15-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P