[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 12540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04324]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XT036]


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management 
Measures; 2020 Research Fishery

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: On November 22, 2019, NMFS published a notice inviting 
qualified commercial shark permit holders to submit applications to 
participate in the 2020 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 9, 2020.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Guy DuBeck 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 Atlantic 
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 2020 base annual 
sandbar shark quota is 90.7 mt dressed weight (dw). The selected shark 
research fishery participants also may fish using the research large 
coastal shark (635.27(b)(1)(iii)(B)), small coastal shark 
(635.27(b)(1)(i)(C) and 635.27(b)(1)(ii)(D)), and pelagic shark quotas 
(635.27(b)(1)(iii)(D)) subject to the retention limits at 635.24.
    On November 22, 2019 (84 FR 64465), NMFS published a notice 
inviting qualified commercial shark directed and incidental permit 
holders to submit an application to participate in the 2020 shark 
research fishery. NMFS received 16 applications and selected 5 
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 9, 2020, from 1:30 to 
3:30 p.m. (EST). Participants and interested parties should call 888-
469-1244 and use the passcode 5585842. 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: February 27, 2020.
Karyl K. Brewster-Geisz,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-04324 Filed 3-2-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P