[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 98 (Monday, May 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27833-27834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10824]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA997]


Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Fishery; Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program; Notice of EM Program 
Guidelines

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is providing guidelines for the development of Electronic 
Monitoring Service Plans (EMSP) and Vessel Monitoring Plans (VMPs) by 
EM service providers and vessel owners applying to participate in the 
Pacific Coast Groundfish EM Program. An EMSP is required as part of an 
application for an EM service provider permit and endorsement and 
describes how an EM Service Provider will provide EM services to 
contracted vessels. A VMP is required as part of an application for a 
vessel owner seeking authorization to use EM in lieu of a human 
observer and documents how the EM system will be used to monitor the 
vessel. NMFS is required to develop EM Program Guidelines and publish 
notice of their availability in the Federal Register.

[[Page 27834]]


DATES: Applicable May 24, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Justin Kavanaugh, EM Program 
Coordinator, phone: 206-526-4353, [email protected].

Electronic Access

    The EM Program Guidelines documents are posted online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/electronic-monitoring-program-service-provider-application-and-service-plan.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations at 50 CFR part 660, subpart 
J describe the requirements for an EM program for the West Coast 
Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program. Vessels participating in the EM 
program may use EM systems (cameras and associated sensors) in lieu of 
human observers to meet the requirements of the Catch Share Program for 
100-percent at-sea monitoring. Interested vessel owners must submit an 
application to NMFS, including a VMP that describes how fishing 
operations on the vessel will be conducted and how the EM system and 
associated equipment will be configured to effectively monitor fishing 
activities and document any discards. Required components of the VMP 
are described in the Federal regulations at 50 CFR 660.604(e)(3)(iii). 
NMFS will review the VMP to ensure that the equipment installed and the 
proposed operations of the vessel would effectively monitor vessel 
operations. NMFS has created VMP Guidelines to provide vessel owners 
additional information on what NMFS is looking for in a VMP and 
describes best practices and suggested language to satisfy the required 
components. Vessel owners may propose and NMFS may consider 
alternative, but equivalent, methods to meet the requirements of the EM 
program in the VMP. Through this Federal Register notice, NMFS is 
notifying interested vessel owners of the availability of the VMP 
Guidelines on its website.
    Vessel owners authorized to use EM are required to obtain an EM 
system from a NMFS-permitted service provider, as well as services to 
install and maintain the EM system, and to process, store, and report 
EM data to NMFS. EM service providers interested in providing EM 
services to participating vessels must apply to NMFS for a permit. EM 
service providers must develop and submit an EMSP as part of the 
application for an EM provider permit, and must describe in detail how 
the applicant will provide EM services to vessels. The required 
components of an EMSP are described in Federal regulations at 50 CFR 
660.603(b)(1)(vii). NMFS will review EMSPs as part of the application 
to ensure that it meets all required components, and would effectively 
fulfill the EM service provider responsibilities. NMFS has created EMSP 
Guidelines that describe the requirements for EM service providers, the 
required elements of the EMSP, as well as best practices, 
recommendations, and other information that NMFS will use to evaluate 
proposed EMSPs and to evaluate the performance of EM service providers 
in meeting the regulations to achieve the purpose of the EM Program. 
Specific requirements and standards for EM data processing, reporting, 
and other services are contained in the EM Program Manual on NMFS's 
website. The EMSP need only address the regulations at 50 CFR 660.603 
``Electronic monitoring provider permits and responsibilities''; 
additional best practices and recommendations in this document are only 
examples of how the EM service provider may meet the requirements. If 
the provider does not utilize the recommended best practices or 
procedures, the EM service provider should explain in its EMSP how it 
would otherwise meet the EM Program requirements. An EM service 
provider may propose alternative, but equivalent methods to any of the 
recommendations in this document in their EMSP, and NMFS may consider 
and approve those methods if they achieve the purpose of the EM program 
as defined at 50 CFR 660.600(b) ``EM program purpose''.
    Through this Federal Register notice, NMFS is notifying interested 
EM service providers of the availability of the EM Program Guidelines 
and EM Program Manual on its website, as required by 50 CFR 660.600(b).

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: May 18, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-10824 Filed 5-21-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P