[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52637-52638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20463]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB335]


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: Notification of approved monitoring service providers.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has approved an additional company to provide Northeast 
multispecies sector electronic monitoring services in fishing years 
2021 and 2022. Regulations implementing the Northeast Multispecies 
Fishery Management Plan require at-sea and electronic monitoring 
companies to apply to, and be approved by, NMFS in order to be eligible 
to provide monitoring services to sectors. This action will allow 
sectors to contract for at-sea and electronic monitoring services with 
any of the approved service providers for fishing years 2021 and 2022.

ADDRESSES: The list of NMFS-approved sector monitoring service 
providers is available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/data/observer-providers-northeast-and-mid-atlantic-programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Claire Fitz-Gerald, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, (978) 281-9255, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan 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 and/or electronic 
monitoring services to their vessels. In order to provide at-sea or 
electronic monitoring services to sectors, monitoring companies must 
apply to, and be approved by, NMFS. The regulations at 50 CFR 
648.87(b)(4) describe the criteria for approval of at-sea and 
electronic 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. Once approved, 
service providers must meet

[[Page 52638]]

specified performance requirements outlined in Sec.  648.87(b)(4), 
including required coverage levels, in order to maintain eligibility. 
We must notify service providers, in writing, if NMFS withdraws 
approval for any reason.

Approved Monitoring Service Providers

    On February 4, 2021, NMFS approved 6 companies to provide 
monitoring services to the Northeast multispecies sectors in fishing 
years 2021 and 2022. Four of the six companies are approved to provide 
both at-sea and electronic monitoring services: A.I.S., Inc.; East West 
Technical Services, LLC; Fathom Research, LLC; and Saltwater, Inc. NMFS 
approved the other two companies to provide electronic monitoring 
services: Flywire Cameras and Teem Fish.
    Two additional companies also applied to provide electronic 
monitoring services, but we required additional information to complete 
their applications prior to making a determination. One company, New 
England Marine Monitoring, has since submitted a revised and complete 
application for our consideration. We approved New England Marine 
Monitoring to provide electronic monitoring services in fishing years 
2021 and 2022 because the applicant has met the application 
requirements and documented its ability to comply with service provider 
standards. The revised list of approved monitoring providers for 
fishing years 2021 and 2022 is provided in Table 1.
    There will be an opportunity in the fall of 2021 for additional 
monitoring companies to apply for approval to provide at-sea and 
electronic monitoring services in fishing year 2022. We will closely 
monitor the performance of approved providers, and we will 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 2021 and 2022
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            Provider              Services *        Address             Phone            Fax                              Website
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A.I.S., Inc.....................      ASM/EM  540 Hawthorn St,       508-990-9054    508-990-9055  https://aisobservers.com/.
                                               Dartmouth, MA
                                               02747.
East West Technical Services,         ASM/EM  91 Point Judith        860-910-4957    860-223-6005  https://www.ewts.com/.
 LLC.                                          Rd., Suite 26 Unit
                                               347, Narragansett,
                                               RI 02882.
Fathom Resources, LLC...........      ASM/EM  855 Aquidneck Ave.,    508-990-0997    508-991-7372  https://fathomresources.com/.
                                               Unit 9,
                                               Middletown, RI
                                               02842.
Flywire Cameras.................          EM  P.O. BOX 55048,        888-315-7796    502-861-6568  https://www.flywirecameras.com/.
                                               Lexington, KY
                                               40511.
Saltwater, Inc..................      ASM/EM  733 N St.,             907-276-3241    907-258-5999  https://www.saltwaterinc.com/.
                                               Anchorage, AK
                                               99501.
Teem Fish.......................          EM  90-425 Carrall St.,    778-884-2598  ..............  https://teem.fish/.
                                               Vancouver, BC V6B
                                               6E3, Canada.
New England Marine Monitoring...          EM  350 Commercial St.,    508-269-8138  ..............  https://www.nemarinemonitoring.com/.
                                               Portland, ME 04101.
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* ASM/EM = At-sea and electronic monitoring; EM = Electronic monitoring only.

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

    Dated: September 16, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-20463 Filed 9-21-21; 8:45 am]
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