[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 207 (Friday, October 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59994-59995]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23609]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB537]


West Coast Groundfish Trawl Seabird Cable Strike Meeting; Meeting 
Announcement

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces a meeting to present the results of research 
studies conducted on seabird cable strikes in the West Coast at-sea 
whiting fishery. The meeting topics are described under the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

DATES: The virtual meeting will be held on December 10, 2021, from 9 
a.m. to 2 p.m., Pacific Standard Time (or until business is concluded).

ADDRESSES: Instructions for attending the meeting will be provided on 
the web at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/west-coast-groundfish 
and through a public notice to be emailed out to the West Coast 
Groundfish Listserv. Sign up to receive West Coast Groundfish public 
notices at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNOAAFISHERIES/subscriber/new. After entering your contact information, check the 
boxes for the ``Groundfish'' and/or ``Pacific Whiting'' topics under 
``West Coast Updates''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keeley Kent, West Coast Region, at 
[email protected] or 206-247-8252.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Seabirds congregate around trawlers to feed 
on offal putting them at risk of colliding with cables (trawl warps and 
data cables) that run aft of trawlers. Cable strikes are a known source 
of seabird mortality worldwide, particularly on at-sea factory trawlers 
(referred to as catcher/processors). Research projects observing 
seabird cable strikes and other interactions, as well as testing of 
mitigation measures, have been conducted in the West Coast at-sea 
Pacific whiting fishery. NMFS will present results from these studies 
to inform a discussion of their application to management.

Trawl Seabird Bycatch Meeting Topics

    This meeting will have an agenda that will be distributed to 
participants in advance of the meeting. The meeting agenda will 
include, but is not limited to, the following topics:
    (1) Presentation of research studies conducted on seabird 
interactions in at-sea Pacific whiting fisheries, including cable 
strikes;
    (2) Discussion of seabird bycatch mitigation measure trials; and
    (3) Application of research results to management.

Special Accommodations

    Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Keeley Kent (see ADDRESSES) by November 5, 2021.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 951 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., and 16 
U.S.C. 6901 et seq.


[[Page 59995]]


    Dated: October 25, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-23609 Filed 10-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P