[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 230 (Thursday, December 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73759-73761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26174]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC584]


Schedules for Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and 
Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops

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

ACTION: Notice of public workshops.

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SUMMARY: Free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Safe 
Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in 
January, February, and March of 2023. Certain fishermen and shark 
dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory 
requirements and to maintain valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic 
Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all Federally permitted 
Atlantic shark dealers. The Safe Handling, Release, and Identification 
Workshop is mandatory for vessel owners and operators who use bottom 
longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear, and who have also been 
issued shark or swordfish limited access permits. Additional free 
workshops will be conducted in 2023 and will be announced in a future 
notice. In addition, NMFS has implemented online recertification 
workshops for

[[Page 73760]]

persons who have already taken an in-person training.

DATES: The Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops will be held on 
January 19, 2023 and March 16, 2023. The Safe Handling, Release, and 
Identification Workshops will be held on January 18, 2023, February 16, 
2023, and March 2, 2023.

ADDRESSES: The Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops will be held in 
Kenner, LA and Fort Pierce, FL. The Safe Handling, Release, and 
Identification Workshops will be held in Portsmouth, NH, Key Largo, FL, 
and Houston, TX.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tiffany Weidner by email at 
[email protected] or by phone at 301-427-8550.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) 
fisheries are managed under the authority of the Atlantic Tunas 
Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The 2006 
Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan and its amendments 
are implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635. Section 635.8 
describes the requirements for the Atlantic Shark Identification 
Workshops and Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops. The 
workshop schedules, registration information, and a list of frequently 
asked questions regarding the Atlantic Shark Identification and Safe 
Handling, Release, and Identification workshops are available online 
at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/atlantic-shark-identification-workshops and https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/safe-handling-release-and-identification-workshops.

Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops

    Since January 1, 2008, Atlantic shark dealers have been prohibited 
from receiving, purchasing, trading, or bartering for Atlantic sharks 
unless a valid Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop certificate is on 
the premises of each business listed under the shark dealer permit that 
first receives Atlantic sharks (71 FR 58057, October 2, 2006). Dealers 
who attend and successfully complete a workshop are issued a 
certificate for each place of business that is permitted to receive 
sharks. These certificate(s) are valid for 3 years. Thus, certificates 
that were initially issued in 2019 will expire in 2022. Approximately 
195 free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops have been conducted 
since October 2008.
    Currently, permitted dealers may send a proxy to an Atlantic Shark 
Identification Workshop. However, if a dealer opts to send a proxy, the 
dealer must designate a proxy for each place of business covered by the 
dealer's permit that first receives Atlantic sharks. Only one 
certificate will be issued to each proxy. A proxy must be a person who 
is currently employed by a place of business covered by the dealer's 
permit; is a primary participant in the identification, weighing, and/
or first receipt of fish as they are offloaded from a vessel; and who 
fills out dealer reports. Atlantic shark dealers are prohibited from 
renewing a Federal shark dealer permit unless a valid Atlantic Shark 
Identification Workshop certificate for each business location that 
first receives Atlantic sharks has been submitted with the permit 
renewal application. Additionally, a copy of a valid dealer or proxy 
Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop certificate must be in any 
trucks or other conveyances that are extensions of a dealer's place of 
business.

Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations

    1. January 19, 2023, 12 p.m.-4 p.m., Home 2 Suites, 1112 Veterans 
Memorial Highway, Kenner, LA 70062.
    2. March 16, 2023, 12 p.m.-4 p.m., Hampton Inn & Suites Fort 
Pierce, 1985 Reynolds Drive, Fort Pierce, FL 34945.

Registration

    To register for a scheduled Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop, 
please contact Eric Sander at [email protected] or at 386-852-
8588. Pre-registration is highly recommended, but not required.

Registration Materials

    To ensure that workshop certificates are linked to the correct 
permits, participants will need to bring the following specific items 
to the workshop:
     Atlantic shark dealer permit holders must bring proof that 
the attendee is an owner or agent of the business (such as articles of 
incorporation), a copy of the applicable permit, and proof of 
identification.
     Atlantic shark dealer proxies must bring documentation 
from the permitted dealer acknowledging that the proxy is attending the 
workshop on behalf of the permitted Atlantic shark dealer for a 
specific business location, a copy of the appropriate valid permit, and 
proof of identification.

Workshop Objectives

    The Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops are designed to reduce 
the number of unknown and improperly identified sharks reported in the 
dealer reporting form and increase the accuracy of species-specific 
dealer-reported information. Reducing the number of unknown and 
improperly identified sharks will improve quota monitoring and the data 
used in stock assessments. These workshops will train shark dealer 
permit holders or their proxies to properly identify Atlantic shark 
carcasses.

Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops

    Since January 1, 2007, shark limited access and swordfish limited 
access permit holders who fish with longline or gillnet gear have been 
required to submit a copy of their Safe Handling, Release, and 
Identification Workshop certificate in order to renew either permit (71 
FR 58057, October 2, 2006). These certificate(s) are valid for 3 years. 
Certificates issued in 2019 will expire in 2022. As such, vessel owners 
who have not already attended a workshop and received a NMFS 
certificate, or vessel owners whose certificate(s) will expire prior to 
the next permit renewal, must attend a workshop to fish with, or renew, 
their swordfish and shark limited access permits. Additionally, new 
shark and swordfish limited access permit applicants who intend to fish 
with longline or gillnet gear must attend a Safe Handling, Release, and 
Identification Workshop and submit a copy of their workshop certificate 
before either of the permits will be issued. Approximately 397 free 
Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops have been 
conducted since 2006.
    In addition to vessel owners, at least one operator on board 
vessels issued a limited access swordfish or shark permit that uses 
longline or gillnet gear is required to attend a Safe Handling, 
Release, and Identification Workshop and receive a certificate. Vessels 
that have been issued a limited access swordfish or shark permit and 
that use longline or gillnet gear may not fish unless both the vessel 
owner and operator have valid workshop certificates on board at all 
times. Vessel operators who have not already attended a workshop and 
received a NMFS certificate, or vessel operators whose certificate(s) 
will expire prior to their next fishing trip, must attend a workshop to 
operate a vessel with swordfish and shark limited access permits on 
which longline or gillnet gear is used.

[[Page 73761]]

Workshop Dates, Times, and Locations

    1. January 18, 2023, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Residence Inn Downtown, 100 
Deer Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801.
    2. February 16, 2023, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Holiday Inn Key Largo, 99701 
Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037.
    3. March 2, 2023, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Holiday Inn Express & Suites- 
Houston Medical Center, 9300 South Main Street, Houston, TX 77025.

Registration

    To register for a scheduled Safe Handling, Release, and 
Identification Workshop, please contact Angler Conservation Education 
at 386-682-0158. Pre-registration is highly recommended, but not 
required.

Registration Materials

    To ensure that workshop certificates are linked to the correct 
permits, participants will need to bring the following specific items 
with them to the workshop:
     Individual vessel owners must bring a copy of the 
appropriate swordfish and/or shark permit(s), a copy of the vessel 
registration or documentation, and proof of identification;
     Representatives of a business-owned or co-owned vessel 
must bring proof that the individual is an agent of the business (such 
as articles of incorporation), a copy of the applicable swordfish and/
or shark permit(s), and proof of identification; and
     Vessel operators must bring proof of identification.

Workshop Objectives

    The Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops are 
designed to teach longline and gillnet fishermen the required 
techniques for the safe handling and release of entangled and/or hooked 
protected species, such as sea turtles, marine mammals, smalltooth 
sawfish, Atlantic sturgeon, and prohibited sharks. In an effort to 
improve reporting, the proper identification of protected species and 
prohibited sharks will also be taught at these workshops. Additionally, 
individuals attending these workshops will gain a better understanding 
of the requirements for participating in these fisheries. The overall 
goal of these workshops is to provide participants with the skills 
needed to reduce the mortality of protected species and prohibited 
sharks, which may prevent additional regulations on these fisheries in 
the future.

Online Recertification Workshops

    NMFS implemented an online option for shark dealers and longline 
and gillnet fishermen to renew their certificates in December 2021. To 
be eligible for online recertification workshops, dealers and fishermen 
need to have previously attended an in-person workshop. Information 
about the courses is available online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/atlantic-shark-identification-workshops and https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/safe-handling-release-and-identification-workshops. To access the course please visit: https://hmsworkshop.fisheries.noaa.gov/start.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: November 28, 2022.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-26174 Filed 11-30-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P