[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 57 (Friday, March 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20488-20489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06106]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2024-0231]


National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee; April 2024 
Meetings

AGENCY: U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice of open Federal advisory committee meetings.

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SUMMARY: The National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee 
(Committee) will conduct a series of meetings over three days to 
review, discuss, and make recommendations to the Secretary on matters 
relating to marine investigation cases and other relevant initiatives 
pertaining to commercial fishing vessels (CFVs). For more detailed 
information see section VII below.

DATES: 
    Meetings: The Committee will hold a meeting on Tuesday, April 9, 
2023, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. eastern daylight time (EDT), Wednesday, 
April 10, 2023, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. EDT, and Thursday, April 11, 
2024, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. EDT. The Committee meeting on Tuesday, 
April 9, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. EDT will be dedicated to an 
administrative meeting (Committee members only). Please note these 
meetings may close early if the Committee has completed its business.
    Comments and supporting documentation: To ensure your comments are 
received before the meeting, please submit your written comments no 
later than April 2, 2024.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hampton Inn and Suites, 19 
South 2nd Street Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034.
    The National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee is 
committed to ensuring all participants have equal access regardless of 
disability status. If you require reasonable accommodation due to a 
disability to fully participate, please email Mr. Jonathan Wendland at 
[email protected] or call at 202-372-1245 as soon as 
possible.
    Instructions: You are free to submit comments at any time, 
including orally at the meetings as time permits, but if you want your 
comment reviewed before the meetings, please submit your comments no 
later than April 2, 2023. We are particularly interested in comments 
regarding the topics in the ``Agenda'' section below. We encourage you 
to submit comments through Federal Decision Making Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. To do so, go to https://www.regulations.gov, type 
USCG-2024-0231 in the search box and click ``Search''. Next, look for 
this document in the Search Results column, and click on it. Then click 
on the Comment option. If you cannot submit your material using https://www.regulations.gov, call or email the individual in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions. You must include the docket number USCG-2024-0231. 
Comments received will be posted without alteration at https://www.regulations.gov including any personal information provided. You 
may wish to review the Privacy and Security Notice found via link on 
the homepage of https://www.regulations.gov. For more about privacy and 
submissions in response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking System 
of Records notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020). If you encounter 
technical difficulties with comment submission, contact the individual 
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
    Docket Search: Documents mentioned in this notice as being 
available in the docket, and all public comments, will be in our online 
docket at https://www.regulations.gov, and can be viewed by following 
that website's instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online 
docket and sign-up for email alerts, you will be notified when comments 
are posted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jonathan Wendland, Alternate 
Designated Federal Officer (ADFO) of the National Commercial Fishing 
Safety Advisory Committee, telephone 202-372-1245 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of this meeting is in compliance with 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act, (Pub. L. 117-286, 5 U.S.C. ch. 10). 
The National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee is authorized 
by section 601 of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 
2018, (Pub. L. 115-282, 132 Stat. 4190), and is codified in 46 U.S.C. 
15102. The Committee operates under the provisions of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act and 46 U.S.C. 15109.

[[Page 20489]]

The National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee provides 
advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland Security 
through the Commandant of the U. S. Coast Guard, on matters relating to 
the safe operation of vessels including the matters of:
    (A) navigation safety;
    (B) safety equipment and procedures;
    (C) marine insurance;
    (D) vessel design, construction, maintenance, and operation; and
    (E) personnel qualifications and training;
    Additionally, the Committee will review regulations proposed under 
chapter 45 of title 46 of U.S Code (during preparation of the 
regulations) and review marine casualties and investigations of vessels 
covered by chapter 45 of title 46 U.S. Code and make recommendations to 
the Secretary to improve safety and reduce vessel casualties.

Agenda

Day 1

    The agenda for the National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory 
Committee is as follows:

I. Opening
    a. Call to Order/Designated Federal Officer (DFO) Remarks.
    b. Roll Call/Determination of Quorum.
    c. Swear in New Members (as applicable).
    d. U.S. Coast Guard Leadership Remarks.
II. Administration
    a. Review and Adoption of Meeting Agenda.
    b. Meeting Goals.
    c. Roberts Rules Simplified.
III. General Updates
    a. Old Business.
    b. New Business.
IV. Information Session
    a. Shipboard Communication Technologies: CG-672.
    b. Mariner Credentials: CG-MMC.
    c. Liferaft Service Intervals: CG-ENG.
    d. Marine Casualty Case Familiarization. CG-INV.
V. Public Comment period.
VI. Meeting Recess.

Day 2

VII. U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Committee Tasking

    a. Task Statement #11-23 (ongoing initiative from Fall 2023 NCFSAC 
meeting). Review and provide recommendations on the development of a 
publicly accessible website that contains all information related to 
fishing industry activities, including vessel safety, inspections 
enforcement, hazards, training, regulations (including proposed 
regulations), outages of the Rescue 21 system in Alaska and similar 
outages, and any other fishing-related activities.
    b. Task Statement #14-24: Committee make recommendations on 
processes to assess, document, and maintain mariner competency to 
operate CFVs of less than 200 GRT, including local knowledge and 
recency.
    c. Task Statement #15-24: Committee make recommendations regarding 
whether the USCG should explore obtaining legislative authority to 
require CFV operators of less than 200 GT hold a valid USCG issued 
Merchant Mariner's Credential (MMC), and additional measures to require 
crewmembers on CFVs hold crew competency certificates or Merchant 
Mariner's Document.
    d. Task Statement #16-24: Committee make recommendations on the 
feasibility of a multi-year phase-in implementation that all CFV 
mariners on CFVs of less than 200 GT and operating three miles beyond 
the baseline in a near-coastal zone obtain and maintain a Merchant 
Mariner Credential (without a Transportation Worker Identification 
Credential (TWIC) requirement).
    e. Task Statement #17-24: Committee make recommendations on the 
feasibility of a multi-year phase-in implementation that all CFV 
mariners serving as a Master/Operator of a CFVs of less than 200 GT and 
operating three miles beyond the baseline in a near-coastal zone obtain 
and maintain an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) 
Merchant Mariner Credential (without a TWIC requirement).
    f. Task Statement #18-24: Committee make recommendations on 
liferaft service interval impacts with the commercial fishing industry 
and make recommendations to the USCG.
    g. Task Statement #19-24: Make recommendations to the USCG on a 
Committee Special Recognition Award that acknowledges substantial 
accomplishments and contributions to fishing industry safety.
    h. Task Statement #20-24: Committee make recommendations on 
processes to review and implement commercial fishing vessel mariner 
fitness-for-duty for service onboard CFVs of less than 200 GT fitness 
for duty and service should include an assessment of overall health and 
physical fitness and contain provisions for the elimination drug and 
alcohol usage and management of fatigue.
    i. Task Statement #21-24: Committee develop guidance and make 
recommendations on fatigue limiting strategies as well as work/rest 
hour logging requirements.
    j. Task Statement #22-24: Committee analyze fatigue and sleep 
deprivation impacts with the commercial fishing industry and make 
recommendations to the USCG.

VIII. Formation of Subcommittee(s) Break Out and Discussions.
    a. Action Items by Task.
IX. Public Comment Period.
X. Committee Discussion/Actions.
XI. Meeting Recess.

Day 3

XII. Subcommittee Break Out and Discussions.
    a. Action Items by Task.
XIII. Recommendations and Committee Actions.
XIV. Full Committee Open Discussion.
XV. Public Comment Period.
XVI. Plans for Next Meeting.
XVII. Closing Remarks/Committee and USCG.
XVIII. Adjournment of Meeting.

    A copy of pre-meeting documentation will be available at https://www.dco.uscg.mil/NCFSAC2024/ no later than April 3, 2024. 
Alternatively, you may contact Mr. Jonathan Wendland as noted in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above.
    There will be a public comment period scheduled each day of the 
meeting. Speakers are requested to limit their comments to 3 minutes. 
Please note that the public comment period may end before the period 
allotted, following the last call for comments. Please contact the 
individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to 
register as a speaker.

    Dated: March 18, 2024.
Amy M. Beach,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Inspections and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-06106 Filed 3-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P