[Federal Register: November 2, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 211)]
[Notices]
[Page 66350]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02no05-49]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 102005B]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Notice of
Crab Rationalization Program Public Workshop
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public workshop.
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SUMMARY: NMFS will present a public workshop on the new Crab
Rationalization Program (Program) for participants in the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) king and Tanner crab fisheries. At this
workshop, NMFS will review the Program, discuss the key Program
elements, provide information on the application process, and answer
questions. This workshop is specifically intended to address issues
related to the Arbitration System portion of the Program. NMFS is
conducting this public workshop to assist participants comply with the
requirements of this new Program.
DATES: Workshop will be held November 18, 2005, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Pacific standard time.
ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Qwest Field and Event
Center, Room C3, 800 Occidental Ave. South, Seattle, WA.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glenn Merrill, 907-586-7228 or
glenn.merrill@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 2, 2005, NMFS published a final
rule implementing the Program as Amendments 18 and 19 to the Fishery
Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs
(70 FR 10174). The final rule was effective on April 2, 2005.
NMFS has conducted six public workshops on key Program elements.
Four of those workshops were conducted in March and April of 2005 in
Alaska, Oregon, and Washington to assist fishery participants comply
with the requirements of the Program. At these workshops, NMFS reviewed
the Program, discussed the key Program elements, and provided
information on the application process. The remaining two workshops
were held in Seattle, Washington in May and September of 2005, and
focused on the Arbitration System.
The November 18, 2005 workshop is also intended to focus on the
Arbitration System. One issue not previously addressed in the May and
September workshops will be the focus. Specifically, NMFS will provide
an overview of existing regulatory requirements which create timing
conflicts related to the start of the crab fishing season, the deadline
for the initiation of binding arbitration, and the deadline for
initiating share matching under the Arbitration System (see 50 CFR
680.20(h)(3)(iv) for more details). NMFS will review this timing
conflict and provide an opportunity for public comments. Program
elements related to economic data collection, monitoring and
enforcement, electronic reporting, quota share and individual fishing
quota application and transfer provisions, the appeals process, fee
collection, and the loan program may be addressed secondarily.
Additionally, NMFS will answer questions from workshop participants.
For further information on the Program, please visit the NMFS Alaska
Region Internet site at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov.
Special Accommodations
This workshop is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for special accommodations should be directed to Glenn Merrill
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) by November 10, 2005.
Dated: October 27, 2005.
Anne M. Lange,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-21872 Filed 11-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S