[Federal Register: September 9, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 174)] [Notices] [Page 48987-48988] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr09se99-23] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 082799B] National Plan of Action for the Reduction of Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Public notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The United States, through a collaborative effort of NMFS and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), is developing a National Plan of Action (NPOA) pursuant to the endorsement of the International Plan of Action (IPOA) for the Reduction of Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Ministerial Meeting in March 1999. Noting the increased numbers of incidental seabird catch in longline fisheries, this IPOA calls on COFI member states to voluntarily develop national plans on reducing this incidental seabird catch. The United States has committed itself to developing this national plan, and reporting on its implementation to COFI, no later than 2001. This notice provides a time frame for the completion of this project and an outline of the contents of this NPOA. The public is invited to provide written comments and suggestions for items to be incorporated or addressed within the NPOA. DATES: Comments will be accepted on the Seabird NPOA from September 9, 1999 until September 30, 1999. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to David Kerstetter, NOAA- Fisheries/SF, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Kerstetter, 301-713-2337, ext. 107, or FAX 301-713-2313. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ``International Plan of Action (IPOA) for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries'' was endorsed in principle at the 23rd FAO COFI session in February 1999 and approved at the Fisheries Ministerial in March 1999. As with the two other IPOAs on sharks and capacity reduction, the Seabird IPOA calls on members to voluntarily develop an NPOA on this issue. The FAO Fisheries Department has a draft budget for the 1999-2001 biennium of US$ 304,000 to assist with implementation of the seabird Plan by its Members. These funds have been allocated primarily to staff time, consultants, and publication costs. FAO anticipates the following three major actions from this budget toward its members: (1) Providing technical assistance while preparing NPOAs, (2) providing assistance in coordinating research and training, and (3) assisting in the reporting process to COFI. [[Page 48988]] The U.S. Government agencies did not wait for the passage of the IPOA to begin the work of seabird protection and management. Many measures have already been taken to reduce the incidental catch of these seabird species under such statutes as the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). The U.S. NPOA is currently under development as a collaborative effort between NMFS and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), with a draft Seabirds NPOA tentatively due for Federal Register notice in November 1999 and full completion of the Plan by January 2000. Written comments on the Seabirds NPOA are encouraged (See ADDRESSES). Proposed Schedule ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Item ------------------------------------------------------------------------ September 1999 Release approved schedule and outline to public via a Federal Register notice. October 1999 Collect and incorporate review comments. November 1999 Release Draft NPOA for public comment. January 2000 Respond to public comments and release final version of Seabirds NPOA. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction History of the IPOA and NPOA Processes a. FAO Involvement b. Delegation of National Authority and Cooperative EffortsMethods Used in NPOA Development Process a. Working Group Composition b. Role of NMFS Headquarters and Regional Management Councils c. Feedback and Constituent Input Processes Implementation Framework a. International: Role of Member Countries b. International: Roles of Regional Fisheries Organizations c. Domestic: Regional Fishery Management Councils, Fishery Management Plans, and Other Regulatory Documents Longline Fisheries of the United States: Descriptions, Regulations, and Current Mitigation Efforts, by Fishery Management Councils and/ or International Agreements a. Domestic Fisheries by Fishery Management Council: 1. New England FMC: NE Multispecies (FMP); Atlantic Halibut (non- FMP); Monkfish (non-FMP), 2. Mid-Atlantic FMC: Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass (FMP); Atlantic Bluefish (FMP); Atlantic Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish (FMP); Monkfish (non-FMP); Tilefish (non-FMP), 3. South Atlantic (SA) FMC: SA Snapper-Grouper (FMP); SA Coastal Migratory Pelagics (CMP) (FMP), 4. Caribbean FMC: Caribbean Shallow Water Reef Fish (FMP); Caribbean Pelagics (non-FMP), 5. Gulf of Mexico (GOM) FMC: GOM Reef Fish (FMP); GOM Snapper/ Grouper (FMP); GOM CMP (FMP), 6. Pacific FMC: West Coast Groundfish (FMP); Pacific Halibut (non- FMP); Shark/Bonito Longline/Setline (non-FMP), 7. North Pacific FMC: Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BS-AI) Groundfish (FMP); Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Groundfish (FMP); Octopus/ Squid Longline (non-FMP), 8. Western Pacific (WP) FMC: WP Bottomfish/Seamount Groundfish (FMP and non-FMP); WP Pelagics (non-FMP), and 9. Secretary of Commerce Control: Atlantic Swordfish (FMP); Atlantic Sharks (FMP); Atlantic Tunas (non-FMP). b. U.S. State and State Cooperative Fisheries Management Agreements. c. International Fisheries Agreements: 1. International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), 2. Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), and 3. International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). d. U.S. Flagged Vessels. References Appendices I. International Plan of Action for the Reduction of Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries II. Seabird Interaction Minimization Methods for Longline Fisheries III. NMFS National Bycatch Plan, Executive Summary IV. Summaries of Relevant Statutes: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (FCMA), Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Endangered Species Act V. Future Conferences and Events Related to Seabird-Fishery Interactions VI. NMFS Regional Science Center and Management Council Contact Information Dated: September 1, 1999. Bruce C. Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 99-23359 Filed 9-8-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F