[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 103 (Thursday, May 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 29107]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13954]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 052097B]
Pacific Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to reconvene the Pacific Offshore
Cetacean Take Reduction Team to review and evaluate the efficacy of two
marine mammal bycatch reduction strategies implemented voluntarily by
the fishery during the 1996/1997 fishing season and to evaluate the
need for effort reduction and potential implementation mechanisms.
DATES: The meeting will be held on May 29, 1997, from 10 a.m. until
5:30 p.m, and May 30, 1997, from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Long
Beach, CA 90802. Requests for additional information should be sent to
Irma Lagomarsino, NMFS, Southwest Regional Office, 501 West Ocean
Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irma Lagomarsino, (310) 980-4016, fax
(310) 980-4027, or Victoria Cornish, (301) 713-2322, fax (301) 713-
0376.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 118(f) of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA) requires NMFS to develop and implement a take
reduction plan designed to assist in the recovery or prevent the
depletion of each strategic marine mammal stock(s) which interacts with
certain fisheries. The immediate goal of a take reduction plan is to
reduce, within 6 months of its implementation, the incidental mortality
or serious injury of strategic marine mammal stocks incidentally taken
in the course of commercial fishing to levels less than the Potential
Biological Removal level, or PBR, established for that stock. The long
term goal of the plan shall be to reduce, within 5 years of its
implementation, the incidental mortality or serious injury of marine
mammals incidentally taken in the course of commercial fishing to
insignificant levels approaching a zero mortality and serious injury
rate, taking into account the economics of the fishery, the
availability of existing technology, and existing state or regional
fishery management plans.
In accordance with section 118(f)(6)(A), NMFS established the
Pacific Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Team for the California/Oregon
thresher shark and swordfish drift gillnet fishery on February 12, 1996
(61 FR 5385). This fishery interacts with several strategic marine
mammal stocks including: Mesoplodont sp. beaked whales, Baird's beaked
whale, Cuvier's beaked whale, the sperm whale, the humpback whale, the
pygmy sperm whale, and the short-finned pilot whale. These stocks are
considered strategic under the MMPA, because they are either listed as
an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act or
because the levels of human-caused mortality are greater than their PBR
levels.
The team submitted a draft take reduction plan to NMFS on August
12, 1996. NMFS subsequently published a proposed rule implementing the
team's draft plan on February 14, 1997 (62 FR 6931). NMFS intends to
reconvene the team in accordance with section 118(f)(7)(E) and the
recommendation of the team in their draft plan to review and evaluate
the efficacy of two marine mammal bycatch reduction strategies
implemented voluntarily by the fishery during the 1996/1997 fishing
season. These include an acoustic deterrent device (pinger) experiment
and setting nets at a minimum of 6 fathoms below the surface of the
water. At the meeting, the team will also evaluate the need for effort
reduction and potential implementation mechanisms.
All interested parties are encouraged to attend. Background
materials may be requested from the NMFS office indicated in the
ADDRESSES section. The meeting is open to the public and is physically
accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Irma
Lagomarsino at (310) 980-4016 by May 27, 1997.
Dated: May 22, 1997.
Patricia Montanio,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-13954 Filed 5-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
