[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 165 (Thursday, August 26, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 46657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22216]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D.072899D]
Sea Turtle Conservation; Shrimp Trawling Requirements
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of the report on the June 1998
Turtle Excluder Device (TED) testing session.
DATES: August 26, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the 1998 TED testing report may be
submitted to the Chief, Harvesting Systems and Engineering Branch,
Mississippi Laboratories, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NMFS,
P.O. Drawer 1207, Pascagoula, MS 39568-1207.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Schroeder, 301-713-1401, or
Charles A. Oravetz, 727-570-5312.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Harvesting Systems and Engineering
Branch of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Mississippi
Laboratories, Pascagoula Facility conducted SCUBA diver evaluations and
testing of modified TED designs using the small turtle test protocol
(Federal Register, Vol. 55, No. 195) in Panama City, Florida, May 29-
June 14, 1998. The project objectives were to: (1) test and evaluate
candidate Andrews soft TED designs for the exclusion of juvenile sea
turtles, (2) develop detailed installation criteria for soft TED
designs which pass the efficiency test, (3) examine the consistency of
installation with the currently approved Parker soft TED design among
different trawl types and sizes, and (4) provide vessel and diver
support in conducting a multiple submergence experiment on 2 year old
loggerhead sea turtles.
Soft TEDs were prohibited in December 1997 (61 FR 66933) due to
difficulties with installing them correctly and observed sea turtle
takes during controlled testing and commercial trawling operations. The
Parker soft TED, however, was approved for use in the shrimp industry
through October 13, 1999 (63 FR 17956, April 13, 1998). The approval
was based on information from tests conducted in 1997 which showed the
Parker design to be effective in excluding sea turtles in certain net
configurations. Its use after October 13, 1999, will be determined
based on an evaluation of the 1998 TED testing report made available
through this Federal Register notice as well as an evaluation of
observations made during commercial fishing activities, enforcement
data and stranding data.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531-1543 et seq.
Dated: August 20, 1999.
Wanda L. Cain,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-22216 Filed 8-25-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
