[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 185 (Friday, September 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51737-51738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24879]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 083199B]
Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific;
Availability of a Limited Access Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Availability of a limited access permit.
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SUMMARY: The Acting Regional Administrator (Regional Administrator),
Southwest Region, notifies all potential applicants that one permit is
available for the Ho'omalu Zone limited access bottomfish fishery in
the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Applications are being
accepted and NMFS will issue a Ho'omalu permit to a qualifying vessel
owner in accordance with the Fishery Management Plan for Bottomfish and
Seamount Groundfish Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (FMP).
DATES: Applications must be filed no later than November 8, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Applications may be obtained from, and completed
applications must be sent to, the Pacific Islands Area Office,
Southwest Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI
96814.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alvin Katekaru, NMFS, (808) 973-2935
ext 207.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At the Western Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council) meeting held on July 15 - 18, 1999, the Administrator
of the Pacific Islands Area Office, NMFS, (PIAO Administrator) informed
the Council that a Ho'omalu Zone permit holder was determined to be
ineligible for permit renewal during calendar year 1999. The permit was
lost under the Ho'omalu Zone's limited access program ``use it or lose
it'' requirement when the permit holder's vessel failed to make the
minimum number of annual bottomfish landings to be eligible for permit
renewal. The Regional Administrator, in consultation with the Council,
has determined that the Ho'omalu Zone fishery can still support seven
bottomfishing vessels at this time.
[[Page 51738]]
The Regional Administrator will issue one permit to an eligible
applicant to maintain the current total.
Any prospective applicant may file an application for a Ho'omalu
Zone permit. Forms will be provided by the Pacific Islands Area Office,
Southwest Region, NMFS (See ADDRESSES). In accordance with 50 CFR
660.61 (g)(1) a permit will be awarded based on a point system as
follows:
(1) Two points will be assigned for each year in which the
applicant was owner or captain of a vessel that made three or more
qualifying landings of bottomfish in the NWHI. A qualifying landing is:
(a) Any amount of bottomfish management unit species, regardless of
weight, if made on or before August 7, 1985; (b) At least 2,500 lb
(1,134 kg) of bottomfish management unit species, if made after August
7, 1985; or (c) At least 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of any fish legally
harvested from the NWHI, of which at least 50 percent by weight was
bottomfish, if made after August 7, 1985.
(2) One point will be assigned for each year in which the applicant
was owner or captain of a vessel that landed at least 6,000 lb (2,722
kg) of bottomfish from the main Hawaiian Islands.
(3) For any one year, points will be assigned for bottomfish landed
from either the NWHI or the main Hawaiian Islands, but not for a
combination of both areas.
Applicants must maintain their own files or valid documentation
verifying claims of accrued points. Copies of these documents must
accompany all permit applications. A permit shall be awarded to a
qualifying applicant in descending order, starting with the applicant
with the largest number of points. If two or more persons have an equal
number of points, and there are insufficient new permits for all such
applicants, the new permit shall be awarded by the Regional
Administrator through a lottery. An applicant must own at least a 25-
percent share in the vessel that the permit would cover, and only one
permit will be assigned to any vessel. No additional permits will be
issued to any vessel owner who already has a Ho'omalu Zone bottomfish
permit or to a vessel owner whose permit was not renewed for the 1999
permit year. Also, in considering applications for a Ho'omalu Zone
permit the Regional Administrator will follow the guidance recommended
by the Council at its 91st meeting, November 18-21, 1996: (1) No State
of Hawaii fish catch reports used to document eligibility points will
be accepted that are more than 1 year delinquent; (2) only State of
Hawaii fish catch reports will be accepted by NMFS to validate accrued
qualifying points demonstrating historical participation in the
Hawaiian Islands bottomfish fishery; (3) the cutoff date for
applications is 45 days after publication of this notice of
availability in the Federal Register; (4) relief captains and vessel
owners must provide vessel insurance records or legal certificates of
documentation demonstrating the minimum 25 percent ownership in the
vessel; and (5) only records of bottomfish management unit species will
be used for assigning qualifying points.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 17, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-24879 Filed 9-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
