[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 130 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39858-39859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17081]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA520
Western Pacific Fisheries; Approval of a Marine Conservation Plan
for Guam
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of agency decision.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces approval of a marine conservation plan for
Guam.
DATES: This agency decision is effective from June 28, 2011, through
June 27, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the MCP are available from http://www.regulations.gov, or the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council), 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, tel 808-
522-8220.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jarad Makaiau, Sustainable Fisheries,
NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office, 808-944-2108.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 204(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act)
authorizes the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) and in consultation with the Council,
to negotiate and enter into a Pacific Insular Area fishery agreement
(PIAFA). A PIAFA would allow foreign fishing within the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) adjacent to American Samoa, Guam, or the Northern
Mariana Islands with the concurrence of, and in consultation with, the
Governor of the Pacific Insular Area to which the PIAFA applies. Before
entering into a PIAFA, the appropriate Governor, with the concurrence
of the Council, must develop a 3-year Marine Conservation Plan (MCP)
providing details on uses for any funds collected by the Secretary
under the PIAFA.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires payments received under a PIAFA
to be deposited into the United States Treasury and then covered over
to the Treasury of the Pacific Insular Area for which funds were
collected. In the case of violations by foreign fishing vessels
occurring within the EEZ off any Pacific Insular Area, amounts received
by the Secretary attributable to fines and penalties imposed under the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, including sums collected from the forfeiture and
disposition or sale of property seized subject to its authority, shall
be deposited into the Treasury of the Pacific Insular Area adjacent to
the EEZ in which the violation occurred, after direct costs of the
enforcement action are subtracted. Any funds deposited into the
Treasury of the Pacific Insular Area may be used by the jurisdiction
for fisheries enforcement and for implementation of an MCP.
An MCP must be consistent with the Council's fishery ecosystem
plans, must identify conservation and management objectives (including
criteria for determining when such objectives have been met), and must
prioritize planned marine conservation projects. Although no foreign
fishing is being considered at this time, the Council, at its 151st
meeting held June 15-18, 2011, reviewed and approved the Guam MCP and
recommended its submission to the Secretary for approval. On June 20,
2011, the Governor of Guam submitted the MCP to NMFS, the designee of
the Secretary, for review and approval.
The Guam MCP contains eight conservation and management objectives
under which planned projects and activities designed to meet the
objective are identified and described, as follows:
Objective 1. Fisheries resource assessment and monitoring.
Objective 2. Effective surveillance and enforcement monitoring,
including:
a. Implementation of an at-sea observer program to collect
information on foreign fishing activities.
b. Increase enforcement and surveillance of the U.S. EEZ around
Guam.
Objective 3. Regional cooperation, including development of a
longline permit, reporting, and quota utilization program to facilitate
responsible fisheries development.
Objective 4. Public participation, including increased public
participation in the development and review of Guam's 3-year marine
conservation plan.
Objective 5. Habitat assessment and monitoring, including support
for long-term habitat assessment and monitoring of Guam coral reef flat
communities.
Objective 6. Domestic fisheries development, including:
a. Rehabilitation and improvements to the Agat small boat marina
docks.
b. Construction of an American with Disabilities Act compliant
access ramp and fishing platform at Hagatna Marina.
c. Establishing a manahak (rabbit fish) hatchery and restocking
program.
d. Construction of a Guam Fishermen's Cooperative Marine Building
Complex.
[[Page 39859]]
e. Rehabilitation and improvements to the Agat small boat marina,
including lighting, security camera and repair of refueling and
boarding piers.
f. Collection of life-history data of nearshore reef fish.
g. Support Guam volunteer fishery data collection project.
h. Support deployment and replacement of Guam Division of Fish and
Wildlife fish aggregation device and mooring buoys.
Objective 7. Marine conservation education, including support for
the development and distribution of materials focused on sustainable
marine resource use.
Objective 8. Western Pacific Demonstration Project to promote
awareness of traditional fishing and conservation practices through
education workshops and demonstrations.
This notice announces that NMFS has determined that the Guam MCP
satisfies the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and approves the
MCP for the 3-year period from June 28, 2011, through June 27, 2014.
Dated: July 1, 2011.
Margo Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-17081 Filed 7-6-11; 8:45 am]
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