[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 150 (Thursday, August 4, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 47155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19811]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA614


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea 
and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of peer review meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has requested the Center for Independent Experts (CIE) to 
conduct a peer review of the agency's economic data collection program 
for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands crab fisheries managed under the 
BSAI Crab Rationalization program. The CIE, operated by Northern Taiga 
Ventures, Inc., provides independent peer reviews of NMFS's fisheries 
stock assessments and other science products. The BSAI Crab Economic 
Data Report (EDR) program administered by NMFS began collecting cost, 
earnings and employment data in 2005, concurrently with the transition 
of BSAI crab fisheries to the rationalized management regime. The 
program was developed under the direction of the North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council (Council). The CIE review will examine the 
scientific methods and practices employed by NMFS in the design and 
administration of the EDR program and dissemination of results, assess 
whether the data and information produced represent the best available 
science, and provide recommendations for methodological improvements to 
achieve best scientific practices in economic data collection and 
analysis of BSAI crab fisheries. The public is invited to attend and 
observe the presentations and discussions between the CIE panel and the 
NMFS scientists and contractors who have administered the data 
collection.

DATES: The public portion of the meeting will be held August 23-24, 
2011, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific standard time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Observer Training Room, 
Building 4 of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries 
Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE., Seattle, WA 98115.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Garber-Yonts, 206-526-7143 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For further information about this meeting 
and the CIE Review of the BSAI crab EDR program, please visit the 
Alaska Fisheries Science Center Web site at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/. 
For further information on the Crab Rationalization Program, please 
visit the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for special accommodations should be directed to Brian Garber-
Yonts (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 5 working days 
before the workshop date.

    Dated: August 1, 2011.
Margo Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-19811 Filed 8-3-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P