[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75999-76000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30966]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XC379
2013 Annual Determination for Sea Turtle Observer Requirement
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is providing
notification that the agency will not identify additional fisheries to
observe on the Annual Determination (AD) for 2013, pursuant to its
authority under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Through an AD, NMFS
identifies U.S. fisheries operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of
Mexico, and Pacific Ocean that will be required to take observers upon
NMFS' request. The purpose of observing identified fisheries is to
learn more about sea turtle interactions in a given fishery, evaluate
existing measures to prevent or reduce prohibited sea turtle takes, and
to determine whether additional measures to implement the prohibition
against sea turtle takes may be necessary. Fisheries identified in the
2010 AD (see Table 1) remain on the AD and are therefore required to
carry observers upon NMFS' request until December 31, 2014.
ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for a listing of all Regional
Offices.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara McNulty, Office of Protected
Resources, 301-427-8402; Ellen Keane, Northeast Region, 978-282-8476;
Dennis Klemm, Southeast Region, 727-824-5312; Christina Fahy, Southwest
Region, 562-980-4023; Dawn Golden, Pacific Islands Region, 808-944-
2252. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the hearing
impaired may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-
8339 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday,
excluding Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability of Published Materials
Information regarding the Sea Turtle Observer Requirement for
Fisheries (72 FR 43176, August 3, 2007) may be obtained at
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/regulations.htm or from any NMFS
Regional Office at the addresses listed below:
NMFS, Northeast Region, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930;
NMFS, Southeast Region, 263 13th Avenue South, St.
Petersburg, FL 33701;
NMFS, Southwest Region, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200,
Long Beach, CA 90802;
NMFS, Pacific Islands Region, Protected Resources, 1601
Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1100, Honolulu, HI 96814.
Purpose of the Sea Turtle Observer Requirement
Under the ESA, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq., NMFS has the responsibility
to implement programs to conserve marine life listed as endangered or
threatened. All sea turtles found in U.S. waters are listed as either
endangered or threatened under the ESA. Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys
kempii), loggerhead (Caretta caretta; North Pacific distinct population
segment), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and hawksbill
(Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles are listed as endangered.
Loggerhead (Caretta caretta; Northwest Atlantic distinct population
segment), green (Chelonia mydas), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys
olivacea) sea turtles are listed as threatened, except for breeding
colony populations of green turtles in Florida and on the Pacific coast
of Mexico, and breeding colony populations of olive ridleys on the
Pacific coast of Mexico, which are listed as endangered. Due to the
inability to distinguish between populations of green and olive ridley
turtles away from the nesting beach, NMFS considers these turtles
endangered wherever they occur in U.S. waters. While some sea turtle
populations have shown signs of recovery, many populations continue to
decline.
Incidental take, or bycatch, in fishing gear is one of the main
sources of sea turtle injury and mortality nationwide. Section 9 of the
ESA prohibits the take (including harassing, harming, pursuing,
hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, or
collecting or attempting to engage in any such conduct), including
incidental take, of endangered sea turtles. Pursuant to section 4(d) of
the ESA, NMFS has issued regulations extending the prohibition of take,
with exceptions, to threatened sea turtles (50 CFR 223.205 and
223.206). Sections 9 and 11 of the ESA authorize the issuance of
regulations to enforce the take prohibitions. NMFS may grant exceptions
to the take prohibitions with an incidental take statement or an
incidental take permit issued pursuant to ESA section 7 or 10,
respectively. To do so, NMFS must determine that the activity that will
result in incidental take is not likely to jeopardize the continued
existence of the affected listed species. For some Federal fisheries
and most state fisheries, NMFS has not granted an exception primarily
because we lack information about fishery-sea turtle interactions.
The most effective way for NMFS to learn more about sea turtle-
fishery interactions in order to prevent or minimize take is to place
observers aboard fishing vessels. In 2007, NMFS issued a regulation (50
CFR 222.402) to establish procedures through which each year NMFS will
identify, pursuant to specified criteria and after notice and
opportunity for comment, those fisheries in which the agency intends to
place observers (72 FR 43176, August 3, 2007). These regulations
specify that NMFS may place observers on U.S. fishing vessels, either
recreational or commercial, operating in U.S. territorial waters, the
U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ), or on the high seas, or on vessels
that are otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
Failure to comply with the requirements under this rule may result in
civil or criminal penalties under the ESA.
NMFS and/or interested cooperating entities will pay the direct
costs for vessels to carry observers. These include observer salary and
insurance costs. NMFS may also evaluate other potential direct costs,
should they arise. Once selected, a fishery will be eligible to be
observed for 5 years without further action by NMFS. This will enable
NMFS to develop an appropriate sampling protocol to investigate
whether, how, when, where, and under what conditions incidental takes
are occurring; to evaluate whether existing measures are minimizing or
preventing takes; and to determine whether additional measures are
needed to conserve and recover turtles.
[[Page 76000]]
2013 Annual Determination
NMFS is providing notification that the agency will not identify
additional fisheries to observe for the 2013 AD, pursuant to its
authority under the ESA. NMFS is not identifying additional fisheries
at this time given lack of resources to implement new or expand
existing observer programs to focus on sea turtles (50 CFR
222.402(a)(4)). Fisheries identified in the 2010 AD (see Table 1)
remain on the AD and are therefore required to carry observers upon
NMFS' request until December 31, 2014. NMFS did not identify additional
fisheries to observe in the 2011 AD or in the 2012 AD.
Table 1--State and Federal Commercial Fisheries Included on the Annual
Determination
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Years Eligible to
Fishery Carry Observers
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Trawl Fisheries
Atlantic shellfish bottom trawl.................. 2010-2014
Mid-Atlantic bottom trawl........................ 2010-2014
Mid-Atlantic mid-water trawl (including pair 2010-2014
trawl)..........................................
Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico shrimp 2010-2014
trawl...........................................
Gillnet Fisheries
CA halibut, white seabass and other species set 2010-2014
gillnet (>3.5 in mesh)..........................
CA yellowtail, barracuda, and white seabass drift 2010-2014
gillnet (mesh size >3.5 in. and <14 in.)........
Chesapeake Bay inshore gillnet................... 2010-2014
Long Island inshore gillnet...................... 2010-2014
Mid-Atlantic gillnet............................. 2010-2014
North Carolina inshore gillnet................... 2010-2014
Northeast sink gillnet........................... 2010-2014
Southeast Atlantic gillnet....................... 2010-2014
Trap/Pot Fisheries
Atlantic blue crab trap/pot...................... 2010-2014
Atlantic mixed species trap/pot.................. 2010-2014
Northeast/mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot. 2010-2014
Pound Net/Weir/Seine Fisheries
Mid-Atlantic haul/beach seine.................... 2010-2014
Mid-Atlantic menhaden purse seine................ 2010-2014
U.S. mid-Atlantic mixed species stop seine/weir/ 2010-2014
pound net (except the NC roe mullet stop net)...
Virginia pound net............................... 2010-2014
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Dated: December 18, 2012.
Helen M. Golde,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-30966 Filed 12-21-12; 4:15 pm]
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