Notice2024-02843
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Approved Monitoring Service Providers
Primary source
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Published
February 12, 2024
Effective
May 1, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS has approved nine companies to provide Northeast multispecies sector at-sea catch monitoring (ASM) and/or electronic catch monitoring (EM) services in fishing year 2024. Regulations implementing the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan require ASM and EM companies to meet service provider performance standards to be approved by NMFS to provide catch monitoring services to sectors. This action approves service providers that sectors may contract with for catch monitoring services for fishing year 2024.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 29 (Monday, February 12, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 29 (Monday, February 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9840-9842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02843]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD641]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern
United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Approved Monitoring
Service Providers
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
[[Page 9841]]
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of approved Northeast multispecies at-sea and electronic
monitoring service providers for fishing year 2024.
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SUMMARY: NMFS has approved nine companies to provide Northeast
multispecies sector at-sea catch monitoring (ASM) and/or electronic
catch monitoring (EM) services in fishing year 2024. Regulations
implementing the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan require
ASM and EM companies to meet service provider performance standards to
be approved by NMFS to provide catch monitoring services to sectors.
This action approves service providers that sectors may contract with
for catch monitoring services for fishing year 2024.
DATES: Northeast multispecies at-sea and electronic monitoring service
provider approvals are effective May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025.
ADDRESSES: The list of NMFS-approved sector monitoring service
providers is available at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/data/observer-providers-northeast-and-mid-atlantic-programs">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/data/observer-providers-northeast-and-mid-atlantic-programs</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Nelson, Fishery Management
Specialist, (808) 725-5179, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#470f2226332f22356909222b342829072928262669202831"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="db93bebaafb3bea9f595beb7a8b4b59bb5b4babaf5bcb4ad">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northeast Multispecies Fishery
Management Plan includes a requirement for industry-funded monitoring
of catch by sector vessels. NMFS approves independent third-party
service providers with which sectors may contract to provide ASM and/or
EM services to their vessels. NMFS requires full applications for
approval from ASM and EM companies that are not currently approved to
be a service provider. Previously approved ASM and EM companies are not
required to submit a full application to maintain their approval status
if they continue to meet all service provider performance standards and
submit required updated information annually. The required updated
information to maintain approval includes an updated Emergency Action
Plan, evidence of adequate insurance coverage, and, if applicable, any
updates to staffing or operations. Regulations at 50 CFR 648.11(h)
describe the criteria for approval of ASM and EM service provider
applications. NMFS approves service providers based on: (1)
Completeness and sufficiency of applications; and (2) determination of
the applicant's ability to meet the performance requirements of a
sector monitoring service provider. Once approved, service providers
must meet specified performance requirements outlined in Sec.
648.11(h)(5) and (6), including required coverage levels, in order to
maintain eligibility. NMFS must notify service providers, in writing,
if NMFS withdraws approval for any reason.
Approved Monitoring Service Providers
On September 28, 2023, NMFS announced an opportunity for new
monitoring companies to apply for approval to provide ASM and/or EM
services in fishing year 2024, and an opportunity for currently
approved providers to submit updated documentation to maintain their
approval status in fishing year 2024. NMFS previously approved nine
companies to provide catch monitoring services to the Northeast
multispecies sectors in fishing year 2023. Five of the nine approved
companies provide both ASM and EM services: A.I.S., Inc.; East West
Technical Services, LLC; Fathom Research, LLC; New England Marine
Monitoring; and Saltwater, Inc. The other four approved companies
provide EM services only: Archipelago Marine Research, Ltd.; Flywire
Cameras; Satlink US, LLC; and Teem Fish Monitoring, Inc.
All currently approved ASM and EM companies continue to meet all
service provider performance standards, submitted all required
documentation, and are therefore approved service providers for fishing
year 2024. We did not receive any new ASM or EM provider applications.
Table 1 includes the revised list of approved monitoring service
providers.
NMFS has the authority to remove a service provider from its
approved status in accordance with the regulations at Sec.
648.11(h)(7). A monitoring service provider that fails to meet the
requirements, conditions, and responsibilities will be notified in
writing that it is subject to removal from the list of approved
monitoring service providers. Withdrawing approval of a service
provider will be based on an evaluation of the service providers
ability to meet the third-party catch monitoring provider standards in
Sec. 648.11(h)(5) and (6). NMFS will closely monitor the performance
of approved service providers, and will withdraw approval during the
current approval term if it determines performance standards are not
being met.
NMFS did not solicit applications to provide dockside monitoring
(DSM) services related to the maximized retention EM program. NMFS is
currently evaluating whether to operate the maximized retention EM
program in fishing year 2024. NMFS will continue to administer the DSM
program if it is operational in fishing year 2024. In future fishing
years, NMFS intends to solicit applications to be an approved DSM
provider when the DSM program transitions to industry-funding.
Table 1--Approved Providers for Fishing Year 2024
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Provider Services Address Phone Fax Website
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A.I.S., Inc.......................... ASM/EM.................. 540 Hawthorn St., Dartmouth, 508-990-9054 508-990-9055 <a href="https://aisobservers.com/">https://aisobservers.com/</a>
MA 02747. .
Archipelago Marine Research, Ltd..... EM...................... 525 Head St., Victoria, BC 250-383-4535 250-383-0103 https://
V9A 5S1, Canada. www.archipelago.ca/.
East West Technical Services, LLC.... ASM/EM.................. 91 Point Judith Rd., Suite 26 860-910-4957 860-223-6005 <a href="https://www.ewts.com/">https://www.ewts.com/</a>.
Unit 347, Narragansett, RI
02882.
Fathom Resources, LLC................ ASM/EM.................. 855 Aquidneck Ave., Unit 9, 508-990-0997 508-858-5383 https://
Middletown, RI 02842. fathomresources.com/.
Flywire Cameras...................... EM...................... PO Box 55048, Lexington, KY 888-315-7796 502-861-6568 https://
40511. www.flywirecameras.com/
.
New England Marine Monitoring........ ASM/EM.................. 350 Commercial St., Portland, 508-269-8138 none https://
ME 04101. www.nemarinemonitoring.
com/.
Saltwater, Inc....................... ASM/EM.................. 733 N St., Anchorage, AK 907-276-3241 907-258-5999 https://
99501. www.saltwaterinc.com/.
Satlink US, LLC...................... EM...................... 16423 Sawgrass Drive, 703-447-5287 none https://www.satlink.es/
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. en/.
Teem Fish Monitoring, Inc............ EM...................... 309 2nd Ave., Suite 363, 778-884-2598 none <a href="https://teem.fish/">https://teem.fish/</a>.
Prince Rupert, BC V8J 3T1,
Canada.
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Note: ASM/EM = At-sea and electronic monitoring; EM = Electronic monitoring only.
[[Page 9842]]
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 7, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-02843 Filed 2-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-23-P
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