Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 42 / Tuesday, March 4, 2003 / Notices 10207

respondent burden, invites the general II. Method of Collection of the functions of the agency, including public and other Federal agencies to The Secretary, at the request of the whether the information shall have take this opportunity to comment on Council, will conduct these practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the proposed and/or continuing information referendums. The Secretary has agency’s estimate of the burden collections, as required by the sufficient data, collected under OMB (including hours and cost) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, approval 0648–0205, needed to contact proposed collection of information; (c) Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. persons who held an annual vessel ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 3506(c)(2)(A)). permit with a red snapper endorsement clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the DATES: Written comments must be for such permit on September 1, 1996 burden of the collection of information submitted on or before May 5, 2003. (or any person to whom such permit on respondents, including through the ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments with such endorsement was transferred after such date). However, the Secretary use of automated collection techniques to Diana Hynek, Departmental or other forms of information Paperwork Clearance Officer, does not have such data on the vessel captains who harvested red snapper in technology. Department of Commerce, Room 6625, Comments submitted in response to 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, a commercial using such endorsement in each specified this notice will be summarized and/or Washington, DC 20230 (or via the included in the request for OMB Internet at [email protected]). season. Therefore, the Secretary will use several communication methods to approval of this information collection; FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: attempt to identify such captains and they also will become a matter of public Requests for additional information or make them aware of the referendum record. copies of the information collection procedures. One possible Dated: February 25, 2003. instrument and instructions should be communication method that involves Gwellnar Banks, directed to Phil Steele, Department of data collection would be a request for Commerce, NOAA, National Marine Management Analyst, Office of the Chief detailed information from persons with Information Officer. Service, 9721 Executive Center a vessel permit with a red snapper Drive North, St, Petersburg, FL 33702– [FR Doc. 03–5047 Filed 3–3–03; 8:45 am] endorsement, regarding vessel captains BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 2439, (727) 570–5305. who harvested red snapper using such SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: endorsement in each specified fishing I. Abstract season. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Prior to each referendum, the This data collection is needed for the Secretary, in consultation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to Council, shall (a) identify and notify all Administration properly implement the referendum such persons holding permits with red [I.D. 013003B] procedures specified in Section 407(c) snapper endorsements and all such of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery vessel captains; and (b) make available Marine Mammals: Final Environmental Conservation and Management Act to all such persons and vessel captains Assessment of Issuing a Bowhead (U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The Act provides information about the schedule, Whale Subsistence Quota to the that on or after October 1, 2000, the Gulf procedures, and eligibility requirements Alaska Eskimo Commission of Mexico Fishery Management Council for the referendum and the proposed for the Years 2003 through 2007 (Council) may prepare and submit a individual fishing quota program. fishery management plan, plan Submission of the paper questionnaires AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries amendment, or regulation for the Gulf of would be voluntary. Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Mexico commercial red snapper fishery Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), that creates an individual fishing quota III. Data Commerce. (IFQ) program or that authorizes the OMB Number: None. ACTION: Notice of availability. consolidation of licenses, permits, or Form Number: None. endorsements that result in different Type of Review: Regular submission. SUMMARY: NMFS announces the trip limits for vessels in the same class. Affected Public: Business or other for- availability of an Environmental These actions can only take place if the profit organizations. Assessment (EA), in accordance with preparation of such plan, amendment, Estimated Number of Respondents: the National Environmental Policy Act or regulation is approved in a 200. (NEPA), to assess the impacts of issuing referendum, and only if the submission Estimated Time Per Response: 10 the International Whaling Commission to the Secretary of such plan, minutes for a response to an initial (IWC) subsistence quota for bowhead amendment, or regulation is approved referendum on preparation; 20 minutes whales to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling in a subsequent referendum. for a response to a subsequent Commission (AEWC) for the years 2003 Only a person who held an annual referendum; and 10 minutes per through 2007. NMFS has identified a vessel permit with a red snapper response for any information request preferred alternative in the EA that will endorsement for such permit on regarding vessel captains. grant the AEWC the IWC quota of 255 September 1, 1996 (or any person to Estimated Total Annual Burden landed bowhead whales, with an annual whom such permit with such Hours: 102. strike quota of 67 bowhead whales per endorsement was transferred after such Estimated Total Annual Cost to year for the years 2003 through 2007, date) and vessel captains who harvested Public: $122. (Costs exclude valuation of where no more than 15 unused strikes red snapper in a commercial fishery respondents’ time.) are added to the strike quota for any one using such endorsement in each red year. snapper fishing season occurring IV. Request for Comments ADDRESSES: Copies of the EA may be between January 1, 1993, and such date Comments are invited on: (a) whether obtained via the Internet (see Electronic (i.e., September 1, 1996) may vote in the the proposed collection of information Access). Copies of the EA may be referendums. is necessary for the proper performance requested by writing to Gale Heim,

VerDate Jan<31>2003 15:23 Mar 03, 2003 Jkt 200001 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\04MRN1.SGM 04MRN1 10208 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 42 / Tuesday, March 4, 2003 / Notices

NOAA/NMFS, Office of Protected NEPA requires that Federal agencies SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Resources, 13th Floor, 1315 East-West conduct an environmental analysis of Management Council (Council) and its Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Mark the effect of their proposed actions on Research Set Aside (RSA) Committee the outside of the envelope with the environment. Although all quotas and its Executive Committee will hold ‘‘Request for Bowhead EA.’’ under the WCA are issued on an annual a public meeting. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: basis, NMFS evaluated the effects of DATES: The meetings will be held on Chris Yates or Winnie Chan, 301–713– issuing them over a 5–year period. A Tuesday, March 18, through Thursday, 2322. draft EA was distributed for public March 20, 2003. On Tuesday, March 18, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: comment on December 9, 2002. The EA there will be a Research Set-Aside (RSA) analyzed four alternatives: Workshop from noon until 5 p.m. There Electronic Access Alternative 1 - Grant the AEWC a will be a Dogfish Scoping meeting from Copies of the EA may be obtained quota of 255 landed bowhead whales 7 pm to 8:30 p.m. On Wednesday, over the Internet at the Office of over 5 years (2003 through 2007), with March 19, the Executive Committee will Protected Resources Marine Mammal an annual strike quota of 67 bowhead meet from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The Council website under ‘‘Quick Information whales per year, where no unused will meet from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Links’’ at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ strikes are added to the strike quota for Council will tour the U.S. Coast Guard protlres/overview/mm.html. The link any one year. Museum and hear a presentation on is titled ‘‘Bowhead Whale Alternative 2 - Grant the AEWC a Homeland Defense from 11 a.m. to 1:15 Environmental Assessment’’. quota of 255 landed bowhead whales p.m. The Council will meet from 1:30 over 5 years (2003 through 2007), with Background p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Council will then an annual strike quota of 67 bowhead visit the Virginia Marine Science At the 5th Special Meeting of the IWC whales per year, where no more than 15 Museum from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. On held in October, 2002 the Commission unused strikes are added to the strike Thursday, March 20, the Council will approved a 5–year aboriginal quota for any one year. meet from 8 a.m. until noon. subsistence quota for the take of Alternative 3 - Grant the AEWC a ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at Western arctic bowhead whales. The quota of 255 landed bowhead whales the Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel, 36th quota allows for a combined total of up over 5 years (2003 through 2007), with Street and Atlantic Avenue, Virginia to 280 whales to be landed in the years an annual strike quota of 67 bowhead Beach, VA; telephone: 757–425–9000 or 2003 through 2007 by Alaskan Eskimos whales per year, where, for unused 800–325–3535. and Russian natives. For each of these strikes, up to 50 percent of the annual Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery years, the number of bowhead whales strike limit is added to the strike quota Management Council, 300 S. New struck shall not exceed 67, except that for any one year. Street, Dover, DE 19904; telephone: any unused portion of a strike quota Alternative 4 (No Action) - Do not 302–674–2331. from any year shall be carried forward grant the AEWC a quota. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: and added to the strike quota of any After reviewing and addressing the subsequent year, provided that no more comments received, NMFS selected Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, than 15 strikes shall be added to the Alternative 2 as the preferred Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management strike quota for any one year. alternative. NMFS issued a final EA and Council; telephone: 302–674–2331, ext. The basis for the quota was a joint Finding of No Significant Impact on 19. request by the Russian Federation and February 23, 2003. The Final EA was SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The the United States for 280 whales (255 prepared in accordance with NEPA, Council and NMFS will hold a for Alaska Eskimos and 25 for Russian implementing regulations at 40 CFR collaborative workshop from noon to 5 natives) over a 5–year period. The parts 1500 through 1508, and NOAA p.m. on March 18, 2003 to discuss the annual strike limits and quotas for guidelines concerning implementation Council’s RSA program. whales are determined at the beginning of NEPA found in NOAA The RSA program is carried out of each year after consultation with the Administrative Order 216–6. through the cooperation of the Council, Russian government. NMFS, and the Atlantic States Marine At the 54th annual meeting of the Dated: February 26, 2003. Fisheries Commission. It provides a IWC, held in May, 2002 the Scientific Stephen L. Leathery, mechanism to fund research relevant to Committee reiterated its previous advice Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, the Council’s and Commission’s fishery for the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort National Marine Fisheries Service. management plans and to compensate stock of bowhead whales. That is, it is [FR Doc. 03–5045 Filed 3–3–03; 8:45 am] vessels through the sale of fish very likely that a catch limit of 102 BILLING CODE 3510–22–S harvested under specially designated whales or less would be consistent with RSA quotas. Research projects have the requirements under IWC regulation. been funded through the RSA in 2002 The International Convention for the DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE and 2003, and a notice for solicitation Regulation of Whaling, under which the of 2004 projects has recently been National Oceanic and Atmospheric IWC operates, is implemented published in the Federal Register (68, Administration domestically through the Whaling FR 3864, 1/27/2003). The NMFS is Convention Act (WCA). Under the [I.D. 022603C] currently soliciting proposals for WCA, NMFS issues a share of the IWC research activities concerning the bowhead quota to the AEWC. Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management summer flounder, scup, black bass, Alaska Eskimos have been taking Council; Public Meetings Loligo squid, Illex squid, Atlantic bowhead whales for at least 2,000 years. AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries mackerel, butterfish, and bluefish Alaska Native subsistence hunters take Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and fisheries. While the tilefish fishery is less than one percent of the population Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the RSA program, the Council of bowhead whales per year. Since Commerce. has voted to set the tilefish RSA quota 1977, the number of takes has ranged to zero until a has ACTION: Notice of public meeting. between 14 and 75 per year. been completed. All research proposals

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