80 FR 33245 - Determination That Italy Is Not a Large-Scale High Seas Driftnet Nation

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 112 (June 11, 2015)

Under the High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act and the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (DPCIA), the Secretary of Commerce has determined that Italy no longer has vessels that use large-scale driftnets to fish on the high seas. Therefore, shipments of certain fish and fish products from Italy are no longer required to be accompanied by a Fisheries Certificate of Origin (NOAA Form 370) for importation into the United States, and any NOAA Form 370 used for fish or fish products from Italy no longer requires certification that the fish was not harvested with large-scale driftnets on the high seas.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 112 (Thursday, June 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33245-33246]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14326]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD944


Determination That Italy Is Not a Large-Scale High Seas Driftnet 
Nation

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Under the High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act and the 
Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (DPCIA), the Secretary of 
Commerce has determined that Italy no longer has vessels that use 
large-scale driftnets to fish on the high seas. Therefore, shipments of 
certain fish and fish products from Italy are no longer required to be 
accompanied by a Fisheries Certificate of Origin (NOAA Form 370) for 
importation into the United States, and any NOAA Form 370 used for fish 
or fish products from Italy no longer requires certification that the 
fish was not harvested with large-scale driftnets on the high seas.

DATES: Effective June 4, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Niemeier, Foreign Affairs 
Specialist; telephone: 301-427-8371, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 28, 1996, the U.S. Secretary of 
Commerce identified Italy pursuant to the U.S. High Seas Driftnet 
Fisheries Enforcement Act, 16 U.S.C. 1826a-1826c, as a nation for which 
there was reason to believe its nationals or vessels were conducting 
large-scale high seas driftnet fishing in contravention to United 
Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/215. The identification invoked, 
among other things, the provision of the DPCIA, 16 U.S.C. 1371(a)(2)(F) 
that requires that an exporting nation whose fishing vessels engage in 
high seas driftnet fishing provide documentary evidence that certain 
fish and fish products (specified in regulations at 50 CFR 
216.24(f)(2)) it wishes to export to the United States were not 
harvested with large-scale driftnets anywhere on the high seas. 
Effective May 29, 1996, all shipments from Italy containing the 
specified fish and fish products became subject to this driftnet 
reporting requirement.
    The reporting requirement has persisted to the present day as a 
deterrent to large-scale high seas driftnet fishing by Italy. The 
United States has not received any reports of Italian fishing vessels 
employing large-scale driftnets on the high seas since 2008. On April 
2, 2015, the Government of Italy sent notification which certified that 
no Italian vessel is involved in the use of large-scale driftnets on 
the high seas. Italy will no longer be required to provide documentary 
evidence that certain fish and fish products (specified in U.S. 
regulations at 50 CFR 216.24(f)(2)(i) and (ii)) it wishes to export to 
the United States were not harvested with large-scale driftnets on the 
high seas. Furthermore, fish and fish products exported from Italy, and 
imported into the United States under Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) 
numbers specified in U.S. regulations at 50 CFR 216.24(f)(2)(iii), will 
no longer need to be accompanied by a Fisheries Certificate of Origin 
(NOAA Form 370).
    The HSDFEA furthers the purposes of United Nations General Assembly 
Resolution 46/215, which called for a worldwide ban on large-scale high 
seas driftnet fishing beginning December 31, 1992.
    The DPCIA (16 U.S.C. 1371(a)(2)(F)) requires that an exporting 
nation whose fishing vessels engage in high seas driftnet fishing 
provide documentary evidence that certain fish or fish products it 
wishes to export to the United States were not harvested with a large-
scale driftnet on the high seas. As

[[Page 33246]]

required by 50 CFR 216.24(f)(2), the NOAA Form 370 must accompany all 
imported shipments of an item with an HTS number listed in that section 
harvested by or imported from a large-scale driftnet nation.
    As of the effective date of this notice, a certification by an 
Italian Government representative attesting that the fish or fish 
products were not harvested by a large-scale driftnet on the high seas 
will no longer be required in Section 7 of the NOAA Form 370 for the 
HTS numbers specified in 50 CFR 216.24(f)(2)(i) and (ii). Furthermore, 
a NOAA Form 370 will no longer be required for any importation from 
Italy for the non-tuna fish and fish products classified with the HTS 
numbers specified at 50 CFR 216.24(f)(2)(iii).

    Dated: June 4, 2015.
Eileen Sobeck,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-14326 Filed 6-10-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P