81 FR 78123 - Fishing Capacity Reduction Program for the Southeast Alaska Purse Seine Salmon Fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 215 (November 7, 2016)

NMFS issues this notice to inform persons of their eligibility to vote and referendum voting period in the fishing capacity reduction program referendum for a second loan in the Southeast Alaska Purse Seine Salmon Fishery. NMFS will hold a series of public meetings with Southeast Alaska purse seine salmon permit holders and interested individuals.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 215 (Monday, November 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78123-78129]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26846]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF003


Fishing Capacity Reduction Program for the Southeast Alaska Purse 
Seine Salmon Fishery

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

ACTION: Notice of eligible voters; referendum voting period; public 
meetings.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice to inform persons of their eligibility 
to vote and referendum voting period in the fishing capacity reduction 
program referendum for a second loan in the Southeast Alaska Purse 
Seine Salmon Fishery. NMFS will hold a series of public meetings with 
Southeast Alaska purse seine salmon permit holders and interested 
individuals.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. EST December 7, 
2016.
    The meetings will be held between November 14 and November 17, 
2016. For specific times, please see the Public Meetings heading in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in Sitka, AK, Ketchikan, AK, 
Petersburg, AK, and Seattle, WA. For specific locations, please see 
Public Meetings heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Send 
comments about this notice to Paul Marx, Chief, Financial Services 
Division, NMFS, Attn: SE Alaska Purse Seine Salmon Buyback, 1315 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael A. Sturtevant at (301) 427-
8799, fax (301) 713-1306, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Southeast Alaska purse seine salmon fishery is a commercial 
fishery in Alaska state waters and adjacent Federal waters. It 
encompasses the commercial taking of salmon with purse seine gear, and 
participation is limited to fishermen designated by the Alaska 
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC). Congress authorized a 
$23.5 million loan to finance a fishing capacity reduction program in 
the Southeast Alaska purse seine salmon fishery. NMFS published 
proposed program regulations on May 23, 2011 (76 FR 29707), and final 
program regulations on October 6, 2011 (76 FR 61986), to implement the 
reduction program.
    In 2012, NMFS conducted a referendum to determine the remaining 
fishermen's willingness to repay a $13.1 million fishing capacity 
reduction loan to remove 64 permits. After a majority of permit holders 
approved the loan, NMFS disbursed payments to the successful bidders 
and began collecting fees to repay the loan. Since only $13.1 million 
was expended from the total loan amount, $10.4 remains available. This 
second referendum, if approved, will result in a second loan of $5.8 
million and permanently retire an additional 22 permits from the 
fishery.
    In August 2016, the Southeast Revitalization Association submitted 
a second capacity reduction plan to NMFS and NMFS approved the second 
plan in October 2016. The final regulations require NMFS to publish 
this notice before conducting a referendum to determine the industry's 
willingness to repay a second fishing capacity reduction loan to 
purchase the permits identified in the second reduction plan.
    As of October 21, 2016, there are 315 permits in the fishery 
designated as S01A by CFEC. These permanent permit holders are eligible 
to vote in this second referendum. Comments may address: (1) Persons 
who appear on the below list but should not; (2) persons who do not 
appear on the list but should; (3) persons whose names and/or business 
mailing addresses are incorrect; and (4) any other pertinent matter. 
NMFS will update the list, as necessary, immediately before mailing 
referendum ballots. Mailed ballots will be accompanied by NMFS' 
detailed voting guidance.

II. Referendum Voting Period

    The referendum voting period will start December 13, 2016 and end 
on January 13, 2017. Any votes not received by NMFS by 5 p.m. on 
January 13, 2017, will not be counted.

III. Public Meetings

    NMFS will hold a series of four public informational meetings with 
Southeast Alaska purse seine salmon permit holders and interested 
individuals:
     Monday, November 14, 2016, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Sitka, 
AK, at the Westmark Sitka Hotel (330 Seward Street).
     Tuesday, November 15, 2016, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in 
Ketchikan, AK, at the Best Western Plus Landing Hotel (3434 Tongass 
Avenue).
     Wednesday, November 16, 2016, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in 
Petersburg,

[[Page 78124]]

AK, at the Petersburg Public Library Community Room (14 South Second 
Street).
     Thursday, November 17, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in 
Seattle, WA at CenturyLink Field Event Center Media Room 1D47 (800 
Occidental Ave South).
    Comments and questions regarding any aspect of the fishing capacity 
reduction program are welcome.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Michael A. Sturtevant (see 
ADDRESSES), at least 5 working days prior to the meeting date.
    The following list of eligible voters was provided by CFEC on 
October 21, 2016:
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    Dated: November 1, 2016.
Brian T. Pawlak,
CFO/Director, Office of Management and Budget, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-26846 Filed 11-4-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P