82 FR 31758 - U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program; Public Meetings on Implementation

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 130 (July 10, 2017)

NMFS will hold public meetings in the U.S. and abroad beginning in July 2017. The intent of the meetings is to discuss implementation of the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program. All meetings are free of charge and open to the public.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 130 (Monday, July 10, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 31758]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14327]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF506


U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program; Public Meetings on 
Implementation

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold public meetings in the U.S. and abroad 
beginning in July 2017. The intent of the meetings is to discuss 
implementation of the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program. All 
meetings are free of charge and open to the public.

DATES: Meetings will be held beginning July 13, 2017. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: Meetings will be held in locations including Long Beach, CA; 
Seattle, WA, Elizabeth, NJ and Miami, FL. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
for specific locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Celeste Leroux at (202) 816-0661.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates and Locations

Thursday, July 13, 2017, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

    Location: Hilton Long Beach, 701 West Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, 
CA 90831; telephone: (562) 983-3400; fax: (562) 983- 1200.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

    Location: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Seattle Airport--Southcenter, 
16500 Southcenter Parkway, Seattle, WA 98188; telephone: (206) 575-
8220; fax: (206) 575-4743.

Thursday, July 20, 2017, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

    Location: Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel, 1000 Spring Street, 
Elizabeth, NJ 07201; telephone: (908) 436-4600; fax: (908) 436-4610.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

    Location: Hilton Miami Airport, 5101 Blue Lagoon Drive, Miami, FL 
33126; telephone: (305) 262-1000; fax: (305) 267-0038.
    Additional public meetings in the U.S. and abroad may be added and 
will be announced online at least one week in advance of the meeting(s) 
at www.iuufishing.noaa.gov.

Agenda

    All meetings will discuss facets of implementing the Seafood Import 
Monitoring Program, including:
     Overview of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program.
     Implementation Timeline.
     Pilot Testing in the Automated Commercial Environment 
(ACE) for U.S. Importers.
     Traceability Data Requirements for Reporting.
     Supply Chain Data Requirements for Recordkeeping.
     Question and Answer Session.
    As part of NOAA's ongoing efforts to provide industry awareness of 
and support for compliance with the Seafood Import Monitoring Program's 
traceability data reporting and recordkeeping requirements, NMFS will 
hold public meetings to discuss the implementation of the U.S. Seafood 
Import Monitoring Program and address questions from participants.
    The meetings will address issues relevant to both foreign exporters 
and U.S. domestic importers of seafood species whose products are 
covered by the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). The mandatory 
compliance date for SIMP is January 1, 2018. Please note, however, that 
the rule has been challenged in Federal court and the resolution of 
that case may impact implementation of the rule, including the 
compliance date.
    The Seafood Import Monitoring Program is the first phase of a risk-
based traceability program, which establishes the reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements needed to prevent illegally harvested and 
misrepresented seafood from entering into U.S. Commerce. In the 
development of the SIMP rule, 13 ``priority'' species were identified 
as being most at risk for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) 
fishing and misrepresentation, and are the only species currently 
subject to this program.
    Importers of the 13 priority species (Abalone*, Atlantic Cod, 
Atlantic Blue Crab, Dolphinfish (Mahi Mahi), Grouper, Red King Crab, 
Pacific Cod, Red Snapper, Sea Cucumber, Sharks, Shrimp*, Swordfish, and 
Tunas: Albacore, Bigeye, Skipjack, Yellowfin, and Bluefin) will be 
required to submit harvest and landing information on those products 
through the International Trade Data System (ITDS) prior to entry into 
U.S. Commerce, and maintain supply chain records from the point of 
harvest to the point of entry into U.S Commerce for a period of two 
years after entry. *Note that the mandatory compliance date for Abalone 
and Shrimp has been stayed until further notice.
    Information on future SIMP implementation meetings and transcripts 
of prior meetings and webinars can be found at: http://www.iuufishing.noaa.gov/RecommendationsandActions/RECOMMENDATION1415/FinalRuleTraceability.aspx.

Special Accommodations

    The meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Celeste Leroux at (202) 816-0661 prior to the 
meeting.

    Dated: July 3, 2017.
John Henderschedt,
Director, Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-14327 Filed 7-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P