83 FR 63831 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS); Atlantic HMS Tournament Registration and Reporting; Selection of All Atlantic HMS Tournaments for Reporting

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 238 (December 12, 2018)

NMFS announces that all Atlantic HMS tournaments will be selected for reporting beginning on January 1, 2019. Previously, only a portion of Atlantic HMS tournaments were selected for reporting. An Atlantic HMS tournament is a tournament that awards points or prizes for catching Atlantic HMS (i.e., swordfish, billfish, sharks and/or tunas). When selected for reporting, Atlantic HMS tournament operators are required to submit an HMS tournament catch summary report within seven days after tournament fishing has ended. NMFS uses the data to estimate the total annual catch of HMS and the impact of tournament operations in relation to other types of fishing activities.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63831-63832]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26895]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG598


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS); Atlantic HMS Tournament 
Registration and Reporting; Selection of All Atlantic HMS Tournaments 
for Reporting

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that all Atlantic HMS tournaments will be 
selected for reporting beginning on January 1, 2019. Previously, only a 
portion of Atlantic HMS tournaments were selected for reporting. An 
Atlantic HMS tournament is a tournament that awards points or prizes 
for catching Atlantic HMS (i.e., swordfish, billfish, sharks and/or 
tunas). When selected for reporting, Atlantic HMS tournament operators 
are required to submit an HMS tournament catch summary report within 
seven days after tournament fishing has ended. NMFS uses the data to 
estimate the total annual catch of HMS and the impact of tournament 
operations in relation to other types of fishing activities.

DATES: Selection of all Atlantic HMS tournaments for reporting will 
begin January 1, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicolas Alvarado at 727-209-5955 or 
727-824-5398 (fax), or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    The U.S. Atlantic HMS fisheries are managed under the 2006 
Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan and its amendments. 
Implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 635 are issued under the 
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., and the Atlantic 
Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. ATCA authorizes the 
Secretary of Commerce to promulgate regulations, as may be necessary 
and appropriate, to implement recommendations of the International 
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
    An Atlantic HMS tournament is a tournament that awards points or 
prizes for catching Atlantic HMS (swordfish, billfish, sharks and/or 
tunas). Existing regulations at Sec.  635.5(d) require Atlantic HMS 
tournament operators to register their tournaments with NMFS four weeks 
in advance of the tournament.

[[Page 63832]]

When registering, operators must provide contact information and the 
tournament's date(s), location(s), and target species. In addition, HMS 
tournament registration provides a method for tournament operators to 
request educational and regulatory outreach materials from NMFS.
    In addition to requiring tournament operators to register, the 
regulations at Sec.  635.5(d) also authorize NMFS to select HMS 
tournaments for reporting. Currently, all billfish and swordfish 
tournaments are selected for reporting. When selected for reporting, 
Atlantic HMS tournament operators are required to submit an HMS 
tournament catch summary report within seven days after tournament 
fishing has ended.
    NMFS recently developed the online Atlantic Tournament Registration 
and Reporting (ATR) system that allows tournament operators to easily 
register their tournaments and report. For over a year, NMFS received 
positive feedback from tournament operators about the ease of use of 
the ATR system.
    In this notice, NMFS announces that all Atlantic HMS tournaments, 
not just billfish and swordfish tournaments, will be selected for 
reporting beginning on January 1, 2019. The estimated burden to the 
public for all HMS tournaments to report has already been approved 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act (OMB 0648-0323). NMFS does not expect 
the burden on tournaments to increase as most of the catch data in the 
summary report is routinely collected in the course of regular 
tournament operations and all tournament operators may use the ATR 
system to report. NMFS uses the data collected in these reports to 
estimate the total annual catch of HMS and the potential impacts to 
tournament operations in relation to other types of fishing activities. 
For more information about Atlantic HMS tournament registration and 
reporting, please go to https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/atlantic-highly-migratory-species-tournaments.

    Dated: December 7, 2018.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-26895 Filed 12-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P