SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to 46 CFR 106.115, vessel owners, operators, or charterers of U.S. documented vessels with registry endorsements or foreign flag vessels are required to provide prior notification to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) of aquaculture support operations in U.S. waters. The notification, in part, must include a copy of a MARAD-issued Aquaculture Support Operations Waiver. Pursuant to 46 U.S.C. 12102(d), the Secretary of Transportation has the authority to issue Aquaculture Support Operations Waivers to U.S. documented vessels with registry endorsements or foreign flag vessels engaged in operations that treat aquaculture fish or protect aquaculture fish from disease, parasitic infestation, or other threats to their health after a finding that suitable vessels of the United States are not available that could perform those operations. The Secretary has delegated this authority to the Maritime Administrator.

MARAD has received an Aquaculture Support Operations Waiver request from Cooke Aquaculture USA, Inc. (Cooke) for the operations of the Canadian-flag vessels COLBY PERCE, RONJA CARRIER, SADIE JANE, MISS MILDRED 1, KC COMMANDER. Cooke proposes, in part, “to use highly-specialized foreign-flag vessels referred to as a “wellboat” (or “live fish carrier”) to treat Cooke's swimming inventory of farmed Atlantic salmon in the company's salt-water grow-out pens off Maine's North Atlantic Coast. This treatment prevents against parasitic infestation by sea lice that is highly destructive to the salmon's health.” Cooke proposes to operate the vessels off Maine's North Atlantic Coast during the 2023 calendar year, from January 1 to December 31, 2023. Further details of Cooke's proposed operations may be found in the waiver request posted in the docket.

The public may submit comments providing detailed information relating to the availability of U.S.-flag vessels to perform the proposed aquaculture support operations set forth in Cooke's waiver request. Comments should reference the docket number of this notice, the vessel names, the commenter's interest in the application, and address whether there are suitable U.S. vessels available to conduct the proposed aquaculture support operations.

Privacy Act

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), MARAD solicits comments from the public to inform its decision determining the availability of suitable U.S.-flag vessels to conduct the aquaculture support operations proposed in this notice. All timely comments will be considered; however, to facilitate comment tracking, commenters should provide their name or the name of their organization. If comments contain proprietary or confidential information, commenters may contact the agency for alternate submission instructions. Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). For information on DOT's compliance with the Privacy Act, please visit https://www.transportation.gov/​privacy.

(Authority: 49 CFR 1.93(w))

87 FR 75689