(SitNews) - NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service will hold a series of public informational meetings with Southeast Alaska purse seine salmon permit holders and interested individuals. 

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).

• Seattle — Monday, March 5, 2012, 10 a.m.-noon at the Nordby Conference Center at Fishermen’s Terminal, 3919 18th Avenue West
• Petersburg, AK — Tuesday, March 6, 2012, noon- 2 p.m.  at the City Council Chambers, Municipal Building, No. 12 South Nordic Drive
• Ketchikan, AK — Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 10 a.m. –noon  at the Ted Ferry Civic Center, 888 Venetia Avenue
• Sitka, AK — Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 7-9 p.m. at the Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, 1308 Sawmill Creek Road
  

NMFS published proposed program regulations to implement the program on May 23, 2011 (76 FR 29707): http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-05-23/pdf/2011-12650.pdf

Final program regulations were published on October 6, 2011 (76 FR 61986): http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-10-06/pdf/2011-25750.pdf

Interested persons should review these for further program details. The final regulations require NMFS to publish this notice before conducting a referendum to determine the industry’s willingness to repay a fishing capacity reduction loan to purchase the permits identified in the reduction plan.

Subsequently, the Southeast Revitalization Association submitted a capacity reduction plan to NMFS and NMFS approved the plan.

As of February 24, 2012, there are 379 permits in the fishery designated as S01A by CFEC. These permanent permit holders are eligible to vote in the referendum. NMFS will update the list, as necessary, immediately before mailing referendum ballots. Mailed ballots will be accompanied by NMFS’ detailed voting guidance. 

Comments and questions regarding any aspect of the fishing capacity reduction program are welcome. Contact Michael A. Sturtevant at (301) 427–8799, fax (301) 713–1306, or michael.a.sturtevant@noaa.gov.

On the Web:

Link to the Federal Register notice
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-03-01/pdf/2012-4985.pdf

Source of News: 

NOAA
www.noaa.gov

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