Establishment of National Minimum Insurance Standard for National Marine Fisheries Service Programs That Permit or Approve Observer Providers

Résumé

NMFS issues this final rule to establish a uniform, nationally consistent minimum insurance standard that would apply in regional regulatory programs that authorize an observer provider to deploy a person in any mandatory or voluntary observer program and that specify responsibilities of authorized providers. NMFS has concluded that this action is necessary to clarify the types of insurance that are appropriate to address the financial risks that observer coverage presents in any federally managed fishery that is subject to observer coverage. This rule also revises regional observer program regulations to reference the national minimum insurance standard. The rule does not modify existing regional observer program regulatory procedures that specify how an observer provider demonstrates compliance with insurance requirements.