[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 28, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10838-10839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-4794]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 021495D]
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Experimental Fishing Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Receipt of experimental fishing permit applications; request
for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS has received applications from the states of Washington,
Oregon, and California for experimental fishing permits (EFPs) for
vessels participating in bycatch observation programs. The purpose of
the observation programs is to enumerate the bycatch of non-target
species in the groundfish fishery. If granted, the EFPs would allow
designated vessels operating in the groundfish fishery in the exclusive
economic zone off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California to
delay sorting, until offloading, of prohibited species and groundfish
catch in excess of trip limits. The California program would allow
participating vessels with observers to retain Pacific whiting in
excess of the nearshore trip limit in the Eureka subarea. These
activities would otherwise be prohibited by Federal regulations.
DATES: Comments must be received by February 27, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to and copies of the EFP
applications are available from William Stelle, Jr., Regional Director,
Northwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand Point
Way NE., BIN-C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or Hilda Diaz-Soltero,
Director, Southwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 501 W.
Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200,
Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson at 206-526-6140,
or Rodney R. McInnis at 310-980-4030.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by the Pacific
Coast Groundfish Management Plan and implementing regulations (50 CFR
663), which specify that EFPs may be issued to authorize fishing that
would otherwise be prohibited by the FMP and regulations. The
procedures for issuing EFPs are found at 50 CFR 663.10.
At the October 1994 meeting of the Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council), three EFP applications were received from the States
of Oregon, California, and Washington (WOC) for vessels participating
in observation programs.
The first application is from the State of Washington and is for
the continuation of the observation program in which information is
collected on the bycatch of salmon and other prohibited species in
Pacific whiting harvests delivered to shoreside processing plants. This
application differs from previous years in that there would be no
observer coverage; all observer coverage would occur onshore after the
catch is landed.
Under the second EFP application, submitted by California
Department of Fish and Game, the focus is on shore-based whiting
operations inside the 100 fathom contour in the Eureka subarea (from
43 deg.00'00'' N. lat. to 40 deg.30'00'' N. lat.), where large-scale
whiting operations are currently prohibited in order to minimize the
impacts on salmon (50 CFR 663.23(b)(3)(iii)). The California EFP
application is for the collection of data on the relative incidental
catch rates of salmon inside and outside 100 fathoms in the Eureka
subarea. The applicant requests that vessels be allowed to fish for and
retain Pacific whiting in excess of the nearshore 10,000-lb (4,536 kg)
trip limit if an observer is on board at all times, even when the
vessel operates outside the area.
The third EFP application, submitted by Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife would allow the landing of unsorted catches taken in
accordance with the proposed Oregon Trawl Commission data collection
program that is planned to begin in 1995. The intent is to obtain
representative bycatch and discard rates for groundfish and prohibited
species. Observers would gather biological data on species' age,
length, weight, sex, maturity, viability and mortality rates. The
Oregon program would be similar to the whiting observer program that
has been in effect for three seasons. Groundfish regulations at 50 CFR
663.7(b) stipulate that prohibited species must be returned to sea as
soon as practicable with a minimum of injury when caught and brought
aboard. Groundfish trip limits restrict the amount of certain
groundfish species that may be landed by a vessel (50 CFR 663.7(f)).
The EFPs, if granted, would authorize vessels participating in the
observation program to land unsorted Pacific whiting at designated
shoreside processing plants where the incidence of salmon and other
bycatch species can be monitored, on the condition that the prohibited
species and groundfish trip limit overages are turned over to the state
of landing for disposition. The states anticipate that about 30 vessels
may participate in the experimental fisheries from March 1, 1995, to
December 31, 1995. Under the EFPs, unsorted Pacific whiting catch could
be delivered to shoreside processing plants in Newport, Hammond,
Charleston, and Warrenton, OR; Crescent City, CA; and Westport and
Ilwaco, WA. State port samplers would monitor the offloading of
unsorted Pacific whiting, collect biological information on salmon and
other bycatch, and arrange for the disposal of salmon. Prohibited
species taken could not be sold; disposal options, to be determined by
the states, would include donation to charitable organizations or
reduction to fish meal.
If 71,360 metric tons (mt) of Pacific whiting were landed under the
EFPs, it is estimated that about 414 salmon would be caught
incidentally, based on the observed salmon bycatch rate of 0.0058
salmon per mt of whiting observed in 1994 (the salmon bycatch rate was
0.0110 in 1993). The continuing shoreside monitoring
[[Page 10839]] program is being pursued by the states at the request of
the Council. Similar EFPs were issued to 21 vessels in 1993 and 31
vessels in 1994 (58 FR 64296, December 6, 1993).
The Director, Northwest Region, NMFS, Regional Director has made a
preliminary determination that the applications contain all of the
required information and constitute a valid experimental program
appropriate for further consideration.
At the October meeting of the Council, the Regional Director
consulted with the Council and the directors of the state fishery
management agencies concerning the applications for permits. The
Council recommended that all three EFP applications be approved with
terms and conditions similar to those applied to the EFPs in 1994. The
decision on whether to issue EFPs and determinations on appropriate
permit conditions will be based on a number of considerations,
including the Council's recommendation and comments received from the
public.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 22, 1995.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-4794 Filed 2-22-95; 3:38 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F