[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 30835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14660]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 600 and 648

[I.D. 052797F]


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic 
Fisheries; Applications for Experimental Fishing Permits (EFPs)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of experimental fishery proposals; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice to announce that the Regional 
Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is 
considering approval of two experimental fishing proposals that would 
permit vessels to conduct operations otherwise restricted by 
regulations governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United States. 
The experimental fisheries would involve a longline fishery for white 
hake (Urophycis tenuis) in deep water and an Atlantic halibut 
(Hippoglossus hippoglossus) longline fishery in northern Gulf of Maine 
waters. Provisions under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act require publication of this notice to provide interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed experimental 
fisheries.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by June 20, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Andrew A. Rosenberg, Ph.D., 
Regional Administrator, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on 
Proposed Longline Experimental Fisheries.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dana Hartley, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 508-281-9226.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A request for an exemption to fish for white 
hake using longline gear in three designated deepwater areas of the 
northwestern Atlantic was submitted by Ms. Barbara Stevenson. An 
experimental fishery permit would authorize vessels to evaluate area, 
gear, and season to determine bycatch of regulated multispecies. A 
request for an exemption for a longline halibut fishery in the Gulf of 
Maine that would allow NMFS to investigate area and gear, and to 
collect basic biological information about halibut in this area was 
submitted by Mr. Steve Rosen. These fisheries were initially requested 
by industry members seeking an exemption from the days-at-sea 
restrictions of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. 
Such exemptions may be authorized by the Regional Administrator on a 
long-term basis if sufficient data exist to show that a fishery would 
have a bycatch rate of less than 5 percent of regulated multispecies. 
The Regional Administrator has concluded that the existing bycatch data 
on these two fisheries is insufficient and seeks comment on his 
proposal to authorize them as experimental fisheries to investigate 
operational controls that may allow these fisheries to become exempted 
in the future. Therefore, comments are requested on these proposals as 
experimental fishery projects. Both proposed experimental fisheries 
would be of limited duration. The hake fishery would not exceed 1 year 
and the halibut fishery would operate for 6 months. After 1 year, both 
fisheries will be reviewed by the New England Fishery Management 
Council to determine whether or not they would be appropriate for 
exempted fisheries. The white hake project would not allow for the 
landing of any regulated multispecies other than white hake, whereas 
the halibut project would not allow the landing of any regulated 
multispecies.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: May 29, 1997.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-14660 Filed 6-4-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F