[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 12427-12428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6569]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 030398B]


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

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

ACTION: Notification of two proposals for EFPs to conduct experimental 
fishing; 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 EFPs to conduct experimental fishing that 
would permit vessels to conduct operations otherwise restricted by 
regulations governing the Fisheries of the Northeastern United States. 
These EFPS to conduct experimental fishing would involve the possession 
and retention of northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), including the 
possible capture and release of regulated multispecies and other 
bycatch, in the Small Mesh Northern Shrimp Exemption Area within the 
Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area. Regulations under the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act provisions 
require publication of this notice to provide interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on the proposed EFPs.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 30, 1998.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bonnie VanPelt, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9244.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Maine Department of Marine Resources 
(MEDMR) has submitted two proposals to investigate the selectivity of 
different configuration and mesh size nets used to target northern 
shrimp (Pandalus borealis) within the Small Mesh Northern Shrimp 
Exemption Area.
    The first experiment (Exp. 1) proposes to test experimental codend 
nets against

[[Page 12428]]

control codend nets to determine the mesh size and configuration that 
are most selective, i.e., that enables more juvenile shrimp to escape. 
The second experiment (Exp. 2) would employ the more selective net, as 
determined from the first experiment, as the control net. Exp. 2 would 
incorporate chafing gear by attaching it to the bottom half of some of 
the experimental codends to test whether the assessed selectivity 
factor would be altered in any way.
    On February 5, 1998, MEDMR submitted two applications for EFPs to 
conduct the proposed projects. Exp. 1 and Exp. 2 would run 
consecutively, so that the results from Exp. 1 can ultimately determine 
the design of Exp. 2. Exp. 1 would begin as soon as possible and would 
involve up-to-10 commercial fishing vessels. Exp. 2 would follow Exp. 1 
and would involve one specified vessel. Both experiments would be 
conducted on the proposed gear trials using otter trawls with properly 
configured Finfish Excluder Devices. All trawl bodies and extensions 
would be comprised of 1-\3/4\ in (44.5 mm) 54 thread braided nylon 
diamond mesh. The codend would be at least 100 meshes long.
    Exp. 1 proposes to conduct trawl surveys using five different 
experimental codend mesh sizes of different thread sizes against a 
control codend of 1-\1/4\ in (31.8 mm) mesh size. Phase 1 of Exp. 2 
proposes to test experimental codends of different configurations and 
mesh sizes with one being modified by the addition of chafing gear to 
test for variability in selectivity. For this series of tows, the 
control codend would be the industry standard of 1-\3/4\ in (44.5 mm) 
diamond mesh. The second phase of Exp. 2 would conduct trawl surveys 
using the size and configuration net that has been determined to be 
more selective from Exp. 1 as a control against four experimental 
codends. The four experimental trawls will be assembled with a Nordmore 
grate system of 1 in (25.4 mm) spacing. Finfish would be retained only 
for the purpose of obtaining length frequencies, and in all cases 
finfish would be released.
    EFPs would be issued to participating vessels to exempt them from 
the mesh size, minimum fish size, and days-at-sea restrictions of the 
Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. Participating vessels 
will also carry a certificate exempting them from the minimum mesh size 
requirement of 1-\3/4\ in (44.5 mm) as established by the Atlantic 
States Marine Fisheries Commission for vessels enrolled in the Northern 
Shrimp Small Mesh Exemption Program.

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

    Dated: March 9, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-6569 Filed 3-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F