[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 141 (Friday, July 23, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 39965-39966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18883]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[ID. 052799B]


Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Exempted Fishing Permit

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

ACTION: Receipt of an application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP).

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces receipt of an application for an EFP that would 
permit the Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative and the Midwater 
Trawlers Cooperative to use trawl gear to conduct a pre-recruit survey 
for Pacific whiting.

[[Page 39966]]

Such information could improve the ability to determine whiting yields. 
An EFP is needed to authorize the use of a 1.5 cm mesh liner, smaller 
than legal 3-inch mesh allowed for midwater trawl gear, that applicants 
will use to catch pre-recruit whiting. An EFP is also needed to allow 
the vessels to operate at times and in areas which Federal regulations 
would otherwise prohibit.

DATES: The survey will begin in July 1999, and is expected to be 
completed in about 6 weeks.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the EFP are available from Becky Renko, Northwest 
Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Becky Renko 206-526-6110.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and by the implementing 
regulations at 50 CFR 600.745, which state that EFPs may be used to 
authorize fishing activities that would otherwise be prohibited.
    An EFP application from Dr. Vidar Wespestad, who represents the 
Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative (the catcher/processor fleet 
representative in the whiting fishery) and the Midwater Trawlers 
Cooperative, and a supporting cover memorandum from NMFS, were received 
and considered by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) at 
an April 5-9, 1999, meeting in Sacramento, CA. The Council discussed 
the EFP application, solicited public comment on it, and recommended 
issuance of the EFP.
    The applicant proposes to use two trawl vessels to conduct a pre-
recruit survey to establish an annual recruitment index for assessing 
Pacific whiting year-class strength off the coasts of Washington, 
Oregon, and California. Such a recruitment survey is consistent with 
research and data needs identified by the Council for 1998-2000. This 
EFP would further support a cooperative industry/NMFS program that 
started in 1998.
    During this project, the applicant anticipates a catch of 
approximately 42 metric tons (mt) of whiting, less than 0.02 percent of 
the 1999 optimum yield, and an incidental catch of less than 7 mt 
(consisting of Pacific herring, sanddab, jack mackerel, spiny dogfish, 
yellowtail rockfish, widow rockfish, sablefish, flatfish, and others). 
The applicant expects a low incidental take of chinook salmon 
(approximately 45 fish). Except for small quantities preserved for 
laboratory study, or to fill Federal, state, or university requests, 
the applicant will not retain any fish caught. The applicant expects 
that the whiting taken will be too small and too fragile to sell or 
donate to a foodbank. Hence, the applicant will discard the whiting at 
sea after biological samples of whiting are collected.
    The survey will begin south of Monterey Bay at 36o40' 
north latitude and proceed north to 48o20' north latitude. 
Trawl stations will be set at 20 mile intervals and located between the 
50 and 200 meter depth contours. The trawl gear used in this survey 
will be comparable to that used by NMFS survey vessels.

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

    Dated: July 19, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-18883 Filed 7-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F