[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 171 (Friday, September 3, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48337-48338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23087]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 600 and 648

[I.D. 082099A]


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 experimental fishing proposal; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator), is considering approval of two EFPs to 
conduct experimental fishing activities. EFPs would allow vessels to 
conduct operations otherwise restricted by

[[Page 48338]]

regulations governing the black sea bass fishery, and would exempt 
vessels from possession and size restrictions. Two EFPS would be 
required to conduct experimental fishing activities involving the 
possession and retention of 2,500 sublegal wild stock black sea bass 
(Centropristis striata) in areas of the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays 
with industry-standard black sea bass fish pots. The collection of 
these specimens will augment a cultured black sea bass collection 
obtained from the University of Rhode Island. This study is being 
conducted to support the applied portion of a customized aquaculture 
training program designed to educate fishers on the basics of fish and 
shellfish culture. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act provisions require publication of this 
document to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on 
the proposed EFPs.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 20, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Regional Administrator, NMFS, 
Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. 
Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on Proposed Experimental 
Fisheries.''

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean 
County (RCE) has submitted a proposal to enlist two federally permitted 
vessels to collect 2,500 sublegal (3 to 6 in (7.6 to 15.2 cm)) black 
sea bass (Centropristis striata) using approximately 150 black sea bass 
pots from the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays, New Jersey. Specifically, 
the study will encompass the area bound by the following coordinates: 
40 deg. 26'N. latitude on the South to 40 deg. 30'N. latitude on the 
north, and 73 deg.52'W. longitude on the east to 74 deg.04'W. longitude 
on the west.
    This applied segment of an industry-based aquaculture training 
program intends to address two main objectives: (1) Broaden the 
participant's knowledge of the growth and survival rates of cultured 
and wildstock black sea bass in a recirculating system; and (2) 
evaluate the economic efficacy of juvenile black sea bass grow out in a 
recirculating system operating under full capacity, and the associated 
cost-benefit ratio. The black sea bass will be harvested in industry 
standard vinyl coated wire pots with mesh sizes of 1 in x 1-1/4 in 
(2.54 cm x 3.2 cm). The black sea bass pots will not be modified in any 
way, except that the escape vents will be closed to retain the 
undersized black sea bass. Once caught, the sublegal black sea bass 
will be transported to the Port of Belford, New Jersey, and placed in 
4, 15-gallon (56.77 liter) recirculating tanks for grow out and 
eventual sale to the market.
    The RCE had previously requested that the New Jersey Department of 
Environmental Protection (NJDEP) agree to exempt the black sea bass 
taken under this exempted fishing permit from the state's landing 
quota. However, the NJDEP decided that once the black sea bass is sold 
to market at legal size (10 in (25.4 cm)), it would count against the 
state's landing quota.
    The students (commercial vessel operators) participating in the 
training program will be under the supervision of RCE personnel during 
all phases of at-sea operations.
    The NJDEP has granted the RCE a harvesting permit to collect fish 
in the marine, fresh, and estuarine waters of the State. The two 
federally permitted vessels participating in this program will commence 
collection of sublegal-size black sea bass in Federal waters as soon as 
the RCE receives the necessary authorizations from NMFS. It is 
anticipated that the collection of sublegal-size black sea bass will 
take approximately one month. No other species besides black sea bass 
will be harvested. Any regulated species caught incidental to black sea 
bass will be returned immediately to the sea.
    EFPs would be issued to participating vessels to exempt them from 
the possession and size restrictions (see 50 CFR Sec. 648.143) of the 
Fishery Management Plan for Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass.

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

    Dated: August 30, 1999.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-23087 Filed 9-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F