[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 176 (Monday, September 11, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54833-54834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23285]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 090600B]


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 a proposal for EFPs to conduct experimental 
fishing; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination to issue 
EFPs to conduct experimental fishing operations otherwise restricted by 
the regulations governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United 
States. The Northeast Region has received a request to allow several 
purse seine vessels to fish in Closed Area I. Therefore, this document 
invites comments on the issuance of EFPs to conduct experimental 
fishing with a maximum of 5 commercial fishing vessels. The EFPs would 
allow tuna purse seine vessels to fish for giant bluefin tuna in 
Northeast Multispecies Closed Area I, where purse seine gear is 
normally prohibited. This exempted fishery would allow NMFS and the New 
England Fishery Management Council to evaluate the feasibility of 
allowing this type of gear in the closed area as an exempted gear on a 
permanent basis.

DATES: Comments on this document must be received by September 12, 
2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, 
Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn 
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope 
``Comments on Proposed EFP Proposal.'' Comments may also be sent via 
facsimile (fax) to (978) 281-9135. Comments will not be accepted if 
submitted via e-mail or the Internet.

[[Page 54834]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul H. Jones or Peter W. Christopher, 
Fishery Policy Analysts, (978) 281-9273 and (978) 281-9288.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Georges Bank and Southern New England Southern New England 
(SNE) multispecies closed areas were established under the Northeast 
Multispecies FMP to provide protection to concentrations of 
multispecies, particularly for cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder. 
Consequently, all fishing in these closed areas was prohibited, with 
few exceptions. The exceptions were limited to fisheries that are known 
to have a very low occurrence of multispecies bycatch. For example, 
pelagic midwater trawl was determined to have a negligible catch of 
multispecies because the gear fishes well off the ocean floor; 
therefore, it is an allowed gear in the Georges Bank and SNE closed 
areas. Purse seine gear is a pelagic gear that is typically used to 
target species such as herring, mackerel, and tuna concentrated at or 
near the surface of the ocean. It is not designed to fish for species 
at or near the ocean floor and is typically considered to have very 
little interaction with bottom dwelling species. However, observer data 
from the tuna purse seine fishery from 1996, the last year this fishery 
carried observers, do document a small catch of groundfish and bottom-
dwelling organisms.

Proposed EFP

    The proposed EFP would exempt purse seine vessels fishing for giant 
bluefin tuna under 50 CFR part 635 from the gear restrictions of Closed 
Area I, as described at 50 CFR 648.81(a). There would be no more than 5 
vessels fishing individual quotas, which may be taken through the end 
of the fishing year, but are usually taken by the middle of October. 
Because these fish are migrating, it is expected that the fishery would 
take place within the closed area for only a few weeks. If selected, 
vessels would be required to carry observers, if requested by NMFS, who 
would document catch of all species, interactions of the net with the 
bottom, and any incidental take of marine mammals and endangered 
species. After any sampling requested by an observer, all multispecies 
would be required to be discarded.
    EFPs would be issued to the participating vessels in accordance 
with the conditions stated therein, and will exemptvessels from the 
restrictions of Closed Area I of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan.

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

    Dated: September 6, 2000.
William T. Hogarth,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-23285 Filed 9-6-00; 4:46 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S