[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 27, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16645-16646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7542]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 031401E]


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic 
Fisheries; Application 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.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination to issue 
an EFP that would allow six vessels to conduct fishing operations 
otherwise restricted by the regulations governing the fisheries of the 
northeastern United States. The Maine Department of Marine Resources 
(Maine DMR) has submitted an application for the issuance of EFPs to 
six commercial longline and tub trawl vessels. The EFPs would allow six 
federally permitted vessels to fish for and possess Atlantic halibut 
(Hippoglossus hippoglossus) within a portion of the Gulf of Maine/
Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area in excess of the possession limit. The 
EFP would also authorize these vessels to land legal-sized Atlantic 
halibut for commercial sale in excess of the landing limit. The purpose 
of the experiment is to continue the collection of data on the 
distribution, relative abundance, migration, stock definition, 
mortality rates, stock size, yield, and other significant biological 
reference points of Atlantic halibut to be used in the long-term 
management of the species. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this 
notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment 
on applications for proposed EFPs.

DATES: Comments on this notification must be received at the 
appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) on or before April 
11, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Patricia Kurkul, Regional 
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on 
EFP Proposal.'' Comments may also be sent via facisimile (fax) to (978) 
281-9135.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Ferreira, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9103.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Maine DMR submitted an industry cooperative 
proposal on November 14, 2000, for six EFPs to fish for and possess 
Atlantic halibut in a portion of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank 
Regulated Mesh Area. The proposed experiment is a continuation of an 
experimental fishery conducted in 2000 to gather biological information 
on Atlantic halibut to be used in the long-term management of this 
species.
    The study would occur from April 1 through May 31, 2001, and take 
place in the eastern Gulf of Maine in an area defined by the following 
coordinates:

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             Area Point                                      N. Latitude                                              W. Longitude
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HAL 1                                                                 Mainland Maine Coastline                                               69 deg. 00"
HAL 2                                                                            43 deg. 12.3"                                               69 deg. 00"
HAL 3                                                                            43 deg. 58.3"                                             67 deg. 21.5"
HAL 4\*\                                     Mainland Maine Coastline and U.S./Canada Maritime         Mainland Maine Coastline and U.S./Canada Maritime
                                                                                      Boundary                                                  Boundary
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\*\Between points HAL 3 and HAL 4, the area follows the U.S./Canada maritime boundary.

    The industry collaborative experiment involves Maine DMR, with 
consultation provided by the NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center 
(Center). The experiment proposes to continue the collection of data on 
the distribution, relative abundance, migration, stock definition, 
mortality rates, stock size, yield, and other significant biological 
reference points of Atlantic halibut in the eastern Gulf of Maine. In 
addition, the experiment would collect information on age and growth, 
size and sex composition, and rate and onset of sexual maturity.
    The gear to be used during the experiment would consist of 
traditional longline and tub trawl gear. Vessels would be limited to a 
maximum number of 700 hooks per boat, and restricted to using circle 
hooks no smaller than 14/0 in size.
    The maximum number of vessels participating in the experiment at a 
given time would be six, and the maximum number of Atlantic halibut to 
be harvested would be 1,080 fish--the amount of halibut requested for 
the 2000 experimental fishery. The maximum number of fish that could be 
harvested equates to 180 fish per vessel (1,080 divided by 6). Maine 
DMR has further proposed that each vessel be given a 50-fish total 
allowable catch (TAC). Once this TAC is reached, each vessel would be 
restricted to landing six fish per vessel per day, the same as for the 
2000 experiment.
    Logbooks would be used to obtain information on length of all 
halibut caught, whether retained or released, time and place of all 
halibut caught, tag number (as applicable), amount of gear used, bait 
type used, and identification and measurement on any other species 
caught as bycatch. For all halibut that are retained, stomachs and 
gonads would be preserved, otoliths extracted, and the corresponding 
fish length recorded. All halibut less than 36 inches (91.44 cm) total 
length (TL) would be sampled for scales, measured, tagged and released. 
Only legal-sized halibut would be retained for commercial sale.
    Training in the procedures for collecting this information would be 
provided by Maine DMR and/or Center personnel. All participants would 
also be required to complete a training program in the tagging and 
release of Atlantic halibut. Maine Sea Grant will provide this training 
program, with the assistance and guidance of the Pacific Halibut 
Commission. All participants in the experimental fishery would be 
required to sample retained halibut for

[[Page 16646]]

otoliths and non-retained halibut for scales, as well as other 
biological information, or samples as requested by Maine DMR and/or the 
Center.
    Vessels may be required to carry onboard observers as requested by 
NMFS and Maine DMR. Onboard observers will be trained by Maine DMR and/
or Center personal in the protocols of the experiment. Maine DMR 
observer staff, Maine Sea Grant staff and University of Maine students 
would be utilized as observers for this experiment.
    EFPs would be issued to up to six participating federally permitted 
vessels at any one time to exempt them from landing and possession 
limits for Atlantic halibut. These EFPs would also authorize the 
vessels to land for commercial sale Atlantic halibut that conform with 
the minimum size requirement of 36 inches (91.44 cm) TL.

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

    Dated: March 21, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-7542 Filed 3-26-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S