[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 10, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17353-17354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8690]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 032702A]


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

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

ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for an exempted fishing 
permit (EFP); request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: NMFS announces receipt of an application for an EFP from the 
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WSDFW). If awarded, 
the EFP would allow vessels with valid Washington state delivery 
permits that have historically fished for arrowtooth flounder to land 
certain federally managed groundfish species in excess of cumulative 
trip limits, providing the vessel carries a state-sponsored observer. 
Observers would collect total catch and effort data and retain 
specimens that are otherwise not available shoreside. This EFP proposal 
is intended to promote the objectives of the Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) by providing much-needed data on total 
catch and incidental catch rates.

DATES: DATES: Comments must be received by April 30, 2002.

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

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by the FMP and 
implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.745 and 50 CFR 660.350.
    On February 20, 2002, NMFS received a completed EFP application 
from the WSDFW. The primary purpose of this exempted fishing activity 
would be to measure bycatch rates for canary and other rockfish species 
associated with

[[Page 17354]]

fishing strategies currently used in the northern arrowtooth flounder 
fishery. The secondary purpose of the exempted fishing activity would 
be to measure bycatch rates for widow rockfish and other rockfish 
species associated with fishing strategies currently used in the mid-
water yellowtail rockfish fishery. Fishing for arrowtooth flounder and 
yellowtail rockfish, which are abundant and commercially important 
species off Washington, is constrained by efforts to rebuild canary and 
widow rockfish, both overfished species. Fishers who have historically 
fished for these species believe that the fisheries can be prosecuted 
with much lower rockfish bycatch rates than are currently assumed. A 
similar EFP, that yielded useful data on the arrowtooth flounder 
fishery, was issued in 2001.
    If issued, this EFP would allow approximately 7 vessels, which have 
historically participated in both the arrowtooth flounder and 
yellowtail rockfish fisheries, to retain and sell arrowtooth flounder, 
petrale sole, and yellowtail rockfish in excess of cumulative trip 
limits between May 1 and August 31, 2002. Other rockfish species, 
caught in excess of current trip limits and retained under the EFP, 
would be forfeited to the state. Fishing under the proposed EFP would 
be restricted to waters north of 46 deg.40' N. Lat.
    The EFP would provide for a state-sponsored observer program under 
which observers would collect much-needed data to estimate incidental 
catch rates and total catch of various species and species groups and 
collect and retain specimens of otherwise prohibited fish caught by the 
vessel. Without an EFP, groundfish regulations at 50 CFR 660.306(f) 
would continue to restrict vessels from landing groundfish species or 
species groups in excess of trip limits.
    Data collected during this project are expected to have a broad 
significance to the management of the groundfish fishery by providing 
much needed information on: (1) Total catch of rockfish in the northern 
flatfish and yellowtail rockfish fisheries; (2) catch rates of 
incidentally caught rockfish species, including canary rockfish and 
widow rockfish by fishing location; and (3) age structure data that are 
otherwise not available from landed catch. To the extent possible, data 
provided by the observers will be compatible with the data collected by 
the NMFS coastwide observer program. The information gathered through 
this EFP may lead to future rulemaking.
    At the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) November 
2001, meeting in Burlingame, CA., the applicants appeared in support of 
the application. The Council considered the EFP application and 
recommended that NMFS issue the EFP for the proposed activity. A copy 
of the application is available for review from NMFS (see ADDRESSES).

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

    Dated: April 3, 2002.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-8690 Filed 4-9-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S