[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8487-8488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4138]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 020403B]


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 two proposals for EFPs to conduct experimental 
fishing; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional 
Administrator) has made a preliminary determination that the EFP 
applications from the University of Rhode Island (URI)

[[Page 8488]]

contain all the required information and warrant further consideration. 
The Regional Administrator has also made a preliminary determination 
that the activities authorized under the EFPs would be consistent with 
the goals and objectives of the Northeast (NE) Summer Flounder, Scup, 
and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and does not 
detrimentally affect the well being of any stock of fish likely to be 
taken during the experiment. Therefore, NMFS announces that the 
Regional Administrator proposes to issue two EFPs that would allow 
vessels to conduct fishing operations that are otherwise restricted by 
the regulations governing the fisheries of the NE United States. The 
first EFP, hereafter referred to as the summer flounder EFP, would 
allow for an exemption from the NE summer flounder gear restrictions 
specified at 50 CFR 648.104. The second EFP, hereafter referred to as 
the scup EFP, would allow for an exemption from the NE scup closure 
restrictions specified at 50 CFR 648.121.
    For the summer flounder EFP, the exempted fishing activity would 
support research to test large mesh experimental codends to determine 
their ability to reduce regulatory discards and bycatch of other 
species when fishing for commercial summer flounder. The testing will 
occur off the coast of Rhode Island. For the scup EFP, the exempted 
fishing activity would support research to test large mesh experimental 
codends for their ability to reduce sublegal scup discards when fishing 
for commercial scup. The testing will occur off the coast of Southern 
New England and the inshore waters of Rhode Island. 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 these documents must be received on or before March 
10, 2003.

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 either 
``Comments on University of Rhode Island Summer Flounder Codend Mesh 
Size EFP Proposal,'' or ``Comments on University of Rhode Island Scup 
Codend Mesh Size EFP Proposal.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Blackburn, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9326, fax (978) 281-9135, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applications for two EFPs were submitted 
by URI for research being funded by awards under the Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council's Research Set-Aside (RSA) program 
administered by the NMFS Northeast Region.

Summer Flounder EFP Proposal

    The applicant is requesting an exemption for four commercial 
vessels from the NE summer flounder gear restrictions specified at 50 
CFR 648.104 for 24 days of at-sea gear testing. The objective of the 
research is to test large mesh experimental codends to determine their 
ability to reduce regulatory discards and bycatch of other species. The 
experimental design will test the selectivity of four experimental 
codend mesh sizes and shapes, 6.5 and 7.0 inch diamond mesh, and 7.0 
and 8.0 inch square mesh, compared to the selectivity of a control net 
with a 3-inch small mesh codend. The sea trials would be conducted off 
the coast of Rhode Island during the months of April through September 
2003.
    It is estimated that the total catch of summer flounder will be 
24,000 lb (10886 kg), with an estimated bycatch of 5,000 lb (2268 kg) 
of scup, 2,000 lb (907 kg) of longfin squid, and 1,000 lb (454 kg) of 
black sea bass. These fish will be landed in Rhode Island. It is 
further estimated that 2,000 lb (907 kg) of summer flounder, 5,000 lb 
(2268 kg) of scup, and 1,000 lb (454 kg) of black sea bass will be 
discarded during the research operations. Two URI fisheries researchers 
would be aboard each vessel during all experimental sea trials. All the 
areas surveyed during this experiment will be open to fishing, and only 
fish from legal open seasons will be retained from the Exclusive 
Economic Zone.
    This experimental work is important because it could lead to the 
development of gear that could improve the size selection of the nets 
for summer flounder, reduce regulatory discards, and reduce bycatch of 
other fish species.

Scup EFP Proposal

    The applicant is requesting an exemption for one commercial vessel 
from the NE scup closure restrictions specified at 50 CFR 648.121 for 6 
days of at-sea gear testing. The objective of the research is to 
compare large mesh experimental codends, to a legal sized codend, to 
determine their ability to reduce sublegal scup discards. The 
experimental design will test two experimental codend mesh sizes, 6.0 
inch and 6.5 inch square mesh. The sea trials would be conducted off 
the coast of Rhode Island during the months of April through July 2003.
    It is estimated that the total catch of scup will be 20,000 lb 
(9,072 kg), with an estimated bycatch of 1,000 lb (454 kg) of squid, 
1,000 lb (454 kg) of summer flounder, and 1,200 lb (544 kg) of black 
sea bass. These fish will be landed in Rhode Island. It is further 
estimated that 2,000 lb (907 kg) of scup, and minimal amounts of other 
species, will be discarded during the research operations. Two URI 
fisheries researchers would be aboard each vessel during all 
experimental sea trials. With the exception of scup, only fish from 
legal open seasons will be retained from the Exclusive Economic Zone.
    This experimental work is important because it could lead to the 
development of gear that could reduce sublegal scup discards, and 
thereby reduce scup mortality.
    Based on the results of the EFPs, these actions could result in 
future rulemaking.

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

    Dated: February 13, 2003.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-4138 Filed 2-20-03; 8:45 am]
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