[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 185 (Friday, September 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57269-57270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-2363]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 092104A]


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic 
Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits

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

ACTION: Notification of a proposal for EFPs to conduct experimental 
fishing; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator) 
has made a preliminary determination that the subject Exempted Fishing 
Permit (EFP) application contains all the required information and 
warrants further consideration. The Assistant Regional Administrator 
has also made a preliminary determination that the activities 
authorized under the EFP would be consistent with the goals and 
objectives of the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP). However, further review and consultation may be necessary before 
a final determination is made to issue the EFP. Therefore, NMFS 
announces that the Assistant Regional Administrator proposes to 
recommend that an EFP be issued that would allow one vessel to conduct 
fishing operations that are otherwise restricted by the regulations 
governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United States. The EFP may 
allow for exemptions from the NE multispecies rolling closure areas and 
the days-at-sea (DAS) effort control program for up to 16 DAS for 
testing a bycatch reducing gear modification. 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 document must be received on or before October 
12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this notice may be submitted by e-mail. The 
mailbox address for providing e-mail comments is [email protected]. 
Include in the subject line of the e-mail comment the following 
document identifier: ``Comments on UNH Double Grid Gear Modification 
EFP Proposal.'' 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 UNH Double Grid Gear Modification EFP Proposal.'' 
Comments may also be sent via facsimile (fax) to (978) 281-9135.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Hooker, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
phone 978-281-9220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bart McNeel, in cooperation with the 
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension (UNH), submitted an 
application for an EFP on May 21, 2004. This is a continuation of a 
project that was begun in 2002. This EFP would authorize one commercial 
vessel to conduct sea trials using a double grid excluder device. The 
final phase of this 2-year study would be conducted by UNH with the 
goal of designing a trawl gear through modifications to the grid bar 
orientations to release sub-legal sized cod and flatfish species 
incidental to the catch, while retaining fish of marketable size. To 
accomplish this, the commercial fishing vessel would conduct trawl net 
gear trials using the double grid excluder device within the Gulf of 
Maine (GOM) and Georges Bank area from 40[deg]30' N. latitude to the 
coast of Maine, excluding the Western and

[[Page 57270]]

Eastern U.S./Canada Areas and all groundfish year-round closure areas.
    The fishing portion of this study began in March 2002. The 
applicant requests an exemption from 16 DAS to complete the project 
during the 2004 fishing year. Based upon the catch rates from eight 
days of fishing in the 2003 fishing year, the following catch is 
estimated for the 2004 fishing year: Cod 7,200 lb (3,266 kg); American 
plaice 992 lb (450 kg); witch flounder 688 lb (312 kg); haddock 1,376 
lb (624 kg); monkfish 2,317 lb (1,051 kg); pollock 144 lb (65 kg); and 
white hake 400 lb (181 kg). Estimated discards are estimated to be: Cod 
5,008 lb (2,272 kg); dogfish 9,008 lb (4,085 kg); American plaice 112 
lb (51 kg); witch flounder 32 lb (15 kg); herring 2,608 lb (1,183 kg); 
lobster 32 lb (15 kg); monkfish 48 lb (22 kg); whiting 800 lb (363 kg); 
skate 64 lb (29 kg); and white hake 2,528 lb (1,147 kg). All undersized 
fish would be returned to the sea as quickly as possible. Legal-sized 
fish that would otherwise have to be discarded would be allowed to be 
retained and sold within the applicable GOM possession limits. The 
participating vessel would be required to report all landings in its 
Vessel Trip Report.

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

    Dated: September 21, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-2363 Filed 9-23-04; 8:45 am]
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