[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 130 (Friday, July 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39489-39490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-3611]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 070505C]


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

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

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (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 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 Atlantic Sea Scallop 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 Regional Administrator proposes to issue an EFP that 
would allow one or more vessels to conduct fishing operations that are 
otherwise restricted by the regulations governing the fisheries of the 
Northeastern United States. The EFP would allow for exemptions from the 
Atlantic sea scallop possession and landings restrictions specified at 
50 CFR 648.53(a). The experiment proposes to conduct underwater 
videotaping of sea turtle interactions with scallop dredge gear. The 
EFP would allow these exemptions for one or more commercial vessels for 
a total of 20 days of fishing. All experimental work would be monitored 
by Coonamessett Farm, Inc., (CFI) personnel.
    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 July 25, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS, 
Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. 
Mark the outside of the envelope, ``Comments on CFI EFP Proposal for 
Sea Turtle/Scallop Dredge Interaction Study.''
     Fax: (978) 281-9135.
     E-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Frei, Fishery Management 
Specialist, phone: 978-281-9221, fax: 978-281-9135.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A request for an EFP was submitted by CFI on 
May 9, 2005, to conduct research work that is being funded through the 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) for a study to collect 
underwater video to gather additional information about sea turtle 
behavior in and around scallop dredge gear equipped with a chain mat. 
The project would investigate sea turtle behavior around scallop 
dredges and in areas where scalloping has recently occurred. 
Researchers would try to attract sea turtles using viscera and fishing 
activity to observe turtle behavior relative to the scallop dredge.
    The commercial vessel involved in the project would fish one 13-ft 
(4 m) scallop dredge outfitted with self-contained video cameras; one 
camera would be mounted in a forward-looking position, while the other 
is mounted on the towing warp to look back at the dredge. Tows would be 
concentrated in one area doing short turnaround tows. The video cameras 
would also be lowered to examine the scallop dredge path along the 
bottom as well as the scallop viscera dumping location. The vessel 
would fish off the coast of New Jersey and the Delmarva Peninsula, 
where sea turtle interactions are likely. The researcher initially 
proposed to conduct this research during the period June 15 - October 
31, 2005. The study would involve a maximum of 20 days of fishing, with 
at least six tows conducted each day. The total anticipated scallop 
catch would be 8,000 lb (3,629 kg), which would be landed and sold. It 
is

[[Page 39490]]

anticipated that the catch would be taken in 120-150 tows.
    Previous research in this area has shown bycatch to be limited. It 
is expected that fish bycatch may consist of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) of 
little skate, less than 50 lb (23 kg) of monkfish and approximately 300 
lb (136 kg) of flatfish. All incidental catch would be returned to the 
sea. If there are interactions with sea turtles, the sea turtles would 
be handled in accordance with sea turtle resuscitation regulations at 
50 CFR 223.206(d)(1). If any injured sea turtles are encountered, the 
researchers would arrange for transfer to authorized rehabilitation 
facilities. Observers from CFI would collect data on each trip.
    The possession and landing restrictions for commercial vessels 
fishing under the General Category scallop vessel permit allow such 
vessels to harvest and land up to 400 lb (181 kg) of scallops on each 
trip, with up to one landing per calendar day. In order to improve the 
success of the research project, CFI has requested an EFP to authorize 
the commercial vessels involved to land 400 lb (181 kg) for each day 
that they fish, without requiring the vessel to return to port every 
day to offload the scallop catch. This would enable the vessel to stay 
in the vicinity of sea turtles that are encountered.

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

    Dated: July 5, 2005.
Alan D. Risenhoover
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-3611 Filed 7-7-05; 8:45 am]
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