[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 146 (Monday, August 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44090-44091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-4080]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 072605A]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Snapper-Grouper Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States and Coral and 
Coral Reefs Fishery in the South Atlantic; Exempted Fishing Permit

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

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

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted 
fishing permit (EFP) from Jason T. Crichton on behalf of the South 
Carolina Aquarium. If granted, the EFP would authorize the applicant, 
with certain conditions, to collect numerous species of fish and 
invertebrates from Federal waters off the coast of South Carolina from 
2005 to 2007. The collected species would be displayed at the South 
Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, SC.

[[Page 44091]]


DATES: Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., eastern standard 
time, on August 16, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the application may be sent via fax to 727-824-
5308 or mailed to: Julie Weeder, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 
13\th\ Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Comments may be 
submitted by e-mail to [email protected]. Include in the subject 
line of the e-mail document the following text: Comment on South 
Carolina Aquariums EFP Application. The application and related 
documents are available for review upon written request to the NMFS 
address above or to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Weeder, 727-824-5305; fax 727-
824-5308; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is requested under the authority of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.), and regulations at 50 CFR 600.745(b) concerning exempted 
fishing.
    According to the applicant, the South Carolina Aquarium is a not-
for-profit, educational and conservation based organization that 
displays specimens indigenous to South Carolina. The proposed 
collection for public display involves activities otherwise prohibited 
by regulations implementing the Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) for the 
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, Shrimp Fishery of 
the South Atlantic Region, Atlantic Coast Red Drum, Spiny Lobster in 
the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, and Coastal Migratory Pelagic 
Resources in Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
    The applicant requires authorization to harvest and possess up to 
50 spiny lobster, 750 penaeid shrimp, 6 wahoo, 50 pompano, 25 porkfish, 
25 sheepshead, 24 triggerfish (Balistes spp.), 125 porgies (Calamus 
spp.), 6 ocean triggerfish, 75 jacks (Caranx spp.), 50 sea basses 
(Centropristis spp.), 75 spadefish, 85 groupers (Epinephelus spp.), 115 
grunts (Haemulon spp.), 3 puddingwife, 150 snappers (Lutjanus spp.), 25 
sand tilefish, 100 groupers (Myctoperca spp.), 12 yellowtail snapper, 
25 red porgy, 12 cobia, 25 vermilion snapper, 25 red drum, 25 cero, and 
100 jacks (Seriola spp.). Collections would occur in Federal waters off 
the coast of South Carolina between August 1, 2005 and July 31, 2007. 
Specimens would be collected using the following gear and methods: hand 
nets, dip nets, vertical hook-and-line and trolling with rod and reel 
and natural and artificial bait, sea bass pots, spiny lobster traps, 
and golden crab traps.
    NMFS finds that this application warrants further consideration, 
based on a preliminary review, and intends to issue an EFP. Possible 
conditions the agency may impose on this permit, if it is indeed 
granted, include but are not limited to: Reduction in the number of 
specimens of any or all species to be collected; restrictions on the 
size of fish to be collected; prohibition of the harvest of any fish 
with visible external tags; and specification of locations, dates, and/
or seasons allowed for collection of any or all species. A final 
decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on a NMFS review of public 
comments received on the application, conclusions of environmental 
analyses conducted pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, 
and consultations with South Carolina, the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard. The applicant requests a 
24-month effective period for the EFP.

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

    Dated: July 26, 2005.
Alan D. Risenhoover
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-4080 Filed 7-29-E5; 8:45 am]
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