[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13357-13358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3703]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 031006A]


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: Notice; 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 an Exempted Fishing Permit 
(EFP) application submitted by the Mount Desert Oceanarium (MDO), 
Southwest Harbor, ME, contains all of the required information and 
warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow one fishing vessel 
to fish for, retain, and land small numbers of regulated fish species, 
and several unmanaged fish and invertebrate species, for the purpose of 
public display. The Assistant Regional Administrator has made a 
preliminary determination that the activities authorized under this EFP 
would be consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery 
Management Plans (FMPs) for these species. However, further review and 
consultation may be necessary before a final determination is made to 
issue an EFP.
    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 must be received on or before March 30, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, 
Regional Administrator, NMFS, NE Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on 
MDO Specimen Collection, DA6-043.'' Comments may also be sent via fax 
to (978) 281-9135. Comments may also be submitted via e-mail to the 
following address: [email protected]. Include in the subject line of the 
e-mail ``Comments on MDO Specimen Collection.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Potts, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9341.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MDO submitted an application for an EFP 
on February 9, 2006, to collect several species of fish and 
invertebrates for public display. The target species would include 
American plaice (dab), winter flounder (blackback), yellowtail 
flounder, witch flounder (grey sole), Atlantic halibut, monkfish, eel 
pouts, sculpins, sea raven, Atlantic cod, lumpfish, Atlantic wolffish, 
spiny dogfish, little skate, barndoor skate, and various species of the 
Phyla Arthropoda (excluding lobsters) and Echinodermata.
    One chartered fishing vessel would use a shrimp otter trawl with 2-
inch (5.08-cm) mesh to collect marine fish and invertebrates for a 
maximum of 4 days--2 days during the period May 16-28, 2006, and 2 days 
during the period June 23-30, 2006. The specimens would be cared for in 
chilled and aerated seawater while on board the fishing vessel and 
would be transferred live to tanks the day they are caught. The fish 
would be brought to shore, maintained in tanks for public display for a 
period of time not to exceed 5 months, and would be returned to the sea 
in October 2006.
    Collection would be made within the Small Mesh Northern Shrimp 
Fishery Exemption Area, specifically within an area off the coast of 
Maine. Because the shrimp fishery will be closed at the time of the 
proposed collection, and this area lies within the Gulf of Maine 
Regulated Mesh Area, an exemption from the Northeast (NE) multispecies 
minimum mesh requirements of 6-inch (15.24-cm) diamond/6.5-inch (16.51-
cm) square mesh at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3) would be required.
    The applicant would retain a maximum of six individuals per 
species, juveniles and adults combined, with the exception of Atlantic 
halibut. In addition to an exemption from the NE multispecies minium 
mesh requirements, the applicant would only be permitted to retain a 
total of one Atlantic halibut with a minimum length of 36 inches (91.44 
cm). The applicant has requested the following exemptions from the NE 
Multispecies and Monkfish Fishery Management Plans: Effort control 
program requirements at Sec. Sec.  648.82(a) and 648.92(a); minimum 
fish sizes at Sec. Sec.  648.83(a)(1) and 648.93(a)(1); and monkfish 
possession

[[Page 13358]]

restrictions at Sec.  648.94(b)(6). The EFP would also exempt the 
vessels from the possession and landing restrictions for the NE skate 
complex fishery at Sec.  648.322(c).
    Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope of the exempted 
fishing activity would be prohibited.

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

    Dated: March 10, 2006.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-3703 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S