[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 27542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9376]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA32


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic 
Fisheries; Application for an 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 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 Dr. Pingguo He of the University of New 
Hampshire (UNH) contains all of the required information and warrants 
further consideration. 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 Northeast (NE) 
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). However, further review and 
consultation may be necessary before a final determination is made to 
issue an EFP. Therefore, NMFS announces that the Assistant Regional 
Administrator proposes to recommend that an EFP be issued that would 
allow one commercial fishing vessel to conduct fishing operations that 
are otherwise restricted by the regulations governing the fisheries of 
the Northeastern United States. The EFP would enable researchers to 
test an experimental whiting net that uses wheeled ground gear by 
granting exemption from the requirement to use a raised footrope trawl. 
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 May 31, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on wheeled whiting trawl EFP.''
     Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS, NE 
Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the 
outside of the envelope ``Comments on wheeled whiting trawl EFP, DA7-
138.''
     Fax: (978) 281-9135.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application for an EFP was submitted on 
May 2, 2007, by Dr. He of UNH and his industry partner Vincent Balzano, 
for a project funded under the Northeast Consortium. The primary goal 
of this study is to conduct feasibility and field testing of a trawl 
net equipped with a novel wheeled ground gear that may reduce the 
environmental impact on the seabed and reduce fuel consumption by the 
vessel.
    The EFP would exempt one vessel from the requirement to use a 
raised footrope trawl net as specified at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(16) while 
conducting research trips in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) Grate Raised 
Footrope Trawl Whiting Exempted Fishery.
    Initial testing of this gear will be conducted on a beach by towing 
the ground gear between two rented beach vehicles. During these trials, 
video recordings and photographs will be taken to evaluate the gear's 
rolling function and necessary initial adjustments and modifications 
will be made.
    At sea research trips would be conducted over four days between 
July 1 and November 30, 2007. The experimental trawl net, with the 
exception of the ground gear, would conform to the requirements of this 
exempted fishery including a minimum 2.5-inch (6.35 cm) mesh size and a 
properly installed finfish excluder device. During trials, observations 
of the gear would be made with an underwater camera system and acoustic 
monitoring instruments would be used to measure net geometry.
    The applicant may request minor modifications and extensions to the 
EFP throughout the year. EFP modifications and extensions may be 
granted without further notice if they are deemed essential to 
facilitate completion of the proposed research and have minimal impacts 
that do not change the scope or impact of the initially approved EFP 
request. Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope of the 
exempted fishing activity would be prohibited.

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

    Dated: May 11, 2007.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-9376 Filed 5-15-07; 8:45 am]
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