[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 148 (Thursday, August 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42400-42401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14934]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 030602141-6143-38]
RIN 0648-XB71


2007 Monkfish Research Set-aside Program

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

ACTION: Notice; reallocation of set-aside days-at-sea.

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SUMMARY: NMFS notifies the public of the reallocation of monkfish 
research days-at-sea (DAS) as exempted DAS. These are DAS that were set 
aside under the 2007 Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program, but 
were not distributed through the NOAA grant process. These exempted DAS 
may be used for the conduct of monkfish related research activities 
during fishing year (FY) 2007 (May 1, 2007, through April 30, 2008). 
Requests for a monkfish DAS exemption must be submitted with a complete 
application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP).

DATES: Projects involving the use of exempted DAS, under this program, 
must be completed prior to the end of FY 2007, on April 30, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Applications for an EFP must be sent to the Regional 
Administrator (RA), NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn 
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison McHale, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, by phone 978-281-9103, by fax 978-281-9135, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Amendment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (70 FR 
21927, April 28, 2005) established the Monkfish RSA Program, which 
annually sets aside 500 monkfish DAS from the total number of monkfish 
DAS allocated to limited access monkfish vessels to be used for 
cooperative monkfish research

[[Page 42401]]

programs. Amendment 2 also established a Monkfish Exemption Program, 
which requires the Regional Administrator (RA) to reallocate as 
exempted DAS any monkfish research DAS not allocated through the 
Monkfish RSA Program. These exempted DAS may be then used by vessels 
for the conduct of monkfish research activities during the current 
fishing year (e.g., FY 2007).
    On June 12, 2006, NMFS published a notice in the Federal Register 
announcing the 2007 Monkfish RSA Program (71 FR 33898), and solicited 
proposals for monkfish research activities to be conducted under this 
RSA program. Four proposals were received as part of this solicitation, 
and three were granted awards totaling 367 monkfish research DAS. As a 
result, there are 133 DAS available to be reallocated as exempted DAS 
during FY 2007. Therefore, the RA, pursuant to the regulations 
governing the monkfish fishery at 50 CFR 648.92(c)(1)(v), reallocates 
these unused research DAS from the FY 2007 Monkfish RSA Program, as 
exempted DAS, that may be used for the conduct of monkfish research 
projects during FY 2007.
    All requests for monkfish DAS exemptions under the Monkfish DAS 
Exemption Program must be submitted to the RA along with a complete 
application for an EFP. The requirements for submitting a complete EFP 
application are provided in the regulations implementing the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act at Sec.  600.745(b).

Classification

    This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.
    This document contains collection-of-information requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The information requested 
in an EFP application has been approved under Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) Control Number 0648-0309. Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any 
person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection 
of information subject to the requirements of the PRA unless that 
collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control 
number.

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

    Dated:July 26, 2007.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-14934 Filed 8-01-07; 8:45 am]
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