[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 117 (Friday, June 18, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34687-34688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14788]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XW99


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), 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 contains all of the required information and warrants 
further consideration. This EFP would allow one commercial fishing 
vessel to fish outside of the limited access scallop days at sea (DAS) 
program in support of research conducted by the Coonamessett Farm 
Foundation. 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 Atlantic sea scallop 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP). However, further review and consultation 
may be necessary before a final determination is made to issue an

[[Page 34688]]

EFP. Therefore, NMFS announces that the Assistant Regional 
Administrator proposes to recommend that an EFP be issued.
    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 July 6, 2010.

ADDRESSES:  You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on CFarm flounder bycatch EFP.''
     Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS, NE 
Regional Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark 
the outside of the envelope ``Comments on CFarm flounder bycatch EFP.''
     Fax: (978) 281-9135.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Christopher Biegel, Fisheries 
Management Specialist, 978-281-9112.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coonamessett Farm Foundation has been 
awarded a research grant through the Commercial Fisheries Research 
Foundation titled, ``Testing of a Low Profile Excluder Dredge for 
Winter Flounder Bycatch Reduction.'' The primary objective of this 
testing is to begin to develop dredge modifications to reduce winter 
flounder bycatch in the Atlantic sea scallop fishery. A single vessel 
would conduct ten to twenty 60-minute tows at 4.5 knots with an 
experimental low profile excluder dredge over a three-day period. 
Coonamessett Farm would deploy dredge-mounted video cameras to document 
the interactions between the dredge and any encountered species. 
Collection of this video data is the only objective of these research 
tows and no species will be retained or landed. The vessel is expected 
to catch a minimal amount of scallops (100 lb), winter flounder (100 
lb), yellowtail flounder (20 lb), monkfish (50 lb), and little skate 
(100 lb). All fish would be returned to the sea as quickly as possible 
to minimize discard mortality. The tows will be conducted in late June 
or early July 2010, between Montauk Point and Martha's Vineyard at a 
depth of 30 to 60 m, depending on concentrations of winter flounder.
    Coonamessett Farm submitted a complete EFP application on May 14, 
2010, requesting exemption allowing one commercial fishing vessel to 
fish outside of the limited access Atlantic sea scallop DAS regulations 
found at 50 CFR 648.53(b). Any fishing activity conducted outside the 
scope of the exempted fishing activity would be prohibited.

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

    Dated: June 15, 2010.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-14788 Filed 6-15-10; 4:15 pm]
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