[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 44577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18883]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA581


Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Application for an Exempted Fishing 
Permit

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of EFP application; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an exempted fishing permit (EFP) 
application, and is considering issuance of EFPs for vessels 
participating in the EFP activities. The EFPs are necessary to allow 
activities that are otherwise prohibited by Federal regulations. The 
EFPs will be effective no earlier than August 10, 2011, and would 
expire one year after date of issuance, but could be terminated earlier 
under terms and conditions of the EFPs and other applicable laws.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., local time on 
August 10, 2011.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by 0648-XA581, by any 
one of the following methods:
     Fax: 206-526-6736, Attn: Kevin Duffy.
     Mail: Barry A. Thom, Acting Administrator, Northwest 
Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE., Seattle, WA 98115-0070, Attn: 
Kevin Duffy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the EFP 
application, contact Kevin Duffy (Northwest Region, NMFS), phone: 206-
526-4743, fax: 206-526-6736.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act provisions at 50 CFR 
600.745, which states that EFPs may be used to authorize fishing 
activities that would otherwise be prohibited. NMFS received a request 
for a permit from the Environmental Defense Fund. The primary purpose 
of the EFP is to conduct gear trials using bottom trawl fishing gear 
fitted with excluders in order to test reduced bycatch of Pacific 
halibut while participating in the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota 
fishery for groundfish. The EFP would exempt vessels fishing in the 
Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota fishery and participating in the 
EFP project from regulations that require the use of a two-seamed 
bottom trawl net in the area shoreward of the trawl Rockfish 
Conservation Area. All other regulations applicable to vessels in the 
Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota fishery would remain in place. The 
EFP would allow limited testing, during fishing activities, of an 
excluder device on a four-seamed bottom trawl net in order to compare 
bycatch rates of Pacific halibut with bycatch rates from legal bottom 
trawl gears fitted with similar excluder devices.

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

    Dated: July 21, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-18883 Filed 7-25-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P