[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 156 (Friday, August 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 50182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20596]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA596


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Exempted Fishing Permit

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

ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for an exempted fishing 
permit; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted 
fishing permit (EFP) for a collaborative effort among personnel from 
Texas Tech University, Texas A&M--Corpus Christi, and a commercial 
fishing organization, Shareholders Alliance. If granted, the EFP would 
authorize the applicants to collect and retain limited numbers of 
specimens that would otherwise be prohibited from possession and 
retention. This study, to be conducted in the exclusive economic zone 
(EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), is intended to more closely monitor 
populations of red snapper and other reef fish to compare relative 
catch rates and discards between vessels that possess varying amounts 
of red snapper allocation under the current Gulf red snapper individual 
fishing quota (IFQ) program.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., eastern time, on 
September 12, 2011.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application by any of the 
following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]. Include in the subject 
line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: ``TTU--
EFP''.
     Mail: Steve Branstetter, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 
263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
    The application and related documents are available for review upon 
written request to any of the above addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Branstetter, 727-824-5305; e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is requested under the authority of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.), and regulations at 50 CFR 600.745(b) concerning exempted 
fishing.
    The described research is part of an ongoing Cooperative Research 
Program Cooperative Agreement (No. NA10NMF4540110) funded by NMFS. The 
research is intended to involve commercial fishermen in the collection 
of fundamental fisheries information. Resource collection efforts 
support the development and evaluation of fisheries management and 
regulatory options.
    The proposed collection for scientific research involves activities 
that could otherwise be prohibited by regulations at 50 CFR part 622, 
as they pertain to reef fish managed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council (Council). The applicants require authorization 
through the EFP to collect these Council-managed species that may be 
taken as part of the normal fishing activities of the commercial sector 
of the Gulf reef fish fishery. The applicant would be conducting this 
research in cooperation with a commercial fishing organization, 
Shareholders Alliance, and would involve as many as 30 vessel owners 
associated with that organization. Observers from Texas Tech University 
and Texas A&M--Corpus Christi, would document the catch and bycatch of 
red snapper and other reef fish during normal commercial fishing 
operations in the Gulf.
    The objective of the study is to compare the discard rate of red 
snapper and the bycatch rates of other fish species in the red snapper 
commercial handline component of the Gulf reef fish fishery between 
fishermen with high and low amounts of quota allocation in both the 
eastern and western Gulf. By tagging discarded fish, and examining the 
return rates for recaptured tagged fish, the intent of the research is 
to estimate the delayed mortality rate, and long-term survival, of fish 
discarded in the commercial sector using vertical line gear in the Gulf 
reef fish fishery based on depth of capture. Information learned from 
this study is intended to help fishermen reduce discard mortality rates 
using new methodologies such as descender hooks to return fish to depth 
during fishing operations. In addition, sampling for age, growth, and 
size composition of the catch and bycatch would be conducted, providing 
additional information that can be used to assess the health of stock.
    Additionally, the goal of the research is to improve the scientific 
knowledge of red snapper and other reef fish taken from state and 
Federal waters of the Gulf and to use that knowledge to support fishery 
management decisions. The EFP, if approved, would authorize the take of 
as many as 1,000 Federally-managed red snapper or other reef fish 
through July 31, 2012. Such fish, collected as biological samples, 
would be exempt from size limit regulations, and would not count 
against an individual fishermen's specific red snapper IFQ allocation.
    NMFS finds this application warrants further consideration. 
Possible conditions the agency may impose on this permit, if it is 
indeed granted, include but are not limited to, a prohibition of 
conducting research within marine protected areas, marine sanctuaries, 
or special management zones, without additional authorization. 
Additionally, NMFS would prohibit the possession of Nassau or goliath 
grouper. A report on the research would be due at the end of the 
collection period, to be submitted to NMFS and reviewed by the Council.
    A final decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on NMFS's 
review of public comments received on the application, consultations 
with the affected states, the Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard, as 
well as a determination that the EFP is consistent with all applicable 
laws.

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

    Dated: August 8, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-20596 Filed 8-11-11; 8:45 am]
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