[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54454-54455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21385]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC821


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, has made a preliminary determination 
that an exempted fishing permit application submitted by the Maine 
Department of Marine Resources contains all of the required information 
and warrants further consideration. This would exempt participating 
commercial fishing vessels from gear restrictions for the purpose of 
developing an alternative gear for the directed silver hake fishery.
    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 September 19, 2013.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carly Bari, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9224, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Maine Department of Marine Resources 
(DMR)

[[Page 54455]]

submitted a complete application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) 
on June 17, 2013, to conduct commercial fishing activities that the 
regulations would otherwise restrict. The EFP would exempt two 
federally permitted commercial fishing vessels from the requirement to 
use a raised footrope in the Gulf of Maine Raised Footrope Trawl 
Exemption Area for the purpose of testing an alternate bottom trawl net 
for harvesting silver hake. The applicant states that there has been 
poor performance of the raised footrope trawl in this area. This 
project would determine if there is a better performing gear that can 
maintain low bycatch consistent with the exempted gear performance 
standards.
    Fishing operations would occur within the Gulf of Maine Raised 
Footrope Trawl Exemption Area. The two vessels would complete six days 
of research fishing with an estimated five 30-minute tows per day per 
vessel. The two vessels would conduct side-by-side tows to compare the 
regulated whiting net (control) with a traditional whiting net 
(alternative). The traditional whiting net is a modified four-seam 
small mesh shrimp net with a rubber cookie sweep/legs and a 2.5-inch 
mesh codend. Each net will retain the use of the Nordm[oslash]re grate 
as a bycatch deterrent. The traditional net replaces the raised 
footrope with a cookie sweep. This project requires exemptions from 
gear requirements in the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area and the Gulf 
of Maine Raised Footrope Trawl Exemption Area. The two research vessels 
will be similar in length, horsepower, and fishing capacity to maintain 
consistency in fishing effort. Additionally, the nets will alternate 
between the vessels. For each comparative tow, the following 
information will be recorded: position; time; depth; weather; catch 
data; and biological information on regulated bycatch species. All 
catch will be sorted by species and total weights recorded.
    All catch of stocks allocated to NE multispecies sectors will be 
deducted from the sector's annual catch entitlement for each NE 
multispecies stock. Specifically, the sector assumed discard rate will 
be applied to fishing trips by the vessel participating under this EFP, 
whether the recorded discard rates from the experimental fishing are 
higher or lower than the assumed discard rate of the sector. The 
participating vessels would be required to comply with all other 
applicable requirements and restrictions specified at 50 CFR part 648, 
unless specifically exempted in this EFP.
    If approved, 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: August 27, 2013.
Kelly Denit,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-21385 Filed 9-3-13; 8:45 am]
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