[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28486-28487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11192]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD262


Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management 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 
application contains all of the required information and warrants 
further consideration. This Exempted Fishing Permit would allow seven 
Federal lobster vessels to participate in a lobster abundance study 
within the state and Federal waters off the coast of Massachusetts.
    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 June 2, 2014.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Jacob, Environmental Technician, 
978-281-9180, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 
(MA DMF) submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing 
Permit (EFP) to conduct a lobster abundance survey with experimental 
lobster gear that the regulations would otherwise restrict. The EFP 
would authorize seven lobster vessels to set, haul, and retain on-board 
experimental lobster traps (closed escape vents) during sampling 
activity. Following a soak time ranging from 3 to 5 days, these lobster 
traps would be hauled twice per month on dedicated sampling days, with 
at least one scientist from MA DMF on-board during sampling activity. 
The proposed lobster sampling activity would take place during 
dedicated survey trips, and no traps in addition to the survey gear 
will be hauled, and all catch, including lobsters and bycatch species, 
will be discarded promptly after data collection is complete.
    Funding for this lobster abundance survey will be provided by MA 
DMF. The purpose of this lobster study is to provide fishery-
independent data on lobster abundance. Currently, lobster abundance and 
distribution studies are primarily conducted through fishery 
independent, random stratified bottom trawl surveys. MA DMF stated that 
these trawl surveys lack the capability to efficiently target areas 
with rocky bottom where lobsters also reside, and aims to use fixed 
lobster gear to sample

[[Page 28487]]

areas not effectively sampled using a bottom trawl.
    MA DMF requests exemption from lobster gear regulations to allow 
for closed escape vents in order to target all lobsters, including 
lobsters that do not satisfy Federal minimum size regulations for 
retention of lobster catch. The escape vent must remain closed in order 
to accurately quantify both juvenile and adult lobster abundance within 
the study area. MA DMF is also requesting exemptions from the lobster 
trap limit, in order to allow participating vessels to retain on board 
experimental lobster traps that would cause vessels to exceed the 800-
trap limit for Lobster Management Areas (LMAs) 1 and 2. Federal lobster 
regulations also require a trap tag to be fixed to each active lobster 
trap; however, the survey traps will remain separate from each vessel's 
commercial fishing traps, and would be hauled during sampling trips 
only. Therefore, the survey traps would not be fixed with the 
conventional lobster trap tags. However, there would be an 
identification tag fixed to each survey trap for the duration of the 
study.
    MA DMF is also requesting exemptions to allow one Federal lobster 
permit holder to be exempt from the management area designation 
requirements, to allow the permit holder to fish experimental traps in 
LMA 2 while having an LMA 3 on his Federal permit. This exemption will 
allow the vessel to set survey traps in an area not designated on his 
permit. This permit holder would not be allowed to commercially fish 
and land lobsters for sale with traps in LMA 2.
    Site selection would be based on a random, stratified sampling 
design, consistent with standardized methodology used to perform 
lobster surveys. All catch during dedicated research trips would be 
retained on-board for a short period of time to allow MA DMF staff to 
record the following information: The number of lobsters caught; the 
size (carapace length in mm) and sex of each lobster; the hardness of 
each lobster shell; and the presence/absence of lobster parts, shell 
damage, shell disease, and eggs in female lobsters.
    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: May 12, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-11192 Filed 5-15-14; 8:45 am]
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