[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 116 (Tuesday, June 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34496-34497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14155]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD322


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, Greater Atlantic 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 
two commercial fishing vessels to fish outside of the limited access 
scallop days-at-sea (DAS) program in support of scallop incidental 
mortality research conducted by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation. It 
would also allow the vessels to fish in the Eastern and Western Areas 
of the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area. Additionally, the EFP would 
exempt participating vessels from the crew size restriction and 
reporting requirements, and would allow vessels to temporarily possess 
various species of fish for sampling purposes only.
    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 2, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     EMail: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on Coonamessett 2014 Incidental Mortality 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 
Coonamessett 2014 Incidental Mortality EFP.''
     Fax: (978) 281-9135.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz Sullivan, Fisheries Management 
Specialist, 978-282-8493, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coonamessett Farm Foundation has been 
awarded a grant through the Atlantic sea scallop research set-aside 
program to conduct a project titled: ``Estimating Incidental Mortality 
in the Sea Scallop Fishery.''
    The project investigators have proposed to use a Remotely Operated 
Vehicle (ROV), dredge-mounted cameras, and a camera trolley to examine 
the dredge path of a 4.57-meter-wide Turtle Deflector Dredge to 
calculate incidental mortality of scallops. The researchers plan on 
conducting three trips, two in July and August 2014, and a third in 
July 2015, on two fishing vessels. Each trip will be five to six days-
at-sea (DAS), with approximately 6 tows/day, for a total of 
approximately 30 tows per trip. The tows would be made on commercial 
scallop grounds in Southern New England, including the Eastern and 
Western portions of Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, where sector 
groundfish vessels have been given a FY2014 exemption to fish (see 
coordinates later in this preamble). This excludes the central portion, 
which is an Essential Fish Habitat closure area, 50 CFR 648.81(h)(vi). 
The paths would be made by a dredge equipped with forward facing 
cameras towed at commercial speed (4.5 knots) and would be 500 meters 
long, for a maximum duration of 30 minutes. Video data would be 
collected by the ROV in such a manner as to determine the quantity and 
condition of species left in the dredge path with the main focus being 
on sea scallops. Dredge catches would be examined to evaluate dredge 
efficiency, discard mortality, and meat losses associated with scallop 
condition and processing. Researchers expect to conduct at most one 
trip within portions of the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, in order 
to examine an area with low fishing pressure. No catch would be 
retained for sale. All scallops and fish would be returned to the sea 
after video monitoring of the tow path is completed.
    The applicant anticipates catching the following amount of fish on 
each trip:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Estimated
                          Species                             lbs in 30
                                                                 tows
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sea scallop................................................          600
Yellowtail flounder........................................          150
Winter flounder............................................          150
Windowpane flounder........................................          150
Summer flounder............................................          150
Fourspot flounder..........................................          150
American plaice............................................           75
Grey sole..................................................           75
Haddock....................................................           25
Atlantic cod...............................................           25
Monkfish...................................................          150
Spiny dogfish..............................................           50
Barndoor skates............................................          100
Little skates..............................................          500
Winter skates..............................................          500
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    To conduct this study, Coonamessett Farm Foundation investigators 
submitted a complete EFP application on April 11, 2014, requesting an 
exemption allowing two commercial fishing vessels to fish outside of 
the limited access Atlantic sea scallop DAS regulations found at 50 CFR 
648.53(b). In addition, the EFP would exempt participating vessels from 
the crew size regulations at 50 CFR 648.51(c); reporting requirements 
specified in 50 CFR 648.7(f); and regulations preventing fishing in the 
Nantucket Lightship Closed Area specified in 50 CFR 648.81(c) and 50 
CFR 648.59(d).
    The waters in the Eastern Area of the Nantucket Lightship Closed 
Area are defined by straight lines connecting the following points in 
the order stated here:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Point                         N. lat.    W. long.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.................................................  40[deg]50  69[deg]30
                                                            '          '
B.................................................  40[deg]50  69[deg]00
                                                            '          '
C.................................................  40[deg]20  69[deg]00
                                                            '          '
D.................................................  40[deg]20  69[deg]30
                                                            '          '
A.................................................  40[deg]50  69[deg]30
                                                            '          '
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    The waters in the Western Area of the Nantucket Lightship Closed 
Area are defined by straight lines connecting the following points in 
the order stated here:

[[Page 34497]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Point                         N. lat.    W. long.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.................................................  40[deg]50  70[deg]20
                                                            '          '
B.................................................  40[deg]50  70[deg]00
                                                            '          '
C.................................................  40[deg]20  70[deg]00
                                                            '          '
D.................................................  40[deg]20  70[deg]20
                                                            '          '
A.................................................  40[deg]50  70[deg]20
                                                            '          '
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As stated above, this excludes the central portion of the Nantucket 
Lightship Closed Area, which is an Essential Fish Habitat closure area. 
The EFP would also temporarily exempt participating vessels from 
possession limits and minimum size requirements specified in 50 CFR 
part 648, sub-sections B and D through O, for sampling purposes only. 
Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope of the exempted 
fishing activity would be prohibited.
    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 impact 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: June 12, 2014.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-14155 Filed 6-16-14; 8:45 am]
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