[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 155 (Tuesday, August 12, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 47094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-18962]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD401


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 two separate 
exempted fishing permit applications contain all of the required 
information and warrant further consideration. The exempted fishing 
permits would facilitate compensation fishing under the Monkfish 
Research Set-Aside Program by exempting vessels from monkfish days-at-
sea possession limits. The compensation fishing is in support of two 
2014/2015 Monkfish Research Set-Aside projects.
    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 exempted fishing permits.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 27, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on UNE and SMAST Monkfish RSA EFPs.''
     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 
UNE and SMAST monkfish RSA EFPs.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Alger, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-675-2153.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northeast Fisheries Science Center has 
awarded grants to the University of New England (UNE) and the 
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, School for Marine Science and 
Technology (SMAST), under the 2014 and 2015 Monkfish Research Set-Aside 
(RSA) Program. UNE and SMAST have submitted exempted fishing permit 
(EFP) applications requesting an exemption from monkfish possession 
limits for vessels operatiing under a monkfish RSA day-at-sea (DAS) to 
facilitate monkfish RSA compensation fishing.
    Monkfish EFPs that waive possession limits have been routinely 
approved since 2007 to increase operational efficiency and to optimize 
research funds generated from the Monkfish RSA Program. To ensure that 
the amount of monkfish harvested by vessels operating under the EFPs is 
similar to the amount of monkfish that was anticipated to be harvested 
under the 500 RSA DAS set-aside by the New England and Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Councils, we have associated an amount of monkfish 
equal to twice the possession limit of Permit Category A and C vessels 
fishing in the Southern Fishery Management Area (SFMA) of the monkfish 
fishery with each RSA DAS. Under the 2014/2015 Monkfish RSA Program, 
each monkfish RSA DAS equates to 3,200 lb (1,452 kg) of whole monkfish. 
This is considered a reasonable approximation because it is reflective 
of how the standard monkfish commercial fishery operates. It is likely 
that RSA grant recipients would optimize their RSA DAS award by 
utilizing vessels that have this possession limit.
    UNE submitted a complete application for an EFP on June 3, 2014. 
The primary goal of their study is to investigate the immediate and 
short-term discard mortality rates of winter skates that are captured 
in sink gillnets in the targeted monkfish fishery. The EFP would exempt 
vessels from monkfish DAS possession limits in either of the monkfish 
management areas, in order to conduct monkfish compensation fishing 
through May 2016. Fishing activity would otherwise be conducted under 
normal monkfish commercial fishing practices. The vessels would use 
standard commercial gear and land monkfish for sale. UNE has been 
awarded 607 RSA DAS: 359 RSA DAS in 2014 and 248 RSA DAS in 2015. If 
approved, participating vessels operating under the 2014 EFP could use 
up to 359 DAS, or catch up to 1,148,800 lb (521,087 kg) of whole 
monkfish, and under the 2015 EFP, vessels could use up to 248 RSA DAS, 
or catch up to 793,600 lb (359,971 kg) of whole monkfish.
    SMAST submitted a complete application for an EFP on June 30, 2014. 
The primary goal of their study is to investigate large-scale movement 
patterns of monkfish using data storage tags and to validate monkfish 
aging. The EFP would exempt up to 42 vessels from the monkfish 
possession limits in either of the monkfish management areas, in order 
to conduct monkfish compensation fishing through May 2016. Fishing 
activity would otherwise be conducted under normal monkfish commercial 
fishing practices. The vessels would use standard commercial gear and 
land monkfish for sale. SMAST has been awarded 393 RSA DAS: 141 RSA DAS 
in 2014 and 252 RSA DAS in 2015. If approved, participating vessels 
operating under the 2014 EFP could use up to 141 DAS, or catch up to 
451,200 lb (204,661 kg) of whole monkfish, and under the 2015 EFP, 
vessels could use up to 252 RSA DAS, or catch up to 806,400 lb (365,777 
kg) of whole monkfish.
    Fishing under either EFP would stop if either the DAS are all used, 
or the associated pounds are caught, whichever occurs first. While 
these exemption requests are for both 2014 and 2015, the 2015 EFPs 
would not be issued until the start of the 2015 fishing year.
    If approved, either 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 6, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-18962 Filed 8-11-14; 8:45 am]
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