[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 205 (Friday, October 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64397-64398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26897]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE230


Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; 
Horseshoe Crabs; Application for Exempted Fishing Permit, 2015; 
Reopening of Comment Period

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

ACTION: Notification of a proposal to conduct exempted fishing; 
reopening of comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This action reopens the comment period for an application for 
an exempted fishing permit for horseshoe crab that published on October 
7, 2015. The original comment period closed 13 days later on October 
19, 2015, which is two days shorter than the 15-day minimum comment 
time period required in our regulations. We are therefore reopening the 
comment period through October 27, 2015, to make-up for this shortfall 
and to provide additional opportunity for public comment.

[[Page 64398]]


DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 27, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Alan Risenhoover, 
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Room 13362, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Mark the outside of the 
envelope ``Comments on Horseshoe Crab EFP Proposal.''
    Comments may also be sent via fax to (301) 713-0596. Comments on 
this notice may also be submitted by email to: [email protected]. Include in the subject line of the email comment the 
following document identifier: ``Horseshoe Crab EFP Proposal 
Comments.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Derek Orner, Office of Sustainable 
Fisheries, (301) 427-8567.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A notification of a proposal to conduct 
exempted fishing was published on October 7, 2015 (80 FR 60633) that 
would allow the harvest of up to 10,000 horseshoe crabs from the Carl 
N. Schuster Jr. Horseshoe Crab Reserve for biomedical purposes and 
require, as a condition of the exempted fishing permit (EFP), the 
collection of data related to the status of horseshoe crabs within the 
reserve. The Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, has made a 
preliminary determination that the subject EFP application submitted by 
Limuli Laboratories of Cape May Court House, NJ, contains all the 
required information and warrants further consideration.
    The notification of EFP application published in the Federal 
Register with a 13-day comment period that closed on October 19, 2015. 
Due to a clerical oversight, NMFS provided the public with a 13-day 
comment period instead of the 15-day comment period required by our 
regulations at 50 CFR 600.745. As a result, NMFS is extending the 
comment period to allow for additional time for public comment for 
interested parties to provide comment on this activity. Thus, NMFS is 
reopening the comment period through October 27, 2015.

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

    Dated: October 19, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-26897 Filed 10-22-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P