[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 205 (Friday, October 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64396-64397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27003]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE270


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, 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 commercial fishing vessels to fish 
outside of the limited access sea scallop regulations in support of 
study investigating coastal spawning of winter flounder in Southern New 
England.
    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 November 9, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``DA15-063 CFF SNE Essential Fish Habitat Study EFP.''
     Mail: John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, NMFS, 
Greater Atlantic

[[Page 64397]]

Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 
01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``DA15-063 CFF SNE Essential 
Fish Habitat Study EFP.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannah Jaburek, Fisheries Management 
Specialist, 978-282-8456.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA has awarded the Coonamesset Farm 
Foundation (CFF) a grant through the 2015 Saltonstall-Kennedy grant 
program, in support of a project titled ``Investigating Offshore 
Essential Fish Habitat of Southern New England Winter Flounder.'' To 
conduct this research, CFF submitted a complete application for an EFP 
on August 4, 2015. The applicant proposes to investigate questions 
associated with spawning winter flounder in Southern New England (SNE) 
by conducting multiple research activities, which include:
    1. A paired scallop dredge survey to identify and monitor the 
distribution of winter flounder;
    2. Test dredge gear twine top configurations and apron lengths to 
reduce finfish bycatch;
    3. Attempt to observe winter flounder spawning behavior using a 
remotely operated vehicle (ROV);
    4. Conduct a benthic habitat video survey; and
    5. Sample for a winter flounder eggs using a plankton net.
    CFF is requesting exemptions that would allow commercial fishing 
vessels be exempt from the Atlantic sea scallop days-at-sea (DAS) 
allocations at 50 CFR 648.53(b); crew size restrictions at Sec.  
648.51(c); Atlantic sea scallop observer program requirements at Sec.  
648.11(g); and possession limits and minimum size requirements 
specified in 50 CFR part 648, subsections B and D through O, for 
sampling purposes only. Any fishing activity conducted outside the 
scope of the exempted fishing activity would be prohibited.
    Five vessels would conduct the dredge survey and gear testing on 
six 5-day trips, for 30 total DAS. Each trip would complete 
approximately 60 dredge tows per trip for an overall total of 360 tows 
for the project. The project would also conduct a single video survey 
trip utilizing a benthic sled. Trips would take place in the open areas 
of SNE in December 2015-May 2016.
    All dredge tows would use two 15-foot (4.57-m) Turtle Deflector 
Dredges (TDD) and be conducted in tandem for a duration of 30 minutes 
at a tow speed of approximately 4.8 knots. One dredge would be rigged 
with a 7-row apron and 60-mesh wide twine top while the other dredge 
would be rigged with a 5-row apron and 45-mesh wide twine top. To 
examine factors that may influence flatfish bycatch rates such as 
habitat characteristics and fish behavior in response to the TDD, each 
dredge would have an underwater camera attached to the bale bar. When 
researchers identify large numbers of spawning winter flounder during 
the dredge survey, they would deploy the ROV to film spawning behavior 
interactions.
    For all tows, researchers would count and weigh sea scallop catch. 
Researchers would measure scallops from one randomly selected basket 
from each dredge in 5-mm increments to determine size selectivity. 
Researchers would sort finfish catch by species then count, weigh, and 
measure finfish catch in 1-mm increments. Researchers would also weigh, 
sex, and assess the reproductive stage of all winter flounder greater 
than 32 cm. The vessels would not retain catch for longer than needed 
to conduct sampling and vessels would not land any catch for sale. CFF 
researchers would accompany all trips, and be in charge of sampling 
activities.

                         Project Catch Estimates
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                       Species                           lb        kg
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Scallops............................................    21,000     9,525
Yellowtail..........................................       500       227
Winter Flounder.....................................     1,500       680
Windowpane Flounder.................................     2,600     1,179
Monkfish............................................     8,000     3,629
Barndoor Skate......................................       500       227
NE Skate Complex....................................    50,000    22,680
Other Fish..........................................     1,500       680
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    The project would also use a commercial vessel for a single 
dedicated video trip utilizing a benthic underwater survey sled. At 
each of the survey stations the benthic sled would be deployed and 
towed for 5-10 minutes at a speed of 1.5-2 knots. Researchers would 
attach a live feed video camera transmitting video back to the vessel, 
and two underwater cameras taking high definition still shots to the 
benthic sled. There would also be two low level lights attached to the 
benthic sled in order to illuminate the area for the cameras. The video 
footage and photos from the benthic sled survey would be compared to 
still shots take during the dredge surveys. Researchers would also 
attach a plankton net to the benthic sled. The plankton net would be 
101.60 cm long with a 27.94 x 45.72-cm opening, and a mesh size of 0.05 
cm. The plankton net would allow researchers to see if there are winter 
flounder eggs present at each of the survey stations.
    CFF has requested these exemptions to allow them to conduct 
experimental dredge towing without being charged DAS. Participating 
vessels need crew size waivers to accommodate science personnel and 
possession waivers will enable them to conduct finfish sampling 
activities. NMFS would waive observer notification requirements because 
the research activity is not representative of a commercial scallop 
fishing trip.
    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: October 20, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-27003 Filed 10-22-15; 8:45 am]
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