[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 240 (Tuesday, December 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 77614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31519]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE353


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.

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

SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional 
Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that the Exempted 
Fishing Permit that would facilitate the harvest of Atlantic herring 
research set-aside quota warrants further consideration. The Exempted 
Fishing Permit would authorize federally permitted Atlantic herring 
vessels to harvest Atlantic Herring research set-aside quota without 
possession limit after the possession limit in herring management areas 
has been reduced to 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) for commercial herring vessels. 
It would also allow vessels to harvest Atlantic herring research set-
aside quota during Area 1A and 1B seasonal closures. Vessels working 
with researchers for approved projects will need the Exempted Fishing 
Permits to harvest herring that will generate funds to pay for the 
research.
    Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act require publication of this notification to provide 
interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed EFPs.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 30, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on 2016/2018 Atlantic Herring RSA EFP.''
     Mail: John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, NMFS, NE 
Regional Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark 
the outside of the envelope ``Comments on 2016/2018 Atlantic Herring 
RSA EFP.''
     Fax: (978) 281-9135.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Luers, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 282-8457, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) 
would facilitate herring research set-aside (RSA) compensation fishing 
in support of project(s) funded under the 2016-2018 herring RSA 
competition. Proposals are currently under review. One project would 
examine river herring portside sampling and an avoidance program while 
the other would investigate mixing of the Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank 
Atlantic herring resource with the Scotian shelf Atlantic herring 
resource using genetic analysis techniques. Consistent with previous 
herring RSA compensation fishing EFPs, vessels would be authorized to 
harvest herring RSA quota after a herring management area quota has 
been caught and the fishery is limited to a 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) herring 
possession limit per trip, as well as allow vessels to harvest RSA 
quota during the seasonal closures in Management Areas 1A and 1B from 
January through May and January through April, respectively. Grant 
recipients will be required to meet all EFP application requirements 
prior to the issuance of the subject EFPs.
    If approved, the applicants 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: December 10, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-31519 Filed 12-14-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P