[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 57 (Thursday, March 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15683-15684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-06687]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE492


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 Exempted Fishing Permits to facilitate the use of 
monkfish research set-aside days-at-sea warrants further consideration. 
This notice is to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment 
on the proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 8, 2016.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid Lichwell, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 282-9112, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) would 
facilitate monkfish research set-aside (RSA) compensation fishing in 
support of projects funded under the 2016 monkfish RSA competition. 
Project proposals are currently under review. Consistent with previous 
monkfish RSA compensation fishing EFPs, vessels fishing under a RSA 
days-at-sea (DAS) would be authorized to harvest monkfish in excess of 
the landing limits in the Northern and Southern Monkfish Fishery 
Management Areas.
    The monkfish RSA program has been allocated 500 monkfish RSA DAS as 
established by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 
Councils (70 FR 21929, April 28, 2005). These monkfish RSA DAS would be 
divided between research award recipients and sold to fishermen to fund 
approved monkfish research projects. Award recipients receive an 
allocation of RSA DAS and a maximum amount of landed weight that may be 
landed under available DAS. Projects are constrained to the total DAS 
or maximum available landing weight, whichever is reached first. NOAA's 
National Marine Fisheries Service uses 32,000 lb (14.51 mt) of whole 
monkfish for each RSA DAS to calculate a maximum allocation of 
1,600,000 lb (725.75 mt) to be harvested under these projects. As an 
example, a project awarded 100 RSA DAS would receive a maximum RSA 
harvest limit of 320,000 lb (144.1 mt) of whole monkfish (or tail 
weight equivalent) to be landed. Allowing vessels an exemption from 
monkfish landing limits provides an incentive for vessels to purchase 
RSA DAS to catch more monkfish per-trip, while constraining each 
project to a maximum available harvest limit

[[Page 15684]]

ensures that the overall monkfish RSA allocation will not be exceeded.
    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 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: March 21, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-06687 Filed 3-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P