[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19580-19581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07740]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE555


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. The 
Exempted Fishing Permit would allow a commercial fishing vessel to fish 
outside of the limited access scallop regulations in support of 
research conducted by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation. The exemptions 
are in support of gear research designed to reduce flatfish bycatch in 
the limited access general category scallop fishery.
    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 April 20, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``CFF LAGC Modified Sweep EFP.''
     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 
CFF LAGC Modified Sweep EFP.''
     Fax: (978) 281-9135.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coonamesset Farm Foundation (CFF) has 
submitted a proposal titled ``Determining the Impacts of Dredge Bag 
Modifications on Flatfish Bycatch in the LAGC Scallop Fishery,'' that 
has been favorably reviewed and is pending final approval by NOAA's 
Grants Management Division under the 2016

[[Page 19581]]

Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. The project 
would test a modified flounder cookie sweep on the outer bale bars of 
the scallop dredge that is used in the limited access general category 
(LAGC) scallop fishery and film fish-dredge interactions to monitor the 
effectiveness of the gear modification in reducing flatfish bycatch. 
CFF submitted a complete application for an EFP on March 14, 2016, to 
enable data collection activities during research trips. The EFP would 
allow one commercial fishing vessel to use gear that may be considered 
obstructed at 50 CFR 648.51(b)(4)(iii), waive scallop observer program 
requirements at Sec.  648.11(g) in order allow a researcher with 
adequate room to sample catch on deck, and temporarily exempt the 
participating vessels from 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, 
including landing fish in excess of a possession limit or below the 
minimum size.
    One vessel would conduct scallop dredging in June 2016-April 2017, 
on about 25 trips lasting approximately one day-at-sea (DAS) each for a 
project total of 25 DAS. The first trip would be comprised of shorter 
tow durations and serve as a calibration day for the underwater video 
equipment to determine the correct configuration on the dredge that 
would be used on each of the following trips. All other trips would 
complete approximately six tows per day for a maximum duration of 90 
minutes at a tow speed of 4.2 knots. Trips would take place in the 
Southern New England Dredge Exemption Area where part of the LAGC fleet 
normally operates.
    All tows would be conducted using a single 9-foot (2.74-m) dredge 
following an alternate paired tow strategy where a pair consists of one 
control and one experimental tow. Researchers would attach the two 6- 
to 7-foot (1.83- to 2.13-m) cookie sweeps to each of the outer bale 
bars using chain and shackles for the experimental tows and then remove 
them for the control tows. The cookie sweeps would be constructed of 
round rubber disks with no larger than a 3-inch (7.62-cm) diameter, and 
the attachment chains would be evenly spaced and varied in length to 
account for dredge position while being towed to ensure contact with 
the ocean bottom. Exemption from the dredge gear obstruction regulation 
would allow researchers to use the cookie sweep for the experimental 
tows.
    Researchers would weigh all scallop catch in industry bushel 
baskets caught in both dredges and a one basket sub-sample from each 
dredge would be measured in 5-mm increments. Total weight of bycatch 
species and individual measurements to the nearest centimeter would 
also be obtained by the researcher. If the volume of the catch is 
large, subsampling protocols would be necessary. All bycatch would be 
returned to the sea as soon as practicable following data collection. 
Exemption from possession limit and minimum sizes would support catch 
sampling activities, and ensure the vessel is not in conflict with 
possession regulations while collecting catch data. All catch above a 
possession limit or below a minimum size would be discarded as soon as 
practicable following data collection. Exempting the vessel from the 
sea scallop observer program requirements would allow researchers 
flexibility for catch sampling timing and space accommodations since 
vessels in the LAGC fleet are typically smaller with limited deck 
space.
    All research trips would otherwise be conducted in a manner 
consistent with normal commercial fishing conditions and catch 
consistent with the LAGC daily possession limit would be retained for 
sale.
    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: March 31, 2016.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-07740 Filed 4-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P