[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 67 (Thursday, April 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 20369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07984]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE550


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 NMFS Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, 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 a commercial lobster fishing vessel 
in collaboration with the University of New England to conduct research 
on the injury and mortality of Atlantic cod caught as bycatch in 
lobster traps fished in the Gulf of Maine.
    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 a 
proposed exempted fishing permit.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 22, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on 2016 UNE Atlantic Cod Bycatch from Lobster Traps 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 ``2016 UNE Atlantic Cod 
Bycatch from Lobster Traps EFP.''

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The University of New England (UNE) 
submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) 
to assess injury and mortality of cod caught as bycatch in lobster 
traps fished in the Gulf of Maine (GOM). This EFP would exempt a 
commercial lobster fishing vessel from the prohibition on landing 
Northeast (NE) multispecies established under the Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) at 50 CFR 
648.14(k)(1)(i)(B). The vessel would also be exempt from the possession 
limits and minimum size requirements specified in 50 CFR part 648, 
subparts B and D through O. The exemption from the prohibition on 
landing NE multispecies would allow the vessel to retain cod to 
evaluate injuries resulting from their catch. The possession limit and 
minimum size requirement exemptions would allow the vessel's crew to 
tag cod with acoustic transmitters and collect biological data before 
cod and other bycaught species are returned to sea. The EFP would allow 
these exemptions from May through October 2016. The data from this 
study are designed to provide fisheries managers information on cod 
discard mortality associated with the GOM lobster fishery. The NMFS 
Bycatch Reduction Engineering program funds this project.
    If the EFP is approved, the participating lobster vessel would 
deploy 400 traps in statistical area 513. Lobster traps would be hauled 
twice a week for 24 weeks, with a soak time of approximately 48-72 
hours for each trip. The crew of the vessel would collect viability 
data for cod bycatch as outlined in the research proposal. A subsample 
(n = 100) of cod would be tagged with acoustic transmitters and 
released. The tagged cod would be monitored by an array of 30 acoustic 
receivers to evaluate acute and delayed mortality in their natural 
environment. Approximately 10 cod would be retained and landed each 
month to assess barotrauma and other physical effects of their capture. 
UNE research staff would accompany each trip in which cod are tagged or 
retained as part of the study. The vessel will retain the previously 
mentioned 10 cod per sampling month and all legal lobsters will be 
retained and sold. All other animals captured in the traps would be 
returned to the sea as soon as possible.
    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: April 4, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-07984 Filed 4-6-16; 8:45 am]
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