[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 109 (Thursday, June 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26669-26670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11884]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF442


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 and 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 commercial fishing vessels to fish 
outside of scallop regulations in support of research conducted by the 
Coonamessett Farm Foundation. These exemptions would support research 
conducted on trips to test gear modifications for bycatch reduction in 
the scallop dredge 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 June 23, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``CFF Compensation Fishing Gear Research 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 Compensation Fishing Gear Research EFP.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alyson Pitts, Fisheries Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) submitted 
a complete application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) on May 4, 
2017, that would allow gear research to be conducted by vessels on 
compensation fishing trips associated with projects funded by the 2017 
Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) program. The exemptions would allow 19 
commercial fishing vessels to exceed the crew size regulations at 50 
CFR 648.51(c) in order to place a researcher on the vessel, and 
temporarily exempt the participating vessels from possession limits and 
minimum size requirements specified in 50 CFR part 648, subparts 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.
    Experimental fishing activity would test gear modifications in an 
attempt to reduce finfish bycatch in the scallop dredge fishery. The 
gear modifications that would be tested adhere to current scallop gear 
regulations and include:
     A ``daylight skirt'': 1 to 2 rows of 12-in by 12-in 
windows are cut into the twine top/skirt of the top of the scallop 
dredge bag;
     An extended link apron: Two links are used to connect the 
rings of the dredge apron to increase the inner ring spacing from 
~3.5'' to ~4.5'';
     A ``fish sweep'': A cookie sweep affixed to the front of 
the headbale;
     A low profile dredge: The frame is 4'' shorter in height 
than a traditional scallop dredge.
    All trips would take place in scallop fishing areas open to the 
entire Atlantic sea scallop fishery. Exemption from crew size limits is 
needed because a research technician would accompany vessels on the 
compensation fishing trips to collect catch data associated with 
different dredge modifications. The crew size exemption would be for 
approximately 120 days-at-sea and would be used in conjunction with a 
valid compensation fishing letter of authorization. The technician 
would only engage in data collection activities, and would not process 
catch to be landed for sale. 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 possible following data collection. All 
bycatch would be returned to the sea as soon as practicable following 
data collection; estimated catch totals are listed below on Table 1. 
All research trips would otherwise be consistent with normal commercial 
fishing activity and catch would be retained for sale.

                            Table 1--Estimated Bycatch for CFF EFP Compensation Trips
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                Species                      Scientific name          Number       Weight  (lb)    Weight  (kg)
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NE Skate Complex......................  Rajidae Species.........          96,500         120,000          54,431
Barndoor Skate........................  Dipturus laevis.........             400             750             340
Summer Flounder.......................  Paralichthys dentatus...             120             200              90
Winter Flounder.......................  Pseudopleuronectes                   250             550             249
                                         americanus.
Yellowtail Flounder...................  Limanda ferruginea......           1,750           1,500             680
Windowpane Flounder...................  Scopthalmus aquosus.....           1,750           1,500             680
Monkfish..............................  Lophius americanus......            2000           4,500           2,041
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    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

[[Page 26670]]

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: June 2, 2017.
Margo B. Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-11884 Filed 6-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P