[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 120 (Friday, June 23, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 28642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13133]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF483


Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management 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 from the 
Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation and the University of Rhode 
Island contains all of the required information and warrants further 
consideration. The Exempted Fishing Permit would exempt participating 
commercial fishing vessels from Federal lobster escape vent, trap 
limit, and trap tag regulations and restrictions on egg-bearing and v-
notched female and sublegal lobsters for American lobster and Jonah 
crab research in a designated Wind Energy Area.
    Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative 
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 July 10, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on CFRF/URI SNECVTS 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 
CFRF/URI SNECVTS Exempted Fishing Permit.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Hanson, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9180, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation 
(CFRF) and the University of Rhode Island (URI) submitted a complete 
application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) on May 25, 2017, to 
conduct commercial fishing activities that the regulations would 
otherwise restrict. The EFP would authorize four vessels (three active 
and one alternate) to conduct a cooperative ventless trap survey to 
determine distribution and habitat use of American lobster and Jonah 
crab in the Rhode Island/Massachusetts Wind Energy Area in Lobster 
Management Area (LMA) 2. The study is designed to better understand 
potential impacts of wind turbine construction on crustacean 
populations.
    Funding for this study has been awarded under the Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management Award (Grant #M13AC00009). CFRF and URI are 
requesting exemptions from Federal lobster regulations on:

    1. Gear specifications at 50 CFR 697.21(c)(2) to allow for 
closed escape vents;
    2. Trap limits for LMA 2, at Sec.  697.19(b), to be exceeded by 
80 additional traps per fishing vessel, for a total of 240 
additional traps;
    3. Trap tag requirements at Sec.  697.19(j);
    4. Minimum legal size possession restrictions at Sec.  
697.20(a)(4); and
    5. Possession restrictions on berried and standard v-notch 
females at Sec.  697.20(d) and (g).

    If the EFP is approved, three active vessels will survey lobsters 
and Jonah crabs at 24 established sampling sites within the study area, 
with an alternate vessel available in case of mechanical issues. Each 
active vessel will fish 8 standard Atlantic large whale-compliant 
trawls with 10 traps (6 ventless, 4 standard) per trawl, for a total of 
80 traps (48 ventless, 32 standard) per vessel. One trawl will be 
deployed at each of the fixed sample sites, and fished twice a month 
from July through November 2017, with a soak time of five days. There 
would never be more than 240 additional traps in the water at any time 
as a result of this project.
    During sampling, biological information will be recorded for all 
lobsters and up to 10 Jonah crabs from each trap, and other bycatch 
species will also be enumerated, weighed, and measured. The possession 
exemptions are required to sample all catch. All species will be 
returned promptly to the water after sampling. No catch from this 
project will be landed for sale.
    If approved, the applicant may request minor modifications and 
extensions to the EFP throughout the study period. 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: June 20, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-13133 Filed 6-22-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P