[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 71 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15792-15793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07596]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG152


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 submitted by 
the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance contains all of the 
required information and warrants further consideration. This exempted 
fishing permit would require participants to use electronic monitoring 
systems on 100 percent of sector trips for catch accounting in the 
groundfish fishery. Additionally, vessels would be authorized to access 
portions of groundfish closed areas. 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 27, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by either of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``100 PERCENT EM EFP.''
     Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS, 
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``100 PERCENT EM 
EFP.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Claire Fitz-Gerald, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9255.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Groundfish sectors are required to implement 
and fund an at-sea monitoring (ASM) program. Sectors may use electronic 
monitoring (EM) to satisfy this monitoring requirement, provided that 
NMFS deems the technology sufficient for catch monitoring. NMFS has yet 
to approve EM as a suitable alternative to ASM. However, NMFS is 
working with industry and other stakeholders to test the operational 
feasibility of EM and resolve outstanding barriers to implementation. 
Project partners include the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance, 
The Nature Conservancy, the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, the 
Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and fishermen from the Northeast 
Fishery Sectors V & XI, the GB Cod Fixed Gear Sector, the Sustainable 
Harvest Sector, and the Maine Coast Community Sector.
    In fishing year 2017, NMFS issued an exempted fishing permit (EFP) 
to these project partners to develop an audit-model EM program for the 
groundfish fishery. The EFP required vessels to use EM systems on 100 
percent of groundfish sector trips to verify regulated groundfish 
discards. EM was used in lieu of human observers to meet their sector 
ASM requirements. Thirteen vessels using a variety of gear types (e.g. 
hook, benthic longline, sink gillnet, bottom trawl) participated in the

[[Page 15793]]

project. A total of 81 trips were completed in fishing year 2017.
    The project partners have submitted a renewal request for fishing 
year 2018. The proposed participant list includes 14 vessels, 13 of 
which participated in this EFP in fishing year 2017. Together, these 
vessels are expected to take an estimated 400 trips. The project 
partners expect up to 10 additional vessels may join the project in 
fishing year 2018.
    Vessels participating in this EFP would be required to use EM on 
100 percent of groundfish trips. Camera systems would be used in lieu 
of human at-sea monitors, and in addition to Northeast Fishery Observer 
Program (NEFOP) observers. Vessels would adhere to a vessel-specific 
monitoring plan detailing at-sea catch handling protocols. Vessels 
would submit haul-level electronic vessel trip reports (eVTR) with 
count and weight estimates for all groundfish discards.
    The discard estimates provided in the eVTR would be used for catch 
accounting, and all catch of allocated groundfish would be deducted 
from the appropriate sector's allocation. The EM service provider would 
review the video footage and produce an EM summary report identifying, 
counting, and generating weight estimates for all groundfish discards. 
The provider would submit this report to NMFS. NMFS would compare the 
eVTR and EM summary file to ensure the submissions match within an 
established tolerance. If the trips do not match, the eVTR would not be 
used for catch accounting for that trip. For trips that carry a NEFOP 
observer, the NEFOP data would be used for catch accounting. The EM 
service provider would review 100 percent of the video footage at the 
outset of the fishing year, but may reduce the review percentage mid-
year as part of audit-model testing, if approved by NMFS.
    Because participating vessels would be fully monitored, project 
partners requested access to closed areas to incentivize participation 
and create additional fishing opportunities for healthy stocks. Vessels 
would be allowed to use hook gear and sink gillnets in Closed Area II 
from May 1 through February 15, hook gear in Western Gulf of Maine 
Closure Area, and jig gear in Cashes Ledge Closure Area.
    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: April 9, 2018.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-07596 Filed 4-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P