[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 71 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15791-15792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07597]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG142


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 (Assistant Regional 
Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that three 
exempted fishing permit applications contain all of the required 
information and warrant further consideration. These exempted fishing 
permits would authorize five commercial fishing vessels to test the 
economic viability of using hook gear to selectively target pollock and 
haddock in the Western Gulf of Maine and Cashes Ledge Closure Areas 
(excluding the Cashes Ledge Habitat Management Area), and to 
temporarily retain undersized catch for measurement and data 
collection.
    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 any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on EFP Applications for Hook Gear Access to WGOM and Cashes 
Ledge Closure Areas.''
     Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS, 
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on 
EFP Applications for Hook Gear Access to WGOM and Cashes Ledge Closure 
Areas.''

[[Page 15792]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyle Molton, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9236, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Two commercial fishermen and a groundfish 
sector submitted complete applications to renew exempted fishing 
permits (EFPs) on February 16, 2018, to conduct commercial fishing 
activities that the regulations would otherwise restrict. These EFPs 
would authorize five commercial fishing vessels to fish a combined 
total of 150 trips in the Western Gulf of Maine (WGOM) and Cashes Ledge 
Closure Areas, excluding the Cashes Ledge Habitat Management Area 
(HMA), with hook gear, and to temporarily retain undersized catch for 
measurement and data collection. Within the Cashes Ledge Closure Area, 
access would be permitted in the Fippennies Ledge HMA, but not in the 
Cashes Ledge or Ammen Rock HMAs. These HMAs were developed as part of 
the New England Fisheries Management Council's Omnibus Essential Fish 
Habitat Amendment 2, and approved by NMFS on January 3, 2018.
    The EFPs would authorize the applicants to use hook gear to 
selectively target pollock and haddock while maintaining minimal 
bycatch. In addition, the applicants would also explore and develop 
premium markets to increase the value of the catch. This study would be 
conducted in the WGOM and Cashes Ledge Closure Areas. The applicants 
have requested access to these areas based on reports, and experimental 
fishing, which suggest that there are high concentrations of the target 
species located in these areas. The exemptions are necessary to conduct 
this study because vessels on commercial groundfish trips are 
prohibited from fishing for groundfish in these closed areas and from 
retaining undersized groundfish. EFP trips would occur year-round, 
excluding existing seasonal closures.
    Participating vessels would take a combined total of 150 trips to 
closed areas. Trips would be roughly 24 hours or less in length. 
Vessels would use automated jigging machines, handline, and rod and 
reel gears only. Based on preliminary 2017 data, estimated catch on 
these trips is between 1,000 and 2,000 lb (453.5 to 907.2 kg) of 
pollock and haddock, combined, per trip. 2017 data indicate that catch 
of non-target species is small; cod represented less than 10 percent of 
catch overall, and other species were encountered only sporadically or 
in low numbers.
    Because these vessels would be fishing in closed areas, and must 
minimize interactions with non-target species like cod, the use of a 
vessel monitoring system and 100-percent monitoring would be required 
for all vessels. A research technician or at-sea monitor would 
accompany all trips that occur under these EFPs to measure and document 
fish caught and document fishing gear, bait, location, and fishing 
conditions to evaluate gear performance. The vessel captains would also 
document fishing practices used to avoid bycatch of non-target species. 
Undersized fish would be discarded as quickly as possible after 
sampling. All Northeast multispecies of legal size would be landed, and 
all catch would be attributed to the vessel's sector annual catch 
entitlement. The applicants will also document ex-vessel price for all 
sold catch for comparison with other harvest methods and markets. The 
participating vessels would not be exempt from any sector monitoring or 
reporting requirements.
    If approved, the applicants may request minor modifications and 
extensions to the EFPs 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.

    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. 2018-07597 Filed 4-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P