[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 112 (Monday, June 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26966-26968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12420]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG230


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; Exempted 
Fishing Permit

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for an exempted fishing 
permit; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted 
fishing permit (EFP) from Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and 
Environmental Resources (DNER). If granted, the EFP would authorize 
persons aboard DNER research vessels and commercial fishing vessels 
contracted through DNER to collect selected reef fish species in waters 
of the U.S. Caribbean exclusive economic

[[Page 26967]]

zone (EEZ) off Puerto Rico without complying with certain seasonal and 
gear closures, and size and bag limits. Reef fish would be harvested by 
hook-and-line and bottom longline gear and monitored by underwater 
camera gear. The operations would take place in the U.S. Caribbean EEZ 
off both the west and east coasts of Puerto Rico. All reef fish, 
including undersized and seasonally prohibited reef fish species, would 
be retained, except for goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, and all 
species of parrotfish. The purpose of the EFP is to determine spatial 
and temporal variations in stock abundance of Caribbean reef fish 
resources off Puerto Rico.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than June 26, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application by any of the 
following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject 
line of the email comment the following document identifier: ``PR 
DNER_EFP 2018''.
     Mail: Sarah Stephenson, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 
263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
    The EFP application and related documents are available for review 
upon written request to any of the above addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Stephenson, 727-824-5305; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is requested under the authority of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.), and regulations at 50 CFR 600.745(b) concerning exempted 
fishing.
    The proposed collection for scientific research involves activities 
that would otherwise be prohibited by regulations at 50 CFR part 622, 
as they pertain to Caribbean reef fish managed by the Caribbean Fishery 
Management Council. This action involves activities covered by 
regulations implementing the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish 
Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If granted, the EFP 
would exempt this research activity from certain Federal regulations at 
Sec.  622.435 (Seasonal and area closures), Sec.  622.436 (Size 
limits), and Sec.  622.437 (Bag limits). The EFP would be effective 
from the date of issuance through March 31, 2021.
    The applicant requests authorization to collect reef fish species 
in the U.S. Caribbean EEZ off the east and west coasts of Puerto Rico. 
Specimens would be collected by persons aboard DNER research vessels 
and commercial fishing vessels contracted through the DNER, including 
DNER staff and commercial fishermen. Each vessel's home port is located 
in Puerto Rico. This permit would exempt project participants, 
including DNER staff, that do not have a valid commercial fishing 
license issued by Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands from 
regulations limiting the number of reef fish collected per person per 
day, or per vessel per day (50 CFR 622.437(b)). The EFP would also 
exempt the applicant from certain seasonal and area closure regulations 
at 50 CFR 622.435 and size limits regulations at 50 CFR 622.436, as 
identified and described below.
    The project would continue the collection of information on reef 
fish abundance and distribution in waters off eastern and western 
Puerto Rico as part of the ongoing Southeast Area Monitoring and 
Assessment Program--Caribbean Reef Fish Monitoring Project. Research in 
EEZ waters of the U.S. Caribbean would consist of harvesting reef fish 
at approximately 20 stations in the EEZ off the west coast of Puerto 
Rico, west of 67[deg]00'00'' W long., and at approximately 10 stations 
in the EEZ off the east coast of Puerto Rico, from the Fajardo coast 
east to Culebra Island and Vieques Island. The stations will be 
randomly located at three depth strata: 0-10, 11-20, and 21-50 fathoms. 
Stations and sampling dates would be randomly selected each year over 
the duration of the EFP but may be subject to change according to 
weather and sampling logistics. All fishing activities would occur 
between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., local time.
    Sampling would be conducted by (1) bottom longline fishing, (2) 
hook-and-line fishing, and (3) underwater camera deployment to identify 
and quantify reef fish species. Sampling at each site would consist of 
one longline, three hook-and-line, and one camera deployment in tandem. 
Species expected to be caught and landed during the proposed activities 
include all federally managed reef fish in the U.S. Caribbean EEZ. All 
reef fish, including undersized and seasonally prohibited species, 
would be retained except for goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, and all 
species of parrotfish.
    The EFP would allow the following amounts of seasonally prohibited 
reef fish to be harvested each year for the duration of the EFP: A 
total of 100 lb (45 kg) of any combination of red, black, tiger, 
yellowfin, and yellowedge groupers during the February 1 through April 
30 seasonal closure (50 CFR 622.435(a)(1)(i)); a total of 240 lb (108 
kg) of red hind grouper during the December 1 through the last day of 
February seasonal closure (50 CFR 622.435(a)(1)(ii)); a total of 100 lb 
(45 kg) of any combination of vermilion, black, silk, and blackfin 
snappers during the October 1 through December 31 seasonal closure (50 
CFR 622.435(a)(1)(iii)); and a total of 600 lb (272 kg) of any 
combination of lane and mutton snappers during the April 1 through June 
30 seasonal closure (50 CFR 622.435(a)(1)(iv)). In addition, the EFP 
would allow for the annual harvest of a total of 500 lb (227 kg) of 
yellowtail snapper, including harvest of individuals that are smaller 
than the Federal minimum size limit of 12 inches (30.5 cm), total 
length (50 CFR 622.436(a)), for the duration of the EFP. Each year, 
when the number of fish authorized by the permit is collected, 
activities allowed under the permit must stop. Collection may begin 
again the following year.
    This permit would authorize fishing activities during the December 
1 through February 28 seasonal closure in the Tourmaline and Abrir La 
Sierra Bank red hind spawning aggregation areas (50 CFR 
622.435(a)(2)(ii)(B)(2) and (3)), located west of Puerto Rico. The 
permit would also exempt the applicant from the year-round prohibition 
against using bottom longlines in Tourmaline and Abrir La Sierra Bank 
areas (50 CFR 622.435(b)(2)).
    At each station, one 300-foot (91.4-m) bottom longline would be 
deployed, with anchor and surface buoys attached at each end to allow 
for gear retrieval and identification. Circle hooks would be attached 
to the longline every 72 inches (183 cm), for a total of 50 hooks, and 
the gear would soak for 30 minutes, after which it would be retrieved 
and any reef fish would be collected, except for parrotfish and Nassau 
and goliath groupers, which would be immediately returned to the water. 
The bottom longline would be set to minimize any impacts to bottom 
habitat by avoiding coral reefs and by fastening small buoys at 
intervals between hooks to ensure the line remains suspended above the 
bottom to avoid entanglement. For each bottom longline set, the 
following data would be recorded: Date; time of first and last hook 
deployment and recovery; station code and latitude and longitude; 
fishing time to the nearest minute; weather conditions; depth; total 
number of hooked fish per vessel; number, weight, length, reproductive 
condition, and species level identification of fish per hook; and 
substrate and/or habitat type. Visual inspection of reef fish gonads 
would occur when the samples are processed and they would then be

[[Page 26968]]

preserved for subsequent histological analysis.
    The hook-and-line sampling would take place for 30 minutes at the 
same randomly-selected, stratified stations as the bottom longline, 
while anchored. At each station, hook-and-line gear would be fished 
using three lines, with each line having two circular hooks baited with 
squid. For each fishing trip, fishers will randomly space their hooks 
on the line and will retain all reef fish collected, except for 
parrotfish and Nassau and goliath groupers, which would be immediately 
returned to the water. For each hook-and-line set, the following data 
would be recorded: Date; time of EFP vessel trips (i.e., time of 
departure and return to dock); station location (latitude and 
longitude); fishing time to the nearest 10 minutes; weather conditions; 
depth; total number of hooked fish per vessel; number, weight, length, 
reproductive condition, and identification of reef fish per hook-and-
line; and stratified habitat type or substrate type. Each fish will be 
identified by hook-and-line position and by fisher. If the habitat or 
substrate type is unknown, it will be characterized whenever possible 
using drop cameras.
    Also at each station, a camera array would be deployed near the 
bottom longline for 30 minutes. The use of high-resolution digital 
video allows for accurate and precise reef fish species identification, 
counts, and size measurements.
    NMFS finds this application warrants further consideration based on 
a preliminary review. Possible conditions the agency may impose on this 
permit, if it is indeed granted, include but are not limited to, a 
prohibition on conducting research within marine protected areas, 
marine sanctuaries, or special management zones, without additional 
authorization, and requiring compliance with best practices in the 
event of interactions with any protected species. NMFS may also require 
DNER complete and submit periodic catch report forms summarizing the 
amount of reef fish species harvested during the seasonal closures and 
within the exempted closed areas, as well as during the period of 
effectiveness of any issued EFP. Additionally, NMFS would require any 
sea turtles taken incidentally during the course of fishing or 
scientific research activities to be handled with due care to prevent 
injury to live specimens, observed for activity, and returned to the 
water.
    A final decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on NMFS' review 
of public comments received on the application, consultations with the 
affected state(s), the Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and a 
determination that it is consistent with all applicable laws.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: June 5, 2018.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-12420 Filed 6-8-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P