[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 189 (Friday, September 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49065-49066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21164]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG494


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 from the 
Coonamessett Farm Foundation contains all of the required information 
and warrants further consideration. This Exempted Fishing Permit would 
allow participating commercial fishing vessels to temporarily possess 
undersized monkfish for biological sampling during normal fishing 
operations in the Southern Fishery Management Area. 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 October 15, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on CFF 2018 Monkfish RSA EFP.''
     Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS, 
Greater Atlantic Regional Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, 
MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on CFF 2018 
Monkfish RSA EFP.''

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) 
submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) 
on September 12, 2018, to conduct fishing activities that the 
regulations would otherwise restrict. The EFP would authorize 12 
participating vessels to temporarily possess undersize monkfish while 
biologically sampling all monkfish caught during normal fishing 
operations in the Southern Fishery Management Area. This research is 
designed to create a reproductive profile for monkfish in the region. 
Sampling would consist of recording the length, total weight, gonad 
weight, liver weight, and spleen color of each individual sampled fish. 
Collection of gonad and blood samples will also occur. Retention and 
sale of legal catch would be allowed on these trips, but all undersized 
fish and otherwise prohibited catch will be returned to the sea as 
quickly as possible.
    If approved, this research would be conducted opportunistically 
over the course of 16 single-day commercial trips within the Southern 
Fishery Management Area for monkfish. All of these 16 trips are 
expected to take place in 2019 between January and June. All

[[Page 49066]]

gear and effort specifications (i.e., haul duration, number of nets, 
etc.) would be dependent upon the discretion of the vessel captains' 
typical fishing practices, but would remain within commercial 
regulations.
    CFF is requesting an exemption from the minimum size possession 
restriction in the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) found at 50 
CFR 648.93(a) to accurately sample all monkfish during these selected 
fishing trips. Funding for this research has been awarded under the 
Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program.
    If approved, CFF 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: September 25, 2018.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-21164 Filed 9-27-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P