[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11933-11934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06105]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG899


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic 
Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permit

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 Northeast Fisheries Science Center contains all of the required 
information and warrants further consideration. This Exempted Fishing 
Permit would exempt participating vessels from minimum fish size 
restrictions and fish possession limits. Regulations under the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require 
publication of this notice to provide interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on Exempted Fishing Permit applications.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 15, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by either of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on NEFSC Study Fleet 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 ``Comments on 
NEFSC Study Fleet EFP.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Spencer Talmage, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9232, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northeast Fisheries Science Center 
submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) 
on February 26, 2019, for the 2019 Study Fleet Program. The EFP would 
exempt 18 commercial fishing vessels from the minimum size and 
possession limits for species of interest, as well as allow temporary 
retention of species that would be discarded.
    The Center established the Study Fleet Program in 2002 to more 
fully characterize commercial fishing operations and provide sampling 
opportunities to augment NMFS's data collection programs. Partnership 
with the commercial fishing industry allows the Center to provide 
samples for stock assessment and fish biology research when traditional 
sampling sources might otherwise be unavailable. Table 1 includes all 
of the regulations specified at 50 CFR part 648 that participating 
vessels would be exempt from for at-sea sampling or when retaining and 
landing fish for research purposes. The exemptions listed in Table 1 
are necessary for contracted vessels to acquire the biological samples 
needed to meet Center research objectives.

 Table 1--Specific Regulations Covered by the Proposed Exempted Fishing
                                 Permit
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                                            Study fleet program EFP
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Number of Vessels....................  18.
Exempted regulations in 50 CFR part    Size limits: Sec.   648.83
 648.                                   Northeast multispecies minimum
                                        sizes.
                                       Possession restrictions:
                                       3Sec.   648.86(a) Haddock.
                                       3Sec.   648.86(b) Atlantic cod.
                                       3Sec.   648.86(d) Small-mesh
                                        multispecies.
                                       3Sec.   648.86(g) Yellowtail
                                        flounder.

[[Page 11934]]

 
                                       3Sec.   648.86(o) Possession
                                        limits implemented by Regional
                                        Administrator.
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    Any fish retained under the EFP would be delivered to Center staff 
upon landing. Additionally, the Center would issue a formal Biological 
Sampling Request to the vessel to retain fish in excess of possession 
limits or below the minimum size limit. This would ensure that the 
landed fish do not exceed any collection needs of the Study Fleet 
Program, as detailed below in Table 2.
    All catch would be attributed to the appropriate commercial fishing 
quota. For a vessel fishing on a groundfish sector trip, all catch of 
groundfish stocks allocated to sectors would be deducted from the 
vessel's sector's Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE). Once the ACE for a 
stock has been reached in a sector, vessels would no longer be allowed 
to fish in that stock area unless the sector acquired additional ACE 
for the stock in question. For common pool vessels, all groundfish 
catch would be counted toward the appropriate trimester total allowable 
catch (TAC). Common pool vessels would be exempt from possession and 
trip limits on EFP trips when directed for sampling by the Center, but 
would still be subject to trimester TAC closures.

                                            Table 2--Study Fleet Program's Biological Sample Collection Needs
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                                                                                                Individual fish
             Species                 Stock area *        Gear types          Collection        per collection      Maximum weight     Maximum allowance
                                                                               frequency            period         allowed per trip
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Atlantic cod....................  GOM, GB...........  OTF, DRS..........  Monthly (Dec-Mar).  20 per month (10    175 lb (79 kg)....  2,800 lb (1,270
                                                                                               from each stock                         kg).
                                                                                               area).
Haddock.........................  GOM, GB...........  OTF, DRS..........  Monthly (Dec-Mar).  80 per week (40     300 lb (136 kg)...  4,800 lb (2,177
                                                                                               from each stock                         kg).
                                                                                               area).
Acadian Redfish.................  GOM...............  OTF...............  Monthly (Mar-July)  50 per month......  150 lb (68 kg)....  750 lb (340 kg).
Yellowtail Flounder.............  GOM, GB, SNE......  OTF, DRS..........  Monthly (Jan-Apr).  120 per week (40    90 lb (41 kg).....  2,160 lb (980 kg).
                                                                                               from each stock
                                                                                               area).
Winter Flounder.................  GOM, GB, SNE......  OTF, DRS..........  Monthly (Jan-Apr).  120 per week (40    160 lb (73 kg)....  3,840 lb (1742
                                                                                               from each stock                         kg).
                                                                                               area).
Longfin squid...................  Any Area..........  OTM, OTF..........  Quarterly (4        15 per quarter....  5 lb (2 kg).......  20 lb (9 kg).
                                                                           separate months).
Longfin squid...................  Any Area..........  OTM, OTF..........  Monthly...........  100 per month.....  75 lb (34 kg).....  900 lb (408 kg).
Atlantic herring................  Any Area..........  OTM, OTF, PUR.....  Monthly...........  100 per month.....  100 lb (45 kg)....  1,200 lb (544 kg).
River herring/shad..............  Any Area..........  OTM, OTF, PUR.....  Monthly...........  100 per month of    100 lb (45 kg) of   1,200 lb (544 kg)
                                                                                               each species.       each species.       of ea. species.
round herring...................  Any Area..........  OTM, OTF, PUR.....  Monthly...........  100 per month.....  100 lb (45 kg)....  1,200 lb (544 kg).
Silver hake.....................  Any Area..........  OTM, OTF, PUR.....  Monthly...........  100 per month.....  260 lb (118 kg)...  3,120 lb (1415
                                                                                                                                       kg).
Atlantic mackerel...............  Any Area..........  OTM, OTF, PUR.....  Monthly...........  100 per month.....  260 lb (118 kg)...  3,120 lb (1415
                                                                                                                                       kg).
Shortfin squid..................  Any Area..........  OTM, OTF..........  Monthly...........  100 per month.....  75 lb (34 kg).....  900 lb (408 kg).
Sand lance......................  Any Area..........  OTM, OTF, PUR.....  Monthly...........  100 per month.....  25 lb (11 kg).....  300 lb (136 kg).
Butterfish......................  SNE, MA...........  OTM...............  Monthly...........  150 per month.....  75 lb (34 kg).....  900 lb (408 kg).
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* Stock area abbreviations: Gulf of Maine (GOM), Georges Bank (GB), Southern New England (SNE).
 Gear abbreviations: Otter trawl (OTF), bottom longline (LLB), sink gillnet (GNS), sea scallop dredge (DRS), fish pot (PTF), hand lines, auto jig
  (HND), purse seine (PUR), otter trawl midwater (OTM), pair trawl midwater (PTM).

    If approved, the Center 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 impact that does not change the scope 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: March 25, 2019.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-06105 Filed 3-28-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P