[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 71 (Friday, April 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14915-14916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-07283]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG927
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 Acting Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary
determination that an exempted fishing permit application submitted by
The Nature Conservancy contains all of the required information and
warrants further consideration. This exempted fishing permit would
allow participants to use electronic monitoring systems in lieu of at-
sea monitors in support of a study to develop electronic monitoring for
catch monitoring in the Northeast multispecies fishery. 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 29, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by either of the following
methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line
``TNC EM EFP RENEWAL.''
Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS,
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``TNC EM EFP
RENEWAL.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Vasta, Fishery Management
Specialist: 978-281-9196; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Northeast multispecies 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 NMFS deems the technology sufficient for catch monitoring.
NMFS has yet to approve EM as a suitable alternative to ASM. However,
we are working with industry and other stakeholders to test the
operational feasibility of EM and resolve outstanding issues that are
barriers to implementation.
In fishing year 2016, The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with
the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance, the Maine Coast
Fishermen's Association, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and
fishermen enrolled in various groundfish sectors, obtained an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) authorizing participant vessels to use EM in lieu
of human observers to meet their ASM requirements. Project partners
applied to renew this EFP in fishing years 2017 and 2018, and the EFP
was reissued in both years.
[[Page 14916]]
Table 1--Participation in Previous Issues of the Partial Audit-Model EM
EFP
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Number of ASM coverage
Fishing year participant level
vessels (percent)
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2016.................................... 14 14
2017.................................... 5 16
2018.................................... 5 15
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On February 15, 2019, The Nature Conservancy, along with project
partners, submitted a request to renew this EFP for the 2019 fishing
year, as part of an ongoing effort to pilot EM in the fishery. Work
conducted under the proposed EFP would help refine proposed standards
for a comprehensive EM program in the groundfish fishery. The proposed
participant list includes five vessels, all of which participated in
this EFP in fishing year 2018. Together, they are expected to take an
estimated 235 trips in fishing year 2019. At 31 percent observer
coverage, this would equate to roughly 75 EFP trips.
Vessels participating in this EFP would use EM in lieu of human
ASMs, and in addition to Northeast Fishery Observer Program (NEFOP)
observers, on groundfish trips selected for observer coverage. Vessels
would adhere to a vessel-specific Vessel Monitoring Plan (VMP)
detailing at-sea catch handling protocols. An EM service provider would
review 100 percent of the video footage. The provider would also
produce an EM summary report identifying, counting, and generating
weight estimates for all groundfish discards, which it would submit to
the NMFS Greater Atlantic Fisheries Regional Office. These data would
be used for catch accounting purposes on trips selected for ASM
coverage. EM data would not be used for catch accounting in place of
observer data on NEFOP trips. However, the information generated
through this EM project could facilitate comparisons between cameras
and human observers in the future. Following the EM service provider's
review, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center would conduct a
secondary review of the EM summary reports for all or a subset of EFP
trips.
Under this EFP, participating vessels would be exempt from minimum
fish size requirements (Sec. 648.83(a)) for Northeast multispecies,
for sampling purposes only; and ocean pout, windowpane flounder, and
Atlantic wolffish possession prohibitions (Sec. 648.86(l)), for
sampling purposes only. Vessels would also be exempt from their
sector's third-party monitoring program requirements (Sec.
648.87(b)(1)(v)(B)) only; all other standard sector reporting and
monitoring requirements, such as using dealer-reported landings and
vessel trip reports, would still apply. Vessels would be assigned
observer coverage at the fishing year 2019 ASM coverage level of 31
percent, which is a combination of NEFOP and ASM coverage. All catch of
allocated groundfish stocks would be deducted from the appropriate
sector's allocation. Legal-sized regulated groundfish would be retained
and landed as required by the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management
Plan. Undersized groundfish would be handled according to the VMP
guidelines in view of cameras and returned to the sea as quickly as
possible. All other species would be handled per normal commercial
fishing operations. No legal-size regulated groundfish would be
discarded, unless otherwise permitted through regulatory exemptions
granted to the participating vessel's sector.
If approved, the applicant may request minor modifications 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, 2019.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-07283 Filed 4-11-19; 8:45 am]
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