[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 99 (Wednesday, May 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23527-23528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10672]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-GAR-A003


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

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

[[Page 23528]]

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The NMFS Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, has made a preliminary 
determination that an exempted fishing permit application contains all 
of the required information and warrants further consideration. This 
exempted fishing permit would allow up to six commercial fishing 
vessels to use raised-footrope trawl gear to target small-mesh 
multispecies (silver and red hake) within Small Mesh Area 1 before the 
start of the open season. 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 a proposed exempted fishing permit.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 6, 2019.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Hansen, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9225.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gloucester Fisheries Commission (GFC) 
submitted an application for an EFP on May 6, 2019. This EFP would 
allow up to 6 commercial fishing vessels to take up to 60 trips to fish 
for small-mesh multispecies within Small Mesh Area 1 (SMA1). The GFC 
asserts that SMA 1 is underutilized during the current season and that 
small-mesh multispecies stocks may be more prevalent and more 
effectively targeted within the area before the start of the July 15 
opening of the exemption area. This study would provide data on catch 
rates of small-mesh multispecies and bycatch of regulated Northeast 
multispecies (and other species) to help evaluate the potential for 
opening SMA1 earlier.
    The small-mesh multispecies fishery is open in SMA1 from July 15 
through November 15. This EFP would allow the participating vessels to 
fish in SMA1 as early as June 1 through July 14, 2019. The exact start 
date may be after June 1, as some details of participation and 
monitoring resources are still being finalized. The length of each trip 
would be at the discretion of the vessel operators, consistent with 
normal commercial fishing practices. Fishing would not occur in any 
area closed to protect spawning groundfish.
    Participating vessels would use a raised-footrope trawl with 
diamond mesh codends that have a mesh size of greater than 2.5 inches 
but less than 3 inches, consistent with 50 CFR 648.80(a)(9)(ii). 
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) staff would inspect 
all gear prior to use to verify that it meets the required mesh size 
and gear specifications. Per regulation, this size mesh will allow 
participating vessels to retain up to 3,000 lb (3.4 mt) of whiting/
offshore hake and 7,500 lb (1.4 mt) of red hake per trip. Participating 
vessels would also be exempt from the possession limits and minimum 
size requirements for biological sampling purposes only. All catch that 
is not retained for sale will be promptly returned to the sea.
    A contracted observer or Northeast Fisheries Science Center staff 
would be on board all trips to collect data on catch composition, 
length and weight measurements, and operational data (location, 
weather, time, duration of tow, trawl speed, etc.).
    The table below shows catch estimates for the project that are 
based on a similar study conducted by MA DMF, in 2016 and 2017. There 
is potential to catch up to 18 percent of the red hake total allowable 
landings (TAL) as part of this project which may be of concern to other 
fishermen that are not participating in the EFP.

             Table 1--Estimated Catch for Whiting, Red Hake, Regulated Groundfish, and Other Species
                                            [Numbers in metric tons]
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                                                                                     Expected
             Species              Average  catch/ Average  catch/     Project       catch  (60      Percent  of
                                    trip  2016      trip  2017        average         trips)           quota
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Nothern Silver Hake.............             2.4             1.9             2.1           128.5             0.5
Northern Red Hake...............             0.9             0.8             0.8            50.2          * 18.0
Cod.............................            <0.1            <0.1            <0.1             0.2            <0.1
Haddock.........................             0.5             0.1             0.3            19.0            <0.1
American plaice.................            <0.1             0.1             0.1             3.2            <0.1
Herring.........................            <0.1             0.9             0.5            27.5            <0.1
Yellowtail flounder.............            <0.1             0.1            <0.1             2.4            <0.1
Groundfish Excluding Haddock....             0.1             0.1             0.1             6.8
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* This number is the percent of the TAL for Northern red hake.

    If approved, the applicant 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: May 17, 2019.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-10672 Filed 5-21-19; 8:45 am]
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