[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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