[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 106 (Monday, June 3, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25535-25536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11455]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG989
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic,
Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Exempted Fishing Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for exempted fishing
permit; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) from Dr. Glenn Parsons, University of Mississippi.
If granted, the EFP would authorize the use of an experimental bycatch
reduction device (BRD) in the shrimp trawl fishery in Federal waters of
the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). The project would seek feedback on industry
acceptance of the experimental BRD and provide informal comparisons
between the experimental BRD and currently certified BRDs during normal
shrimp trawl fishing operations.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 18, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application, identified by
``NOAA-NMFS-2019-0052'' by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2019-0052, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Mail: Frank Helies, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263
13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
[[Page 25536]]
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any
other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment
period, may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part
of the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address), confidential business information,
or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender
will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
Electronic copies of the application may be obtained from the
Southeast Regional Office website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/commercial-fishing/experimental-shrimp-trawl-bycatch-reduction-device.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Helies, 727-824-5305; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is requested under the authority of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.
1801 et seq.), and regulations at 50 CFR 600.745(b) concerning exempted
fishing.
The EFP application submitted to NMFS involves the use of
experimental gear in Federal waters. Federal regulations require most
shrimp vessels to use NMFS approved bycatch reduction devices (BRD)
while shrimp trawling in Federal waters in the Gulf (50 CFR 622.53).
The EFP would exempt seven vessels from the BRD requirement to allow
the applicant to replace an existing approved BRD with the experimental
BRD.
The primary goal of the project is to solicit industry feedback on
the Nested Cylinder BRD (NCBRD) to determine whether to seek
certification by NMFS and market this new type of BRD to the shrimp
industry. The NCBRD has been in development since 2015, with the
research work funded through NMFS grant programs. The NCBRD exploits
the natural tendency for fish to swim up current and to take refuge in
reduced flow areas created by the device. The NCBRD is sewn into the
trawl ``bag'' downstream of the turtle excluder device (TED). The NCBRD
is constructed with a continuous flow-blocking collar made of
galvanized steel or marine grade aluminum, which creates a region of
reduced flow that attracts fish. This reduced flow area is adjacent to
large mesh netting (11.5 cm square) that encircles the NCBRD to create
escape openings and provides the opportunity for fish to exit the
trawl. The webbing extension on the front of the NCBRD measures 120
meshes in circumference, four meshes in length, where the mesh in place
is 41 mm stretch mesh. A 40-inch (104-cm) long webbing ``funnel''
connects to the inner cylinder of the NCBRD and is 60 meshes in
circumference, 26 meshes in length, and uses 41 mm stretch mesh. The
funnel displaces all organisms downstream of the escape opening such
that the fish must swim upstream into the flow ``shadow'' to exit the
trawl. Two floats attached to the top of the device provide flotation
to prevent scuffing of the gear on the ocean bottom.
Since 2015, the NCBRD has been used on a variety of Gulf and South
Atlantic commercial shrimp vessels contracted for research evaluation
in Federal waters. Successful NMFS at-sea NCBRD certification trials
were completed in December 2016, as prescribed in the BRD Testing
Protocol Manual (81 FR 95056, December 27, 2016). Under this EFP, an
existing certified BRD on seven Gulf shrimp vessels would be replaced
with the NCBRD in one outboard net during normal fishing operations.
This will allow for comparison between the different BRDs. The
applicant intends to obtain opinions, comments, and suggestions from
Gulf shrimpers that might encourage them to use the device. To ensure
proper use of the NCBRD, the applicant would make site visits to each
participant to demonstrate proper installation in the trawl and request
shrimpers use the device for at least 30 trawls during normal fishing
operations. All trawling would be conducted in the northern Gulf shrimp
grounds offshore of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Depths
typically range from a few meters out to approximately 65 meters. Tow
times would be no less than 1 hour in duration. All shrimp trawlers
would still be required to comply with the TED regulations at 50 CFR
223.206(d)(2).
The applicant has requested the EFP be effective for one year from
the date of issuance.
NMFS finds the application warrants further consideration based on
a preliminary review. Possible conditions the agency may impose on the
permit, if granted, include but are not limited to, a prohibition on
conducting activities within marine protected areas, marine
sanctuaries, special management zones, or areas where they might
interfere with managed fisheries without additional authorization. A
final decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on NMFS' review of
public comments received on the application, consultations with the
appropriate fishery management agencies of the affected states,
Councils, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and a determination that the
activities to be taken under the EFP are consistent with all applicable
laws and regulations.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 28, 2019.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-11455 Filed 5-31-19; 8:45 am]
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