[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43108-43109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17916]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[XRIN 0648-XX006]


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 Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, 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 exempt four commercial fishing vessels 
from limited access sea scallop regulations in support of a study 
looking at how a new gear type in the scallop fishery would reduce 
bycatch, minimize habitat impacts, and improve fuel efficiency.
    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 September 4, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``DA19-067 CFRF N-Viro Dredge Study 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 ``DA19-CFRF N-
Viro Dredge Study EFP.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannah Jaburek, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-282-8456.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation 
(CFRF) submitted a complete application for an EFP on June 12, 2019, 
for a 2019 Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) project titled ``Piloting a 
Novel Dredge Type to Reduce Bycatch and Improve Fuel Efficiency in the 
Southern New England Scallop Fishery.'' This project was funded under 
the 2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop RSA Program. Researchers expect to start 
the first trip for this project as soon as the EFP is issued. This 
project would look at how the modified dredge (the N-Viro dredge), a 
new gear type in the scallop fishery, would reduce bycatch, minimize 
habitat impacts by minimizing dredge penetration into and resistance 
along the seafloor, and improve fuel efficiency by towing at lower 
speeds.
    Participating vessels would conduct scallop dredging for 12 months 
from date of issue. The study would use both limited access general 
category (LAGC) and limited access (LA) vessels. The LA component would 
consist of one 5-day trip conducting 80 total paired tows with the N-
Viro dredge. The N-Viro dredge is a 15-ft (4.57-m) tow bar fitted with 
five smaller dredges connected to the tow bar. Each smaller dredge is 2 
ft (0.61 m) wide with a 10-in (25.4-cm) twine top and 4 rows of rings 
in the apron. Additionally each smaller dredge would be outfitted with 
a turtle chain mat. The project would conduct 40 of the 80 tows with 
the turtle deflector dredge control dredge west of 71[deg] W longitude 
and the remaining 40 tows with the standard New Bedford style control 
dredge east of 71[deg] W longitude.
    The LAGC component of the project would use three LAGC vessels that 
would complete a total of 30 research days-at-sea (DAS). Each vessel 
would complete 10 DAS, with 5 days devoted to fishing with the N-viro 
dredge and 5 days devoted to carrying either a New Bedford or 
Provincetown style control dredge. Each LAGC vessel would tow an N-viro 
dredge that has a 10-ft (3.05-m) tow bar with three smaller dredges 
connected to it. The construction of each smaller dredge for the LAGC 
component is identical to the LA component. The LAGC fleet would 
utilize either a Provincetown or New Bedford style dredge common in the 
fishery as a control dredge.
    All tows for both LA and LAGC vessels would be 10 minutes at 
varying depths and substrates. Tow time may be adjusted as needed based 
on dredge performance. For all tows, the entire sea scallop catch would 
be counted into baskets and weighed. All finfish catch would be sorted 
by species and then counted and measured. With the exception of samples 
retained for further processing for scientific purposes, no catch would 
be retained

[[Page 43109]]

for longer than needed to conduct sampling, and no catch would be 
landed for sale on the LA trip. On LAGC trips, scallop and monkfish 
catch would be kept for sale in accordance with current regulations, 
but all other catch will be handled in the same manner as the LA 
research trip.
    CFRF needs these exemptions to allow them to conduct experimental 
dredge towing without being charged DAS. Participating vessels need 
crew size waivers to accommodate science personnel. Exemptions are also 
needed from the turtle deflector dredge requirements for testing of an 
experimental dredge that has a slightly different configuration that 
the current gear requirements. Possession waivers would enable 
researchers to sample finfish catch that exceeds possession limits or 
prohibitions. The project would be exempt from the sea scallop observer 
program requirements because activities conducted on the trip are not 
consistent with normal fishing operations. Researchers from CFRF will 
accompany each trip taken under the EFP.
    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 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: August 15, 2019.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-17916 Filed 8-19-19; 8:45 am]
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