[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 56426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22977]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XW011


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic 
Fisheries; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Application for an 
Exempted Fishing Permit

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the request for renewal of a 2019 exempted 
fishing permit application titled, ``Year-round Coastwide Midwater 
Rockfish EFP: Monitoring and Minimizing Salmon Bycatch When Targeting 
Rockfish in the Shorebased IFQ Fishery'' for the 2020 fishing year 
(herein referred to as the ``Trawl Gear EFP''). The application, 
submitted by the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, 
Environmental Defense Fund, Oregon Trawl Commission, and Midwater 
Trawlers Cooperative, requests a permit to test whether removing 
certain gear, time, and area restrictions for vessels fishing under the 
Trawl Rationalization Program's Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota 
Program may impact the nature and extent of bycatch of prohibited 
species (e.g., Chinook salmon). This exempted fishing permit would 
allow participating groundfish bottom and midwater trawl vessels more 
flexibility than allowed in current regulations to target pelagic 
rockfish species, such as widow, chilipepper, and yellowtail rockfish. 
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 no later than 5 p.m., local time on 
November 6, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2019-0119, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2019-0119, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments. The EFP application will be available under 
``Supporting Documents'' through the same link.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Lynn Massey, West Coast 
Region, NMFS, 501 W Ocean Blvd., Ste. 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4250.
    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 would generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender would be publicly accessible. NMFS would accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments would be accepted in 
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Massey, West Coast Region, NMFS, 
at (562) 436-2462, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by the Pacific 
Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and implementing 
regulations at 50 CFR 600.745, which allow NMFS Regional Administrators 
to authorize exempted fishing permits (EFPs) to test fishing activities 
that would otherwise be prohibited.
    At the September 2018 Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
meeting, the Council voted to recommend the 2019 Trawl Gear EFP project 
to NMFS, and made the preliminary decision to recommend continuing the 
EFP project in 2020. NMFS published a description of the 2019 Trawl 
Gear EFP in the Federal Register on November 30, 2018 (83 FR 61603), 
and solicited public comments through December 17, 2018. NMFS issued a 
total of 46 EFPs to eligible vessels for the 2019 fishing year. As of 
September 30, 2019, 15 vessels have participated in the Trawl Gear EFP 
during the 2019 fishing year (7 vessels fished midwater only, 2 fished 
bottom trawl only, and 6 fished using both gear types). These vessels 
have caught 46 Chinook salmon, no eulachon, sturgeon, or Coho salmon, 
and approximately 13.7 million pounds of groundfish, totaling 
approximately $4.8 million in revenue.
    At the September 2019 Council meeting, the EFP applicants requested 
renewal of the 2019 Trawl Gear EFP (described in additional detail at 
83 FR 61603, November 30, 2019) with no changes for the 2020 fishing 
year. The same bycatch limits for Chinook salmon recommended by the 
Council in 2019 would be maintained during the 2020 fishing year (i.e., 
1,000 fish for Chinook salmon taken north of 42 degrees North latitude 
(N. lat.) and 100 fish for Chinook salmon taken south of 42 degrees N. 
lat).
    The EFP applicants have not proposed a specific list of 
participating vessels, but rather are proposing that NMFS publish a 
public notice to gauge interest from limited entry groundfish midwater 
and bottom trawl vessels. Depending on the amount of interest and where 
vessels indicate interest in fishing, NMFS may need to limit 
participation by time and area to mitigate potential impacts.
    After publication of this document in the Federal Register, NMFS 
may approve and issue the EFP after the close of the public comment 
period. NMFS will consider comments submitted, as well as the Council's 
discussion at their September 2019 meeting, in deciding whether to 
approve the application as requested. NMFS may approve the application 
in its entirety or may make any alterations needed to achieve the goals 
of the EFP.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq., and 16 
U.S.C. 7001 et seq.

    Dated: October 17, 2019.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-22977 Filed 10-21-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P