[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 239 (Thursday, December 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67928-67929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26693]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XX029]


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 
permit would allow Coonamessett Farm Foundation to test the selectivity 
of alternate gillnet configurations to target haddock while reducing 
catch of other groundfish species. 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 December 27, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on Testing Selectivity and Raised Webbing Gillnets on Target 
and Non-Target Species in the Northeast Haddock Fishery.''
     Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS, 
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on 
Testing Selectivity of Alternative Gillnet Configurations in the 
Northeast Haddock Fishery.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyle Molton, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9236, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF)

[[Page 67929]]

submitted a complete application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) 
on October 28, 2019, to conduct commercial fishing activities that the 
regulations would otherwise restrict. The application is a renewal of 
an EFP originally issued in December 2017 and renewed in March 2019. 
The original EFP allowed up to 24 trips (with a target of 24 days-at-
sea); to date vessels have fished 10 days-at-sea. The EFP would 
authorize four vessels to test alternative gillnet configurations for 
haddock and to temporarily retain undersized catch for measurement and 
data collection. The applicant has requested exemptions from minimum 
mesh size regulations at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(4)(iv) and Sec.  
648.8(b)(2)(iv), and the prohibition on possessing groundfish below the 
minimum size Sec.  648.83(a). These exemptions are necessary because 
vessels on commercial groundfish trips are prohibited from using 
gillnets with mesh size less than 6.5 inches (16.51 cm) and from 
retaining undersized groundfish. The applicant is also requesting an 
exemption from the Closed Area I North Georges Bank Spawning Groundfish 
Closure at Sec.  648.81(c)(3), which NOAA Fisheries does not intend to 
approve, as further described below.
    The project titled ``Testing Selectivity and Raised Webbing 
Gillnets on Target and Non-Target Species in the Northeast Haddock 
Fishery'' would continue to be conducted by CFF. The study would take 
place on Georges Bank and in southern New England from January 2020 
through August 2020, with the 4 participating vessels fishing no more 
than 14 days-at-sea total. Vessels would fish a maximum of 20 gillnets, 
each 300 feet (91.44 m) long, in strings made up of 10 to 20 nets each. 
Nets would alternate between standard 6.5-inch (16.51-cm) mesh and 6.0-
inch (15.24-cm) mesh. Half of the nets of each mesh size would be 
rigged with a 30-inch (76.2-cm) raised webbing section along the 
bottom. Two to three hauls of the nets are expected during each day at 
sea with an average soak time of 6 to 8 hours for each set.
    A CFF researcher or technician would accompany all trips that occur 
under this EFP to identify and count all fish caught, as well as 
measure and weigh cod and haddock. Individual fish of other species 
would also be measured and weighed if time allows. Undersized fish 
would be discarded as quickly as possible after sampling. All Northeast 
multispecies of legal size would be landed, and all catch (including 
discards) would be attributed to the vessel's sector annual catch 
entitlement, consistent with standard catch accounting procedures. 
Participating vessels would comply with all protected species 
regulations, and would not be able to set gillnets in areas otherwise 
closed to fishing with gillnet gear.
    Under a recent court order, NOAA Fisheries is barred from allowing 
gillnet fishing in the former Nantucket Lightship and Closed Area I 
Groundfish Closure Areas. Accordingly, we can not approve, nor will we 
consider, the applicant's request to allow access to the seasonal 
Closed Area I North Georges Bank Spawning Groundfish Closure, which 
falls entirely within the footprint of former Closed Area I. CFF had 
requested this exemption previously, but the request was denied because 
of potential negative impacts to spawning groundfish.
    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.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: December 6, 2019.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-26693 Filed 12-11-19; 8:45 am]
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