[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3645-3646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00887]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XX023]


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 application submitted by the Cape Cod Commercial 
Fishermen's Alliance to revise an existing Exempted Fishing Permit 
contains all of the required information and warrants further 
consideration. The revised Exempted Fishing Permit would allow two 
commercial fishing vessels participating in an electronic monitoring 
program to fish with benthic longline gear in portions of the Cashes 
Ledge Closure Area. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notice to 
provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications 
for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 6, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``LONGLINE AMENDMENT TO EM 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 ``LONGLINE 
AMENDMENT TO EM EFP.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Vasta, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9196.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    On May 1, 2019, NMFS granted an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) to 
the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance, in partnership with The 
Nature Conservancy, the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, the Gulf 
of Maine Research Institute, and fishermen, to continue developing an 
audit model electronic monitoring (EM) program for catch accounting in 
the groundfish fishery. Fifteen vessels using a variety of gear types 
(e.g., jig, benthic longline, sink gillnet, bottom trawl) are 
participating in the project.
    Vessels participating in this EFP are required to use EM on 100 
percent of groundfish trips. Camera systems are used in lieu of human 
at-sea monitors, and in addition to Northeast Fishery Observer Program 
observers. Vessels must adhere to a vessel-specific monitoring plan 
detailing at-sea catch handling protocols. Vessels must also submit 
haul-level electronic vessel trip reports with count and weight 
estimates for all groundfish discards. To incentivize participation in 
this program and because vessels are fully accountable, the audit model 
EM EFP exempts certain participating vessels from several Federal 
closed area regulations. One of these exemptions allows vessels fishing 
with jig gear (jigging machines, handgear) to fish in the Cashes Ledge 
Closure Area, excluding the Ammen Rock Habitat Management Area (HMA).
    The Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance subsequently submitted 
a request to revise this EFP to allow two additional vessels to fish 
with benthic longline gear in portions of the Cashes Ledge Closure 
Area. Both vessels are currently participating in the audit model EM 
EFP. The revised EFP would exempt the two participating benthic 
longline vessels from the Cashes Ledge Closure Area excluding the Ammen 
Rock HMA at 50 CFR 648.81(a)(3). These vessels would continue to be 
required to use EM systems on 100 percent of groundfish trips and to 
adhere to their specific vessel-monitoring plans. Existing catch 
accounting, video review, and other EM protocols would remain in effect 
during these operations.
    The revised EFP would be effective through the end of fishing year 
2019 (April 31, 2019). Project partners estimate that the two 
participating vessels would collectively take 20 benthic longline trips 
in the Cashes Ledge Closure Area under the amended EFP. Each trip would 
last for approximately 18 hours in duration. Cumulative catch estimates 
from these

[[Page 3646]]

benthic longline 20 trips are presented in Table 1.

Table 1--Cumulative Catch Estimates for Benthic Longline Vessels Fishing
                    in the Cashes Ledge Closure Area
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                  Species                    Cumulative catch estimates
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Haddock...................................  70,000 lb (31,752 kg).
Spiny dogfish.............................  4,000 lb (1,814 kg).
Atlantic cod..............................  2,500 lb (1,134 kg).
Cusk......................................  2,000 lb (907 kg).
Atlantic wolffish.........................  200 lb (91 kg).
Winter skate..............................  200 lb (91 kg).
Smooth skate..............................  200 lb (91 kg).
Thorny skate..............................  200 lb (91 kg).
Red hake..................................  200 lb (91 kg).
White hake................................  200 lb (91 kg).
Sculpin...................................  200 lb (91 kg).
Atlantic halibut..........................  10 individuals.
Winter flounder...........................  2 individuals.
Barndoor skate............................  2 individuals.
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    Prior to setting benthic longline gear, participating vessels would 
test their intended fishing area for the presence of target species. 
Once testing was complete, participating vessels would set an average 
of 10 lines per trip (five lines per tide, two tides per trip). Each 
line would be rigged with 1,000 hooks, and average soak time would be 
approximately 2.5 hours.
    Participating vessels would continue to develop EM for catch 
accounting in the groundfish fishery. The applicant states that 
allowing benthic longline vessels to fish in portions of the Cashes 
Ledge Closure Area would give these vessels additional flexibility to 
extend their fishing season and improve their ability to target 
haddock, which is a healthy groundfish stock. The applicant 
additionally states that permitting benthic longline vessels access to 
portions of the Cashes Ledge Closure Area would provide additional 
opportunities for hook fishermen to set their gear in areas that are 
not congested with gillnet and mobile gear.
    Since benthic longline fishing inside the Cashes Ledge Closure Area 
is outside of the scope of the project as described in the original 
Scientific Research Plan, we are taking public comment on the revision 
request. Atlantic halibut are caught in the Cashes Ledge Closure Area 
by vessels fishing with hook gear. We are also interested in comments 
regarding the potential Atlantic halibut catch, and how the exemption 
may affect other fixed gear fishing vessels operating in the Cashes 
Ledge Closure Area.
    If approved, the project partners may request minor modifications 
and extensions to the EFP throughout the study period. 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: January 15, 2020.
Karyl K. Brewster-Geisz,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-00887 Filed 1-21-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P