[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 175 (Wednesday, September 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55641-55642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-19864]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA422]


Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management 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 NMFS Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, 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 allow eight commercial lobster vessels to 
participate in a lobster and Jonah crab monitoring study in the South 
Fork wind farm lease area, under the direction of the Commercial 
Fisheries Research Foundation. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal 
Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require publication of this notice 
to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on Exempted 
Fishing Permit applications.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 24, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
    Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on the South Fork Wind Farm Lobster and Jonah Crab EFP.'' If 
you are unable to submit your comment through [email protected], 
contact Laura Hansen, Fishery Management Specialist, 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Hansen, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9225.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation 
(CFRF) submitted a complete application for an Exempted

[[Page 55642]]

Fishing Permit (EFP) to conduct a lobster and Jonah crab monitoring 
study that Federal regulations would otherwise restrict. The purpose of 
this study is to collect pre-construction data on the abundance, size, 
and distribution of lobster and Jonah crab in the South Fork wind farm 
lease area and adjacent waters.
    The EFP would authorize the eight participating vessels (3 active 
and 5 back up vessels) to deploy 4 standard and 6 ventless traps per 
10-pot trawl. The project consists of two survey periods from August 
2020 through November 2020 and May 2021 through November 2021. Each 
vessel would take three one-day trips during the survey periods; one 
day to set traps, one day for sampling and resetting, and another day 
of additional sampling. Soak time between trips will be five days. CFRF 
staff will be on board for the sampling trips. All gear would be 
Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan compliant. Survey traps will 
be separate from each vessel's commercial lobster traps and will have 
unique identification markers. To reduce the potential risk to right 
whales, CFRF has agreed to report if line and/or trawls are missing, 
apply distinct gear marking colors to the research trawls, and use 
1,700 lb breaking strength buoy lines.
    All catch during sampling trips would be retained temporarily to 
collect biological data and returned promptly to the ocean. No catch 
from the research traps would be landed for sale.
    If approved, CFRF may request minor modifications and extensions to 
the EFP throughout the study. 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: September 2, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-19864 Filed 9-8-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P