[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 180 (Wednesday, September 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57833-57835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20389]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XA460]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for 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: 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 allow eight commercial fishing vessels to
participate in a beam trawl survey in and around the South Fork Wind
Farm work area, under the direction of the Commercial Fisheries
Research Foundation. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and 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 October 1, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by either of the following
methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line
``Comments on CFRF Beam Trawl Survey 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 ``Comments on
CFRF Beam Trawl Survey EFP.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Fenton, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-281-9196, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation
(CFRF) submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing Permit
(EFP) in support of a South Fork Wind Farm Beam Trawl Monitoring
Survey. The EFP would temporarily exempt eight commercial fishing
vessels from minimum mesh size requirements for vessels using trawl
gear at 50 CFR 648.80(b)(2)(i), possession limits and minimum size
[[Page 57834]]
requirements specified in Sec. 648 subsections B and D through O; and
lobster possession limits and minimum size requirements specified in
Sec. 697.20, for sampling purposes only.
Under this EFP, CFRF would conduct up to 24 1-day survey trips
September 2020 through July 2022 (1 trip per month). Prior to the first
survey trip, researchers would conduct a scouting trip to visit
proposed tow areas. During each survey trip, participating vessels
would complete three tows in each of three sampling areas in Southern
New England: One sampling area inside the South Fork Wind Farm work
area southwest of Martha's Vineyard (Figure 1), and two reference
sampling areas adjacent to the South Fork Wind Farm work area. This
would total 9 tows completed per month, and 216 tows completed under
the EFP. Surveys would not occur in any areas that are closed to
fishing.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN16SE20.000
Participating vessels would complete all survey tows using a 3-m
beam trawl with a 4.75-inch (12.06-cm) mesh codend and a 1-inch (2.54-
cm) knotless codend liner. The mouth of the trawl would be equipped
with rock chains to prevent larger rocks from entering the net and
damaging the catch or the gear. Each survey tow would last for 20
minutes in duration once the gear is fully deployed.
A sampling team consisting of a lead Research Biologist and an
assistant sea sampler would direct sampling activities on all survey
trips. The sampling team would collect hydrographic data (water
temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, and salinity) for near-
surface and near-bottom waters at the end of each sampling string.
Visual observations on sea state and weather conditions would also be
recorded during each sampling session.
After each survey tow, researchers would collect data on:
Species diversity;
Catch per unit effort (abundance (count) and biomass
(weight, kg) per tow); and
Length frequency distribution for dominant species and
protected species.
After each tow, researchers would sort catch by species, and all
individuals would be counted. In order to minimize mortality, any
protected species interactions would be prioritized during catch
sorting and processing. Researchers would measure up to 50 individuals
of each species per tow, as well as all protected species. Stomach
content analysis will be performed for up to 5 individuals of
commercially-important species (monkfish, winter skate, gadids, and
black sea bass), or up
[[Page 57835]]
to 10 total individuals per tow, to determine pre-construction prey
composition. Each individual would be measured and weighed to assess
relative condition before the stomach is removed. All prey items in the
stomach would be identified to the lowest possible identification
level, counted, and weighed. Otoliths would be collected from all fish
that are sacrificed for biological sampling. Researchers would take
photographs of all species encountered in each tow for verification
purposes.
Estimated catch of federally regulated species under this EFP is
shown in Table 1. Catch estimates were derived based on survey data
from a previous beam trawl survey to evaluate demersal fish and
invertebrate communities in and around the South Fork Wind Farm.
Researchers do not anticipate catching any Atlantic cod under this EFP.
However, if cod is caught, each individual would be assessed for
reproductive stage and spawning condition, and all cod would be
sacrificed for biological sampling. No catch would be landed for sale
under this EFP, and all individuals (except those sacrificed for
biological sampling) would be returned to the water after being
processed.
Table 1--Estimated Catch of Federally Regulated Species per Survey Trip, and Total Estimated Catch
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Estimated catch per Estimated total survey
Common name Scientific name trip catch
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Little skate......................... Leucoraja erinacea..... 976.9 lb (49.2 kg)..... 23,444.8 lb (443.1 kg).
Sea scallop.......................... Placopectin 754.0 lb (38 kg)....... 18,095.5 lb (342.0 kg).
magellanicus.
Winter skate......................... Leucoraja ocellata..... 484.4 lb (25.5 kg)..... 11,624.5 lb (219.7 kg).
Leucoraja spp. skates (immature)..... Leucoraja spp.......... 132.5 lb (6.7 kg)...... 3,179.9 lb (60.1 kg).
Winter flounder...................... Pseudopleuronectes 108.9 lb (5.5 kg)...... 2,613.8 lb (49.4 kg).
americanus.
Monkfish............................. Lophius americanus..... 96.1 lb (4.8 kg)....... 2,306.9 lb (43.6 kg).
Spiny dogfish........................ Squalus acanthias...... 54.0 lb (2.7 kg)....... 1,296.3 lb (24.5 kg).
Clearnose skate...................... Raja eglanteria........ 53.1 lb (2.7 kg)....... 1,275.2 lb (24.1 kg).
Ocean quahog......................... Arctica islandica...... 34.0 lb (1.7 kg)....... 814.8 lb (15.4 kg).
Yellowtail flounder.................. Pleuronectes ferruginea 29.3 lb (1.5 kg)....... 703.7 lb (13.3 kg).
Barndoor skate....................... Raja laevis............ 29.1 lb (1.5 kg)....... 698.4 lb (13.2 kg).
Summer flounder...................... Paralichthys dentatus.. 29.1 lb (1.5 kg)....... 698.4 lb (13.2 kg).
Windowpane........................... Scophthalmus aquosus... 23.8 lb (1.2 kg)....... 571.4 lb (10.8 kg).
Silver hake.......................... Merluccius bilinearis.. 15.9 lb (0.8 kg)....... 381.0 lb (7.2 kg).
Red hake............................. Urophycis chuss........ 12.1 lb (0.6 kg)....... 291.0 lb (5.5 kg).
American lobster..................... Homarus americanus..... 11.5 lb (0.6 kg)....... 275.1 lb (5.2 kg).
Witch flounder....................... Glyptocephalus 10.6 lb (0.5 kg)....... 254.0 lb (4.8 kg).
cynoglossus.
Ocean pout........................... Macrozdarces americanus 9.5 lb (0.5 kg)........ 227.5 lb (4.3 kg).
Longfin inshore squid................ Doryteuthis pealeii.... 5.3 lb (0.3 kg)........ 127.0 lb (2.4 kg).
Scup................................. Stenotomus chrysops.... 5.3 lb (0.3 kg)........ 127.0 lb (2.4 kg).
Butterfish........................... Peprilus triacanthus... 1.5 lb (0.1 kg)........ 37.0 lb (0.7 kg).
Surf clam............................ Spisula solidissima.... 1.5 lb (0.1 kg)........ 37.0 lb (0.7 kg).
Black sea bass....................... Centropristis striata.. 0.4 lb (0 kg).......... 10.6 lb (0.2 kg).
Haddock.............................. Melanogrammus 0.4 lb (0 kg).......... 10.6 lb (0.2 kg).
aeglefinus.
Nudibranch........................... Nudibrachia spp........ 0.4 lb (0 kg).......... 10.6 lb (0.2 kg).
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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: September 10, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-20389 Filed 9-15-20; 8:45 am]
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