[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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