[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15465-15466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05904]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA940]


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 submitted by 
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in support of the 2021 Study 
Fleet Program contains all of the required information and warrants 
further consideration. This Exempted Fishing Permit would exempt 
participating vessels from minimum fish sizes and possession limits for 
species of interest, for sampling purposes only. 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 April 7, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by the following method:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``NEFSC STUDY FLEET EFP.''

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northeast Fisheries Science Center 
(Center) submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing 
Permit (EFP) in support of the 2021 Study Fleet Program. This EFP would 
exempt 20 commercial fishing vessels from minimum fish sizes and 
possession limits for species of interest.
    The Center established the Study Fleet Program in 2002 to more 
fully characterize commercial fishing operations and provide sampling 
opportunities to augment NMFS's data collection programs. As part of 
the program, the Center contracts commercial fishing vessels to collect 
biological data and fish specimens for the Center to use in research 
relevant to stock assessments and fish biology. The Center's Study 
Fleet Program trains participating captains and crew to conduct at-sea 
sampling consistent with Center sampling protocols for survey and 
observer programs. During EFP trips, crew would sort, weigh, measure, 
and collect biological data from fish prior to discarding. During 
sampling, some discarded fish would remain on deck slightly longer than 
they would under normal sorting procedures. Exemptions from minimum 
fish sizes and possession restrictions would allow vessels to 
temporarily retain catch for at-sea sampling.
    Table 1 lists the regulations from which participating vessels 
would be exempt for at-sea sampling or when retaining and landing fish 
for research purposes. The exemptions listed in Table 1 are necessary 
for contracted vessels to acquire the biological samples needed to meet 
Center research objectives.

    Table 1--List of Vessel Exemptions for Retaining and Landing Fish
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                       2021 Study Fleet Program EF
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      Number of vessels                            20
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Exempted regulations in 50     Minimum fish sizes:
 CFR part 648.                 Sec.   648.83 Northeast multispecies
                                minimum fish sizes for haddock,
                                yellowtail flounder, winter flounder,
                                and American plaice.
                               Possession restrictions:
                               Sec.   648.86(a) Haddock.
                               Sec.   648.86(d) Small-mesh multispecies.
                               Sec.   648.86(g) Yellowtail flounder.
                               Sec.   648.86(o) Possession limits
                                implemented by the Regional
                                Administrator.
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    When directed by the Center, participating vessels would be 
authorized to retain and land specific amounts of fish exceeding 
possession limits and/or below minimum fish sizes, for research 
purposes only. The captain or crew would deliver these fish to Center 
staff or local Port Agents upon landing. In these limited 
circumstances, the Study Fleet Program would give participating vessels 
a formal biological sampling request prior to landing. This would 
ensure that the landed fish do not exceed any collection needs of the 
Study Fleet Program, as detailed in Table 2.

                                                              Table 2--2021 Study Fleet Program Biological Sample Collection Needs
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                                                                                                                     Individual fish per    Maximum weight allowed
             Species                     Stock area *               Gear types            Collection  frequency      collection period            per trip               Maximum  allowance
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Haddock.........................  GOM, GB...................  OTF, DRS................  Monthly (Dec-Mar).........  80 per week (40 from  300 lb (136 kg)..........  4,800 lb (2,177 kg)
                                                                                                                     each stock area).

[[Page 15466]]

 
Winter Flounder.................  GOM, GB, SNE..............  OTF, DRS................  Monthly (Jan-Apr).........  120 per week (40      240 lb (109 kg)..........  3,840 lb (1,742 kg)
                                                                                                                     from each stock
                                                                                                                     area).
Yellowtail Flounder.............  GOM, GB, SNE..............  OTF, DRS................  Monthly (Jan-Apr).........  120 per week (40      135 lb (61 kg)...........  2,160 lb (980 kg)
                                                                                                                     from each stock
                                                                                                                     area).
American Plaice.................  Any Area..................  OTF.....................  Monthly (May-Apr).........  100 per month.......  300 lb (136 kg)..........  5,760 lb (2,613 kg)
Atlantic Mackerel...............  SNE.......................  OTM, OTF Jig............  Monthly (Jan-Jun).........  300 per trip........  300 lb (136 kg)..........  1,800 lb (816 kg)
Shortfin Squid..................  Any Area..................  OTM, OTF................  Monthly (Dec-Mar).........  30 per month........  15 lb (7 kg).............  60 lb (27 kg)
Summer Flounder.................  Any Area..................  OTF.....................  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  65 lb (29 kg)............  650 lb (295 kg)
Black Sea Bass..................  Any Area..................  OTF.....................  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  22 lb (10 kg)............  220 lb (100 kg)
Scup............................  Any Area..................  OTM, OTF................  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  13 lb (6 kg).............  130 lb (59 kg)
Haddock.........................  Any Area..................  OTF.....................  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  20 lb (9 kg).............  200 lb (91 kg)
Bluefish........................  Any Area..................  OTF.....................  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  61 lb (28 kg)............  610 lb (277 kg)
Witch Flounder..................  Any Area..................  OTF.....................  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  10 lb (5 kg).............  100 lb (45 kg)
Yellowtail Flounder.............  Any Area..................  OTF.....................  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  10 lb (5 kg).............  100 lb (45 kg)
Atlantic Herring................  Any Area..................  OTM, OTF, Jig...........  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  5 lb (2 kg)..............  50 lb (23 kg)
Atlantic Mackerel...............  Any Area..................  OTM, OTF, Jig...........  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  5 lb (2 kg)..............  50 lb (23 kg)
Butterfish......................  Any Area..................  OTM, OTF................  Opportunistic.............  Maximum 5 per trip..  5 lb (2 kg)..............  50 lb (23 kg)
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* Stock area abbreviations: Gulf of Maine (GOM); Georges Bank (GB); Southern New England (SNE).
# Gear abbreviations: Otter trawl (OTF); sea scallop dredge (DRS); otter trawl midwater (OTM).

    All catch would be attributed to the appropriate commercial fishing 
quota. For a vessel fishing on a groundfish sector trip, all catch of 
groundfish stocks allocated to sectors would be deducted from the 
vessel's sector's annual catch entitlement (ACE). Once the ACE for a 
stock has been reached in a sector, vessels would no longer be allowed 
to fish in that stock area unless the sector acquired additional ACE 
for the stock in question. For common pool vessels, all groundfish 
catch would be counted toward the appropriate trimester total allowable 
catch (TAC). Common pool vessels would be exempt from the possession 
and trip limits listed in Table 1, but would still be subject to 
trimester TAC closures.
    If approved, the Center 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 impact that does not change the scope 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: March 17, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-05904 Filed 3-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P