[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 72 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 20121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07901]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB009]


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 Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary 
determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit renewal application from 
the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries contains all of the 
required information and warrants further consideration. 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 applications for proposed Exempted Fishing 
Permits.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 3, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on AOLA Larval Lobster EFP.'' If you cannot submit a comment 
through this method, please contact Allison Murphy at (978) 281-9122, 
or email at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, 978-281-9122, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Massachusetts Division of Marine 
Fisheries (MA DMF) submitted a complete application on March 17, 2021 
for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) to conduct a lobster abundance 
survey that Federal regulations would otherwise restrict. The purpose 
of this study is to provide fishery-independent data on lobster growth 
and abundance in Massachusetts state waters of statistical areas 514 
and 538. This EFP would authorize up to seven vessels to conduct larval 
sampling in Lobster Conservation Management Area 1 and 2. A map of this 
area is available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/map/lobster-management-areas.
    For this project, MA DMF is requesting exemptions from the 
following Federal lobster regulations:
    1. Gear specification requirements to allow for the use of traps 
without escape vents (50 CFR 697.21(c)(1) for Lobster Management Area 1 
and Sec.  697.21(c)(2) for Area 2);
    2. Trap limit requirements to allow for trap limits to be exceeded 
(Sec.  697.19(a) for Area 1 and Sec.  697.19(b) for Area 2);
    3. Trap tag requirements to allow for alternatively-tagged traps 
(Sec.  697.19(i));
    4. Minimum and maximum carapace length requirements to allow sub-
legal and over-sized lobsters to be landed for research purposes 
(Sec. Sec.  697.20(a)(2) and 697.20(b)(2) for Area 1, and Sec. Sec.  
697.20(a)(3) and 697.20(b)(3) for Area 2);
    5. V-notch possession requirement to allow landing of females for 
research purposes (Sec.  697.20(g)(1) for Area 1 and Sec.  697.20(g)(3) 
for Area 2); and
    6. Berried female possession requirement to allow landing of egg-
bearing female lobsters for research purposes (Sec.  
697.20(d)(1)and(3)).
    This survey has occurred annually since 2006 in Massachusetts state 
waters. The EFP would authorize up to seven participating vessels to 
deploy three standard and three ventless traps per six-pot trawl. 
Stations would be sampled twice per month from June through October 
2020. Sampling trips would occur after a soak time of approximately 3 
days and at least one MA DMF scientist would be on board for the 
sampling trips. MA DMF personnel would not be on board when traps are 
baited and deployed. All gear would be Atlantic Large Whale Take 
Reduction Plan compliant. Survey traps will be separate from each 
vessel's commercial lobster traps and would be tagged as, ``MADMF 
Research Traps.''
    All catch during sampling trips would be retained temporarily to 
collect biological data. MA DMF staff may collect lobster and/or Jonah 
crab, including undersized, oversized, v-notched, and egg-bearing 
lobsters. Collected samples would be used for research projects on 
growth and maturity. No catch from the experimental trips would be 
landed for sale.
    If approved, MA DMF 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: April 13, 2021.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-07901 Filed 4-15-21; 8:45 am]
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