[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 201 (Thursday, October 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61396-61397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24541]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XL03
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Snapper and Grouper Off the Southern Atlantic States
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
[[Page 61397]]
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for an exempted fishing
permit; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) from the Gulf Fishermen's Association. If granted,
the EFP would authorize the applicants, with certain conditions, to
collect limited numbers of undersized and out-of-season reef fish in
Gulf of Mexico Federal waters. It would also allow a limited number of
red snapper to be collected outside the Gulf of Mexico Individual
Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. This study is intended to provide detailed
information and disposition of reef fish discards by the eastern Gulf
of Mexico commercial reef fish fishery.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., eastern time, on
November 17, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application by any of the
following methods:
E-mail: [email protected]. Include in the subject line
of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: ``GFA--EFP''.
Mail: Peter Hood, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263
13\th\ Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
Fax: 727-824-5308.
The application and related documents are available for review upon
written request to any of the above addresses.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Hood, 727-824-5305; fax: 727-
824-5308; e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is requested under the authority of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.
1801 et seq.), and regulations at 50 CFR 600.745(b) concerning exempted
fishing.
The described research is part of a Cooperative Research Program
Grant (Cooperative Agreement No. NA08NMF4540401). The Cooperative
Research Program is a means of involving commercial and recreational
fishermen in the collection of fundamental fisheries information.
Resource collection efforts support the development and evaluation of
fisheries management and regulatory options.
The proposed collection for scientific research involves activities
otherwise prohibited by regulations implementing the Fishery Management
Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico. The applicants
require authorization to harvest and possess undersized and out-of-
season snapper and grouper for scientific research activities during a
1-year period beginning late in 2008. It would also allow the
applicants to land red snapper outside of the current IFQ program over
this same time period. Specimens would be collected from Federal waters
off the west coast of Florida, in three geographical areas: NMFS' Gulf
of Mexico statistical grids 2-4, 5-7, and 8-10. Sampling would occur
during normal fishing operations of the commercial reef fish longline
and vertical hook-and-line fishery. The applicant intends to use 10
longline and 10 vertical hook-and-line gear vessels to randomly collect
up to 300 reef fish from each of the three geographical areas. The
applicant also intends to retain 100 percent of the catch during two
fishing trips within each of three geographical areas. Fish from these
portions of the study will be provided to NMFS personnel for length and
life history information to better characterize the discards in the
commercial fishery. Finally, the applicants will use logbooks and video
monitors to test methods for real-time catch reporting and at-sea
observation. Data collections for this study would support improved
information about the catch, bycatch, discards, and discard mortality
for reef fish species.
Accurate estimates of bycatch and the level of discards is a
persistent problem for assessing Gulf of Mexico reef fish stocks. Using
fisheries dependant data accompanied by independent video monitoring
would help establish reliability of current bycatch information and
provide a higher level of confidence from various constituents
interested in this fishery. Additionally, this information would assist
fishery managers in developing more effective regulations to reduce
bycatch and discard mortality.
NMFS finds this application warrants further consideration. Based
on a preliminary review, NMFS intends to issue an EFP. Possible
conditions the agency may impose on this permit, if it is indeed
granted, include but are not limited to, a prohibition of conducting
research within marine protected areas, marine sanctuaries, or special
management zones, without additional authorization. Additionally, NMFS
may prohibit the possession of Nassau or goliath grouper, and require
any sea turtles taken incidentally during the course of fishing or
scientific research activities to be handled with due care to prevent
injury to live specimens, observed for activity, and returned to the
water. A final decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on a NMFS
review of public comments received on the application, consultations
with the affected states, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and a determination that it is
consistent with all applicable laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 9, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-24541 Filed 10-15-08; 8:45 am]
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