[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 73 (Friday, April 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19939-19940]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-8714]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XV60
Magnuson-Stevens 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, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator),
has made a determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP)
application submitted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI)
contains all of the required information and warrants further
consideration. The Assistant Regional Administrator has made a
determination that the activities authorized under this EFP would be
consistent with the goals and objectives of the Monkfish Fishery
Management Plan (FMP). However, further review and consultation may be
necessary before a final determination is made to issue an EFP. The EFP
would allow commercial fishing vessels to conduct research and
compensation fishing operations that are otherwise restricted by the
regulations governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United States.
This EFP, which would enable vessels to harvest monkfish in accordance
with the provisions of the Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program,
would grant exemptions from the monkfish days-at-sea (DAS) possession
limits in the Southern Fishery Management Area (SFMA) and the monkfish
minimum fish size limits for research purposes only.
Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act require publication of this notification to provide
interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for
proposed EFPs.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 3, 2010.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following
methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line
``Comments on Monkfish RSA Harvest EFP.''
Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS, NE
Regional Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark
the outside of the envelope ``Comments on Monkfish RSA Harvest and
Gillnet Study EFP, DA10-031.''
Fax: (978) 281-9135.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Macan, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-281-9165.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A complete application for an EFP was
submitted by GMRI on March 19, 2010, for a project selected under the
New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils' Monkfish RSA
Program. The final grant is pending a review by NOAA Grants. The
project would involve testing tiedown lengths in gillnets and
evaluating their effect on monkfish and bycatch retention. This EFP
would grant an exemption from monkfish possession limits to vessels for
the purpose of harvesting RSA to fund this research project (i.e.,
compensation fishing) and the monkfish minimum size restrictions for
research purposes only.
Research and compensation fishing activities for this project would
occur from May 2010 through April 2011. The fishing industry
collaborators would have access to 162 monkfish RSA DAS. The applicant
states that these vessels must be able to land at least 3,600 lb (1,633
kg) of whole monkfish (1,084 lb (492 kg) tail weight) per trip. This
amount is based on the way the participating vessels typically fish,
which is to land a ``double limit'' (6,652 lb (3,017 kg)) using 24
hours and 1 minute of DAS. In order to achieve this target catch, these
fishing activities would require an exemption from monkfish SFMA DAS
possession limits at Sec. 648.94(b)(2). This exemption would provide
these vessels with the flexibility they need to generate sufficient
income to meet projected costs of the research activity, while
minimizing operating expenses. Based on the preliminary award of 162
DAS and the fishing practice described above, this would require a
total catch of 583,200 lb (264,535 kg) of whole monkfish (175,663 lb
(79,679 kg) tail weight). Operating under this total landings cap,
compensation fishing would continue until the required goal of 609,000
lb (276,238 kg) of whole monkfish is met, or until the awarded DAS have
been fully utilized, whichever occurs first.
The research portion of this project would involve testing tiedown
lengths in gillnets and evaluating their effect on monkfish and bycatch
retention while under normal commercial fishing conditions. Monkfish
gillnets would be configured according to standard commercial
requirements with the only modification being the tiedown lengths.
Tiedown lengths would consist of 6-inch (15.2 cm) increments of 12, 18,
24, 30, 36, and 42 inches (30.5, 45.7, 76.2, 91.4, and 106.7 cm). Upon
haul back of the experimental gear, all catch would be separated and
measured. All legal-sized monkfish would be retained and landed for
sale. Any legal-sized monkfish landed above the possession limit would
be retained and counted against the landings cap described above.
Undersized monkfish would be carefully removed from the net, measured,
and returned to the sea as quickly as possible. An exemption from the
monkfish minimum size restriction is necessary because the
participating vessels may retain fish on board longer than under normal
sorting procedures in order to collect catch data. The total number of
days fishing will not exceed 162. The total number of hauls per day
will be four, with a total of 50 nets per vessel, and a soak time of 72
to 120 hr. The research and compensation fishing would occur May 2010
through April 2011.
The participating vessels would be required to comply with all
other applicable requirements and restrictions specified at 50 CFR part
648, unless specifically exempted in this EFP. Upon implementation of
approved measures in Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP,
all participating vessels would be required to comply with any other
applicable requirements in regulations implementing the amendment.
The applicant may request minor modifications and extensions to the
EFP
[[Page 19940]]
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. If the research project is
terminated for any reason prior to completion, any unused funds
collected from catch sold to pay for research expenses may be refunded
to NOAA.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 12, 2010.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-8714 Filed 4-15-10; 8:45 am]
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