[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 219 (Monday, November 13, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 67708-67709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28951]



[[Page 67708]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 110200A]


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic 
Fisheries; Applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of a proposal for EFPs to conduct experimental 
fishing; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination to issue 
EFPs to conduct experimental fishing operations otherwise restricted by 
the regulations governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United 
States. Captains Bill Lee and Robert Fisher submitted an application 
for the issuance of EFPs, which warrants further consideration. The 
EFPs would allow two commercial vessels to conduct trawl net gear 
trials with two modified nordmore-style grates in a portion of the Gulf 
of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area. EFPs would allow for 
exemptions to the gear restrictions, retention of catch potentially in 
excess of the possession limits for the purposes of data collection, 
and exempt vessels from Northeast Multispecies days-at-sea (DAS) 
requirements. Commercial scale gear trials would look at the 
interaction of the modified nordmore-style grate and trawl gear with 
groundfish species; specifically, how the grate and the escape chute, 
which have been designed to release cod bycatch in the winter flounder 
fishery, would perform under commercial fishing conditions.
    Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Act provisions require 
publication of this notification to provide interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on the proposed experimental fisheries.

DATES: Comments on this notification must be received by November 28, 
2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Patricia A. Kurkul, 
Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn 
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope 
``Comments on Proposed EFP Proposal.'' Comments may also be sent via 
facisimile (fax) to (978) 281-9135. Comments will not be accepted if 
submitted via e-mail or the Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bonnie Van Pelt, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9244.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 18, 2000, Captains Lee and Fisher 
submitted an application to conduct exempted experimental fishing 
activities involving commercial gear trials with two modified nordmore-
style grates assembled on standard Yankee trawls (modified trawls). 
This short-term investigation will provide information on the modified 
trawl gear performance and ability to selectively target winter 
flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) and reduce the rate of bycatch of 
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the overall catch. The experiment 
proposes to conduct preliminary gear trials in the shallow waters of 
Ipswich Bay through video observation of the trawl and modified grate 
configuration while under tow. The next stage of the gear trials 
involves a series of 15-minute tows with the grate angled at eight 
different positions to test for bycatch separation through the escape 
chute mechanism positioned at the top of the grate. The angle that 
produces the greatest separation of cod from flounder will be selected 
for the commercial scale trials in deeper waters. The final phase is 
designed to produce statistically valid data on the rate of reduction 
of cod bycatch as a result of the gear modifications. Four 1-hour 
parallel tows will be made on each of 4 consecutive days in the 
following sequence: Day 1, control net (standard trawl nets with 6.5-
inch (16.5 cm) square codend) towed against a second control net; Day 
2, control and experimental net towed in parallel; Day 3, switch the 
control and experimental nets between the two vessels; and Day 4, both 
vessels tow experimental nets in parallel. This tow sequence will be 
duplicated in two different bottom habitats; one primarily sand and the 
other mud. Therefore, a total of 32 tows with both the experimental and 
the control nets will be performed in each of two test sites. The 
entire experiment will require the use of 22 days to complete all 
phases of gear testing, from the preliminary tests in shallow water to 
the commercial scale testing in two deeper water sites.
    Two nordmore-style grates have been constructed for use in these 
gear trials. One is made of plastic and the other of steel. Both grates 
are approximately 40-inches (101.6 cm) in width by 48-inches (121.9 cm) 
in length. The openings of the grate will lie horizontally and will 
decrease in aperture from 10-inches (25.4 cm) at the lowest bar 
spacing, becoming progressively smaller in 2-inch (5.1 cm) increments, 
until the fifth bar from the bottom, where they remain at the 2-inch 
bar spacing for the remainder of the upper portion of the grate. The 
modified nordmore-style grates will be fitted into a standard inshore 
Yankee trawl with a sweep measuring 80 ft (24.38 m) at the top and 60 
ft (18.28 m) at the bottom. Any variability in vessel towing power and 
efficiency will be alleviated through the parallel gear testing 
sequence designed to quantify this variability.
    All catch brought on board the vessels will be sorted and measured 
and returned to the sea immediately. It is estimated that the average 
maximum catch rate would be 6,720 to 8,400 lb (3,048 to 3,810 kg), 
based on a total towing time of 84 hours and a maximum average catch 
rate of 80 to 100 lb (36.3 to 45.4 kg) per 4-hour tow. Projections for 
average catch rates in the experimental net under experimental towing 
conditions are 5,040 lb (2,286 kg) based 84-hours total tow time, 
assuming that approximately 80 percent of the cod escape and that the 
catch composition on the bottom is 50 percent flounder and 50 percent 
cod and the total catch retained is 60 lb (27.2 kg)--50 lb flounder, 10 
lb cod. The current net design has about a 20 percent bycatch of all 
other incidental species, including crabs, lobsters, whiting, and hake.
    All data will be recorded by a biologist who will perform 
statistical analyses on significance demonstrating the ability of the 
experimental net configuration to separate cod bycatch from the 
targeted catch, flounder. A report and a short video to show the grate 
under construction and functioning in the water will be supplied to the 
Northeast Consortium. It is projected that this study may lead to other 
studies to further refine and develop a modified trawl net that will 
selectively fish for flatfish, while avoiding roundfish species (i.e., 
cod and monkfish) in soft mud and sandy bottom habitats.
    EFPs would be issued to two participating vessels in accordance 
with the conditions stated therein, and will exempt vessels from the 
gear restrictions and DAS requirements of the Fishery Management Plan 
for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.


[[Page 67709]]


    Dated: November 6, 2000.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-28951 Filed 11-09-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE: 3510-22-S