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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89616-89617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26184]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XE405]

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; Exempted 
Fishing Permit

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
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 Fish/Fisheries Conservation Lab at the 
University of South Carolina. If granted, the EFP would authorize the 
limited harvest of red hind during spawning events in U.S. Caribbean 
Federal waters around the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and exempt that 
harvest from Federal area and seasonal closure regulations. The purpose 
of the EFP is to address critical gaps in red hind demographics and 
life history, which could help provide current, region-specific 
information for upcoming stock assessments for the species.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than December 9, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2024-0127, by either of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Visit https://www.regulations.gov and type NOAA-NMFS-2024-0127 in the Search box. 
Click the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Sarah Stephenson, 263 
13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
https://www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address), confidential business information, 
or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender 
will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter 
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
    Electronic copies of the EFP application may be obtained from the 
Southeast Regional Office website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/caribbean-exempted-fishing-permits-efps.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Stephenson, 727-824-5305, 
[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 applicant requests authorization to harvest 60 red hind grouper 
(Epinephelus guttatus) from two managed marine areas in Federal waters 
off the USVI: Red Hind Spawning Aggregation Area (Lang Bank) east of 
St. Croix (50 CFR 622.479(a)(2)) and the Hind Bank Marine Conservation 
District (MCD) south of St. Thomas (50 CFR

[[Page 89617]]

622.514(a)(2)) for data collection. A maximum of 120 red hind would be 
harvested under the EFP. The applicant is seeking to gather life 
history information (e.g., age, growth, reproduction) that could be 
used in future stock assessments for red hind, which provide guidance 
and management recommendations specific to this species for NMFS, the 
Caribbean Fishery Management Council, and the U.S. Virgin Islands' 
Department of Fish and Wildlife.
    The applicant was awarded funding through the Cooperative Research 
Program to complete critical gaps in red hind population demographics 
and life history in preparation for upcoming stock assessments in the 
U.S. Caribbean. In addition to collecting life history information for 
the species, the project aims to evaluate current Federal area and 
seasonal closures that protect red hind spawning aggregations through 
replication of previous sampling collections and analysis of temporal 
trends related to size-at-age, sex ratios, and size and age frequency 
distributions for red hind during spawning events. By targeting red 
hind spawning aggregations, the applicant will be better able to 
collect data that currently is not readily available on larger sized 
fish. Data collected from this project would be made available for use 
in future stock assessments for red hind in St. Croix and St. Thomas 
and St. John, which are tentatively scheduled for late 2025 and 2026.
    Red hind would be collected by researchers and commercial fishermen 
aboard contracted commercial fishing vessels. If granted, the EFP would 
exempt project participants from area and seasonal closure regulations 
codified at 50 CFR 622.479(a)(2) (St. Croix) and 50 CFR 622.514(a)(2) 
(St. Thomas and St. John), as identified and described below. Pending 
issuance, the EFP would be expected to be effective from December 1, 
2024, through March 1, 2025. The EFP would only apply to the captains 
and vessels that are selected to be a part of the project. Therefore, 
Fish/Fisheries Conservation Lab at the University of South Carolina 
would be able to account for and provide NMFS with a list of 
participants (e.g., state license, registration of each vessel and 
vessel name during designated fishing trips, name of participants and 
contact information, etc.) to be covered under the EFP before the 
project begins.
    Activities under the EFP would consist of harvesting 60 red hind 
from the Lang Bank site east of St. Croix during the 4 days around the 
full moon for the months of January 2025 and February 2025, and 60 red 
hind from the MCD site south of St. Thomas during the 4 days around the 
full moon for the months of December 2024 and January 2025. During each 
sampling event (i.e., fishing day), commercial fishermen would use a 
maximum of four fishing rods, each with up to three hooks. All 
activities (a maximum of 16 fishing days) would occur in Federal 
waters, from depths of 82 to 246 feet (25 to 75 meters), while adrift 
(i.e., no anchoring would occur). Once the 60 red hind are obtained 
from each site, fishing activities would end.
    The applicant would only target red hind. All other catch would be 
returned to the water using a descending device, if necessary, to 
ensure minimum harm. A total of 120 red hind would be retained under 
the EFP. Samples would be stored on ice and transported to a field lab. 
For each sample, the applicants would record standard length, fork 
length, and total length (to the nearest millimeter) and weight (to the 
nearest gram). Otoliths would be removed, rinsed, and stored for 
further processing. Gonads would be removed, weighed, and preserved. 
Eyes, muscle, stomachs, and fin clips would be collected and archived 
for future research on trophic ecology and population genomics.
    Under the EFP, the applicant would be exempt from the closure 
regulations and allowed to fish for and harvest red hind in or from the 
(1) red hind spawning aggregation area east of St. Croix during the 
closure from December 1 through last day of February (50 CFR 
622.479(a)(2)) and (2) Hind Bank Marine Conservation District closed 
area (50 CFR 622.514(a)(2)). A maximum of 8 fishing trips would occur 
in each site, 16 total during the project.
    NMFS finds this application warrants further consideration based on 
a preliminary review. Possible conditions the agency may impose on the 
EFP, if granted, include but are not limited to, a prohibition on 
fishing within marine protected areas, marine sanctuaries, or special 
management zones without additional authorization, and requiring 
compliance with best practices in the event of interactions with any 
protected species.
    A final decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on NMFS' review 
of public comments received on the application, consultations with 
appropriate fishery management agencies of the affected states, the 
Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and a determination that the 
activities to be taken under the EFP are consistent with all other 
applicable laws.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: November 6, 2024.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-26184 Filed 11-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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