Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 73 / Friday, April 17, 2009 / Notices 17821 

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 13, 2009. 

Kristen C. Koch, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–8889 Filed 4–16–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XO29 

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. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional 

Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, 

Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant 

Regional Administrator), has made a 

preliminary determination that an 

Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) 

application contains all of the required 

information and warrants further 

consideration. The Assistant Regional 

Administrator has made a preliminary 

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. Therefore, NMFS 

announces that the Assistant Regional 

Administrator proposes to recommend 

that an EFP be issued that would allow 

24 commercial fishing vessels to 

conduct 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 granted 

through the Monkfish Research Set– 

Aside (RSA) Program, would grant 

exemptions from the monkfish days–at– 

sea (DAS) possession limits in the 

Southern and Northern Fishery 

Management Areas. 

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 4, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit written 

comments by any of the following 

methods: 

• Email: DA9–071@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line ‘‘Comments on 

Monkfish RSA Harvest EFP.’’ 

• Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional 

Administrator, NMFS, NE Regional 

Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, 

MA 01930. Mark the outside of the 

envelope ‘‘Comments on monkfish RSA 

harvest EFP, DA9–071.’’ 

• Fax: (978) 281–9135. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Emily Bryant, Fishery Management 

Specialist, 978–281–9244. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An 

application for an EFP was submitted by 

Gulf of Maine Research Institute on 

March 5, 2009, for a project selected 

under the New England and Mid– 

Atlantic Fishery Management Councils’ 

Monkfish RSA Program. The project 

itself will investigate a multi–method 

approach for determining age in 

monkfish through lab trials utilizing 

monkfish samples obtained through a 

previously issued Letter of 

Authorization. This EFP would grant an 

exemption from monkfish possession 

limits to 24 vessels for the purpose of 

harvesting RSA to fund this research 

project (i.e. compensation fishing). 

Funds generated by the compensation 

fishing will be used to pay for laboratory 

equipment, as well as salaries and 

stipends for principal investigators. 

Compensation fishing for this 

research would occur from May 2009 

through April 2010. The 24 fishing 

industry collaborators would have 

access to 203 monkfish DAS that will be 

awarded to the project through the 

Monkfish RSA Program. The applicant 

states that these vessels must be able to 

land at least 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) of whole 

monkfish (904 lb (410 kg) tail weight) 

per trip to achieve the goal of $2,800 per 

RSA DAS. In order to achieve this target 

catch, these fishing activities would 

require an exemption from monkfish 

DAS possession limits at 50 CFR 

648.94(b)(2). This exemption would 

provide these 24 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 203 DAS, 

this would require a total catch of 

609,000 lb (276,238 kg) of whole 

monkfish (183,434 lb (83,204 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. Aside from this exemption, 

fishing activity would be conducted 

under normal commercial practices. 

The applicant may request minor 

modifications and extensions to the EFP 

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 13, 2009. 

Kristen C. Koch, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–8890 Filed 4–16–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XO34 

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. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional 

Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, 

Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant 

Regional Administrator), has made a 

preliminary determination that an 

Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) 

application contains all of the required 

information and warrants further 

consideration. The Assistant Regional 

Administrator has made a preliminary 

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 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

17822 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 73 / Friday, April 17, 2009 / Notices 

issue an EFP. Therefore, NMFS 

announces that the Assistant Regional 

Administrator proposes to recommend 

that an EFP be issued that would allow 

24 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 granted 

through the Monkfish Research Set– 

Aside (RSA) Program, would grant 

exemptions from the monkfish days–at– 

sea (DAS) possession limits in the 

Southern (SFMA) and Northern (NFMA) 

Fishery Management Areas, as well as 

exempt vessels from monkfish 

minimum size limits for on–board 

tagging 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 4, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit written 

comments by any of the following 

methods: 

• Email: DA9–072@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line ‘‘Comments on 

Monkfish Tagging EFP.’’ 

• Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional 

Administrator, NMFS, NE Regional 

Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, 

MA 01930. Mark the outside of the 

envelope ‘‘Comments on monkfish 

tagging EFP, DA9–072.’’ 

• Fax: (978) 281–9135. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Emily Bryant, Fishery Management 

Specialist, 978–281–9244. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An 

application for an EFP was submitted on 

March 5, 2009, for a project selected 

under the New England and Mid– 

Atlantic Fishery Management Councils’ 

Monkfish RSA Program. The specific 

goals of the project are to determine 

monkfish movement patterns and 

compare 2009 migratory patterns to 

those observed in 2007. This EFP would 

grant an exemption from monkfish 

possession limits to 24 vessels for the 

purpose of harvesting RSA to fund this 

research project (i.e. compensation 

fishing). Funds generated by the 

compensation fishing will be used to 

pay for laboratory equipment, as well as 

salaries and stipends for principal 

investigators. This EFP would also 

exempt vessels from the monkfish 

minimum size restrictions for the 

purpose of tagging monkfish during 

compensation fishing activities. No 

undersized monkfish would be landed 

for sale. 

Fishing would occur in the NFMA in 

statistical areas 513 and 514. In the 

SFMA, research would occur in 

statistical areas 536, 537, 612, 613, 614, 

615, 645, and 631. These statistical areas 

break down into five study regions: The 

NFMA; northeast SFMA; offshore 

SFMA; central SFMA; and southern 

SFMA. Standard commercial gillnet net 

gear would be used following normal 

commercial operating procedures. The 

total number of days fishing will not 

exceed 141. The total number of hauls 

per day will be four, with a total of 50 

nets per vessel, and a soak time of 24 

to 72 hours. Researchers will tag 1,000 

monkfish using T–bar tags in each of the 

five regions, for a total of 5,000 tagged 

individuals. In order to possess 

undersized monkfish on board vessels 

for the purpose of tagging, this research 

activity requires an exemption from 

monkfish minimum size limits at 50 

CFR 648.93. No fish below minimum 

size would be landed for sale. 

Compensation fishing would occur May 

2009 through April 2010, with tagging 

conducted in May through June 2009, 

except in the southern region of the 

SFMA, where tagging would be 

conducted in March through April 2010. 

The 24 fishing industry collaborators 

would have access to 141 monkfish DAS 

that have been preliminarily awarded to 

the project through the Monkfish RSA 

Program. The applicant states that these 

vessels must be able to land at least 

3,000 lb (1,361 kg) of whole monkfish 

(904 lb (410 kg) tail weight) per trip to 

achieve the goal of $2,800 per RSA DAS. 

In order to achieve this target catch, 

these fishing activities would require an 

exemption from monkfish DAS 

possession limits at § 648.94(b)(2). This 

exemption would provide these 24 

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 141 

DAS, this would require a total catch of 

423,000 lb (191,870 kg) of whole 

monkfish (127,410 lb (57,792 kg) tail 

weight). Operating under this total 

landings cap, compensation fishing 

would continue until the required goal 

of 423,000 lb (191,870 kg) of whole 

monkfish is met, or until the awarded 

DAS have been fully utilized, whichever 

occurs first. 

Aside from these exemptions, fishing 

activity will be conducted under normal 

commercial practices. 

The applicant may request minor 

modifications and extensions to the EFP 

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 13, 2009. 

Kristen C. Koch, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–8887 Filed 4–16–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XO37 

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; receipt of exempted 

fishing permit application. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional 

Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, 

Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant 

Regional Administrator), has made a 

preliminary determination that the 

subject exempted fishing permit (EFP) 

application contains all the required 

information and warrants further 

consideration. The Assistant Regional 

Administrator has also made a 

preliminary determination that the 

activities authorized under the EFP 

would be consistent with the goals and 

objectives of the Northeast (NE) 

Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP). However, further review and 

consultation may be necessary before a 

final determination is made to issue the 

EFP. Therefore, NMFS announces that 

the Assistant Regional Administrator 

proposes to recommend that an EFP be 

issued that would allow one commercial 

fishing vessel to conduct fishing 

operations that are otherwise restricted 

by the regulations governing the 

fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES