17820 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 73 / Friday, April 17, 2009 / Notices 

technique for combinational circuit 

optimization. The technique is a twostep process. In the first step, the nonlinearity of the circuit—as measured by 

the number of nonlinear gates it 

contains—is reduced. The second step 

reduces the number of gates in the 

linear components of the circuit. The 

technique can be applied to arbitrary 

circuits, and seems to yield 

improvements even on circuits that 

have already been optimized by 

standard methods. The technique is 

applied to the S-box of the Advanced 

Encryption Standard (AES). The result 

is, as far as we know, the smallest 

circuit yet constructed for this function. 

Dated: April 7, 2009. 

Patrick Gallagher, 

Deputy Director. 

[FR Doc. E9–8873 Filed 4–16–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XO55 

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 

eight 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 restrictions of the Gulf 

of Maine (GOM) Rolling Closure Areas 

(RCA) I and II and 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: DA8–057@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line ‘‘Comments on UMES 

Monkfish RSA 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 UMES 

monkfish RSA EFP, DA8–057.’’ 

• 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 

the University of Maryland Eastern 

Shore (UMES) on March 11, 2009, for a 

project selected under the New England 

and Mid–Atlantic Fishery Management 

Councils’ Monkfish RSA Program. The 

purpose of the project is to investigate 

the influence of temperature on 

monkfish distribution and abundance. 

This EFP would grant an exemption 

from monkfish possession limits to eight 

vessels for the purpose of research and 

RSA harvest to fund this research 

project (i.e., compensation fishing). 

While conducting RSA compensation 

trips, the vessels would use gillnets that 

are 12–inch (30–cm) stretch mesh with 

a 3.5–inch (9–cm) diameter gauge web 

that is 12 meshes deep. The nets do not 

exceed 300 ft (91 m) in length. Average 

soak times differ between vessels, with 

a range of 36 to 120 hours. Each vessel 

would receive two temperature and 

depth loggers to attach to gillnets during 

RSA fishing trips. The loggers would 

collect temperature and depth at 

intervals of 1 hour, and will be 

downloaded approximately every two 

months. Catch data (number and size of 

monkfish) from panels with probes 

would be recorded by collaborating 

fishermen, along with information on 

location, depth fished, water currents, 

and lunar cycle. UMES plans to collect 

histological samples on board the 

fishing vessels from a subset of trips for 

analysis of reproductive condition. 

Length measurements would be taken 

each trip from a minimum of 25 

randomly selected monkfish from the 

nets with attached temperature probes 

to gain information about fish 

distribution. The smallest samples 

would measure 17 inches (43 cm) in 

length. Additional catch, within 

applicable size and possession limits, 

would be sold to help offset the costs of 

the research. 

Compensation fishing for this 

research would occur from May 2009 

through April 2010. The eight fishing 

industry collaborators would have 

access to 105 monkfish DAS that will be 

awarded to the project through the 

Monkfish RSA Program. In order to 

achieve the target catch to fund the 

project, these fishing activities would 

require an exemption from monkfish 

DAS possession limits at 50 CFR 

648.94(b)(2). This exemption would 

provide these eight 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 105 DAS, 

this would require a total catch of 

340,046 lb (154,242 kg) of whole 

monkfish (102,424 lb (46,459 kg) tail 

weight). Operating under this total 

landings cap, compensation fishing 

would continue until the required goal 

of 340,046 lb (154,242 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. 

In addition, this EFP would also allow 

five of the eight vessels to fish for 

monkfish using gillnets inside the GOM 

and would require exemption from the 

restrictions of RCAs I and II that will be 

in effect during April 2009 and March 

2010. It is expected that these locations, 

within the rolling closure areas, would 

provide access to large monkfish and 

would avoid gear interactions between 

the research gillnet gear and trawl gear. 

These locations also coordinate with the 

locations from previous years’ research. 

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 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

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