43190 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 149 / Friday, August 6, 2021 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB272] 

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, 

Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has 

made a preliminary determination that 

an Exempted Fishing Permit application 

submitted by the Coonamessett Farm 

Foundation contains all of the required 

information and warrants further 

consideration. 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 Exempted Fishing Permits. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before August 23, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit written 

comments by the following method: 

• Email: nmfs.gar.efp@noaa.gov. 

Include in the subject line ‘‘CFF 

Seasonal Scallop Survey EFP.’’ 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shannah Jaburek, Fishery Management 

Specialist; shannah.jaburek@noaa.gov, 

(978) 281–9135. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) 

submitted a complete application for an 

Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) to 

conduct commercial fishing activities 

that the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery 

Management Plan regulations would 

otherwise restrict. This EFP would 

exempt the participating vessels from: 

Atlantic sea scallop days-at-sea (DAS) 

allocations at 50 CFR 648.53(b); crew 

size restrictions at § 648.51(c); observer 

program requirements at § 648.11(g); 

minimum mesh size restrictions at 

§ 648.51(b)(2); minimum ring size 

restrictions at § 648.51(b)(3); dredge 

obstruction restriction at 

§ 648.51(b)(4)(iii); Closed Area II 

restrictions in § 648.59 and 648.60; 

dredge or net obstructions at 

§ 648.51(b)(4)(iii); size and possession 

limits at § 648 subsections B and D 

through O for biological sampling only, 

and § 697.20 for lobster sampling and 

tagging only. 

CFF applied for an EFP on April 5, 

2021, to conduct a scallop survey in 

Georges Bank. This EFP would allow 

CFF to conduct the survey over four, 7- 

day survey trips on commercial scallop 

vessels from August 17, 2021, through 

July 30, 2022, at 50 fixed stations. The 

survey stations would be located in 

Closed Area II Southeast, Closed Area II 

Southwest, Closed Area II extension, 

and the eastern edge of the Southern 

Flank Scallop Management Simulator 

areas. The survey stations were chosen 

to provide data about scallop spawning, 

scallop meat quality, and seasonal 

patterns of habitat use by bycatch 

species caught in the scallop fishery. 

Participating vessels would use two, 

15-foot (4.6 m) turtle deflector dredges 

with 10-inch (25.4 cm) twine tops, 4- 

inch (10.2 cm) ring bags, 7-row aprons, 

and 2:1 twine top hanging ratios. One 

dredge would have a 50-mm cover net 

attached to catch juvenile scallops and 

other bycatch species that escape from 

normal scallop dredges. The dredge 

with the cover net would be towed for 

10 minutes at 4.8 knots (8.9 km/hr). The 

dredge without the cover net would be 

towed for 30 minutes at 4.8 knots (8.9 

km/hr). Dredges would be fished 

alternatively. 

CFF researchers would be 

participating vessels at all times and 

would direct sampling activities. 

Scallop catch would be sorted into 

baskets and weighed. A subsample of 

catch would be measured and have meat 

quality and other biological metrics 

recorded. Flatfish bycatch would be 

weighed and measured for length, and 

reproductive data would be recorded for 

windowpane, winter, and yellowtail 

flounder. Crabs, moon snails, whelks, 

and other scallop predators would be 

weighed and counted. Sea stars would 

be sampled using the same protocols as 

scallops. Lobsters would have biological 

measurements taken and will be 

assessed for dredge damage. Lobsters 

would also be tagged in collaboration 

with the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s 

Association. No catch will be landed for 

sale. 

If approved, 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. 

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

Dated: August 2, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–16787 Filed 8–5–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB234] 

Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental 

to Specific Activities; Taking of Marine 

Mammals Incidental to Pile Driving and 

Removal Activities During the 

Metlakatla Seaplane Facility 

Refurbishment Project, Metlakatla, 

Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of an incidental 

harassment authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

regulations implementing the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as 

amended, notification is hereby given 

that NMFS has issued an incidental 

harassment authorization (IHA) to the 

Alaska Department of Transportation 

and Public Facilities (AKDOT&PF) to 

incidentally harass, by Level B 

harassment only, marine mammals 

during pile driving/removal and downthe-hole drilling (DTH) activities for 

maintenance improvements to the 

existing Metlakatla Seaplane Facility 

(MSF) in Southeast Alaska. 

DATES: This Authorization is effective 

for one year from issuance. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Stephanie Egger, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. 

Electronic copies of the application and 

supporting documents, as well as a list 

of the references cited in this document, 

may be obtained online at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/ 

incidental-take-authorization-alaskadepartment-transportation-metlakatlaseaplane-facility. In case of problems 

accessing these documents, or for 

anyone who is unable to comment via 

electronic mail, please call the contact 

listed above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The MMPA prohibits the ‘‘take’’ of 

marine mammals, with certain 

exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and 

(D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 


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