[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2916-2918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00808]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD457


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management 
Measures; 2015 Research Fishery

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

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for applications.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces its second request for applications for the 
2015 shark research fishery from commercial shark fishermen with 
directed or incidental shark limited access permits. In this second 
request, NMFS is specifically requesting applications only from 
commercial shark fishermen who are fishing or plan to fish in the Gulf 
of Mexico fishing region. The shark research fishery allows for the 
collection of fishery-dependent and biological data for future stock 
assessments to meet the shark research objectives of the Agency. The 
only commercial vessels authorized to land sandbar sharks are those 
participating in the shark research fishery. Shark research fishery 
permittees may also land other large coastal sharks (LCS), small 
coastal sharks (SCS), and pelagic sharks. Commercial shark fishermen 
who are interested in participating in the shark research fishery need 
to submit a completed Shark Research Fishery Permit Application in 
order to be considered.

DATES: Shark Research Fishery Applications must be received no later 
than 5 p.m., local time, on February 5, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Please submit completed applications to the HMS Management 
Division at:
    <bullet> Mail: Attn: Gu[yacute] DuBeck, HMS Management Division (F/
SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    <bullet> Fax: (301) 713-1917.

[[Page 2917]]

    For copies of the Shark Research Fishery Permit Application, please 
write to the HMS Management Division at the address listed above, call 
(301) 427-8503 (phone), or fax a request to (301) 713-1917. Copies of 
the Shark Research Fishery Application are also available at the HMS 
Web site at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/index.htm. Additionally, 
please be advised that your application may be released under the 
Freedom of Information Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karyl Brewster-Geisz, Delisse Ortiz, 
or Gu[yacute] DuBeck, at (301) 427-8503 (phone) or (301) 713-1917 
(fax).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic shark fisheries are managed 
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The 2006 Consolidated HMS 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) is implemented by regulations at 50 CFR 
part 635.
    The shark research fishery was established, in part, to maintain 
time series data for stock assessments and to meet NMFS' research 
objectives. Since the shark research fishery was established in 2008, 
the research fishery has allowed for: The collection of fishery 
dependent data for current and future stock assessments; the operation 
of cooperative research to meet NMFS' ongoing research objectives; the 
collection of updated life-history information used in the sandbar 
shark (and other species) stock assessment; the collection of data on 
habitat preferences that might help reduce fishery interactions through 
bycatch mitigation; and the evaluation of the utility of the mid-
Atlantic closed area on the recovery of dusky sharks and collection of 
hook-timer and pop-up satellite archival tag (PSAT) information to 
determine at-vessel and post-release mortality of dusky sharks.
    On October 31, 2014 (79 FR 64750), NMFS published a notice 
requesting applications for participation in the 2015 shark research 
fishery from commercial shark fishermen. NMFS received a total of seven 
applications, six of which were qualified participants distributed 
among four fishing regions: North Carolina, the east coast of Florida, 
the Florida Keys, and the South Atlantic. All six qualified applicants 
were selected to participate in the 2015 shark research fishery. 
However, none of the qualified applicants were located in the Gulf of 
Mexico fishing region. Given the need to collect information that will 
both aid future stock assessments and management measures in the Gulf 
of Mexico fishing region, NMFS is providing a second notice requesting 
applications from commercial shark fishermen who fish or plan to fish 
in the Gulf of Mexico region for participation in the 2015 shark 
research fishery. The October 2014 notice contains the relevant 
information about the shark research fishery application process, 
research objectives, selection criteria, and available quota, which 
remain applicable and are incorporated except as modified herein. The 
application deadline is being adjusted as specified in this notice to 
allow for additional applications. This notice also provides additional 
information about meetings and procedures for applicants selected 
through this second call for applications. For other background 
details, applicants should refer to the October 2014 notice.
    The shark research fishery permit(s) issued to the fisherman 
fishing in the Gulf of Mexico region will have the same permit 
conditions as those issued in the other fishing regions. Those 
conditions will be discussed in a Captain's Meeting to be held in early 
January 2015 and announced in another notice.
    In order to participate in the shark research fishery, commercial 
shark fishermen need to submit a completed Shark Research Fishery 
Application by the deadline noted above (see DATES) showing that the 
vessel and owner(s) meet the specific criteria outlined below.

Research Objectives

    The shark research fishery objectives were specified in the October 
31, 2014 (79 FR 64750) notice requesting applications for participation 
in the 2015 shark research fishery from commercial shark fishermen and 
continue to apply.

Selection Criteria

    The shark research fishery selection criteria were specified in the 
October 31, 2014 (79 FR 64750) notice requesting applications for 
participation in the 2015 shark research fishery from commercial shark 
fishermen and continue to apply, except that applications are requested 
only from commercial fishermen who fish or plan to fish in the Gulf of 
Mexico fishing region.

Selection Process

    The shark research fishery selection process was specified in the 
October 31, 2014 (79 FR 64750) notice requesting applications for 
participation in the 2015 shark research fishery from commercial shark 
fishermen and applies here except as specified herein.
    Once the selection process is complete, NMFS will notify the 
selected applicants and issue the shark research fishery permits. The 
shark research fishery permits will be valid only in calendar year 
2015. NMFS held mandatory permit holders' meetings before observers 
were placed on vessels in both 2013 (78 FR 14515; March 6, 2013) and 
2014 (79 FR 12155; March 4, 2014). NMFS intends to hold another such 
meeting again in January 2015 for commercial fishermen who have already 
been selected and issued a 2015 shark research fishery permit. 
Applicants selected for the Gulf of Mexico fishing region through this 
notice are encouraged to call in and listen to the discussion. Once the 
selected participant(s) from the Gulf of Mexico region has been issued 
a 2015 shark research fishery permit, NMFS will contact them to discuss 
the research objectives and protocols of the 2015 shark research 
fishery to minimize any delays in collecting information in the Gulf of 
Mexico fishing region and to update them with information from permit 
holders' meeting as appropriate. Once the fishery starts, the shark 
research fishery permit holders must contact the NMFS observer 
coordinator to arrange the placement of a NMFS-approved observer for 
each shark research trip.
    A shark research fishery permit will only be valid for the vessel 
and owner(s) and terms and conditions listed on the permit, and, thus, 
cannot be transferred to another vessel or owner(s). Issuance of a 
shark research permit does not guarantee that the permit holder will be 
assigned a NMFS-approved observer on any particular trip. Rather, 
issuance indicates that a vessel may be issued a NMFS-approved observer 
for a particular trip, and on such trips, may be allowed to harvest 
Atlantic sharks, including sandbar sharks, in excess of the retention 
limits described in 50 CFR 635.24(a). These retention limits will be 
based on available quota, number of vessels participating in the 2015 
shark research fishery, the research objectives set forth by the shark 
board, the extent of other restrictions placed on the vessel, and may 
vary by vessel and/or location. When not operating under the auspices 
of the shark research fishery, the vessel would still be able to land 
LCS, SCS, and pelagic sharks subject to existing retention limits on 
trips without a NMFS-approved observer.
    NMFS annually invites commercial shark permit holders (directed and 
incidental) to submit an application to participate in the shark 
research fishery.

[[Page 2918]]

Permit applications can be found on the HMS Management Division's Web 
site at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/index.htm or by calling (301) 
427-8503. Final decisions on the issuance of a shark research fishery 
permit will depend on the submission of all required information by the 
deadline (see DATES), and NMFS' review of applicant information as 
outlined above. The 2015 shark research fishery will start after the 
opening of the shark fishery and under available quotas as published in 
a separate Federal Register final rule.

    Dated: January 14, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-00808 Filed 1-20-15; 8:45 am]
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