23996 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 98 / Friday, May 22, 2009 / Notices 

in that it incorrectly presented the 

proposed requested take for the 

requested action. Accordingly, the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section is 

corrected to read as follows: 

The subject permit is requested under 

the authority of the Endangered Species 

Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the regulations 

governing the taking, importing, and 

exporting of endangered and threatened 

species (50 CFR parts 222–226). 

The research would collect scientific 

data on sea turtles incidentally captured 

in the Hawaii Deep-Set Longline 

Fishery, the Hawaii Shallow-Set 

Longline Fishery, and the American 

Samoa Longline Fishery. This data 

would assist NMFS efforts to 

understand sea turtle interactions with 

the fisheries and to mitigate their threat 

to these species. The applicant proposes 

to flipper tag, measure, photograph, 

tissue sample, and attach satellite tags to 

an anticipated annual take of up to 46 

loggerhead, 16 leatherback, 1 green, and 

4 olive ridley sea turtles captured in the 

Hawaii Shallow-Set Longline Fishery. 

The applicant proposes to flipper tag, 

measure, photograph, tissue sample, 

and attach satellite tags to an 

anticipated annual take of up to 6 

loggerhead, 6 leatherback, 12 green, 12 

olive ridley, and 6 hawksbill sea turtles 

captured in the American Samoa 

Longline Fishery. The applicant 

proposes to flipper tag, measure, 

photograph, tissue sample, and attach 

satellite tags to an anticipated annual 

take of up to 6 (18 over three years) 

loggerhead, 13 (39 over three years) 

leatherback, 7 (21 over three years) 

green, and 41 (123 over three years) 

olive ridley sea turtles captured in the 

Hawaii Deep-Set Longline Fishery. The 

research would occur in the Pacific 

Ocean through April 1, 2015. No 

mortalities are expected from the 

research. Researchers would also collect 

sea turtle carcasses of animals killed in 

fishery activities that occur in the 

Pacific Ocean. All other information 

contained in the original document is 

unchanged. 

Dated: May 18, 2009. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–12058 Filed 5–21–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XP35 

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 submitted by the 

Massachusetts Division of Marine 

Fisheries (MADMF) 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 Northeast (NE) 

Multispecies and Spiny Dogfish Fishery 

Management Plans (FMPs). 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 

one commercial fishing vessel to 

conduct fishing operations that are 

otherwise restricted by the regulations 

governing the fisheries of the 

Northeastern United States. This EFP, 

which would enable researchers to 

study the effects of a spiny dogfish 

excluder grate within a raised footrope 

whiting trawl, would grant exemptions 

from the NE multispecies regulations as 

follows: Gear restrictions while fishing 

in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) Regulated 

Mesh Area (RMA); NE multispecies 

days–at–sea (DAS) effort control 

measures; GOM Rolling Closure areas; 

and NE multispecies minimum fish 

sizes for sampling 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 June 8, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit written 

comments by any of the following 

methods: 

• Email: DA9-058@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line ‘‘Comments on 

MADMF whiting fishery EFP.’’ 

• Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional 

Administrator, NMFS, NE Regional 

Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, 

Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside 

of the envelope ‘‘Comments on MA 

MADMF whiting fishery EFP, DA9– 

058.’’ 

• Fax: (978) 281–9135. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Allison Murphy, Fishery Management 

Specialist, 978–281–9122. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An 

application for an EFP was submitted on 

March 4, 2009, by David Chosid, the 

conservation engineering project leader 

at MADMF. The primary goal of this 

study is to investigate the effects of an 

experimental excluder grate in order to 

reduce catch rates of spiny dogfish and 

maximize the catch rates of whiting, 

using a raised footrope whiting trawl. 

The results of this research could be 

submitted to the New England Fishery 

Management Council to provide 

information that could be used to 

enhance the management of the whiting 

and spiny dogfish fisheries. 

The project is proposed to be 

conducted from June 2009 through 

September 2009. One fishing industry 

collaborator would conduct a total of 56, 

1–hour tows using the excluder grate in 

a raised footrope whiting trawl over the 

course of 14 trips. The vessel would use 

a 2.5–inch (6.4–cm) diamond codend 

mesh and, with the exception of the 

spiny dogfish grate, the gear would be 

configured as a standard raised footrope 

trawl. All experimental tows would 

occur between 42°12′ W. long. and 

42°30′ W. long. in statistical areas 513 

and 514. Fishing would occur along the 

western edge of Stellwagen Bank 

National Marine Sanctuary, but not 

within it. An underwater camera would 

be attached to the net to observe the 

behavior of spiny dogfish and whiting. 

Catches in the codend would be 

quantified. MADMF would have at least 

one staff member on board the vessel at 

all times during the experimental tows. 

Due to the small mesh size used in the 

whiting fishery, this activity would 

require an exemption from gear 

restrictions while fishing in the GOM 

RMA found at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(i). 

The researchers are requesting 

permission to fish outside of the small 

mesh exemption areas and time 

restrictions in order to demonstrate 

successful avoidance of the target 

species, spiny dogfish. Based on 

industry recommendations, whiting and 

spiny dogfish are expected to be in 

relatively high abundance in the 


erowe on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 98 / Friday, May 22, 2009 / Notices 23997 

proposed research location. The 

requested exemption would help ensure 

that adequate densities of fish are 

present to conduct valid testing and 

provide sound statistical evidence of 

gear performance within that area. 

Additionally, work outside the Special 

Access Program (SAP) area could offer 

further possibilities for an extended 

whiting fishery. An exemption from the 

use of NE multispecies DAS is necessary 

because, due to the small mesh size of 

the raised footrope trawl, landing NE 

multispecies under the DAS possession 

limits would be prohibited and thus 

inconsistent with the purposes of 

charging DAS. In lieu of fishing under 

a NE multispecies DAS, the project 

would be required to adhere to a 

multispecies bycatch cap of 10 percent 

of the total weight of fish caught overall 

during the course of the research. No NE 

multispecies would be landed for sale, 

with the exception of small–mesh 

multispecies. An exemption from the 

GOM Rolling Closure areas is necessary 

so that the net may be tested when 

targeted species are present in order to 

prove successful avoidance. 

Additionally, this EFP would include a 

temporary exemption from multispecies 

minimum size limits at § 648.86 for 

sampling purposes only. This 

exemption would allow measurement 

and recording biological information of 

undersized specimens prior to their 

discard. 

Small–mesh multispecies caught 

during the research would be landed 

and sold, up to the current possession 

limit, to provide additional funding for 

the project. All other organisms, 

including small–mesh multispecies 

with high expected survival rates, 

would be released as quickly and 

carefully as practicable. 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 

initiallyapproved 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: May 18, 2009. 

Kristen C. Koch 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–12034 Filed 5–21–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XP39 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council (MAFMC); Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic 

andAtmospheric Administration 

(NOAA), Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council (Council), its 

Research Set-Aside Committee (RSA), 

its Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish 

Committee (SMB), its Surfclam, Ocean 

Quahog, and Tilefish Committee, its 

Ecosystems and Ocean Planning 

Committee, its Executive Committee, 

and its Annual Catch Limits (ACL) and 

Accountability Measures (AM) 

Committee will hold public meetings. 

DATES: The meetings will be held 

Monday, June 8, 2009 through 

Thursday, June 11, 2009. See 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 

dates and times. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Radisson Martinique on Broadway, 

49 West 32nd Street, New York, NY 

10001; telephone: (212) 736–3800. 

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, 300 S. New St., 

Room 2115, Dover, DE 19904; 

telephone: (302) 674–2331. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council; telephone: (302) 674–2331 ext. 

19. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

Monday, June 8 (in closed session) the 

RSA Committee will meet with NMFS 

officials from noon until 3 p.m. The 

RSA Committee will meet (in open 

session) NMFS Cooperative Research 

staff from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. On 

Tuesday, June 9, the Squid, Mackerel, 

Butterfish Committee will meet from 8 

a.m. until 11 a.m. The Surfclam, Ocean 

Quahog, and Tilefish Committee will 

meet from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The 

Ecosystems and Ocean Planning 

Committee will meet from 1:30 p.m. 

until 4:30 p.m. A scoping session for 

Sea Turtle Conservation and Recovery 

in Relation to the Atlantic Trawl 

Fisheries will be held from 7 p.m. until 

9 p.m. On Wednesday, June 10, the 

Council will hold its Business Session 

from 8 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. From 9:45 

a.m. until 10:30 a.m., NMFS officials 

will provide a presentation regarding 

the agency’s Sea Turtle Conservation 

and Recovery Strategy. From 10:30 a.m. 

until 12 p.m., the Council will discuss 

Amendment 11 to Squid, Mackerel, and 

Butterfish Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP). From 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., the 

Council will discuss Amendment 5 to 

the Monkfish FMP. From 3 p.m. until 

4:30 p.m., Squid, Mackerel, and 

Butterfish Specifications for 2010 will 

be developed and adopted. From 4:30 

p.m. until 5:30 p.m., Surfclam and 

Ocean Quahog Specifications for 2010 

will be developed and adopted. On 

Thursday, June 11, the Executive 

Committee will meet from 8 a.m. until 

9 a.m. The ACL/AM Committee will 

meet from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. The 

Council will convene at 10:30 a.m. to 

receive a presentation on the New 

England Council’s Essential Fish Habitat 

(EFH) Omnibus Amendment from 10:30 

a.m. until noon. From 1 p.m. until 1:30 

p.m., the Council will receive a 

presentation from Rutgers University 

Scientists regarding ‘‘Developing 

Ecological Indicators for Spatial 

Fisheries Management’’. NMFS’ officials 

will provide a Marine Debris Program 

presentation from 1:30 p.m. until 2:30 

p.m. From 2:30 p.m. until 4 p.m., the 

Council will receive Committee Reports 

and discuss and act on any continuing 

or new business. 

Agenda items by day for the Council’s 

Committees and the Council itself are: 

Monday, June 8, the RSA Committee 

with the NMFS’ Cooperative Research 

Staff will hold a closed session to 

review and comment on 2010 RSA 

proposals. In open session, the RSA 

Committee will receive a presentation 

from the NMFS’ Cooperative Research 

Staff on NMFS’ draft Cooperative 

Research Strategic plan, review and 

discuss Mid-Atlantic RSA program 

performance and ways to improve 

program coordination with other 

cooperative research efforts, and 

develop comments as appropriate for 

Council consideration. On Tuesday, 

June 9, the Squid, Mackerel, and 

Butterfish Committee will meet with 

Advisors to review the Scientific and 

Statistical Committee’s (SSC) advice and 

Monitoring Committee’s 

recommendations for the 2010 quota 

levels and associated management 

measures; develop quota specifications 

and associated management measures 

for Council consideration and action; 

review and address status of 

Amendment 11; and, review and 

discuss butterfish bycatch in Hudson 

Canyon. The Surfclam, Ocean Quahog, 

and Tilefish Committee will meet with 

Advisors to review staff 

recommendations for the 2010 quota 

specifications and associated 


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