Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 165 / Monday, August 28, 2017 / Notices 40751 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF328 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act; 

General Provisions for Domestic 

Fisheries; Application for Exempted 

Fishing Permit 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator, 

NMFS West Coast Region, has 

determined that twenty-seven exempted 

fishing permit (EFP) applications 

warrant further consideration; therefore, 

NMFS is requesting public comment on 

the applications. All EFP applicants 

request an exemption from various 

prohibitions under the Fishery 

Management Plan for U.S. West Coast 

Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species 

(HMS FMP) to test the effects and 

efficacy of using deep-set buoy gear 

(DSBG) and linked buoy gear (LBG) to 

harvest swordfish and other highly 

migratory species (HMS) off of the U.S. 

West Coast. This notice also announces 

and requests public comment on NMFS’ 

intent to extend a DSBG EFP. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted in 

writing by September 27, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by NOAA– 

NMFS–2017–0025, by any of the 

following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2017- 

0025, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. EFP 

applications will be available under 

Relevant Documents through the same 

link. 

• Mail: Attn: Chris Fanning, NMFS 

West Coast Region, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., 

Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802. 

Include the identifier ‘‘NOAA–NMFS– 

2017–0025’’ in the comments. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by NMFS. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chris Fanning, NMFS, West Coast 

Region, 562–980–4198. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

In 2015, the Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) 

recommended that NMFS consider 

issuing three DSBG EFPs to target 

swordfish and other HMS off of the U.S. 

West Coast. After requesting public 

comment and completing required 

analyses, NMFS approved DSBG EFPs 

for the Pfleger Institute of 

Environmental Research (PIER), 

Timothy Perguson, and Stephen Mintz 

for the 2015–2016 fishing seasons. 

Fishing activities under EFPs have 

yielded two years of additional data to 

supplement an existing five years of 

data from DSBG research and trials. In 

December 2016 and January 2017, 

NMFS reissued the PIER and Perguson 

EFPs for a duration of two years. NMFS 

continues to support testing alternative 

gears as a means to increase domestic 

fishing opportunity while minimizing 

non-target bycatch and interactions with 

protected species. 

At its recent meetings, the Council 

received additional applications for 

EFPs and recommended that NMFS 

consider issuing or reissuing EFPs to a 

suite of interested applicants. During its 

November 2016 meeting, the Council 

recommended that NMFS reissue 

Stephen Mintz’ EFP for the 2017–2018 

fishing seasons. At its March and June 

2017 meetings, the Council 

recommended that NMFS consider 

issuing a total of twenty EFPs to 

authorize use of DSBG and/or LBG (see 

Table 1). LBG is defined as connectable 

segments of linked buoys floating at the 

ocean surface, connected to vertical 

lines with heavy weights allowing a 

horizontal line with three hooks to sink 

to the same depth as the terminal hook 

of DSBG. Additionally, seven other 

DSBG EFP applications were submitted 

for Council review, and require 

additional information for future 

consideration (see Table 2). 

NMFS is requesting public comment 

on the twenty applications 

recommended for issuance by the 

Council as well as the seven 

applications that were not formally 

recommended by the Council at this 

time. If all applications were approved, 

the EFPs would allow up to thirty-two 

vessels to fish with DSBG and six 

vessels to fish with LBG, throughout the 

duration of each EFP, in the U.S. West 

Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 

with permitted exemption from the 

requirements of the HMS FMP 

pertaining to non-authorized gear types. 

Aside from the exemption described 

above, vessels fishing under an EFP 

would be subject to all other regulations 

implementing the HMS FMP, including 

measures to protect sea turtles, marine 

mammals, and seabirds. For up-to-date 

information on HMS EFPs, please visit 

NMFS West Coast Region’s ‘‘Status of 

Exempted Fishing Permits’’ Web page 

(http://

www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

fisheries/migratory_species/status_

exempted_permits.html). 

TABLE 1—EFP APPLICATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR ISSUANCE BY THE PFMC 

PFMC recommended EFPs 

Name Date of council recommendation Number of 

vessels 

Deep-Set Buoy Gear Applicants 

Mintz, Stephen ............................................................................................................. November 2016 ........................................ 1 

Hepp, Fred ................................................................................................................... March 2017 ............................................... 2 

Jacobs, Kent ................................................................................................................. March 2017 ............................................... 1 

Kastlunger, Jordyn ....................................................................................................... March 2017 ............................................... 1 

Harris, Phil .................................................................................................................... March 2017 ............................................... 1 

Corbin, Denny .............................................................................................................. March 2017 ............................................... 1 

Diller, William ................................................................................................................ March 2017 ............................................... 1 

Cullen, Roger ............................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 1 


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40752 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 165 / Monday, August 28, 2017 / Notices 

TABLE 1—EFP APPLICATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR ISSUANCE BY THE PFMC—Continued 

PFMC recommended EFPs 

Name Date of council recommendation Number of 

vessels 

Haworth, David & Arthur Lorton ................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 3 

Ball, Bob ....................................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Ford, John .................................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Graves, Michael ........................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Kennedy, Raymond ...................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Massen, Lance ............................................................................................................. June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Selck, Dustin ................................................................................................................ June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Shvets, Anatolii ............................................................................................................. June 2017 ................................................. 2 

Sidielnikov, Andrii ......................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Spinale, Paul ................................................................................................................ June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Stephens, J & B ........................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 2 

Linked Buoy Gear Applicants 

Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research ............................................................... March 2017 ............................................... 3 

Haworth, David & Arthur Lorton ................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 3 

TABLE 2—EFP APPLICATIONS THAT THE PFMC HAS YET TO RECOMMEND FOR ISSUANCE

Submitted EFPs 

Name Date of submission Number of 

vessels 

Deep-Set Buoy Gear Applicants 

Lutoshkin, A .................................................................................................................. June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Maassen, L ................................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Masuda, S .................................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 1 

McCarthy, M ................................................................................................................. June 2017 ................................................. 2 

Rynkevic, R .................................................................................................................. June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Sokolova, T .................................................................................................................. June 2017 ................................................. 1 

Sviridov, V .................................................................................................................... June 2017 ................................................. 1 

In March 2017, the Council also 

recommended that in addition to 

current terms and conditions on issued 

EFPs, NMFS also impose the following 

stipulations: 

1. Require 100 percent observer 

coverage for the first ten sets of new EFP 

participants (a set is defined as 10 

pieces of buoy gear soaked for at least 

eight hours). Once attained, observer 

coverage may be reduced to 30 percent 

of fishing days; 

2. Prohibit vessels from being more 

than three nautical miles from any piece 

of gear; 

3. Require proper maintenance of 

configured gear in accordance with their 

EFP; and 

4. Require each piece of DSBG and the 

terminal ends of LBG to be marked with 

a radar reflector and flag, and require 

buoys to be marked with the fishing 

vessel’s official number. 

NMFS considers the Council’s 

recommendations for additional 

conditions to apply to all issued and 

proposed DSBG and LBG EFPs. NMFS 

is also requesting public comment on 

the Council’s recommendations for 

additional terms and conditions for the 

requested EFPs. 

NMFS will consider all public 

comments submitted in response to this 

Federal Register Notice prior to 

issuance of any EFP mentioned within 

this Notice. Additionally, NMFS will 

analyze the effects of issuing EFPs in 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act and NOAA’s 

Administrative Order 216–6, as well as 

ensure compliance with other 

applicable laws, including Section 

7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act 

(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), which requires 

the agency to insure that the proposed 

action is not likely to jeopardize the 

continued existence of any endangered 

or threatened species or result in the 

destruction or adverse modification of 

designated critical habitat. 

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

Dated: August 23, 2017. 

Margo B. Schulze-Haugen, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18146 Filed 8–25–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

National Estuarine Research Reserve 

System 

AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, 

National Ocean Service, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of Public Comment 

Period for the Jobos Bay National 

Estuarine Research Reserve 

Management Plan revision. 

Notice is hereby given that the Office 

for Coastal Management, National 

Ocean Service, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, U.S. 

Department of Commerce is announcing 

a thirty-day public comment period for 

the Jobos Bay National Estuarine 

Research Reserve Management Plan 

revision. Pursuant to 15 CFR Section 

921.33(c), the revised plan will bring the 

reserve into compliance. The Jobos Bay 


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