Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2001 / Proposed Rules 12451

Comments and materials received, as

well as supporting documentation used

in preparation of this proposed rule,

will be available for public inspection,

by appointment, during normal business

hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

A. Fridell, Fish and Wildlife Biologist

(see ADDRESSES section).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

February 12, 2001, we published a

proposed rule in the Federal Register

announcing the reopening of the public

comment period and notice of

availability of draft economic analysis

for the proposed critical habitat

determination for the spruce-fir moss

spider. The DATES caption stated that

comments should be submitted on or

before April 13, 2001. The correct date

for accepting comments from all

interested parties is on or before March

14, 2001.

Accordingly, make the following

correction to FR Doc. 01–2270

published at 66 FR 9806, on February

12, 2001:

On page 9807, in column one, correct

the DATES caption to read as follows:

DATES: Interested parties must submit

comments on or before March 14, 2001.

Dated: February 14, 2001.

Sam D. Hamilton,

Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 01–4718 Filed 2–26–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 021501A]

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;

General Provisions for Domestic

Fisheries; Application for Exempted

Fishing Permits (EFPs)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of a proposal for

EFPs to conduct experimental fishing;

request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the

Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS

(Regional Administrator), has made a

preliminary determination to issue an

EFP that would allow one vessel to

conduct fishing operations otherwise

restricted by the regulations governing

the fisheries of the Northeastern United

States. The Haskin Shellfish Research

Laboratory submitted a complete

application for the issuance of an EFP

to one commercial fishing vessel. The

EFP would allow one federally

permitted vessel to conduct side-by-side

tows with the R/V Albatross using a 6-

cm codend mesh. No species will be

targeted by the study, since the vessel

will be following the random survey

protocol used by the R/V Albatross.

However, the nets will be fished to

maximize the catch of summer flounder,

scup and black sea bass on Leg I, and

silver hake on Leg II. The purpose of

this study is to provide information on

the relative catchability of the two

platforms and gears fished during the

NMFS Spring Trawl Survey.

Regulations under the MagnusonStevens 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 on this notice must be

received at the appropriate address or

fax number (see ADDRESSES) on or before

March 14, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be sent to Patricia Kurkul, Regional

Administrator, NMFS, Northeast

Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive,

Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside

of the envelope ‘‘Comments on EFP

Proposal.’’ Comments may also be sent

via facsimile (fax) to (978) 281–9135.

Comments will not be accepted if

submitted via e-mail or Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Allison Ferreira, Fishery Management

Specialist, 978–281–9103.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory

submitted an industry cooperative

proposal on February 2, 2001, for one

EFP to conduct side-by-side tows

between the R/V ALBATROSS and a

fishing vessel during the NMFS Spring

Trawl Survey. The study addresses the

concern that the spring survey may not

adequately assess the proportion of large

fish in the population.

The study will occur on Legs I and II

of the NMFS Spring Trawl Survey. Leg

I of the spring survey is scheduled to

begin on February 26, 2001. The study

will take place during the first 4 to 5

days of the cruise when the R/V

Albatross will occupy about 34 stations

on the outer shelf and the shelf edge

from Hudson Canyon to just north of

Cape Hatteras. Some of these stations

may occur inside the Southern Gear

Restricted Area (GRA). Leg II is

scheduled to begin on March 15, 2001.

On this Leg, the study will take place

when the R/V Albatross occupies

stations south of Long Island and

Massachusetts, on the outer half of the

shelf. This part of the study will occupy

19 stations and last about 3 days.

Because the spring survey is conducted

24 hours a day, the industry vessel will

have a minimum of four science

personnel working two 12-hour shifts of

two individuals each.

This study involves Haskin Shellfish

Research Laboratory, with funding

provided by the NFI Scientific

Monitoring Committee. The objective of

the study is to conduct side-by-side

tows between an industry vessel and the

R/V Albatross to provide information on

the relative catchability of the two

platforms and gears fished during the

spring survey. The potential outcomes

of the study include: (1) An improved

assessment of the population size

frequency for many commercial species,

(2) a boundary condition on the value

used as an estimation of catchability in

fisheries models, (3) improved estimates

of the size-dependency of catchability

for the survey gear, (4) improved

estimates of spawning stock biomass

(SSB) from understanding the bias in

catchablity in the survey, (5) an

increased number of samples for lengthweight and length-at-age studies for key

species, and (6) potential groundwork

for using industry vessels to increase the

number of stations occupied in the

survey for those species presently

sampled with inadequate intensity.

In order to accomplish the objectives

of this study, a trawl with a 6-cm

codend mesh will be towed in unison

and parallel to the survey trawls being

conducted by the R/V Albatross. In

areas where there is a large depth

gradient, the industry vessel will tow aft

of the R/V Albatross. To keep the survey

program on schedule, tow times, not

tow distances, will remain the same

between the two vessels, since it is

likely that the towing speed for the R/

VAlbatross will exceed that of the

industry vessel.

Since the primary objective of the

study is to improve size frequency

information, the project aims to take

length measurements of all fish caught

using standard observer protocols.

However, species will be measured in

order of importance (i.e., summer

flounder, scup, squid, black sea bass,

and whiting), or subsampled by size, if

the limited number of crews are unable

to measure all fish. Individual weight

measurements and samples for aging

will not be taken, but NMFS may

establish certain target species for which

weight measurements and aging

samples should be taken. These fish will

be segregated and transferred to the

R/V Albatross, when appropriate.

12452 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2001 / Proposed Rules

Any fish below the minimum size

limits or in excess of a quota will not

be retained, except for scientific

purposes. However, the applicant

intends to retain for sale those fish

meeting the minimum size and quota

requirements. In addition, the applicant

wants to land and sell fish caught in

excess of any applicable landing limit,

although it is believed that landings

limits will likely not be exceeded due to

the short duration of the tows.

An EFP would be issued to one

participating federally permitted vessel

to exempt it from minimum mesh-size

requirements, GRA restrictions, landing

limits, and possession limits. This EFP

would also authorize the vessel to land

and sell any fish that conform with

minimum-size and quota restrictions.

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

Dated: February 20, 2001.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–4692 Filed 2–26–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 021401B]

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;

General Provisions for Domestic

Fisheries; Applications for Exempted

Fishing Permits (EFPs)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of a proposal for

EFPs to conduct experimental fishing;

request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the

Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS

(Regional Administrator), has made a

preliminary determination to approve

an application for an EFP that would

allow up to 12 vessels to conduct

fishing operations otherwise restricted

by regulations governing the fisheries of

the Northeastern United States. The

Gulf of Maine Aquarium Development

Corporation and Maine Department of

Marine Resources have submitted an

application for an EFP that warrants

further consideration. The experimental

fishery to be conducted under the EFP

would investigate the bycatch of

multispecies and catch of northern

shrimp in Gulf of Maine waters that are

not currently open to this fishery. The

goal of the research is to determine

whether a shrimp fishery can be

conducted southeast of the Loran 25600

line within acceptable multispecies

bycatch limits in order to provide

additional economic opportunity to the

shrimp fleet and alleviate fishing

pressure on shrimp in nearshore waters.

This notice is intended to provide

interested parties the opportunity to

comment on the proposed experimental

fishery.

DATES: Comments must be received by

March 14, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to

Patricia Kurkul, Regional Administrator,

NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.

Mark on the outside of the envelope

‘‘Comments on Proposed Experimental

Fishery.’’ Comments also may be sent

via facsimilar (fax) to 978–281–9135.

Comments will not be accepted if

submitted via e-mail or Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom

Warren, Fishery Management Specialist,

978–281–9347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

regulations that govern exempted

experimental fishing, at 50 CFR 600.745,

allow the Regional Administrator to

authorize for certain purposes the

targeting or incidental harvest of

managed species that would otherwise

be prohibited. An EFP to authorize such

activity may be issued, provided that

there is adequate opportunity for the

public to comment on the EFP

application, and that the conservation

goals and objectives of the Fishery

Management Plan are not compromised.

The Gulf of Maine Aquarium

Development Corporation of Portland,

Maine (ME), and the Maine Department

of Marine Resources of Boothbay

Harbor, ME submitted to NMFS on

November 2, 2000, an application for an

EFP to conduct research in the northern

shrimp fishery in the Gulf of Maine. The

research would target shrimp southeast

of the area in which fishing is currently

allowed, with the objective of

determining whether a shrimp fishery

can be conducted within acceptable

multispecies bycatch limits. The

underlying goal of the research is to

provide additional economic

opportunity to the northern shrimp fleet

and alleviate fishing pressure on shrimp

in nearshore waters.