Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/03/16/2018-05334/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-general-provisions-for-domestic-fisheries-application-for-exempted
Timestamp: 2019-09-23 03:10:15
Document Index: 136679334

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 648', 'art 648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648', '§\u2009648']

83 FR 11728
11728-11729 (2 pages)
0648-XG09
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-05334 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-05334
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 Northeast Fisheries Science Center contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This Exempted Fishing Permit would exempt participating vessels from the following types of fishery regulations: Minimum fish size restrictions; fish possession limits; and, in limited situations for research purposes only, retaining and landing prohibited fish species. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notice to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on Exempted Fishing Permit applications.
Email: nmfs.gar.efp@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line “Comments on NEFSC Study Fleet EFP.”
Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope “Comments on NEFSC Study Fleet EFP.”
Spencer Talmage, Fishery Management Specialist, 978-281-9232, Spencer.Talmage@noaa.gov.
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) on February 9, 2018, for the 2018 Study Fleet Program. The EFP would exempt 31 commercial fishing vessels from the minimum size and possession limits for species of interest, as well as allow temporary retention of species that will be discarded.
The Center established the Study Fleet Program in 2002 to more fully characterize commercial fishing operations and provide sampling opportunities to augment NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service's data collection programs. Partnership with the commercial fishing industry allows the Center to provide samples for stock assessment and fish biology research when traditional sampling sources might otherwise be unavailable. Table 1 includes all of the regulations specified at 50 CFR part 648 that participating vessels would be exempt from for at-sea sampling, or when retaining and landing fish for research purposes. The exemptions listed in Table 1 are necessary for contracted vessels to acquire the biological samples needed to meet Center research objectives.
Table 1—Specific Regulations Covered by the Proposed Exempted Fishing Permit
NEFSC Study Fleet Program EFP
Number of Vessels 31.
Exempted regulations in 50 CFR part 648 Size limits:
§ 648.83 NE multispecies minimum sizes.
§ 648.93 Monkfish minimum fish size.
§ 648.147 Black sea bass minimum fish size.
Possession restrictions:
§ 648.86(a) Haddock.
§ 648.86(b) Atlantic cod.
§ 648.86(c) Atlantic halibut.
§ 648.86(d) Small-mesh multispecies.
§ 648.86(l) Zero retention of Atlantic wolffish and windowpane flounder.
§ 648.86(o) Possession limits implemented by Regional Administrator.
§ 648.94 Monkfish possession limit.
§ 648.322 Skate possession and landing restrictions.
§ 648.145 Black sea bass possession limits.
§ 648.92(b)(2)(i) Prohibition from landing NE multispecies on monkfish-only day-at-sea.
§ 648.293 Golden tilefish.
Any fish retained under the EFP would be delivered to Center staff upon landing. Additionally, prior to landing, the Center would issue a formal Biological Sampling Request to the vessel to retain fish for the Study Fleet Start Printed Page 11729Program. This would ensure that the landed fish do not exceed any collection needs of the Study Fleet Program, as detailed below in Table 2.
All catch would be attributed to the appropriate commercial fishing quota. For a vessel fishing on a groundfish sector trip, all catch of groundfish stocks allocated to sectors would be deducted from its sector's Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE). Once the ACE for a stock has been reached in a sector, vessels would no longer be allowed to fish in that stock area unless the sector acquires additional ACE for the stock in question. For common pool vessels, all groundfish catch would be counted toward the appropriate trimester total allowable catch (TAC). Common pool vessels would be exempt from possession and trip limits, but would still be subject to trimester TAC closures.
Vessels fishing under this EFP would be required to report via their Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) or the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to identify trips that would be landing species below minimum size limits and/or in excess of possession limits. Vessels not landing fish for the Center but temporarily possessing fish for at-sea sampling would not be required to call into the IVR system or report via VMS.
Table 2—Study Fleet Program's Biological Sample Collection Needs
Stock area *
Gear types #
Individual fish per collection period
Maximum weight allowed per trip (lb)
Maximum allowance (lb)
Windowpane flounder GOM, GB OTF, DRS Monthly 40 ea./mo 30 360
Monkfish GOM, GB, SNE OTF, GNS, DRS Monthly 15 ea./mo. SNE 15 ea./mo. GOM 750 9,000
Haddock GOM, GB, SNE OTF, LLB, GNS, DRS Monthly/Seasonal 40 ea./mo 320 1600
Atlantic cod GOM, GB, SNE OTF, LLB, GNS, DRS Monthly 120 ea./mo 270 7,200
Barndoor skate GOM, GB, SNE OTF, GNS, DRS Quarterly 20 ea./qtr 150 600
Thorny skate GOM, GB, SNE OTF, GNS, DRS Quarterly 20 ea./qtr 150 600
Black sea bass GB, SNE PTF, OTF Monthly 30 ea./mo 180 2,160
Atlantic wolffish GOM, GB OTF,GNS, LLB Monthly 40 ea./mo 160 3,500
Cusk GOM, GB OTF,GNS, LLB Monthly 40 ea./mo 140 3,600
Atlantic halibut GOM, GB OTF, GNS, LLB Monthly 20 ea./mo 500 6,000
Butterfish SNE, MA OTM Monthly 150 ea./mo 75 900
Blueline tilefish SNE, MA LLB Monthly 20 ea./mo 100 1,200
Golden tilefish SNE, MA LLB Monthly 20 ea./mo 150 1,800
Atlantic herring Any Area OTM, OTF, PTM, PUR Monthly 100 ea./mo 100 1,200
River herring/shad Any Area OTM, OTF, PTM, PUR Monthly 100 ea./mo of ea. species 100 of ea. species 1,200 of ea.species
Round herring Any Area OTM, OTF, PTM, PUR Monthly 100 ea./mo 100 1,200
Silver hake Any Area OTM, OTF, PTM, PUR Monthly 100 ea./mo 260 3,120
Atlantic mackerel Any Area OTM, OTF, PTM, HND, PUR Monthly 100 ea./mo 260 3,120
Shortfin squid Any Area OTM, OTF Monthly 100 ea./mo 75 900
Sand lance Any Area OTM, OTF, PTM, PUR Monthly 100 ea./mo 25 300
Longfin squid Any Area OTM, OTF Monthly 100 ea./mo 75 900
* Stock area abbreviations: Gulf of Maine (GOM), Georges Bank (GB), Southern New England (SNE).
# Gear abbreviations: Otter trawl (OTF), bottom longline (LLB), sink gillnet (GNS), sea scallop dredge (DRS), fish pot (PTF), hand lines, auto jig (HND), purse seine (PUR), otter trawl midwater (OTM), pair trawl midwater (PTM).
If approved, the NEFSC 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 impact that does not change the scope of the initially approved EFP request. Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope of the exempted fishing activity would be prohibited.
[FR Doc. 2018-05334 Filed 3-15-18; 8:45 am]