Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs), 24646-24647 [E6-6274]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2006 / Notices
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: April 21, 2006.
William Jeffrey,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06–3971 Filed 4–24–06; 9:26 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[I.D. 041906D]
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative
Management Act Provisions;
Application for Exempted Fishing
Permits (EFPs)
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of a request for
EFPs to conduct experimental fishing;
request for comments.
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This request for the
continuation of an EFP involves the
non-destructive collection of size
frequency and population data on legal
and sublegal lobsters as part of an
ongoing research project to monitor the
offshore lobster fishery in Lobster
Management Area 3.
DATES: Comments on this lobster EFP
notification for offshore lobster
monitoring and data collection must be
received on or before May 11, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast
Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive,
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:58 Apr 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
Gloucester, MA 01930–2298. Mark the
outside of the envelope ‘‘Comments Lobster EFP Proposal’’. Comments also
may be sent via facsimile (fax) to 978–
281–9117. Comments on the Lobster
EFP Proposal may be submitted by email. The mailbox address for providing
e-mail comments is
Lobster0206@noaa.gov. Include in the
subject line of the e-mail comment the
following document identifier:
‘‘Comments - Lobster EFP Proposal’’.
Bob
Ross, Fishery Management Specialist,
(978) 281–9234, fax (978)-281–9117.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The regulations that govern exempted
fishing, at 50 CFR 600.745(b) and 697.22
allow the Regional Administrator to
authorize for limited testing, public
display, data collection, exploration,
health and safety, environmental cleanup, and/or hazardous removal purposes,
and the targeting or incidental harvest of
managed species that would otherwise
be prohibited. An EFP to authorize such
activity may be issued, provided there is
adequate opportunity for the public to
comment on the EFP application, the
conservation goals and objectives of
Federal management of the American
lobster resource are not compromised,
and issuance of the EFP is beneficial to
the management of the species.
Continuation of this EFP, until April
30, 2007, would not involve the
authorization of any additional trap gear
in the area. A maximum of seven
participating commercial fishing vessels
will continue the non-destructive
collection of detailed abundance and
size frequency data on the composition
of lobsters in four general offshore study
areas in a collaborative effort with the
Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s
Association (AOLA). Continuation of
this EFP would authorize each
participating commercial fishing vessel
to continue to utilize one modified
juvenile lobster collector trap to collect
population data. The lobster trap
modifications are to the escape vents,
and trap entrance head. Therefore, this
modified trap would impact its
environment no differently than the
regular lobster trap it replaces and will
add no additional traps to the area. After
data is collected on lobsters in the trap,
all sub-legal lobsters will be
immediately returned to the sea. The
EFP waives the American lobster escape
vent requirement specified at 50 CFR
697.21(c) for a maximum of one trap per
vessel for a maximum of seven vessels
in the program.
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
The Director, State, Federal and
Constituent Programs Office, Northeast
Region, NMFS (Office Director) has
made a preliminary determination that
the subject EFP application contains all
the required information and warrants
further consideration. The Office
Director has also made a preliminary
determination that continuation of the
activities authorized under the EFPs
would be consistent with the goals and
objectives of Federal management of the
American lobster resource. However,
further review and consultation may be
necessary before a final determination is
made to issue EFPs. NMFS announces
that the Office Director proposes to
renew EFPs that would allow a
maximum of seven vessels to conduct
fishing operations involving the use of
one juvenile lobster collector trap per
vessel that are otherwise restricted by
the regulations governing the American
lobster fisheries of the Northeastern
United States. Therefore, this document
invites comments on the renewal of
EFPs to allow a maximum of seven
commercial fishing vessels to utilize a
maximum of seven modified lobster
traps and to collect statistical data using
modified lobster trap gear.
The American lobster fishery is the
most valuable fishery in the
northeastern United States. In 2004,
approximately 75 million pounds
(34,169 metric tons (mt)) of American
lobster were landed with an ex-vessel
value of approximately 315 million
dollars. American lobster experience
very high fishing mortality rates
throughout their range, from Canada to
Cape Hatteras. Operating under the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission’s interstate management
process, American lobster are managed
in state waters under Amendment 3 to
the American Lobster Interstate Fishery
Management Plan (Amendment 3). In
Federal waters of the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ), lobster is
managed under Federal regulations at
50 CFR part 697. Amendment 3, and
compatible Federal regulations
established a framework for area
management, which includes industry
participation in the development of a
management program which suits the
needs of each lobster management area
while meeting targets established in the
Interstate Fisheries Management
Program. The industry, through area
management teams, with the support of
state agencies, have played a vital role
in advancing the area management
program.
To facilitate the development of
effective management tools, extensive
monitoring and detailed abundance and
size frequency data on the composition
E:\FR\FM\26APN1.SGM
26APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2006 / Notices
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
of lobsters throughout the range of the
resource are necessary. The need for
additional monitoring and detailed
abundance and size frequency data on
the offshore fishery, as proposed by this
EFP, is critical due to the lack of
consistent statistical coverage of the
offshore lobster fishery. This proposed
EFP will continue a project involved in
extensive monitoring and detailed
population information of American
lobster in four offshore study areas
using modified lobster trap gear that
would otherwise be prohibited.
Proposed EFP
The proposed EFP is a continuation of
a project begun in 2003, and is
submitted by the AOLA and seven
commercial lobster fishing vessels that
are also members of the AOLA. The EFP
proposes to collect statistical and
scientific information on all lobsters
retained in one juvenile lobster collector
trap, as part of a project designed to
monitor the offshore American lobster
fishery to collect data that will assist the
development of management practices
appropriate to the fishery.
Each of seven commercial fishing
vessels involved in this monitoring and
data collection program would collect
detailed abundance and size frequency
data on the composition of all lobsters
collected from one modified juvenile
lobster trap in a string of approximately
40 lobster traps, including data on sublegal, and egg bearing females in
addition to legal lobsters. This EFP
would not involve the authorization of
any additional lobster trap gear in the
area. Vessels would collect data from
each of four general study areas: The
Mid-Atlantic - Chesapeake 50 Fathom
Edge; the Southern - Hudson Canyon
Area; the Middle - Veatch Canyon Area;
and the Northern - Georges Bank and
Gulf of Maine Area. The participating
vessels may retain on deck sub-legal
lobsters, and egg bearing female
lobsters, in addition to legal lobsters, for
the purpose of collecting the required
abundance and size frequency data
specified by this project. Data collected
would include size, sex, shell disease
index, and the total number of legals,
sub-legals, berried females, and vnotched females. All sub-legals, berried
females, and v-notched female lobsters
would be returned to the sea as quickly
as possible after data collection.
Pursuant to 50 CFR 600.745 (b)(3)(v),
the Regional Administrator may attach
terms and conditions to the EFP
consistent with the purpose of the
exempted fishing.
This EFP requests the inclusion of a
maximum of one modified lobster trap
per vessel, designated as a juvenile
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:58 Apr 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
lobster collector trap, in the string of
approximately 40 traps. This modified
lobster trap would have a smaller
entrance head, no escape vents and
would be made of a smaller mesh than
the traditional offshore trap to catch and
retain a high percentage of juvenile
lobsters in the 30–65 mm carapace
length range. The smaller entrance head
would exclude large lobsters from this
trap and decrease the probability of
cannibalism within the trap. The
modifications to the trap are to the
escape vents, and trap entrance head,
not to the trap’s size or configuration,
therefore this modified trap would
impact its environment no differently
than the regular lobster trap it replaces.
Renewal of this EFP will add no
additional traps to the areas. Due to
modifications to the escape vent, the
EFP proposed to waive the American
lobster escape vent requirement
specified at 50 CFR 697.21(c) for a
maximum of one trap per vessel for a
maximum of seven vessels in the
program. With the exception of the one
modified juvenile lobster collector trap,
all traps fished by a maximum of seven
participating vessels would comply
with all applicable lobster regulations
specified at 50 CFR part 697.
All monitoring and data collection
would be conducted by seven federally
permitted commercial fishing vessels,
during the course of regular commercial
fishing operations. There would not be
observers or researchers onboard the
participating vessels.
This project, including the lobster
handling protocols, was initially
developed in consultation with NMFS
and University of New Hampshire
scientists. To the greatest extent
practicable, these handling protocols are
designed to avoid unnecessary adverse
environmental impact on lobsters
involved in this project, while achieving
the data collection objectives of this
project.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 21, 2006.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6–6274 Filed 4–25–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
24647
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[Docket No. 060313063-6104-02; I.D.
042006C]
Financial Assistance to Administer
NOAA’s Faculty and Student Intern
Research Program and Notice of
Availability of Funds and Solicitation
for Proposals for These Funds;
Extension of Application Deadline
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of Student
Intern Research Program funding.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NOAA publishes this notice
to extend the solicitation period for
proposals for NOAA’s Faculty and
Student Intern Research Program.
Proposals are solicited from non-profit
organizations who would design and
provide administrative services, such as
provide training, educational, and
research opportunities to faculty, as
well as graduate and undergraduate
students pursuing degrees related to
NOAA’s mission. This solicitation was
originally announced in the Federal
Register on March 30, 2006. The
solicitation period for this program was
extended to provide the public more
time to submit proposals.
DATES: Proposals must be received no
later than 5 p.m., eastern daylight time,
May 9, 2006.
ADDRESSES: It is strongly encouraged
that applications submitted in response
to this announcement are submitted
through the Grants.gov Web site.
Electronic access to the Full Funding
Opportunity Announcement for this
program is available via the Grants.gov
Web site: https://www.grants.gov.
Applicants must comply with all
requirements contained in the Full
Funding Opportunity Announcement.
Paper applications (a signed original
and two copies) may also be submitted
to the following address: NOAA Civil
Rights Office/OFA51,1305 East West
Highway, Room 12222, Silver Spring,
MD 20910. No facsimile or electronic
mail applications will be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Victoria G. Dancy, NOAA Civil Rights
Office/OFA51, 1305 East West Highway,
Room 12222, Silver Spring, MD 20910,
or by phone at (301) 713–0500, ext. 136.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March
30, 2006, NOAA published a Notice of
Availability of Funds and Solicitation
for Proposals for these Funds for the
NOAA Faculty and Student Intern
E:\FR\FM\26APN1.SGM
26APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24646-24647]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6274]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 041906D]
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions;
Application for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of a request for EFPs to conduct experimental
fishing; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This request for the continuation of an EFP involves the non-
destructive collection of size frequency and population data on legal
and sublegal lobsters as part of an ongoing research project to monitor
the offshore lobster fishery in Lobster Management Area 3.
DATES: Comments on this lobster EFP notification for offshore lobster
monitoring and data collection must be received on or before May 11,
2006.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul,
Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298. Mark the outside of the envelope
``Comments - Lobster EFP Proposal''. Comments also may be sent via
facsimile (fax) to 978-281-9117. Comments on the Lobster EFP Proposal
may be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for providing e-mail
comments is Lobster0206@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line of the e-
mail comment the following document identifier: ``Comments - Lobster
EFP Proposal''.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Ross, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9234, fax (978)-281-9117.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The regulations that govern exempted fishing, at 50 CFR 600.745(b)
and 697.22 allow the Regional Administrator to authorize for limited
testing, public display, data collection, exploration, health and
safety, environmental clean-up, and/or hazardous removal purposes, and
the targeting or incidental harvest of managed species that would
otherwise be prohibited. An EFP to authorize such activity may be
issued, provided there is adequate opportunity for the public to
comment on the EFP application, the conservation goals and objectives
of Federal management of the American lobster resource are not
compromised, and issuance of the EFP is beneficial to the management of
the species.
Continuation of this EFP, until April 30, 2007, would not involve
the authorization of any additional trap gear in the area. A maximum of
seven participating commercial fishing vessels will continue the non-
destructive collection of detailed abundance and size frequency data on
the composition of lobsters in four general offshore study areas in a
collaborative effort with the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen's
Association (AOLA). Continuation of this EFP would authorize each
participating commercial fishing vessel to continue to utilize one
modified juvenile lobster collector trap to collect population data.
The lobster trap modifications are to the escape vents, and trap
entrance head. Therefore, this modified trap would impact its
environment no differently than the regular lobster trap it replaces
and will add no additional traps to the area. After data is collected
on lobsters in the trap, all sub-legal lobsters will be immediately
returned to the sea. The EFP waives the American lobster escape vent
requirement specified at 50 CFR 697.21(c) for a maximum of one trap per
vessel for a maximum of seven vessels in the program.
The Director, State, Federal and Constituent Programs Office,
Northeast Region, NMFS (Office Director) has made a preliminary
determination that the subject EFP application contains all the
required information and warrants further consideration. The Office
Director has also made a preliminary determination that continuation of
the activities authorized under the EFPs would be consistent with the
goals and objectives of Federal management of the American lobster
resource. However, further review and consultation may be necessary
before a final determination is made to issue EFPs. NMFS announces that
the Office Director proposes to renew EFPs that would allow a maximum
of seven vessels to conduct fishing operations involving the use of one
juvenile lobster collector trap per vessel that are otherwise
restricted by the regulations governing the American lobster fisheries
of the Northeastern United States. Therefore, this document invites
comments on the renewal of EFPs to allow a maximum of seven commercial
fishing vessels to utilize a maximum of seven modified lobster traps
and to collect statistical data using modified lobster trap gear.
The American lobster fishery is the most valuable fishery in the
northeastern United States. In 2004, approximately 75 million pounds
(34,169 metric tons (mt)) of American lobster were landed with an ex-
vessel value of approximately 315 million dollars. American lobster
experience very high fishing mortality rates throughout their range,
from Canada to Cape Hatteras. Operating under the Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission's interstate management process, American
lobster are managed in state waters under Amendment 3 to the American
Lobster Interstate Fishery Management Plan (Amendment 3). In Federal
waters of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), lobster is managed under
Federal regulations at 50 CFR part 697. Amendment 3, and compatible
Federal regulations established a framework for area management, which
includes industry participation in the development of a management
program which suits the needs of each lobster management area while
meeting targets established in the Interstate Fisheries Management
Program. The industry, through area management teams, with the support
of state agencies, have played a vital role in advancing the area
management program.
To facilitate the development of effective management tools,
extensive monitoring and detailed abundance and size frequency data on
the composition
[[Page 24647]]
of lobsters throughout the range of the resource are necessary. The
need for additional monitoring and detailed abundance and size
frequency data on the offshore fishery, as proposed by this EFP, is
critical due to the lack of consistent statistical coverage of the
offshore lobster fishery. This proposed EFP will continue a project
involved in extensive monitoring and detailed population information of
American lobster in four offshore study areas using modified lobster
trap gear that would otherwise be prohibited.
Proposed EFP
The proposed EFP is a continuation of a project begun in 2003, and
is submitted by the AOLA and seven commercial lobster fishing vessels
that are also members of the AOLA. The EFP proposes to collect
statistical and scientific information on all lobsters retained in one
juvenile lobster collector trap, as part of a project designed to
monitor the offshore American lobster fishery to collect data that will
assist the development of management practices appropriate to the
fishery.
Each of seven commercial fishing vessels involved in this
monitoring and data collection program would collect detailed abundance
and size frequency data on the composition of all lobsters collected
from one modified juvenile lobster trap in a string of approximately 40
lobster traps, including data on sub-legal, and egg bearing females in
addition to legal lobsters. This EFP would not involve the
authorization of any additional lobster trap gear in the area. Vessels
would collect data from each of four general study areas: The Mid-
Atlantic - Chesapeake 50 Fathom Edge; the Southern - Hudson Canyon
Area; the Middle - Veatch Canyon Area; and the Northern - Georges Bank
and Gulf of Maine Area. The participating vessels may retain on deck
sub-legal lobsters, and egg bearing female lobsters, in addition to
legal lobsters, for the purpose of collecting the required abundance
and size frequency data specified by this project. Data collected would
include size, sex, shell disease index, and the total number of legals,
sub-legals, berried females, and v-notched females. All sub-legals,
berried females, and v-notched female lobsters would be returned to the
sea as quickly as possible after data collection. Pursuant to 50 CFR
600.745 (b)(3)(v), the Regional Administrator may attach terms and
conditions to the EFP consistent with the purpose of the exempted
fishing.
This EFP requests the inclusion of a maximum of one modified
lobster trap per vessel, designated as a juvenile lobster collector
trap, in the string of approximately 40 traps. This modified lobster
trap would have a smaller entrance head, no escape vents and would be
made of a smaller mesh than the traditional offshore trap to catch and
retain a high percentage of juvenile lobsters in the 30-65 mm carapace
length range. The smaller entrance head would exclude large lobsters
from this trap and decrease the probability of cannibalism within the
trap. The modifications to the trap are to the escape vents, and trap
entrance head, not to the trap's size or configuration, therefore this
modified trap would impact its environment no differently than the
regular lobster trap it replaces. Renewal of this EFP will add no
additional traps to the areas. Due to modifications to the escape vent,
the EFP proposed to waive the American lobster escape vent requirement
specified at 50 CFR 697.21(c) for a maximum of one trap per vessel for
a maximum of seven vessels in the program. With the exception of the
one modified juvenile lobster collector trap, all traps fished by a
maximum of seven participating vessels would comply with all applicable
lobster regulations specified at 50 CFR part 697.
All monitoring and data collection would be conducted by seven
federally permitted commercial fishing vessels, during the course of
regular commercial fishing operations. There would not be observers or
researchers onboard the participating vessels.
This project, including the lobster handling protocols, was
initially developed in consultation with NMFS and University of New
Hampshire scientists. To the greatest extent practicable, these
handling protocols are designed to avoid unnecessary adverse
environmental impact on lobsters involved in this project, while
achieving the data collection objectives of this project.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 21, 2006.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-6274 Filed 4-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
