Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits, 22341 [E8-9047]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 81 / Friday, April 25, 2008 / Notices
Dated: April 22, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–9049 Filed 4–24–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XG85
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permits
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
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 Gulf of
Maine Research Institute (GMRI)
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 Monkfish Fishery
Management Plan (FMP). 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
11 commercial fishing vessels to
conduct compensation fishing
operations that are otherwise restricted
by the regulations governing the
fisheries of the Northeastern United
States. This EFP, which would enable
vessels to harvest monkfish granted
through the Monkfish Research SetAside (RSA) Program, would grant
exemptions from the monkfish days-atsea (DAS) possession limits in the
Southern Fishery Management Area.
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 must be received on
or before May 12, 2008.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
20:20 Apr 24, 2008
Jkt 214001
You may submit written
comments by any of the following
methods:
• Email: DA8–081@noaa.gov. Include
in the subject line ‘‘Comments on GMRI
Monkfish EFP.’’
• Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, NE Regional
Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester,
MA 01930. Mark the outside of the
envelope ‘‘Comments on GMRI
monkfish EFP, DA8–081.’’
• Fax: (978) 281–9135.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Emily Bryant, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978–281–9244.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An
application for an EFP was submitted by
GMRI on March 21, 2008, for a project
funded under the New England and
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Councils’ Monkfish RSA Program. The
project itself will evaluate the discard of
monkfish caught as bycatch on
Northeast (NE) multispecies DAS and
directed monkfish trips. Research trips
will be covered under a separate EFP.
This EFP would grant an exemption
from monkfish possession limits to 11
vessels for the purpose of harvesting
RSA to fund this research project (i.e.
compensation fishing). Funds generated
by the compensation fishing will be
used to pay for vessel charters, technical
and sampling equipment, as well as
salaries and stipends for principal
investigators and industry collaborators.
The research portion of this project
will occur over the course of 1 year and
will utilize boat- and port-based data
collection programs to estimate and
compare monkfish discards between
boats trawling for NE multispecies in
the DAS program and directed monkfish
trips in the Gulf of Maine. The boatbased program will utilize the Study
Fleet electronic logbook and
independent at-sea sampling, and will
be complemented with port-based
sampling of retained and otherwise
discarded monkfish. The research
would be covered under the
programmatic Study Fleet EFP. More
information regarding the exemptions
requested for this EFP can be found in
the Federal Register notice that
published on March 25, 2008 (73 FR
15739).
Compensation fishing for this
research will occur from May 2008
through April 2009. The 11 fishing
industry collaborators will have access
to 139 Monkfish DAS that will be
awarded to the project through the
Monkfish RSA Program. These vessels
must be able to land at least 2,500 lb
(1,134 kg) of whole monkfish (730 lb
(331 kg) tail weight) per trip to achieve
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
22341
the goal of $3,000 per RSA DAS. In
order to achieve this target catch, these
fishing activities would require an
exemption from monkfish DAS
possession limits at § 648.94(b)(2). This
exemption would provide these 11
vessels with the flexibility they need to
generate sufficient income to meet
projected costs, while minimizing
operating expenses, of the research
activity. Based on the awarded 139
DAS, this would require a total catch of
347,500 lb (157,623 kg) of whole
monkfish (104,669 lb (47,477 kg) tail
weight). Operating under this total
landings cap, compensation fishing
would continue until the required goal
of 347,500 lb (157,623 kg) of whole
monkfish is met, or until the awarded
DAS have been fully utilized, which
ever occurs first. Aside from this
exemption, fishing activity will be
conducted under normal commercial
practices.
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 initially approved EFP
request. Any fishing activity conducted
outside the scope of the exempted
fishing activity would be prohibited. If
the research project is terminated for
any reason prior to completion, any
unused funds collected from catch sold
to pay for research expenses may be
refunded to NOAA.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 22, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–9047 Filed 4–24–08; 8:45 am]
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric
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Draft Revision of the NOAA Hurricane
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National Oceanic and
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ACTION: Notice of availability and
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AGENCY:
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[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 81 (Friday, April 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 22341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9047]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG85
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 Gulf of Maine Research Institute
(GMRI) 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 Monkfish
Fishery Management Plan (FMP). 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 11
commercial fishing vessels to conduct compensation fishing operations
that are otherwise restricted by the regulations governing the
fisheries of the Northeastern United States. This EFP, which would
enable vessels to harvest monkfish granted through the Monkfish
Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program, would grant exemptions from the
monkfish days-at-sea (DAS) possession limits in the Southern Fishery
Management Area.
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 May 12, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following
methods:
Email: DA8-081@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line
``Comments on GMRI Monkfish EFP.''
Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS, NE
Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the
outside of the envelope ``Comments on GMRI monkfish EFP, DA8-081.''
Fax: (978) 281-9135.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Bryant, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-281-9244.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application for an EFP was submitted by
GMRI on March 21, 2008, for a project funded under the New England and
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils' Monkfish RSA Program. The
project itself will evaluate the discard of monkfish caught as bycatch
on Northeast (NE) multispecies DAS and directed monkfish trips.
Research trips will be covered under a separate EFP. This EFP would
grant an exemption from monkfish possession limits to 11 vessels for
the purpose of harvesting RSA to fund this research project (i.e.
compensation fishing). Funds generated by the compensation fishing will
be used to pay for vessel charters, technical and sampling equipment,
as well as salaries and stipends for principal investigators and
industry collaborators.
The research portion of this project will occur over the course of
1 year and will utilize boat- and port-based data collection programs
to estimate and compare monkfish discards between boats trawling for NE
multispecies in the DAS program and directed monkfish trips in the Gulf
of Maine. The boat-based program will utilize the Study Fleet
electronic logbook and independent at-sea sampling, and will be
complemented with port-based sampling of retained and otherwise
discarded monkfish. The research would be covered under the
programmatic Study Fleet EFP. More information regarding the exemptions
requested for this EFP can be found in the Federal Register notice that
published on March 25, 2008 (73 FR 15739).
Compensation fishing for this research will occur from May 2008
through April 2009. The 11 fishing industry collaborators will have
access to 139 Monkfish DAS that will be awarded to the project through
the Monkfish RSA Program. These vessels must be able to land at least
2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of whole monkfish (730 lb (331 kg) tail weight) per
trip to achieve the goal of $3,000 per RSA DAS. In order to achieve
this target catch, these fishing activities would require an exemption
from monkfish DAS possession limits at Sec. 648.94(b)(2). This
exemption would provide these 11 vessels with the flexibility they need
to generate sufficient income to meet projected costs, while minimizing
operating expenses, of the research activity. Based on the awarded 139
DAS, this would require a total catch of 347,500 lb (157,623 kg) of
whole monkfish (104,669 lb (47,477 kg) tail weight). Operating under
this total landings cap, compensation fishing would continue until the
required goal of 347,500 lb (157,623 kg) of whole monkfish is met, or
until the awarded DAS have been fully utilized, which ever occurs
first. Aside from this exemption, fishing activity will be conducted
under normal commercial practices.
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 initially approved EFP
request. Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope of the
exempted fishing activity would be prohibited. If the research project
is terminated for any reason prior to completion, any unused funds
collected from catch sold to pay for research expenses may be refunded
to NOAA.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 22, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-9047 Filed 4-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S