Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits, 24951-24952 [E8-9967]
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24951
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 88 / Tuesday, May 6, 2008 / Notices
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XH72
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.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional
Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,
Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant
Regional Administrator) has made a
preliminary determination that the
subject exempted fishing permit (EFP)
application contains all the required
information and warrants further
consideration. Therefore, NMFS
announces that the Assistant Regional
Administrator proposes to recommend
that an EFP be issued that would allow
one commercial fishing vessel to
conduct fishing operations that are
otherwise restricted by the regulations
governing the fisheries of the
Northeastern United States. The EFP,
which would enable the applicants to
investigate the feasibility of using a
trawl net with buoyant ground cables
and a buoyant sweep to reduce seabed
contact and improve species selectivity,
would allow for exemptions for one
vessel from the Northeast Multispecies
Fishery Management Program as
follows: Gulf of Maine (GOM) Rolling
Closure Areas II, III, and IV.
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 21, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast
Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside
of the envelope ‘‘Comments on the
Buoyant Ground Cables Study.’’
Comments may also be sent via
facsimile (fax) to (978) 281–9135, or
submitted via e-mail to the following
address: DA8–070@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Edward Stern, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281–9177, fax (978)
281–9135.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:11 May 05, 2008
Jkt 214001
An EFP
application for this project was
submitted on March 6, 2008, by Kelo
Pinkham of the F/V JEANNE C (Permit
ι230524). The project, which extends
previous work conducted by the
applicants, has been refined since
originally receiving a development grant
in 2003 and included both flume tank
trials and at-sea trials. An EFP issued in
2006, for calendar year 2007, authorized
a total of 25 days of sampling for two
vessels. An experimental otter trawl net,
with floats incorporated along both the
ground cables and the sweep, as well as
drop chains integrated along the sweep,
was constructed and flume tank tested
in 2007. One vessel, the F/V OCEAN
REPORTER (Permit ι221596), completed
5 days of research in 2007. Due to
unexpected research difficulties, the F/
V JEANNE C only completed 5 out of
the additional 20 research days
remaining. To complete this research
project, Kelo Pinkham of the F/V
JEANNE C submitted a second EFP
application after the first EFP’s expiry
on December 1, 2007.
This is a joint project with Dana
Morse of Maine Sea Grant and is funded
by the Northeast Consortium (NEC). The
primary goal of the research is to
develop and test a trawl net with
buoyant ground cables and a buoyant
sweep to reduce seabed contact and
increase species selectivity. The intent
of the applicant is that the experimental
net, if successful, could potentially be
suitable for fishing in areas requiring a
haddock separator trawl and/or fishing
in areas of hard bottom with the use of
mid-water doors.
This EFP would be issued to the F/V
JEANNE C to conduct 15 at-sea days of
experimental fishing in an area
northeast of the Western GOM Closure
Area and northwest of the Cashes Ledge
Closure Area (see Table 1). All fishing
would be conducted outside of the
Western GOM Closure Area and the
Cashes Ledge Closure Area. This vessel
is expected to make a total of 60 tows,
fishing 4 tows per day, each of 2 hours
in duration. Two of the tows per day
would be fished with standard gear, and
two would be fished with modified gear.
Researchers intend to complete this
project within 1 year of the date of
issuance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
TABLE 1: CORNER COORDINATES FOR
EXPERIMENTAL FISHING AREA BY F/
V JEANNE C
PO 00000
TABLE 1: CORNER COORDINATES FOR
EXPERIMENTAL FISHING AREA BY F/
V JEANNE C—Continued
Point
Latitude
43°40′ N
70°00′ W
3
43°20′ N
69°00′ W
4
43°20′ N
70°00′ W
5
43°40′ N
69°00′ W
The applicants have asked for an
exemption to the regulations at 50 CFR
648.81(f)(1)(ii) through (iv), i.e., GOM
Rolling Closure Areas II, III, and IV,
respectively, due to a belief that there
will be a better mixture of flounders,
pollock, haddock, and cod present in
the waters of the western GOM during
these seasonal closures for testing the
experimental gear.
During the 15 at-sea days of
comparative fishing trials, the F/V
JEANNE C would use A days-at-sea
(DAS) and would be subject to all day
and trip possession limits. All fish
caught would be weighed and as many
fish as possible would be measured. All
undersized fish or fish that cannot
legally be caught would be returned to
the sea as quickly as practicable after
measurement. The overall catch
estimates expected for the remainder of
this project under this EFP can be found
in Table 2. The applicants anticipate a
total harvest of 20,700 lb (9,389 kg), and
an additional 10,100 lb (4,581.4 kg) of
discards. The estimated GOM cod catch
for the proposed number of DAS during
this EFP would be 55 percent of the
current daily possession limit of 800 lb
(362.9 kg) for the proposed number of
DAS. All legal-sized fish, within the
possession limit, would be sold, with
the proceeds returned to the NEC for the
purpose of enhancing future research.
The anticipated monkfish harvest is
purposefully set at the maximum
allowed for 15 DAS because the
experimental trawl is designed to
reduce flatfish, not monkfish, catch. If
the researchers set over an area with
monkfish, they do not anticipate any
significant reductions in monkfish catch
between a standard trawl and the
experimental trawl.
TABLE 2: ESTIMATED CATCH AND
DISCARDS BY SPECIES LB (KG)
Frm 00014
43°40′ N
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Harvest
Discards
Longitude
Haddock
1
Longitude
2
Species
Point
Latitude
69°00′ W
E:\FR\FM\06MYN1.SGM
06MYN1
6,000
(2,721.6)
600 (272.2)
24952
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 88 / Tuesday, May 6, 2008 / Notices
TABLE 2: ESTIMATED CATCH AND DIS- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
CARDS BY SPECIES LB (KG)—ConNational Oceanic and Atmospheric
tinued
Administration
Species
Harvest
Discards
Cod
6,000
(2,721.6)
600 (272.2)
Monkfish
4,500
(2,041.2)
900 (408.2)
Grey Sole
900 (408.2)
100 (45.4)
Pollock
600 (272.2)
50 (22.7)
American
Plaice
600 (272.2)
100 (45.4)
Winter Flounder
300 (136.1)
100 (45.4)
Redfish
1,200
(544.3)
300 (136.1)
Whiting
300 (136.1)
50 (22.7)
Hake sp.
300 (136.1)
100 (45.4)
Dogfish
0 (0)
3,000
(1,360.8)
Skate sp.
0 (0)
2,400
(1,088.6)
Lumpfish
0 (0)
600 (272.2)
Lobster
0 (0)
600 (272.2)
Crab sp.
0 (0)
600 (272.2)
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 1, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–9967 Filed 5–5–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
17:11 May 05, 2008
Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of public availability and
meetings.
AGENCY:
The applicants may request minor
modifications and extensions to the EFP
throughout the course of research. EFP
modifications and extensions may be
granted without further public notice if
they are deemed essential to facilitate
completion of the proposed research
and result in only a minimal change in
the scope or impacts of the initially
approved EFP request.
In accordance with NAO
Administrative Order 216–6, a
Categorical Exclusion or other
appropriate NEPA document would be
completed prior to the issuance of the
EFP. Further review and consultation
may be necessary before a final
determination is made to issue the EFP.
After publication of this document in
the Federal Register, the EFP, if
approved, may become effective
following the public comment period.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
Draft Management Plan and
Environmental Assessment for the
Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank
National Marine Sanctuary: Notice of
Public Availability and Meetings
Jkt 214001
SUMMARY: In accordance with section
304(e) of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act, as amended, (NMSA)
NOAA is soliciting public comment on
the draft management plan and draft
environmental assessment for the Gerry
E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary.
DATES: Comments: Comments on the
draft management plan and draft
environmental assessment will be
considered if received on or before
August 4, 2008.
Public meetings: See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section below for the dates
and locations for the public meetings.
ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy: For a
copy of the draft management plan and
draft environmental assessment, contact
the Management Plan Review
Coordinator, Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary, 175 Edward Foster
Rd., Scituate, MA 02066. Copies can
also be downloaded from the SBNMS
Web site at https://stellwagen.noaa.gov.
To submit comments: Comments on
the draft management plan and draft
environmental assessment may be
submitted by one of the following
methods:
1. In writing to the SBNMS
Management Plan Review Coordinator
(see to obtain a copy section above);
2. By e-mail to sbplan@noaa.gov; or
3. By providing comments (oral or
written) at one of the public meetings
(see public meetings section below).
Public meetings: See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section for the dates and
locations for the public meetings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Benjamin Cowie-Haskell at (781) 545–
8026 or via e-mail at sbplan@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
Congress designated the Gerry E.
Studds Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary (sanctuary or SBNMS)
through the Oceans Act of 1992
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(November 4, 1992; Public Law 102–587
at section 2202). In 1993, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) issued final
regulations and released a final
management plan and environmental
impact statement (EIS) to implement
this designation (NOAA 1993). Section
304(e) of the NMSA requires NOAA to
review its management plans for
national marine sanctuaries every five
years, and to evaluate the substantive
progress toward implementing the
management plans and goals for each
sanctuary, especially the effectiveness of
site-specific management techniques (16
U.S.C. 1434(e)).
In accordance with this requirement,
NOAA initiated a review of the SBNMS
management plan in 1998. This review
was done in cooperation with members
of the Sanctuary Advisory Council
(SAC), a group formed of members of
the public to provide advice to the
sanctuary superintendent on the
management and protection of
sanctuary resources. The review was
delayed two years due to a change in
sanctuary management. NOAA restarted
the review in June of 2002 with the
publication of the ‘‘State of the
Sanctuary Report,’’ which set the stage
for the scoping meetings and public
comment period that ended on October
18, 2002.
The review revealed that many of the
initial goals and objectives of the
original 1993 management plan had
been met; however, in some areas these
goals and objectives were non-specific
and general in scope and/or based on
limited scientific knowledge. New
information about the natural and
cultural resources of the sanctuary and
the human uses of the resources made
it apparent to NOAA that the plan was
out-of date and outmoded. NOAA
decided to incorporate this new
knowledge by developing a new
approach to managing the sanctuary,
including an updated vision, mission,
and statement of goals and objectives. In
addition, NOAA revised the content and
formatting requirements for all national
marine sanctuary management plans.
The ultimate purpose of this revised
draft management plan is to update
NOAA’s approach to managing,
protecting, and restoring the resources
of the sanctuary pursuant to the
purposes and policies of the NMSA. In
April 2007, a report on the condition of
sanctuary resources was released for
public review and set the stage for this
draft management plan.
Management Plan Contents
The SBNMS draft management plan
serves as a non-regulatory policy
E:\FR\FM\06MYN1.SGM
06MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24951-24952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9967]
[[Page 24951]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XH72
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 the subject exempted fishing
permit (EFP) application contains all the required information and
warrants further consideration. Therefore, NMFS announces that the
Assistant Regional Administrator proposes to recommend that an EFP be
issued that would allow one commercial fishing vessel to conduct
fishing operations that are otherwise restricted by the regulations
governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United States. The EFP,
which would enable the applicants to investigate the feasibility of
using a trawl net with buoyant ground cables and a buoyant sweep to
reduce seabed contact and improve species selectivity, would allow for
exemptions for one vessel from the Northeast Multispecies Fishery
Management Program as follows: Gulf of Maine (GOM) Rolling Closure
Areas II, III, and IV.
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 21, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul,
Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope
``Comments on the Buoyant Ground Cables Study.'' Comments may also be
sent via facsimile (fax) to (978) 281-9135, or submitted via e-mail to
the following address: DA8-070@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Stern, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9177, fax (978) 281-9135.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An EFP application for this project was
submitted on March 6, 2008, by Kelo Pinkham of the F/V JEANNE C (Permit
230524). The project, which extends previous work conducted by
the applicants, has been refined since originally receiving a
development grant in 2003 and included both flume tank trials and at-
sea trials. An EFP issued in 2006, for calendar year 2007, authorized a
total of 25 days of sampling for two vessels. An experimental otter
trawl net, with floats incorporated along both the ground cables and
the sweep, as well as drop chains integrated along the sweep, was
constructed and flume tank tested in 2007. One vessel, the F/V OCEAN
REPORTER (Permit 221596), completed 5 days of research in
2007. Due to unexpected research difficulties, the F/V JEANNE C only
completed 5 out of the additional 20 research days remaining. To
complete this research project, Kelo Pinkham of the F/V JEANNE C
submitted a second EFP application after the first EFP's expiry on
December 1, 2007.
This is a joint project with Dana Morse of Maine Sea Grant and is
funded by the Northeast Consortium (NEC). The primary goal of the
research is to develop and test a trawl net with buoyant ground cables
and a buoyant sweep to reduce seabed contact and increase species
selectivity. The intent of the applicant is that the experimental net,
if successful, could potentially be suitable for fishing in areas
requiring a haddock separator trawl and/or fishing in areas of hard
bottom with the use of mid-water doors.
This EFP would be issued to the F/V JEANNE C to conduct 15 at-sea
days of experimental fishing in an area northeast of the Western GOM
Closure Area and northwest of the Cashes Ledge Closure Area (see Table
1). All fishing would be conducted outside of the Western GOM Closure
Area and the Cashes Ledge Closure Area. This vessel is expected to make
a total of 60 tows, fishing 4 tows per day, each of 2 hours in
duration. Two of the tows per day would be fished with standard gear,
and two would be fished with modified gear. Researchers intend to
complete this project within 1 year of the date of issuance.
Table 1: Corner Coordinates for Experimental Fishing Area by F/V JEANNE
C
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Latitude Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 43[deg]40' N 69[deg]00' W
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 43[deg]40' N 70[deg]00' W
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 43[deg]20' N 69[deg]00' W
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 43[deg]20' N 70[deg]00' W
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 43[deg]40' N 69[deg]00' W
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The applicants have asked for an exemption to the regulations at 50
CFR 648.81(f)(1)(ii) through (iv), i.e., GOM Rolling Closure Areas II,
III, and IV, respectively, due to a belief that there will be a better
mixture of flounders, pollock, haddock, and cod present in the waters
of the western GOM during these seasonal closures for testing the
experimental gear.
During the 15 at-sea days of comparative fishing trials, the F/V
JEANNE C would use A days-at-sea (DAS) and would be subject to all day
and trip possession limits. All fish caught would be weighed and as
many fish as possible would be measured. All undersized fish or fish
that cannot legally be caught would be returned to the sea as quickly
as practicable after measurement. The overall catch estimates expected
for the remainder of this project under this EFP can be found in Table
2. The applicants anticipate a total harvest of 20,700 lb (9,389 kg),
and an additional 10,100 lb (4,581.4 kg) of discards. The estimated GOM
cod catch for the proposed number of DAS during this EFP would be 55
percent of the current daily possession limit of 800 lb (362.9 kg) for
the proposed number of DAS. All legal-sized fish, within the possession
limit, would be sold, with the proceeds returned to the NEC for the
purpose of enhancing future research. The anticipated monkfish harvest
is purposefully set at the maximum allowed for 15 DAS because the
experimental trawl is designed to reduce flatfish, not monkfish, catch.
If the researchers set over an area with monkfish, they do not
anticipate any significant reductions in monkfish catch between a
standard trawl and the experimental trawl.
Table 2: Estimated Catch and Discards by Species lb (kg)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Harvest Discards
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Haddock 6,000 (2,721.6) 600 (272.2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 24952]]
Cod 6,000 (2,721.6) 600 (272.2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monkfish 4,500 (2,041.2) 900 (408.2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grey Sole 900 (408.2) 100 (45.4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock 600 (272.2) 50 (22.7)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Plaice 600 (272.2) 100 (45.4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winter Flounder 300 (136.1) 100 (45.4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redfish 1,200 (544.3) 300 (136.1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whiting 300 (136.1) 50 (22.7)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hake sp. 300 (136.1) 100 (45.4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dogfish 0 (0) 3,000 (1,360.8)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skate sp. 0 (0) 2,400 (1,088.6)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lumpfish 0 (0) 600 (272.2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lobster 0 (0) 600 (272.2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crab sp. 0 (0) 600 (272.2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The applicants may request minor modifications and extensions to
the EFP throughout the course of research. EFP modifications and
extensions may be granted without further public notice if they are
deemed essential to facilitate completion of the proposed research and
result in only a minimal change in the scope or impacts of the
initially approved EFP request.
In accordance with NAO Administrative Order 216-6, a Categorical
Exclusion or other appropriate NEPA document would be completed prior
to the issuance of the EFP. Further review and consultation may be
necessary before a final determination is made to issue the EFP. After
publication of this document in the Federal Register, the EFP, if
approved, may become effective following the public comment period.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 1, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-9967 Filed 5-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
