Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coral and Coral Reefs off the Southern Atlantic States; Exempted Fishing Permit, 41764-41765 [2011-17897]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 136 / Friday, July 15, 2011 / Notices
management of marine resources; and
possibly the length of residence in the
area affected by the sanctuary.
Applicants who are chosen as members
should expect to serve 3-year terms,
pursuant to the council’s charter.
DATES: Applications are due by Monday,
October 31, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Application kits may be
obtained from Emily Gaskin in the
Department of Commerce Office in the
Executive Office Building. Completed
applications should be sent to the same
address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Emily Gaskin, Department of Commerce
Office, Executive Office Building,
Utulei, American Samoa, 684–633–5155
ext. 271, emily.gaskin@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Advisory Council was established in
1986 pursuant to Federal law to ensure
continued public participation in the
management of the sanctuary. The
Sanctuary Advisory Council brings
members of a diverse community
together to provide advice to the
Sanctuary Manager (delegated from the
Secretary of Commerce and the Under
Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere)
on the management and protection of
the Sanctuary, or to assist the National
Marine Sanctuary Program in guiding a
proposed site through the designation or
the periodic management plan review
process.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431, et seq.
(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog
Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary Program)
Dated: July 7, 2011.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011–17809 Filed 7–14–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–M
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
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RIN 0648–XA563
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative
Management 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.
AGENCY:
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The Assistant Regional
Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,
Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant
Regional Administrator), has made a
preliminary decision that an Exempted
Fishing Permit (EFP) application
contains all of the required information
and now warrants public input on the
application. This proposed project
would be conducted by the Atlantic
Offshore Lobstermen’s Association
(AOLA), in conjunction with scientists
and the fishing industry, to help them
understand the settlement and location
of larval lobsters, and the size of the
population in management Area 3. This
EFP would excuse 11 commercial
fishing vessels from the following
Federal American lobster regulation:
Mutilation requirement within
American lobster management Area 3.
The researchers propose to collect a
pleopod (small swimmerettes located on
the lower body at the front side of the
tail section of the lobster) from a
maximum of 100 sexually immature
juvenile lobsters during the AOLA
project. The lobsters would then be
measured and their sex determined
before immediately being returned alive
to the ocean. 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 August 1, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Comments on this notice
may be submitted by e-mail. The
mailbox address for providing e-mail
comments is NERO.EFP@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line ‘‘Comments
on AOLA Lobster Pleopod EFP.’’
Comments may also be sent via
facsimile to (978) 281–9135. Written
comments should be sent to Patricia A.
Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS,
NE Regional Office, 55 Great Republic
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the
outside of the envelope ‘‘Comments on
AOLA Lobster Pleopod EFP.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
´
Carol She, Fishery Policy Analyst, 978–
282–8464, or Carol.She@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AOLA
submitted a complete application for an
EFP on June 30, 2011, to conduct
research activities that the regulations
would otherwise restrict. This EFP
requests an exemption for 11 Federal
commercial fishing vessels from the
following Federal regulation: Mutilation
requirements in 50 CFR 697.20(c). This
research would take place as part of the
on-going research being conducted by
AOLA under an EFP approved on April
SUMMARY:
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29, 2011. The researchers propose to
collect a pleopod (small swimmerettes
located on the lower body at the front
side of the tail section of the lobster)
from a maximum of 100 sexually
immature juvenile lobsters during the
AOLA project. To remove a pleopod for
genetic analysis the following procedure
would be followed: The lobster would
be placed upside down, on the sorting
table or other flat surface, to expose the
underside of the tail. A crew member
would use a small pair of snips or
scissors to clip off the most distant part
of one pleopod, approximately .20
inches by .20 (5 millimeter (mm) by 5
mm in length). The specialized first pair
of pleopods would be avoided, with all
sampling coming from one of the rear
pleopod sets. The impacts on the lobster
resource would be negligible because:
(1) The removal of the pleopod is not
expected to result in mortality; and (2)
100 animals, in relation to the total
American lobster population, is so small
that any effects would not be able to be
measured. Because this project is only
relevant to the sampling and release of
a maximum of 100 juvenile lobsters,
there would be no impacts to habitat
and protected species and there would
be no impacts with respect to bycatch.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 12, 2011.
Margo Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–17896 Filed 7–14–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RIN 0648–XA491]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coral and
Coral Reefs off the Southern Atlantic
States; Exempted Fishing Permit
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an
application for an exempted fishing
permit; request for comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS announces the receipt
of an application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) from Dr. Louis
Daniel, on behalf of the North Carolina
Division of Marine Fisheries. If granted,
the EFP would authorize a maximum of
12 commercial fishing vessels to harvest
and land South Atlantic snapper-
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 136 / Friday, July 15, 2011 / Notices
grouper species that are either currently
prohibited to be harvested in general by
the South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper
Fishery Management Plan (FMP)
(speckled hind and warsaw grouper) or
are prohibited to be harvested beyond a
depth of 240 ft (73.2 m) (blueline
tilefish, misty grouper, queen snapper,
silk snapper, snowy grouper, and
yellowedge grouper). Authorized vessels
would be eligible to harvest these
species in the exclusive economic zone
(EEZ) off North Carolina, specifically,
the waters north of Cape Hatteras to the
North Carolina/Virginia border. The
purpose of this EFP would be to provide
basic life history information for any
fish harvested, particularly blueline
tilefish. An additional purpose of the
EFP would be to determine the
distribution of speckled hind and
warsaw grouper in the study area to
determine if these species are bycatch in
the commercial blueline tilefish
component of the South Atlantic
snapper-grouper fishery.
DATES: Comments must be received no
later than 5 p.m., Eastern Time, on
August 1, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the application by either of the
following methods:
• E-mail: rick.devictor@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line of the e-mail
comment the following document
identifier: LouisDaniel_EFP 2011.
• Mail: Rick DeVictor, Southeast
Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th
Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
The application and related
documents are available for review
upon written request to any of the above
addresses.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick
DeVictor, 727–824–5305; e-mail:
rick.devictor@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is
requested under the authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16
U.S.C 1801 et seq.), and regulations at
50 CFR 600.745(b) concerning exempted
fishing.
The proposed data collection involves
activities otherwise prohibited by
regulations at 50 CFR part 622, as they
pertain to species managed by the South
Atlantic Fishery Management Council
(Council) specific to the commercial
blueline tilefish component of the
snapper-grouper fishery in the South
Atlantic. This EFP would exempt
designated project participants from
regulations regarding the harvest and
possession prohibition for speckled
hind and warsaw grouper
(§ 622.32(b)(3)(vii)), the area closure for
deep-water snapper-grouper species
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16:55 Jul 14, 2011
Jkt 223001
(§ 622.35(o)), queen and silk snapper
commercial size limits
(§ 622.37(e)(1)(iii)), and the snowy
grouper commercial trip limit
(§ 622.44(c)(3)).
The data collection is authorized in
Federal waters, off of North Carolina
from a depth of 40 fathoms seaward to
the EEZ limit between Cape Hatteras
(35°15.03′ N. latitude) north to the
North Carolina/Virginia state line
(36°33.02′ N. latitude). The EFP would
expire when one of the following
criteria is met: 100 total trips are taken
by the combined participants; 350,000
lb (158,757 kg) of blueline tilefish are
landed; 50 fish total of speckled hind or
warsaw grouper are landed in any
combination; 30 of any one of the
following deep-water snapper-grouper
species are landed (misty grouper,
queen snapper, silk snapper, and
yellowedge grouper); 1 year from the
start date of the EFP; or for other reasons
determined to be appropriate by NMFS.
A maximum of 12 commercial fishing
vessels would be allowed to participate.
To be eligible, a vessel’s 2009
commercial landings must have
exceeded 500 lb (226.8 kg) of blueline
tilefish in the EEZ waters off North
Carolina, north of Cape Hatteras, as
verified by the North Carolina trip ticket
program. Vessels authorized by this EFP
would have an observer onboard for 20
percent of all trips taken under the
authority of the EFP. Observers would
be selected by the North Carolina
Division of Marine Fisheries. A NMFS
port agent would collect life history
information and otoliths from blueline
tilefish, snowy grouper, speckled hind,
and warsaw grouper to the extent
possible. Sampled fish would be
returned to the fisherman in a condition
appropriate for sale. Under the EFP,
speckled hind and warsaw grouper
would not be eligible for sale, however,
other deep-water snapper-grouper
species would be eligible for sale, with
the following condition: Snowy grouper
would be eligible for sale up to 100 lb
(45 kg) per trip, with a maximum of
10,000 lb (4,536 kg) for all the vessels
for the duration of the EFP. The otoliths
would be transported to the North
Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
for storage and potential further
analysis. All landings of blueline tilefish
and snowy grouper would be deducted
from the commercial annual catch limits
for these species as established by the
Council.
The purpose of this EFP would be to
provide basic life history information of
the fish harvested, particularly blueline
tilefish. Another purpose of the EFP
would be to determine the presence or
absence of speckled hind and warsaw
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41765
grouper north of Cape Hatteras, North
Carolina, to determine if these species
are bycatch by commercial blueline
tilefish harvesters.
NMFS finds this application warrants
further consideration. Based on a
preliminary review, NMFS intends to
issue the requested EFP, pending receipt
of public comments, as per
§ 600.745(b)(3)(i). Possible conditions
the agency may impose on this permit,
if it is indeed granted, include but are
not limited to, a prohibition on
conducting research within marine
protected areas, marine sanctuaries,
special management zones, or artificial
reefs without additional authorization.
A report on the project findings is due
at the end of the collection period, to be
submitted to NMFS and reviewed by the
Council.
A final decision on issuance of the
EFP will depend on NMFS’s review of
public comments received on the
application, consultations with the
affected state, the Council, and the U.S.
Coast Guard, as well as a determination
that the EFP is consistent with all
applicable laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 12, 2011.
Margo Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–17897 Filed 7–14–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA570
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Council to convene a public
meeting.
AGENCY:
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council will convene a
meeting of the Outreach and Education
Advisory Panel.
DATES: The meeting will convene at 1
p.m. on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 and
conclude by 12 p.m., Thursday, August
4, 2011.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite
1100, Tampa, FL 33607, telephone:
(813) 348–1630.
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 136 (Friday, July 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41764-41765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17897]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RIN 0648-XA491]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Coral and Coral Reefs off the Southern Atlantic States; Exempted
Fishing Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for an exempted fishing
permit; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) from Dr. Louis Daniel, on behalf of the North
Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. If granted, the EFP would
authorize a maximum of 12 commercial fishing vessels to harvest and
land South Atlantic snapper-
[[Page 41765]]
grouper species that are either currently prohibited to be harvested in
general by the South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan
(FMP) (speckled hind and warsaw grouper) or are prohibited to be
harvested beyond a depth of 240 ft (73.2 m) (blueline tilefish, misty
grouper, queen snapper, silk snapper, snowy grouper, and yellowedge
grouper). Authorized vessels would be eligible to harvest these species
in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off North Carolina, specifically,
the waters north of Cape Hatteras to the North Carolina/Virginia
border. The purpose of this EFP would be to provide basic life history
information for any fish harvested, particularly blueline tilefish. An
additional purpose of the EFP would be to determine the distribution of
speckled hind and warsaw grouper in the study area to determine if
these species are bycatch in the commercial blueline tilefish component
of the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., Eastern Time, on
August 1, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application by either of the
following methods:
E-mail: rick.devictor@noaa.gov. Include in the subject
line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier:
LouisDaniel--EFP 2011.
Mail: Rick DeVictor, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263
13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
The application and related documents are available for review upon
written request to any of the above addresses.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick DeVictor, 727-824-5305; e-mail:
rick.devictor@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is requested under the authority of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C
1801 et seq.), and regulations at 50 CFR 600.745(b) concerning exempted
fishing.
The proposed data collection involves activities otherwise
prohibited by regulations at 50 CFR part 622, as they pertain to
species managed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
(Council) specific to the commercial blueline tilefish component of the
snapper-grouper fishery in the South Atlantic. This EFP would exempt
designated project participants from regulations regarding the harvest
and possession prohibition for speckled hind and warsaw grouper (Sec.
622.32(b)(3)(vii)), the area closure for deep-water snapper-grouper
species (Sec. 622.35(o)), queen and silk snapper commercial size
limits (Sec. 622.37(e)(1)(iii)), and the snowy grouper commercial trip
limit (Sec. 622.44(c)(3)).
The data collection is authorized in Federal waters, off of North
Carolina from a depth of 40 fathoms seaward to the EEZ limit between
Cape Hatteras (35[deg]15.03' N. latitude) north to the North Carolina/
Virginia state line (36[deg]33.02' N. latitude). The EFP would expire
when one of the following criteria is met: 100 total trips are taken by
the combined participants; 350,000 lb (158,757 kg) of blueline tilefish
are landed; 50 fish total of speckled hind or warsaw grouper are landed
in any combination; 30 of any one of the following deep-water snapper-
grouper species are landed (misty grouper, queen snapper, silk snapper,
and yellowedge grouper); 1 year from the start date of the EFP; or for
other reasons determined to be appropriate by NMFS.
A maximum of 12 commercial fishing vessels would be allowed to
participate. To be eligible, a vessel's 2009 commercial landings must
have exceeded 500 lb (226.8 kg) of blueline tilefish in the EEZ waters
off North Carolina, north of Cape Hatteras, as verified by the North
Carolina trip ticket program. Vessels authorized by this EFP would have
an observer onboard for 20 percent of all trips taken under the
authority of the EFP. Observers would be selected by the North Carolina
Division of Marine Fisheries. A NMFS port agent would collect life
history information and otoliths from blueline tilefish, snowy grouper,
speckled hind, and warsaw grouper to the extent possible. Sampled fish
would be returned to the fisherman in a condition appropriate for sale.
Under the EFP, speckled hind and warsaw grouper would not be eligible
for sale, however, other deep-water snapper-grouper species would be
eligible for sale, with the following condition: Snowy grouper would be
eligible for sale up to 100 lb (45 kg) per trip, with a maximum of
10,000 lb (4,536 kg) for all the vessels for the duration of the EFP.
The otoliths would be transported to the North Carolina Division of
Marine Fisheries for storage and potential further analysis. All
landings of blueline tilefish and snowy grouper would be deducted from
the commercial annual catch limits for these species as established by
the Council.
The purpose of this EFP would be to provide basic life history
information of the fish harvested, particularly blueline tilefish.
Another purpose of the EFP would be to determine the presence or
absence of speckled hind and warsaw grouper north of Cape Hatteras,
North Carolina, to determine if these species are bycatch by commercial
blueline tilefish harvesters.
NMFS finds this application warrants further consideration. Based
on a preliminary review, NMFS intends to issue the requested EFP,
pending receipt of public comments, as per Sec. 600.745(b)(3)(i).
Possible conditions the agency may impose on this permit, if it is
indeed granted, include but are not limited to, a prohibition on
conducting research within marine protected areas, marine sanctuaries,
special management zones, or artificial reefs without additional
authorization. A report on the project findings is due at the end of
the collection period, to be submitted to NMFS and reviewed by the
Council.
A final decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on NMFS's
review of public comments received on the application, consultations
with the affected state, the Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well
as a determination that the EFP is consistent with all applicable laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 12, 2011.
Margo Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-17897 Filed 7-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
