Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Exempted Fishing Permit, 50181-50182 [2011-20611]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices
Federal permit or tag number, or some
other specified form of identification.
The regulations further specify how the
gear is to be marked (e.g., location and
color). Law enforcement personnel rely
on this information to assure
compliance with fisheries management
regulations. Gear that is not properly
identified is confiscated. The
identifying number on fishing gear is
used by the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), the United States Coast
Guard (USCG), and other marine
agencies in issuing violations,
prosecutions, and other enforcement
actions. Gear marking helps ensure that
a vessel harvests fish only from its own
traps/pots/other gear and that traps/
pots/other gear are not illegally placed.
Gear violations are more readily
prosecuted when the gear is marked,
allowing for more cost effective
enforcement. Cooperating fishermen
also use the number to report placement
or occurrence of gear in unauthorized
areas. Regulation-compliant fishermen
ultimately benefit from this
requirement, because unauthorized and
illegal fishing is deterred and more
burdensome regulations are avoided.
II. Method of Collection
The physical marking of fishing buoys
is done by the affected public
(fishermen in the Pacific Coast
Groundfish Fishery) according to
regulation. No information is collected.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
III. Data
OMB Number: 0648–0352.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
946.
Estimated Time per Response:
15 minutes per marking.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 3,798.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $3,798.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:37 Aug 11, 2011
Jkt 223001
or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval of this information collection;
they also will become a matter of public
record.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011–20491 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA505
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish
Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico;
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 the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
(LDWF). If granted, the EFP would
authorize the applicant to collect and
retain limited numbers of specimens
that would otherwise be prohibited from
possession and retention. This study, to
be conducted in the exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf)
off Louisiana, is intended to more
closely monitor populations of red
snapper and other reef fish to ensure
public health and seafood quality are
maintained.
SUMMARY:
Comments must be received no
later than 5 p.m., eastern time, on
September 12, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the application by any of the
following methods:
• E-mail: Steve.Branstetter@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line of the e-mail
comment the following document
identifier: ‘‘LDWF_EFP’’.
• Mail: Steve Branstetter, 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.
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
50181
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Branstetter, 727–824–5305; email: Steve.Branstetter@noaa.gov.
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 described research is part of a
new monitoring program by LDWF. The
research is intended to involve
recreational fishermen in the collection
of fundamental biological information of
Gulf reef fish. The proposed collection
for scientific research involves activities
that could otherwise be prohibited by
regulations at 50 CFR part 622, as they
pertain to reef fish managed by the Gulf
of Mexico Fishery Management Council
(Council). The applicant requires
authorization through the EFP to collect
these Council-managed species that may
be taken as part of the normal fishing
activities of the recreational for-hire
sector of the Gulf reef fish fishery.
LDWF would enlist the Louisiana
Charter Boat Association, a for-hire
recreational fishing body that is
recognized by the department and the
state legislature to assist with a focused
watch for red snapper and other Gulf
reef fish species exhibiting biological
abnormalities, such as skin lesions or
infections. LDWF Office of Fisheries
personnel and university researchers
would train participating charter boat
operators to recognize abnormalities in
reef fish and to use scientifically
accepted technical procedures to
process affected fish for laboratory
analysis. The charter boat captain would
attach an identification tag to each
specimen, record the fishing location
using Global Positioning System
coordinates, and then contact the LDWF
via an emergency call-in number. LDWF
field personnel would assist in
transferring these samples to shore
facilities for transport to a pathology
laboratory at Louisiana State University
for analysis.
The goal of the research is to more
closely monitor populations of red
snapper and other reef fish taken from
state and Federal waters off Louisiana to
ensure public health and seafood
quality are maintained. The EFP, if
approved, would authorize the take of
as many as 100 Federally-managed red
snapper or other Gulf reef fish through
August 31, 2012. Such fish, collected as
biological samples, would be exempted
from the recreational bag limit for the
particular species, and not subject to
size limits or seasonal closures.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\12AUN1.SGM
12AUN1
50182
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices
NMFS finds this application warrants
further consideration. Possible
conditions the agency may impose on
this permit, if it is indeed granted,
include but are not limited to, a
prohibition of conducting research
within marine protected areas, marine
sanctuaries, or special management
zones, without additional authorization.
Additionally, NMFS would prohibit the
possession of Nassau or goliath grouper.
A report on the research would be 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 states, the Council, and the U.S.
Coast Guard, as well as a determination
that it is consistent with all applicable
laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 8, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–20611 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA596
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish
Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico;
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) for a collaborative
effort among personnel from Texas Tech
University, Texas A&M—Corpus Christi,
and a commercial fishing organization,
Shareholders Alliance. If granted, the
EFP would authorize the applicants to
collect and retain limited numbers of
specimens that would otherwise be
prohibited from possession and
retention. This study, to be conducted
in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of
the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), is intended to
more closely monitor populations of red
snapper and other reef fish to compare
relative catch rates and discards
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:37 Aug 11, 2011
Jkt 223001
between vessels that possess varying
amounts of red snapper allocation under
the current Gulf red snapper individual
fishing quota (IFQ) program.
DATES: Comments must be received no
later than 5 p.m., eastern time, on
September 12, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the application by any of the
following methods:
• E-mail: Steve.Branstetter@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line of the e-mail
comment the following document
identifier: ‘‘TTU_EFP’’.
• Mail: Steve Branstetter, 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:
Steve Branstetter, 727–824–5305; email: Steve.Branstetter@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 described research is part of an
ongoing Cooperative Research Program
Cooperative Agreement (No.
NA10NMF4540110) funded by NMFS.
The research is intended to involve
commercial fishermen in the collection
of fundamental fisheries information.
Resource collection efforts support the
development and evaluation of fisheries
management and regulatory options.
The proposed collection for scientific
research involves activities that could
otherwise be prohibited by regulations
at 50 CFR part 622, as they pertain to
reef fish managed by the Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council (Council).
The applicants require authorization
through the EFP to collect these
Council-managed species that may be
taken as part of the normal fishing
activities of the commercial sector of the
Gulf reef fish fishery. The applicant
would be conducting this research in
cooperation with a commercial fishing
organization, Shareholders Alliance,
and would involve as many as 30 vessel
owners associated with that
organization. Observers from Texas
Tech University and Texas A&M—
Corpus Christi, would document the
catch and bycatch of red snapper and
other reef fish during normal
commercial fishing operations in the
Gulf.
The objective of the study is to
compare the discard rate of red snapper
and the bycatch rates of other fish
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
species in the red snapper commercial
handline component of the Gulf reef
fish fishery between fishermen with
high and low amounts of quota
allocation in both the eastern and
western Gulf. By tagging discarded fish,
and examining the return rates for
recaptured tagged fish, the intent of the
research is to estimate the delayed
mortality rate, and long-term survival, of
fish discarded in the commercial sector
using vertical line gear in the Gulf reef
fish fishery based on depth of capture.
Information learned from this study is
intended to help fishermen reduce
discard mortality rates using new
methodologies such as descender hooks
to return fish to depth during fishing
operations. In addition, sampling for
age, growth, and size composition of the
catch and bycatch would be conducted,
providing additional information that
can be used to assess the health of stock.
Additionally, the goal of the research
is to improve the scientific knowledge
of red snapper and other reef fish taken
from state and Federal waters of the
Gulf and to use that knowledge to
support fishery management decisions.
The EFP, if approved, would authorize
the take of as many as 1,000 Federallymanaged red snapper or other reef fish
through July 31, 2012. Such fish,
collected as biological samples, would
be exempt from size limit regulations,
and would not count against an
individual fishermen’s specific red
snapper IFQ allocation.
NMFS finds this application warrants
further consideration. Possible
conditions the agency may impose on
this permit, if it is indeed granted,
include but are not limited to, a
prohibition of conducting research
within marine protected areas, marine
sanctuaries, or special management
zones, without additional authorization.
Additionally, NMFS would prohibit the
possession of Nassau or goliath grouper.
A report on the research would be 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 states, 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: August 8, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–20596 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
E:\FR\FM\12AUN1.SGM
12AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 156 (Friday, August 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50181-50182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20611]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA505
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; 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 the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries (LDWF). If granted, the EFP would authorize the applicant to
collect and retain limited numbers of specimens that would otherwise be
prohibited from possession and retention. This study, to be conducted
in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) off
Louisiana, is intended to more closely monitor populations of red
snapper and other reef fish to ensure public health and seafood quality
are maintained.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., eastern time, on
September 12, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application by any of the
following methods:
E-mail: Steve.Branstetter@noaa.gov. Include in the subject
line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: ``LDWF--
EFP''.
Mail: Steve Branstetter, 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: Steve Branstetter, 727-824-5305; e-
mail: Steve.Branstetter@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 described research is part of a new monitoring program by LDWF.
The research is intended to involve recreational fishermen in the
collection of fundamental biological information of Gulf reef fish. The
proposed collection for scientific research involves activities that
could otherwise be prohibited by regulations at 50 CFR part 622, as
they pertain to reef fish managed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council (Council). The applicant requires authorization
through the EFP to collect these Council-managed species that may be
taken as part of the normal fishing activities of the recreational for-
hire sector of the Gulf reef fish fishery. LDWF would enlist the
Louisiana Charter Boat Association, a for-hire recreational fishing
body that is recognized by the department and the state legislature to
assist with a focused watch for red snapper and other Gulf reef fish
species exhibiting biological abnormalities, such as skin lesions or
infections. LDWF Office of Fisheries personnel and university
researchers would train participating charter boat operators to
recognize abnormalities in reef fish and to use scientifically accepted
technical procedures to process affected fish for laboratory analysis.
The charter boat captain would attach an identification tag to each
specimen, record the fishing location using Global Positioning System
coordinates, and then contact the LDWF via an emergency call-in number.
LDWF field personnel would assist in transferring these samples to
shore facilities for transport to a pathology laboratory at Louisiana
State University for analysis.
The goal of the research is to more closely monitor populations of
red snapper and other reef fish taken from state and Federal waters off
Louisiana to ensure public health and seafood quality are maintained.
The EFP, if approved, would authorize the take of as many as 100
Federally-managed red snapper or other Gulf reef fish through August
31, 2012. Such fish, collected as biological samples, would be exempted
from the recreational bag limit for the particular species, and not
subject to size limits or seasonal closures.
[[Page 50182]]
NMFS finds this application warrants further consideration.
Possible conditions the agency may impose on this permit, if it is
indeed granted, include but are not limited to, a prohibition of
conducting research within marine protected areas, marine sanctuaries,
or special management zones, without additional authorization.
Additionally, NMFS would prohibit the possession of Nassau or goliath
grouper. A report on the research would be 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 states, the Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard, as
well as a determination that it is consistent with all applicable laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 8, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-20611 Filed 8-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
