Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permit, 65698-65699 [2011-27479]
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65698
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 205 / Monday, October 24, 2011 / Notices
National Marine Fisheries Service,
Northeast Regional Office, 55 Great
Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930–
2298.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anna Macan, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 282–8483; fax (978)
281–9135.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Federal Atlantic surfclam and ocean
quahog fishery regulations at 50 CFR
648.75(b) authorize the Regional
Administrator of the Northeast Region,
NMFS, to specify in the Federal
Register a vendor from whom cage tags,
required under the Atlantic Surfclam
and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management
Plan (FMP), shall be purchased. Notice
is hereby given that National Band and
Tag Company of Newport, KY, is the
authorized vendor of cage tags required
for the fishing year 2012 Federal
surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries.
Detailed instructions for purchasing
these cage tags will be provided in a
letter to ITQ allocation holders in these
fisheries from NMFS within the next
several weeks.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 19, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–27477 Filed 10–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA730
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permit
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS is soliciting public
comment on an exempted fishing permit
application that would exempt one
commercial fishing vessel from the
Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog
Georges Bank Closure Area to continue
testing the safety and efficacy of
harvesting Atlantic surfclams and ocean
quahogs from the closure area. This
would be a continuation of a research
project that has been ongoing since
2006. NMS has made a preliminary
determination that the exempted fishing
permit application contains all of the
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:34 Oct 21, 2011
Jkt 226001
required information and warrants
further consideration.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before November 8, 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 of the e-mail
comment the following document
identifier: ‘‘Comments on 2012 GB PSP
Closed Area Exemption.’’
Written comments should be sent to
Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast
Regional Office, 55 Great Republic
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the
outside of the envelope ‘‘Comments on
2012 GB PSP Closed Area Exemption.’’
Comments may also be sent via
facsimile (fax) to (978) 281–9135.
Copies of supporting documents
referenced in this notice are available
from NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930, and are available
via the Internet at https://
www.nero.noaa.gov/sfd/clams.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jason Berthiaume, Fishery Management
Specialist, phone 978–281–9177.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
applicant, Wallace & Associates, of
Cambridge, MD, requests on behalf of
Truex Enterprises a renewal of their
current EFP, which is due to expire on
December 31, 2011, to allow the catch
and retention for sale of Atlantic
surfclams and ocean quahog from
within the Atlantic surfclam and ocean
quahog Georges Bank (GB) Closure Area.
The GB Closed Area is located east of
69°00’ W. long. and south of 42°20’ N.
lat and has been closed since May 25,
1990, due to the presence of a toxin
(saxotoxins) that cause paralytic
shellfish poisoning (PSP). Due, in part,
to the inability to test and monitor this
area for the presence of PSP, this closure
was made permanent through
Amendment 12 to the Atlantic Surfclam
and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management
Plan in 1999.
The primary goal of the proposed
study is to test the efficacy of a sampling
protocol that was developed by state
and Federal regulatory agencies to test
for presence of saxotoxins in shellfish,
and thus has been in a trial period
through previous EFPs since 2006. This
protocol would facilitate the harvest of
shellfish from waters susceptible to
harmful algal blooms, which produce
the saxotoxins, but that are not currently
under rigorous water quality monitoring
programs by either state or Federal
management agencies. A copy of the
sampling protocol is available from the
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
NMFS Northeast Region Web site:
https://www.nero.noaa.gov/sfd/clams.
This project is a pilot program with
the goal of determining if the shellfish
harvested from the GB Closure Area are
safe for human consumption under the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) International Shellfish Sanitation
Conference (ISSC) guidelines and
requirements. The protocol in this pilot
program will be presented to the ISSC
meeting in October 2011 to adopt the
protocol into the National Shellfish
Sanitation Program (NSSP) and change
it from a pilot program to a permanent
part of the U.S. FDA ISSC Shellfish
Sanitation Program. If adopted,
additional vessel participants would be
required to obtain an EFP to participate
in this or similar projects.
The proposed project would continue
to conduct a trial for the sampling
protocol in an exemption zone within
the larger 1990 GB Closure Area with
one fishing vessel. The exemption zone
would not include any Northeast
multispecies or essential fish habitat
year-round closure areas. This proposed
exempted fishing activity would occur
during the 2012 calendar year, using
surfclam quota allocated to Truex
Enterprises under the Federal
individual transferable quota program.
The applicant has estimated a harvest of
250,000 bushels (8,809,768 L) of
surfclams from the exemption area. The
exemption area has been tested in
cooperation with the FDA from 2006 to
the present.
It is expected that harvesting under an
EFP would occur on approximately 60–
70 days during 2012. Species to be
harvested are surfclams and ocean
quahogs, utilizing a 170-inch (4.3 m)
hydraulic clam dredge. Approximately
30 tows per day would be made for 10
minutes each, at a speed of about 2.5
knots. There are no discards or known
interactions with protected species.
Harvesting under an EFP is not expected
to exceed two trips per week. Harvested
clams would be delivered to Sea Watch
International in New Bedford, MA.
Harvests would be predominantly
surfclams from the area known as
Cultivator Shoals.
The U.S. FDA would receive samples
from each trip for their information and
independent analyses in addition to the
onboard screening and the dockside
testing. Onboard screening is conducted
on five samples taken from each corner
and the center of each lot to be
harvested (not more than 3-square miles
(4.8 square kilometers)) by Jellett Rapid
Test Kits and Abraxis Kits. Dockside
testing would be conducted by the
Massachusetts Division of Marine
Fisheries laboratory in Gloucester, MA.
E:\FR\FM\24OCN1.SGM
24OCN1
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 205 / Monday, October 24, 2011 / Notices
State and Federal agencies would be
notified of each trip, the place and time
of landing, the results of onboard
screening, and dockside laboratory
results. Federal and state agencies are
provided a copy of the Declaration of
Harvest form from each trip, which
details the location of harvest, cage tag
numbers, and results of onboard
screening.
The applicant has obtained
endorsements for the EFP and the
sampling protocol from the states of
Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware,
and Massachusetts, the states in which
it intends to land and process the
product harvested under the EFP. Each
state is responsible for regulating the
molluscan shellfish industry within its
jurisdiction and ensuring the safety of
shellfish harvested within or entering its
borders. The sampling protocol and the
pilot project that would be authorized
by this EFP have also since been
endorsed by the Executive Board of the
ISSC.
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 exempted
fishing permits. The Assistant Regional
Administrator has made an initial
determination that, based on a
preliminary review of the proposed
subject research and the criteria
provided in section 5.05a-c and section
6.03c.3(a) of NOAA’s Administrative
Order 216–6, a Categorical Exclusion
appears to be justified for this EFP. In
accordance with NOAA’s
Administrative Order 216–6, a
Categorical Exclusion, or other
appropriate National Environmental
Policy Act document, would be
completed prior to the issuance of the
exempted fishing permit. Further review
and consultation may be necessary
before a final determination is made to
issue the exempted fishing permit.
If approved, 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.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:34 Oct 21, 2011
Jkt 226001
Dated: October 18, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–27479 Filed 10–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA779
South Atlantic Fishery Management
Council; Public Meetings
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration,
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing series.
AGENCY:
The South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council) will
hold a series of public hearings
regarding Amendments 18A, 20A, and
24 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) for the South
Atlantic Region. See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
Dates and Location: The series of
seven public hearings will be held from
November 14, 2011 through December
6, 2011. The hearings will be held from
4 p.m. until 7 p.m. with the exception
of two hearings. The hearings on
November 15, 2011 in Charleston, SC
and the hearing on December 6, 2011 in
Raleigh, NC will be conducted from 5:30
p.m.–7:30 p.m. Note that in some cases
consecutive hearings will be held on the
same date. Council staff will present an
overview of the amendments and will
be available for informal discussions
and to answer questions. Members of
the public will have an opportunity to
go on record at any time during the
meeting hours to record their comments
on the public hearing topics for
consideration by the Council. Local
Council representatives will attend the
meetings and take public comment.
Written comments will be accepted
from October 21, 2011 until 5 p.m. on
November 21, 2011, See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Amendment 18A is being developed by
the Council to address overcapacity in
the commercial black sea bass pot
fishery and reduce the rate of harvest for
both commercial and recreational
sectors. The amendment includes
actions to limit participation and effort
in the black sea bass pot fishery, limit
bycatch in the commercial pot fishery,
and modify the current system of
accountability measures. Management
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65699
measures being considered include
increases in size limits, decreases in bag
limits, a commercial trip limit, and a
spawning season closure. The
amendment also includes actions to
update management parameters based
on the 2011 Southeast Data, Assessment
and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment
for black sea bass, consider
modifications to the rebuilding strategy
to account for an increasing biomass,
and improve the accuracy, timing and
quantity of fisheries data.
Amendment 20A addresses the
current Individual Transferable Quota
(ITQ) program currently in place for the
wreckfish fishery. The amendment
includes measures to adjust the
distribution of wreckfish shares in order
to remove inactive effort and allow the
commercial sector’s Annual Catch Limit
(ACL) to be harvested effectively.
Amendment 24 to the Snapper
Grouper FMP addresses the
implementation of a rebuilding plan for
red grouper in the South Atlantic as
required by the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (MSFCMA). The rebuilding plan
would specify ACLs, annual catch
targets and accountability measures for
the red grouper fishery. The amendment
also establishes sector allocations.
Public Hearing Schedule:
1. November 14, 2011—Avista Resort,
300 N. Ocean Blvd., North Myrtle
Beach, SC 29582; telephone: (843) 249–
2521;
2. November 14, 2011—Hampton Inn
& Suites Savannah/Midtown, 20
Johnson Street, Savannah, GA 31405;
telephone: (912) 721–3700;
3. November 15, 2011—Charleston
Marriott Hotel, 170 Lockwood Blvd.,
Charleston, SC 29403; telephone: (843)
723–3000;
4. November 15, 2011—Jacksonville
Marriott, 4670 Salisbury Road,
Jacksonville, FL 32256; telephone: (904)
296–2222;
5. November 16, 2011—Radisson
Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut
Boulevard, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920;
telephone: (321) 784–0000;
6. November 17, 2011—Key Largo Bay
Marriott, 103800 Overseas Hwy., Key
Largo, FL 33037; telephone: (305) 453–
0000;
7. December 6, 2011—Holiday Inn
Brownstone, 1707 Hillsborough Street,
Raleigh, NC 27605; Phone: (919) 828–
0811.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be sent to Bob Mahood, Executive
Director, South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, 4055 Faber Place
Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC
29405, or via e-mail to:
E:\FR\FM\24OCN1.SGM
24OCN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 205 (Monday, October 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65698-65699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-27479]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA730
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS is soliciting public comment on an exempted fishing
permit application that would exempt one commercial fishing vessel from
the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog Georges Bank Closure Area to
continue testing the safety and efficacy of harvesting Atlantic
surfclams and ocean quahogs from the closure area. This would be a
continuation of a research project that has been ongoing since 2006.
NMS has made a preliminary determination that the exempted fishing
permit application contains all of the required information and
warrants further consideration.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 8, 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 of the e-mail comment the following
document identifier: ``Comments on 2012 GB PSP Closed Area Exemption.''
Written comments should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 55 Great Republic
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope
``Comments on 2012 GB PSP Closed Area Exemption.'' Comments may also be
sent via facsimile (fax) to (978) 281-9135.
Copies of supporting documents referenced in this notice are
available from NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930, and
are available via the Internet at https://www.nero.noaa.gov/sfd/clams.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Berthiaume, Fishery Management
Specialist, phone 978-281-9177.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, Wallace & Associates, of
Cambridge, MD, requests on behalf of Truex Enterprises a renewal of
their current EFP, which is due to expire on December 31, 2011, to
allow the catch and retention for sale of Atlantic surfclams and ocean
quahog from within the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog Georges Bank
(GB) Closure Area. The GB Closed Area is located east of 69[deg]00' W.
long. and south of 42[deg]20' N. lat and has been closed since May 25,
1990, due to the presence of a toxin (saxotoxins) that cause paralytic
shellfish poisoning (PSP). Due, in part, to the inability to test and
monitor this area for the presence of PSP, this closure was made
permanent through Amendment 12 to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean
Quahog Fishery Management Plan in 1999.
The primary goal of the proposed study is to test the efficacy of a
sampling protocol that was developed by state and Federal regulatory
agencies to test for presence of saxotoxins in shellfish, and thus has
been in a trial period through previous EFPs since 2006. This protocol
would facilitate the harvest of shellfish from waters susceptible to
harmful algal blooms, which produce the saxotoxins, but that are not
currently under rigorous water quality monitoring programs by either
state or Federal management agencies. A copy of the sampling protocol
is available from the NMFS Northeast Region Web site: https://www.nero.noaa.gov/sfd/clams.
This project is a pilot program with the goal of determining if the
shellfish harvested from the GB Closure Area are safe for human
consumption under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
International Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) guidelines and
requirements. The protocol in this pilot program will be presented to
the ISSC meeting in October 2011 to adopt the protocol into the
National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) and change it from a pilot
program to a permanent part of the U.S. FDA ISSC Shellfish Sanitation
Program. If adopted, additional vessel participants would be required
to obtain an EFP to participate in this or similar projects.
The proposed project would continue to conduct a trial for the
sampling protocol in an exemption zone within the larger 1990 GB
Closure Area with one fishing vessel. The exemption zone would not
include any Northeast multispecies or essential fish habitat year-round
closure areas. This proposed exempted fishing activity would occur
during the 2012 calendar year, using surfclam quota allocated to Truex
Enterprises under the Federal individual transferable quota program.
The applicant has estimated a harvest of 250,000 bushels (8,809,768 L)
of surfclams from the exemption area. The exemption area has been
tested in cooperation with the FDA from 2006 to the present.
It is expected that harvesting under an EFP would occur on
approximately 60-70 days during 2012. Species to be harvested are
surfclams and ocean quahogs, utilizing a 170-inch (4.3 m) hydraulic
clam dredge. Approximately 30 tows per day would be made for 10 minutes
each, at a speed of about 2.5 knots. There are no discards or known
interactions with protected species. Harvesting under an EFP is not
expected to exceed two trips per week. Harvested clams would be
delivered to Sea Watch International in New Bedford, MA. Harvests would
be predominantly surfclams from the area known as Cultivator Shoals.
The U.S. FDA would receive samples from each trip for their
information and independent analyses in addition to the onboard
screening and the dockside testing. Onboard screening is conducted on
five samples taken from each corner and the center of each lot to be
harvested (not more than 3-square miles (4.8 square kilometers)) by
Jellett Rapid Test Kits and Abraxis Kits. Dockside testing would be
conducted by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries laboratory
in Gloucester, MA.
[[Page 65699]]
State and Federal agencies would be notified of each trip, the place
and time of landing, the results of onboard screening, and dockside
laboratory results. Federal and state agencies are provided a copy of
the Declaration of Harvest form from each trip, which details the
location of harvest, cage tag numbers, and results of onboard
screening.
The applicant has obtained endorsements for the EFP and the
sampling protocol from the states of Rhode Island, New Jersey,
Delaware, and Massachusetts, the states in which it intends to land and
process the product harvested under the EFP. Each state is responsible
for regulating the molluscan shellfish industry within its jurisdiction
and ensuring the safety of shellfish harvested within or entering its
borders. The sampling protocol and the pilot project that would be
authorized by this EFP have also since been endorsed by the Executive
Board of the ISSC.
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 exempted fishing permits. The Assistant Regional Administrator
has made an initial determination that, based on a preliminary review
of the proposed subject research and the criteria provided in section
5.05a-c and section 6.03c.3(a) of NOAA's Administrative Order 216-6, a
Categorical Exclusion appears to be justified for this EFP. In
accordance with NOAA's Administrative Order 216-6, a Categorical
Exclusion, or other appropriate National Environmental Policy Act
document, would be completed prior to the issuance of the exempted
fishing permit. Further review and consultation may be necessary before
a final determination is made to issue the exempted fishing permit.
If approved, 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.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 18, 2011.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-27479 Filed 10-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P