Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; Exempted Fishing Permit, 76458-76459 [2012-31324]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2012 / Notices
used, that was being manufactured in
the United States at the time of order.
Reasons: The instrument will be used to
study biomaterials such as starches,
lignin, and proteins, and compare them
with styrenics and petroleum based
materials. The behavior of these
materials before, during, and after
physical or chemical modification, in
excess or limited water, without shear
or at high shear, as well as their
hydration, plasiticization or blending
with other oligomers will be
investigated. Moreover, foams will be
generated by the use of blending a
suitable blowing agent and/or the
carbonization of the materials to
determine their density, foam structure
and tensile and compression properties.
The goal of this project will be to
identify suitable technologies for
producing moldable biomass based
materials for applications presently
occupied by conventional plastics. The
core of this research will use rheology,
spectroscopies and thermal techniques
to follow macromolecular structures and
functions on the biopolymers after
applying the extruder. The unique
features of this instrument are its
recirculation loop and its ability to
connect to a fiber spinner.
Docket Number: 12–051. Applicant:
University of Central Florida, Orlando,
FL 32816. Instrument: Near Ambient
Pressure Scanning Probe Microscope.
Manufacturer: SPECS Surface Nano
Analysis, GmbH, Germany. Intended
Use: See notice at 77 FR 70141–42.
Comments: None received.
Decision: Approved. We know of no
instruments of equivalent scientific
value to the foreign instruments
described below, for such purposes as
this is intended to be used, that was
being manufactured in the United States
at the time of order. Reasons: The
instrument will be used to determine
the relationships between nanoparticle
size, shape and chemical state and their
catalytic activity in various chemical
reactions, by investigating solid
cataltically-active materials such as
transition metals and examining their
chemical states and chemical reactivity
before and after applying a specified
pressure and temperature inside a
vacuum chamber inside the instrument.
The unique features of this instrument
include its small volume (0.045 L)
reaction cell in which the sample and
STM scanner are placed, which can
maintain a pressure of up to 100 mbar
while the surrounding large volume
(>100 L) Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV)
chamber maintains a pressure lower
than 10¥6 mbar, allowing the sample to
be held at a controlled pressure ranging
from UHV up to 100 mbar while
VerDate Mar<15>2010
20:15 Dec 27, 2012
Jkt 229001
measurements are recorded, and can be
easily integrated into a system of other
UHV measurement instruments to
transfer the sample to other
measurement chambers. In addition to
pressure control, another unique feature
of the instrument is its ability to control
the temperature from room temperature
to 300 degrees Celsius in a gaseous
environment (up to 10 mbar).
Dated: December 20, 2012.
Gregory W. Campbell,
Director, Subsidies Enforcement Office,
Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012–31314 Filed 12–27–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XC331
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and South Atlantic; Spiny
Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands; 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:
SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt
of an application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) from Dr. David
Olsen (St. Thomas Fisherman’s
Association). If granted, the EFP would
authorize contracted commercial
fishermen to temporarily possess
undersized and berried Caribbean spiny
lobster for non-lethal sampling (tagging)
during the course of their normal fishing
activities. This non-lethal sampling
would include implanting a tag on each
spiny lobster before releasing the lobster
with minimal harm. Data will be
collected and analyzed to determine
spiny lobster growth and movement
patterns, and an attempt will be made
to estimate the spiny lobster population
size in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Currently, data on U.S. Caribbean spiny
lobster life history are limited,
particularly growth rates and abundance
patterns. Additional life history
information would provide the
Caribbean Fishery Management Council
(Council) and NMFS valuable data that
may be used for future management of
spiny lobster. The EFP would also seek
to temporarily retain a sample number
of spiny lobsters at a designated facility
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
for a study to assess tag mortality and
retention.
DATES: Comments must be received no
later than 5 p.m., eastern time, on
January 28, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the application by any of the
following methods:
• Email: Britni.Tokotch@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line of the email
comment the following document
identifier: ‘‘Olsen EFP 2012’’.
• Mail: Britni Tokotch, 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:
Britni Tokotch, 727–824–5305; email:
Britni.Tokotch@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 life
history study of Caribbean spiny lobster
and intends to collect data on growth
and movement patterns and to estimate
the spiny lobster population abundance
in the Federal waters of the Caribbean.
The study also intends to conduct
research on tag mortality and retention
on spiny lobsters. Lobsters will be
collected using commercial fishing
vessels as part of the vessels normal
fishing trips in the Federal waters of St.
Croix and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin
Islands. Spiny lobsters would be
collected within the 100-fathom (183-m)
depth contour of these areas using
commercial lobster trap gear. The study
would take place from the date of
effectiveness of the EFP through August
31, 2013, or until the requested number
of lobsters have been tagged.
The proposed collection for scientific
research involves activities that would
otherwise be prohibited by regulations
at 50 CFR part 622, as they pertain to
Caribbean spiny lobster managed by the
Council. The EFP would exempt this
research activity from Federal
regulations at § 622.32(b)(1)(iii)
(Prohibited and limited harvest species)
and § 622.37(b) (Size limits).
If granted, the EFP would authorize
the tagging of 5,000 spiny lobsters
(3,000 from St. Thomas Federal waters
and 2,000 from St. Croix Federal
waters). Floy spaghetti tags would be
attached to the lobster in the gap
between the tail and carapace. Tagging
would include both legal size lobsters as
E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM
28DEN1
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2012 / Notices
well as undersized and egg-bearing
lobsters. Data to be recorded during the
tagging process will include carapace
length, sex, reproductive state, and the
vessel’s position. Specimens to be
tagged will be randomly selected from a
designated vessel’s lobster trap during
normal fishing trips. A total of 15
commercial vessels will be allowed to
participate in the study. The 15 vessels
would be contracted through the St.
Thomas Fisherman’s Association, which
obtained funding for this study through
the Council. All vessels participating in
the EFP have home ports in the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
Following tagging, lobsters will be
released where they were collected.
When these tagged lobsters are
recaptured, the same data would be
collected that were recorded during
initial tagging operations. Tagged
lobsters may be recaptured by both
commercial and recreational fishers
from St. Thomas and St. Croix during
their normal fishing practices. Posters
have been distributed in local dive
shops and marinas to alert fishers and
the public to the tagging program and to
encourage their participation in
collecting and submitting data on
recaptured tagged lobsters.
Tag and recapture data will be
analyzed for growth and movement
patterns, and an attempt will be made
to estimate Caribbean spiny lobster
population abundance. During
recapture, local fishers would only be
allowed to retain lobsters of legal size
that were not egg-bearing. Undersized
and egg-bearing lobsters would be
returned to the water with a minimum
of harm.
This EFP, if granted, would also
authorize the collection of an additional
20 undersized lobsters to serve as a
control study to the commercial vessels
tagging efforts. The undersized lobsters,
less than 3.5 inch (8.9 cm) carapace
length, would be tagged and held in
captivity at the Coral World facility on
St. Thomas for up to 3 months.
Undersized lobsters would be used for
this study to increase the likelihood for
tagged individuals to molt, thereby
increasing the opportunity to assess the
tag’s performance. These lobsters would
be temporarily retained at the facility to
assess tag mortality and the retention of
tags through the molting process. At the
conclusion of the 3-month study, these
lobsters would be released back into the
water in the vicinity from which they
were collected.
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
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20:15 Dec 27, 2012
Jkt 229001
prohibition of conducting research
within marine protected areas, marine
sanctuaries, or special management
zones, without additional authorization.
A report on the research would be due
at the end of the collection period, to be
submitted to NMFS and reviewed by the
councils.
A final decision on issuance of the
EFP will depend on NMFS’ review of
public comments received on the
application, consultations with
appropriate fishery management
agencies of 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: December 21, 2012.
Emily H. Menashes,
Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–31324 Filed 12–27–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XC370
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; North Pacific
Groundfish and Halibut Observer
Program Standard Ex-Vessel Prices
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of standard exvessel prices.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS publishes standard exvessel prices for groundfish and halibut
for the calculation of the observer fee
under the North Pacific Groundfish and
Halibut Observer Program (Observer
Program). This notice is intended to
provide information to vessel owners,
processors, and registered buyers about
the standard ex-vessel prices that will
be used to calculate the observer fee
liability for landings of groundfish and
halibut made in 2013. NMFS will send
invoices to processors and registered
buyers subject to the fee by January 15,
2014. Fees are due to NMFS on or before
February 15, 2014.
DATES: Effective December 28, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
general questions about the observer fee
and standard ex-vessel prices, contact
the Sustainable Fisheries Division at
907–586–7228. For questions about the
fee billing process, contact Troie
Zuniga, Fee Coordinator, 907–586–7105.
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
76459
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Observer Program deploys
NMFS-certified observers (observers)
who obtain information necessary for
the conservation and management of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI)
and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) groundfish
and halibut fisheries. Fishery managers
use information collected by observers
to monitor quotas, manage groundfish
and prohibited species catch, and
document and reduce fishery
interactions with protected resources.
Scientists use observer-collected
information for stock assessments and
marine ecosystem research.
In 2012, NMFS restructured the
Observer Program under Amendment 86
to the Fishery Management Plan for
Groundfish of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area and
Amendment 76 to the Fishery
Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Gulf of Alaska (Amendments 86/76).
The final rule implementing
Amendments 86/76 added a new
funding and deployment system for
observer coverage in the groundfish and
halibut fisheries off Alaska that allows
NMFS to determine when and where to
deploy observers according to
management and conservation needs.
The final rule was published in the
Federal Register on November 21, 2012
(77 FR 70062). Regulations
implementing the Observer Program are
set forth at 50 CFR part 679, subpart E.
Restructuring divided the Observer
Program into two observer coverage
categories—partial and full. All
groundfish and halibut vessels and
processors are included in one of these
two categories. The partial observer
coverage category includes vessels and
processors that are not required to have
an observer at all times; the full observer
coverage category includes vessels and
processors required to have all of their
operations observed. Vessels and
processors in the full coverage category
will arrange and pay for observer
services from a permitted observer
provider. Observer coverage for the
partial coverage category will be funded
through a system of fees based on the
ex-vessel value of groundfish and
halibut in fisheries covered by the new
program. The proposed rule for
Amendments 86/76 (77 FR 23326; April
18, 2012) provides a detailed
explanation of the vessels and
processors in the partial coverage
category, the landings subject to the
observer fee, and the process for
calculating standard ex-vessel prices.
This notice summarizes that
information.
E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM
28DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 249 (Friday, December 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76458-76459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31324]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XC331
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands;
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. David Olsen (St. Thomas Fisherman's
Association). If granted, the EFP would authorize contracted commercial
fishermen to temporarily possess undersized and berried Caribbean spiny
lobster for non-lethal sampling (tagging) during the course of their
normal fishing activities. This non-lethal sampling would include
implanting a tag on each spiny lobster before releasing the lobster
with minimal harm. Data will be collected and analyzed to determine
spiny lobster growth and movement patterns, and an attempt will be made
to estimate the spiny lobster population size in the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Currently, data on U.S. Caribbean spiny lobster life history
are limited, particularly growth rates and abundance patterns.
Additional life history information would provide the Caribbean Fishery
Management Council (Council) and NMFS valuable data that may be used
for future management of spiny lobster. The EFP would also seek to
temporarily retain a sample number of spiny lobsters at a designated
facility for a study to assess tag mortality and retention.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., eastern time, on
January 28, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application by any of the
following methods:
Email: Britni.Tokotch@noaa.gov. Include in the subject
line of the email comment the following document identifier: ``Olsen
EFP 2012''.
Mail: Britni Tokotch, 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: Britni Tokotch, 727-824-5305; email:
Britni.Tokotch@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 life history study of Caribbean
spiny lobster and intends to collect data on growth and movement
patterns and to estimate the spiny lobster population abundance in the
Federal waters of the Caribbean. The study also intends to conduct
research on tag mortality and retention on spiny lobsters. Lobsters
will be collected using commercial fishing vessels as part of the
vessels normal fishing trips in the Federal waters of St. Croix and St.
Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Spiny lobsters would be collected within
the 100-fathom (183-m) depth contour of these areas using commercial
lobster trap gear. The study would take place from the date of
effectiveness of the EFP through August 31, 2013, or until the
requested number of lobsters have been tagged.
The proposed collection for scientific research involves activities
that would otherwise be prohibited by regulations at 50 CFR part 622,
as they pertain to Caribbean spiny lobster managed by the Council. The
EFP would exempt this research activity from Federal regulations at
Sec. 622.32(b)(1)(iii) (Prohibited and limited harvest species) and
Sec. 622.37(b) (Size limits).
If granted, the EFP would authorize the tagging of 5,000 spiny
lobsters (3,000 from St. Thomas Federal waters and 2,000 from St. Croix
Federal waters). Floy spaghetti tags would be attached to the lobster
in the gap between the tail and carapace. Tagging would include both
legal size lobsters as
[[Page 76459]]
well as undersized and egg-bearing lobsters. Data to be recorded during
the tagging process will include carapace length, sex, reproductive
state, and the vessel's position. Specimens to be tagged will be
randomly selected from a designated vessel's lobster trap during normal
fishing trips. A total of 15 commercial vessels will be allowed to
participate in the study. The 15 vessels would be contracted through
the St. Thomas Fisherman's Association, which obtained funding for this
study through the Council. All vessels participating in the EFP have
home ports in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Following tagging, lobsters will be released where they were
collected. When these tagged lobsters are recaptured, the same data
would be collected that were recorded during initial tagging
operations. Tagged lobsters may be recaptured by both commercial and
recreational fishers from St. Thomas and St. Croix during their normal
fishing practices. Posters have been distributed in local dive shops
and marinas to alert fishers and the public to the tagging program and
to encourage their participation in collecting and submitting data on
recaptured tagged lobsters.
Tag and recapture data will be analyzed for growth and movement
patterns, and an attempt will be made to estimate Caribbean spiny
lobster population abundance. During recapture, local fishers would
only be allowed to retain lobsters of legal size that were not egg-
bearing. Undersized and egg-bearing lobsters would be returned to the
water with a minimum of harm.
This EFP, if granted, would also authorize the collection of an
additional 20 undersized lobsters to serve as a control study to the
commercial vessels tagging efforts. The undersized lobsters, less than
3.5 inch (8.9 cm) carapace length, would be tagged and held in
captivity at the Coral World facility on St. Thomas for up to 3 months.
Undersized lobsters would be used for this study to increase the
likelihood for tagged individuals to molt, thereby increasing the
opportunity to assess the tag's performance. These lobsters would be
temporarily retained at the facility to assess tag mortality and the
retention of tags through the molting process. At the conclusion of the
3-month study, these lobsters would be released back into the water in
the vicinity from which they were collected.
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. A report
on the research would be due at the end of the collection period, to be
submitted to NMFS and reviewed by the councils.
A final decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on NMFS' review
of public comments received on the application, consultations with
appropriate fishery management agencies of 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: December 21, 2012.
Emily H. Menashes,
Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-31324 Filed 12-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
