Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit, 29741-29743 [2014-12021]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 100 / Friday, May 23, 2014 / Notices 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. Dated: May 20, 2014. Gwellnar Banks, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2014–11990 Filed 5–22–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–HE–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Non-commercial Permit and Reporting Requirements in the Main Hawaiian Islands Bottomfish Fishery National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES I. Abstract Regulations at 50 CFR 665, Subpart C, require that all participants (including vessel owners, operators, and crew) in the boat-based non-commercial bottomfish fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone around the main Hawaiian Islands obtain a federal bottomfish permit. This collection of information is needed for permit issuance, to identify actual or potential participants in the fishery, determine 18:44 May 22, 2014 Jkt 232001 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. Dated: May 20, 2014 Gwellnar Banks, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2014–11997 Filed 5–22–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–12–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD257 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit Documents may be submitted by mail or online. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; public comment on an application for exempted fishing permit. III. Data SUMMARY: II. Method of Collection The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 22, 2014. ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at JJessup@doc.gov). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Walter Ikehara, (808) 725– 5175, or Walter.Ikehara@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 qualifications for permits, and to help measure the impacts of management controls on the participants in the fishery. The permit program is also an effective tool in the enforcement of fishery regulations and serves as a link between the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and fishermen. Regulations at 50 CFR 665 require that all vessel owners or operators in this fishery are required to submit a completed logbook form at the completion of each fishing trip. These logbook reporting sheets document the species and amount of species caught during the trip. The reporting requirements are crucial to ensure that NMFS and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will be able to monitor the fishery and have fishery-dependent information to develop an Annual Catch Limit for the fishery, evaluate the effectiveness of management measures, determine whether changes in fishery management programs are necessary, and estimate the impacts and implications of alternative management measures. 29741 OMB Control Number: 0648–0577. Form Number: None. Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current information collection). Affected Public: Individuals or small businesses. Estimated Number of Respondents: 100. Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes per permit application; 2 hours per appeal of denied permit; 20 minutes per trip report logsheet. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 102. Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $4,330. 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 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 AGENCY: This notice announces receipt of an application and the public comment period for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Mr. John Gauvin of Gauvin and Associates, LLC. If granted, this permit would allow the applicant to continue the development and testing of a salmon excluder device for the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery. This activity is intended to promote the objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) by reducing salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery. DATES: Submit comments on or before June 23, 2014. Interested persons may comment on the EFP application and on the environmental assessment (EA) during the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) meeting June 2 through June 10, 2014, in Nome, AK. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by FDMS Docket Number NOAA–NMFS–2014– 0050, by any of the following methods: • Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D= NOAA-NMFS-2014-0050, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM 23MYN1 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 29742 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 100 / Friday, May 23, 2014 / Notices • Mail: Submit written comments to Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address), confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only. Electronic copies of the Secretarial Review Draft Environmental Assessment For Issuing an Exempted Fishing Permit for the Purpose of Testing a Salmon Excluder Device in the Eastern Bering Sea Pollock Fishery, May 2014, prepared for this action are available from https:// www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at https:// alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Hartman, 907–586–7442. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the domestic groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) under the FMP. The Council prepared the FMP under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Regulations governing the groundfish fisheries of the BSAI appear at 50 CFR parts 600 and 679. The FMP and the implementing regulations at §§ 600.745(b) and 679.6 authorize issuance of EFPs to allow fishing that would otherwise be prohibited. Procedures for issuing EFPs are contained in the implementing regulations. NMFS received an application for an EFP from Mr. Gauvin in December 2013. The purposes of the EFP project would be to improve the performance of the salmon excluder device developed under EFP 11–01 from 2011 to 2012, and to validate the performance of this device for pollock trawl gear used in the BSAI. The EFP project would focus on testing a redesigned excluder device to reduce chum salmon and Chinook salmon bycatch and refine the device for VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:44 May 22, 2014 Jkt 232001 use on trawl vessels fishing for groundfish. The goal is to develop a device for pollock trawl gear that reduces salmon bycatch without significantly lowering pollock catch rates. Salmon are prohibited species that are incidentally caught in the pollock fishery (§ 679.21(e) and (f)). The EFP would allow for testing of the salmon excluder device from January 2015 through June 2016, for several weeks in each pollock A and B season. Testing in each season would allow the device to be used under salmon occurrence and pollock fishing practices specific to each season. Testing in the A season would catch primarily Chinook salmon and roebearing pollock, while testing in the B season would catch Chinook and chum salmon and pollock that are not likely to be roe-bearing. EFP fishing would be conducted by one to two vessels in each season. To test the salmon excluder device, exemptions would be necessary from regulations for salmon bycatch management, observer requirements, closure areas, total allowable catch amounts (TACs) for groundfish, and prohibited species catch (PSC) limits for the pollock fishery. Taking salmon during the experiment is crucial for determining the effectiveness of the device. Salmon taken during the experiment would not be counted toward the Chinook and chum salmon PSC limits under § 679.21(e)(1)(vii), (e)(3)(i)(A)(3), and (f)(2). The amount of chum salmon PSC taken by the pollock trawl industry during the EFP period could approach or exceed the chum salmon PSC limits under § 679.21(e)(7)(vii). If the EFP salmon were counted toward the salmon PSC limits, the EFP salmon may create an additional burden on the pollock trawl fishermen not participating in an intercooperative agreement for chum salmon or incentive plan agreement for Chinook salmon bycatch reduction by causing earlier closures of the Chum Salmon Savings Area or violating the plan agreement for Chinook salmon. More information regarding the intercooperative agreement for salmon bycatch reduction is at 72 FR 61070 (October 29, 2007). Information regarding the incentive plan agreements under Amendment 91 for Bering Sea Chinook salmon bycatch management is at 75 FR 53026 (August 30, 2010). Approximately 2,500 chum salmon and 250 Chinook salmon for the 2015 B season and 500 chum salmon and 1,200 Chinook salmon for the 2015 and 2016 A seasons would be required to support the project. In total, the applicant would be limited to harvesting 3,000 chum PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 salmon and 1,450 Chinook salmon during the EFP period. The experimental design requires this quantity of salmon to ensure statistically valid results. The applicant also has requested an exemption from the Chum Salmon Savings Area (§§ 679.21(e)(7)(vii) and 679.22(a)(10)), the Bering Sea Pollock Restriction Area (§ 679.22(a)(7)(ii)), and the Steller Sea Lion Conservation Area (§ 679.22(a)(7)(vii)). These overlapping areas occur in locations of salmon concentration. The experiment must be conducted in areas of salmon concentration sufficient to ensure a statistically adequate sample size. These locations are ideal for conducting the experiment and ensuring that the vessel encounters sufficient concentrations of salmon and pollock for meeting the experimental design. Groundfish taken under the EFP would be exempt from the TACs specified in the annual harvest specifications (§ 679.20). A total of 2,500 metric tons (mt) of groundfish (primarily pollock) would be taken during each A season of 2015 and 2016, and 2,500 mt of groundfish would be taken in the B season of 2016 for a total of 7,500 mt over the duration of the EFP. Approximately 96 percent of the groundfish harvested is expected to be pollock. The experimental design requires this quantity of pollock to ensure a statistically adequate sample size for measuring pollock escapement through the salmon excluder device. The EFP groundfish harvest would not be included in the harvest applied against the Bering Sea groundfish TACs. The preliminary 2015 TAC for Bering Sea pollock is equal to the acceptable biological catch (ABC) at 1,258,000 mt, but the TAC is likely to be adjusted during the 2015/2016 harvest specifications process and may result in a TAC less than ABC (79 FR 12108, March 4, 2014). TAC and ABC have not been specified for the 2016 fishing year at this time. The EFP fishing will be permitted for this proposed action if the ABC for Bering Sea pollock exceeds the TAC by at least 5,000 mt in 2015 and 2,500 mt in 2016. Because of very little groundfish incidental catch in the pollock fishery, the harvest of other fish species during the EFP fishing is expected to be 50 mt to 80 mt per season. The majority of these other species harvested under the EFP likely would be Pacific cod, skates, flatfish, halibut, and jellyfish. The amount of groundfish harvest under the EFP and by the commercial groundfish fisheries is not expected to cause ABCs for groundfish species to be exceeded in either 2015 or 2016 because other BSAI E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM 23MYN1 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 100 / Friday, May 23, 2014 / Notices groundfish TACs are set with a sufficient difference between ABC and TAC to accommodate EFP fishing catch of groundfish species other than pollock. The EFP is expected to take approximately 12 mt of halibut per season for a total of 12 mt of halibut in 2015 and 24 mt of halibut in 2016. The EFP would require an exemption from halibut PSC limits under § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(C). The halibut taken under the EFP in combination with the groundfish fisheries is not expected to exceed the halibut PSC harvest specifications in 2015 or 2016. Using a catcher/processor for the EFP study would require exemption from the Catcher Vessel Operational Area (CVOA) restriction (§ 679.22(a)(5)) because of the location of the Chinook salmon concentration in the CVOA. Catcher/processors are prohibited from operating in the CVOA during the B season. The EFP fishing may be done by either a catcher vessel or a catcher/ processor. It may be necessary for the EFP applicant to use a catcher/processor to conduct tows in this area to ensure encountering sufficient pollock and salmon concentrations to meet the experimental design. The EFP would exempt vessels that are EFP fishing from closures of the Chum Salmon Savings Area. This is necessary because the experimental design for this EFP is based on testing in areas with high incidental catch rates of salmon that may occur in the Chum Salmon Savings Area. The EFP would include an exemption from selected observer requirements at §§ 679.50, 679.51, and 679.55. Participating vessels would use ‘‘sea samplers’’ who are NMFS-trained observers. They would not be deployed as NMFS observers, however, at the time of the EFP fishing. The ‘‘sea samplers’’ would conduct the EFP data collection and perform other observer duties that normally would be required for vessels directed fishing for pollock. EFP fishing trips also would be exempted from observer requirements for trip selection and fee collection. The activities under the EFP are not expected to have a significant impact on the human environment as analyzed in the EA for this action (see ADDRESSES). The EFP would be subject to modifications pending any new relevant information regarding the 2015 and 2016 fishery, including the groundfish harvest specifications. In accordance with 50 CFR 679.6 and 600 CFR 745(b)(3)(ii), NMFS has determined that the proposal warrants further consideration and has forwarded the application to the Council to initiate VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:44 May 22, 2014 Jkt 232001 consultation. The Council will consider the EFP application during its meeting June 2 through June 10, 2014, which will be held at the Nome Mini Convention Center, 409 River St., Nome, AK. The applicant has been invited to appear in support of the application. Public Comments Public comments are being solicited on the application and the EA through the end of the comment period stated in this notice. To be considered, comments must be received on or before the last day of the comment period; that does not mean postmarked or otherwise transmitted by that date. Copies of the application and EA are available for review from NMFS (see ADDRESSES). Interested persons also may comment on the application and on the EA at the June 2014 Council meeting during public testimony. Information regarding the meeting is available at the Council’s Web site at https://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ npfmc/. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: May 20, 2014. James P. Burgess, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2014–12021 Filed 5–22–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD266 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. AGENCY: NOAA Fisheries has made a preliminary determination that an exempted fishing permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This request was submitted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and would allow commercial fishing vessels to evaluate if whiting can be caught in commercially viable quantities with minimal bycatch in the Gulf of Maine Grate Raised Footrope Trawl Exemption Area using a small-mesh trawl that has a standard cookie sweep, prior to the start of the current season that begins SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 29743 July 1. The exempted fishing permit would exempt the vessels from the Northeast multispecies minimum mesh size and seasonal restrictions at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3) and 648.80 (a)(16). 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. DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 9, 2014. ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following methods: • Email: NMFS.GAR.EFP@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line ‘‘Comments on GMRI Whiting EFP.’’ • Mail: John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ‘‘Comments on GMRI Whiting EFP.’’ • Fax: (978) 281–9135. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Berthiaume, Fishery Management Specialist, 978–281–9177, Jason.Berthiaume@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) has submitted an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) to conduct commercial fishing activities that the regulations would otherwise restrict. The EFP would exempt three federally permitted commercial fishing vessels from the minimum mesh size requirements for the purpose of testing a small-mesh trawl fitted with an excluder grate for harvesting silver hake. The applicant states that there has been poor performance of the raised footrope trawl in this area due to the rocky habitat, and that removing the raised footrope could allow for increased catch rates while maintaining low bycatch rates. In addition, the applicant has requested authorization to test the trawl prior to the July 1–November 30 season in the Gulf of Maine Grate Raised Footrope Trawl Exemption Area. The applicant would evaluate the performance of a small-mesh trawl that has a regulation compliant excluder grate and is fitted with a cookie sweep. The trawl would not have a raised footrope as required by the Gulf of Maine Grate Raised Footrope Trawl regulations. Participating vessels would complete up to 25 days of experimental fishing with five 1-hour tows per day with a target whiting catch of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) per day. A research technician would accompany all trips under the EFP, and sort and weigh all E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM 23MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 100 (Friday, May 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29741-29743]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12021]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD257


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Application 
for an Exempted Fishing Permit

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; public comment on an application for exempted fishing 
permit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt of an application and the public 
comment period for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Mr. John 
Gauvin of Gauvin and Associates, LLC. If granted, this permit would 
allow the applicant to continue the development and testing of a salmon 
excluder device for the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery. This activity 
is intended to promote the objectives of the Fishery Management Plan 
for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area 
(FMP) by reducing salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock trawl 
fishery.

DATES: Submit comments on or before June 23, 2014. Interested persons 
may comment on the EFP application and on the environmental assessment 
(EA) during the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
meeting June 2 through June 10, 2014, in Nome, AK.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by FDMS 
Docket Number NOAA-NMFS-2014-0050, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D= NOAA-NMFS-2014-0050, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.

[[Page 29742]]

     Mail: Submit written comments to Glenn Merrill, Assistant 
Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region 
NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 
AK 99802-1668.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address), confidential business information, 
or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender 
will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter 
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). 
Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
    Electronic copies of the Secretarial Review Draft Environmental 
Assessment For Issuing an Exempted Fishing Permit for the Purpose of 
Testing a Salmon Excluder Device in the Eastern Bering Sea Pollock 
Fishery, May 2014, prepared for this action are available from https://www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Hartman, 907-586-7442.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the domestic groundfish 
fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) 
under the FMP. The Council prepared the FMP under the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Regulations governing the 
groundfish fisheries of the BSAI appear at 50 CFR parts 600 and 679. 
The FMP and the implementing regulations at Sec. Sec.  600.745(b) and 
679.6 authorize issuance of EFPs to allow fishing that would otherwise 
be prohibited. Procedures for issuing EFPs are contained in the 
implementing regulations.
    NMFS received an application for an EFP from Mr. Gauvin in December 
2013. The purposes of the EFP project would be to improve the 
performance of the salmon excluder device developed under EFP 11-01 
from 2011 to 2012, and to validate the performance of this device for 
pollock trawl gear used in the BSAI. The EFP project would focus on 
testing a redesigned excluder device to reduce chum salmon and Chinook 
salmon bycatch and refine the device for use on trawl vessels fishing 
for groundfish. The goal is to develop a device for pollock trawl gear 
that reduces salmon bycatch without significantly lowering pollock 
catch rates. Salmon are prohibited species that are incidentally caught 
in the pollock fishery (Sec.  679.21(e) and (f)).
    The EFP would allow for testing of the salmon excluder device from 
January 2015 through June 2016, for several weeks in each pollock A and 
B season. Testing in each season would allow the device to be used 
under salmon occurrence and pollock fishing practices specific to each 
season. Testing in the A season would catch primarily Chinook salmon 
and roe-bearing pollock, while testing in the B season would catch 
Chinook and chum salmon and pollock that are not likely to be roe-
bearing. EFP fishing would be conducted by one to two vessels in each 
season.
    To test the salmon excluder device, exemptions would be necessary 
from regulations for salmon bycatch management, observer requirements, 
closure areas, total allowable catch amounts (TACs) for groundfish, and 
prohibited species catch (PSC) limits for the pollock fishery. Taking 
salmon during the experiment is crucial for determining the 
effectiveness of the device. Salmon taken during the experiment would 
not be counted toward the Chinook and chum salmon PSC limits under 
Sec.  679.21(e)(1)(vii), (e)(3)(i)(A)(3), and (f)(2). The amount of 
chum salmon PSC taken by the pollock trawl industry during the EFP 
period could approach or exceed the chum salmon PSC limits under Sec.  
679.21(e)(7)(vii). If the EFP salmon were counted toward the salmon PSC 
limits, the EFP salmon may create an additional burden on the pollock 
trawl fishermen not participating in an intercooperative agreement for 
chum salmon or incentive plan agreement for Chinook salmon bycatch 
reduction by causing earlier closures of the Chum Salmon Savings Area 
or violating the plan agreement for Chinook salmon. More information 
regarding the intercooperative agreement for salmon bycatch reduction 
is at 72 FR 61070 (October 29, 2007). Information regarding the 
incentive plan agreements under Amendment 91 for Bering Sea Chinook 
salmon bycatch management is at 75 FR 53026 (August 30, 2010).
    Approximately 2,500 chum salmon and 250 Chinook salmon for the 2015 
B season and 500 chum salmon and 1,200 Chinook salmon for the 2015 and 
2016 A seasons would be required to support the project. In total, the 
applicant would be limited to harvesting 3,000 chum salmon and 1,450 
Chinook salmon during the EFP period. The experimental design requires 
this quantity of salmon to ensure statistically valid results.
    The applicant also has requested an exemption from the Chum Salmon 
Savings Area (Sec. Sec.  679.21(e)(7)(vii) and 679.22(a)(10)), the 
Bering Sea Pollock Restriction Area (Sec.  679.22(a)(7)(ii)), and the 
Steller Sea Lion Conservation Area (Sec.  679.22(a)(7)(vii)). These 
overlapping areas occur in locations of salmon concentration. The 
experiment must be conducted in areas of salmon concentration 
sufficient to ensure a statistically adequate sample size. These 
locations are ideal for conducting the experiment and ensuring that the 
vessel encounters sufficient concentrations of salmon and pollock for 
meeting the experimental design.
    Groundfish taken under the EFP would be exempt from the TACs 
specified in the annual harvest specifications (Sec.  679.20). A total 
of 2,500 metric tons (mt) of groundfish (primarily pollock) would be 
taken during each A season of 2015 and 2016, and 2,500 mt of groundfish 
would be taken in the B season of 2016 for a total of 7,500 mt over the 
duration of the EFP. Approximately 96 percent of the groundfish 
harvested is expected to be pollock. The experimental design requires 
this quantity of pollock to ensure a statistically adequate sample size 
for measuring pollock escapement through the salmon excluder device.
    The EFP groundfish harvest would not be included in the harvest 
applied against the Bering Sea groundfish TACs. The preliminary 2015 
TAC for Bering Sea pollock is equal to the acceptable biological catch 
(ABC) at 1,258,000 mt, but the TAC is likely to be adjusted during the 
2015/2016 harvest specifications process and may result in a TAC less 
than ABC (79 FR 12108, March 4, 2014). TAC and ABC have not been 
specified for the 2016 fishing year at this time. The EFP fishing will 
be permitted for this proposed action if the ABC for Bering Sea pollock 
exceeds the TAC by at least 5,000 mt in 2015 and 2,500 mt in 2016. 
Because of very little groundfish incidental catch in the pollock 
fishery, the harvest of other fish species during the EFP fishing is 
expected to be 50 mt to 80 mt per season. The majority of these other 
species harvested under the EFP likely would be Pacific cod, skates, 
flatfish, halibut, and jellyfish. The amount of groundfish harvest 
under the EFP and by the commercial groundfish fisheries is not 
expected to cause ABCs for groundfish species to be exceeded in either 
2015 or 2016 because other BSAI

[[Page 29743]]

groundfish TACs are set with a sufficient difference between ABC and 
TAC to accommodate EFP fishing catch of groundfish species other than 
pollock.
    The EFP is expected to take approximately 12 mt of halibut per 
season for a total of 12 mt of halibut in 2015 and 24 mt of halibut in 
2016. The EFP would require an exemption from halibut PSC limits under 
Sec.  679.21(e)(3)(ii)(C). The halibut taken under the EFP in 
combination with the groundfish fisheries is not expected to exceed the 
halibut PSC harvest specifications in 2015 or 2016.
    Using a catcher/processor for the EFP study would require exemption 
from the Catcher Vessel Operational Area (CVOA) restriction (Sec.  
679.22(a)(5)) because of the location of the Chinook salmon 
concentration in the CVOA. Catcher/processors are prohibited from 
operating in the CVOA during the B season. The EFP fishing may be done 
by either a catcher vessel or a catcher/processor. It may be necessary 
for the EFP applicant to use a catcher/processor to conduct tows in 
this area to ensure encountering sufficient pollock and salmon 
concentrations to meet the experimental design.
    The EFP would exempt vessels that are EFP fishing from closures of 
the Chum Salmon Savings Area. This is necessary because the 
experimental design for this EFP is based on testing in areas with high 
incidental catch rates of salmon that may occur in the Chum Salmon 
Savings Area.
    The EFP would include an exemption from selected observer 
requirements at Sec. Sec.  679.50, 679.51, and 679.55. Participating 
vessels would use ``sea samplers'' who are NMFS-trained observers. They 
would not be deployed as NMFS observers, however, at the time of the 
EFP fishing. The ``sea samplers'' would conduct the EFP data collection 
and perform other observer duties that normally would be required for 
vessels directed fishing for pollock. EFP fishing trips also would be 
exempted from observer requirements for trip selection and fee 
collection.
    The activities under the EFP are not expected to have a significant 
impact on the human environment as analyzed in the EA for this action 
(see ADDRESSES). The EFP would be subject to modifications pending any 
new relevant information regarding the 2015 and 2016 fishery, including 
the groundfish harvest specifications.
    In accordance with 50 CFR 679.6 and 600 CFR 745(b)(3)(ii), NMFS has 
determined that the proposal warrants further consideration and has 
forwarded the application to the Council to initiate consultation. The 
Council will consider the EFP application during its meeting June 2 
through June 10, 2014, which will be held at the Nome Mini Convention 
Center, 409 River St., Nome, AK. The applicant has been invited to 
appear in support of the application.

Public Comments

    Public comments are being solicited on the application and the EA 
through the end of the comment period stated in this notice. To be 
considered, comments must be received on or before the last day of the 
comment period; that does not mean postmarked or otherwise transmitted 
by that date. Copies of the application and EA are available for review 
from NMFS (see ADDRESSES). Interested persons also may comment on the 
application and on the EA at the June 2014 Council meeting during 
public testimony.
    Information regarding the meeting is available at the Council's Web 
site at https://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: May 20, 2014.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-12021 Filed 5-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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