Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery and Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Framework Adjustment 26; Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; Sea Turtle Conservation, 13806-13821 [2015-05650]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 51 (Tuesday, March 17, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 13806-13821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05650]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 223 and 648

[Docket No. 141125999-5195-01]
RIN 0648-BE68


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Sea Scallop 
Fishery and Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Framework Adjustment 26; 
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; Sea Turtle Conservation

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to approve and implement through regulations 
measures included in Framework Adjustment 26 to the Atlantic Sea 
Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which the New England Fishery 
Management Council adopted and submitted to NMFS for approval. The 
purpose of Framework 26 is to prevent overfishing, improve yield-per-
recruit, and improve the overall management of the Atlantic sea scallop 
fishery. The Framework 26 proposed measures would also: Close a portion 
of the Elephant Trunk Access Area and extend the boundaries of the 
Nantucket Lightship Access Area to protect small scallops; adjust the 
State Waters Exemption Program; allow for Vessel Monitoring System 
declaration changes for vessels to steam home with product on board; 
implement a proactive accountability measure to protect windowpane 
flounder and yellowtail flounder; align two gear measures designed to 
protect sea turtles; and implement other measures to improve the 
management of the scallop fishery. Aligning the gear designed to 
protect sea turtles involves modifying existing regulations implemented 
under the Endangered Species Act; therefore, this action would be 
implemented under joint authority of the Endangered Species Act and the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

DATES: Comments must be received by April 1, 2015.

ADDRESSES: The Council developed an environmental assessment (EA) for 
this action that describes the proposed measures and other considered 
alternatives and provides a thorough analysis of the impacts of the 
proposed measures and alternatives. Copies of the Framework, the EA, 
and the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), are available 
upon request from Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, New England 
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Newburyport, MA 01950.
    You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-
2015-0002, by either 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-2015-0002, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.
     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 
Scallop Framework 26 Proposed Rule.''
    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, etc.), 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).
    Written comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or other 
aspects of the collection-of-information requirements contained in this 
proposed rule may be submitted to the Greater Atlantic Regional 
Fisheries Office and by email to OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax to 
(202) 395-5806.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Gilbert, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
978-281-9315.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The scallop fishery's management unit ranges from the shorelines of 
Maine through North Carolina to the outer boundary of the Exclusive 
Economic Zone. The Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP), established 
in 1982, includes a number of amendments and framework adjustments that 
have revised and refined the fishery's management. The Council sets 
scallop

[[Page 13807]]

fishery specifications through framework adjustments that occur 
annually or biennially. This annual action includes allocations for 
fishing year 2015, as well as other scallop fishery management 
measures.
    The Council adopted Framework 26 on November 20, 2014, and 
submitted it to NMFS on February 17, 2015, for review and approval. 
Framework 26 specifies measures for fishing year 2015, but includes 
fishing year 2016 measures that will go into place as a default, should 
the next specifications-setting framework be delayed beyond the start 
of fishing year 2016. NMFS will implement Framework 26, if approved, 
after the start of fishing year 2015; 2015 default measures concerning 
allocations have been in place as of March 1, 2015. These default 
measures are more conservative than the Framework 26 proposed 
allocations and would be replaced by the higher Framework 26 
allocations if this action is approved. The Council has reviewed the 
Framework 26 proposed rule regulations as drafted by NMFS and deemed 
them to be necessary and appropriate as specified in section 303(c) of 
the MSA.

Specification of Scallop Overfishing Limit (OFL), Acceptable Biological 
Catch (ABC), Annual Catch Limits (ACLs), Annual Catch Targets (ACTs), 
and Set-Asides for the 2015 Fishing Year and Default Specifications for 
Fishing Year 2016

    The proposed allocations incorporate new biomass reference points 
that resulted from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's most recent 
scallop stock benchmark assessment that was completed in July 2014. The 
assessment reviewed and updated the data and models used to assess the 
scallop stock and ultimately updated the reference points for status 
determinations. The scallop stock is considered overfished if the 
biomass is less than half of the biomass at maximum sustainable yield 
(Bmsy), and overfishing is occurring if fishing mortality 
(F) is above the fishing mortality at maximum sustainable yield 
(Fmsy). The assessment continues to find that the scallop 
resource is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring, but the 
estimates for Fmsy and Bmsy have changed. A 
comparison of the old and new reference points is outlined in Table 1.

 Table 1--Summary of Old and New Scallop Reference Points From the Last
        Two Benchmark Scallop Stock Assessments in 2010 and 2014
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   2010 Assessment      2014 Assessment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fmsy...........................  0.38                 0.48.
Bmsy...........................  125,000 mt           96,480 mt.
1/2 Bmsy.......................  62,000 mt            48,240 mt.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Due to these reference point updates, the fishing mortality rates 
that the Council uses to set OFL, ABC, and ACL would be updated through 
this action. The proposed OFL was set based on an F of 0.48, equivalent 
to the F threshold updated through the 2014 assessment. The proposed 
ABC and the equivalent total ACL for each fishing year are based on an 
F of 0.38, which is the F associated with a 25-percent probability of 
exceeding the OFL. The Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee 
recommended scallop fishery ABCs for the 2015 and 2016 fishing years of 
55.9 M lb (25,352 mt) and 70.1 M lb (31,807 mt), respectively, after 
accounting for discards and incidental mortality. The Scientific and 
Statistical Committee will reevaluate an ABC for 2016 when the Council 
develops the next framework adjustment.
    Table 2 outlines the proposed scallop fishery catch limits that are 
derived from the ABC values. After deducting the incidental target 
total allowable catch (TAC) and the research and observer set-asides, 
the remaining ACL available to the fishery is allocated according to 
the fleet proportions established in Amendment 11 to the Scallop FMP 
(72 FR 20090; April 14, 2008): 94.5 percent allocated to the limited 
access (LA) scallop fleet (i.e., the larger ``trip boat'' fleet); 5 
percent allocated to the limited access general category (LAGC) 
individual fishing quota (IFQ) fleet (i.e., the smaller ``day boat'' 
fleet); and the remaining 0.5 percent allocated to LA scallop vessels 
that also have LAGC IFQ permits. These separate ACLs and their 
corresponding ACTs are referred to as sub-ACLs and sub-ACTs, 
respectively, throughout this action. Amendment 15 to the Scallop FMP 
(76 FR 43746; July 21, 2011) specified that no buffers to account for 
management uncertainty are necessary in setting the LAGC sub-ACLs, 
meaning that the LAGC sub-ACL would equal the LAGC sub-ACT. As a 
result, the LAGC sub-ACL values in Table 2, based on an F of 0.38, 
represent the amount of catch from which IFQ percentage shares will be 
applied to calculate each vessel's IFQ for a given fishing year. For 
the LA fleet, the management uncertainty buffer is based on the F 
associated with a 75-percent probability of remaining below the F 
associated with ABC/ACL, which, using the updated Fs applied to the 
ABC/ACL, now results in an F of 0.34.

Table 2--Scallop Catch Limits for Fishing Years 2015 and 2016 for the LA
                           and LAGC IFQ Fleets
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           2015 (mt)        2016 (mt)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overfishing Limit.....................         38,061           45,456
ABC/ACL w/discards removed............         25,352           31,807
Incidental TAC........................             22.7             22.7
Research Set-Aside (RSA)..............            567              567
Observer Set-aside (1 percent of ABC/             254              318
 ACL).................................
LA sub-ACL (94.5 percent of total ACL,         23,161           29,200
 after deducting set-asides and
 incidental catch)....................
LA sub-ACT (adjusted for management            19,311           23,016
 uncertainty).........................
LAGC IFQ sub-ACL (5.0 percent of total          1,225            1,545
 ACL, after deducting set-asides and
 incidental catch)....................
LAGC IFQ sub-ACL for vessels with LA              123              154
 scallop permits (0.5 percent of total
 ACL, after deducting set-asides and
 incidental catch)....................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This action would deduct 567 mt of scallops annually for 2015 and 
2016 from the ABC and set it aside as the Scallop RSA to fund scallop 
research and to compensate participating vessels through the sale of 
scallops harvested under RSA projects. As of March 1, 2015, this set-
aside was available for harvest by RSA-funded projects in open areas. 
Framework 26 would allow RSA to be harvested from the Mid-Atlantic 
Access Areas that is proposed to be open for 2015, once this action is 
approved and implemented, but would prevent RSA harvesting from access 
areas under 2016 default measures. Of this 1.25 M lb (567 mt) 
allocation, NMFS has already allocated 397,470 lb

[[Page 13808]]

(180.3 mt) to previously funded multi-year projects as part of the 2014 
RSA awards process. NMFS has reviewed proposals submitted for 
consideration of 2015 RSA awards and will be selecting projects for 
funding in the near future.
    This action would also set aside 1 percent of the ABC for the 
industry-funded observer program to help defray the cost of scallop 
vessels that carry an observer. The observer set-asides for fishing 
years 2015 and 2016 are 254 mt and 318 mt, respectively. The 2016 
observer set-aside may be adjusted by the Council when it develops 
specific, non-default measures for 2016.

Open Area Days-at-Sea (DAS) Allocations

    This action would implement vessel-specific DAS allocations for 
each of the three LA scallop DAS permit categories (i.e., full-time, 
part-time, and occasional) for 2015 and 2016 (Table 3). Proposed 2015 
DAS allocations are almost identical to those allocated to the LA fleet 
in 2014 (31 DAS for full-time, 12 DAS for part-time, and 3 DAS for 
occasional vessels). Fishing year 2016 DAS allocations are 
precautionary, and are set at 75 percent of what current biomass 
projections indicate could be allocated to each LA scallop vessel for 
the entire fishing year. This is to avoid over-allocating DAS to the 
fleet in the event that the framework that would set those allocations, 
if delayed past the start of the 2016 fishing year, estimates that DAS 
should be less than currently projected. The proposed allocations in 
Table 3 exclude any DAS deductions that are required if the LA scallop 
fleet exceeded its 2014 sub-ACL. In addition, these DAS values take 
into account a slight DAS reduction necessary for the implementation of 
another proposed measure discussed later on in this rule (See 
Adjustment to Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Declaration Procedures for 
Some Open Area Trips). If this measure, which would allow for vessels 
on specific trips to end their open area trip and DAS accrual sooner 
than they can under current regulations, is not approved, the DAS 
allocations in Table 3 would increase by 0.14 DAS and 0.06 DAS for 
full-time and part-time vessels, respectively (there would be no change 
for occasional vessels, and there are currently no vessels issued the 
occasional permit type in the LA scallop fleet). In addition, the 
Council requested that DAS allocations now be specified to the 
hundredth decimal place, rather than rounding up or down to whole DAS. 
This is consistent with DAS accounting as vessels use DAS throughout 
the year.

      Table 3--Scallop Open Area DAS Allocations for 2015 and 2016
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Permit  category                   2015            2016
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full-Time...............................           30.86           26.00
Part-Time...............................           12.94           10.40
Occasional..............................            2.58            2.17
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On March 1, 2015, full-time, part-time, and occasional vessels 
received 17, 7, and 1 DAS, respectively. These allocations would 
increase as soon as Framework 26 is implemented, if approved.

LA Allocations and Trip Possession Limits for Scallop Access Areas

    For fishing year 2015 and the start of 2016, Framework 26 would 
close all three Georges Bank Access Areas (i.e., Nantucket Lightship 
(NLS), Closed Area 1, and Closed Area 2 Access Areas) and open all 
three Mid-Atlantic Access Areas (i.e., Elephant Trunk, Delmarva, and 
Hudson Canyon Access Areas). This action proposes to extend the 
boundaries of the NLS Access Area that would close to the scallop fleet 
to include a concentration of small scallops near the existing boundary 
along the southeast corner, currently considered part of the open area. 
This proposed closure area, which would increase the NLS Access Area 
boundary by 158 square miles, would be reconsidered in a future 
framework action when the scallops are larger and ready for harvest.
    As for the Mid-Atlantic Access Areas, this action proposes that all 
three access areas be open to both the LA and LAGC IFQ fleet, and be 
treated as one single area, which this rule will now refer to as the 
Mid-Atlantic Access Area. Scallop vessels would be able to fish across 
all three areas in a single access area trip. There is one the 
exception: This action proposes six 10-minute squares (i.e., 549 square 
nautical miles) in the northwest corner of the Elephant Trunk Access 
Area be closed to protect small scallops. This area constitutes roughly 
35 percent of the current Elephant Trunk Access Area. The closure would 
allow for the small concentrations of scallops in this portion of the 
access area to be protected as they grow to a more harvestable size. 
This action proposes that no transiting be allowed across this small 
area due to its small size and the incentive to fish in the area is 
relatively high due to the high abundance of scallops.
    Table 4 outlines the proposed LA allocations that can be fished 
from the Mid-Atlantic Access Area, which could be taken in as many 
trips as needed, so long as the trip possession limits (also in Table 
4) are not exceeded. These proposed access area allocations for 2015 
represent a 112-percent increase in access area allocations compared to 
2014.

         Table 4--Scallop Access Area Poundage Allocations and Trip Possession Limits for 2015 and 2016
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Permit category                Possession limits         2015 Allocation          2016 Allocation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full-Time............................  17,000 lb (7,711 kg)...  51,000 lb (23,133 kg)..  17,000 lb (7,711 kg).
Part-Time............................  10,200 lb ( 4,627 kg)..  20,400 lb ( 9,253 kg)..  10,200 lb (4,627 kg).
Occasional...........................  1,420 lb (644 kg)......  4,250 lb ( 1,928 kg)...  1,420 lb ( 644 kg).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This action also proposes to modify access area trip reporting 
procedures by requiring that each LA vessel submit a pre-landing 
notification form through its VMS unit prior to returning to port at 
the end of each access area trip, including trips where no scallops 
were landed. These pre-landing notifications would replace the current 
broken trip and compensation trip procedures. Vessels would no longer 
be required to submit a broken trip notification form if they are 
unable to land their full possession limits on an access area trip. 
Vessels would also no longer need to apply to NMFS to receive, or wait 
for NMFS to issue, a compensation trip to fish their remaining access 
area scallop allocation.
    For example, under Framework 26 access area allocations, a full-
time vessel receives 51,000 lb (23,133 kg) in the Mid-Atlantic Access 
Area, which can be landed on as many or as few trips as needed, so long 
as the 17,000-lb (7,711-kg) possession limit is not exceeded on any one 
trip. The vessel may choose to fish its full allocation over the course 
of three trips, landing

[[Page 13809]]

the maximum allowance of 17,000 lb (7,711 kg) on each trip, or it can 
choose to fish its full allocation over the course of four, five, or 
more trips, landing less than the trip possession limit on each trip. 
Regardless, the vessel must submit a pre-landing notification form 
prior to returning to port for each access area trip, and would not 
have to wait for NMFS to issue a compensation trip prior to starting 
its next access area trip.
    This action would also modify the procedures for when scallop 
access area allocation can be carried over to the next fishing year. 
Under the current regulations, vessel may fish for a previous year's 
unharvested scallop access area allocation in the first 60 days of a 
fishing year if the vessel broke a trip in the last 60 days of the 
previous fishing year or open season for an access area. In many cases, 
vessels in the last 60 days of the fishing year simply crossed the VMS 
Demarcation Line, submitted a broken trip report through their VMS 
unit, and returned to port. This caused confusion and created a high 
number of cases for NMFS to review as the fishing year came to an end. 
Under the proposed measures, each vessel would automatically carry over 
unharvested access area allocation that the vessel could fish in the 
first 60 days of the subsequent fishing year, as long as the access 
area is open for scallop fishing during that time. This change would 
result in little change to the amount of carryover NMFS expects from 
year to year because most vessels took advantage of the broken trip 
provisions. Also, Framework 26 accounts for the uncertainty associated 
with carryover by setting the LA fishery's ACT lower than the fishery's 
ACL. This ensures that carryover would not cause an ACL to be exceeded 
from year to year.
    Although vessel owners would ultimately be responsible for tracking 
their own scallop access area landings and ensuring they do not exceed 
their annual allocations, NMFS would match dealer-reported scallop 
landing records with access area trip declarations and make that 
information available on Fish-On-Line.

Additional Measures To Reduce Impacts on Small Scallops

    1. Crew Limit Restrictions in Access Areas. Similar to the crew 
limit restrictions NMFS implemented in Delmarva in 2014, this action 
proposes crew limits for all access areas. Currently, LA scallop 
vessels have crew size limits when fishing in open areas: Vessels are 
limited to seven individuals when fishing on a DAS, or five individuals 
if the vessel is on a DAS and participating in the small dredge 
program. These limits have been in place to restrict the shucking 
capacity of a vessel to help reduce landings per unit effort while on 
DAS. In an effort to protect small scallops and discourage vessels from 
high-grading (discarding smaller scallops in exchange for larger ones), 
Framework 26 would impose a crew limit of eight individuals per LA 
vessel, including the captain, when fishing in any scallop access area. 
If a vessel is participating in the small dredge program, it may not 
have more than six people on board, including the operator, on an 
access area trip. These crew limits may be reevaluated in a future 
framework action.
    2. Delayed Harvesting of Default 2016 Mid-Atlantic Access Area 
Allocations. Although the Framework would include precautionary access 
area allocations for the 2016 fishing year (see 2016 allocations in 
Table 4), vessels would have to wait to fish these allocations until 
April 1, 2016. This precautionary measure is designed to protect 
scallops when scallop meat weights are lower than other times of the 
year (generally, this change in meat-weight is a physiological change 
in scallops due to spawning). However, if a vessel has not fully 
harvested its 2015 scallop access area allocation in fishing year 2015, 
it may still fish the remainder of its allocation in the first 60 days 
of 2016 (i.e., March 1, 2016, through April 29, 2016).
    3. 2016 RSA Harvest Restrictions. This action proposes that vessels 
participating in RSA projects would be prohibited from harvesting RSA 
under default 2016 measures. At the start of 2016, RSA could only be 
harvested from open areas. This would be re-evaluated for the remainder 
of 2016 in the framework action that would set final 2016 
specifications.

LAGC Measures

    1. Sub-ACL for LAGC vessels with IFQ permits. For LAGC vessels with 
IFQ permits, this action proposes a 1,225-mt ACL for 2015 and an 
initial ACL of 1,545 mt for 2016 (Table 2). We calculate IFQ 
allocations by applying each vessel's IFQ contribution percentage to 
these ACLs. These allocations assume that no LAGC IFQ AMs are 
triggered. If a vessel exceeds its IFQ in a given fishing year, its IFQ 
for the subsequent fishing year would be reduced by the amount of the 
overage.
    Because Framework 26 would not go into effect until after the March 
1 start of fishing year 2015, the default 2015 IFQ allocations were 
automatically triggered. These default 2015 IFQ allocations are lower 
than those proposed in Framework 26. If approved, this action would 
increase the current vessel IFQ allocations. NMFS sent a letter to IFQ 
permit holders providing both March 1, 2015, IFQ allocations and 
Framework 26 proposed IFQ allocations so that vessel owners know what 
mid-year adjustments would occur if Framework 26 is approved.
    2. Sub-ACL for LA Scallop Vessels with IFQ Permits. For LA scallop 
vessels with IFQ permits, this action proposes a 123 mt ACL for 2015 
and an initial 154 mt ACL for 2016 (Table 2). We calculate IFQ 
allocations by applying each vessel's IFQ contribution percentage to 
these ACLs. These allocations assume that no LAGC IFQ AMs are 
triggered. If a vessel exceeds its IFQ in a given fishing year, its IFQ 
for the subsequent fishing year would be reduced by the amount of the 
overage.
    3. LAGC IFQ Trip Allocations and Possession Limits for Scallop 
Access Areas. Framework 26 proposes that LAGC IFQ vessels would receive 
a fleetwide number of trips that could be taken in the Mid-Atlantic 
Access Area. Framework 26 would allocate 2,065 and 602 trips in 2015 
and 2016, respectively, to this area. Under default 2016 measures, LAGC 
IFQ vessels must wait to fish these trips until April 1, 2016.
    These trip allocations are equivalent to the overall proportion of 
total catch from access areas compared to total catch. For example, the 
total projected catch for the scallop fishery in 2015 is 20,865 mt, and 
8,700 mt are projected to come from access areas, roughly 41.7 percent. 
If the same proportion is applied to total LAGC IFQ catch, the total 
allocation to LAGC IFQ vessels from access areas would be about 600 mt, 
roughly 44.5 percent of the total LAGC IFQ sub-ACL for 2015 (1,348 mt).
    4. NGOM TAC. This action proposes a 70,000-lb (31,751-kg) annual 
NGOM TAC for fishing years 2015 and 2016. The allocation for 2015 
assumes that there are no overages in 2014, which would trigger a 
pound-for-pound deduction in 2015 to account for the overage.
    5. Scallop Incidental Catch Target TAC. This action proposes a 
50,000-lb (22,680-kg) scallop incidental catch target TAC for fishing 
years 2015 and 2016 to account for mortality from this component of the 
fishery, and to ensure that F targets are not exceeded. The Council and 
NMFS may adjust this target TAC in a future action if vessels catch 
more scallops under the incidental target TAC than predicted.

Adjustments to Gear Modifications To Protect Sea Turtles

    This action proposes to adjust season regulations for the sea 
turtle deflector

[[Page 13810]]

dredge (TDD) and area regulations for the sea turtle chain mat to make 
them consistent. Currently, turtle chain mats are required in the area 
south of 41[deg]9' N. lat. from May through November, and the TDD is 
required west of 71[deg] W. long. from May through October. When used 
together, chain mats and TDDs are thought to increase the conservation 
benefit to sea turtles, because chain mats help reduce the impact to 
turtles from interactions occurring in the water column, and the TDD 
helps reduce the impact to turtles from interactions with the dredge 
frame on the sea floor (DuPaul et al. 2004; Smolowitz et al. 2010). By 
making the area and season for these two gear modifications consistent, 
west of 71[deg] W. long. from May through November, the conservation 
benefit of the current chain mat and TDD requirements is maintained, 
while reducing the regulatory complexity of differing seasons and 
areas. Any reduction in the size of the area that chain mats would be 
required (east of 71[deg] W. long. and south of 41[deg]9' N. lat.) is 
balanced by an extension of the season that TDDs would be required (the 
month of November). In addition, this action also proposes a very 
slight modification to the TDD gear regulations for safety purposes. 
When the Council first approved the TDD, it included the allowance of a 
flaring bar to ensure safe handling of the dredge. At the time, the 
Council specified that this flaring bar should only be attached to the 
dredge frame on one side. Since the TDD's implementation, there has 
been some interest to attach the flaring bar in a ``u'' shape, which 
could be attached on the inside or outside of the bale bar, but the 
current regulations unnecessarily prohibit this. This action proposes 
to adjust this regulation to allow for a bar or ``u''-shaped flaring 
mechanism to support safety at sea. Allowing a u-shaped flaring 
mechanism should not have an impact on sea turtles and the 
effectiveness of the TDD because the flaring bar or mechanism would 
still be prohibited from being attached within 12 inches (30.5 cm) of 
the ``bump out'' of the TDD and not between the bale bars. This change 
would require that each side of the bar or mechanism be no more than 12 
inches (30.5 cm) in length.
    This action would not change any other regulatory requirements for 
the use of chain mats and TDDs.

Adjustment to Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Declaration Procedures for 
Some Open Area Trips

    This action would enable a vessel to declare out of a DAS trip at 
or south of Cape May, NJ (specifically, at or south of 39[deg] N. 
lat.), once it goes inside the VMS demarcation line, and then, with 
scallops on board, steam seaward of the VMS demarcation line to ports 
south of Cape May, NJ, without being charged DAS. This measure does not 
apply to vessels that intend to land scallops in ports north of Cape 
May, NJ. Once this change in declaration to ``declare out of fishery'' 
has been made, vessels would be required to submit a scallop pre-
landing notification form through VMS, return directly to port and 
offload scallops immediately, and stow all gear. In addition, such 
vessels would be prohibited from having on board any in-shell scallops.
    The purpose of this measure is to help increase incentive for 
vessels to land scallops in the southern part of the mid-Atlantic by 
reducing some of the steaming time to return to those more distant 
ports. Due to the location of the access areas in the mid-Atlantic, 
which were at one point primary traditional open area fishing grounds, 
vessels from Virginia and North Carolina fishing on open area DAS trips 
have to steam for a long period of time to reach productive open area 
fishing grounds. Vessels are currently allowed to start their open area 
DAS trip landward of the VMS Demarcation Line, but not necessarily from 
port, but are required to accrue DAS when harvested scallops are on 
board, so their return steam from an open area trip counts against 
their DAS allocation. Over time, as DAS have been reduced dramatically 
and with increased fuel costs, vessels have more incentive to land near 
these primary fishing grounds (i.e., in New Bedford, MA, or Cape May, 
NJ) to avoid being charged for DAS steaming back to southern ports 
farther away that would most impact their DAS allocations. This 
decrease in landings to particular states over time has had a great 
impact on shoreside businesses that depend upon a stable stream of 
landings.
    Because this change in when some vessels may ``clock out'' of their 
DAS could impact overall DAS allocations to the fleet, this action also 
proposes an overall DAS deduction to each LA scallop vessel. The 
proposed DAS adjustment (which has already been calculated into the DAS 
allocations proposed in Table 3) would be a decrease of 0.14 DAS for 
full-time vessels and 0.06 DAS for part-time vessels. This entire 
measure, including the appropriate DAS deductions, was supported by the 
Council's Advisory Panel.

Adjustments to the State Water Exemption Program To Include Northern 
Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Management Area Exemptions

    Framework 26 proposes to modify the State Water Exemption Program 
to include a new exemption that would enable scallop vessels to 
continue to fish in state waters after the NGOM hard TAC is reached.
    The current State Water Exemption Program has been in place since 
Framework 2 to the Scallop FMP (November 21, 1994; 59 FR 59967). At 
that time, the purpose of the program was to allow Federal permit 
holders to compete in the state waters fishery on a more equitable 
basis where Federal and state laws are inconsistent and to encourage 
vessels with general category permits (open access, at the time) to 
fish under the exemption program and continue to submit catch and 
effort data. This program specifies that a state with a scallop fishery 
may be eligible for state waters exemptions if it has a scallop 
conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing 
mortality/effort limit objectives of the Scallop FMP. If a state is 
found to be eligible for the State Waters Exemption Program, federally 
permitted scallop vessels fishing in that state's waters may be 
exempted from a limited number of Federal scallop regulations: LA 
scallop vessels could fish in state waters outside of scallop DAS, and 
LA and LAGC scallop vessels could be exempt from Federal gear and 
possession limit restrictions.
    This action proposes to expand the exemptions to include this new 
measure related to the NGOM. Specifically, states within the NGOM 
management area (i.e., Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine) could 
request an exemption from the regulations requiring that scallop 
vessels must stop fishing in the state waters portion of the NGOM once 
the Federal TAC has been reached. States would have to apply for this 
exemption and specify to which vessels this would apply (i.e., vessels 
with NGOM permits, IFQ permits, incidental permits, and/or LA permits).
    Currently, a vessel issued a NGOM or IFQ permit can declare a 
state-only NGOM scallop trip and fish for scallops exclusively in state 
waters without those landings being attributed to the Federal TAC, but 
must cease scallop fishing entirely for the remainder of the year, 
along with all other scallop vessels, once the Federal TAC is reached. 
To date this has not been an issue because the Federal NGOM catch has 
been well below the TAC. However, total catch in both Federal and state

[[Page 13811]]

waters in this area is increasing, and Maine permit holders are 
concerned about their ability to fish in state waters when the state 
season is open in the winter if the NGOM TAC is reached. This measure 
would alleviate those concerns by giving the state the ability to apply 
for an exemption through the State Water Exemption Program. Because the 
NGOM Federal TAC is set based only on the Federal portion of the 
resource, NMFS does not expect this measure to compromise the FMP's 
limits on catch and mortality.
    The process for applying to the State Waters Exemption Program, as 
outlined in the regulations, would remain the same. In order for NMFS 
to make a determination of whether or not a state waters exemption is 
warranted for a particular state's waters, a state must submit a 
request for the exemption so that we can fully evaluate the scope of 
the potential fishery in the state's waters. Such a request would need 
to include the following information: A complete description of scallop 
fishing regulations in state waters; the number of vessels and trips 
that could be expected in state waters; the average landings per trip 
for vessels fishing in state waters; and the average per-pound value of 
scallops landed by vessels fishing for scallops in state waters. If the 
information provided supports a conclusion that a particular state's 
scallop fishery is consistent with the FMP relative to the State Waters 
Exemption Program, NMFS would then publish the requested exemptions 
from DAS, gear, and possession limits, and NGOM closures, in a notice 
in the Federal Register, consistent with the Administrative Procedure 
Act.

Proactive Accountability Measures (AMs) for Flatfish Protection

    Currently, all scallop vessels (i.e., LA and LAGC) fishing for 
scallops with dredges in open areas west of 71[deg] W. long. are 
required to have their dredges configured so that no dredge has more 
than seven rows of rings in the apron (i.e., the area between the 
terminus of the dredge (clubstick) and the twine top) on the topside of 
the dredge. The twine top helps finfish (flatfish in particular) escape 
from the dredge during fishing and the maximum number of rows of rings 
prevents fishermen from making the twine top small and ineffective in 
reducing bycatch. Framework 26 proposes to extend this proactive 
accountability measure to all areas where scallop fishing occurs (i.e., 
all access and open areas). This increased spatial coverage may further 
reduce flatfish bycatch by preventing dredge configurations using more 
than seven rows of rings, which is currently required east of 71[deg] 
W. long. for some scallop vessels fishing in open areas. This is 
considered to be a proactive AM because it may help the fishery stay 
below the sub-ACLs for flatfish (yellowtail flounder and windowpane 
flounder, currently). Additionally, this measure would enable vessels 
to voluntarily fish with an even shorter apron (less than seven rings), 
to proactively reduce flatfish bycatch in any area or season.

Regulatory Corrections Under Regional Administrator Authority

    This proposed rule includes several revisions to the regulatory 
text to address text that is unnecessary, outdated, unclear, or 
otherwise could be improved. NMFS proposes these changes consistent 
with section 305(d) of the MSA which provides that the Secretary of 
Commerce may promulgate regulations necessary to ensure that amendments 
to an FMP are carried out in accordance with the FMP and the MSA. Two 
revisions clarify how to apply and measure gear modifications to ensure 
compliance. The first revision at Sec.  648.51 would clarify where to 
measure meshes to ensure twine top compliance. The second revision at 
Sec.  648.53 clarifies an example on how the hanging ratio should be 
applied and measured if the windowpane reactive AM implemented through 
Framework 25 (June 26, 2014; 79 FR 34251) is triggered.
    This action would also modify the VMS catch report requirements at 
Sec.  648.10(f)(4)(i) to only include the information actually used by 
NMFS to monitor flatfish bycatch. The form currently requires that the 
amount of yellowtail flounder discards be reported daily. This 
requirement has been in place since Amendment 15 (76 FR 43746; July 21, 
2011), which established the yellowtail flounder AMs in the FMP. 
However, since Amendment 15, the scallop fishery now has other bycatch 
sub-ACLs and AMs (e.g., SNE/MA windowpane flounder) which are not 
captured in this form. In addition, current bycatch monitoring relies 
solely on observer reports to determine bycatch discards for these 
species. In order to minimize confusion and because this information is 
not necessary for bycatch monitoring, we propose to remove the 
reference to reporting yellowtail discards. Instead, the vessels will 
report daily scallop catch and the amount of all other species kept.
    In addition, this action would adjust the regulations at Sec.  
648.53(a) to clarify that the values for ABC/ACL stated in the 
regulations reflect the levels from which ACTs are set, thus they do 
not include estimates of discards and incidental mortality. This 
regulatory clarification is at the request of the Council and would 
more accurately reflect the process for establishing ABCs and ACLs in 
the scallop fishery.

Classification

    Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the MSA, the NMFS Assistant 
Administrator has made a preliminary determination that this proposed 
rule is consistent with the FMP, other provisions of the MSA, and other 
applicable law. In making the final determination, NMFS will consider 
the data, views, and comments received during the public comment 
period.
    This proposed rule does not contain policies with Federalism or 
``takings'' implications as those terms are defined in E.O. 13132 and 
E.O. 12630, respectively.
    This proposed rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    An IRFA has been prepared, as required by section 603 of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). The IRFA consists of Framework 26 
analyses, its draft IRFA, and the preamble to this action.

Statement of Objective and Need

    This action proposes the management measures and specifications for 
the Atlantic sea scallop fishery for 2015, with 2016 default measures. 
A description of the action, why it is being considered, and the legal 
basis for this action are contained in Framework 26 and the preamble of 
this proposed rule and are not repeated here.

Description and Estimate of Number of Small Entities to Which the Rule 
Would Apply

    The proposed regulations would affect all vessels with LA and LAGC 
scallop permits. The Framework 26 document provides extensive 
information on the number and size of vessels and small businesses that 
would be affected by the proposed regulations, by port and state (see 
ADDRESSES). There were 313 vessels that obtained full-time LA permits 
in 2013, including 250 dredge, 52 small-dredge, and 11 scallop trawl 
permits. In the same year, there were also 34 part-time LA permits in 
the sea scallop fishery. No vessels were issued occasional scallop 
permits. NMFS issued 212 LAGC IFQ permits in 2013 and 155 of these 
vessels actively fished for scallops that year (the remaining permits 
likely leased out scallop IFQ allocations with their permits in 
Confirmation of Permit

[[Page 13812]]

History). The RFA defines a small business in shellfish fishery as a 
firm that is independently owned and operated and not dominant in its 
field of operation, with receipts of up to $5.5 M annually. 
Individually-permitted vessels may hold permits for several fisheries, 
harvesting species of fish that are regulated by several different 
fishery management plans, even beyond those impacted by the proposed 
action. Furthermore, multiple permitted vessels and/or permits may be 
owned by entities affiliated by stock ownership, common management, 
identity of interest, contractual relationships, or economic 
dependency. For the purposes of this analysis, ``ownership entities'' 
are defined as those entities with common ownership as listed on the 
permit application. Only permits with identical ownership are 
categorized as an ``ownership entity.'' For example, if five permits 
have the same seven persons listed as co-owners on their permit 
applications, those seven persons would form one ``ownership entity,'' 
that holds those five permits. If two of those seven owners also co-own 
additional vessels, that ownership arrangement would be considered a 
separate ``ownership entity'' for the purpose of this analysis.
    On June 1 of each year, ownership entities are identified based on 
a list of all permits for the most recent complete calendar year. The 
current ownership dataset is based on the calendar year 2013 permits 
and contains average gross sales associated with those permits for 
calendar years 2011 through 2013. Matching the potentially impacted 
2013 fishing year permits described above (LA and LAGC IFQ) to calendar 
year 2013 ownership data results in 172 distinct ownership entities for 
the LA fleet and 115 distinct ownership entities for the LAGC IFQ 
fleet. Of these, and based on the Small Business Administration (SBA) 
guidelines, 154 of the LA distinct ownership entities and all 115 of 
the LAGC IFQ entities are categorized as small. The remaining 18 of the 
LA entities are categorized as large entities, all of which are 
shellfish businesses.

Description of Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Other Compliance 
Requirements of the Proposed Rule

    The proposed action contains collection-of-information requirements 
subject to review and approval by the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Two requirements will be 
submitted to OMB for approval under the NMFS Northeast Region Scallop 
Report Family of Forms (OMB Control No. 0648-0491).
    Under the proposed action, all 347 LA vessels would be required to 
submit a pre-landing notification form for each access area trip 
through their VMS units. This information collection is intended to 
improve access area trip monitoring, as well as streamline a vessel's 
ability to fish multiple access area trips. Although this is a new 
requirement, it would replace other reporting procedures currently 
required for breaking an access area trip and receiving permission to 
take a compensation trip to harvest remaining unharvested scallop 
pounds from an access area trip. The proposed action also includes a 
new requirement for some LA vessels to report a pre-landing 
notification form through their VMS unit before changing their open 
area trip declaration to a ``declared out of fishery declaration,'' 
which is expected to add a burden to a very small portion of the fleet. 
This requirement would only apply to a few vessels that intend to land 
open area scallops at ports south of Cape May, NJ, and want to steam to 
those ports while not using DAS. This new pre-landing requirement is 
necessary to enforce a measure intended to assist shoreside businesses 
in southern ports by providing an incentive for vessels to steam to 
ports far away from popular open area fishing grounds.
    Notification requires the dissemination of the following 
information: Operator's permit number; amount of scallop meats and/or 
bushels to be landed; the estimated time of arrival; the landing port 
and state where the scallops will be offloaded; and the vessel trip 
report (VTR) serial number recorded from that trip's VTR. This 
information would be used by the Office of Law Enforcement to monitor 
vessel activity and ensure compliance with the regulations.
    The burden estimates for these new requirements apply to all LA 
vessels. In a given fishing year, NMFS estimates that for access area 
reporting, each of the 313 full-time LA vessels would submit a pre-
landing report 5 times (1,565 responses) and each of the 34 part-time 
LA vessel would submit a pre-landing report up to 3 times (102 
responses), for a total of 1,667 responses. Public reporting burden for 
submitting these pre-landing notification forms is estimated to average 
5 minutes per response with an associated cost of $1.25, that includes 
the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, 
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing 
the collection of information.
    Therefore, 1,667 responses would impose total compliance costs of 
$2,084. While this is a new requirement, it would replace current trip 
termination and compensation trip reporting procedures, which were 
estimated to cost a total of $300 annually, so the additional burden 
for this new pre-landing requirement would be $1,785 ($2,085-$300), or 
$5.14 per vessel. This is likely an overestimate, but would account for 
the potential of higher access area scallop allocations in future 
fishing years. For the new DAS pre-landing requirements, NMFS estimates 
that this would likely impact 30 vessels and result in each of those 
vessels reporting one time a year. Public reporting burden for 
submitting these pre-landing notification forms is also estimated to 
average 5 minutes per response with an associated cost of $1.25. 
Therefore, the total cost of this would impose total compliance costs 
of $38 (30 vessels x $1.25). The total additional burden from both of 
these new pre-landing requirements would be $1,823.
    Public comment is sought regarding: whether this proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; the accuracy of the burden estimate; ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Send comments on 
these or any other aspects of the collection of information to the 
Regional Administrator (See ADDRESSES above), and email to 
OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov, or fax to (202) 395-5806.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number. All currently approved NOAA 
collections of information may be viewed at: https://www.cio.noaa.gov/services_programs/prasubs.html.
    This action contains no other compliance costs. It does not 
duplicate, overlap, or conflict with any other Federal law.

[[Page 13813]]

Federal Rules Which May Duplicate, Overlap or Conflict With This 
Proposed Rule

    The proposed regulations do not create overlapping regulations with 
any state regulations or other federal laws.

Description of Significant Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    The preferred alternative for LA allocations, which would allocate 
includes 30.86 DAS and 23,133 kg of scallops to be harvested in access 
areas to full-time vessels, as well as close a portion of the Elephant 
Trunk Access Area and extend the NLS closure, is expected to positively 
impact profitability of small entities regulated by this action. The 
estimated revenues and net revenue for scallop vessels and small 
business entities under all considered allocations alternatives, 
including the preferred alternative, are expected to be higher than 
both the No Action alternative (i.e., 2015 default measures 
conservatively set through Framework 25) and status quo levels (i.e., 
assuming same level of access as 2014). There are four different LA 
allocation alternative in Framework 26. Alternative 1 is the no action 
alternative which would allocate scallops based on the conservative 
default measures in Framework 25. Alternative 2 is the basic run 
alternative and it would have allocated the fleet access area trips 
similar to past years (one access area per trip; split trips for the 
fleet). Alternative 3 (preferred alternative) combines all three Mid-
Atlantic Access Areas and allows vessels to fish their trips in the 
combined area. Under Alternative 3 there are multiple options for 
closures to protect small scallops. The preferred alternative includes 
the options for a closure inside the combine Mid-Atlantic Access Area 
and an extension of the NLS. Finally, Alternative 4 would have set 
allocations similar to the basic run alternative, but reduced the 
overall F. The preferred alternative would have the largest revenue 
compared to all other alternatives in the 2015 fishing year, which 
would translate to higher profits (Table 5).

             Table 5--Estimated Fleet Revenue and Revenue per Limited Access Vessel in 2014 Dollars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Fleet scallop
         Fishing year              Alternative      revenue (*)   Revenue per FT  Change from no   % Ch. from SQ
                                                    ($ million)       vessel        action (%)        levels
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015..........................  ALT1. No Action.           263.0         748,731               0             -45
                                ALT2. Basic Run.           557.8       1,592,242             113              17
                                ALT3. NL + ETA             578.1       1,650,451             120              21
                                 (Preferred
                                 alt.).
                                ALT3. 3 new                567.1       1,618,858             116              19
                                 closures.
                                ALT3. CA2 + NL..           570.3       1,627,986             117              20
                                ALT4. Reduced F.           557.6       1,591,748             113              17
                                SQ. Status quo..           477.2       1,361,611              82               0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Overall LAGC IFQ allocations for the preferred alternative will be 
5.8 percent higher than the No Action (i.e., 2015 default allocations) 
and is 23 percent higher than the 2014 fishing year allocations. As a 
result, the preferred alternative is expected to have positive economic 
impacts on LAGC IFQ fishery. There are no other alternatives that would 
generate higher economic benefits for the scallop fishery as a whole, 
including the small business entities in the LAGC IFQ fishery. As for 
LAGC IFQ access area allocations, the preferred alternative would 
provide proportional access for LA and LAGC IFQ within the Mid-Atlantic 
Access Area (i.e., the LAGC fishery is projected to catch roughly 6.5 
percent of the total 2015 projected catch of the fishery, so roughly 
6.5 percent of the total access area catch available to the entire 
fishery could be landed on IFQ fleetwide trips), which should have 
positive impacts on the small business entities of the LAGC IFQ fishery 
by increasing flexibility and lowering costs. The preferred alternative 
would have higher economic benefits than No Action and compared to the 
2014 access area fleetwide IFQ trip allocations, but would have lower 
allocations than the alternative that would have increased the number 
of fleetwide trips to 10.4 percent of the total access area catch.
    Because the NGOM and incidental TACs are unchanged from previous 
years, those proposed allocations are not expected to directly impact 
small business entities.

Literature Cited

DuPaul, W. D., D. B. Rudders, and R. J. Smolowitz. 2004. Industry 
trials of a modified sea scallop dredge to minimize the catch of sea 
turtles. Final Report. November 2004. VIMS Marine Resources Report, 
No. 2004-12. 35 pp.
Smolowitz, R., H. Haas, H. O. Milliken, M. Weeks and E. Matzen. 
2010. Using Sea Turtle Carcasses to Assess the Conservation 
Potential of a Turtle Deflector Dredge. North American Journal of 
Fisheries Management 30: 993-1000.

List of Subjects

50 CFR Part 223

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, 
Transportation.

50 CFR Part 648

    Fisheries, Fishing, Recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

    Dated: March 6, 2015.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR parts 223 and 648 
are proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 223--THREATENED MARINE AND ANADROMOUS SPECIES

0
1. The authority citation for part 223 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 1543; subpart B, Sec.  223.201-202 
also issued under 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 5503(d) for 
Sec.  223.206(d)(9).2.

0
2. In Sec.  223.206 paragraph (d)(11) is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  223.206  Exceptions to prohibitions relating to sea turtles.

* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (11) Restrictions applicable to sea scallop dredges in the mid-
Atlantic--(i) Gear Modification. During the time period of May 1 
through November 30, any vessel with a sea scallop dredge and required 
to have a Federal Atlantic sea scallop fishery permit, regardless of 
dredge size or vessel permit category, that enters waters west of 
71[deg] W. long., from the shoreline to the outer boundary

[[Page 13814]]

of the Exclusive Economic Zone must have on each dredge a chain mat 
described as follows. The chain mat must be composed of horizontal 
(``tickler'') chains and vertical (``up-and-down'') chains that are 
configured such that the openings formed by the intersecting chains 
have no more than four sides. The vertical and horizontal chains must 
be hung to cover the opening of the dredge bag such that the vertical 
chains extend from the back of the cutting bar to the sweep. The 
horizontal chains must intersect the vertical chains such that the 
length of each side of the openings formed by the intersecting chains 
is less than or equal to 14 inches (35.5 cm) with the exception of the 
side of any individual opening created by the sweep. The chains must be 
connected to each other with a shackle or link at each intersection 
point. The measurement must be taken along the chain, with the chain 
held taut, and include one shackle or link at the intersection point 
and all links in the chain up to, but excluding, the shackle or link at 
the other intersection point.
    (ii) Any vessel that enters the waters described in paragraph 
(d)(11)(i) of this section and that is required to have a Federal 
Atlantic sea scallop fishery permit must have the chain mat 
configuration installed on all dredges for the duration of the trip.
    (iii) Vessels subject to the requirements in paragraphs (d)(11)(i) 
and (d)(11)(ii) of this section transiting waters west of 71[deg] W. 
long., from the shoreline to the outer boundary of the Exclusive 
Economic Zone, will be exempted from the chain-mat requirements 
provided the dredge gear is stowed in accordance with Sec.  648.2 and 
there are no scallops on-board.

PART 648--FISHERIES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

0
3. The authority citation for part 648 continues to read as follows:

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

0
4. In Sec.  648.10, paragraphs (e)(5)(iii) and (f)(4) are revised, and 
(f)(6) is added to read as follows:


Sec.  648.10  VMS and DAS requirements for vessel owners/operators.

* * * * *
    (e) * * *
    (5) * * *
    (iii) DAS counting for a vessel that is under the VMS notification 
requirements of paragraph (b) of this section, with the exception of 
vessels that have elected to fish exclusively in the Eastern U.S./
Canada Area on a particular trip, as described in paragraph (e)(5) of 
this section, begins with the first location signal received showing 
that the vessel crossed the VMS Demarcation Line after leaving port. 
DAS counting ends with the first location signal received showing that 
the vessel crossed the VMS Demarcation Line upon its return to port, 
unless the vessel is declared into a limited access scallop DAS trip 
and, upon its return to port, declares out of the scallop fishery 
shoreward of the VMS Demarcation Line at or south of 39[deg] N. lat., 
as specified in paragraph (f)(6) of this section, and lands in a port 
south of 39[deg] N. lat.
* * * * *
    (f) * * *
    (4) Catch reports. (i) The owner or operator of a limited access or 
LAGC IFQ vessel that fishes for, possesses, or retains scallops, and is 
not fishing under a NE Multispecies DAS or sector allocation, must 
submit reports through the VMS, in accordance with instructions to be 
provided by the Regional Administrator, for each day fished, including 
open area trips, access area trips as described in Sec.  648.60(a)(9), 
and trips accompanied by a NMFS-approved observer. The reports must be 
submitted for each day (beginning at 0000 hr and ending at 2400 hr) and 
not later than 0900 hr of the following day. Such reports must include 
the following information:
    (A) VTR serial number;
    (B) Date fish were caught;
    (C) Total pounds of scallop meats kept;
    (D) Total pounds of all fish kept.
    (ii) Scallop Pre-Landing Notification Form for IFQ and NGOM 
vessels. A vessel issued an IFQ or NGOM scallop permit must report 
through VMS, using the Scallop Pre-Landing Notification Form, the 
amount of any scallops kept on each trip declared as a scallop trip, 
including declared scallop trips where no scallops were landed. In 
addition, vessels with an IFQ or NGOM permit must submit a Scallop Pre-
Landing Notification Form on trips that are not declared as scallop 
trips, but on which scallops are kept incidentally. A limited access 
vessel that also holds an IFQ or NGOM permit must submit the Scallop 
Pre-Landing Notification Form only when fishing under the provisions of 
the vessel's IFQ or NGOM permit. VMS Scallop Pre-Landing Notification 
forms must be submitted no less than 6 hours prior to arrival, or, if 
fishing ends less than 6 hours before arrival, immediately after 
fishing ends. If scallops will be landed, the report must include the 
vessel operator's permit number, the amount of scallop meats in pounds 
to be landed, the number of bushels of in-shell scallops to be landed, 
the estimated time of arrival in port, the landing port and state where 
the scallops will be offloaded, the VTR serial number recorded from 
that trip's VTR (the same VTR serial number as reported to the dealer), 
and whether any scallops were caught in the NGOM. If no scallops will 
be landed, a vessel issued an IFQ or NGOM scallop permit must provide 
only the vessel's captain/operator's permit number, the VTR serial 
number recorded from that trip's VTR (the same VTR serial number as 
reported to the dealer), and confirmation that no scallops will be 
landed. A vessel issued an IFQ or NGOM scallop permit may provide a 
corrected report. If the report is being submitted as a correction of a 
prior report, the information entered into the notification form will 
replace the data previously submitted in the prior report. Submitting a 
correction does not prevent NMFS from pursuing an enforcement action 
for any false reporting.
    (iii) Scallop Pre-Landing Notification Form for Limited Access 
Vessels fishing on Scallop Access Area Trips. A limited access vessel 
on a declared Sea Scallop Access Area trip must report through VMS, 
using the Scallop Pre-Landing Notification Form, the amount of any 
scallops kept on each access area trip, including declared access area 
trips where no scallops were landed. The report must be submitted no 
less than 6 hours before arrival, or, if fishing ends less than 6 hours 
before arrival, immediately after fishing ends. If scallops will be 
landed, the report must include the vessel operator's permit number, 
the amount of scallop meats in pounds to be landed, the number of 
bushels of in-shell scallops to be landed, the estimated time of 
arrival, the landing port and state where the scallops will be 
offloaded, and the VTR serial number recorded from that trip's VTR (the 
same VTR serial number as reported to the dealer). If no scallops will 
be landed, a limited access vessel on a declared Sea Scallop Access 
Area trip must provide only the vessel's captain/operator's permit 
number, the VTR serial number recorded from that trip's VTR (the same 
VTR serial number as reported to the dealer), and confirmation that no 
scallops will be landed. A limited access scallop vessel may provide a 
corrected report. If the report is being submitted as a correction of a 
prior report, the information entered into the notification form will 
replace the data previously submitted in the prior report. Submitting a 
correction

[[Page 13815]]

does not prevent NMFS from pursuing an enforcement action for any false 
reporting. A vessel may not offload its catch from a Sea Scallop Access 
Area trip at more than one location per trip.
    (iv) Scallop Pre-Landing Notification Form for Limited Access 
Vessels on a Declared DAS Trip Landing Scallops at Ports Located at or 
South of 39[deg] N. Lat. In order to end a declared Sea Scallop DAS 
trip and steam south of 39[deg] N. lat., a limited access vessel must 
first report through VMS, using the Scallop Pre-Landing Notification 
Form, the amount of any scallops kept on its DAS trip. Upon crossing 
shoreward of the VMS Demarcation Line at or south of 39[deg] N. lat., 
the Scallop Pre-Landing Notification form must be submitted. The report 
must include the vessel operator's permit number, the amount of scallop 
meats in pounds to be landed, the estimated time of arrival in port, 
the landing port and state where the scallops will be offloaded, and 
the VTR serial number recorded from that trip's VTR (the same VTR 
serial number as reported to the dealer). Prior to crossing seaward of 
the VMS Demarcation Line for the transit to a southern port at or south 
of 39[deg] N. lat., the vessel must declare out of the scallop fishery. 
A limited access scallop vessel may provide a corrected report. If the 
report is being submitted as a correction of a prior report, the 
information entered into the notification form will replace the data 
previously submitted in the prior report. Submitting a correction does 
not prevent NMFS from pursuing an enforcement action for any false 
reporting.
* * * * *
    (6) Limited access scallop vessels fishing under the DAS Program 
and landing scallops at ports south of 39[deg] N. Lat. If landing 
scallops at a port located at or south of 39[deg] N. lat., a limited 
access vessel participating in the scallop DAS program may end its DAS 
trip once it has crossed shoreward of the VMS Demarcation Line at or 
south of 39[deg] N. lat. by declaring out of the scallop fishery and 
submitting the Scallop Pre-Landing Notification Form, as specified at 
paragraph (f)(4)(iv) of this section. Once declared out of the scallop 
fishery, and the vessel has submitted the Scallop Pre-Landing 
Notification Form, the vessel may cross seaward of the VMS Demarcation 
Line and steam to a port at or south of 39[deg] N. lat., to land 
scallops while not on a DAS. Such vessels that elect to change their 
declaration to steam to ports with scallops onboard and not accrue DAS 
must comply with all the requirements at Sec.  648.53(f)(3).
* * * * *
0
5. In Sec.  648.14, paragraphs (i)(2)(ii)(B), (i)(2)(iii)(C), 
(i)(2)(v)(D), (i)(3)(iii)(C), (i)(3)(iii)(D), (i)(4)(i)(C), (i)(5)(iii) 
are revised and paragraphs (i)(2)(iv)(F) and (i)(2)(v)(E) are added to 
read as follows:


Sec.  648.14  Prohibitions.

* * * * *
    (i) * * *
    (2) * * *
    (ii) * * *
    (B) While under or subject to the DAS allocation program, in 
possession of more than 40 lb (18.1 kg) of shucked scallops or 5 bu 
(1.76 hL) of in-shell scallops, or fishing for scallops in the EEZ:
    (1) Fish with, or have available for immediate use, trawl nets of 
mesh smaller than the minimum size specified in Sec.  648.51(a)(2).
    (2) Fail to comply with any chafing gear or other gear obstruction 
restrictions specified in Sec.  648.51(a)(3).
    (3) Fail to comply with the turtle deflector dredge vessel gear 
restrictions specified in Sec.  648.51(b)(5), and turtle dredge chain 
mat requirements in Sec.  223.206(d)(11) of this title.
    (4) Fish under the small dredge program specified in Sec.  
648.51(e), with, or while in possession of, a dredge that exceeds 10.5 
ft (3.2 m) in overall width, as measured at the widest point in the 
bail of the dredge.
    (5) Fish under the small dredge program specified in Sec.  
648.51(e) with more persons on board the vessel, including the 
operator, than specified in Sec.  648.51(e)(3),unless otherwise 
authorized by the Regional Administrator.
    (6) Participate in the DAS allocation program with more persons on 
board the vessel than the number specified in Sec.  648.51(c), 
including the operator, when the vessel is not docked or moored in 
port, unless otherwise authorized by the Regional Administrator.
    (7) Fish in the Mid-Atlantic Access Area, as described in Sec.  
648.59(a), with more persons on board the vessel than the number 
specified in Sec.  648.51(c) or Sec.  648.51(e)(3)(i), unless otherwise 
authorized by the Regional Administrator.
    (8) Have a shucking or sorting machine on board a vessel that 
shucks scallops at sea while fishing under the DAS allocation program, 
unless otherwise authorized by the Regional Administrator.
    (9) Fish with, possess on board, or land scallops while in 
possession of trawl nets, when fishing for scallops under the DAS 
allocation program, unless exempted as provided for in Sec.  648.51(f).
    (10) Fail to comply with the gear restrictions described in Sec.  
648.51.
* * * * *
    (iii) * * *
    (C) Fish for or land per trip, or possess at any time, scallops in 
the NGOM scallop management area after notification in the Federal 
Register that the NGOM scallop management area TAC has been harvested, 
as specified in Sec.  648.62, unless the vessel possesses or lands 
scallops that were harvested south of 42[deg]20' N. lat. and the vessel 
only transits the NGOM scallop management area with the vessel's 
fishing gear properly stowed and unavailable for immediate use in 
accordance with Sec.  648.2 or unless the vessel is fishing exclusively 
in state waters and is participating in an approved state waters 
exemption program as specified in Sec.  648.54.
* * * * *
    (iv) * * *
    (D) Fail to comply with any requirements for declaring out of the 
DAS allocation program and steaming to land scallops at ports located 
at or south of 39[deg] N. lat., as specified in Sec.  648.53(f)(3).
    (E) Possess on board or land in-shell scallops if declaring out of 
the DAS allocation program and steaming to land scallops at ports 
located at or south of 39[deg] N. lat.
    (v) * * *
    (D) Once declared into the scallop fishery in accordance with Sec.  
648.10(f), change its VMS declaration until the trip has ended and 
scallop catch has been offloaded, except as specified at Sec.  
648.53(f)(3).
    (E) Fail to submit a scallop access area pre-landing notification 
form through VMS as specified at Sec.  648.10(f)(4)(iii).
* * * * *
    (3) * * *
    (iii) * * *
    (C) Declare into the NGOM scallop management area after the 
effective date of a notification published in the Federal Register 
stating that the NGOM scallop management area TAC has been harvested as 
specified in Sec.  648.62, unless the vessel is fishing exclusively in 
state waters, declared a state-waters only NGOM trip, and is 
participating in an approved state waters exemption program as 
specified in Sec.  648.54.
    (D) Fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the NGOM scallop 
management area after the effective date of a notification published in 
the Federal Register that the NGOM scallop management area TAC has been 
harvested, as specified in Sec.  648.62, unless the vessel possesses or 
lands scallops that were harvested south of

[[Page 13816]]

42[deg]20' N. lat., the vessel is transiting the NGOM scallop 
management area, and the vessel's fishing gear is properly stowed and 
unavailable for immediate use in accordance with Sec.  648.2 or unless 
the vessel is fishing exclusively in state waters, declared a state-
waters only NGOM trip, and is participating in an approved state waters 
exemption program as specified in Sec.  648.54.
* * * * *
    (4) * * *
    (i) * * *
    (C) Declare into the NGOM scallop management area after the 
effective date of a notification published in the Federal Register 
stating that the NGOM scallop management area TAC has been harvested as 
specified in Sec.  648.62, unless the vessel is fishing exclusively in 
state waters, declared a state-waters only NGOM trip, and is 
participating in an approved state waters exemption program as 
specified in Sec.  648.54.
* * * * *
    (5) * * *
    (iii) Fish for, possess, or land scallops in state or Federal 
waters of the NGOM management area after the effective date of 
notification in the Federal Register that the NGOM scallop management 
area TAC has been harvested as specified in Sec.  648.62, unless the 
vessel is fishing exclusively in state waters, declared a state-waters 
only NGOM trip, and is participating in an approved state waters 
exemption program as specified in Sec.  648.54.
* * * * *
0
4. In Sec.  648.51:
0
a. Paragraphs (b)(4)(iv) and (v), (b)(5)(ii)(A) introductory text, 
(b)(5)(ii)(A)(3), and (c) introductory text are revised;
0
b. Paragraph (c)(1) is removed and reserved; and
0
c. Paragraph (e)(3)(i) is revised.
    The revisions read as follows:


Sec.  648.51  Gear and crew restrictions.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (4) * * *
    (iv) Twine top restrictions as a proactive accountability measure 
for bycatch. In addition to the minimum twine top mesh size specified 
in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, limited access and limited access 
general category IFQ vessels may not fish for scallops with a dredge 
having more than seven rows of non-overlapping steel rings unobstructed 
by netting or any other material between the terminus of the dredge 
(club stick) and the net material on the top of the dredge (twine top) 
(a copy of a diagram showing a schematic of a legal dredge with twine 
top is available from the Regional Administrator upon request).
    (v) Measurement of twine top mesh size. Twine top mesh size is 
measured by using a wedge-shaped gauge having a taper of 0.79 inches (2 
cm) in 3.15 inches (8 cm) and a thickness of 0.09 inches (2.3 mm), 
inserted into the meshes under a pressure or pull of 17.64 lb (8 kg). 
The mesh size is the average of the measurements of any series of 20 
consecutive meshes for twine tops having 75 or more meshes, and 10 
consecutive meshes for twine tops having fewer than 75 meshes. The mesh 
in the twine top must be measured along the length of the twine top, 
running parallel to a longitudinal axis, and be at least five meshes 
away from where the twine top mesh meets the rings, running parallel to 
the long axis of the twine top.
    (5) * * *
    (ii) * * *
    (A) From May 1 through November 30, any limited access scallop 
vessel using a dredge, regardless of dredge size or vessel permit 
category, or any LAGC IFQ scallop vessel fishing with a dredge with a 
width of 10.5 ft (3.2 m) or greater, that is fishing for scallops in 
waters west of 71[deg] W long., from the shoreline to the outer 
boundary of the EEZ, must use a TDD. The TDD requires five 
modifications to the rigid dredge frame, as specified in paragraphs 
(b)(5)(ii)(A)(1) through (b)(5)(ii)(A)(5) of this section. See 
paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(D) of this section for more specific descriptions 
of the dredge elements mentioned below.
* * * * *
    (3) All bale bars must be removed, except the outer bale (single or 
double) bars and the center support beam, leaving an otherwise 
unobstructed space between the cutting bar and forward bale wheels, if 
present. The center support beam must be less than 6 inches (15.24 cm) 
wide. For the purpose of flaring and safe handling of the dredge, a 
minor appendage not to exceed 12 inches (30.5 cm) in length may be 
attached to each of the outer bale bars. If the flaring bar is attached 
in a u-shape, none of the three sides of the flaring bar shall exceed 
12 inches (30.5 cm) in length. The appendage shall at no point be 
closer than 12 inches (30.5 cm) to the cutting bar.
* * * * *
    (c) Crew restrictions. A limited access vessel participating in or 
subject to the scallop DAS allocation program may have no more than 
seven people aboard, including the operator, and a limited access 
vessel participating in the Sea Scallop Area Access Program as 
specified in Sec.  648.60 may have no more than eight people aboard, 
including the operator, when not docked or moored in port, except as 
follows:
* * * * *
    (e) * * *
    (3) * * *
    (i) A vessel participating in the Sea Scallop Area Access Program 
as specified in Sec.  648.60 may have no more than six people, 
including the operator, on board.
* * * * *
0
5. In Sec.  648.53, paragraphs (a), (b)(1), and (b)(4) are revised, 
paragraph (f)(3) is added, and paragraph (g)(1) is revised to read as 
follows:


Sec.  648.53  Acceptable biological catch (ABC), annual catch limits 
(ACL), annual catch targets (ACT), DAS allocations, and individual 
fishing quotas (IFQ).

    (a) Scallop fishery ABC. The ABC for the scallop fishery shall be 
established through the framework adjustment process specified in Sec.  
648.55 and is equal to the overall scallop fishery ACL minus discards. 
The ABC/ACL, after discards are removed, shall be divided as sub-ACLs 
between limited access vessels, limited access vessels that are fishing 
under a LAGC permit, and LAGC vessels as specified in paragraphs (a)(3) 
and (a)(4) of this section, after deducting the scallop incidental 
catch target TAC specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, 
observer set-aside specified in paragraph (g)(1) of this section, and 
research set-aside specified in Sec.  648.56(d). The ABC/ACL for the 
2016 fishing year is subject to change through a future framework 
adjustment.
    (1) ABC/ACL for fishing years 2015 through 2016, excluding 
discards, shall be:
    (i) 2015: 25,352 mt.
    (ii) 2016: 31,807 mt.
    (2) Scallop incidental catch target TAC. The annual incidental 
catch target TAC for vessels with incidental catch scallop permits is 
22.7 mt.
    (3) Limited access fleet sub-ACL and ACT. The limited access 
scallop fishery shall be allocated 94.5 percent of the ACL specified in 
paragraph (a)(1) of this section, after deducting incidental catch, 
observer set-aside, and research set-aside, as specified in this 
paragraph (a)(3). ACT for the limited access scallop fishery shall be 
established through the framework adjustment process described in Sec.  
648.55. DAS specified in paragraph (b) of this section shall be based 
on the ACTs specified in paragraph (a)(3)(ii) of this section. The 
limited access fleet sub-ACL and ACT for the 2016 fishing year are 
subject to change through a future framework adjustment.

[[Page 13817]]

    (i) The limited access fishery sub-ACLs for fishing years 2015 and 
2016 are:
    (A) 2015: 23,161 mt.
    (B) 2016: 29,200 mt.
    (ii) The limited access fishery ACTs for fishing years 2015 and 
2016 are:
    (A) 2015: 19,311 mt.
    (B) 2016: 23,016 mt.
    (4) LAGC fleet sub-ACL. The sub-ACL for the LAGC IFQ fishery shall 
be equal to 5.5 percent of the ACL specified in paragraph (a)(1) of 
this section, after deducting incidental catch, observer set-aside, and 
research set-aside, as specified in this paragraph (a)(4). The LAGC IFQ 
fishery ACT shall be equal to the LAGC IFQ fishery's ACL. The ACL for 
the LAGC IFQ fishery for vessels issued only a LAGC IFQ scallop permit 
shall be equal to 5 percent of the ACL specified in paragraph (a)(1) of 
this section, after deducting incidental catch, observer set-aside, and 
research set-aside, as specified in this paragraph (a)(4). The ACL for 
the LAGC IFQ fishery for vessels issued only both a LAGC IFQ scallop 
permit and a limited access scallop permit shall be 0.5 percent of the 
ACL specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, after deducting 
incidental catch, observer set-aside, and research set-aside, as 
specified in this paragraph (a)(4).
    (i) The ACLs for fishing years 2015 and 2016 for LAGC IFQ vessels 
without a limited access scallop permit are:
    (A) 2015: 1,225 mt.
    (B) 2016: 1,545 mt.
    (ii) The ACLs for fishing years 2015 and 2016 for vessels issued 
both a LAGC and a limited access scallop permits are:
    (A) 2015: 123 mt.
    (B) 2016: 154 mt.
    (b) * * *
    (1) Landings per unit effort (LPUE). LPUE is an estimate of the 
average amount of scallops, in pounds, that the limited access scallop 
fleet lands per DAS fished. The estimated LPUE is the average LPUE for 
all limited access scallop vessels fishing under DAS, and shall be used 
to calculate DAS specified in paragraph (b)(4) of this section, the DAS 
reduction for the AM specified in paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section, 
and the observer set-aside DAS allocation specified in paragraph (g)(1) 
of this section. LPUE shall be:
    (i) 2015 fishing year: 2,594 lb/DAS (1,171 kg/DAS).
    (ii) 2016 fishing year: 2,715 lb/DAS (1,175 kg/DAS).
    (iii) [Reserved]
* * * * *
    (4) Each vessel qualifying for one of the three DAS categories 
specified in the table in this paragraph (b)(4) (full-time, part-time, 
or occasional) shall be allocated the maximum number of DAS for each 
fishing year it may participate in the open area limited access scallop 
fishery, according to its category, excluding carryover DAS in 
accordance with paragraph (d) of this section. DAS allocations shall be 
determined by distributing the portion of ACT specified in paragraph 
(a)(3)(ii) of this section, as reduced by access area allocations 
specified in Sec.  648.59, and dividing that amount among vessels in 
the form of DAS calculated by applying estimates of open area LPUE 
specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. Allocation for part-time 
and occasional scallop vessels shall be 40 percent and 8.33 percent of 
the full-time DAS allocations, respectively. The annual open area DAS 
allocations for each category of vessel for the fishing years indicated 
are as follows:

                    Scallop Open Area DAS Allocations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Permit category                      2015       2016
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full-Time........................................      30.86       26
Part-Time........................................      12.94       10.40
Occasional.......................................       2.58        2.17
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (i) [Reserved]
    (ii) Accountability measures (AM). Unless the limited access AM 
exception is implemented in accordance with the provision specified in 
paragraph (b)(4)(iii) of this section, if the ACL specified in 
paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section is exceeded for the applicable 
fishing year, the DAS specified in paragraph (b)(4) of this section for 
each limited access vessel shall be reduced by an amount equal to the 
amount of landings in excess of the ACL divided by the applicable LPUE 
for the fishing year in which the AM will apply as specified in 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section, then divided by the number of scallop 
vessels eligible to be issued a full-time limited access scallop 
permit. For example, assuming a 300,000-lb (136-mt) overage of the ACL 
in 2011, an open area LPUE of 2,500 lb (1.13 mt) per DAS in 2012, and 
313 full-time vessels, each full-time vessel's DAS would be reduced by 
0.38 DAS (300,000 lb (136 mt)/2,500 lb (1.13 mt) per DAS = 120 lb (0.05 
mt) per DAS/313 vessels = 0.38 DAS per vessel). Deductions in DAS for 
part-time and occasional scallop vessels shall be 40 percent and 8.33 
percent of the full-time DAS deduction, respectively, as calculated 
pursuant to this paragraph (b)(4)(ii). The AM shall take effect in the 
fishing year following the fishing year in which the overage occurred. 
For example, landings in excess of the ACL in fishing year 2011 would 
result in the DAS reduction AM in fishing year 2012. If the AM takes 
effect, and a limited access vessel uses more open area DAS in the 
fishing year in which the AM is applied, the vessel shall have the DAS 
used in excess of the allocation after applying the AM deducted from 
its open area DAS allocation in the subsequent fishing year. For 
example, a vessel initially allocated 32 DAS in 2011 uses all 32 DAS 
prior to application of the AM. If, after application of the AM, the 
vessel's DAS allocation is reduced to 31 DAS, the vessel's DAS in 2012 
would be reduced by 1 DAS.
    (iii) Limited access AM exception. If NMFS determines, in 
accordance with paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section, that the fishing 
mortality rate associated with the limited access fleet's landings in a 
fishing year is less than 0.34, the AM specified in paragraph 
(b)(4)(ii) of this section shall not take effect. The fishing mortality 
rate of 0.34 is the fishing mortality rate that is one standard 
deviation below the fishing mortality rate for the scallop fishery ACL, 
currently estimated at 0.38.
    (iv) Limited access fleet AM and exception provision timing. The 
Regional Administrator shall determine whether the limited access fleet 
exceeded its ACL specified in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section by 
July of the fishing year following the year for which landings are 
being evaluated. On or about July 1, the Regional Administrator shall 
notify the New England Fishery Management Council of the determination 
of whether or not the ACL for the limited access fleet was exceeded, 
and the amount of landings in excess of the ACL. Upon this 
notification, the Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT) shall evaluate 
the overage and determine if the fishing mortality rate associated with 
total landings by the limited access scallop fleet is less than 0.34. 
On or about September 1 of each year, the Scallop PDT shall notify the 
Council of its determination, and the Council, on or about September 
30, shall make a recommendation, based on the Scallop PDT findings, 
concerning whether to invoke the limited access AM exception. If NMFS 
concurs with the Scallop PDT's recommendation to invoke the limited 
access AM exception, in accordance with the APA, the limited access AM 
shall not be implemented. If NMFS does not concur, in accordance with 
the APA, the limited access AM shall be implemented as soon as possible 
after September 30 each year.
* * * * *

[[Page 13818]]

    (f) * * *
    (3) Limited access scallop vessels fishing under the DAS Program 
and landing scallops at a port located at or south of 39[deg] N. Lat. 
If landing scallops at a port located at or south of 39[deg] N. lat., a 
limited access vessel participating in the scallop DAS program may end 
its DAS trip once shoreward of the VMS Demarcation Line at or south of 
39[deg] N. lat. by declaring out of the scallop fishery. Once declared 
out of the scallop fishery, the vessel may cross seaward of the VMS 
Demarcation Line and steam to ports at or south of 39[deg] N. lat., to 
land scallops while not on a DAS, provided that the vessel complies 
with the following requirements:
    (i) The vessel must submit a Scallop Pre-landing Notification Form, 
as specified at Sec.  648.10(f)(4)(iv);
    (ii) The vessel's fishing gear is stowed and not available for 
immediate use as defined in Sec.  648.2;
    (iii) The vessel must return directly to port and offload scallops;
    (iv) The vessel must land scallops at a port located at or south of 
39[deg] N. lat.; and
    (v) The vessel may not possess in-shell scallops.
    (g) Set-asides for observer coverage. (1) To help defray the cost 
of carrying an observer, 1 percent of the ABC/ACL specified in 
paragraph (a)(1) of this section shall be set aside to be used by 
vessels that are assigned to take an at-sea observer on a trip. The 
total TAC for observer set aside is 254 mt in fishing year 2015, and 
318 mt in fishing year 2016.
* * * * *
0
6. In Sec.  648.54, paragraphs (a)(4) and (b) through (g) are revised 
and paragraph (h) is added to read as follows:


Sec.  648.54  State waters exemption.

* * * * *
    (a) * * *
    (4) The Regional Administrator has determined that the State of 
Maine has a scallop fishery conservation program for its scallop 
fishery that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing mortality/
effort limit objectives of the Scallop FMP. A vessel fishing in State 
of Maine waters may fish under the State of Maine state waters 
exemption, subject to the exemptions specified in paragraphs (b) and 
(c) of this section, provided the vessel is in compliance with 
paragraphs (e) through (g) of this section.
    (b) Limited access scallop vessel exemption. Any vessel issued a 
limited access scallop permit is exempt from the DAS requirements 
specified in Sec.  648.53(b) while fishing exclusively landward of the 
outer boundary of the waters of a state that has been issued a state 
waters exemption under paragraph (a)(4) of this section, provided the 
vessel complies with paragraphs (f) through (h) of this section.
    (c) Gear and possession limit restrictions. Any vessel issued a 
limited access scallop permit, an LAGC NGOM, or an LAGC IFQ scallop 
permit is exempt from the minimum twine top mesh size for scallop 
dredge gear specified in Sec. Sec.  648.51(b)(2) and (b)(4)(iv) while 
fishing exclusively landward of the outer boundary of the waters of the 
State of Maine under the state waters exemption specified in paragraph 
(a)(4) of this section, provided the vessel is in compliance with 
paragraphs (d) through (g) of this section.
    (d) NGOM closure exemption. Any vessel issued a Federal scallop 
permit may be exempt from the regulations specified in Sec.  
648.52(b)(2) requiring that once the NGOM Federal hard TAC is reached, 
no vessel issued a scallop permit may fish in the NGOM area. This 
exemption, which a state must apply for through the process specified 
in paragraph (a) of this section, would allow vessels to continue to 
fish for scallops within a state's waters inside the NGOM. A state 
applying for this exemption must clarify to which scallop permit types 
this exemption would apply.
    (e) Notification requirements. Vessels fishing under the exemptions 
specified in paragraph (b) and/or (c) of this section must notify the 
Regional Administrator in accordance with the provisions of Sec.  
648.10(e).
    (f) Restriction on fishing in the EEZ. A vessel fishing under a 
state waters exemption may not fish in the EEZ during the time in which 
it is fishing under the state waters exemption, as declared under the 
notification requirements of this section.
    (g) Duration of exemption. An exemption expires upon a change in 
the vessel's name or ownership, or upon notification through VMS by the 
participating vessel's owner.
    (h) Applicability of other provisions of this part. A vessel 
fishing under the exemptions provided by paragraphs (b) and/or (c) of 
this section remains subject to all other requirements of this part.
0
7. Section 648.58 is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  648.58  Rotational Closed Areas.

    (a) Closed Area I Closed Area-- No vessel may fish for scallops in, 
or possess or land scallops from, the area known as the Closed Area I 
Closed Area. No vessel may possess scallops in the Closed Area I Closed 
Area, unless such vessel is only transiting the area as provided in 
paragraph (e) of this section. The Closed Area I Closed Area is defined 
by straight lines connecting the following points in the order stated 
(copies of a chart depicting this area are available from the Regional 
Administrator upon request), and so that the line connecting points 
CAIA3 and CAIA4 is the same as the portion of the western boundary line 
of Closed Area I, defined in Sec.  648.81(a)(1), that lies between 
points CAIA3 and CAIA4:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Point                               Latitude                      Longitude             Note
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAIA1....................................  41[deg]26' N.                  68[deg]30' W.                 ........
CAIA2....................................  40[deg]58' N.                  68[deg]30' W.                 ........
CAIA3....................................  40[deg]54.95' N.               68[deg]53.37' W.                (\1\)
CAIA4....................................  41[deg]04.32' N.               69[deg]01.27' W.                (\1\)
CAIA1....................................  41[deg]26' N.                  68[deg]30' W.                 ........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ From Point CAIA3 to Point CAIA4 along the western boundary of Closed Area I, defined in Sec.   648.81(a)(1).

    (b) Closed Area II Closed Area-- No vessel may fish for scallops 
in, or possess or land scallops from, the area known as the Closed Area 
II Closed Area. No vessel may possess scallops in the Closed Area II 
Closed Area. The Closed Area II Closed Area is defined by straight 
lines, except where noted, connecting the following points in the order 
stated (copies of a chart depicting this area are available from the 
Regional Administrator upon request):

[[Page 13819]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Point                               Latitude                      Longitude             Note
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAIIA1...................................  41[deg]00' N.                  67[deg]20' W.                 ........
CAIIA2...................................  41[deg]00' N.                  66[deg]35.8' W.               ........
CAIIA3...................................  41[deg]18.6' N.                (\1\)                           (\2\)
CAIIA4...................................  41[deg]30' N.                  (\3\)                           (\2\)
CAIIA5...................................  41[deg]30' N.                  67[deg]20' W.                 ........
CAIIA1...................................  41[deg]00' N.                  67[deg]20' W.                 ........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The intersection of 41[deg]18.6' N. lat. and the U.S.-Canada Maritime Boundary, approximately 41[deg]18.6'
  N. lat. and 66[deg]25.01' W. long.
\2\ From Point CAIIA3 connected to Point CAIIA4 along the U.S.-Canada Maritime Boundary.
\3\ The intersection of 41[deg]30' N. lat. and the U.S.-Canada Maritime Boundary, approximately 41[deg]30' N.
  lat., 66[deg]34.73' W. long.

    (c) Nantucket Lightship Closed Area-- No vessel may fish for 
scallops in, or possess or land scallops from, the area known as the 
Nantucket Lightship Closed Area. No vessel may possess scallops in the 
Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, unless such vessel is only transiting 
the area as provided in paragraph (e) of this section. The Nantucket 
Lightship Closed Area is defined by straight lines connecting the 
following points in the order stated (copies of a chart depicting this 
area are available from the Regional Administrator upon request),

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Point                     Latitude            Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NLAA1..........................  40[deg]50' N.        69[deg]30' W.
NLAA2..........................  40[deg]50' N.        69[deg]00' W.
NLAA3..........................  40[deg]33' N.        69[deg]00' W.
NLAA4..........................  40[deg]33' N.        68[deg]48' W.
NLAA5..........................  40[deg]20' N.        68[deg]48' W.
NLAA6..........................  40[deg]20' N.        69[deg]30' W.
NLAA1..........................  40[deg]50' N.        69[deg]30' W.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (d) Elephant Trunk Closed Area-- No vessel may fish for scallops 
in, or possess or land scallops from, the area known as the Elephant 
Trunk Closed Area. No vessel may possess scallops in Elephant Trunk 
Closed Area. The Elephant Trunk Closed Area is defined by straight 
lines connecting the following points in the order stated (copies of a 
chart depicting this area are available from the Regional Administrator 
upon request).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Point                     Latitude            Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ETCA 1.........................  38[deg]50' N.        74[deg]20' W.
ETCA 2.........................  38[deg]50' N.        73[deg]40' W.
ETCA 3.........................  38[deg]40' N.        73[deg]40' W.
ETCA 4.........................  38[deg]40' N.        73[deg]50' W.
ETCA 5.........................  38[deg]30' N.        73[deg]50' W.
ETCA 6.........................  38[deg]30' N.        74[deg]20' W.
ETCA 1.........................  38[deg]50' N.        74[deg]20' W.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (e) Transiting. No vessel possessing scallops may enter or be in 
the area(s) specified in paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section unless 
the vessel is transiting the area and the vessel's fishing gear is 
stowed and not available for immediate use as defined in Sec.  648.2, 
or there is a compelling safety reason to be in such areas without such 
gear being stowed. A vessel may only transit the Closed Area II Closed 
Area, as described in paragraph (b) of this section, or the Elephant 
Trunk Closed Area, as described in paragraph (d) of this section, if 
there is a compelling safety reason for transiting the area and the 
vessel's fishing gear is stowed and not available for immediate use as 
defined in Sec.  648.2.
    (f) Vessels fishing for species other than scallops. A vessel may 
fish for species other than scallops within the closed areas specified 
in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section as allowed in this part, 
provided the vessel does not fish for, catch, or retain scallops or 
intend to fish for, catch, or retain scallops. Declaration through VMS 
that the vessel is fishing in the LAGC scallop fishery is deemed to be 
an intent to fish for, catch, or retain scallops.
0
8. In Sec.  648.59:
0
a. Paragraphs (a), (b) introductory text, (b)(1), (c) introductory 
text, and (c)(1) are revised;
0
b. Paragraph (c)(2) is removed and reserved;
0
c. Paragraphs (d) introductory text and (d)(1) are revised; and
0
d. Paragraphs (d)(2) and (e) are removed and reserved.
    The revisions read as follows:


Sec.  648.59  Sea Scallop Access Areas.

    (a) Mid-Atlantic Scallop Access Area--(1) Beginning March 1, 2015, 
through February 28, 2017 (i.e., fishing years 2015 and 2016), a vessel 
issued a scallop permit may not fish for, possess, or land scallops in 
or from the area known as the Mid-Atlantic Access Area unless the 
vessel is participating in, and complies with the requirements of, the 
area access program described in Sec.  648.60. The Mid-Atlantic Access 
Area is comprised of the following scallop access areas: The Delmarva 
Scallop Access Area, as described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section; 
the Elephant Trunk Scallop Access Area, as described in paragraph 
(a)(3) of this section; and the Hudson Canyon Scallop Access Area, as 
described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section.
    (2) Delmarva Scallop Access Area. The Delmarva Scallop Access Area 
is defined by straight lines connecting the following points in the 
order stated (copies of a chart depicting this area are available from 
the Regional Administrator upon request):

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Point                     Latitude            Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DMV1...........................  38[deg]10' N.        74[deg]50' W.
DMV2...........................  38[deg]10' N.        74[deg]00' W.
DMV3...........................  37[deg]15' N.        74[deg]00' W.
DMV4...........................  37[deg]15' N.        74[deg]50' W.
DMV1...........................  38[deg]10' N.        74[deg]50' W.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (i) Season. A vessel issued a scallop permit may not fish for, 
possess, or land scallops in or from the area known as the Delmarva Sea 
Scallop Access Area, described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, 
during the period of March 1, 2016, through March 31, 2016.
    (3) Elephant Trunk Scallop Access Area. The Elephant Trunk Scallop 
Access Area is defined by straight lines connecting the following 
points in the order stated (copies of a chart depicting this area are 
available from the Regional Administrator upon request):

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Point                     Latitude            Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ETAA1..........................  38[deg]30' N.        74[deg]20' W.
ETAA2..........................  38[deg]30' N.        73[deg]50' W.
ETAA3..........................  38[deg]40' N.        73[deg]50' W.
ETAA4..........................  38[deg]40' N.        73[deg]40' W.
ETAA5..........................  38[deg]50' N.        73[deg]40' W.
ETAA6..........................  38[deg]50' N.        73[deg]30' W.
ETAA7..........................  38[deg]10' N.        73[deg]30' W.
ETAA8..........................  38[deg]10' N.        74[deg]20' W.
ETAA1..........................  38[deg]30' N.        74[deg]20' W.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (4) Hudson Canyon Scallop Access Area. The Hudson Canyon Scallop 
Access Area is defined by straight lines connecting the following 
points in the order stated (copies of a chart depicting this area are 
available from the Regional Administrator upon request):

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Point                     Latitude            Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------
H1.............................  39[deg]30' N.        73[deg]10' W.
H2.............................  39[deg]30' N.        72[deg]30' W.
H3.............................  38[deg]30' N.        73[deg]30' W.
H4.............................  38[deg]50' N.        73[deg]30' W.
H5.............................  38[deg]50' N.        73[deg]42' W.
H1.............................  39[deg]30' N.        73[deg]10' W.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 13820]]

    (b) Closed Area I Scallop Access Area--(1) From March 1, 2015, 
through February 28, 2017 (i.e., fishing years 2015 and 2016), a vessel 
issued a scallop permit may not fish for, possess, or land scallops in 
or from, the area known as the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area, 
described in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, unless transiting in 
accordance with paragraph (f) of this section. A vessel issued both a 
NE multispecies permit and an LAGC scallop permit may not fish in an 
approved SAP under Sec.  648.85 and under multispecies DAS in the 
scallop access area, unless it complies with restrictions in paragraph 
(b)(5)(ii)(C) of this section.
* * * * *
    (c) Closed Area II Scallop Access Area--(1) From March 1, 2015, 
through February 28, 2017 (i.e., fishing years 2015 and 2016), a vessel 
issued a scallop permit may not fish for, possess, or land scallops in 
or from, the area known as the Closed Area II Access Area, described in 
paragraph (c)(3) of this section, unless transiting in accordance with 
paragraph (f) of this section. A vessel issued both a NE multispecies 
permit and an LAGC scallop permit may not fish in an approved SAP under 
Sec.  648.85 and under multispecies DAS in the scallop access area, 
unless it complies with restrictions in paragraph (c)(5)(ii)(C) of this 
section.
* * * * *
    (d) Nantucket Lightship Scallop Access Area--(1) From March 1, 
2015, through February 28, 2017 (i.e., fishing years 2015 and 2016), a 
vessel issued a scallop permit may not fish for, possess, or land 
scallops in or from the area known as the Nantucket Lightship Access 
Area, described in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, unless transiting 
pursuant to paragraph (f) of this section. A vessel issued both a NE 
multispecies permit and an LAGC scallop permit may not fish in an 
approved SAP under Sec.  648.85 and under multispecies DAS in the 
scallop access area, unless it complies with restrictions in paragraph 
(d)(5)(ii)(C) of this section.
* * * * *
0
9. In Sec.  648.60, paragraphs (a)(1), (a)(3), (a)(5)(i), (a)(9), (c), 
(e)(1), (g)(3)(i) are revised to read as follows:


Sec.  648.60  Sea scallop access area program requirements.

    (a) * * *
    (1) VMS. Each vessel participating in the Sea Scallop Access Area 
Program must have installed on board an operational VMS unit that meets 
the minimum performance criteria specified in Sec. Sec.  648.9 and 
648.10, and paragraphs (a)(9) and (f) of this section.
* * * * *
    (3) Sea Scallop Access Area Allocations--(i) Limited access vessel 
allocations.
    (A) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, paragraphs 
(a)(3)(i)(B) through (E) of this section specify the total amount of 
scallops, in weight, that a limited access scallop vessel may harvest 
from Sea Scallop Access Areas during applicable seasons specified in 
Sec.  648.59. A vessel may not possess or land in excess of its scallop 
allocation assigned to specific Sea Scallop Access Areas, unless 
authorized by the Regional Administrator, as specified in paragraph (d) 
of this section, unless the vessel owner has exchanged an area-specific 
scallop allocation with another vessel owner for additional scallop 
allocation in that area, as specified in paragraph (a)(3)(ii) of this 
section. A vessel may harvest its scallop allocation, as specified in 
paragraph (a)(3)(B) of this section, on any number of trips in a given 
fishing year, provided that no single trip exceeds the possession 
limits specified in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, unless authorized 
by the Regional Administrator, as specified in paragraphs (c) and (d) 
of this section,
    (B) Full-time scallop vessels. (1) In fishing year 2015, each full-
time vessel shall have a total of 51,000 lb (23,133 kg) of scallops 
that may be harvested from the Mid-Atlantic Access Area, as defined in 
Sec.  648.59(a).
    (2) For the 2016 fishing year, each full-time vessel shall have a 
total of 17,000 lb (7,711 kg) of scallops that may be harvested from 
the Mid-Atlantic Access Area, as defined in Sec.  648.59(a), starting 
on April 1, 2016.
    (C) Part-time scallop vessels. (1) For the 2015 fishing year, each 
part-time scallop vessel shall have a total of 20,400 lb (9,253 kg) of 
scallop that may be harvested from the Mid-Atlantic Access Area, as 
defined in Sec.  648.59(a).
    (2) For the 2015 fishing year, each part-time scallop vessel shall 
have a total of 10,200 lb (4,627 kg) of scallop that may be harvested 
from the Mid-Atlantic Access Area, as defined in Sec.  648.59(a), 
starting on April 1, 2016.
    (D) Occasional scallop vessels. (1) For the 2015 fishing year, each 
occasional scallop vessel shall have a total of 4,250 lb (1,928 kg) of 
scallop that may be harvested from the Mid-Atlantic Access Area, as 
defined in Sec.  648.59(a).
    (2) For the 2016 fishing year, each occasional scallop vessel shall 
have a total of 1,420 lb (644 kg) of scallop that may be harvested from 
the Mid-Atlantic Access Area, as defined in Sec.  648.59(a), starting 
on April 1, 2016.
    (ii) One-for-one area access allocation exchanges. The owner of a 
vessel issued a limited access scallop permit may exchange unharvested 
scallop pounds allocated into one access area for another vessel's 
unharvested scallop pounds allocated into another Sea Scallop Access 
Area. These exchanges may only be made for the amount of the current 
trip possession limit, as specified in paragraph (a)(5) of this 
section. For example, if the access area trip possession limit for 
full-time vessels is 17,000 lb (7,711 kg), a full-time vessel may 
exchange no less than 17,000 lb (7,711 kg), from one access area for no 
more or less than 17,000 lb (7,711 kg) allocated to another vessel for 
another access area. In addition, these exchanges may be made only 
between vessels with the same permit category: A full-time vessel may 
not exchange allocations with a part-time vessel, and vice versa. 
Vessel owners must request these exchanges by submitting a completed 
Access Area Allocation Exchange Form at least 15 days before the date 
on which the applicant desires the exchange to be effective. Exchange 
forms are available from the Regional Administrator upon request. Each 
vessel owner involved in an exchange is required to submit a completed 
Access Area Allocation Form. The Regional Administrator shall review 
the records for each vessel to confirm that each vessel has enough 
unharvested allocation remaining in a given access area to exchange. 
The exchange is not effective until the vessel owner(s) receive a 
confirmation in writing from the Regional Administrator that the 
allocation exchange has been made effective. A vessel owner may 
exchange equal allocations up to the current possession limit between 
two or more vessels under his/her ownership. A vessel owner holding a 
Confirmation of Permit History is not eligible to exchange allocations 
between another vessel and the vessel for which a Confirmation of 
Permit History has been issued.
* * * * *
    (5) Possession and landing limits--(i) Scallop possession limits. 
Unless authorized by the Regional Administrator, as specified in 
paragraph (d) of this section, after declaring a trip into a Sea 
Scallop Access Area, a vessel owner or operator of a limited access 
scallop vessel may fish for, possess, and land, per trip, scallops, up 
to the maximum amounts specified in the table in this paragraph (a)(5). 
No vessel declared into the Access Areas as described in Sec.  
648.59(a) through (e) may possess more than 50 bu (17.62 hL) of

[[Page 13821]]

in-shell scallops outside of the Access Areas described in Sec.  
648.59(a) through (e).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Permit category possession limit
             Fishing year             --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              Full-time                Part-time                Occasional
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015.................................  17,000 lb (57,711 kg)..  10,200 lb (4,627 kg)...  1,420 lb (644kg).
2016.................................  17,000 lb (57,711 kg)..  10,200 lb (4,627 kg)...  1,420 lb (644kg).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *
    (9) Reporting. The owner or operator must submit scallop catch 
reports through the VMS, as specified in Sec.  648.10(f)(4)(i), and 
limited access scallop access area pre-landing notification forms, as 
specified in Sec.  648.10(f)(4)(iii).
* * * * *
    (c) Access area scallop allocation carryover. Unless otherwise 
specified in Sec.  648.59, a limited access scallop vessel operator may 
fish any unharvested Scallop Access Area allocation from a given 
fishing year within the first 60 days of the subsequent fishing year if 
the Access Area is open. For example, if a full-time vessel has 7,000 
lb (3,175 kg) remaining in the Hudson Canyon Access Area at the end of 
fishing year 2013, that vessel may harvest 7,000 lb (3,175 kg) from its 
2014 fishing year scallop access area allocation during the first 60 
days that the Hudson Canyon Access Area is open in fishing year 2014 
(March 1, 2014, through April 29, 2014). Unless otherwise specified in 
Sec.  648.59, if an Access Area is not open in the subsequent fishing 
year, then the unharvested scallop allocation would expire at the end 
of the fishing year that the scallops were allocated. For example, if a 
full-time vessel has 7,000 lb (3,175 kg) remaining in Closed Area II 
Access Area at the end of a given fishing year, and that access area 
would not open the subsequent fishing year, the 7,000 lb (3,175 kg) of 
scallops would expire on the last day of the fishing year.
* * * * *
    (e) Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Harvest in Access Areas--(1) 
Access Areas available for harvest of research set-aside (RSA). Unless 
otherwise specified, RSA may be harvested in any access area that is 
open in a given fishing year, as specified through a framework 
adjustment and pursuant to Sec.  648.56. The amount of scallops that 
can be harvested in each access area by vessels participating in 
approved RSA projects shall be determined through the RSA application 
review and approval process. The access areas open for RSA harvest for 
fishing years 2015 and 2016 are:
    (i) 2015: The Mid-Atlantic Scallop Access Area, as specified in 
Sec.  648.59(a)
    (ii) 2016: None.
* * * * *
    (g) * * *
    (3) LAGC IFQ Access Area Trips. (i) An LAGC scallop vessel 
authorized to fish in the Access Areas specified in Sec.  648.59(a) 
through (e) may land scallops, subject to the possession limit 
specified in Sec.  648.52(a), unless the Regional Administrator has 
issued a notice that the number of LAGC IFQ access area trips have been 
or are projected to be taken. The total number of LAGC IFQ trips in a 
specified Access Area for fishing year 2015 and 2016 are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Access area                     2015            2016
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mid-Atlantic Access Area................           2,065             602
Closed Area 1...........................               0               0
Closed Area 2...........................               0               0
Nantucket Lightship.....................               0               0
------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *
0
10. In Sec.  648.64, paragraph (a) is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  648.64  Yellowtail flounder sub-ACLs and AMs for the scallop 
fishery.

    (a) As specified in Sec.  648.55(d), and pursuant to the biennial 
framework adjustment process specified in Sec.  648.90, the scallop 
fishery shall be allocated a sub-ACL for the Georges Bank and Southern 
New England/Mid-Atlantic stocks of yellowtail flounder. The sub-ACLs 
are specified in Sec.  648.90(a)(4)(iii)(C) of the NE multispecies 
regulations.
* * * * *
0
10. In Sec.  648.65, paragraph (b)(3)(ii) is revised to read as 
follows:


Sec.  648.64  Windowpane flounder sub-ACLs and AMs for the scallop 
fishery.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (3) * * *
    (ii) The maximum hanging ratio for a net, net material, or any 
other material on the top of a scallop dredge (twine top) possessed or 
used by vessels fishing with scallop dredge gear does not exceed 1.5:1 
overall. An overall hanging ratio of 1.5:1 means that the twine top is 
attached to the rings in a pattern of alternating 2 meshes per ring and 
1 mesh per ring (counted at the bottom where the twine top connects to 
the apron), for an overall average of 1.5 meshes per ring for the 
entire width of the twine top. For example, an apron that is 40 rings 
wide subtracting 5 rings one each side of the side pieces, yielding 30 
rings, would only be able to use a twine top with 45 or fewer meshes so 
that the overall ratio of meshes to rings did not exceed 1.5 (45 
meshes/30 rings = 1.5).
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2015-05650 Filed 3-16-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P