Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit, 44389-44391 [2017-20186]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices
been notified of the Council’s intent to
take final action to address the
emergency. The public also should be
aware that the meeting will be recorded.
Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy
of the recording is available upon
request.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to
Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, at
(978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to
the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 19, 2017.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–20236 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XF703
Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South
Atlantic Fishery Management Council;
Public Meetings
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting of the
South Atlantic Fishery Management
Council’s (Council) Information &
Education Advisory Panel (AP).
AGENCY:
The Council’s Information
and Education AP will meet to address
outreach efforts and communication
needs. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
DATES: The Information and Education
AP meeting will be held Tuesday,
October 10, 2017, from 1:30 p.m. until
5 p.m. and from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. on
Wednesday, October 11, 2017.
ADDRESSES:
Meeting address: The meeting will be
held at the Hilton Garden, 5265
International Boulevard, North
Charleston, SC 29418.
Council address: South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 4055
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N.
Charleston, SC 29405.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim
Iverson, Public Information Officer,
South Atlantic Fishery Management
Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite
201, N. Charleston, SC 29405; phone
843/571–4366 or toll free 866/SAFMC–
SUMMARY:
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18:11 Sep 21, 2017
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10; FAX 843/769–4520; email:
kim.iverson@safmc.net.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Information and Education AP will
review and provide recommendations
on the Council’s transition to a new
fishing regulations mobile application
and the development of the Council’s
online Fishermen’s Forum. The AP will
also receive presentations and have the
opportunity to provide
recommendations on the Council’s
recreational reporting projects,
specifically the MyFishCount
Recreational Reporting Project, the ForHire Electronic Reporting Outreach
Project, and the use of iAngler for
possible recreational reporting
opportunities. Additionally, the AP will
receive program updates from the
Council’s Citizen Science Program and
the Marine Resource Education
Program.
Although other non-emergency issues
not on the agenda may come before this
group for discussion, those issues may
not be the subject of formal action
during this meeting. Actions will be
restricted to those issues specifically
listed in this notice and any issues
arising after publication of this notice
that require emergency action under
Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, provided the public has been
notified of the Council’s intent to take
final action to address the emergency.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is accessible to people
with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary
aids should be directed to the SAFMC
office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5
business days prior to the meeting.
Note: The times and sequence specified in
this agenda are subject to change.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 19, 2017.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–20237 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XF681
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone off Alaska; Application for an
Exempted Fishing Permit
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
AGENCY:
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
44389
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for
exempted fishing permit.
This notice announces receipt
of an exempted fishing permit (EFP)
application from the International
Halibut Commission (IPHC). If granted,
this EFP would allow crew members on
a selected hook-and-line vessel targeting
Pacific cod in the western Aleutian
Islands in winter to collect biological
samples from incidentally caught
halibut and release those fish back to
the water in a timely manner to increase
survivability. Biological samples
collected would include a fork length
measurement and a small tissue sample
from the caudal fin for genetic analysis.
A NMFS-trained fishery observer would
assign a viability category for each
sampled halibut as per existing IPHC/
NMFS protocols. The objective of the
EFP application is to confirm or reject
results of a previous genetic stock
structure study which indicated that
Pacific halibut in the western Aleutian
Islands are genetically distinct from the
remainder of the eastern Pacific
population. This experiment has the
potential to promote the objectives of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act and
the Northern Pacific Halibut Act.
DATES: Comments on this EFP
application must be submitted to NMFS
on or before October 10, 2017. The
North Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council) will consider the
application at its meeting from October
2, 2017, through October 10, 2017, in
Anchorage, AK.
ADDRESSES: The Council meeting will be
held at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel, 500
W 3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501. The
agenda for the Council meeting is
available at https://www.npfmc.org. You
may submit comments on this
document, identified by NOAA–NMFS–
2017–0114, by any of the following
methods:
• Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20170114, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
• Mail: Submit written comments to
Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional
Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries
Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn:
Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P.O.
Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668.
Instructions: Comments sent by any
other method, to any other address or
SUMMARY:
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44390
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices
individual, or received after the end of
the comment period, may not be
considered. 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) 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).
Electronic copies of the EFP
application and the basis for a
categorical exclusion under the National
Environmental Policy Act are available
from the Alaska Region, NMFS Web site
at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brandee Gerke, 907–586–7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
manages the domestic groundfish
fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian
Islands management area (BSAI) under
the Fishery Management Plan for
Groundfish of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area
(FMP), which the Council prepared
under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act.
Regulations governing the BSAI
groundfish fisheries appear at 50 CFR
parts 600 and 679. The FMP and the
implementing regulations at
§ 600.745(b) and § 679.6 allow the
NMFS Regional Administrator to
authorize, for limited experimental
purposes, fishing that would otherwise
be prohibited. Procedures for issuing
EFPs are contained in the implementing
regulations.
The IPHC and NMFS manage fishing
for Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus
stenolepis) through regulations
established under the authority of the
Convention between the United States
and Canada for the Preservation of the
Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific
Ocean and Bering Sea (Convention) and
the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of
1982. The IPHC promulgates regulations
pursuant to the Convention. The IPHC’s
regulations are subject to approval by
the Secretary of State with concurrence
from the Secretary of Commerce
(Secretary).
Background
The International Pacific Halibut
Commission (IPHC) has a long history of
studying population structure in Pacific
halibut, including a population genetics
research program that was initiated in
the late 1990s. Population genetics
research is conducted to resolve stock
components from one another and to
identify barriers to gene flow that may
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:11 Sep 21, 2017
Jkt 241001
(1) Limit the mixing of halibut among
regions, (2) Warrant different halibut
fishery management actions or strategies
among regions, or (3) Suggest changes in
the spatial structure of the numerical
halibut stock assessment model. In
2016, a population genetic analysis was
completed (Drinan et al., 2016 Journal
of Fish Biology 89:2571–2594) using
halibut tissue samples that had been
collected from 10 sampling locations
across the eastern Pacific Ocean: From
British Columbia in the south; to
Pribilof Canyon in the north; and
westward into the Aleutian Islands
region at Adak Island, Petrel Bank, and
Attu Island. The Drinan et al. (2016)
analysis is the most extensive
population genetic analysis of the
eastern Pacific halibut stock to-date. The
results suggest that significant stock
structure exists within the managed
range; in particular, that halibut residing
in the western Aleutian Islands are
genetically distinct from the remainder
of the eastern Pacific population. Of
greatest potential importance to
management is the implication that a
boundary of significant stock
segregation may bisect a single IPHC
regulatory area: i.e., Area 4B, with
significantly different population
components residing on either side of
Amchitka Pass.
However, these results may be called
into question due to a weakness in the
underlying sampling design: Whereas
the majority of study locations were
surveyed in mid-winter, Attu Island and
Petrel Bank (i.e., the two sites found to
be genetically distinct) were sampled
during the IPHC’s summer setline
survey. Ultimately, genetic population
structure is established via the
formation and maintenance of spatially
segregated spawning populations. In the
case of Pacific halibut, spawning occurs
in midwinter following the migration of
the spawning stock from its summer
feeding grounds to potentially distant
spawning grounds. As such, summercollected samples from any given
location may be composed of
individuals from multiple spawning
groups that co-mingle on common
feeding grounds. Although it is highly
unlikely that such a process could result
in the generation of spuriously
significant genetic stock structure where
none exists, best practices mandate that
the results be re-tested using samples
from the western Aleutian Islands that
are collected during the winter
spawning period.
The Aleutian Islands winter hookand-line fishery for Pacific cod provides
a platform of opportunity to collect
Pacific halibut length data and
accompanying tissue samples from the
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
western Aleutian Islands. Small
numbers of halibut are caught as
bycatch incidental to the Aleutian
Islands Pacific cod hook-and-line
fishery which would allow for the
collection of biological samples that
meet requirements of a supplementary
genetic analysis to confirm or reject the
results from the previous study.
Proposed Action
On August 31, 2017, the IPHC
submitted an application for an EFP for
2018 to collect biological samples from
incidentally caught halibut on a select
hook-and-line vessel targeting Pacific
cod in the western Aleutian Islands in
winter and release those fish back to the
water in a timely manner to increase
survivability. The objective of the
proposed 2018 EFP is to provide
samples for genetic analyses that would
be expected to confirm or reject
conclusions about Pacific halibut
spawning stock structure in the western
Aleutian Islands inferred by data
collected in summer by sampling during
the winter halibut spawning period.
This project would allow crew to collect
biological samples of incidentally
caught halibut and return the fish to sea,
alive.
The EFP would allow crew on board
the selected vessel to measure fork
length of approximately 20 to 30
incidentally caught halibut and collect a
small tissue sample from the caudal fin
of each sampled fish. Sampled halibut
would be released back to the water
after a NMFS-trained fishery observer
conducted a viability assessment for
each sampled halibut using existing
IPHC protocols.
The applicant proposes to conduct
sampling on a single vessel in the hookand-line catcher/processor sector during
the ‘‘A’’ season fishery for Pacific cod
between January 1, 2018 and March 31,
2018 west of 180° W longitude (i.e., in
NMFS Statistical Areas 542 and 543).
The participating vessel would be
selected on a voluntary basis and would
carry a NMFS-trained fishery observer
as required by regulation.
The applicant’s proposed sampling
protocol would consist of: (a) Bringing
an incidentally-caught halibut aboard
the vessel to be sampled; (b) releasing
the halibut from the hook using an
approved Careful Release technique
(i.e., either by hook twisting or cutting
the gangion near the hook); (c)
measuring and recording the halibut’s
forklength; (d) collecting a small
(approximately one-quarter inch) tissue
sample from the caudal fin; (e) assigning
the halibut to a viability category as per
existing IPHC/NMFS protocols; and (f)
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices
returning the halibut to the water
without further delay.
All stages of the sampling process
with the exception of (e), above, would
be conducted by a member of the fishing
vessel’s crew. Viability assignments
would be conducted by the NMFStrained fishery observer on the vessel.
The sampling process is expected to
require less than 2 minutes and have no
impact on the probability of survival of
the sampled fish. The sampling protocol
outlined above is quicker and less
obtrusive than any of the protocols used
by the IPHC for halibut tag-and-release
that have been shown to yield excellent
survival of the handled individuals.
Halibut is a prohibited species in the
groundfish fishery, requiring immediate
return to the sea with a minimum of
injury. This proposed action would
exempt the participating vessel from the
requirement to return all prohibited
species, or parts thereof, to the sea
immediately, with a minimum of injury,
regardless of its condition at
§ 679.21(b)(2)(ii). Under the EFP, the
participating vessel would be limited to
its groundfish allocations under the
2018 harvest specifications. No
additional target or prohibited species
catch (PSC) amounts beyond those
authorized through regulation would be
needed for this EFP; all groundfish
catch will accrue against the Pacific cod
sector’s catch and PSC allowances. EFPauthorized fishing activities would not
be expected to change the nature or
duration of the Pacific cod hook-andline fishery or the amount or species of
fish caught by the participating vessel.
In 2018, the IPHC would be required
to submit to NMFS a report of the EFP
results after EFP experimental fishing
has ended in 2018. The report would
include: The number of halibut sampled
and their recorded lengths.
The fieldwork that would be
conducted under this EFP is not
expected to have a significant impact on
the human environment as detailed in
the categorical exclusion prepared for
this action (see ADDRESSES).
In accordance with § 679.6, NMFS has
determined that the application
warrants further consideration and has
forwarded the application to the
Council to initiate consultation. The
Council is scheduled to consider the
EFP application during its October 2017
meeting, which will be held in
Anchorage, AK. The EFP application
will also be provided to the Council’s
Scientific and Statistical Committee for
review at the October Council meeting.
The applicant has been invited to
appear in support of the application.
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18:11 Sep 21, 2017
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Public Comments
Interested persons may comment on
the application at the October 2017
Council meeting during public
testimony or until October 10, 2017.
Information regarding the meeting is
available at the Council’s Web site at
https://www.npfmc.org. Copies of the
application and categorical exclusion
are available for review from NMFS (see
ADDRESSES). Comments also may be
submitted directly to NMFS (see
ADDRESSES) by the end of the comment
period (see DATES).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 18, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–20186 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office
[Docket No. PTO–P–2017–0038]
Grant of Interim Extension of the Term
of U.S. Patent No. 6,100,082; OCSTM
Lung System
United States Patent and
Trademark Office, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of interim patent term
extension.
AGENCY:
The United States Patent and
Trademark Office has issued an order
granting a one-year interim extension of
the term of U.S. Patent No. 6,100,082.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary C. Till by telephone at (571) 272–
7755; by mail marked to her attention
and addressed to the Commissioner for
Patents, Mail Stop Hatch-Waxman PTE,
P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–
1450; by fax marked to her attention at
(571) 273–7755; or by email to
Mary.Till@uspto.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
156 of Title 35, United States Code,
generally provides that the term of a
patent may be extended for a period of
up to five years if the patent claims a
product, or a method of making or using
a product, that has been subject to
certain defined regulatory review, and
that the patent may be extended for
interim periods of up to one year if the
regulatory review is anticipated to
extend beyond the expiration date of the
patent.
On September 6, 2017, TransMedics,
Inc, an exclusive licensee of the patent
owner of record, the Department of
Veterans Affairs, timely filed an
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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44391
application under 35 U.S.C. 156(d)(5)
for an interim extension of the term of
U.S. Patent No. 6,100,082. The patent
claims the medical device product, the
OCS Lung System. The application for
patent term extension indicates that a
Premarket Approval Application (PMA)
P160013 was submitted to the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) on April 28,
2016.
Review of the patent term extension
application indicates that, except for
permission to market or use the product
commercially, the subject patent would
be eligible for an extension of the patent
term under 35 U.S.C. 156, and that the
patent should be extended for one year
as required by 35 U.S.C. 156(d)(5)(B).
Because the regulatory review period
will continue beyond the original
expiration date of the patent, September
23, 2017, interim extension of the patent
term under 35 U.S.C. 156(d)(5) is
appropriate.
An interim extension under 35 U.S.C.
156(d)(5) of the term of U.S. Patent No.
6,100,082 is granted for a period of one
year from the original expiration date of
the patent.
Dated: September 14, 2017.
Robert Bahr,
Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination
Policy, United States Patent and Trademark
Office.
[FR Doc. 2017–20272 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–16–P
COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM
PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR
SEVERELY DISABLED
Procurement List; Proposed Additions
and Deletions
Committee for Purchase From
People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled.
ACTION: Proposed addition to and
deletions from the Procurement List.
AGENCY:
The Committee is proposing
to add a service to the Procurement List
that will be furnished by nonprofit
agencies employing persons who are
blind or have other severe disabilities,
and deletes products and services
previously furnished by such agencies.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before October 22, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase
From People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled, 1401 S. Clark Street, Suite
715, Arlington, Virginia 22202–4149.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information or to submit
comments contact: Amy B. Jensen,
Telephone: (703) 603–7740, Fax: (703)
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 183 (Friday, September 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44389-44391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20186]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XF681
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Application
for an Exempted Fishing Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for exempted fishing permit.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt of an exempted fishing permit
(EFP) application from the International Halibut Commission (IPHC). If
granted, this EFP would allow crew members on a selected hook-and-line
vessel targeting Pacific cod in the western Aleutian Islands in winter
to collect biological samples from incidentally caught halibut and
release those fish back to the water in a timely manner to increase
survivability. Biological samples collected would include a fork length
measurement and a small tissue sample from the caudal fin for genetic
analysis. A NMFS-trained fishery observer would assign a viability
category for each sampled halibut as per existing IPHC/NMFS protocols.
The objective of the EFP application is to confirm or reject results of
a previous genetic stock structure study which indicated that Pacific
halibut in the western Aleutian Islands are genetically distinct from
the remainder of the eastern Pacific population. This experiment has
the potential to promote the objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act.
DATES: Comments on this EFP application must be submitted to NMFS on or
before October 10, 2017. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council) will consider the application at its meeting from October 2,
2017, through October 10, 2017, in Anchorage, AK.
ADDRESSES: The Council meeting will be held at the Anchorage Hilton
Hotel, 500 W 3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501. The agenda for the Council
meeting is available at https://www.npfmc.org. You may submit comments
on this document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2017-0114, by any of the
following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2017-0114, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Mail: Submit written comments to Glenn Merrill, Assistant
Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region
NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau,
AK 99802-1668.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or
[[Page 44390]]
individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be
considered. 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) 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).
Electronic copies of the EFP application and the basis for a
categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act are
available from the Alaska Region, NMFS Web site at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brandee Gerke, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the domestic groundfish
fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI)
under the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP), which the Council prepared
under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
Regulations governing the BSAI groundfish fisheries appear at 50 CFR
parts 600 and 679. The FMP and the implementing regulations at Sec.
600.745(b) and Sec. 679.6 allow the NMFS Regional Administrator to
authorize, for limited experimental purposes, fishing that would
otherwise be prohibited. Procedures for issuing EFPs are contained in
the implementing regulations.
The IPHC and NMFS manage fishing for Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus
stenolepis) through regulations established under the authority of the
Convention between the United States and Canada for the Preservation of
the Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea
(Convention) and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982. The IPHC
promulgates regulations pursuant to the Convention. The IPHC's
regulations are subject to approval by the Secretary of State with
concurrence from the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary).
Background
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) has a long
history of studying population structure in Pacific halibut, including
a population genetics research program that was initiated in the late
1990s. Population genetics research is conducted to resolve stock
components from one another and to identify barriers to gene flow that
may (1) Limit the mixing of halibut among regions, (2) Warrant
different halibut fishery management actions or strategies among
regions, or (3) Suggest changes in the spatial structure of the
numerical halibut stock assessment model. In 2016, a population genetic
analysis was completed (Drinan et al., 2016 Journal of Fish Biology
89:2571-2594) using halibut tissue samples that had been collected from
10 sampling locations across the eastern Pacific Ocean: From British
Columbia in the south; to Pribilof Canyon in the north; and westward
into the Aleutian Islands region at Adak Island, Petrel Bank, and Attu
Island. The Drinan et al. (2016) analysis is the most extensive
population genetic analysis of the eastern Pacific halibut stock to-
date. The results suggest that significant stock structure exists
within the managed range; in particular, that halibut residing in the
western Aleutian Islands are genetically distinct from the remainder of
the eastern Pacific population. Of greatest potential importance to
management is the implication that a boundary of significant stock
segregation may bisect a single IPHC regulatory area: i.e., Area 4B,
with significantly different population components residing on either
side of Amchitka Pass.
However, these results may be called into question due to a
weakness in the underlying sampling design: Whereas the majority of
study locations were surveyed in mid-winter, Attu Island and Petrel
Bank (i.e., the two sites found to be genetically distinct) were
sampled during the IPHC's summer setline survey. Ultimately, genetic
population structure is established via the formation and maintenance
of spatially segregated spawning populations. In the case of Pacific
halibut, spawning occurs in midwinter following the migration of the
spawning stock from its summer feeding grounds to potentially distant
spawning grounds. As such, summer-collected samples from any given
location may be composed of individuals from multiple spawning groups
that co-mingle on common feeding grounds. Although it is highly
unlikely that such a process could result in the generation of
spuriously significant genetic stock structure where none exists, best
practices mandate that the results be re-tested using samples from the
western Aleutian Islands that are collected during the winter spawning
period.
The Aleutian Islands winter hook-and-line fishery for Pacific cod
provides a platform of opportunity to collect Pacific halibut length
data and accompanying tissue samples from the western Aleutian Islands.
Small numbers of halibut are caught as bycatch incidental to the
Aleutian Islands Pacific cod hook-and-line fishery which would allow
for the collection of biological samples that meet requirements of a
supplementary genetic analysis to confirm or reject the results from
the previous study.
Proposed Action
On August 31, 2017, the IPHC submitted an application for an EFP
for 2018 to collect biological samples from incidentally caught halibut
on a select hook-and-line vessel targeting Pacific cod in the western
Aleutian Islands in winter and release those fish back to the water in
a timely manner to increase survivability. The objective of the
proposed 2018 EFP is to provide samples for genetic analyses that would
be expected to confirm or reject conclusions about Pacific halibut
spawning stock structure in the western Aleutian Islands inferred by
data collected in summer by sampling during the winter halibut spawning
period. This project would allow crew to collect biological samples of
incidentally caught halibut and return the fish to sea, alive.
The EFP would allow crew on board the selected vessel to measure
fork length of approximately 20 to 30 incidentally caught halibut and
collect a small tissue sample from the caudal fin of each sampled fish.
Sampled halibut would be released back to the water after a NMFS-
trained fishery observer conducted a viability assessment for each
sampled halibut using existing IPHC protocols.
The applicant proposes to conduct sampling on a single vessel in
the hook-and-line catcher/processor sector during the ``A'' season
fishery for Pacific cod between January 1, 2018 and March 31, 2018 west
of 180[deg] W longitude (i.e., in NMFS Statistical Areas 542 and 543).
The participating vessel would be selected on a voluntary basis and
would carry a NMFS-trained fishery observer as required by regulation.
The applicant's proposed sampling protocol would consist of: (a)
Bringing an incidentally-caught halibut aboard the vessel to be
sampled; (b) releasing the halibut from the hook using an approved
Careful Release technique (i.e., either by hook twisting or cutting the
gangion near the hook); (c) measuring and recording the halibut's
forklength; (d) collecting a small (approximately one-quarter inch)
tissue sample from the caudal fin; (e) assigning the halibut to a
viability category as per existing IPHC/NMFS protocols; and (f)
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returning the halibut to the water without further delay.
All stages of the sampling process with the exception of (e),
above, would be conducted by a member of the fishing vessel's crew.
Viability assignments would be conducted by the NMFS-trained fishery
observer on the vessel. The sampling process is expected to require
less than 2 minutes and have no impact on the probability of survival
of the sampled fish. The sampling protocol outlined above is quicker
and less obtrusive than any of the protocols used by the IPHC for
halibut tag-and-release that have been shown to yield excellent
survival of the handled individuals.
Halibut is a prohibited species in the groundfish fishery,
requiring immediate return to the sea with a minimum of injury. This
proposed action would exempt the participating vessel from the
requirement to return all prohibited species, or parts thereof, to the
sea immediately, with a minimum of injury, regardless of its condition
at Sec. 679.21(b)(2)(ii). Under the EFP, the participating vessel
would be limited to its groundfish allocations under the 2018 harvest
specifications. No additional target or prohibited species catch (PSC)
amounts beyond those authorized through regulation would be needed for
this EFP; all groundfish catch will accrue against the Pacific cod
sector's catch and PSC allowances. EFP-authorized fishing activities
would not be expected to change the nature or duration of the Pacific
cod hook-and-line fishery or the amount or species of fish caught by
the participating vessel.
In 2018, the IPHC would be required to submit to NMFS a report of
the EFP results after EFP experimental fishing has ended in 2018. The
report would include: The number of halibut sampled and their recorded
lengths.
The fieldwork that would be conducted under this EFP is not
expected to have a significant impact on the human environment as
detailed in the categorical exclusion prepared for this action (see
ADDRESSES).
In accordance with Sec. 679.6, NMFS has determined that the
application warrants further consideration and has forwarded the
application to the Council to initiate consultation. The Council is
scheduled to consider the EFP application during its October 2017
meeting, which will be held in Anchorage, AK. The EFP application will
also be provided to the Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee
for review at the October Council meeting. The applicant has been
invited to appear in support of the application.
Public Comments
Interested persons may comment on the application at the October
2017 Council meeting during public testimony or until October 10, 2017.
Information regarding the meeting is available at the Council's Web
site at https://www.npfmc.org. Copies of the application and categorical
exclusion are available for review from NMFS (see ADDRESSES). Comments
also may be submitted directly to NMFS (see ADDRESSES) by the end of
the comment period (see DATES).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 18, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-20186 Filed 9-21-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
