Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits, 52282-52283 [2017-24520]
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52282
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 217 / Monday, November 13, 2017 / Notices
Dated: November 7, 2017.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[FR Doc. 2017–24471 Filed 11–9–17; 8:45 am]
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35).
Agency: National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Title: Alaska Prohibited Species
Donation Program.
OMB Control Number: 0648–0316.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular (extension of
a currently approved information
collection).
Number of Respondents: 1.
Average Hours per Response: 50
hours for a three-year permit,
annualized to 17.
Burden Hours: 17.
Needs and Uses: The prohibited
species donation (PSD) program for
salmon and halibut has effectively
reduced regulatory discard of salmon
and halibut by allowing fish that would
otherwise be discarded to be donated to
needy individuals through tax-exempt
organizations. Vessels and processing
plants participating in the PSD program
voluntarily retain and process salmon
and halibut bycatch. An authorized, taxexempt distributor, chosen by the
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS), is responsible for monitoring
retention and processing of fish donated
by vessels and processors. The
authorized distributor also coordinates
processing, storage, transportation, and
distribution of salmon and halibut. The
PSD program requires an information
collection so that NMFS can monitor the
authorized distributors’ ability to
effectively supervise program
participants and ensure that donated
fish are properly processed, stored, and
distributed.
Affected Public: Not-for-profit
institution.
Frequency: Every three years.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
This information collection request
may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow
the instructions to view Department of
Commerce collections currently under
review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:38 Nov 09, 2017
Jkt 244001
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XF829
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permits
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
The Assistant Regional
Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,
Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has
made a preliminary determination that
an Exempted Fishing Permit application
contains all of the required information
and warrants further consideration. This
Exempted Fishing Permit would exempt
a commercial fishing vessel from
Atlantic sea scallop regulations in
support of research conducted by the
Coonamessett Farm Foundation.
Regulations under the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act require publication of
this notification to provide interested
parties the opportunity to comment on
applications for proposed Exempted
Fishing Permits.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before November 28, 2017.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments by any of the following
methods:
• Email: nmfs.gar.efp@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line ‘‘DA17–100
CFF BREP LA Flounder Sweep Study
EFP.’’
• Mail: John K. Bullard, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic
Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great
Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.
Mark the outside of the envelope
‘‘Comments on DA17–100 CFF BREP LA
Flounder Sweep Study EFP.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Shannah Jaburek, Fisheries Management
Specialist, 978–282–8456.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF)
submitted an application for an EFP on
September 18, 2017, for a 2017 Bycatch
Reduction Engineering Program project
titled ‘‘A Modified Flounder Sweep for
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Flatfish Bycatch Reduction in the
Limited Access (LA) Scallop Fishery.’’
The project would test a modified
flounder cookie sweep on the outer bale
bars of the scallop dredge and film fishdredge interactions to monitor the
effectiveness of the gear modification in
reducing flatfish bycatch.
To conduct this experiment, vessels
would require exemptions from the
following regulations: Atlantic sea
scallop crew size restrictions at 50 CFR
648.51(c); dredge gear obstruction
restrictions at § 648.51(b)(4)(ii); Atlantic
sea scallop observer program
requirements at § 648.11(g); and closed
area exemptions for Closed Area I at
§ 648.60(c), Closed Area II at
§ 648.60(d), Closed Area II Extension at
§ 648.60(e), and Nantucket Lightship at
§ 648.60(f). It would also exempt
participating vessels from possession
limits and minimum fish size
requirements specified in 50 CFR part
648, subsections B and D through O, for
biological sampling purposes only.
Vessels would conduct scallop
dredging between November 2017-June
2018, on 2 trips each lasting
approximately 7 days-at-sea (DAS) each
for a project total of 14 DAS. An average
of 10 tows per day would be conducted
for a maximum duration of 50 minutes
at a tow speed range of 4.8–5.1 knots
(2.5–2.6 m/s). Trips would take place in
scallop open areas of Southern New
England and Georges Bank along with
scallop access areas Nantucket
Lightship and Closed Areas I and II.
The vessel would conduct all tows
with two 15-foot (4.57-m) New Bedford
Style dredges, one acting as a control
dredge and one acting as an
experimental dredge. The vessel would
tow both dredges simultaneously to
reduce spatial and temporal variability.
Researchers would attach the two 9-foot
(2.74-m) cookie sweeps to each of the
outer bale bars using chain and shackles
on the experimental dredge. The cookie
sweeps would alternate between the two
dredges each tow to reduce ‘‘side’’
effects. The cookie sweeps would be
constructed of round rubber disks with
lead cookies approximately 3–4 inches
(7.6–10.2 cm) in diameter evenly spaced
to encourage bottom contact. The
attachment chains would be evenly
spaced and varied in length to account
for dredge position while being towed to
ensure contact with the ocean bottom.
Exemption from the dredge gear
obstruction regulation would allow
researchers to use the cookie sweep for
the experimental tows.
Researchers would weigh all scallop
catch in industry bushel baskets caught
in both dredges and measure a onebasket sub-sample from each side in 5-
E:\FR\FM\13NON1.SGM
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52283
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 217 / Monday, November 13, 2017 / Notices
millimeter increments. The researchers
would also obtain total weight of
bycatch species and individual
measurements to the nearest centimeter.
If the volume of the catch is large,
subsampling protocols would be
necessary. All bycatch would be
returned to the sea as soon as
practicable following data collection.
Exemption from possession limit and
minimum sizes would support catch
sampling activities, and ensure the
vessel is not in conflict with possession
regulations while collecting catch data.
Researchers would discard all catch
above a possession limit or below a
minimum size as soon as practicable
following data collection. The table
below lists the anticipated catch for the
project. No catch would be landed for
sale.
Weight
(lb)
Species
Scallop .....................................................................................................................................................................
Northeast Skate Complex (Barndoor Skate not included) ......................................................................................
Barndoor Skate ........................................................................................................................................................
Summer Flounder ....................................................................................................................................................
Winter Flounder .......................................................................................................................................................
Yellowtail Flounder ..................................................................................................................................................
Windowpane Flounder .............................................................................................................................................
Monkfish ...................................................................................................................................................................
Researchers need additional
exemptions to deploy dredge gear in
closed areas in order to help locate large
enough aggregations of flatfish to test
the experimental gear. Participating
vessels need crew size waivers to
accommodate science personnel and
possession waivers would enable them
to conduct data collection activities. We
would waive the observer program
notification requirements because the
research activity is not representative of
standard fishing activity.
If approved, the applicant may
request minor modifications and
extensions to the EFP throughout the
year. EFP modifications and extensions
may be granted without further notice if
they are deemed essential to facilitate
completion of the proposed research
and have minimal impacts that do not
change the scope or impact of the
initially approved EFP request. Any
fishing activity conducted outside the
scope of the exempted fishing activity
would be prohibited.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 7, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–24520 Filed 11–9–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XF816
Fisheries of the South Atlantic;
Southeast Data, Assessment, and
Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
AGENCY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:38 Nov 09, 2017
Jkt 244001
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 55 Assessment
Scoping webinar II.
The SEDAR 55 assessment of
the South Atlantic stock of Vermilion
Snapper will consist of a series of
webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
DATES: A SEDAR 55 Assessment
Scoping webinar II will be held on
Tuesday, November 28, 2017, from 9
a.m. until 1 p.m.
ADDRESSES:
Meeting address: The meetings will be
held via webinar. The webinars are
open to members of the public. Those
interested in participating should
contact Julia Byrd at SEDAR (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) to
request an invitation providing webinar
access information. Please request
webinar invitations at least 24 hours in
advance of each webinar.
SEDAR address: South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 4055
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N.
Charleston, SC 29405;
www.sedarweb.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia
Byrd, SEDAR Coordinator, 4055 Faber
Place Drive, Suite 201, North
Charleston, SC 29405; phone: (843) 571–
4366; email: julia.byrd@safmc.net.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf
of Mexico, South Atlantic, and
Caribbean Fishery Management
Councils, in conjunction with NOAA
Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf
States Marine Fisheries Commissions,
have implemented the Southeast Data,
Assessment and Review (SEDAR)
process, a multi-step method for
determining the status of fish stocks in
the Southeast Region. The product of
the SEDAR webinar series will be a
report which compiles and evaluates
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
20,000
50,000
250
90
250
750
750
1,750
Weight
(kg)
9,072
22,680
113
41
113
340
340
794
potential datasets and recommends
which datasets are appropriate for
assessment analyses, and describes the
fisheries, evaluates the status of the
stock, estimates biological benchmarks,
projects future population conditions,
and recommends research and
monitoring needs. Participants for
SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the
Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and
Caribbean Fishery Management
Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast
Regional Office, Highly Migratory
Species Management Division, and
Southeast Fisheries Science Center.
Participants include: Data collectors and
database managers; stock assessment
scientists, biologists, and researchers;
constituency representatives including
fishermen, environmentalists, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs);
international experts; and staff of
Councils, Commissions, and state and
federal agencies.
The items of discussion in the
Assessment Scoping webinar II are as
follows:
Participants will review data and
discuss data issues, as necessary, and
initial model issues.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained in this agenda may come
before this group for discussion, those
issues may not be the subject of formal
action during this meeting. Action will
be restricted to those issues specifically
identified 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 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
E:\FR\FM\13NON1.SGM
13NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 217 (Monday, November 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52282-52283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24520]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XF829
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary
determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application contains all
of the required information and warrants further consideration. This
Exempted Fishing Permit would exempt a commercial fishing vessel from
Atlantic sea scallop regulations in support of research conducted by
the Coonamessett Farm Foundation. Regulations under the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of
this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to
comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 28, 2017.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following
methods:
Email: nmfs.gar.efp@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line
``DA17-100 CFF BREP LA Flounder Sweep Study EFP.''
Mail: John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, NMFS,
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on
DA17-100 CFF BREP LA Flounder Sweep Study EFP.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannah Jaburek, Fisheries Management
Specialist, 978-282-8456.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) submitted
an application for an EFP on September 18, 2017, for a 2017 Bycatch
Reduction Engineering Program project titled ``A Modified Flounder
Sweep for Flatfish Bycatch Reduction in the Limited Access (LA) Scallop
Fishery.'' The project would test a modified flounder cookie sweep on
the outer bale bars of the scallop dredge and film fish-dredge
interactions to monitor the effectiveness of the gear modification in
reducing flatfish bycatch.
To conduct this experiment, vessels would require exemptions from
the following regulations: Atlantic sea scallop crew size restrictions
at 50 CFR 648.51(c); dredge gear obstruction restrictions at Sec.
648.51(b)(4)(ii); Atlantic sea scallop observer program requirements at
Sec. 648.11(g); and closed area exemptions for Closed Area I at Sec.
648.60(c), Closed Area II at Sec. 648.60(d), Closed Area II Extension
at Sec. 648.60(e), and Nantucket Lightship at Sec. 648.60(f). It
would also exempt participating vessels from possession limits and
minimum fish size requirements specified in 50 CFR part 648,
subsections B and D through O, for biological sampling purposes only.
Vessels would conduct scallop dredging between November 2017-June
2018, on 2 trips each lasting approximately 7 days-at-sea (DAS) each
for a project total of 14 DAS. An average of 10 tows per day would be
conducted for a maximum duration of 50 minutes at a tow speed range of
4.8-5.1 knots (2.5-2.6 m/s). Trips would take place in scallop open
areas of Southern New England and Georges Bank along with scallop
access areas Nantucket Lightship and Closed Areas I and II.
The vessel would conduct all tows with two 15-foot (4.57-m) New
Bedford Style dredges, one acting as a control dredge and one acting as
an experimental dredge. The vessel would tow both dredges
simultaneously to reduce spatial and temporal variability. Researchers
would attach the two 9-foot (2.74-m) cookie sweeps to each of the outer
bale bars using chain and shackles on the experimental dredge. The
cookie sweeps would alternate between the two dredges each tow to
reduce ``side'' effects. The cookie sweeps would be constructed of
round rubber disks with lead cookies approximately 3-4 inches (7.6-10.2
cm) in diameter evenly spaced to encourage bottom contact. The
attachment chains would be evenly spaced and varied in length to
account for dredge position while being towed to ensure contact with
the ocean bottom. Exemption from the dredge gear obstruction regulation
would allow researchers to use the cookie sweep for the experimental
tows.
Researchers would weigh all scallop catch in industry bushel
baskets caught in both dredges and measure a one-basket sub-sample from
each side in 5-
[[Page 52283]]
millimeter increments. The researchers would also obtain total weight
of bycatch species and individual measurements to the nearest
centimeter. If the volume of the catch is large, subsampling protocols
would be necessary. All bycatch would be returned to the sea as soon as
practicable following data collection. Exemption from possession limit
and minimum sizes would support catch sampling activities, and ensure
the vessel is not in conflict with possession regulations while
collecting catch data. Researchers would discard all catch above a
possession limit or below a minimum size as soon as practicable
following data collection. The table below lists the anticipated catch
for the project. No catch would be landed for sale.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Weight (lb) Weight (kg)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scallop................................. 20,000 9,072
Northeast Skate Complex (Barndoor Skate 50,000 22,680
not included)..........................
Barndoor Skate.......................... 250 113
Summer Flounder......................... 90 41
Winter Flounder......................... 250 113
Yellowtail Flounder..................... 750 340
Windowpane Flounder..................... 750 340
Monkfish................................ 1,750 794
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Researchers need additional exemptions to deploy dredge gear in
closed areas in order to help locate large enough aggregations of
flatfish to test the experimental gear. Participating vessels need crew
size waivers to accommodate science personnel and possession waivers
would enable them to conduct data collection activities. We would waive
the observer program notification requirements because the research
activity is not representative of standard fishing activity.
If approved, the applicant may request minor modifications and
extensions to the EFP throughout the year. EFP modifications and
extensions may be granted without further notice if they are deemed
essential to facilitate completion of the proposed research and have
minimal impacts that do not change the scope or impact of the initially
approved EFP request. Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope
of the exempted fishing activity would be prohibited.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 7, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-24520 Filed 11-9-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
