Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits, 38286-38287 [2018-16770]
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38286
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 151 / Monday, August 6, 2018 / Notices
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. SEDAR is a threestep process including: (1) Data
Workshop; (2) Assessment Process
utilizing webinars; and (3) Review
Workshop. The product of the Data
Workshop is a data report which
compiles and evaluates potential
datasets and recommends which
datasets are appropriate for assessment
analyses. The product of the Assessment
Process is a stock assessment report
which describes the fisheries, evaluates
the status of the stock, estimates
biological benchmarks, projects future
population conditions, and recommends
research and monitoring needs. The
assessment is independently peer
reviewed at the Review Workshop. The
product of the Review Workshop is a
Summary documenting panel opinions
regarding the strengths and weaknesses
of the stock assessment and input data.
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 at the Data
Scoping webinar are as follows:
1. Participants will review SEDAR 58
stock identification recommendations.
2. Participants will identify potential
data sources and discuss data needs and
treatments in order to prepare for the
Data Workshop.
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
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:36 Aug 03, 2018
Jkt 244001
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
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: July 31, 2018.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–16699 Filed 8–3–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XG385
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 Acting 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 allow
four commercial fishing vessels,
directed by Coonamessett Farm
Foundation, to be exempt from Atlantic
sea scallop regulations for the purpose
of bycatch reduction research.
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 August 21, 2018.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
You may submit written
comments by any of the following
methods:
• Email: NMFS.GAR.EFP@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line ‘‘Comments
on CFF Extended Link Apron EFP.’’
• Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, NE Regional
Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside
of the envelope ‘‘Comments on CFF
Extended Link Apron EFP.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Shannah Jaburek, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978–282–8456.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF)
submitted a complete application for an
Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) on July
10, 2018, to conduct commercial fishing
activities that the regulations would
otherwise restrict. The EFP would
authorize vessels to test the efficacy of
an extended link scallop dredge apron
at reducing the capture of yellowtail and
windowpane flounder and small
scallops over the duration of four
directed research cruises. The EFP
would support research associated with
a project titled ‘‘Development of an
Extended Link Apron: A Broad Range
Tool for Bycatch Reduction,’’ that has
been funded under the 2017 Atlantic
Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA)
Program.
CFF is requesting exemptions that
would exempt four commercial fishing
vessels from the following regulations:
• Atlantic sea scallop days-at-sea
(DAS) allocations at 50 CFR 648.53(b);
• Crew size restrictions at § 648.51(c);
• Dredge gear restrictions for
minimum mesh size at § 648.51(b)(2)
and gear obstructions at
§ 648.51(b)(4)(iii);
• Atlantic sea scallop observer
program requirements at § 648.11(g);
• Access area program requirements
at § 648.59(a)(1)–(3), (b)(2), (b)(4);
• Rotational closed area exemptions
for Closed Area I Access Area at
§ 648.60(c), Closed Area II Access Area
at § 648.60(d), and all four of the
Nantucket Lightship areas at
§ 648.60(e)–(h); and
• Possession limits and minimum
size requirements specified in 50 CFR
part 648, subpart B and subparts D
through O, to allow temporary
possession for biological sampling.
Any fishing activity conducted
outside the scope of the exempted
fishing activity would be prohibited.
The project would consist of conduct
four, 7-day research trips for a total of
28 days-at-sea on limited access (LA)
vessels fishing on Georges Bank. All
trips will take place from September
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\06AUN1.SGM
06AUN1
38287
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 151 / Monday, August 6, 2018 / Notices
2018 through June 2019. Vessels would
complete approximately 55 paired, 30minute tows per trip at a standard vessel
speed of 4.8 knots. In addition to open
areas, tows could occur in Closed Area
I, Closed Area II, or the four Nantucket
Lightship Scallop Rotational Areas. The
four research trips would be centralized
around areas with high yellowtail and
winter flounder bycatch and in areas
with a high abundance of harvestable
size scallops mixed with pre-recruit
scallops.
Vessels would fish two, 15-foot (4.57m) Turtle Deflector Dredges; one dredge
would be rigged with a standard apron
while the other would be rigged with an
extended vertical link apron. The
project will alternate tows with and
without the dredge over net over both
dredges. Standard linking is defined as
a single link between ring spaces, and
the extended link is defined as two links
linked together between rings. Both
dredges would use 4-inch (10.16-cm)
rings and a 10-inch (25.40-cm) twine
top.
For all tows, the sea scallop catch
would be counted into baskets and
weighed. One basket from each dredge
would be randomly selected and the
scallops would be measured in 5 mm
increments to determine size selectivity.
Finfish catch would be sorted by species
and then counted, weighed, and
measured in 1 mm increments.
Depending on the volume of scallops
and finfish captured, the catch would be
subsampled as necessary. No catch
would be retained for longer than
needed to conduct sampling and no
finfish or scallop catch would be landed
for sale. Table 1 contains an estimate of
the finfish catch anticipated for the
project.
TABLE 1—CFF EXTENDED LINK APRON PROJECT CATCH ESTIMATES
Weight
(lbs)
Species
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Sea Scallop ..............................................................................................................................................................
Yellowtail Flounder ..................................................................................................................................................
Winter Flounder .......................................................................................................................................................
Windowpane Flounder .............................................................................................................................................
Summer Flounder ....................................................................................................................................................
Fourspot Flounder ...................................................................................................................................................
American Plaice Flounder .......................................................................................................................................
Witch Flounder .........................................................................................................................................................
Haddock ...................................................................................................................................................................
Atlantic Cod .............................................................................................................................................................
Monkfish ...................................................................................................................................................................
Spiny Dogfish ...........................................................................................................................................................
Barndoor Skate ........................................................................................................................................................
NE Skate Complex (excluding barndoor skate) ......................................................................................................
CFF needs these exemptions to allow
them to conduct experimental dredge
towing without being charged DAS, and
to deploy gear in closed access areas
where concentrations of primary
bycatch species are sufficiently high to
provide statistically robust results.
Researchers also need mesh size and
gear obstruction exemptions in order to
use the dredge net cover. Utilizing the
dredge net cover will allow researchers
to quantify fish that would normally
escape through the gear during normal
fishing operations. Participating vessels
need crew size waivers to accommodate
science personnel, and possession
waivers will enable researchers to
conduct finfish sampling activities. The
project would be exempt from the sea
scallop observer program requirements
because activities conducted on the trip
are not consistent with normal fishing
operations.
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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:36 Aug 03, 2018
Jkt 244001
fishing activity conducted outside the
scope of the exempted fishing activity
would be prohibited.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 1, 2018.
Margo B. Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–16770 Filed 8–3–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XF696
Marine Mammals; File No. 21217
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for
permit amendment.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
Aaron Roberts, Ph.D., University of
North Texas, Biological Sciences, 1155
Union Circle, #310559, Denton, TX
76203, has applied for an amendment to
Scientific Research Permit No. 21217.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
16,552
549
803
2,828
943
74
90
12
58
100
8,420
87
1,109
63,528
Weight
(kg)
7,508
249
364
1,283
428
34
41
5
26
45
3,819
39
503
28,816
Written, telefaxed, or email
comments must be received on or before
September 5, 2018.
ADDRESSES: The application and related
documents are available for review by
selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public
Comment’’ from the ‘‘Features’’ box on
the Applications and Permits for
Protected Species (APPS) home page,
https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then
selecting File No. 21217 from the list of
available applications.
These documents are also available
upon written request or by appointment
in the Permits and Conservation
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301) 427–8401; fax (301) 713–0376.
Written comments on this application
should be submitted to the Chief,
Permits and Conservation Division, at
the address listed above. Comments may
also be submitted by facsimile to (301)
713–0376, or by email to
NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please
include the File No. 21217 in the subject
line of the email comment.
Those individuals requesting a public
hearing should submit a written request
to the Chief, Permits and Conservation
Division at the address listed above. The
request should set forth the specific
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\06AUN1.SGM
06AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38286-38287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16770]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG385
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 Acting 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 allow four commercial fishing vessels,
directed by Coonamessett Farm Foundation, to be exempt from Atlantic
sea scallop regulations for the purpose of bycatch reduction research.
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 August 21, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following
methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line
``Comments on CFF Extended Link Apron EFP.''
Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS, NE
Regional Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark
the outside of the envelope ``Comments on CFF Extended Link Apron
EFP.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannah Jaburek, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-282-8456.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) submitted
a complete application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) on July 10,
2018, to conduct commercial fishing activities that the regulations
would otherwise restrict. The EFP would authorize vessels to test the
efficacy of an extended link scallop dredge apron at reducing the
capture of yellowtail and windowpane flounder and small scallops over
the duration of four directed research cruises. The EFP would support
research associated with a project titled ``Development of an Extended
Link Apron: A Broad Range Tool for Bycatch Reduction,'' that has been
funded under the 2017 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA)
Program.
CFF is requesting exemptions that would exempt four commercial
fishing vessels from the following regulations:
Atlantic sea scallop days-at-sea (DAS) allocations at 50
CFR 648.53(b);
Crew size restrictions at Sec. 648.51(c);
Dredge gear restrictions for minimum mesh size at Sec.
648.51(b)(2) and gear obstructions at Sec. 648.51(b)(4)(iii);
Atlantic sea scallop observer program requirements at
Sec. 648.11(g);
Access area program requirements at Sec. 648.59(a)(1)-
(3), (b)(2), (b)(4);
Rotational closed area exemptions for Closed Area I Access
Area at Sec. 648.60(c), Closed Area II Access Area at Sec. 648.60(d),
and all four of the Nantucket Lightship areas at Sec. 648.60(e)-(h);
and
Possession limits and minimum size requirements specified
in 50 CFR part 648, subpart B and subparts D through O, to allow
temporary possession for biological sampling.
Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope of the exempted
fishing activity would be prohibited.
The project would consist of conduct four, 7-day research trips for
a total of 28 days-at-sea on limited access (LA) vessels fishing on
Georges Bank. All trips will take place from September
[[Page 38287]]
2018 through June 2019. Vessels would complete approximately 55 paired,
30-minute tows per trip at a standard vessel speed of 4.8 knots. In
addition to open areas, tows could occur in Closed Area I, Closed Area
II, or the four Nantucket Lightship Scallop Rotational Areas. The four
research trips would be centralized around areas with high yellowtail
and winter flounder bycatch and in areas with a high abundance of
harvestable size scallops mixed with pre-recruit scallops.
Vessels would fish two, 15-foot (4.57-m) Turtle Deflector Dredges;
one dredge would be rigged with a standard apron while the other would
be rigged with an extended vertical link apron. The project will
alternate tows with and without the dredge over net over both dredges.
Standard linking is defined as a single link between ring spaces, and
the extended link is defined as two links linked together between
rings. Both dredges would use 4-inch (10.16-cm) rings and a 10-inch
(25.40-cm) twine top.
For all tows, the sea scallop catch would be counted into baskets
and weighed. One basket from each dredge would be randomly selected and
the scallops would be measured in 5 mm increments to determine size
selectivity. Finfish catch would be sorted by species and then counted,
weighed, and measured in 1 mm increments. Depending on the volume of
scallops and finfish captured, the catch would be subsampled as
necessary. No catch would be retained for longer than needed to conduct
sampling and no finfish or scallop catch would be landed for sale.
Table 1 contains an estimate of the finfish catch anticipated for the
project.
Table 1--CFF Extended Link Apron Project Catch Estimates
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Weight (lbs) Weight (kg)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sea Scallop............................. 16,552 7,508
Yellowtail Flounder..................... 549 249
Winter Flounder......................... 803 364
Windowpane Flounder..................... 2,828 1,283
Summer Flounder......................... 943 428
Fourspot Flounder....................... 74 34
American Plaice Flounder................ 90 41
Witch Flounder.......................... 12 5
Haddock................................. 58 26
Atlantic Cod............................ 100 45
Monkfish................................ 8,420 3,819
Spiny Dogfish........................... 87 39
Barndoor Skate.......................... 1,109 503
NE Skate Complex (excluding barndoor 63,528 28,816
skate).................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CFF needs these exemptions to allow them to conduct experimental
dredge towing without being charged DAS, and to deploy gear in closed
access areas where concentrations of primary bycatch species are
sufficiently high to provide statistically robust results. Researchers
also need mesh size and gear obstruction exemptions in order to use the
dredge net cover. Utilizing the dredge net cover will allow researchers
to quantify fish that would normally escape through the gear during
normal fishing operations. Participating vessels need crew size waivers
to accommodate science personnel, and possession waivers will enable
researchers to conduct finfish sampling activities. The project would
be exempt from the sea scallop observer program requirements because
activities conducted on the trip are not consistent with normal fishing
operations.
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: August 1, 2018.
Margo B. Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-16770 Filed 8-3-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
