Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permit, 43109-43111 [2019-17919]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 161 / Tuesday, August 20, 2019 / Notices
for longer than needed to conduct
sampling, and no catch would be landed
for sale on the LA trip. On LAGC trips,
scallop and monkfish catch would be
kept for sale in accordance with current
regulations, but all other catch will be
handled in the same manner as the LA
research trip.
CFRF needs these exemptions to
allow them to conduct experimental
dredge towing without being charged
DAS. Participating vessels need crew
size waivers to accommodate science
personnel. Exemptions are also needed
from the turtle deflector dredge
requirements for testing of an
experimental dredge that has a slightly
different configuration that the current
gear requirements. Possession waivers
would enable researchers to sample
finfish catch that exceeds possession
limits or prohibitions. 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. Researchers from CFRF will
accompany each trip taken under the
EFP.
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 15, 2019.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019–17916 Filed 8–19–19; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Science Advisory Board
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This is a virtual meeting.
However, members of the public may
also come to 1315 East-West Highway,
SSMC3 Room 8836. This notice sets
forth the schedule and proposed agenda
of a meeting of the NOAA Science
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:49 Aug 19, 2019
Jkt 247001
Advisory Board (SAB). The members
will discuss issues outlined in the
section on Matters to be considered.
DATES: The meeting will be held
Monday, September 9, 2019 from 11:50
a.m. to 11:55 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Time (EDT). These times and the agenda
topic described below are subject to
change. For the latest agenda please
refer to the SAB website: https://
sab.noaa.gov/SABMeetings.aspx.
ADDRESSES: Public access is available at:
NOAA, SSMC 3 Room 8836. 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD.
Members of the public may participate
virtually by registering at: https://
attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/
7316055114512901633.
Dr.
Cynthia Decker, Executive Director,
SSMC3, Room 11230, 1315 East-West
Hwy., Silver Spring, MD 20910; Phone
Number: 301–734–1156; Email:
Cynthia.Decker@noaa.gov; or visit the
SAB website at https://sab.noaa.gov/
SABMeetings.aspx.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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was established by a Decision
Memorandum dated September 25,
1997, and is the only Federal Advisory
Committee with responsibility to advise
the Under Secretary of Commerce for
Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies
for research, education, and application
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provide necessary input to ensure that
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Administration (NOAA) science
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Status: The meeting will be open to
public participation with a 10-minute
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previously submitted verbal or written
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will be limited to a total time of two (2)
minutes. Written comments for the
meeting should be received in the SAB
Executive Director’s Office by August
26, 2019 to provide sufficient time for
SAB review. Written comments received
after by the SAB Executive Director after
these dates will be distributed to the
SAB, but may not be reviewed prior to
the meeting date.
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meetings are physically accessible to
people with disabilities. Requests for
special accommodations may be
directed no later than 12:00 p.m. on
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
43109
August 26, 2019, to Dr. Cynthia Decker,
SAB Executive Director, SSMC3, Room
11230, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910; Email:
Cynthia.Decker@noaa.gov.
Matters To Be Considered: The
meeting will include a discussion of the
recommendations from the SAB
Environmental Information Services
Working Group regarding the
Environmental Prediction Innovation
Center (EPIC). The Meeting materials,
including work products will be made
available on the SAB website: https://
sab.noaa.gov/SABMeetings.aspx.
Dated: August 14, 2019.
Eric Locklear,
Deputy Chief Financial Officer/
Administrative Officer, Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019–17895 Filed 8–19–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–KD–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XW006
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permit
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS has determined that
seventeen exempted fishing permit
(EFP) applications warrant further
consideration, and requests public
comment on the applications. All EFP
applicants request an exemption from a
prohibition on the use of unauthorized
gear to harvest highly migratory species
(HMS) under the Fishery Management
Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for
Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP),
to test the effects and efficacy of using
deep-set buoy gear (DSBG), deep-set
linked buoy gear (DSLBG), or modified
deep-set linked buoy gear set at night,
to harvest swordfish and other HMS off
of the U.S. West Coast.
DATES: Comments must be submitted in
writing by September 19, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on this document, identified by NOAA–
NMFS–2019–0079, by any of the
following methods:
• Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
E:\FR\FM\20AUN1.SGM
20AUN1
43110
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 161 / Tuesday, August 20, 2019 / Notices
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20190079, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
• Mail: Attn: Chris Fanning, NMFS
West Coast Region, 501 W. Ocean Blvd.,
Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802.
Include the identifier ‘‘NOAA–NMFS–
2019–0079’’ in the comments.
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).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chris Fanning, NMFS West Coast
Region, 562–980–4198.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DSBG
fishing trials have occurred for the past
eight years (2011–2015, research years;
2015–2019, EFP years) in the U.S. West
Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
off California. Data collected from these
fishing activities have demonstrated
DSBG to achieve about a 95 percent
marketable catch composition
(swordfish, opah, tunas, and sharks).
Non-marketable species catch rates have
remained low and most non-marketable
catch are released alive. Due to DSBG
being actively tended, strikes are
detected within minutes of a catch on
the line. As a result, all catches can be
tended quickly, with catch brought
onboard the vessel in good condition.
To date, DSBG has had four
interactions with protected species.
Three interactions were with elephant
seals, which were not seriously injured
and were released alive due to the strike
detection and quick tending of the gear.
These species are protected by the
Marine Mammal Protection Act, but are
not listed as threatened or endangered
under the Endangered Species Act
(ESA).
On August 4, 2018, a loggerhead sea
turtle was observed entangled in the
surface buoy lines of a vessel fishing
under an EFP to test standard DSBG.
The sea turtle was brought on board,
disentangled, and released back to the
sea in a lively, uninjured condition.
Based on analysis of the incident, NMFS
West Coast Region amended the
applicable Terms and Conditions to
require the following attributes, to
minimize the likelihood of future sea
turtle entanglements:
1. The surface buoy flotation and
strike detection array must be a
streamlined inline configuration, with
no loops or hanging material, and no
more than 6 feet between adjacent
buoys, to reduce entanglement
potential.
2. The surface buoy flotation and
strike detection array must consist of a
>40lb flotation non-compressible hard
ball, a minimum six pound flotation
inline-float, and a sub-surface inlinefloat, all connected in-line with a
minimum of 3⁄8 inch diameter line, and
no more than six feet between adjacent
buoys.
3. Use of buoy tether attachments
(e.g., non-streamlined gear with loops,
nooks, and dangling components) is
prohibited.
DSLBG trials have occurred since
2015 and have produced similar results
to standard DSBG activities. Swordfish
and other marketable species have
represented about 97 percent of the
catch with very similar catch
composition to DSBG. Non-marketable
species are released alive due to quick
DSLBG strike detection and active gear
tending. To date, there have been no
protected species interactions with
DSLBG in either EFP fishing or research
trials.
At the June 2019 Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) meeting,
the Council received a total of seventeen
additional EFP applications for review.
Based on recommendations from the
Council’s HMS Management Team, the
Council recommended that NMFS
consider issuing EFPs to authorize use
of DSBG and/or DSLBG for sixteen of
the applications (see Table)
In addition, one application for one
vessel to fish modified linked buoy gear
at night, was preliminarily approved by
the Council, with a final
recommendation scheduled for the
September 2019 Council meeting. The
gear configuration in this application
differs from previously approved EFPs
in that the applicants propose fishing at
night, at a depth of around 300 feet. The
array of surface buoys has also been
modified to include a green light to aid
in the monitoring, strike detection, and
retrieval of gear at night. At previous
Council meetings, the Pfleger Institute
of Environmental Research (PIER)
included a brief summary of DSBG gear
trials conducted at night. These sets
were fished at a depth of less than 100
ft and resulted in a large proportion of
blue shark catch. Due to this high rate
of interactions with blue sharks, PIER
ceased night fishing with DSBG. Mr.
Perez and Mr. Carson believe that
fishing at a greater depth at night will
increase catch of marketable species,
including swordfish during their
diurnal migration to and from depth,
while greatly reducing the occurrence of
non-marketable species interactions.
The Council’s HMS Management Team
(HMSMT) agreed (https://
www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/
2019/06/J5a_Sup_HMSMT_Rpt1_
JUN2019BB.pdf) that this theory is
worth allowing a single vessel, operated
by a fisherman with several years of
DSBG fishing experience under both
PIER and his own EFP, to test this new
approach.
TABLE 1
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
Applicant
Barker/McCaffrey .................
Bateman ...............................
Burke ....................................
Dirkse ...................................
Doljanin ................................
Estrada .................................
Flynn .....................................
Gerritsen ...............................
Green ...................................
Grey/Gibbs ...........................
Guglielmo .............................
Kirkpatrick .............................
Lins .......................................
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:49 Aug 19, 2019
Applications recommended to NMFS
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Agenda
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Jkt 247001
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
J.5,
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
PO 00000
4: DSBG EFP Application from Jordan McCaffrey.
15: DSBG EFP Application from John Bateman.
14: DSBG EFP Application from Sean Burke.
7: DSBG EFP Application from Douglas and Lucas Dirkse.
19: DSBG EFP Application from John Doljanin.
12: DSBG EFP Application from Antonio Estrada.
10: DSBG EFP Application from Michael Flynn.
3: DSBG EFP Application from J.J Gerritsen.
13: DSBG EFP Application from Anthony Green.
9: DSBG EFP Application from John Gibbs and Anthony Grey.
8: DSBG EFP Application from Nicholas Guglielmo.
18: DSBG EFP Application from John Kirkpatrick.
2: DSBG EFP Application from Nathan Lins.
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 161 / Tuesday, August 20, 2019 / Notices
43111
TABLE 1—Continued
Applicant
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Marvin ...................................
Roach ...................................
Stephens ..............................
Perez/Carson .......................
Applications recommended to NMFS
Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 16: DSBG EFP Application from Brock Marvin.
Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 6: DSBG EFP Application from Zachary Roach.
Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 11: DSBG EFP Application from Dave Stephens.
Application preliminarily approved for Council recommendation:
Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 17: DSBG EFP Application from Nathan Perez and Thomas Carson.
All applications are available at the
Council June 2019 meeting briefing
book website, under agenda item J.5:
https://www.pcouncil.org/resources/
archives/briefing-books/june-2019briefing-book/#hmsJun2019.
The Council also recommended that
NMFS prioritize issuance of these June
2019 EFP applications over previouslyapproved EFP applications that have not
yet been issued, that NMFS extend
currently issued DSBG EFPs through
2020, and that NMFS consider any EFP
applications previously approved by the
Council but not issued by December 31,
2019, due to inaction or abandoned by
the applicant, as ineligible for issuance.
NMFS is requesting public comment
on the seventeen DSBG/DSLBG EFP
applications recommended for
consideration by the Council. If all
applications are approved, the EFPs
would allow up to eighteen vessels to
fish with DSBG, four vessels to fish with
DSLBG, and one vessel to fish modified
linked buoy gear at night, in the U.S.
West Coast EEZ. Aside from the
exemption described above, vessels
fishing under an EFP would be subject
to all HMS FMP requirements
implemented in NMFS regulations at 50
CFR 660, including measures to protect
sea turtles, marine mammals, and
seabirds. For up-to-date information on
HMS EFPs, please visit NMFS West
Coast Region’s ‘‘Highly Migratory
Species—Exempted Fishing Permits’’
web page: https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/
sustainable-fisheries/highly-migratoryspecies-exempted-fishing-permits.
NMFS will consider all public
comments submitted in response to this
Federal Register Notice prior to
issuance of any EFP. Additionally,
NMFS will analyze the effects of issuing
EFPs in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act and NOAA’s
Administrative Order 216–6, as well as
compliance with other applicable laws,
including Section 7(a)(2) of the ESA (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), which requires the
agency to consider whether the
proposed action is likely to jeopardize
the continued existence and recovery of
any endangered or threatened species or
result in the destruction or adverse
modification of critical habitat.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:49 Aug 19, 2019
Jkt 247001
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Office of the Secretary
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name, docket
number and title for this Federal
Register document. The general policy
for comments and other submissions
from members of the public is to make
these submissions available for public
viewing on the internet at https://
www.regulations.gov as they are
received without change, including any
personal identifiers or contact
information.
[Docket ID: DoD–2019–OS–0098]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dated: August 15, 2019.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019–17919 Filed 8–19–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Proposed Collection; Comment
Request
Office of the Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition and
Sustainment, DoD.
ACTION: Information collection notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition and Sustainment
announces a proposed public
information collection and seeks public
comment on the provisions thereof.
Comments are invited on: Whether the
proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed information collection; ways
to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and ways to minimize the
burden of the information collection on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all
comments received by October 21, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by docket number and title,
by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Department of Defense, Office of
the Chief Management Officer,
Directorate for Oversight and
Compliance, 4800 Mark Center Drive,
Mailbox #24, Suite 08D09, Alexandria,
VA 22350–1700.
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 4703
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To
request more information on this
proposed information collection or to
obtain a copy of the proposal and
associated collection instruments,
please write to the Defense Contract
Management Agency, 14501 George
Carter Way, 2nd Floor, Chantilly, VA
20151, ATTN: Procurement Center, or
call (804) 734–1534.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title; Associated Form; and OMB
Number: Department of Defense
Application for Priority Rating for
Production or Construction Equipment;
DD Form 691; OMB Control Number
0704–0055.
Needs and Uses: Executive Order
12919 delegates to DoD authority to
require certain contracts and orders
relating to approved Defense Programs
to be accepted and performed on a
preferential basis. This program helps
contractors acquire industrial
equipment in a timely manner, thereby
facilitating development and support of
weapons systems and other important
Defense Programs.
Affected Public: Business or other
For-Profit; Not-for-Profit Institutions.
Annual Burden Hours: 610.
Number of Respondents: 610.
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Annual Responses: 610.
Average Burden per Response: 1 hour.
Frequency: On occasion.
Dated: August 14, 2019.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2019–17828 Filed 8–19–19; 8:45 am]
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43109-43111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17919]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XW006
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; General
Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing
Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS has determined that seventeen exempted fishing permit
(EFP) applications warrant further consideration, and requests public
comment on the applications. All EFP applicants request an exemption
from a prohibition on the use of unauthorized gear to harvest highly
migratory species (HMS) under the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West
Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP), to test the
effects and efficacy of using deep-set buoy gear (DSBG), deep-set
linked buoy gear (DSLBG), or modified deep-set linked buoy gear set at
night, to harvest swordfish and other HMS off of the U.S. West Coast.
DATES: Comments must be submitted in writing by September 19, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2019-0079, by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the
[[Page 43110]]
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2019-0079, click the ``Comment Now!'' icon,
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
Mail: Attn: Chris Fanning, NMFS West Coast Region, 501 W.
Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802. Include the identifier
``NOAA-NMFS-2019-0079'' in the comments.
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).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Fanning, NMFS West Coast Region,
562-980-4198.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DSBG fishing trials have occurred for the
past eight years (2011-2015, research years; 2015-2019, EFP years) in
the U.S. West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off California. Data
collected from these fishing activities have demonstrated DSBG to
achieve about a 95 percent marketable catch composition (swordfish,
opah, tunas, and sharks). Non-marketable species catch rates have
remained low and most non-marketable catch are released alive. Due to
DSBG being actively tended, strikes are detected within minutes of a
catch on the line. As a result, all catches can be tended quickly, with
catch brought onboard the vessel in good condition.
To date, DSBG has had four interactions with protected species.
Three interactions were with elephant seals, which were not seriously
injured and were released alive due to the strike detection and quick
tending of the gear. These species are protected by the Marine Mammal
Protection Act, but are not listed as threatened or endangered under
the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
On August 4, 2018, a loggerhead sea turtle was observed entangled
in the surface buoy lines of a vessel fishing under an EFP to test
standard DSBG. The sea turtle was brought on board, disentangled, and
released back to the sea in a lively, uninjured condition. Based on
analysis of the incident, NMFS West Coast Region amended the applicable
Terms and Conditions to require the following attributes, to minimize
the likelihood of future sea turtle entanglements:
1. The surface buoy flotation and strike detection array must be a
streamlined inline configuration, with no loops or hanging material,
and no more than 6 feet between adjacent buoys, to reduce entanglement
potential.
2. The surface buoy flotation and strike detection array must
consist of a >40lb flotation non-compressible hard ball, a minimum six
pound flotation inline-float, and a sub-surface inline-float, all
connected in-line with a minimum of \3/8\ inch diameter line, and no
more than six feet between adjacent buoys.
3. Use of buoy tether attachments (e.g., non-streamlined gear with
loops, nooks, and dangling components) is prohibited.
DSLBG trials have occurred since 2015 and have produced similar
results to standard DSBG activities. Swordfish and other marketable
species have represented about 97 percent of the catch with very
similar catch composition to DSBG. Non-marketable species are released
alive due to quick DSLBG strike detection and active gear tending. To
date, there have been no protected species interactions with DSLBG in
either EFP fishing or research trials.
At the June 2019 Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council)
meeting, the Council received a total of seventeen additional EFP
applications for review. Based on recommendations from the Council's
HMS Management Team, the Council recommended that NMFS consider issuing
EFPs to authorize use of DSBG and/or DSLBG for sixteen of the
applications (see Table)
In addition, one application for one vessel to fish modified linked
buoy gear at night, was preliminarily approved by the Council, with a
final recommendation scheduled for the September 2019 Council meeting.
The gear configuration in this application differs from previously
approved EFPs in that the applicants propose fishing at night, at a
depth of around 300 feet. The array of surface buoys has also been
modified to include a green light to aid in the monitoring, strike
detection, and retrieval of gear at night. At previous Council
meetings, the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER)
included a brief summary of DSBG gear trials conducted at night. These
sets were fished at a depth of less than 100 ft and resulted in a large
proportion of blue shark catch. Due to this high rate of interactions
with blue sharks, PIER ceased night fishing with DSBG. Mr. Perez and
Mr. Carson believe that fishing at a greater depth at night will
increase catch of marketable species, including swordfish during their
diurnal migration to and from depth, while greatly reducing the
occurrence of non-marketable species interactions. The Council's HMS
Management Team (HMSMT) agreed (https://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/J5a_Sup_HMSMT_Rpt1_JUN2019BB.pdf) that this theory is
worth allowing a single vessel, operated by a fisherman with several
years of DSBG fishing experience under both PIER and his own EFP, to
test this new approach.
Table 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicant Applications recommended to NMFS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barker/McCaffrey............. Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 4: DSBG EFP
Application from Jordan McCaffrey.
Bateman...................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 15: DSBG EFP
Application from John Bateman.
Burke........................ Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 14: DSBG EFP
Application from Sean Burke.
Dirkse....................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 7: DSBG EFP
Application from Douglas and Lucas
Dirkse.
Doljanin..................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 19: DSBG EFP
Application from John Doljanin.
Estrada...................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 12: DSBG EFP
Application from Antonio Estrada.
Flynn........................ Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 10: DSBG EFP
Application from Michael Flynn.
Gerritsen.................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 3: DSBG EFP
Application from J.J Gerritsen.
Green........................ Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 13: DSBG EFP
Application from Anthony Green.
Grey/Gibbs................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 9: DSBG EFP
Application from John Gibbs and Anthony
Grey.
Guglielmo.................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 8: DSBG EFP
Application from Nicholas Guglielmo.
Kirkpatrick.................. Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 18: DSBG EFP
Application from John Kirkpatrick.
Lins......................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 2: DSBG EFP
Application from Nathan Lins.
[[Page 43111]]
Marvin....................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 16: DSBG EFP
Application from Brock Marvin.
Roach........................ Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 6: DSBG EFP
Application from Zachary Roach.
Stephens..................... Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 11: DSBG EFP
Application from Dave Stephens.
Perez/Carson................. Application preliminarily approved for
Council recommendation:
Agenda Item J.5, Attachment 17: DSBG EFP
Application from Nathan Perez and Thomas
Carson.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
All applications are available at the Council June 2019 meeting
briefing book website, under agenda item J.5: https://www.pcouncil.org/resources/archives/briefing-books/june-2019-briefing-book/#hmsJun2019.
The Council also recommended that NMFS prioritize issuance of these
June 2019 EFP applications over previously-approved EFP applications
that have not yet been issued, that NMFS extend currently issued DSBG
EFPs through 2020, and that NMFS consider any EFP applications
previously approved by the Council but not issued by December 31, 2019,
due to inaction or abandoned by the applicant, as ineligible for
issuance.
NMFS is requesting public comment on the seventeen DSBG/DSLBG EFP
applications recommended for consideration by the Council. If all
applications are approved, the EFPs would allow up to eighteen vessels
to fish with DSBG, four vessels to fish with DSLBG, and one vessel to
fish modified linked buoy gear at night, in the U.S. West Coast EEZ.
Aside from the exemption described above, vessels fishing under an EFP
would be subject to all HMS FMP requirements implemented in NMFS
regulations at 50 CFR 660, including measures to protect sea turtles,
marine mammals, and seabirds. For up-to-date information on HMS EFPs,
please visit NMFS West Coast Region's ``Highly Migratory Species--
Exempted Fishing Permits'' web page: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/sustainable-fisheries/highly-migratory-species-exempted-fishing-permits.
NMFS will consider all public comments submitted in response to
this Federal Register Notice prior to issuance of any EFP.
Additionally, NMFS will analyze the effects of issuing EFPs in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and NOAA's
Administrative Order 216-6, as well as compliance with other applicable
laws, including Section 7(a)(2) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.),
which requires the agency to consider whether the proposed action is
likely to jeopardize the continued existence and recovery of any
endangered or threatened species or result in the destruction or
adverse modification of critical habitat.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 15, 2019.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-17919 Filed 8-19-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
