Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits, 20121 [2021-07901]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 72 / Friday, April 16, 2021 / Notices following website www.reginfo.gov/ public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or by using the search function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB Control Number 0648–0646. Sheleen Dumas, Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department. [FR Doc. 2021–07821 Filed 4–15–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–JS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RTID 0648–XB009] Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management 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 renewal application from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. Regulations under the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require publication of this notice to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits. DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 3, 2021. ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following methods: • Email: NMFS.GAR.EFP@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line ‘‘Comments on AOLA Larval Lobster EFP.’’ If you cannot submit a comment through this method, please contact Allison Murphy at (978) 281–9122, or email at allison.murphy@noaa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy Analyst, 978–281–9122, allison.murphy@ noaa.gov. jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:57 Apr 15, 2021 Jkt 253001 The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) submitted a complete application on March 17, 2021 for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) to conduct a lobster abundance survey that Federal regulations would otherwise restrict. The purpose of this study is to provide fishery-independent data on lobster growth and abundance in Massachusetts state waters of statistical areas 514 and 538. This EFP would authorize up to seven vessels to conduct larval sampling in Lobster Conservation Management Area 1 and 2. A map of this area is available at: https:// www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/map/ lobster-management-areas. For this project, MA DMF is requesting exemptions from the following Federal lobster regulations: 1. Gear specification requirements to allow for the use of traps without escape vents (50 CFR 697.21(c)(1) for Lobster Management Area 1 and § 697.21(c)(2) for Area 2); 2. Trap limit requirements to allow for trap limits to be exceeded (§ 697.19(a) for Area 1 and § 697.19(b) for Area 2); 3. Trap tag requirements to allow for alternatively-tagged traps (§ 697.19(i)); 4. Minimum and maximum carapace length requirements to allow sub-legal and over-sized lobsters to be landed for research purposes (§§ 697.20(a)(2) and 697.20(b)(2) for Area 1, and §§ 697.20(a)(3) and 697.20(b)(3) for Area 2); 5. V-notch possession requirement to allow landing of females for research purposes (§ 697.20(g)(1) for Area 1 and § 697.20(g)(3) for Area 2); and 6. Berried female possession requirement to allow landing of eggbearing female lobsters for research purposes (§ 697.20(d)(1)and(3)). This survey has occurred annually since 2006 in Massachusetts state waters. The EFP would authorize up to seven participating vessels to deploy three standard and three ventless traps per six-pot trawl. Stations would be sampled twice per month from June through October 2020. Sampling trips would occur after a soak time of approximately 3 days and at least one MA DMF scientist would be on board for the sampling trips. MA DMF personnel would not be on board when traps are baited and deployed. All gear would be Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan compliant. Survey traps will be separate from each vessel’s commercial lobster traps and would be tagged as, ‘‘MADMF Research Traps.’’ All catch during sampling trips would be retained temporarily to collect biological data. MA DMF staff may collect lobster and/or Jonah crab, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 20121 including undersized, oversized, v-notched, and egg-bearing lobsters. Collected samples would be used for research projects on growth and maturity. No catch from the experimental trips would be landed for sale. If approved, MA DMF may request minor modifications and extensions to the EFP throughout the study. 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: April 13, 2021. Kelly Denit, Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2021–07901 Filed 4–15–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Recording Assignments United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment. AGENCY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651–0027 (Recording Assignments). The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB. DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this information collection must be received on or before June 15, 2021. ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by any of the following methods. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information: • Email: InformationCollection@ uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0027 SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\16APN1.SGM 16APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 72 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 20121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07901]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB009]


Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management 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 renewal application from 
the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries contains all of the 
required information and warrants further consideration. Regulations 
under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and 
the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require 
publication of this notice to provide interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing 
Permits.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 3, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on AOLA Larval Lobster EFP.'' If you cannot submit a comment 
through this method, please contact Allison Murphy at (978) 281-9122, 
or email at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, 978-281-9122, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Massachusetts Division of Marine 
Fisheries (MA DMF) submitted a complete application on March 17, 2021 
for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) to conduct a lobster abundance 
survey that Federal regulations would otherwise restrict. The purpose 
of this study is to provide fishery-independent data on lobster growth 
and abundance in Massachusetts state waters of statistical areas 514 
and 538. This EFP would authorize up to seven vessels to conduct larval 
sampling in Lobster Conservation Management Area 1 and 2. A map of this 
area is available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/map/lobster-management-areas.
    For this project, MA DMF is requesting exemptions from the 
following Federal lobster regulations:
    1. Gear specification requirements to allow for the use of traps 
without escape vents (50 CFR 697.21(c)(1) for Lobster Management Area 1 
and Sec.  697.21(c)(2) for Area 2);
    2. Trap limit requirements to allow for trap limits to be exceeded 
(Sec.  697.19(a) for Area 1 and Sec.  697.19(b) for Area 2);
    3. Trap tag requirements to allow for alternatively-tagged traps 
(Sec.  697.19(i));
    4. Minimum and maximum carapace length requirements to allow sub-
legal and over-sized lobsters to be landed for research purposes 
(Sec. Sec.  697.20(a)(2) and 697.20(b)(2) for Area 1, and Sec. Sec.  
697.20(a)(3) and 697.20(b)(3) for Area 2);
    5. V-notch possession requirement to allow landing of females for 
research purposes (Sec.  697.20(g)(1) for Area 1 and Sec.  697.20(g)(3) 
for Area 2); and
    6. Berried female possession requirement to allow landing of egg-
bearing female lobsters for research purposes (Sec.  
697.20(d)(1)and(3)).
    This survey has occurred annually since 2006 in Massachusetts state 
waters. The EFP would authorize up to seven participating vessels to 
deploy three standard and three ventless traps per six-pot trawl. 
Stations would be sampled twice per month from June through October 
2020. Sampling trips would occur after a soak time of approximately 3 
days and at least one MA DMF scientist would be on board for the 
sampling trips. MA DMF personnel would not be on board when traps are 
baited and deployed. All gear would be Atlantic Large Whale Take 
Reduction Plan compliant. Survey traps will be separate from each 
vessel's commercial lobster traps and would be tagged as, ``MADMF 
Research Traps.''
    All catch during sampling trips would be retained temporarily to 
collect biological data. MA DMF staff may collect lobster and/or Jonah 
crab, including undersized, oversized, v-notched, and egg-bearing 
lobsters. Collected samples would be used for research projects on 
growth and maturity. No catch from the experimental trips would be 
landed for sale.
    If approved, MA DMF may request minor modifications and extensions 
to the EFP throughout the study. 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: April 13, 2021.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-07901 Filed 4-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.