Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Applications for Exempted Fishing Permits; 2021-2022 Fishing Year, 28766-28767 [2021-11331]
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28766
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 102 / Friday, May 28, 2021 / Notices
Dated: May 25, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–11327 Filed 5–27–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XB133]
Endangered Species; File No. 25694
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
Carlos Diez, Department of Natural and
Environmental Resources of Puerto
Rico, P.O. Box 9020708, Viejo San Juan,
PR 00901, has applied in due form for
a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas)
and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)
sea turtles for purposes of scientific
research.
SUMMARY:
Written, telefaxed, or email
comments must be received on or before
June 28, 2021.
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. 25694 from the list of
available applications. These documents
are also available upon written request
via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@
noaa.gov.
Written comments on this application
should be submitted via email to
NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please
include File No. 25694 in the subject
line of the email comment.
Those individuals requesting a public
hearing should submit a written request
via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@
noaa.gov. The request should set forth
the specific reasons why a hearing on
this application would be appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amy Hapeman or Jordan Rutland, (301)
427–8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
subject permit is requested under the
authority of the Endangered Species Act
of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) and the regulations
governing the taking, importing, and
exporting of endangered and threatened
species (50 CFR parts 222–226).
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:28 May 27, 2021
Jkt 253001
The applicant proposes to continue
studies of the population structure,
trends in relative abundance,
distribution, genetics, zoogeography,
and epidemiology of green and
hawksbill sea turtles in the coastal
waters of Puerto Rico. Up to 140 sea
turtles of each species would be
captured annually by hand or tangle net
for photographs, temporary marking,
measurements, weights, blood and
tissue sampling, and flipper and passive
integrated transponder tagging. A subset
of 10 turtles of each species would
receive a satellite tag (epoxy attachment)
prior to release. Another 140 hawksbill
turtles and 50 green turtles annually
would be harassed during unsuccessful
hand captures. The permit would be
valid for up to 10 years from the date
of issuance.
Dated: May 25, 2021.
Julia Marie Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–11349 Filed 5–27–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XB040]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species
Fishery; Applications for Exempted
Fishing Permits; 2021–2022 Fishing
Year
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of application;
request for comments.
AGENCY:
The Regional Administrator,
West Coast Region, NMFS, has made a
preliminary determination that three
Exempted Fishing Permit applications
warrant further consideration. All three
applications, two from the California
Wetfish Producers Association and one
from the West Coast Pelagic
Conservation Group, request an
exemption from the expected
prohibition on primary directed fishing
for Pacific sardine during the 2021–2022
fishing year to collect Pacific sardine as
part of industry-based scientific surveys.
NMFS requests public comment on the
applications.
DATES: Comments must be received by
June 14, 2021.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
You may submit comments
on this document, identified by NOAA–
NMFS–2021–0042, by the following
method:
• Electronic Submissions: Submit all
public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA–
NMFS–2021–0042 in the Search box.
Click the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete
the required fields, and enter or attach
your comments. The EFP applications
will be available under Supporting and
Related Materials through the same link.
Instructions: Comments must be
submitted by the above method to
ensure that the comments are received,
documented, and considered by NMFS.
Comments sent by any other method 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, etc.) submitted
voluntarily by the sender will be
publicly accessible. Do not submit
confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive or protected
information. NMFS will accept
anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in
the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lynn Massey, West Coast Region,
NMFS, (562) 436–2462, lynn.massey@
noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
action is authorized by the Coastal
Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) and
regulations at 50 CFR 600.745, which
allow NMFS Regional Administrators to
authorize exempted fishing permits
(EFPs) to test fishing activities that
would otherwise be prohibited.
At its April 2021 meeting, the Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council)
recommended that NMFS approve three
EFP applications for the 2021–2022
Pacific sardine fishing year. All three
applications, two from the California
Wetfish Producers Association (CWPA)
and one from the West Coast Pelagic
Conservation Group (WCPCG), are
renewal requests for an exemption from
the expected prohibition on primary
directed fishing for Pacific sardine
during the 2021–2022 fishing year; the
purpose of the requests are to collect
Pacific sardine as part of industry-based
scientific surveys. The Council
considered these EFP applications
concurrently with the 2021–2022
annual harvest specifications for Pacific
sardine because expected Pacific
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\28MYN1.SGM
28MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 102 / Friday, May 28, 2021 / Notices
sardine catch under each EFP would be
accounted for under the proposed 2021–
2022 annual catch limit (ACL), which is
3,329 metric tons (mt). A summary of
each EFP application is provided below:
(1) Proposal for Renewal of Exempted
Fishery Permit (EFP) To Allow Take of
Pacific Sardine (for Point Sets) in 2021
Nearshore Research Program: The
CWPA submitted a renewal application
for their CPS Nearshore Cooperative
Survey (NCS) program. The purpose of
this EFP project is to continue to
develop a sampling methodology for
estimating CPS biomass in shallow
waters that are not accessible to NOAA
survey ships. Since 2012 the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife, in
partnership with the CWPA, has been
conducting aerial surveys to estimate
the biomass and distribution of Pacific
sardine and certain other CPS in
nearshore waters in the Southern
California Bight, and in the MontereySan Francisco area since the summer of
2017. Currently, there is uncertainty in
the biomass estimates from aerial
spotter pilots. The CPS–NCS survey
aims to quantify that level of
uncertainty by capturing CPS schools
identified by aerial spotter pilots and
validating the biomass and species
composition of the schools. If approved,
this EFP would allow up to six
participating vessels to directly harvest
a total of 300 mt of Pacific sardine
during the 2021–2022 fishing year. A
portion of each point set (i.e., an
individual haul of fish captured with a
purse seine net) would be retained for
biological sampling, and the remainder
will be sold by the participating
fishermen and processors to offset
research costs and avoid unnecessary
discard.
(2) Request for Renewal of Exempted
Fishery Permit (EFP) To Allow Fishing
of Pacific Sardine For Biological
Samples in 2021 Nearshore Research
Program: The CWPA submitted a
renewal application for their biological
sampling EFP project. The primary
directed fishery for Pacific sardine has
been closed since 2015, and
consequently, scientists at the
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
(SWFSC) have a limited amount of
fishery-dependent data to use in their
annual stock assessment. The goal of
this EFP project is to provide additional
biological data (i.e., age and length data
from directed harvest) for potential use
in Pacific sardine stock assessments. If
approved, this EFP would allow up to
six participating vessels to directly
harvest up to 520 mt of Pacific sardine
during the 2021–2022 fishing year. A
portion of each landing would be
retained for biological sampling by the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:28 May 27, 2021
Jkt 253001
California Department of Fish and
Wildlife, and the remainder would be
sold by the participating fishermen and
processors to offset research costs and
avoid unnecessary discard.
(3) Exempted Fishery Permit to
continue an industry-federal-state
collaborative acoustic survey for CPS in
nearshore waters: The WCPCG
submitted a renewal application for
their Nearshore Surveillance Acoustic
Trawl Methodology Survey of North
West Coastal Waters EFP project. Since
2017, the WCPCG has been working
with NMFS’ SWFSC and the
Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife to survey CPS in nearshore
Oregon/Washington coastal waters. The
purpose of the EFP is to collect
biological samples in areas inshore of
the SWFSC acoustic trawl survey to
better assess species composition and
CPS distribution and abundance. If
approved, this EFP would allow one
research vessel to harvest up to 10 mt
of Pacific sardine during the 2021–2022
fishing year. A portion of each set (i.e.,
an individual haul of fish captured with
a purse seine net) would be retained by
the Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife for biological sampling, and the
remainder of the set would be released
from the purse seine net immediately
after collecting the biological samples.
Altogether, these EFP projects total
830 mt. If NMFS does not issue these
EFPs, then this 830-mt portion of the
ACL would be available for harvest by
other permissible fishing activities
during the 2021–2022 fishing year (e.g.,
live bait or minor directed harvest).
After publication of this document in
the Federal Register, NMFS may
approve and issue permits to
participating vessels after the close of
the public comment period. NMFS will
consider comments submitted in
deciding whether to approve the
applications as requested. NMFS may
approve the applications in their
entirety or may make any alterations
needed to achieve the goals of the EFP
projects. NMFS may also approve
different amounts of Pacific sardine
allocation for each EFP project if any
changes are made to the 2021–2022
proposed sardine harvest specifications
before final implementation.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 25, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–11331 Filed 5–27–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
28767
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XB109]
Caribbean Fishery Management
Council; Public Meetings
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public virtual
meetings.
AGENCY:
The Caribbean Fishery
Management Council’s (Council)
District Advisory Panels (DAPs) will
hold public virtual meetings to address
the items contained in the tentative
agenda included in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
DATES: The DAPs public virtual
meetings will be held as follows: St.
Croix DAP, June 15, 2021, from 10 a.m.
to 12 p.m.; Puerto Rico DAP, June 15,
2021, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; St. Thomas/
St. John DAP, June 16, 2021, from 10
a.m. to 12 p.m. All meetings will be at
Eastern Day Time.
ADDRESSES: You may join the DAPs
public virtual meetings (via Zoom) from
a computer, tablet or smartphone by
entering the following addresses:
SUMMARY:
DAP–STT/STJ
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
86262657165?pwd=
aGQ4U25rME92d1p1TWo4d3Y3RGF
rdz09
Meeting ID: 862 6265 7165
Passcode: 901759
One tap mobile
+17879451488,,86262657165#,,,,
*901759# Puerto Rico
+17879667727,,86262657165#,,,,
*901759# Puerto Rico
Dial by your location
+1 787 945 1488 Puerto Rico
+1 787 966 7727 Puerto Rico
+1 939 945 0244 Puerto Rico
Meeting ID: 862 6265 7165
Passcode: 901759
DAP–PR
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
86222659918?pwd=
UitRcnBJRXQyMUpWaEtISEZ6
elVvQT09
Meeting ID: 862 2265 9918
Passcode: 623876
One tap mobile
+19399450244,,86222659918#,,,,
*623876# Puerto Rico
+17879451488,,86222659918#,,,,
*623876# Puerto Rico
E:\FR\FM\28MYN1.SGM
28MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 102 (Friday, May 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28766-28767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11331]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XB040]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Applications for Exempted
Fishing Permits; 2021-2022 Fishing Year
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of application; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, has made
a preliminary determination that three Exempted Fishing Permit
applications warrant further consideration. All three applications, two
from the California Wetfish Producers Association and one from the West
Coast Pelagic Conservation Group, request an exemption from the
expected prohibition on primary directed fishing for Pacific sardine
during the 2021-2022 fishing year to collect Pacific sardine as part of
industry-based scientific surveys. NMFS requests public comment on the
applications.
DATES: Comments must be received by June 14, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2021-0042, by the following method:
Electronic Submissions: Submit all public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA-
NMFS-2021-0042 in the Search box. Click the ``Comment'' icon, complete
the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. The EFP
applications will be available under Supporting and Related Materials
through the same link.
Instructions: Comments must be submitted by the above method to
ensure that the comments are received, documented, and considered by
NMFS. Comments sent by any other method 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, etc.) submitted voluntarily by the
sender will be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will
accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you
wish to remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Massey, West Coast Region, NMFS,
(562) 436-2462, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by the Coastal
Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and regulations at
50 CFR 600.745, which allow NMFS Regional Administrators to authorize
exempted fishing permits (EFPs) to test fishing activities that would
otherwise be prohibited.
At its April 2021 meeting, the Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council) recommended that NMFS approve three EFP applications for the
2021-2022 Pacific sardine fishing year. All three applications, two
from the California Wetfish Producers Association (CWPA) and one from
the West Coast Pelagic Conservation Group (WCPCG), are renewal requests
for an exemption from the expected prohibition on primary directed
fishing for Pacific sardine during the 2021-2022 fishing year; the
purpose of the requests are to collect Pacific sardine as part of
industry-based scientific surveys. The Council considered these EFP
applications concurrently with the 2021-2022 annual harvest
specifications for Pacific sardine because expected Pacific
[[Page 28767]]
sardine catch under each EFP would be accounted for under the proposed
2021-2022 annual catch limit (ACL), which is 3,329 metric tons (mt). A
summary of each EFP application is provided below:
(1) Proposal for Renewal of Exempted Fishery Permit (EFP) To Allow
Take of Pacific Sardine (for Point Sets) in 2021 Nearshore Research
Program: The CWPA submitted a renewal application for their CPS
Nearshore Cooperative Survey (NCS) program. The purpose of this EFP
project is to continue to develop a sampling methodology for estimating
CPS biomass in shallow waters that are not accessible to NOAA survey
ships. Since 2012 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, in
partnership with the CWPA, has been conducting aerial surveys to
estimate the biomass and distribution of Pacific sardine and certain
other CPS in nearshore waters in the Southern California Bight, and in
the Monterey-San Francisco area since the summer of 2017. Currently,
there is uncertainty in the biomass estimates from aerial spotter
pilots. The CPS-NCS survey aims to quantify that level of uncertainty
by capturing CPS schools identified by aerial spotter pilots and
validating the biomass and species composition of the schools. If
approved, this EFP would allow up to six participating vessels to
directly harvest a total of 300 mt of Pacific sardine during the 2021-
2022 fishing year. A portion of each point set (i.e., an individual
haul of fish captured with a purse seine net) would be retained for
biological sampling, and the remainder will be sold by the
participating fishermen and processors to offset research costs and
avoid unnecessary discard.
(2) Request for Renewal of Exempted Fishery Permit (EFP) To Allow
Fishing of Pacific Sardine For Biological Samples in 2021 Nearshore
Research Program: The CWPA submitted a renewal application for their
biological sampling EFP project. The primary directed fishery for
Pacific sardine has been closed since 2015, and consequently,
scientists at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) have a
limited amount of fishery-dependent data to use in their annual stock
assessment. The goal of this EFP project is to provide additional
biological data (i.e., age and length data from directed harvest) for
potential use in Pacific sardine stock assessments. If approved, this
EFP would allow up to six participating vessels to directly harvest up
to 520 mt of Pacific sardine during the 2021-2022 fishing year. A
portion of each landing would be retained for biological sampling by
the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the remainder would
be sold by the participating fishermen and processors to offset
research costs and avoid unnecessary discard.
(3) Exempted Fishery Permit to continue an industry-federal-state
collaborative acoustic survey for CPS in nearshore waters: The WCPCG
submitted a renewal application for their Nearshore Surveillance
Acoustic Trawl Methodology Survey of North West Coastal Waters EFP
project. Since 2017, the WCPCG has been working with NMFS' SWFSC and
the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to survey CPS in
nearshore Oregon/Washington coastal waters. The purpose of the EFP is
to collect biological samples in areas inshore of the SWFSC acoustic
trawl survey to better assess species composition and CPS distribution
and abundance. If approved, this EFP would allow one research vessel to
harvest up to 10 mt of Pacific sardine during the 2021-2022 fishing
year. A portion of each set (i.e., an individual haul of fish captured
with a purse seine net) would be retained by the Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife for biological sampling, and the remainder of the
set would be released from the purse seine net immediately after
collecting the biological samples.
Altogether, these EFP projects total 830 mt. If NMFS does not issue
these EFPs, then this 830-mt portion of the ACL would be available for
harvest by other permissible fishing activities during the 2021-2022
fishing year (e.g., live bait or minor directed harvest).
After publication of this document in the Federal Register, NMFS
may approve and issue permits to participating vessels after the close
of the public comment period. NMFS will consider comments submitted in
deciding whether to approve the applications as requested. NMFS may
approve the applications in their entirety or may make any alterations
needed to achieve the goals of the EFP projects. NMFS may also approve
different amounts of Pacific sardine allocation for each EFP project if
any changes are made to the 2021-2022 proposed sardine harvest
specifications before final implementation.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 25, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-11331 Filed 5-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
