Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits, 18376-18377 [2024-05271]
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18376
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 50 / Wednesday, March 13, 2024 / Notices
fisheries, including the bluefin tuna
(BFT) fisheries, are managed under the
2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery
Management Plan and its amendments
pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and
consistent with the Atlantic Tunas
Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.).
HMS implementing regulations are at 50
CFR part 635.
In response to petitions for
rulemaking submitted in 2021 and 2023,
NMFS has engaged in deliberations
regarding the management of the
Harpoon category fishery for BFT. The
petitioners advocated for regulatory
measures to limit harpoon fishing near
vessels using mobile gear that is used to
fish for groundfish, scallops, or clams
and to restrict the deployment of
floating bait for the purpose of attracting
BFT to the surface for harpooning. The
petitioners felt the practices were
contrary to the traditional method of
fishing with harpoon gear, would cause
the Harpoon category quota to be filled
too quickly, and would cause safety
issues. The petitioners also advocated
for fishing with harpoon gear only
during the day and prohibiting
nighttime fishing due to safety concerns.
During the September 2023 HMS
Advisory Panel meeting, stakeholders
were invited to provide public comment
on the aforementioned petitions. NMFS
recognized the significance of ongoing
dialogue and indicated the possibility of
further discussions on the matter in the
future.
The upcoming listening session
allows NMFS to hear from stakeholders
and the public regarding any insights,
concerns, and recommendations
pertaining to the Harpoon category in
general and the aforementioned
petitions.
For this meeting, we anticipate
hearing from the public about the
following topics:
• Recent harpooning practices and
techniques in the BFT fishery;
• Recent harpooning activities in the
BFT fishery in proximity to mobile-gear
vessels;
• The impact of nighttime
harpooning; and,
• Thoughts about the potential
regulatory changes regarding the
Harpoon category fishery.
The public is reminded that NMFS
expects participants of the meeting to
conduct themselves appropriately. At
the beginning of the meeting, the
moderator will explain how the meeting
will be conducted and how and when
participants can provide comments.
NMFS will structure the meeting so that
all members of the public will be able
to comment. Participants are expected
to respect the ground rules, and those
that do not may be asked to leave.
Dated: March 7, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–05299 Filed 3–12–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD656]
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 EFPs.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before April 12, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments by email at nmfs.gar.efp@
noaa.gov. Include in the subject line
‘‘CFF Great South Channel HMA Clam
EFP.’’
All comments received are a part of
the public record and will generally be
posted for public viewing in https://
www.noaa.gov/organization/
information-technology/foia-readingroom without change. All personal
identifying information (e.g., name,
address), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive
information submitted voluntarily by
the sender will be publicly accessible.
NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ‘‘anonymous’’ as the
signature if you wish to remain
anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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 (EFP)
application contains all of the required
information and warrants further
consideration. The EFP would allow
federally permitted fishing vessels to
fish outside fishery regulations in
support of exempted fishing activities
proposed by Coonamessett Farm
SUMMARY:
Douglas Potts, Fishery Policy Analyst,
douglas.potts@noaa.gov, 978–281–9341.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
applicant submitted a complete
application for an EFP to conduct
commercial fishing activities that the
regulations would otherwise restrict.
This EFP would exempt the
participating vessels from the following
Federal regulations:
TABLE 1—REQUESTED EXEMPTIONS
CFR citation
Regulation
Need for
exemption
50 CFR
Habitat ManTo conduct
648.370(h).
agement
compensaAreas—protion fishing
hibition on
with hyusing botdraulic clam
tom-tending
dredges.
mobile gear.
TABLE 2—PROJECT SUMMARY
Compensation fishing in support of a Great South Channel Habitat Management Area study phase II: an
acoustic mapping survey of Davis Bank East
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Project title
Division action number ...................
Principal Investigator .......................
Institution .........................................
Continuing project (yes/no) .............
Initial application date .....................
Complete application date ..............
Funding source ...............................
Project Start ....................................
Project End .....................................
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:33 Mar 12, 2024
DA23–073.
Natalie Jennings.
Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF).
Yes.
September 26, 2023.
December 5, 2023.
Compensation fishing.
Upon issue.
1 year from issue.
Jkt 262001
PO 00000
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 50 / Wednesday, March 13, 2024 / Notices
18377
TABLE 2—PROJECT SUMMARY—Continued
Project title
Compensation fishing in support of a Great South Channel Habitat Management Area study phase II: an
acoustic mapping survey of Davis Bank East
Project objectives ............................
Compensation surfclam fishing to fund a habitat mapping project using multibeam sonar and drop cameras.
Great South Channel Habitat Management Area, Davis Bank East.
3 (2 active with 1 in reserve).
260.
1.
260.
Hydraulic clam dredge.
30 per trip.
0.16 hrs.
Project location ...............................
Number of vessels ..........................
Number of trips ...............................
Trip duration (days) .........................
Total number of days ......................
Gear type(s) ....................................
Number of tows or sets ..................
Duration of tows or sets ..................
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Project Narrative
Acoustic Survey Trips
An initial survey of the full Davis
Bank East area (approximately 60 square
kilometers) would be conducted using
multibeam sonar and a drop camera
array, lasting approximately 8 and 6
days, respectively. This would establish
a baseline to monitor changes in fished
and unfished portions of the area.
Following the initial survey, research
trips would consist of one 4-day trip per
season (16 total days) in the northern
half of the area. The survey would be
conducted with a 25-percent overlap
between adjacent multibeam lines.
Sonar imagery would be processed for
bathymetry and backscatter. In addition,
a 2-day research trip would occur
seasonally (8 total days) using a drop
camera array to ground-truth the sonar
imagery and provide benthic
community biological information. Drop
camera survey trips would be conducted
concurrent with the sonar survey trips.
Four drops per hour would be
accomplished for 12 hours for 2 days,
with a goal of approximately 96 stations
sampled per trip. Time of day, sea state
and weather conditions, GPS
coordinates, depth, and time on bottom
will be recorded at each drop camera
station. The drop camera is a 4-foot-tall,
four-sided pyramid outfitted with lights
and a high-resolution Sony camera with
a 1-meter-squared field of view. A final
multibeam sonar and drop camera
survey of the full Davis Bank East area
would be conducted again lasting
approximately 8 and 6 days,
respectively. All survey trips would be
directed by two CFF scientists onboard
the vessel. No fishing gear will be
deployed during survey trips. CFF will
submit a separate application for a letter
of acknowledgment of scientific
research for these survey cruises.
Compensation Fishing Trips
The EFP would authorize the harvest
of surfclams from an area closed to
hydraulic clam dredges for the purpose
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:33 Mar 12, 2024
Jkt 262001
of generating funds for the acoustic
survey. After the initial acoustic survey
is completed, two commercial surfclam
vessels would take up to 130 trips (260
total trips) into the southern portion of
the Davis Bank East area defined by
these coordinates:
Latitude
41.268°
41.268°
41.223°
41.223°
N
N
N
N
Longitude
..................
..................
..................
..................
69.58° W.
69.508° W.
69.566° W.
69.508° W.
Both vessels would use a 48-inchwide hydraulic surfclam dredge, towed
between 2 and 3 knots for 10 minutes
per tow, with a trip limit of 14 cages.
Approximately 30 tows would be
conducted per trip. A CFF scientist
would be onboard 25 percent of
compensation fishing trips to collect
surfclam catch per unit effort and catch
composition data. The vessel owners
have committed 15 percent of the value
of each trip to cover the full cost of the
research trips and data analysis. At an
estimated $30 per bushel ex-vessel
value, this would just cover the total
research budget of roughly $505,000.
The participating vessel owners have
agreed to make up the difference if the
price falls below $30 per bushel.
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.
PO 00000
Dated: March 7, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–05271 Filed 3–12–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD753]
New England Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
AGENCY:
The New England Fishery
Management Council’s is convening its
Scientific and Statistical Committee
(SSC) sub-panel to consider actions
affecting New England fisheries in the
exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Recommendations from this group will
be brought to the full Council for formal
consideration and action, if appropriate.
DATES: This webinar will be held on
Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 1 p.m.
ADDRESSES:
Webinar registration information:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/
register/6027689206954658393. Call in
information: +1 (415) 930–5321, Access
Code: 210–165–122.
Council address: New England
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cate
O’Keefe, Executive Director, New
England Fishery Management Council;
telephone: (978) 465–0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Agenda
A Scientific and Statistical Committee
sub-panel will meet to review the
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18376-18377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05271]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD656]
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 (EFP) application
contains all of the required information and warrants further
consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels
to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing
activities proposed by 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 EFPs.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 12, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by email at
[email protected]. Include in the subject line ``CFF Great South
Channel HMA Clam EFP.''
All comments received are a part of the public record and will
generally be posted for public viewing in https://www.noaa.gov/organization/information-technology/foia-reading-room without change.
All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address),
confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS
will accept anonymous comments (enter ``anonymous'' as the signature if
you wish to remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Potts, Fishery Policy Analyst,
[email protected], 978-281-9341.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant submitted a complete
application for an EFP to conduct commercial fishing activities that
the regulations would otherwise restrict. This EFP would exempt the
participating vessels from the following Federal regulations:
Table 1--Requested Exemptions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CFR citation Regulation Need for exemption
------------------------------------------------------------------------
50 CFR 648.370(h)............... Habitat Management To conduct
Areas--prohibitio compensation
n on using bottom- fishing with
tending mobile hydraulic clam
gear. dredges.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2--Project Summary
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compensation fishing in support of a
Great South Channel Habitat
Project title Management Area study phase II: an
acoustic mapping survey of Davis
Bank East
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Division action number............ DA23-073.
Principal Investigator............ Natalie Jennings.
Institution....................... Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF).
Continuing project (yes/no)....... Yes.
Initial application date.......... September 26, 2023.
Complete application date......... December 5, 2023.
Funding source.................... Compensation fishing.
Project Start..................... Upon issue.
Project End....................... 1 year from issue.
[[Page 18377]]
Project objectives................ Compensation surfclam fishing to
fund a habitat mapping project
using multibeam sonar and drop
cameras.
Project location.................. Great South Channel Habitat
Management Area, Davis Bank East.
Number of vessels................. 3 (2 active with 1 in reserve).
Number of trips................... 260.
Trip duration (days).............. 1.
Total number of days.............. 260.
Gear type(s)...................... Hydraulic clam dredge.
Number of tows or sets............ 30 per trip.
Duration of tows or sets.......... 0.16 hrs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Narrative
Acoustic Survey Trips
An initial survey of the full Davis Bank East area (approximately
60 square kilometers) would be conducted using multibeam sonar and a
drop camera array, lasting approximately 8 and 6 days, respectively.
This would establish a baseline to monitor changes in fished and
unfished portions of the area. Following the initial survey, research
trips would consist of one 4-day trip per season (16 total days) in the
northern half of the area. The survey would be conducted with a 25-
percent overlap between adjacent multibeam lines. Sonar imagery would
be processed for bathymetry and backscatter. In addition, a 2-day
research trip would occur seasonally (8 total days) using a drop camera
array to ground-truth the sonar imagery and provide benthic community
biological information. Drop camera survey trips would be conducted
concurrent with the sonar survey trips. Four drops per hour would be
accomplished for 12 hours for 2 days, with a goal of approximately 96
stations sampled per trip. Time of day, sea state and weather
conditions, GPS coordinates, depth, and time on bottom will be recorded
at each drop camera station. The drop camera is a 4-foot-tall, four-
sided pyramid outfitted with lights and a high-resolution Sony camera
with a 1-meter-squared field of view. A final multibeam sonar and drop
camera survey of the full Davis Bank East area would be conducted again
lasting approximately 8 and 6 days, respectively. All survey trips
would be directed by two CFF scientists onboard the vessel. No fishing
gear will be deployed during survey trips. CFF will submit a separate
application for a letter of acknowledgment of scientific research for
these survey cruises.
Compensation Fishing Trips
The EFP would authorize the harvest of surfclams from an area
closed to hydraulic clam dredges for the purpose of generating funds
for the acoustic survey. After the initial acoustic survey is
completed, two commercial surfclam vessels would take up to 130 trips
(260 total trips) into the southern portion of the Davis Bank East area
defined by these coordinates:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Latitude Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------
41.268[deg] N............................. 69.58[deg] W.
41.268[deg] N............................. 69.508[deg] W.
41.223[deg] N............................. 69.566[deg] W.
41.223[deg] N............................. 69.508[deg] W.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Both vessels would use a 48-inch-wide hydraulic surfclam dredge,
towed between 2 and 3 knots for 10 minutes per tow, with a trip limit
of 14 cages. Approximately 30 tows would be conducted per trip. A CFF
scientist would be onboard 25 percent of compensation fishing trips to
collect surfclam catch per unit effort and catch composition data. The
vessel owners have committed 15 percent of the value of each trip to
cover the full cost of the research trips and data analysis. At an
estimated $30 per bushel ex-vessel value, this would just cover the
total research budget of roughly $505,000. The participating vessel
owners have agreed to make up the difference if the price falls below
$30 per bushel.
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: March 7, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-05271 Filed 3-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
