Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits, 13348-13350 [2025-04877]
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 54 / Friday, March 21, 2025 / Notices
Small Numbers Determination
Under the rule, NMFS may not
authorize incidental take of marine
mammals in an LOA if it will exceed
‘‘small numbers.’’ In short, when an
acceptable estimate of the individual
marine mammals taken is available, if
the estimated number of individual
animals taken is up to, but not greater
than, one-third of the best available
abundance estimate, NMFS will
determine that the numbers of marine
mammals taken of a species or stock are
small (see 89 FR 31535, May 24, 2024).
For more information please see NMFS’
discussion of small numbers in the 2021
final rule (86 FR 5438, January 19,
2021).
The take numbers for authorization
are determined as described above in
the Summary of Request and Analysis
section. Subsequently, the total
incidents of harassment for each species
are multiplied by scalar ratios to
produce a derived product that better
reflects the number of individuals likely
to be taken within a survey (as
compared to the total number of
instances of take), accounting for the
likelihood that some individual marine
mammals may be taken on more than 1
day (see 86 FR 5404, January 19, 2021).
The output of this scaling, where
appropriate, is incorporated into
adjusted total take estimates that are the
basis for NMFS’ small numbers
determinations, as depicted in table 1.
This product is used by NMFS in
making the necessary small numbers
determinations through comparison
with the best available abundance
estimates (see discussion at 86 FR 5391,
January 19, 2021). For this comparison,
NMFS’ approach is to use the maximum
theoretical population, determined
through review of current stock
assessment reports (SAR; https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/
marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-stock-assessments) and modelpredicted abundance information
(https://seamap.env.duke.edu/models/
Duke/GOM/). Information supporting
the small numbers determinations is
provided in table 1.
TABLE 1—TAKE ANALYSIS
Authorized
take
Species
Rice’s whale .....................................................................................................
Sperm whale ....................................................................................................
Kogia spp .........................................................................................................
Beaked whales ................................................................................................
Rough-toothed dolphin ....................................................................................
Bottlenose dolphin ...........................................................................................
Clymene dolphin ..............................................................................................
Atlantic spotted dolphin ...................................................................................
Pantropical spotted dolphin .............................................................................
Spinner dolphin ................................................................................................
Striped dolphin .................................................................................................
Fraser’s dolphin ...............................................................................................
Risso’s dolphin .................................................................................................
Blackfish 4 .........................................................................................................
Short-finned pilot whale ...................................................................................
0
518
3 194
1,297
1,341
1,573
1,339
1,070
12,286
207
2,376
517
404
3,216
900
Scaled
take 1
Abundance 2
n/a
218.9
58.7
131.0
385.0
451.4
384.2
307.2
3,526.0
59.5
681.8
148.3
119.1
948.7
265.4
Percent
abundance
51
3,007
980
803
4,853
165,125
4,619
21,506
67,225
5,548
5,634
1,665
1,974
6,113
2,741
n/a
7.3
7.1
16.3
7.9
0.3
8.3
1.4
5.2
1.1
12.1
8.9
6.0
15.5
9.7
1 Scalar ratios were applied to ‘‘Authorized Take’’ values as described at 86 FR 5322, 5404 (January 19, 2021) to derive scaled take numbers
shown here.
2 Best abundance estimate. For most taxa, the best abundance estimate for purposes of comparison with take estimates is considered here to
be the model-predicted abundance (Garrison et al., 2023). For Rice’s whale, Atlantic spotted dolphin, and Risso’s dolphin, the larger estimated
SAR abundance estimate is used.
3 Includes 11 takes by Level A harassment and 183 takes by Level B harassment. Scalar ratio is applied to takes by Level B harassment only;
small numbers determination made on basis of scaled Level B harassment take plus authorized Level A harassment take.
4 The ‘‘blackfish’’ guild includes melon-headed whales, false killer whales, pygmy killer whales, and killer whales.
khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES
Based on the analysis contained
herein of TGS’s proposed survey
activity described in its LOA
application and the anticipated take of
marine mammals, NMFS finds that
small numbers of marine mammals will
be taken relative to the affected species
or stock sizes (i.e., less than one-third of
the best available abundance estimate)
and therefore the taking is of no more
than small numbers.
mammals incidental to its geophysical
survey activity, as described above.
Dated: March 17, 2025.
Catherine Marzin,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025–04850 Filed 3–20–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
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PO 00000
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XE777]
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 of receipt of application;
request for comments.
AGENCY:
Authorization
NMFS has determined that the level
of taking for this LOA request is
consistent with the findings made for
the total taking allowable under the
incidental take regulations and that the
amount of take authorized under the
LOA is of no more than small numbers.
Accordingly, we have issued an LOA to
TGS authorizing the take of marine
VerDate Sep<11>2014
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
The Assistant Regional
Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,
Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has
made a preliminary determination that
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 54 / Friday, March 21, 2025 / Notices
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 Atlantic Capes Fisheries,
Inc., in partnership with Rutgers
University. 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 EFP.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before April 7, 2025.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments by the following method:
• Email: nmfs.gar.efp@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line ‘‘SCOQ
Mixing Amendment Accounting
Protocols’’.
13349
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christine Ford, Fishery Management
Specialist, christine.ford@noaa.gov,
(978) 281–9185.
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:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
TABLE 1—REQUESTED EXEMPTIONS
CFR citation
Regulation
Need for exemption
50 CFR 648.14(j)(1)(iii) ...
Prohibition against fishing for, retaining, or landing both
surfclams and ocean quahogs (SCOQ) in or from the
EEZ on the same trip.
50 CFR 648.14(j)(1)(iv) ..
Prohibition against fishing for, retaining, or landing ocean
quahogs in or from the EEZ on a trip designated as a
surfclam fishing trip under § 648.15(b); or fishing for,
retaining, or landing surfclams in or from the EEZ on a
trip designated as an ocean quahog fishing trip under
§ 648.15(b).
Retaining and landing both species on the same trip is
needed to calculate the amount of mixing, in order to
develop protocols for future estimation of discards and
mixing at sea.
Retaining and landing ocean quahogs on a designated
surfclam trip, or retaining and landing surfclams on a
designated ocean quahog trip is needed to calculate
the amount of mixing, in order to develop protocols for
future estimation of discards and mixing at sea.
TABLE 2—PROJECT SUMMARY
Project
Project
Project
Project
title ...........................
start ..........................
end ...........................
objectives .................
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 .......
SCOQ Mixing Amendment Accounting Protocols Study.
Upon issuance.
One year from issuance.
To conduct industry-funded research to determine best practices and protocols for: (1) estimating discards of
non-target clam species for eVTR reporting; (2) estimating pre-landing bushel volumes of surfclam/ocean quahogs that are mixed in cages; and (3) fully accounting for the volume of bushels separated from mixed cages
to be reported to NMFS.
Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic.
Up to 15.
Up to 1,200.
Up to 2 days.
Up to 2,400.
Dredge.
25 per trip.
1 hour.
khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES
Project Narrative
There are increasing numbers of
surfclams moving into the deeper water
habitat of ocean quahogs. Current
regulations do not allow for the landing
of both species on the same trip. In
response to this issue, the Mid-Atlantic
Fisheries Management Council
(MAFMC) is working on solutions and
a preferred alternative for an
amendment to the SCOQ Fishery
Management Plan. Atlantic Capes
Fisheries, in partnership with Rutgers
University, is requesting an EFP to
conduct industry-funded research to
develop protocols for fishing vessel
crews (the crew) to accurately estimate
surfclam and ocean quahog discards and
mixing at sea, and scientifically evaluate
the accuracy of those methods.
This EFP would authorize up to 15
vessels to fish for, retain, and land both
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surfclams and ocean quahogs on the
same trip, either in mixed or separate
cages, regardless of which species the
trip was designated for. On each trip,
the crew would make independent
estimates of mixing using protocols codeveloped by scientists, industry, and
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center
(NEFSC). Processors would
independently sort and document catch
at the plant. A subset of trips
(approximately two per month) would
carry a project scientist, to collect
independent estimates using
scientifically derived protocols, taking
into consideration methods provided by
the Northeast Fisheries Observer
Program. Project scientists would also
collect estimates at the processing plant,
though not from the same trips on
which they collected at-sea estimates.
All independent estimates would be
submitted to Rutgers University for
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comparison. The results of the
comparisons would be summarized in a
report made available to the MAFMC,
NEFSC, and the Greater Atlantic
Regional Fisheries Office.
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.
All comments received are a part of
the public record and may be posted for
public viewing without change. All
personal identifying information (e.g.,
name, address), confidential business
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13350
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 54 / Friday, March 21, 2025 / Notices
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).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 18, 2025.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025–04877 Filed 3–20–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XE794]
New England Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
The New England Fishery
Management Council (Council) is
scheduling a public webinar of its Joint
Herring Committee and Advisory 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
Friday, April 11, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES:
Webinar registration URL
information: https://nefmc-org.zoom.us/
meeting/register/
TBis4dq3S6GqKutcVTezWQ.
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:
khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES
Agenda
The Atlantic Herring Committee and
Advisory Panel will meet jointly to
discuss Specifications—receive a report
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from the Plan Development Team (PDT)
and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission’s (ASMFC) Technical
Committee and summary of Scientific
and Statistical Committee (SSC)
recommendations, and consider revising
recommendations for fishing year (FY)
2025 and 2026 specifications, FY 2027
default specifications and possible inseason adjustments, and make
recommendations to the Committee/
Council as appropriate. Other business
will be discussed if necessary.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained on the agenda may come
before this Council for discussion, those
issues may not be the subject of formal
action during this meeting. Council
action will be restricted to those issues
specifically listed in this notice and any
issues arising after publication of this
notice that require emergency action
under section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Act, provided the public has
been notified of the Council’s intent to
take final action to address the
emergency. The public also should be
aware that the meeting will be recorded.
Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy
of the recording is available upon
request.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Cate
O’Keefe, Executive Director, at (978)
465–0492, at least 5 days prior to the
meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 18, 2025.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025–04870 Filed 3–20–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XE716]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permits
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION:
Notice; request for comments.
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 the Cape Cod Commercial
Fishermen’s Alliance. 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.
SUMMARY:
Comments must be received on
or before April 7, 2025.
DATES:
You may submit written
comments by email at nmfs.gar.efp@
noaa.gov. Include in the subject line
‘‘CCCFA SCOQ EFP.’’ All comments
received are a part of the public record
and may be posted for public viewing
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).
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christine Ford, Fishery Management
Specialist, christine.ford@noaa.gov,
978–281–9185.
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:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
AGENCY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 54 (Friday, March 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13348-13350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04877]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE777]
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 of receipt of application; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary
determination that
[[Page 13349]]
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
Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc., in partnership with Rutgers University.
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 EFP.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 7, 2025.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by the following method:
Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line
``SCOQ Mixing Amendment Accounting Protocols''.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Ford, Fishery Management
Specialist, [email protected], (978) 281-9185.
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 648.14(j)(1)(iii)................... Prohibition against fishing for, Retaining and landing both
retaining, or landing both species on the same trip is
surfclams and ocean quahogs needed to calculate the amount
(SCOQ) in or from the EEZ on the of mixing, in order to develop
same trip. protocols for future estimation
of discards and mixing at sea.
50 CFR 648.14(j)(1)(iv).................... Prohibition against fishing for, Retaining and landing ocean
retaining, or landing ocean quahogs on a designated
quahogs in or from the EEZ on a surfclam trip, or retaining and
trip designated as a surfclam landing surfclams on a
fishing trip under Sec. designated ocean quahog trip is
648.15(b); or fishing for, needed to calculate the amount
retaining, or landing surfclams of mixing, in order to develop
in or from the EEZ on a trip protocols for future estimation
designated as an ocean quahog of discards and mixing at sea.
fishing trip under Sec.
648.15(b).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2--Project Summary
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project title................ SCOQ Mixing Amendment Accounting
Protocols Study.
Project start................ Upon issuance.
Project end.................. One year from issuance.
Project objectives........... To conduct industry-funded research to
determine best practices and protocols
for: (1) estimating discards of non-
target clam species for eVTR reporting;
(2) estimating pre-landing bushel
volumes of surfclam/ocean quahogs that
are mixed in cages; and (3) fully
accounting for the volume of bushels
separated from mixed cages to be
reported to NMFS.
Project location............. Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic.
Number of vessels............ Up to 15.
Number of trips.............. Up to 1,200.
Trip duration (days)......... Up to 2 days.
Total number of days......... Up to 2,400.
Gear type(s)................. Dredge.
Number of tows or sets....... 25 per trip.
Duration of tows or sets..... 1 hour.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Narrative
There are increasing numbers of surfclams moving into the deeper
water habitat of ocean quahogs. Current regulations do not allow for
the landing of both species on the same trip. In response to this
issue, the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC) is working
on solutions and a preferred alternative for an amendment to the SCOQ
Fishery Management Plan. Atlantic Capes Fisheries, in partnership with
Rutgers University, is requesting an EFP to conduct industry-funded
research to develop protocols for fishing vessel crews (the crew) to
accurately estimate surfclam and ocean quahog discards and mixing at
sea, and scientifically evaluate the accuracy of those methods.
This EFP would authorize up to 15 vessels to fish for, retain, and
land both surfclams and ocean quahogs on the same trip, either in mixed
or separate cages, regardless of which species the trip was designated
for. On each trip, the crew would make independent estimates of mixing
using protocols co-developed by scientists, industry, and the Northeast
Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). Processors would independently sort
and document catch at the plant. A subset of trips (approximately two
per month) would carry a project scientist, to collect independent
estimates using scientifically derived protocols, taking into
consideration methods provided by the Northeast Fisheries Observer
Program. Project scientists would also collect estimates at the
processing plant, though not from the same trips on which they
collected at-sea estimates.
All independent estimates would be submitted to Rutgers University
for comparison. The results of the comparisons would be summarized in a
report made available to the MAFMC, NEFSC, and the Greater Atlantic
Regional Fisheries Office.
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.
All comments received are a part of the public record and may be
posted for public viewing without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address), confidential business
[[Page 13350]]
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).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 18, 2025.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-04877 Filed 3-20-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
