National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration July 8, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator) has made a preliminary determination that the subject Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all the required information and warrants further consideration. The Assistant Regional Administrator has also made a preliminary determination that the activities authorized under the EFP would be consistent with the goals and objectives of the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). However, further review and consultation may be necessary before a final determination is made to issue the EFP. Therefore, the Assistant Regional Administrator proposes to recommend that an EFP be issued to test gear modification to reduce bycatch in the NE multispecies fishery that would allow three commercial fishing vessels to conduct fishing operations that are otherwise restricted by the regulations governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United States. The EFP would allow for exemptions from the FMP as follows: The Gulf of Maine (GOM) minimum mesh size requirements. Initially, the applicant requested an EFP to conduct research during May to July 15, 2005, and requested an exemption from the regulations pertaining to the GOM Rolling Closure Areas II and III at Sec. 648.81(f)(1)(ii) and (iii), respectively. Due to an oversight, exemptions from GOM minimum mesh size requirements and from the GOM Rolling Closure Area IV (Sec. 648.81(f)(1)(iv)) were omitted from the May 16, 2005 Federal Register notice (70 FR 25814) announcing the EFP for the project. This revision proposes a GOM minimum mesh size exemption (the GOM Rolling Closure Area exemptions would no longer be necessary due to the timing of this action) and would extend the duration of the project to August 12, 2005. 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.