[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28486-28487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11192]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XD262
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.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable
Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator),
has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit
application contains all of the required information and warrants
further consideration. This Exempted Fishing Permit would allow seven
Federal lobster vessels to participate in a lobster abundance study
within the state and Federal waters off the coast of Massachusetts.
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 June 2, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following
methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line
``Comments on MA DMF Lobster Study EFP.''
Mail: John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, NMFS,
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on MA
DMF Lobster Study EFP.''
Fax: (978) 281-9135.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Jacob, Environmental Technician,
978-281-9180, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
(MA DMF) submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing
Permit (EFP) to conduct a lobster abundance survey with experimental
lobster gear that the regulations would otherwise restrict. The EFP
would authorize seven lobster vessels to set, haul, and retain on-board
experimental lobster traps (closed escape vents) during sampling
activity. Following a soak time ranging from 3 to 5 days, these lobster
traps would be hauled twice per month on dedicated sampling days, with
at least one scientist from MA DMF on-board during sampling activity.
The proposed lobster sampling activity would take place during
dedicated survey trips, and no traps in addition to the survey gear
will be hauled, and all catch, including lobsters and bycatch species,
will be discarded promptly after data collection is complete.
Funding for this lobster abundance survey will be provided by MA
DMF. The purpose of this lobster study is to provide fishery-
independent data on lobster abundance. Currently, lobster abundance and
distribution studies are primarily conducted through fishery
independent, random stratified bottom trawl surveys. MA DMF stated that
these trawl surveys lack the capability to efficiently target areas
with rocky bottom where lobsters also reside, and aims to use fixed
lobster gear to sample
[[Page 28487]]
areas not effectively sampled using a bottom trawl.
MA DMF requests exemption from lobster gear regulations to allow
for closed escape vents in order to target all lobsters, including
lobsters that do not satisfy Federal minimum size regulations for
retention of lobster catch. The escape vent must remain closed in order
to accurately quantify both juvenile and adult lobster abundance within
the study area. MA DMF is also requesting exemptions from the lobster
trap limit, in order to allow participating vessels to retain on board
experimental lobster traps that would cause vessels to exceed the 800-
trap limit for Lobster Management Areas (LMAs) 1 and 2. Federal lobster
regulations also require a trap tag to be fixed to each active lobster
trap; however, the survey traps will remain separate from each vessel's
commercial fishing traps, and would be hauled during sampling trips
only. Therefore, the survey traps would not be fixed with the
conventional lobster trap tags. However, there would be an
identification tag fixed to each survey trap for the duration of the
study.
MA DMF is also requesting exemptions to allow one Federal lobster
permit holder to be exempt from the management area designation
requirements, to allow the permit holder to fish experimental traps in
LMA 2 while having an LMA 3 on his Federal permit. This exemption will
allow the vessel to set survey traps in an area not designated on his
permit. This permit holder would not be allowed to commercially fish
and land lobsters for sale with traps in LMA 2.
Site selection would be based on a random, stratified sampling
design, consistent with standardized methodology used to perform
lobster surveys. All catch during dedicated research trips would be
retained on-board for a short period of time to allow MA DMF staff to
record the following information: The number of lobsters caught; the
size (carapace length in mm) and sex of each lobster; the hardness of
each lobster shell; and the presence/absence of lobster parts, shell
damage, shell disease, and eggs in female lobsters.
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: May 12, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-11192 Filed 5-15-14; 8:45 am]
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