[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33242-33243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12243]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XE631
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.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary
determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application contains all
of the required information and warrants further consideration. The
exempted fishing permit would allow a commercial fishing vessel to fish
outside of the limited access scallop regulations in support of gear
research designed to reduce the amount of small, unexploitable scallops
caught and create better dredge selectivity, as well as reduce finfish
bycatch.
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 Exempted Fishing Permits.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 9, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following
methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line
``Box Dredge 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
Box Dredge EFP.''
Fax: (978) 281-9135.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannah Jaburek, Fisheries Management
Specialist, 978-282-8456.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A scallop captain has submitted an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) application for a project that would test a
scallop box-shaped ring bag designed to reduce the amount of small
scallops and finfish bycatch caught in the dredge, resulting in better
gear selectivity and reducing high grading. This is a proof of concept
project which aims to determine whether the gear configuration can be
[[Page 33243]]
effectively fished, and whether preliminary information supports the
dredge's expected better size selectivity and reduction of bycatch. The
applicant submitted a complete application for an EFP on March 22,
2016, to enable the use of the modified gear during Mid-Atlantic Access
Area fishing trips. The EFP would authorize exemptions for one
commercial vessel from the scallop dredge gear restriction of no more
than seven rows in the apron at 50 CFR 648.51(b)(4)(iv); the scallop
observer program requirement at Sec. 648.11(g); and would temporarily
exempt the participating vessel from possession limits and minimum size
requirements specified in 50 CFR part 648, subsections B and D through
O, for sampling purposes only. Any fishing activity conducted outside
the scope of the exempted fishing activity would be prohibited,
including landing fish in excess of a possession limit or below the
minimum size.
One vessel would conduct scallop dredging in May 2016-October 2016
on three trips in the Mid-Atlantic Access Area. All trips would fish
two 13-foot (3.96-m) Turtle Deflector Dredges, towed for an average
duration of 50 minutes. Each trip would complete approximately 150 tows
for an overall total of 450 tows. One dredge would be rigged with an
industry standard bag comprised of 7 rows of rings from the twine top
to the terminus, while the other would be rigged with an experimental
``box bag'' configuration. The experimental bag will consist of two 3-
ring wide side panels and one 3-ring wide rear panel all connecting the
topside of the bag to the underside creating a box-like bag. Both
dredges would use 4-inch (10.16-cm) rings, 10-inch (25.40-cm) twine
top, and turtle chain mats.
For all tows, the scallop catch would be kept separated by dredge
and placed into baskets, counted and weighed using a certified
electronic scale. The captain and crew would then count the number of
scallops contained in a minimum of one basket from each dredge,
enabling them to measure the size selectivity of each dredge.
Generally, the greater the number of scallops in a basket, within a
reasonable range allowing for variance in how the crew fill baskets,
the smaller the scallops are in size. This is a quick and simple method
to gauge whether or not the experimental dredge is achieving larger
size selectivity without having shell height measuring tools. If this
proof of concept study preliminarily shows positive results and the
applicant would like to continue research with the experimental dredge,
we would require a more scientifically sound method to measure scallop
shell height. Crew would sort the finfish catch by species and then
count and weigh them. Depending on the volume of scallops and finfish
captured, the catch would be subsampled if necessary. Finfish catch not
retained for sale would not be kept on deck for longer than needed to
conduct sampling. Exemption from possession limit and minimum sizes
would support catch sampling activities, and ensure the vessel is not
in conflict with possession regulations while collecting catch data.
All catch above a possession limit or below a minimum size would be
discarded as soon as practicable following data collection. The vessel
would be exempt from the sea scallop observer program requirements
because the gear used is not typical of gear used during normal
commercial fishing operations. All trips would otherwise be conducted
in a manner consistent with normal commercial fishing conditions, and
catch consistent with the Limited Access possession limits for the Mid-
Atlantic Access Area would be retained for sale.
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 19, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-12243 Filed 5-24-16; 8:45 am]
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