[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 72 (Monday, April 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 18117]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07713]
[[Page 18117]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XD949
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 NMFS Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, 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 commercial lobster vessels to
participate in a lobster growth and abundance study, under the
direction of Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries in state and
Federal waters off the coast of Massachusetts.
Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative
Management Act require publication of this notification to provide
interested parties the opportunity to comment on Exempted Fishing
Permit applications.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 2, 2017.
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.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sustainable Fisheries Division, 978-
281-9315.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Massachusetts Division of Marine
Fisheries (MA DMF) submitted a complete application for an Exempted
Fishing Permit (EFP) to conduct a two-year lobster abundance survey
with modified lobster gear that Federal regulations would otherwise
restrict. The purpose of this lobster study is to provide fishery-
independent data on lobster abundance in Massachusetts state waters of
statistical area 514, from Ipswich Bay south to Cape Cod Bay; and state
and Federal waters of Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, and nearshore
portions of Rhode Island Sound, in statistical areas 537 and 538.
Currently, lobster abundance and distribution studies are primarily
conducted through fishery-independent, random-stratified bottom-trawl
surveys. MA DMF has stated that trawl surveys lack the capability to
efficiently target areas with rocky bottom where lobsters also reside,
and is seeking an EFP to use fixed lobster gear to sample such areas.
The EFP would authorize commercial lobster vessels to set, haul,
and retain on board lobster traps without 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 trips, with
at least one scientist from MA DMF on board during sampling activity.
During sampling trips, no catch will be retained for sale.
MA DMF requests exemption from lobster gear regulations to allow
for traps without escape vents in order to catch lobsters of all sizes.
MA DMF is also requesting exemption from lobster trap limits. This
would allow participating vessels to retain on-board survey lobster
traps that may cause vessels to exceed their permitted allocation for
Lobster Management Area (LMA) 1 (800 trap limit) or LMA 2 (historical
qualification up to 800 trap limit). Federal lobster regulations
require each active lobster trap to have a commercial trap tag
permanently affixed. MA DMF is requesting exemption from this
requirement because survey traps will be tagged with ``MA DMF Research
Trap.''
MA DMF is also requesting exemption from the management area
designation requirement to allow one Federal lobster permit holder to
fish experimental traps in LMA 2 while having an LMA 3 designation on
his Federal permit. This exemption would allow the vessel to set survey
traps in an area not designated on his permit. This exemption would not
allow him to commercially fish and/or land lobsters caught 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: Number of lobsters caught; number of
traps hauled; set-over days; trap and bait type; lobster carapace
length; sex; shell hardness; culls and other shell damage; external
gross pathology including symptoms of shell disease; mortality; and
ovigerous status. MA DMF is requesting exemption from management
measures of LMA 1 and 2 for lobster size restrictions, v-notch
possession, and egg-bearing lobster possession. MA DMF plans on
retaining a small amount of lobsters for growth and maturity research
purposes.
If approved, MA DMF may request minor modifications and extensions
to the EFP throughout the study. 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: April 11, 2017.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-07713 Filed 4-14-17; 8:45 am]
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