Notice2021-27102
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 15, 2021
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center has requested a change to a previously issued exempted fishing permit which would result in new regulatory exemptions for participating vessels. The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has determined that this request is outside the scope of the initially approved exempted fishing permit. As a result, regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to the exempted fishing permit previously issued to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 238 (Wednesday, December 15, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 15, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71239-71240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27102]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XB609]
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 Northeast Fisheries Science Center has requested a change
to a previously issued exempted fishing permit which would result in
new regulatory exemptions for participating vessels. The Assistant
Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic
Region, NMFS, has determined that this request is outside the scope of
the initially approved exempted fishing permit. As a result,
regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act require publication of this notification to provide
interested
[[Page 71240]]
parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to the
exempted fishing permit previously issued to the Northeast Fisheries
Science Center.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 30, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by the following method:
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2f4142495c01484e5d014a495f6f41404e4e01484059"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6806050e1b460f091a460d0e182806070909460f071e">[email protected]</span></a>. Include in the subject line
``Modification to Center Study Fleet EFP.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Spencer Talmage, Fishery Policy
Analyst, 978-281-9232.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 6, 2021, NMFS issued an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (Center)
in support of the 2021 Study Fleet Program. The Study Fleet Program was
established in 2002 to more fully characterize commercial fishing
operations and provide sampling opportunities to augment NMFS's data
collection programs. As part of the program, the Center contracts
commercial fishing vessels to collect biological data and fish
specimens for the Center to use in research relevant to stock
assessments and fish biology. The Center's Study Fleet Program trains
participating captains and crew to conduct at-sea sampling consistent
with Center sampling protocols for survey and observer programs. During
EFP trips, crew sort, weigh, measure, and collect biological data from
fish prior to discarding.
The EFP currently exempts 20 commerical fishing vessels from
minimum fish sizes and possession limits for species of interest, as
shown in Table 1.
Table 1--Regulatory Exemptions Originally Issued for the 2021 Study
Fleet EFP
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Exempted regulations in 50 CFR part Minimum fish sizes: Sec. 648.83
648. Northeast multispecies minimum
fish sizes for haddock,
yellowtail flounder, winter
flounder, and American plaice.
Possession restrictions: Sec.
648.86(a) Haddock, Sec.
648.86(d) Small-mesh
multispecies, Sec. 648.86(g)
Yellowtail flounder, Sec.
648.86(o) Possession limits
implemented by the Regional
Administrator.
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On November 4, 2021, the NESFC requested a modification to the EFP
which would add an exemption to Sec. 648.86(l), which prohibits the
possession of ocean pout, windowpane flounder, and Atlantic wolffish.
The modification would allow six of the participating vessels to retain
and land Atlantic wolffish when directed by the Center. Ocean pout and
windowpane flounder are not target species for this EFP, but their
possession is prohibited by the same regulation which prohibits the
possession of Atlantic wolffish. As a result, an exemption from the
regulation which prohibits possession of Atlantic wolffish would also
act as an exemption from the possession prohibition for ocean pout and
windowpane flounder. To prevent vessels from harvesting ocean pout or
windowpane flounder, the terms and conditions of the EFP would prohibit
participating vessels from retaining and landing ocean pout and
windowpane flounder.
Participating vessels would not be allowed to collect more than 10
fish total, or an amount over 70 lb (31.75 kg) total, whichever is
reached first. In order to ensure that landed fish do not exceed the
collection needs of the Study Fleet Program, the Center would issue a
formal biological sampling request prior to landing. The captain or
crew would deliver landed fish to Center staff or local NMFS Port
Agents upon landing.
The Center requested this modification in order to support new
research focusing on the osteology and ontogeny of wolffish species,
which requires biological samples of Atlantic wolffish. The study would
contribute fundamental data on the morphology of fish in the wolffish
family, which would provide a necessary baseline for phylogenetic
analysis and future morphological research.
This modification would not alter any other aspect of the EFP,
including the remaining exemptions, remaining conditions and
requirements, and study period. They do not change the impact of the
EFP from what was previously issued.
The applicant may request further 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: December 9, 2021.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-27102 Filed 12-14-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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