Notice2022-09841
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits
Primary source
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Published
May 9, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit renewal application from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require publication of this notice to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 89 (Monday, May 9, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 89 (Monday, May 9, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27624-27625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09841]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XB989]
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, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary
determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit renewal application from
the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries contains all of the
required information and warrants further consideration. Regulations
under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and
the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require
publication of this notice to provide interested parties the
opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing
Permits.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 24, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following
methods:
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9dd3d0dbceb3dadccfb3d8dbcdddf3f2fcfcb3faf2eb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="125c5f54413c5553403c575442527c7d73733c757d64">[email protected]</span></a>. Include in the subject line
``Comments on MA DMF Ventless Trap EFP.'' If you cannot submit a
comment through this method, please contact Allison Murphy at (978)
281-9122, or email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#95f4f9f9fce6fafbbbf8e0e7e5fdecd5fbfaf4f4bbf2fae3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9bfaf7f7f2e8f4f5b5f6eee9ebf3e2dbf5f4fafab5fcf4ed">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy
Analyst, 978-281-9122, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3b5a57575248545515564e494b53427b55545a5a155c544d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9bfaf7f7f2e8f4f5b5f6eee9ebf3e2dbf5f4fafab5fcf4ed">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Massachusetts Division of Marine
Fisheries (MA DMF) submitted a complete application on April 8, 2022,
for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) to conduct a lobster abundance
survey that Federal regulations would otherwise restrict. The purpose
of this study is to provide fishery-independent data on lobster growth
and abundance in Massachusetts state waters of statistical areas 514
and 538. This EFP would authorize up to seven vessels to conduct larval
sampling in Lobster Conservation Management Area 1 and 2. A map of this
area is available at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/map/lobster-management-areas">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/map/lobster-management-areas</a>.
For this project, MA DMF is requesting exemptions from the
following Federal lobster regulations:
1. Gear specification requirements to allow for the use of traps
without escape vents (50 CFR 697.21(c)(1) for Lobster Management Area 1
and Sec. 697.21(c)(2) for Area 2);
2. Trap limit requirements to allow for trap limits to be exceeded
(Sec. 697.19(a) for Area 1 and Sec. 697.19(b) for Lobster Management
Area 2);
3. Trap tag requirements to allow for alternatively-tagged traps
(Sec. 697.19(i));
4. Minimum and maximum carapace length requirements to allow sub-
legal and over-sized lobsters to be landed for research purposes (Sec.
697.20(a)(2) and 697.20(b)(2) for Area 1, and Sec. 697.20(a)(3) and
697.20(b)(3) for Area 2);
5. V-notch possession requirement to allow landing of female
lobsters for research purposes (Sec. 697.20(g)(1) for Area 1 and Sec.
697.20(g)(3) for Area 2);
6. Berried female possession requirement to allow landing of egg-
bearing female lobsters for research purposes (Sec.
697.20(d)(1)and(3));
7. Minimum carapace width requirements to allow sub-legal Jonah
crabs to be landed for research purposes (Sec. 697.20(h)(1)); and
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8. Berried female possession requirement to allow landing of egg-
bearing female Jonah crabs for research purposes (Sec. 697.20(h)(2)(i)
and (ii)).
This survey has occurred annually since 2006 in Massachusetts state
waters. The EFP would authorize three participating vessels to deploy
three standard and three ventless traps per six-pot trawl. Stations
would be sampled twice per month from June through October 2022.
Sampling trips would occur after a soak time of approximately 3 days
and at least one MA DMF scientist would be on board for the sampling
trips. MA DMF personnel would not be on board when traps are baited and
deployed. All gear would be Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan
compliant. Survey traps will be separate from each vessel's commercial
lobster traps and would be tagged as, ``MADMF Research Traps.''
All catch during sampling trips would be retained temporarily to
collect biological data. MA DMF staff may collect lobsters and/or Jonah
crabs, including undersized, oversized, v-notched, and egg-bearing
females. Collected samples would be used for research projects on
growth and maturity. No catch from the experimental trips would be
landed for sale.
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: May 3, 2022.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-09841 Filed 5-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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