Notice2022-19151
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Exempted Fishing Permits
Primary source
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Published
September 6, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Dr. David Portnoy, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi. If granted, the EFP would allow a limited harvest of speckled hind in South Atlantic Federal waters by select commercial fishermen. The samples collected would be used to assess the speckled hind population structure, genetic diversity, and life history in the South Atlantic.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 171 (Tuesday, September 6, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54482-54483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19151]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XC246]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Exempted Fishing Permits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for exempted fishing
permit; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) from Dr. David Portnoy, Texas A&M University,
Corpus Christi. If granted, the EFP would allow a limited harvest of
speckled hind in South Atlantic Federal waters by select commercial
fishermen. The samples collected would be used to assess the speckled
hind population structure, genetic diversity, and life history in the
South Atlantic.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 21,
2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application, identified by
``NOAA-NMFS-2022-0084'' by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and enter ``NOAA-NMFS-2022-0084'' in the Search
box. Click on the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and
enter or attach your comments.
<bullet> Mail: Submit written comments to Frank Helies, Southeast
Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous).
Electronic copies of the EFP application may be obtained from the
Southeast Regional Office website at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/about-us/south-atlantic-speckled-hind-exempted-fishing-permit-application/">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/about-us/south-atlantic-speckled-hind-exempted-fishing-permit-application/</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Helies, 727-824-5305; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#036571626d682d6b666f6a6670436d6c62622d646c75"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b0d6c2d1dedb9ed8d5dcd9d5c3f0dedfd1d19ed7dfc6">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is requested under the authority of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act; 16 U.S.C 1801 et seq.), and regulations at 50 CFR
600.745(b) concerning exempted fishing.
Currently, Federal regulations at 50 CFR 622.181 (b)(3) prohibit
the harvest and possession of speckled hind in or from South Atlantic
Federal waters. Speckled hind are sedentary, long-lived, deep-water
groupers. There are no known data regarding the stock structure of
speckled hind in South Atlantic waters and little is known about their
biology; consequently, there are not enough data to accurately
determine whether the species is undergoing overfishing or are
overfished.
Dr. Portnoy was awarded a Marine Fisheries Initiative grant to
assess the population structure, genetic diversity, and life history of
speckled hind in the U.S. South Atlantic. Beginning in 2018, Dr.
Portnoy acquired some of his project's needed speckled hind samples
from fishery independent surveys conducted by NMFS and the South
Carolina Department of Natural Resources. However, as a result of low
encounter rates with the species since 2018, and reduced fishery
independent survey effort in 2020, additional samples were needed to
obtain a sufficient number of project samples.
Dr. Portnoy previously requested, and was granted, an EFP from NMFS
on March 22, 2021, to retain up to 40 speckled hind per calendar year
(up to 80 total for the EFP) (86 FR 11503, February 25, 2021). That EFP
expired on August 31, 2022. To date, only 11 of the 80 projected
samples have been obtained in the South Atlantic, and only 2 from the
previously issued EFP. However, the applicant has continued to add
fishermen to the previous EFP to increase opportunities for speckled
hind sample collection.
If granted, the EFP would be valid through August 31, 2024, and
would allow a limited harvest of up to 40 speckled hind per calendar
year (up to 80 total for the duration of the EFP) in the Federal waters
of the South Atlantic. The EFP would exempt select commercial fishermen
from Federal regulations prohibiting the harvest and possession of
speckled hind in Federal waters of the South Atlantic at 50 CFR
622.181(b)(3). Because speckled hind would be harvested incidentally
during routine commercial fishing trips, NMFS does not expect that any
additional environmental impacts would occur through the issuance of
the EFP.
Dr. Portnoy proposes to collect speckled hind from select
commercial fishermen who occasionally encounter speckled hind in South
Atlantic Federal waters during routine commercial fishing operations.
Currently, six commercial fishermen have volunteered to participate in
the EFP while using hook-and-line gear fishing in South Atlantic
Federal waters in depths ranging from 70 ft (21 m) to 600 ft (183 m),
and one fisherman has volunteered while using black sea bass pots in
depths ranging from 60 ft (18 m) to 110 ft (34 m). Speckled hind would
only be collected using either gear type during the course of regular
fishing operations. The selected commercial fisherman would comply with
all other Federal fishing regulations such as fishing seasons, area
closures, and commercial trip limits. If the fishermen encounter a
speckled hind, a fin clip would be taken from the harvested speckled
hind and shipped to the Marine Genomics Laboratory at Texas A&M
University, Corpus Christi, Texas. The sampled fin clip would be used
for genetic studies. All sampled speckled hind carcasses would be
shipped to the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center for otolith
extraction to determine age and growth parameters. The results of the
EFP are expected to contribute to improved understanding of speckled
hind population structure, genetic diversity, and life history in the
U.S. South Atlantic. The EFP results could help support future
scientific and management decisions for the speckled hind stock in the
South Atlantic.
[[Page 54483]]
NMFS finds the application warrants further consideration based on
a preliminary review. Possible conditions the agency may impose on the
EFP, if granted, include but are not limited to, a prohibition on
fishing within marine protected areas, marine sanctuaries, or special
management zones without additional authorization. A final decision on
issuance of the EFP will depend on NMFS' review of public comments
received on the application, consultations with the appropriate fishery
management agencies of the affected states, the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and a determination that
the activities to be taken under the EFP are consistent with all other
applicable laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 31, 2022.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-19151 Filed 9-2-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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