Notice2023-11235
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permit
Primary source
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Published
May 26, 2023
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. The exempted fishing permit would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by the applicant. 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 88 Issue 102 (Friday, May 26, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 102 (Friday, May 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34132-34133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11235]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD002]
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permit
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. The exempted
fishing permit would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish
outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities
proposed by the applicant. 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 June 12, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following
methods:
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a7e9eae1f489e0e6f589e2e1f7e7c9c8c6c689c0c8d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b5fbf8f3e69bf2f4e79bf0f3e5f5dbdad4d49bd2dac3">[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#12737e7e7b617d7c3c7f6760627a6b527c7d73733c757d64"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="02636e6e6b716d6c2c6f7770726a7b426c6d63632c656d74">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy
Analyst, 978-281-9122, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b2a27272238242565263e393b23320b25242a2a652c243d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ccada0a0a5bfa3a2e2a1b9bebca4b58ca2a3adade2aba3ba">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Massachusetts Division of Marine
Fisheries (MA DMF) submitted a complete application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) to conduct commercial fishing activities that the
regulations would otherwise restrict. This EFP would exempt the
participating vessels from the following Federal regulations:
Table 1--Requested Exemptions
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CFR Citation Regulation Need for exemption
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50 Part 697.21(c)(1) and (2).. Gear To allow for the use
specification of traps without
requirements for escape vents.
Lobster
Management Area
1 for Area 2.
Sec. 697.19(a) and (b)...... Trap limit To allow for trap
requirements for limits to be
Area 1 and 2. exceeded.
Sec. 697.19(i).............. Trap tag To allow for
requirements. alternatively-tagged
traps.
Sec. Sec. 697.20(a)(2) Minimum and To allow sub-legal
697.20(b)(2), 697.20(a)(3), maximum carapace and over-sized
and 697.20(b)(3). length lobsters to be
requirements for landed for research
Areas 1 and 2. purposes.
Sec. 697.20(g)(1) and (3)... V-notch To allow landing of
possession female lobsters for
requirement for research purposes.
Areas 1 and 2.
[[Page 34133]]
Sec. 697.20(d)(1) and (3)... Berried female To allow landing of
possession egg-bearing female
requirements. lobsters for
research purposes.
Sec. 697.20(h)(1)........... Minimum carapace To allow sub-legal
width Jonah crabs to be
requirements. landed for research
purposes.
Sec. Sec. 697.20(h)(2)(i) Berried female To allow landing of
and (ii). possession egg-bearing female
requirement. Jonah crabs for
research purposes.
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Table 2--Project Summary
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Project title 2023 MA DMF Ventless Trap Survey
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Institution....................... MA DMF.
Principal Investigator............ Tracy Pugh.
Division action number............ DA23-045.
Funding source.................... State funded.
Continuing project (yes/no)....... Yes.
Project objectives................ To provide fishery-independent data
on lobster growth and abundance
within Massachusetts State waters
of statistical areas 514 and 538.
Initial application date.......... May 3, 2023.
Final application date............ N/A.
Project Start..................... June 2023.
Project End....................... October 2023.
Project location.................. Statistical Areas 514 and 538.
Number of vessels................. Up to 4.
Number of trips................... Approximately 10.
Trip duration (days).............. 1.
Total number of days.............. Approximately 40.
Gear type(s)...................... Lobster traps.
Number of tows or sets............ n/a.
Duration of tows or sets.......... 3 days soak time.
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Project Narrative
The purpose of this survey is to provide fishery-independent data
on lobster growth and abundance within Massachusetts State waters of
statistical areas 514 and 538. MA DMF funds this lobster abundance
survey through their commercial and recreational lobster license fees.
This survey has occurred annually since 2006. 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. Exemptions
would not substantively chance vessel operations. All catch during
sampling trips would be retained temporarily to collect biological
data. MA DMF staff may collect lobster and/or Jonah crab, including
undersized, oversized, v-notched, and egg-bearing lobsters. Collected
samples would be used for research projects on growth and maturity. No
catch from the experimental traps would be landed for sale. 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.''
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 the 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.
All comments received are a part of the public record and will
generally be posted for public viewing in <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/organization/information-technology/foia-reading-room">https://www.noaa.gov/organization/information-technology/foia-reading-room</a> without change.
All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address),
confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS
will accept anonymous comments (enter ``anonymous'' as the signature if
you wish to remain anonymous).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 22, 2023.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-11235 Filed 5-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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