Notice2025-13915
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits; 2025-2026 Fishing Year
Primary source
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Published
July 24, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Regional Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an exempted fishing permit (EFP) application warrants further consideration. This application, from the California Wetfish Producers Association (CWPA), requests an exemption from the expected prohibition on primary directed fishing for Pacific sardine during the 2025-2026 fishing year as part of industry-based scientific research. NMFS requests public comment on this application.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 140 (Thursday, July 24, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 140 (Thursday, July 24, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34848-34849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-13915]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF045]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permits; 2025-2026 Fishing Year
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of application; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, has made
a preliminary determination that an exempted fishing permit (EFP)
application warrants further consideration. This application, from the
California Wetfish Producers Association (CWPA), requests an exemption
from the expected prohibition on primary directed fishing for Pacific
sardine during the 2025-2026 fishing year as part of industry-based
scientific research. NMFS requests public comment on this application.
DATES: Comments must be received by August 8, 2025.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2025-0306, by the following method:
<bullet> Electronic Submissions: Submit all public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Visit <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and type
NOAA-NMFS-2025-0306 in the Search box. Click the ``Comment'' icon,
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. The
EFP applications will be available under Supporting and Related
Materials through the same link.
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="https://www.regulations.gov">https://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).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Gray, West Coast Region, NMFS,
(301) 427-8490, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#422e233730236c2530233b022c2d23236c252d34"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7b171a0e091a551c091a023b15141a1a551c140d">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Approving this EFP application would be
authorized under the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management
Plan (FMP) and regulations at 50 CFR 600.745, which allow NMFS Regional
Administrators to authorize EFPs for fishing activities that would
otherwise be prohibited.
At its April 2025 meeting, the Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council) recommended that NMFS approve an EFP application for the
2025-2026 Pacific sardine fishing year. This application from the CWPA
is a request for an exemption from the expected prohibition on primary
directed fishing for Pacific sardine during the 2025-2026 fishing year;
the purpose of the permit is to collect Pacific sardine as part of
industry-based scientific research and maintain a continuous time
series of fishery-dependent data. This EFP would extend the work
previously authorized by NMFS across 6 consecutive fishing years.
The Council considered this EFP application concurrently with the
2025-2026 annual harvest specifications for Pacific sardine because
Pacific sardine catch under the EFP would be accounted for under the
proposed annual catch limit, which is 2,200 metric tons (mt). This EFP
requests an allowance of up to 520 mt of Pacific sardine to be
harvested during the 2025-2026 fishing year. The primary directed
fishery for Pacific sardine has been closed since 2015 and,
consequently, scientists at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center
(SWFSC) have a limited amount of fishery-dependent data to use in their
stock assessment. The goal of this EFP project is to continue a time
series of fishery-dependent biological data (e.g., age and growth
data), for potential use in Pacific sardine stock assessments. If
approved, this EFP would allow up to eight participating vessels to
directly harvest up to 520 mt of Pacific sardine during the 2025-2026
fishing year using methods developed in coordination with SWFSC, and
consistent with approvals granted since 2020. Harvests under this EFP
would occur monthly in nearshore waters of both southern California and
the central California coast. A portion of each landing would be
retained for biological sampling by the California Department of Fish
and Wildlife, and the remainder would be sold by participating
fishermen and processors to offset research costs and avoid unnecessary
discard.
If NMFS does not issue this EFP, the requested tonnage of 520 mt
would be available for harvest by other permissible fishing activities
during the 2025-2026 fishing year (e.g., live bait or minor directed
harvest).
NMFS may approve and issue permits to participating vessels after
publication of this notice in the Federal Register and the close of the
public comment period. NMFS will consider comments submitted in
deciding whether to approve the application as requested. NMFS may
approve the application in its entirety or may make any alterations
needed to achieve the goals of the EFP project and the CPS FMP. NMFS
may also approve different amounts of Pacific sardine for the EFP
project if any changes are made to the 2025-2026 proposed sardine
harvest specifications before final implementation.
(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.)
[[Page 34849]]
Dated: July 21, 2025.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-13915 Filed 7-23-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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