Notice2026-06440
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits
Primary source
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Published
April 2, 2026
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 (EFP) to facilitate the use of fishing year (FY) 2026 and 2027 monkfish research set-aside (RSA) days-at-sea (DAS) warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance (CCCFA). Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 63 (Thursday, April 2, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 63 (Thursday, April 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16648-16649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06440]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF645]
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 Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable
Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary
determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) to facilitate the
use of fishing year (FY) 2026 and 2027 monkfish research set-aside
(RSA) days-at-sea (DAS) warrants further consideration. The EFP would
allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery
regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by Cape
Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance (CCCFA). Regulations under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require
publication of this notification to provide interested
[[Page 16649]]
parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 17, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1977747f6a377e786b377c7f695977767878377e766f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bfd1d2d9cc91d8decd91dad9cfffd1d0dede91d8d0c9">[email protected]</span></a>. Include in the subject line ``CCCFA Monkfish RSA
EFP.'' All comments received are a part of the public record and may be
posted for public viewing 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 ``anonymous'' as the signature if you wish to remain
anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Ford, Fishery Management
Specialist, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#36555e445f45425f58531850594452765859575718515940"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fd9e958f948e89949398d39b928f99bd93929c9cd39a928b">[email protected]</span></a>, 978-281-9185.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CCCFA submitted a complete application for
an 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 CFR 648.94(b)(1)............. Trip limits for Needed to allow
vessels fishing RSA DAS to have
under the no trip limit,
monkfish DAS consistent with
program in the the design of the
Northern Fishery Monkfish RSA
Management Area. program.
50 CFR 648.94(b)(2)............. Trip limits for Needed to allow
vessels fishing RSA DAS to have
under the no trip limit,
monkfish DAS consistent with
program in the the design of the
Southern Fishery Monkfish RSA
Management Area. program.
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Table 2--Project Summary
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Project title..................... Incorporating Fishermen's Knowledge
into a Standardized Catch Per Unit
Effort Index for the Commercial
Monkfish Gillnet Fishery.
Project start..................... 05/01/2026 or Upon Issuance.
Project end....................... 04/30/2027.
Project objectives................ Enable monkfish RSA DAS compensation
fishing in support of a project
that is developing standardized
catch per unit effort (CPUE)
indices for the commercial directed
monkfish gillnet fishery and
possibly the multispecies trawl
fishery to be used for stock
assessment purposes.
Project location.................. All Regulated Mesh Areas.
Number of vessels................. N/A.
Number of trips................... N/A.
Trip duration (days).............. N/A.
Total number of days.............. 216 2025 RSA DAS; approximately 240
2026 RSA DAS.
Gear type(s)...................... Sink gillnet.
Number of tows or sets............ N/A.
Duration of tows or sets.......... N/A.
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Project Narrative
Monkfish RSA compensation fishing EFPs that waive monkfish landing
limits have been routinely approved since 2007 to increase operational
efficiency and to optimize research funds generated from the Monkfish
RSA Program. This EFP would facilitate the continuation of compensation
fishing in support of the project originally funded and awarded 500 RSA
DAS under the 2023-2024 monkfish RSA competition.
The Monkfish RSA Program is allocated 500 monkfish RSA DAS annually
as established in Amendment 2 of the Monkfish FMP (70 FR 21929, April
28, 2005). These monkfish RSA DAS may be awarded to applicants, and
sold to limited access monkfish vessel owners to fund approved monkfish
RSA projects. Award recipients receive an allocation of RSA DAS and a
maximum amount of weight that may be landed under available RSA DAS.
Projects are constrained to the total DAS, maximum available
landing weight, or grant award timetable, whichever is reached first.
To calculate a maximum weight allocation that is similar to the
Councils' original intent to be harvested under the allocated 500 RSA
DAS, we have associated twice the landing limit for Permit Category A
and C monkfish vessel fishing in the Southern Fishery Management Area
4,074 lb (1,848 kg) whole weight for each RSA DAS. Annually, a maximum
of 2,037,000 lb (923,968 kg) of whole weight may be harvested under
Monkfish RSA. Allowing vessels an exemption from monkfish landing
limits provides an incentive for vessels to purchase and fish under RSA
DAS to catch more monkfish per trip.
Both 2023- and 2024-awarded monkfish RSA DAS were available for
this project to use. Only 34 2023-awarded monkfish RSA DAS were used
through April 30, 2025. The 2024-awarded monkfish RSA DAS were
authorized to be used by this project in FY2025. In order to continue
the use of awarded RSA DAS, this EFP would extend the original DAS
awards. This EFP would authorize the use of the 216 unused 2023-awarded
DAS in FY2026, to expire on April 30, 2027. Unused 2024-awarded RSA DAS
(number to be determined after the expiration of the current EFP),
would be available in FY2027, to expire on April 30, 2028.
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 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: March 31, 2026.
David R. Blankinship,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-06440 Filed 4-1-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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