Notice2026-10322
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits
Primary source
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Published
May 22, 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) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF). 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 99 (Friday, May 22, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 99 (Friday, May 22, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30288-30289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10322]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF786]
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) application
contains all of the required information and warrants further
consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels
to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing
activities proposed by Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF). 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.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 8, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5c32313a2f723b3d2e72393a2c1c32333d3d723b332a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ef8182899cc1888e9dc18a899faf81808e8ec1888099">[email protected]</span></a>. Include in the subject line ``Great South
Channel Habitat Management Area Surfclam Compensation Fishing 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), confidential business information, or otherwise
sensitive information submitted voluntarily by
[[Page 30289]]
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, Fisheries Management
Specialist, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#35565d475c46415c5b501b535a4751755b5a54541b525a43"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="45262d372c36312c2b206b232a3721052b2a24246b222a33">[email protected]</span></a>, 978-281-9185.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant 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 648.370(h)............. Habitat Management To conduct
Areas prohibition compensation
on using bottom- fishing with
tending mobile hydraulic clam
gear. dredges.
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Table 2--Project Summary
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Project title............................. Compensation Fishing in
Support of Great South
Channel Habitat Management
Area Study Phase II: An
Acoustic Mapping Survey of
Davis Bank East.
Project start............................. 07/15/2026.
Project end............................... 09/30/2026.
Project objectives........................ Compensation surfclam
fishing to fund a habitat
mapping project using
multibeam sonar and drop
cameras.
Project location.......................... Great South Channel Habitat
Management Area (GSC HMA):
Davis Bank East (DBE), and
Rose and Crown (RC).
Number of vessels......................... 4.
Number of trips........................... Up to 64.
Trip duration (days)...................... 1-2.
Total number of days...................... Up to 128.
Gear type(s).............................. Hydraulic clam dredge.
Number of tows or sets.................... 30 per trip.
Duration of tows or sets.................. 5-20 minutes.
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Project Narrative
The original EFP in support of this project was issued May 24,
2024, authorizing 260 compensation fishing trips to harvest surfclams
from the DBE for the purpose of generating funds for acoustic and
visual DBE habitat surveys (Letter of Acknowledgement #24028 issued May
7, 2025). This was later expanded to include compensation fishing in
the RC, and the EFP was extended through March 31, 2026, due to poor
DBE harvest. On March 3, 2026, the applicant requested an additional 90
compensation fishing trips and another extension. The applicant stated
that additional trips and time were needed to generate the funds needed
to conduct the final acoustic survey (Letter of Acknowledgement #26040
issued April 17, 2026). On April 24, 2026, a minor EFP extension and
expansion was issued, adding 26 trips (a 10-percent increase of the
original 260 permitted trips) to the EFP, and extending the EFP out to
July 15, 2026.
This EFP would authorize the harvest of surfclams from two areas
closed to hydraulic clam dredges for the purpose of generating funds
for the above-mentioned habitat survey and final project report. Four
commercial surfclam vessels would take up to 64 total trips into either
the eastern portion of DBE or into the RC, defined by these
coordinates:
DBE
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Latitude Longitude
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41.325[deg] N 69.558[deg] W
41.238[deg] N 69.539[deg] W
41.238[deg] N 69.508[deg] W
41.3[deg] N 69.508[deg] W
41.325[deg] N 69.531[deg] W
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RC
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Latitude Longitude
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41.19996[deg] N 69.70669[deg] W
41.22955[deg] N 69.6906[deg] W
41.27988[deg] N 69.71163[deg] W
41.27766[deg] N 69.62776[deg] W
41.23004[deg] N 69.60022[deg] W
41.21001[deg] N 69.58873[deg] W
41.19856[deg] N 69.59788[deg] W
41.19996[deg] N 69.70669[deg] W
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The vessels would use 48-inch-wide hydraulic surfclam dredges that
would be towed between 2 to 3 knots for 5-20 minutes per tow with a
trip limit of 14 cages. Approximately 30 tows would be conducted per
trip. A CFF scientist would be onboard 20 percent of trips to collect
surfclam catch per unit effort and catch composition data. The vessel
owners have committed 15 percent of the value of each trip to cover the
full cost of the research trips and data analysis. At an estimated $30
per bushel ex-vessel value, this will just cover the total research
budget of roughly $505,000. The participating vessel owners have agreed
to make up the difference if the price falls below $30 per bushel.
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: May 20, 2026.
David R. Blankinship,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-10322 Filed 5-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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