80_FR_77854 80 FR 77614 - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits

80 FR 77614 - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 240 (December 15, 2015)

Page Range77614-77614
FR Document2015-31519

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that the Exempted Fishing Permit that would facilitate the harvest of Atlantic herring research set-aside quota warrants further consideration. The Exempted Fishing Permit would authorize federally permitted Atlantic herring vessels to harvest Atlantic Herring research set-aside quota without possession limit after the possession limit in herring management areas has been reduced to 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) for commercial herring vessels. It would also allow vessels to harvest Atlantic herring research set- aside quota during Area 1A and 1B seasonal closures. Vessels working with researchers for approved projects will need the Exempted Fishing Permits to harvest herring that will generate funds to pay for the research. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed EFPs.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 240 (Tuesday, December 15, 2015)
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 240 (Tuesday, December 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 77614]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31519]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE353


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 (Assistant Regional 
Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that the Exempted 
Fishing Permit that would facilitate the harvest of Atlantic herring 
research set-aside quota warrants further consideration. The Exempted 
Fishing Permit would authorize federally permitted Atlantic herring 
vessels to harvest Atlantic Herring research set-aside quota without 
possession limit after the possession limit in herring management areas 
has been reduced to 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) for commercial herring vessels. 
It would also allow vessels to harvest Atlantic herring research set-
aside quota during Area 1A and 1B seasonal closures. Vessels working 
with researchers for approved projects will need the Exempted Fishing 
Permits to harvest herring that will generate funds to pay for the 
research.
    Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act require publication of this notification to provide 
interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed EFPs.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 30, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: NMFS.GAR.EFP@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on 2016/2018 Atlantic Herring RSA EFP.''
     Mail: John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, NMFS, NE 
Regional Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark 
the outside of the envelope ``Comments on 2016/2018 Atlantic Herring 
RSA EFP.''
     Fax: (978) 281-9135.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Luers, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 282-8457, Daniel.Luers@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) 
would facilitate herring research set-aside (RSA) compensation fishing 
in support of project(s) funded under the 2016-2018 herring RSA 
competition. Proposals are currently under review. One project would 
examine river herring portside sampling and an avoidance program while 
the other would investigate mixing of the Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank 
Atlantic herring resource with the Scotian shelf Atlantic herring 
resource using genetic analysis techniques. Consistent with previous 
herring RSA compensation fishing EFPs, vessels would be authorized to 
harvest herring RSA quota after a herring management area quota has 
been caught and the fishery is limited to a 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) herring 
possession limit per trip, as well as allow vessels to harvest RSA 
quota during the seasonal closures in Management Areas 1A and 1B from 
January through May and January through April, respectively. Grant 
recipients will be required to meet all EFP application requirements 
prior to the issuance of the subject EFPs.
    If approved, the applicants 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: December 10, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-31519 Filed 12-14-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P



                                                    77614                      Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 240 / Tuesday, December 15, 2015 / Notices

                                                      Dated: December 10, 2015.                             of the envelope ‘‘Comments on 2016/                   DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
                                                    Emily H. Menashes,                                      2018 Atlantic Herring RSA EFP.’’
                                                                                                                                                                  National Oceanic and Atmospheric
                                                    Acting Director, Office of Sustainable                    • Fax: (978) 281–9135.
                                                    Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.                                                                 Administration
                                                    [FR Doc. 2015–31520 Filed 12–14–15; 8:45 am]            FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                                                                            Daniel Luers, Fishery Management                      Proposed Information Collection;
                                                    BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
                                                                                                            Specialist, (978) 282–8457,                           Comment Request; Alaska Region
                                                                                                            Daniel.Luers@noaa.gov.                                Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI)
                                                    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE                                                                                        Crab Economic Data Reports (EDR)
                                                                                                            SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:      The
                                                                                                            subject Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP)                 AGENCY: National Oceanic and
                                                    National Oceanic and Atmospheric                                                                              Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
                                                    Administration                                          would facilitate herring research set-
                                                                                                                                                                  Commerce.
                                                                                                            aside (RSA) compensation fishing in
                                                    RIN 0648–XE353                                                                                                ACTION: Notice.
                                                                                                            support of project(s) funded under the
                                                                                                            2016–2018 herring RSA competition.                    SUMMARY:    The Department of
                                                    Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
                                                                                                            Proposals are currently under review.                 Commerce, as part of its continuing
                                                    General Provisions for Domestic
                                                                                                            One project would examine river                       effort to reduce paperwork and
                                                    Fisheries; Application for Exempted
                                                    Fishing Permits                                         herring portside sampling and an                      respondent burden, invites the general
                                                                                                            avoidance program while the other                     public and other Federal agencies to
                                                    AGENCY:  National Marine Fisheries                      would investigate mixing of the Gulf of               take this opportunity to comment on
                                                    Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and                    Maine-Georges Bank Atlantic herring                   proposed and/or continuing information
                                                    Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),                      resource with the Scotian shelf Atlantic              collections, as required by the
                                                    Commerce.                                               herring resource using genetic analysis               Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
                                                    ACTION: Notice; request for comments.                   techniques. Consistent with previous                  DATES: Written comments must be
                                                                                                            herring RSA compensation fishing EFPs,                submitted on or before February 16,
                                                    SUMMARY:    The Assistant Regional                      vessels would be authorized to harvest                2016.
                                                    Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,                herring RSA quota after a herring                     ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments
                                                    Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS                           management area quota has been caught                 to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental
                                                    (Assistant Regional Administrator), has                                                                       Paperwork Clearance Officer,
                                                                                                            and the fishery is limited to a 2,000 lb
                                                    made a preliminary determination that                                                                         Department of Commerce, Room 6616,
                                                                                                            (907.2 kg) herring possession limit per
                                                    the Exempted Fishing Permit that would                                                                        14th and Constitution Avenue NW.,
                                                    facilitate the harvest of Atlantic herring              trip, as well as allow vessels to harvest
                                                                                                            RSA quota during the seasonal closures                Washington, DC 20230 (or via the
                                                    research set-aside quota warrants further                                                                     Internet at JJessup@doc.gov).
                                                    consideration. The Exempted Fishing                     in Management Areas 1A and 1B from
                                                                                                            January through May and January                       FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                    Permit would authorize federally
                                                    permitted Atlantic herring vessels to                   through April, respectively. Grant                    Requests for additional information or
                                                    harvest Atlantic Herring research set-                  recipients will be required to meet all               copies of the information collection
                                                    aside quota without possession limit                    EFP application requirements prior to                 instrument and instructions should be
                                                    after the possession limit in herring                   the issuance of the subject EFPs.                     directed to NMFS Alaska Region, Patsy
                                                    management areas has been reduced to                                                                          A. Bearden, (907) 586–7008 or
                                                                                                               If approved, the applicants may                    patsy.bearden@noaa.gov.
                                                    2,000 lb (907.2 kg) for commercial                      request minor modifications and
                                                    herring vessels. It would also allow                                                                          SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                                                                                            extensions to the EFP throughout the
                                                    vessels to harvest Atlantic herring                     year. EFP modifications and extensions                I. Abstract
                                                    research set-aside quota during Area 1A                 may be granted without further notice if                 The Crab Rationalization (CR)
                                                    and 1B seasonal closures. Vessels                       they are deemed essential to facilitate               Program is a limited-access system that
                                                    working with researchers for approved                   completion of the proposed research                   allocates crab managed under the
                                                    projects will need the Exempted Fishing                 and have minimal impacts that do not                  Fisheries Management Plan (FMP)
                                                    Permits to harvest herring that will
                                                                                                            change the scope or impact of the                     among harvesters, processors, and
                                                    generate funds to pay for the research.
                                                                                                            initially approved EFP request. Any                   coastal communities. The CR Program
                                                       Regulations under the Magnuson-
                                                                                                            fishing activity conducted outside the                currently includes a comprehensive
                                                    Stevens Fishery Conservation and
                                                                                                            scope of the exempted fishing activity                economic data collection program
                                                    Management Act require publication of
                                                                                                            would be prohibited.                                  requiring participants to complete
                                                    this notification to provide interested
                                                                                                                                                                  annual Economic Data Reports (EDRs).
                                                    parties the opportunity to comment on                     Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
                                                                                                                                                                  These EDRs are intended to aid the
                                                    proposed EFPs.                                            Dated: December 10, 2015.                           North Pacific Fisheries Management
                                                    DATES: Comments must be received on                                                                           Council and NMFS in assessing the
                                                                                                            Emily H. Menashes,
                                                    or before December 30, 2015.                                                                                  success of the CR Program and
                                                                                                            Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
                                                    ADDRESSES: You may submit written                       Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.         developing amendments to the FMP to
                                                    comments by any of the following                        [FR Doc. 2015–31519 Filed 12–14–15; 8:45 am]          mitigate any unintended consequences
                                                    methods:                                                                                                      of the CR Program.
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                                                       • Email: NMFS.GAR.EFP@noaa.gov.                      BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
                                                                                                                                                                     Pacific States Marine Fisheries
                                                    Include in the subject line ‘‘Comments                                                                        Commission (PSMFC) is the Data
                                                    on 2016/2018 Atlantic Herring RSA                                                                             Collection Agent for the CR Program.
                                                    EFP.’’                                                                                                        The CR Crab EDR program collects
                                                       • Mail: John K. Bullard, Regional                                                                          annually reported cost, revenue,
                                                    Administrator, NMFS, NE Regional                                                                              ownership, and employment data from
                                                    Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,                                                                              harvest and processing sector
                                                    Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside                                                                        participants in the CR fisheries. This


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Document Created: 2018-03-02 09:15:13
Document Modified: 2018-03-02 09:15:13
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice; request for comments.
DatesComments must be received on or before December 30, 2015.
ContactDaniel Luers, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 282-8457, [email protected]
FR Citation80 FR 77614 
RIN Number0648-XE35

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