Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permit

NMFS has determined that 14 exempted fishing permit (EFP) applications warrant further consideration and is requesting public comment on the applications. Thirteen EFP applicants request an exemption from a prohibition on the use of unauthorized fishing gear to harvest highly migratory species (HMS), and one EFP applicant requests an exemption from a prohibition on the use of pelagic longline gear in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to harvest HMS under the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP). These applicants request the exemption to test the effects and efficacy of using deep-set buoy gear (DSBG), deep-set linked buoy gear (DSLBG), or deep-set short longline (DSSLL) to harvest swordfish and other HMS off of the U.S. West Coast.