[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 141 (Friday, July 23, 1999)] [Proposed Rules] [Pages 39965-39966] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-18883] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 660 [ID. 052799B] Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Exempted Fishing Permit
Agency
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
Action
Receipt of an application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP).
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Summary
NMFS announces receipt of an application for an EFP that would permit the Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative and the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative to use trawl gear to conduct a pre-recruit survey for Pacific whiting.
Such information could improve the ability to determine whiting yields. An EFP is needed to authorize the use of a 1.5 cm mesh liner, smaller than legal 3-inch mesh allowed for midwater trawl gear, that applicants will use to catch pre-recruit whiting. An EFP is also needed to allow the vessels to operate at times and in areas which Federal regulations would otherwise prohibit.
Dates
The survey will begin in July 1999, and is expected to be completed in about 6 weeks.
Addresses
Copies of the EFP are available from Becky Renko, Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070.
For Further Information Contact
Becky Renko 206-526-6110.
Supplementary Information
This action is authorized by the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and by the implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.745, which state that EFPs may be used to authorize fishing activities that would otherwise be prohibited. An EFP application from Dr. Vidar Wespestad, who represents the Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative (the catcher/processor fleet representative in the whiting fishery) and the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative, and a supporting cover memorandum from NMFS, were received and considered by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) at an April 5-9, 1999, meeting in Sacramento, CA. The Council discussed the EFP application, solicited public comment on it, and recommended issuance of the EFP. The applicant proposes to use two trawl vessels to conduct a pre- recruit survey to establish an annual recruitment index for assessing Pacific whiting year-class strength off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Such a recruitment survey is consistent with research and data needs identified by the Council for 1998-2000. This EFP would further support a cooperative industry/NMFS program that started in 1998. During this project, the applicant anticipates a catch of approximately 42 metric tons (mt) of whiting, less than 0.02 percent of the 1999 optimum yield, and an incidental catch of less than 7 mt (consisting of Pacific herring, sanddab, jack mackerel, spiny dogfish, yellowtail rockfish, widow rockfish, sablefish, flatfish, and others). The applicant expects a low incidental take of chinook salmon (approximately 45 fish). Except for small quantities preserved for laboratory study, or to fill Federal, state, or university requests, the applicant will not retain any fish caught. The applicant expects that the whiting taken will be too small and too fragile to sell or donate to a foodbank. Hence, the applicant will discard the whiting at sea after biological samples of whiting are collected. The survey will begin south of Monterey Bay at 36o40' north latitude and proceed north to 48o20' north latitude. Trawl stations will be set at 20 mile intervals and located between the 50 and 200 meter depth contours. The trawl gear used in this survey will be comparable to that used by NMFS survey vessels.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 19, 1999. Gary C. Matlock, Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 99-18883 Filed 7-22-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F