[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 116 (Tuesday, June 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 36379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12897]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XX054]


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 application from the 
Ocean Associated Incorporated contains all of the required information 
and warrants further consideration. The Exempted Fishing Permit would 
allow one commercial fishing vessel to fish outside of fishery 
regulations in support of research conducted by the applicant.
    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 Exempted Fishing Permits.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 1, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by following method:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
``Comments on OAIRopeless Fishing EFP.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Hansen, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9225.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Ocean Associates Incorporated (OAI) 
submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) 
on March 12, 2020, to conduct commercial fishing activities that the 
regulations would otherwise restrict. The OAI is requesting an 
exemption from Federal lobster regulations that would authorize a 
federally-permitted commercial lobster vessel to participate in a 
ropeless lobster gear study. This EFP would exempt the participating 
vessel from the Federal gear marking requirements found at 50 CFR 
697.21(b)(2). This would allow for the use of a single buoy marker on a 
trawl of more than three traps.
    The purpose of this study is to test a prototype ropeless fishing 
system to potentially prevent entanglements of protected species, 
primarily North Atlantic right whales. This is a continuation of a 
study that started in 2018. The traps were deployed on a commercial 
fishing vessel in 2019 to get fishermen confident in deploying the 
gear. The trawl was deployed nine times with soak times ranging from 9-
20 minutes in an average depth of 120 ft (36.5 m). The spool performed 
as designed and was retrieved easily with all deployments. This study 
is funded through the NMFS Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program 
(NA18NMF4720279).
    The EFP would authorize the participating vessel to deploy two 
experimental trawls consisting of five or more traps. Experimental 
trawls would have a rope spool, fitted with an acoustic release, 
deployed on one end of the trawl, with a buoy line attached to the 
other. Soak time would be between 2-5 days, but may be modified 
depending on what each fisherman decides is appropriate for fishing. 
Sampling would occur from May through November 2020 in Lobster 
Conservation Management Area 3. Initial deployments would be overseen 
by a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute engineering team, but later 
would be observed by OAI personnel. There would be 42 deployments of 
experimental trawls.
    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: June 10, 2020.
H[eacute]l[egrave]ne M.N. Scalliet,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-12897 Filed 6-15-20; 8:45 am]
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