[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 12427-12428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6569]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 600
[I.D. 030398B]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of two proposals for EFPs to conduct experimental
fishing; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice to announce that the Regional
Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is
considering approval of two EFPs to conduct experimental fishing that
would permit vessels to conduct operations otherwise restricted by
regulations governing the Fisheries of the Northeastern United States.
These EFPS to conduct experimental fishing would involve the possession
and retention of northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), including the
possible capture and release of regulated multispecies and other
bycatch, in the Small Mesh Northern Shrimp Exemption Area within the
Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area. Regulations under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act provisions
require publication of this notice to provide interested parties the
opportunity to comment on the proposed EFPs.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 30, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Andrew A. Rosenberg, Ph.D.,
Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark on the outside of the envelope
``Comments on Proposed Shrimp Exempted Fishing Permits.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bonnie VanPelt, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-281-9244.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Maine Department of Marine Resources
(MEDMR) has submitted two proposals to investigate the selectivity of
different configuration and mesh size nets used to target northern
shrimp (Pandalus borealis) within the Small Mesh Northern Shrimp
Exemption Area.
The first experiment (Exp. 1) proposes to test experimental codend
nets against
[[Page 12428]]
control codend nets to determine the mesh size and configuration that
are most selective, i.e., that enables more juvenile shrimp to escape.
The second experiment (Exp. 2) would employ the more selective net, as
determined from the first experiment, as the control net. Exp. 2 would
incorporate chafing gear by attaching it to the bottom half of some of
the experimental codends to test whether the assessed selectivity
factor would be altered in any way.
On February 5, 1998, MEDMR submitted two applications for EFPs to
conduct the proposed projects. Exp. 1 and Exp. 2 would run
consecutively, so that the results from Exp. 1 can ultimately determine
the design of Exp. 2. Exp. 1 would begin as soon as possible and would
involve up-to-10 commercial fishing vessels. Exp. 2 would follow Exp. 1
and would involve one specified vessel. Both experiments would be
conducted on the proposed gear trials using otter trawls with properly
configured Finfish Excluder Devices. All trawl bodies and extensions
would be comprised of 1-\3/4\ in (44.5 mm) 54 thread braided nylon
diamond mesh. The codend would be at least 100 meshes long.
Exp. 1 proposes to conduct trawl surveys using five different
experimental codend mesh sizes of different thread sizes against a
control codend of 1-\1/4\ in (31.8 mm) mesh size. Phase 1 of Exp. 2
proposes to test experimental codends of different configurations and
mesh sizes with one being modified by the addition of chafing gear to
test for variability in selectivity. For this series of tows, the
control codend would be the industry standard of 1-\3/4\ in (44.5 mm)
diamond mesh. The second phase of Exp. 2 would conduct trawl surveys
using the size and configuration net that has been determined to be
more selective from Exp. 1 as a control against four experimental
codends. The four experimental trawls will be assembled with a Nordmore
grate system of 1 in (25.4 mm) spacing. Finfish would be retained only
for the purpose of obtaining length frequencies, and in all cases
finfish would be released.
EFPs would be issued to participating vessels to exempt them from
the mesh size, minimum fish size, and days-at-sea restrictions of the
Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. Participating vessels
will also carry a certificate exempting them from the minimum mesh size
requirement of 1-\3/4\ in (44.5 mm) as established by the Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission for vessels enrolled in the Northern
Shrimp Small Mesh Exemption Program.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 9, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-6569 Filed 3-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
