[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 79 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 19985-19986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10660]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 600 and 648
[I.D. 041697B]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Applications for Experimental Fishing Permits (EFPs)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of experimental fishery applications; 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 three experimental fishing proposals that would
permit vessels to conduct operations otherwise restricted by
regulations governing the Fisheries of the Northeastern United States.
The experimental fisheries would involve fishing for and retention and
limited landing of various species of fish, including regulated
multispecies and invertebrates with small mesh in the Gulf of Maine/
Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area. Provisions under the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this
notice to provide interested parties the
[[Page 19986]]
opportunity to comment on the proposed experimental fisheries.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 9, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Andrew A. Rosenberg, Ph.D.,
Regional Administrator, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on
Proposed Experimental Fisheries.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Christopher, Fishery Management
Specialist, 508-281-9288.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Edward Boynton submitted an application for
an experimental fishing permit (EFP) on March 5, 1997. The applicant
received a Saltonstall/Kennedy (S/K) Grant to investigate the food web
link between estuaries and near shore waters of Ipswich Bay through
sampling areas with a small mesh beam trawl. He would conduct
experimental fishing activity on his vessel with a small-mesh beam
trawl in near shore waters throughout Ipswich Bay. Various estuarine,
pelagic and bottom dwelling species, including regulated multispecies,
would be targeted with short duration tows to study the links between
the estuarine and near shore fishery systems. A limited number of
species would be retained and landed on some of the trips for meat
sample tests.
The Mount Desert Island (MDI) Biological Laboratory submitted an
EFP application on March 20, 1997, to collect various species for
medical studies. The MDI Biological Laboratory would charter a fishing
vessel to use a small-mesh otter trawl to collect various species for
medical studies. Target collection numbers of 100 to 300 fish,
depending on the species, has been requested.
The MDI Oceanarium submitted an EFP application on March 13, 1997,
to collect various species for public display. The MDI Oceanarium would
charter a commercial fishing vessel to collect various species for
public display. A maximum of six of each species would be collected for
display.
EFPs would be issued to the participating vessels to exempt them
from the possession limit, mesh size, minimum fish size, and days-at-
sea restrictions of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 18, 1997.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-10660 Filed 4-23-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
