[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 167 (Friday, August 28, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 45993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23182]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 600 and 648
[I.D. 081998C]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) to Conduct
Experimental Fishing
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of Two Proposals for EFPs; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notification to announce that the Regional
Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) is
considering approval of two 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, retention, and
landing of silver hake (whiting) with small mesh in the Gulf of Maine/
Georges Bank (GOM/GB) Regulated Mesh Area. Regulations under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act) provisions require publication of this notification to
provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed
experimental fisheries.
DATES: Comments must be received by September 14, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Jon Rittgers, Acting Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. The envelope should be clearly marked ``Comments
on Proposed Experimental Fisheries.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Christopher, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-281-9288.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Maine Department of Marine Resources
(MEDMR) submitted an application on July 1, 1998, to conduct the
testing of modified trawl gears to supplement an existing experimental
fishery. While the current experimental fishery is designed to
determine the effectiveness of a bycatch reduction device, or separator
grate, in a GOM whiting small mesh trawl fishery, MEDMR's proposal
would allow the testing of modifications to the separator grate and the
trawl. Proposed modifications of the current gear include various bar
spacing on the separator grate, various codend mesh size, and a raised
footrope configuration on the otter trawl.
On July 14, 1998, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
(MADMF) requested the re-authorization of an experimental fishery for
whiting for the 1998 fishing season. The re-authorization of the
experiment would allow the MADMF to determine whether or not the
modified gear known as the ``raised footrope trawl'' is an appropriate
small mesh gear for various areas in the GOM/GB Regulated Mesh Area
that have not been completely analyzed. In addition it would allow
MADMF and NMFS to consider additional data on the bycatch of regulated
multispecies in the experimental fishery.
EFPs would be issued to the participating vessels in both projects
to exempt them from possession limit, mesh size, and days-at-sea
restrictions of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 21, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-23182 Filed 8-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
