Fishery conservation and management: Northeastern United States fisheries— Northeast multispecies,

[Federal Register: May 21, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 98)]

[Proposed Rules]

[Page 27749-27750]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr21my99-28]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 600 and 648

[I.D. 050599A]

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 proposals; request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is considering approval of two experimental fishing proposals. EFPs would allow vessels to conduct operations otherwise restricted by regulations governing the Northeast Multispecies Fishery, and would exempt vessels from days at sea (DAS), mesh sizes, and other gear restrictions. The first experimental fishery proposal would involve fishing for, retention and landing of silver hake (whiting), spiny dogfish, and red hake with small mesh in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area. This experiment was previously approved during the 1998 fishing season and is referred to as the Raised Footrope Whiting Trawl Experimental Fishery (Raised Footrope Trawl Experiment). The requested time period of the Raised Footrope Trawl Experiment would be modified this year taking place from June through August, instead of September through December. The second experimental fishery request is for a supplemental gear testing experiment to support the goals and objectives of the Raised Footrope Trawl Experiment. Regulations implementing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act provisions require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed experimental fisheries.

DATES: Comments on this notification must be received by June 7, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Jon Rittgers, Acting Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark on the outside of the envelope ``Comments on Proposed Experimental Fisheries.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bonnie Van Pelt, Fishery Management Specialist, 978-281-9244.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MADMF) submitted an application on March 31, 1999, to refine the investigations of a previously approved small mesh experimental fishery with these two proposals. The first proposal would require the use of modified trawls (raised footrope) in six distinct areas including all of Cape Cod Bay, areas outside Cape Cod Bay, lower Massachusetts Bay, and southern and western edges of Stellwagen. This would be the third full year that the experimental fishery has operated (1995 and 1996 were pilot studies); whereby, October and November have traditionally been the most active months of participation according to sea sampling data and logbook reporting.

This experiment is designed to assess the effectiveness of a raised footrope small mesh otter trawl in reducing bycatch of regulated multispecies--primarily flatfish and other bottom dwelling species--in the silver hake (whiting) fishery. The experimental area in Cape Cod Bay was identified by the MADMF as an important area for whiting fishing by vessels primarily fishing out of Provincetown, Gloucester, and Chatham, Massachusetts. The experiment has experienced sporadic changes in bycatch which appear to be temporal and site-specific in nature. The proposed experimental fishery would allow MADMF and NMFS to consider new data on the bycatch of regulated multispecies at times not previously sampled, as well as additional information on those areas and times sampled in years past.

The second proposal submitted by MADMF would provide for a supplemental gear testing experiment to support the objectives of the Raised Footrope Trawl Experiment by continuing last year's investigation of various different refinements to the ``sweep-less'' trawl gear. These gear trials will only slightly modify the standard raised footrope design and it is expected that the ``sweepless'' trawl design will mitigate impacts to the habitat and further reduce bycatch of bottom dwelling species.

[[Page 27750]]

MADMF expects that 40 vessels will participate in the experimental fishery (4-6 vessels in the supplemental gear experiment), and that enrollment will be established similar to last year; historical participation and previous experience with the raised footope trawl gear operation played a role in the selection process. Further limitations on participation may be necessary depending on logbook compliance or enforcement issues identified through the NMFS review process.

EFPs would be issued to the participating vessels in both experiments in accordance with the conditions stated therein, and will exempt vessels from the mesh size, days-at-sea, and other gear restrictions of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan during the specified seasons.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: May 14, 1999. Bruce C. Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 99-12887Filed5-20-99; 8:45 am]

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