Fishery conservation and management: Stevens Act provisions and Northeastern United States fisheries Domestic fisheries; exempted fishing permits,
[Federal Register: September 3, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 171)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 48337-48338]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03se99-40]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 600 and 648
[I.D. 082099A]
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 experimental fishing proposal; request for comments.
SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is considering approval of two EFPs to conduct experimental fishing activities. EFPs would allow vessels to conduct operations otherwise restricted by
[[Page 48338]]
regulations governing the black sea bass fishery, and would exempt vessels from possession and size restrictions. Two EFPS would be required to conduct experimental fishing activities involving the possession and retention of 2,500 sublegal wild stock black sea bass (Centropristis striata) in areas of the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays with industry-standard black sea bass fish pots. The collection of these specimens will augment a cultured black sea bass collection obtained from the University of Rhode Island. This study is being conducted to support the applied portion of a customized aquaculture training program designed to educate fishers on the basics of fish and shellfish culture. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act provisions require publication of this document to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed EFPs.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 20, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on Proposed Experimental Fisheries.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bonnie VanPelt, Fishery Management Specialist, 978-281-9244.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County (RCE) has submitted a proposal to enlist two federally permitted vessels to collect 2,500 sublegal (3 to 6 in (7.6 to 15.2 cm)) black sea bass (Centropristis striata) using approximately 150 black sea bass pots from the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays, New Jersey. Specifically, the study will encompass the area bound by the following coordinates: 40 deg. 26'N. latitude on the South to 40 deg. 30'N. latitude on the north, and 73 deg.52'W. longitude on the east to 74 deg.04'W. longitude on the west.
This applied segment of an industry-based aquaculture training program intends to address two main objectives: (1) Broaden the participant's knowledge of the growth and survival rates of cultured and wildstock black sea bass in a recirculating system; and (2) evaluate the economic efficacy of juvenile black sea bass grow out in a recirculating system operating under full capacity, and the associated cost-benefit ratio. The black sea bass will be harvested in industry standard vinyl coated wire pots with mesh sizes of 1 in x 1-1/4 in (2.54 cm x 3.2 cm). The black sea bass pots will not be modified in any way, except that the escape vents will be closed to retain the undersized black sea bass. Once caught, the sublegal black sea bass will be transported to the Port of Belford, New Jersey, and placed in 4, 15-gallon (56.77 liter) recirculating tanks for grow out and eventual sale to the market.
The RCE had previously requested that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) agree to exempt the black sea bass taken under this exempted fishing permit from the state's landing quota. However, the NJDEP decided that once the black sea bass is sold to market at legal size (10 in (25.4 cm)), it would count against the state's landing quota.
The students (commercial vessel operators) participating in the training program will be under the supervision of RCE personnel during all phases of at-sea operations.
The NJDEP has granted the RCE a harvesting permit to collect fish in the marine, fresh, and estuarine waters of the State. The two federally permitted vessels participating in this program will commence collection of sublegal-size black sea bass in Federal waters as soon as the RCE receives the necessary authorizations from NMFS. It is anticipated that the collection of sublegal-size black sea bass will take approximately one month. No other species besides black sea bass will be harvested. Any regulated species caught incidental to black sea bass will be returned immediately to the sea.
EFPs would be issued to participating vessels to exempt them from the possession and size restrictions (see 50 CFR Sec. 648.143) of the Fishery Management Plan for Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 30, 1999. Bruce Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-23087Filed9-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
