Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Extension of Exempted Fishing Permits

Riepilogo

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that two requests for extensions to exempted fishing permits (EFPs) contain all of the required information and warrant further consideration. The Assistant Regional Administrator previously made a determination that the activities authorized under the initial EFPs, issued on June 17, 2010, are consistent with the goals and objectives of the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). However, further review and consultation may be necessary before a final determination is made to grant extensions to the original EFPs. The EFP extensions would enable vessels to harvest monkfish granted through the Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program, and grants exemptions from the monkfish days-at-sea (DAS) possession limit in the Southern Fishery Management Area (SFMA). The EFP issued to the gillnet tie-down study also exempts vessels from the monkfish minimum fish size limits for research purposes only. NMFS is soliciting comment from interested parties on these EFP extension requests.