Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Exempted Fishing Permit Application

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The Regional Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, announces receipt of an exempted fishing permit (EFP) application, and is considering issuance of an EFP that seeks exemption from the requirements at requiring vessel owners and operators to retain sablefish, rex sole, Pacific sanddab and California halibut when on a declared optimized retention bottom trawl or non-whiting midwater trawl trip. At this time, NMFS is considering allowing participants in the EFP to add sablefish and rex sole to their Vessel Monitoring Plans' (VMP) allowable discard list. NMFS does not expect to add the other two species to this EFP because Pacific sanddab is already listed as an allowable discard, thus no exemption is needed, and NMFS intends to address California halibut discard rules through a future regulatory change rather than an EFP. NMFS requests public comment on the application.