Federal Register #RTID 0648-XF751

Request for Comments on Exempted Fishing Permit for Juvenile Lobster and Jonah Crab Research

This opportunity involves a request for public comments on an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application to support research on juvenile American lobster and Jonah crab in the Greater Atlantic Region. - Government Buyer: - Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific OEMs or commercial vendors are named; traps are custom-modified for research purposes - Products/Services Requested: - Up to 60 modified ventless traps for juvenile lobster and Jonah crab research - Up to 20 federally permitted fishing vessels participating in collaborative research - SEDAR 99 Topical Working Group Assessment Webinar I (stock assessment for Gulf migratory king mackerel) - Technical and Notable Requirements: - Traps must comply with the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan and ASMFC standards - Exemptions requested from gear specification, trap limit, trap tag, and possession restrictions - Research conducted in Lobster Management Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4 - Data shared with Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management - Up to 832 fishing trips planned during the project period - Places of Performance and Delivery: - Greater Atlantic Region, specifically Lobster Management Areas 1-4 - SEDAR Office, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405 - Period of Performance: - Approximately 11 months, from project start to end - No commercial OEMs are specified; traps are custom-modified for research.

Description

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has preliminarily determined that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application is complete and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations to support exempted fishing activities proposed by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF). The project aims to collect data on juvenile lobster and Jonah crab abundance and distribution in areas and times with low coverage from traditional surveys, using modified ventless traps. The study will inform management by addressing reproduction and recruitment dynamics of lobster and developing knowledge for the data-deficient Jonah crab fishery. Data will be shared with relevant fisheries management organizations every six months.

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