Federal Register #RTID 0648-XG046

Exempted Fishing Permit and Marine Mammal Authorization for Groundfish and Geophysical Surveys

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is considering an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application from the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries for a groundfish survey in the Eastern Gulf of Maine. - Government Buyer: - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) - Office of Sustainable Fisheries - OEMs and Vendors: - No commercial OEMs or vendors are specified; the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries is the applicant and scientific personnel provider - Products/Services Requested: - Exempted Fishing Permit for EGOM Sentinel Survey - 2 federally permitted fishing vessels - Rod and reel jigging gear - Survey of cod and other groundfish at 45 sites - Biological sampling and data collection - Lethally sampled cod may be landed for personal use (not for sale) - Letter of Authorization for Incidental Take of Marine Mammals - Issued to TGS for geophysical survey activities in the Gulf of America - Unique/Notable Requirements: - Regulatory exemptions requested for multispecies and mackerel permits, and cod/pollock size restrictions - No catch will be landed for sale; scientific sampling only - Public comment period for EFP application - Project involves scientific personnel from Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries - Marine mammal incidental take authorization for geophysical surveys - Period of Performance: - Groundfish survey: approximately three and a half months - Marine mammal authorization: nearly one year - No specific commercial products, part numbers, or OEMs are involved; focus is on regulatory exemptions and scientific survey activities.

Description

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has preliminarily determined that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application from the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries contains all required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations to support exempted fishing activities. The project involves a jig survey of groundfish, particularly cod, in the Eastern Gulf of Maine to evaluate local ecological knowledge for future stock assessments. Public comments on the application are invited until September 29, 2026.

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