🎣Exempted Fishing Permit Application in the Bering Sea
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit
Summary
This notice announces NMFS' receipt of an application and the public comment period for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from North Pacific Fisheries Research Foundation. If issued, this permit would allow the applicant to develop and test salmon excluders to optimize salmon escapement under summer pollock fishing conditions in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. In order to facilitate testing of salmon excluders, this EFP would exempt participating vessels from complying with certain regulations, described below under Exemptions. Field testing would be conducted in July and August during the fishery's "B' season. Effective dates of the EFP would be from June 30, 2025 to September 1, 2025. This experiment would test salmon excluder designs that aim to optimize salmon escapement and thus promote the objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
Agencies
- Commerce Department
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Business Impact
$$ - Med
The document addresses an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application that, if approved, allows fishing vessels to test salmon excluders while exempting them from certain regulations. It affects compliance requirements for businesses in the fishing industry operating in the Bering Sea, potentially influencing operational costs and fishing practices.