Request for Comments on Exempted Fishing Permits under Magnuson-Stevens Act
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The Magnuson-Stevens Act provisions outlined in the notice pertain to a request for comments on an application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) submitted by the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute. This EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to conduct commercial fishing activities that are otherwise restricted under federal regulations for the purpose of conducting research on the population structure of American lobsters. The project aims to improve stock management through population genomics research in various statistical areas.
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Key Changes
- Introduction of EFP to allow fishing activities outside standard regulations
- Objectives include improving management strategies through genetic analysis
- Extension of fishing activities for research without changing the scope of the EFP
Obligations
What this law requires
Submit written comments on the EFP application to nmfs.gar.efp@noaa.gov with subject line 'GMGI 2026 Lobster Genomics EFP' by April 24, 2026
Limit fishing activities to a maximum of 8 participating vessels for the approved EFP
Conduct fishing activities only in Statistical Areas 515, 562, 526, 537, and 616 as specified in the EFP
Limit project duration to June 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027
Collect a maximum of 240 lobster samples with a target sample size of 25 at each of the six locations