Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) Application

Name of Applicant/Organization

Exempted Fishing Permit Application

Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) Application
Name of Applicant/Organization

NOTE: Prospective Applicants should contact Alaska Regional Sustainable Fisheries (SF) staff at least 12
months ahead of the desired EFP fishing start date to indicate that an EFP application is under
consideration/development. SF staff can help Prospective Applicants determine which sections of the
application can be filled out with more collaboration from NMFS. Once the application is finalized, it will be
published in the Federal Register for public review and comment. It will also go to the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) to review and comment/give recommendations to NMFS, so the application
should be as robust as possible. More information can be found at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/alaskaexempted-fishing-permits.
1. Application Date
Month/Day/Year
2. Applicant
Organization Name (if applicable)
Attention:
Primary Contact Person(s)
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Email
3. Purpose and Goals
3.1 Background
In 1-2 pages, provide some background, including the problem(s) or challenge(s) you hope the requested EFP
can help address.
3.2 Purpose and Goals
3.2.1 EFP Purpose
Provide a brief statement of the purpose for the requested EFP.
Example: Current regulatory constraints limit the ability of the Aleut Corporation to achieve the objective of the
AFA in developing an economically viable AI pollock fishery and under current POP abundance levels unduly
put fishers at risk where the 5% MRA cannot be attained. This EFP will test an alternative management
framework for limiting POP bycatch in the AI pollock fishery which could potentially provide an opportunity
for the Aleut Corporation to develop an economically viable AI pollock fishery while improving safety at sea
and reducing the potential overall POP bycatch mortality.
3.2.2 EFP Goals
Provide a concise list of goals the Applicant hopes to meet through this requested EFP in order to meet the
stated purpose.
Example:
A. To the level practical, fully prosecute the Aleut Corporation’s AI pollock allocation as intended by the
2004 Section 803(a-d) of PL 108-199 while testing methods to minimize POP catch.
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Name of Applicant/Organization

Exempted Fishing Permit Application

B. To limit POP bycatch mortality and waste in a fully prosecuted AI pollock fishery through full retention
and accounting of POP bycatch and limiting of overall POP catch to 500 mt for this fishery by AFA
catcher vessels and Non-AFA catcher vessels <60’.
C. To improve safety at sea by reducing the amount of time necessary to stow catch by eliminating the
need to sort POP from the catch on deck.
D. To evaluate timing and location of POP bycatch during the EFP AI pollock fishery to determine means
of reducing bycatch rates.
3.3 Proposed Exemption(s)
Under this EFP, exemptions from the following regulations would apply:
List applicable requested exemptions to federal regulations here including a justification for why these
exemptions are needed. This justification may be reiterated in the EFP Goals section below. SF staff can help to
identify which exemptions may apply.
4. Technical Details
4.1 Amounts of Each Species, Including Prohibited Species
List the amounts of each species expected to be harvested under the requested EFP, disposition of catch, and
how that will apply to existing annual catch limits and/or prohibited species catch limits.
4.2 Marine Mammals and Endangered Species
Comment on possible impacts to marine mammals and endangered species.
4.3(a) Timing
Note the expected timeframe anticipated for requested EFP fishing.
4.3(b) Area
Note the area(s) for requested EFP fishing and whether any fishing would be conducted within any protected or
restricted areas (for example, Steller sea lion protection areas) that are otherwise closed to fishing.
Please include a map of the EFP fishing area.
4.4 Vessel and Gear
Note the vessel(s) and gear that would be used during the requested EFP and whether specific vessels are known
at the time of this application.
Example:
The vessels will be selected from trawl catcher vessels on the NMFS approved list of vessels eligible to fish the
Aleut Corporation Pollock allocation. It is anticipated that three AFA catcher vessels and two non-AFA <60’
vessel will be selected to operate under this EFP in 2019. The vessels will be equipped for pelagic Pollock
fishing. Preference will be given to vessels equipped with a Simrad ES60 or ES70 echosounder with a 38kHz
split beam transducer.
Fishing gear will be pelagic Pollock trawls, appropriate to the vessel’s horsepower.

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Name of Applicant/Organization

Exempted Fishing Permit Application

4.5 Funding
If funding would be needed to carry out the EFP, please indicate how funds will be secured and the timeline for
arrival of funds.
4.6 Tribal Consultation
Indicate whether tribal consultation would be needed, including the scope of consultation and points of contact.
4.7 Additional Permits
Specify whether additional permits would be required to carry out this EFP.
Example:
If a vessel would like to trawl in the no-trawl zone of the Bering Sea, they would need to contact the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service. In addition, some EFPs may require a permit from the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, depending on the fishery/scope of project.
4.8(a) Experimental Design and Analysis
During the development of the EFP application, the Applicant must reach out to the Alaska Fisheries Science
Center (AFSC) to collaborate on a sound experimental design and to establish which AFSC staff would be
primary reviewers for this application should it move forward. The experimental design should include metrics
for evaluating success as well as milestones. Diagrams of gear and how gear will be used are encouraged, as
well as maps of planned fishing area (if transects will be used, show where and in what order will be fished). If
relying on a university, AFSC, or other organization for data analysis, please indicate the plan and timeline for
analysis.
4.8(b) Reporting Requirements and Associated Timing
The Applicant will prepare an interim report midway through the EFP that includes a summary of project
objectives, statistical areas fished, vessels used, a detailed description of activities, any problems and successes,
and how well EFP objectives were accomplished. Within 6 months of the end of EFP fishing, the Applicant will
prepare and submit to NMFS a final report that updates the interim report and summarizes the results of the
hypotheses tested and how well EFP objectives were accomplished. The reports will be disclosable to the public
and the Applicant may be asked to present EFP results to the Council.
4.8(c) Public Release of Information
All data from this exempted fishery will be made available to the public, including the catch and position data.
5. Observers
During the development of the EFP application, SF staff will help the Applicant(s) establish a contact at the
Observer Program to collaborate on this section. Indicate the level of observer coverage during the duration of
requested EFP fishing and whether it is within the scope of normal observer operations. The applicant may need
to specify if they plan to use observers vs sea samplers.
6. Principal and coordinating parties
List the principal and coordinating/collaborating parties, as well as their roles in EFP administration.

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Name of Applicant/Organization

Exempted Fishing Permit Application

7. Vessel Information (50 CFR 600.745(b)(2)(iv))
The following vessel information will be determined once the vessel(s) are selected.
Vessel Name.
Vessel Owner, Address, and Telephone Number.
Vessel Skipper.
Vessel Federal Fisheries Permit Number.
USCG Documentation Number.
Home Port.
Vessel Length.
Net Tonnage.
Gross Tonnage.
8. Applicant Signature
______________________________
List Applicant Name(s) and Organization, if applicable
9. Additional Information (if applicable)
Example: See Attachments A, B, & C.
Additional information may be added in appendices, including examples of logbooks, supplemental information
to the experimental design, etc. as appropriate.
10. References
Reference any applicable papers using the example format below
Barbeaux, S.J., Fritz, L. and Logerwell, E., 2018. Exploring local fishery management through cooperative
acoustic surveys in the Aleutian Islands. Marine Policy, 90, pp.68-77.
PUBLIC REPORTING BURDEN STATEMENT
A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with
an information collection subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 unless the information collection has a currently valid OMB
Control Number. The approved OMB Control Number for this information collection is 0648-0206. Without this approval, we could not conduct this
information collection. Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated to average 100 hours per response, including the time for
reviewing the instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information
collection. Responses to this information collection are required to obtain or retain benefits and to manage exempted fishing in the Gulf of Alaska and
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands under 50 CFR 679 and under 402(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to NOAA, National Marine
Fisheries Service, Alaska Region, Attn: Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT
Authority: The collection of this information is authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).
Purpose: An EFP is issued by the NMFS Alaska Region to allow the target or incidental harvest of species managed under a fishery management plan or
fishery regulations that would otherwise be prohibited. These permits are issued for limited experimental purposes to support projects that could benefit the
fisheries and the environment. The Magnuson-Stevens Act specifically recognizes the need for permit issuance. The requirement of a permit for marine
resource users is one of the regulatory steps taken to carry out conservation and management objectives. The issuance of a permit is an essential ingredient in
the management of fishery resources needed for identification of the participants and expected activity levels and for regulatory compliance.
Routine Uses: The Department will use this information to determine permit eligibility, identify fishery participants, and regulatory compliance. All data
collected by the permit holder on the vessel named on the Vessel Designation Sheet submitted to NMFS for fishing under this permit are disclosable to the
public, except for haul-specific catch data and vessel-specific fishing locations and other proprietary business information not relevant to the studies, which
are otherwise treated consistent with confidentiality provisions under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Data collected by NMFS observers relevant to this EFP are
disclosable to the public; otherwise, observer data will be treated consistent with data confidentiality provisions under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. All
information collections by NMFS Alaska Region are protected under confidentiality provisions of section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act as amended
in 2006 (16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.) and under NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, which sets forth procedures to protect confidentiality of fishery statistics.
Disclosure of this information is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a), to be shared within NMFS offices, in order to coordinate
monitoring and management of sustainability of fisheries and protected resources, as well as with the applicable State or Regional Marine Fisheries
Commissions and International Organizations. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all of the published routine uses identified in the Privacy Act
System of Records Notice COMMERCE/NOAA-19, Permits and Registrations for the United States Federally Regulated Fisheries.
Disclosure: Furnishing this information is required to obtain an EFP; failure to provide complete and accurate information may prevent or delay issuance of
an EFP.
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