Comments Requested: Atlantic HMS Exempted Fishing and Related Permits in 2022

NOAA Fisheries announces our intent to issue exempted fishing permits, scientific research permits, display permits, letters of acknowledgement, and shark research fishery permits for the research and collection of Atlantic highly migratory species in 2022.

What do these permits allow?

In general, exempted fishing and related permits authorize collection of a limited number of tunas, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks from federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for purposes such as scientific data collection, bycatch research, public display, and to evaluate the efficacy of environmental clean-up efforts.

Letters of acknowledgment acknowledge that scientific research activity aboard a scientific research vessel is being conducted.

How many will be issued?

We generally receive fewer than 50 applications, with most relating to scientific sampling and tagging of Atlantic HMS by scientists. We will issue the appropriate permits based on the applications.

How to submit comments

Members of the public are invited to provide comment on the issuance of these types of permits. Comments can be submitted to www.regulations.gov, using the identifier “NOAA-NMFS-2021-0108,” through December 17, 2021.

Permit applications and copies of the regulations pertaining to exempted fishing permits, scientific research permits, display permits, and letters of acknowledgement may also be requested from Craig Cockrell. Information about shark research fishery permit applications can be found in a specific request for applications anticipated for publication later this month.

This will be the only opportunity to provide public comments on these types of permits.
However, we will provide additional opportunities for comment if we receive applications outside the scope of these permit types. For more information, please see this Federal Register notice.