[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 14, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 14994-14996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6198]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 111213751-2012-02]
RIN 0648-XB038
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation
of Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; Correction
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; correction.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is correcting a temporary rule that published on February
29, 2012, reallocating the projected unused amounts of pollock directed
fishing allowances from the Aleut Corporation and the Community
Development Quota from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea
subarea directed fisheries. There are errors in the table for the
pollock allocation in the Aleutian Island subarea and the Bogoslof
District.
DATES: Effective March 14, 2012 through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31,
2012, and is applicable beginning February 29, 2012.
[[Page 14995]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Whitney, 907-586-7269.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Need for Correction
NMFS published a reallocation of the projected unused amount of
pollock directed fishing allowances from the Aleut Corporation and from
the Community Development Quota from the Aleutian Islands subarea to
the Bering Sea subarea directed fisheries, in the Federal Register on
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 (77 FR 12214). In Table 3, titled Final
2012 and 2013 Allocations of Pollock TACS to the Directed Pollock
Fisheries and to the CDQ Directed Fishing Allowances, there is an error
on page 12215 in row 16 of the third column. The 2012 A season directed
fishing allowance for the Aleut Corporation is incorrectly specified as
``15,500'' metric tons (mt), instead of the correct number of ``5,000''
mt. This correction is necessary because the incorrectly specified
number exceeds the Aleut Corporation's annual 2012 directed fishing
allowance of 5,000 mt of pollock.
There is also an error on page 12215, row 17, in columns two and
six. The 2012 and 2013 Bogoslof District incidental catch allowances
(ICAs) were incorrectly specified as ``150'' mt instead of the correct
``500'' mt. These corrections are necessary to provide sufficient ICAs.
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good
cause to waive the requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity
for public comment pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(B) as such requirement is impracticable and contrary to the
public interest. This correction notice makes only minor changes and
does not change operating practices in the fisheries. Corrections
should be made as soon as possible to avoid confusion for participants
in the fisheries.
The AA also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the
effective date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). This finding is
based upon the reasons provided above for waiver of prior notice and
opportunity for public comment.
Correction
In rule FR Doc. 2012-4836 published on February 29, 2012, (72 FR
12214) make the following corrections:
1. On page 12215, in Table 3, row 16 (the row beginning ``Aleut
Corporation), column 3, the entry ``15,500'' is corrected to read
``5,000''.
2. Also, in row 17 (the row beginning ``Bogoslof District ICA''),
in columns two and six, the entry ``150'' is corrected to read ``500''.
The following table is corrected and reprinted in its entirety:
Table 3--Final 2012 and 2013 Allocations of Pollock Tacs to the Directed Pollock Fisheries and to the CDQ Directed Fishing Allowances (DFA) \1\
[Amounts are in metric tons]
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2012 A season \1\ 2012 B 2013 A season \1\ 2013 B
-------------------------- season \1\ -------------------------- season \1\
Area and sector 2012 ------------- 2013 ------------
Allocations A season SCA harvest B season Allocations A season SCA harvest B season
DFA limit \2\ DFA DFA limit \2\ DFA
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Bering Sea subarea.............................. 1,212,400 n/a n/a n/a 1,201,900 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA......................................... 121,900 48,760 34,132 73,140 120,190 48,076 33,653 72,114
ICA \1\......................................... 32,400 n/a n/a n/a 32,451 n/a n/a n/a
AFA Inshore..................................... 529,050 211,620 148,134 317,430 524,629 209,852 146,896 314,778
AFA Catcher/Processors \3\...................... 423,240 169,296 118,507 253,944 419,703 167,881 117,517 251,822
Catch by C/Ps................................... 387,265 154,906 n/a 232,359 384,029 153,611 n/a 230,417
Catch by CVs \3\................................ 35,975 14,390 n/a 21,585 35,675 14,270 n/a 21,405
Unlisted C/P Limit \4\.......................... 2,116 846 n/a 1,270 2,099 839 n/a 1,259
AFA Motherships................................. 105,810 42,324 29,627 63,486 104,926 41,970 29,379 62,956
Excessive Harvesting Limit \5\.................. 185,168 n/a n/a n/a 183,620 n/a n/a n/a
Excessive Processing Limit \6\.................. 317,430 n/a n/a n/a 314,778 n/a n/a n/a
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Total Bering Sea DFA........................ 1,058,100 423,240 296,268 634,860 1,049,259 419,703 293,792 629,555
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Aleutian Islands subarea \1\.................... 6,600 n/a n/a n/a 19,000 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA......................................... 0 0 n/a 0 1,900 760 n/a 1,140
ICA............................................. 1,600 800 n/a 800 1,600 800 n/a 800
Aleut Corporation............................... 5,000 5,000 n/a 0 15,500 15,500 n/a 0
Bogoslof District ICA \7\....................... 500 n/a n/a n/a 500 n/a n/a n/a
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\1\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the BS subarea pollock, after subtracting the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and the ICA (3 percent), is allocated as a
DFA as follows: inshore sector--50 percent, catcher/processor sector (C/P)--40 percent, and mothership sector--10 percent. In the BS subarea, 40
percent of the DFA is allocated to the A season (January 20-June 10) and 60 percent of the DFA is allocated to the B season (June 10-November 1).
Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10
percent) and second the ICA (1,600 mt), is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. In the AI subarea, the A season is
allocated 40 percent of the ABC and the B season is allocated the remainder of the directed pollock fishery.
\2\ In the BS subarea, no more than 28 percent of each sector's annual DFA may be taken from the SCA before April 1. The remaining 12 percent of the
annual DFA allocated to the A season may be taken outside of SCA before April 1 or inside the SCA after April 1. If less than 28 percent of the annual
DFA is taken inside the SCA before April 1, the remainder will be available to be taken inside the SCA after April 1.
\3\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), not less than 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed catcher/processors shall be available for harvest
only by eligible catcher vessels delivering to listed catcher/processors.
\4\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted catcher/processors are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the
catcher/processors sector's allocation of pollock.
\5\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6), NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ
pollock DFAs.
\6\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30.0 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ
pollock DFAs.
[[Page 14996]]
\7\ The Bogoslof District is closed by the final harvest specifications to directed fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are for ICA only and are
not apportioned by season or sector.
Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 9, 2012.
Steven Thur,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-6198 Filed 3-13-12; 8:45 am]
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