[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 28455-28457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11309]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 140418348-4406-01]
RIN 0648-BE14


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries off West Coast States; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2013-2014 Biennial Specifications and 
Management Measures; Correction

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule; correcting amendment.

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SUMMARY: This action corrects the Pacific coast groundfish harvest 
specifications and management measures regulations that published in 
the Federal Register on January 3, 2013. Specifically, this rule 
corrects the 2014 shorebased trawl allocations for several species of 
groundfish in the shorebased trawl allocation table that were 
inadvertently misreported. Quota share accounts will be updated to 
reflect this correction within two weeks from May 16, 2014.

DATES: This rule is effective May 16, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miako Ushio, 206-526-4644; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    NMFS established the 2013-2014 harvest specifications and 
management measures for groundfish taken in the U.S. exclusive economic 
zone off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California through a 
final rule that published on January 3, 2013. (78 FR 580). This notice 
corrects the 2014 shorebased trawl allocations for several species of 
groundfish in the shorebased trawl allocation table that were 
inadvertently misreported in the January 3, 2013 final rule.
    During the development of the shorebased trawl allocations, due to 
a spreadsheet error, some shorebased fishery allocations were 
multiplied by the initial issuance allocation percentages for non-
whiting trips. Those non-whiting trip allocation percentages were 
designed only to be used for calculations related to the initial 
issuance of quota share. The initial issuance allocation percentages 
for non-whiting trips were not intended to be used for determining the 
annual shorebased trawl allocation for those species. As a result, for 
certain Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) species, the shorebased trawl 
sector did not receive its full 2014 allocation.
    Table 1 depicts the initial issuance allocation percentages between 
whiting and non-whiting trips NMFS used to weigh each calculation to 
determine initial quota share amounts that represented a combined 
whiting and non-whiting shorebased IFQ program.

 Table 1--The Council-Preferred Shoreside Whiting and Non-Whiting Trawl
 Allocations for Use in Initial Allocation of Quota Share. Excerpt from
    the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Allocation of
   Harvest Opportunity Between Sectors of the Pacific Coast Groundfish
                                 Fishery
------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Stocks and stock                  Shoreside trawl sectors
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              Alternative 4:
            Complexes            ---------------------------------------
                                      Non-Whiting           Whiting
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lingcod--coastwide..............  99.7%.............  0.3%
Pacific Cod.....................  99.9%.............  0.1%
Pacific Whiting--coastwide......  0.1%..............  99.9%
Sablefish N. of 36[deg].........  98.2%.............  1.8%
Sablefish S. of 36[deg].........  100.0%............  0.0%
PACIFIC OCEAN PERCH.............  Remaining.........  17% or 30 mt,
                                                       whichever is
                                                       greater, to
WIDOW...........................  Remaining.........  If under
                                                       rebuilding, 52%
                                                       to SS +
Chilipepper S. of 40[deg]10'....  100.0%............  0.0%
Splitnose S. of 40[deg]10'......  100.0%............  0.0%
Yellowtail N. of 40[deg]10'.....  Remaining.........  300 mt
Shortspine N. of 34[deg]27'.....  99.9%.............  0.1%
Shortspine S. of 34[deg]27'.....  100.0%............  0.0%
Longspine N. of 34[deg]27'......  100.0%............  0.0%
Longspine S. of 34[deg]27'......  100.0%............  0.0%
DARKBLOTCHED....................  Remaining.........  9% or 25 mt,
                                                       whichever is
                                                       greater, to
Minor Slope RF North............  98.6%.............  1.4%
Dover Sole......................  100.0%............  0.0%
English Sole....................  99.9%.............  0.1%
Petrale Sole--coastwide.........  100.0%............  0.0%

[[Page 28456]]

 
Arrowtooth Flounder.............  100.0%............  0.0%
Starry Flounder.................  100.0%............  0.0%
Other Flatfish..................  99.9%.............  0.1%
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    An example of the error being corrected through this notice is the 
shorebased trawl allocation of Other Flatfish. The 2014 Other Flatfish 
annual catch limit is 4,884 mt. Deducting anticipated mortality from 
research, incidental open access fisheries, and the tribal fishery 
results in a fishery harvest guideline of 4,682mt. (50 CFR part 660, 
Subpart C, Table 2a). From the fishery harvest guideline, the trawl 
allocation is 90 percent of that amount, or 4,214 mt. (50 CFR part 660, 
Subpart C, Table 2b). From the trawl allocation, the at-sea whiting 
fishery receives a set-aside of 20 mt. (50 CFR part 660, Subpart C, 
Table 2d). The remaining approximately 4,194 mt. should have been the 
shorebased trawl allocation of Other Flatfish. However, the existing 
shorebased trawl allocation table at Sec.  660.140 (d)(1)(ii)(D) has 
the value as 4,189.61 mt. The roughly 4.4 mt shortfall in the 
shorebased trawl allocation of Other Flatfish was caused by multiplying 
the 4,194 mt by the 99.9 percent initial issuance allocation percent 
for Other Flatfish non-whiting trips, seen in the first column in Table 
1 above. As stated previously, this was not the intended use for those 
initial issuance values, and the resulting errors under-allocated fish 
to the shorebased trawl sector.
    The shortfalls occurred for English sole, lingcod, minor slope 
rockfish north of 40[deg]10 N. latitude, Other Flatfish, Pacific cod, 
shortspine thornyhead N. of 34[deg]27 N. latitude, and yellowtail 
rockfish north of 40[deg]10' N latitude. This action corrects the 
allocations such that the shorebased IFQ sector receives 100 percent of 
the intended allocation for 2014 and revises the 2014 shorebased trawl 
allocation table at Sec.  660.140 (d)(1)(ii)(D) for English sole, 
lingcod, minor slope rockfish north of 40[deg]10 N. latitude, Other 
Flatfish, Pacific cod, shortspine thornyhead N. of 34[deg]27 N. 
latitude, and yellowtail rockfish north of 40[deg]10' N latitude. For 
all species except yellowtail rockfish north of 40[deg]10' N latitude, 
the correction represents an increased allocation of less than 5 mt; 
for yellowtail rockfish north of 40[deg]10' N latitude, it results in 
an increase of 300 mt. This correction does not change any existing 
annual catch limits or allocation formulas or result in allocating fish 
in a manner other than was intended through the 2013-2014 harvest 
specifications and management measures.

Classification

    The Assistant Administrator (AA) for Fisheries, NOAA, finds that 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice 
and comment would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest. 
This notice corrects 2014 shorebased trawl allocations for several 
species of groundfish in the shorebased trawl allocation table that 
were inadvertently misreported in the Biennial Specifications and 
Management Measures final rule, and will result in a very minor 
increase in quota pounds (the number of pounds of fish this particular 
sector is allowed to catch) for several species. This correction must 
be implemented in a timely manner so that fishermen are allowed 
increased opportunities to harvest available stocks, and meet the 
objective of the Pacific Groundfish Fishery Management Plan to allow 
fisheries to approach, but not exceed, Annual Catch Limits. It would be 
contrary to the public interest to delay implementation of these 
changes until after public notice and comment, because making this 
regulatory change by May 16, 2014, allows harvest as intended by the 
Council, consistent with the best scientific information available. For 
the reasons above, the AA also finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 
553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness and makes this 
rule effective immediately upon publication.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 660

    Fisheries, Fishing, and Indian fisheries.

    Dated: May 12, 2014.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 660 is 
corrected by making the following correcting amendments:

PART 660--FISHERIES OFF WEST COAST STATES

0
1. The authority citation for part 660 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.


0
2. In Sec.  660.140, revise paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(D) to read as follows:


Sec.  660.140  Shorebased IFQ Program.

* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (ii) * * *
    (D) For the trawl fishery, NMFS will issue QP based on the 
following shorebased trawl allocations:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       2013            2014
                                                                                    Shorebased      Shorebased
                  IFQ Species                            Management area               trawl           trawl
                                                                                    allocation      allocation
                                                                                       (mt)            (mt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arrowtooth flounder...........................  ................................        3,846.13        3,467.08
BOCACCIO......................................  South of 40[deg]10' N. lat......           74.90           79.00
CANARY ROCKFISH...............................  ................................           39.90           41.10
Chilipepper...................................  South of 40[deg]10' N. lat......        1,099.50        1,067.25

[[Page 28457]]

 
COWCOD........................................  South of 40[deg]10' N. lat......            1.00            1.00
DARKBLOTCHED ROCKFISH.........................  ................................          266.70          278.41
Dover sole....................................  ................................       22,234.50       22,234.50
English sole..................................  ................................        6,365.03        5,260.85
Lingcod.......................................  North of 40[deg]10' N. lat......        1,222.57        1,155.15
Lingcod.......................................  South of 40[deg]10' N. lat......          494.41          474.30
Longspine thornyhead..........................  North of 34[deg]27' N. lat......        1,859.85        1,811.40
Minor shelf rockfish complex..................  North of 40[deg]10' N. lat......          508.00          508.00
Minor shelf rockfish complex..................  South of 40[deg]10' N. lat......           81.00           81.00
Minor slope rockfish complex..................  North of 40[deg]10' N. lat......          776.93          789.38
Minor slope rockfish complex..................  South of 40[deg]10' N. lat......          376.11          378.63
Other flatfish complex........................  ................................        4,189.61        4,193.80
Pacific cod...................................  ................................        1,125.29        1,126.41
PACIFIC OCEAN PERCH...........................  North of 40[deg]10' N. lat......          109.43          112.28
Pacific Whiting...............................  ................................          85,679         108,935
PETRALE SOLE..................................  ................................        2,318.00        2,378.00
Sablefish.....................................  North of 36[deg] N. lat.........        1,828.00        1,988.00
Sablefish.....................................  South of 36[deg] N. lat.........          602.28          653.10
Shortspine thornyhead.........................  North of 34[deg]27' N. lat......        1,385.35        1,372.49
Shortspine thornyhead.........................  South of 34[deg]27' N. lat......           50.00           50.00
Splitnose rockfish............................  South of 40[deg]10' N. lat......        1,518.10        1,575.10
Starry flounder...............................  ................................          751.50          755.50
Widow rockfish................................  ................................          993.83          993.83
YELLOWEYE ROCKFISH............................  ................................            1.00            1.00
Yellowtail rockfish...........................  North of 40[deg]10' N. lat......        2,635.33        2,938.85
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[FR Doc. 2014-11309 Filed 5-15-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P