[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 206 (Friday, October 24, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 63577-63579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25366]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 131021878-4158-02]
RIN 0648-XD565
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation
of Halibut Prohibited Species Catch Allowances in the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating projected unused amounts of the 2014
halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) allowance from the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands trawl (BSAI) limited access sector to the
Amendment 80 cooperatives in the BSAI management area. This action is
necessary to allow the Amendment 80 cooperatives to fully harvest their
2014 groundfish allocations.
DATES: Effective October 21, 2014, through 2400 hrs, Alaska local time
(A.l.t.), December 31, 2014.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Whitney, 907-586-7269.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the
BSAI according to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) prepared by the
North Pacific Fishery Management Council under authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Regulations
governing fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP appear at
subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that 80
metric tons of halibut PSC allowance from the BSAI trawl limited access
sector will not be needed to support BSAI trawl limited access
fisheries. Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 679.91(f)(4), NMFS is
reallocating this halibut PSC allowance from the BSAI trawl limited
access sector to the Amendment 80 cooperatives in the BSAI.
In accordance with Sec. 679.91(f)(1), NMFS will reissue
cooperative quota permits for the reallocated halibut PSC allowances
following the procedures set forth in Sec. 679.91(f)(4).
In accordance with Sec. 679.91(f)(4)(i), NMFS will reallocate 95
percent of the halibut PSC reallocated from the BSAI trawl limited
access sector to the Amendment 80 cooperatives, which is 76 metric
tons.
The 2014 harvest specifications for halibut PSC allowances included
in the final 2014 and 2015 harvest specifications in the BSAI (79 FR
12108, March 4, 2014 and 79 FR 35958, June 25, 2014) are revised as
follows in Tables 10, 12, and 14:
Table 10--Final 2014 and 2015 Apportionment of Prohibited Species Catch Allowances to Non-Trawl Gear, the CDQ Program, Amendment 80, and the BSAI Trawl
Limited Access Sectors
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Non-trawl PSC Trawl PSC
Total non- remaining Total trawl remaining CDQ PSQ Amendment 80 BSAI trawl
PSC species and area \1\ trawl PSC after CDQ PSQ PSC after CDQ PSQ reserve \2\ sector \3\ limited access
\2\ \2\ fishery
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2014 Halibut mortality (mt) BSAI........ 900 832 3,675 3,349 393 2,401 795
2015 Halibut mortality (mt) BSAI........ 900 832 3,675 3,349 393 2,325 875
Herring (mt) BSAI....................... n/a n/a 2,172 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Red king crab (animals) Zone 1.......... n/a n/a 97,000 86,621 10,379 43,293 26,489
C. opilio (animals) COBLZ............... n/a n/a 11,185,892 9,989,002 1,196,890 4,909,594 3,210,465
C. bairdi crab (animals) Zone 1......... n/a n/a 980,000 875,140 104,860 368,521 411,228
[[Page 63578]]
C. bairdi crab (animals) Zone 2......... n/a n/a 2,970,000 2,652,210 317,790 627,778 1,241,500
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\1\ Refer to Sec. 679.2 for definitions of zones.
\2\ Section 679.21(e)(3)(i)(A)(2) allocates 326 mt of the trawl halibut mortality limit and Sec. 679.21(e)(4)(i)(A) allocates 7.5 percent, or 67 mt,
of the non-trawl halibut mortality limit as the PSQ reserve for use by the groundfish CDQ program. The PSQ reserve for crab species is 10.7 percent of
each crab PSC limit.
\3\ The Amendment 80 program reduced apportionment of the trawl PSC limits by 150 mt for halibut mortality and 20 percent for crab. These reductions are
not apportioned to other gear types or sectors.
Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.
Table 12--Final 2014 and 2015 Prohibited Species Bycatch Allowances for the BSAI Trawl Limited Access Sector
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Prohibited species and area \1\
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BSAI trawl limited access fisheries 2014 Halibut 2015 Halibut Red king crab C. opilio C. bairdi (animals)
mortality (mt) mortality (mt) (animals) Zone (animals) -------------------------------
BSAI BSAI 1 COBLZ Zone 1 Zone 2
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Yellowfin sole.......................................... 227 167 23,338 3,026,465 346,228 1,185,500
Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish\2\............... 0 0 0 0 0 0
Turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish\3\.......................... 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rockfish April 15--December 31.......................... 5 5 0 5,000 0 1,000
Pacific cod............................................. 353 453 2,954 129,000 60,000 50,000
Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species\4\.................. 210 250 197 50,000 5,000 5,000
Total BSAI trawl limited access PSC..................... 795 875 26,489 3,210,465 411,228 1,241,500
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\1\ Refer to Sec. 679.2 for definitions of areas.
\2\ ``Other flatfish'' for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot,
rock sole, yellowfin sole, Kamchatka flounder, and arrowtooth flounder.
\3\ Arrowtooth flounder for PSC monitoring includes Kamchatka flounder.
\4\ ``Other species'' for PSC monitoring includes skates, sculpins, sharks, squids, and octopuses.
Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.
Table 14--Final 2014 Prohibited Species Bycatch Allowance for the BSAI Amendment 80 Cooperatives
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Prohibited species and zones \1\
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Cooperative Halibut Red king crab C. opilio C. bairdi (animals)
mortality (animals) (animals) -------------------------------
(mt) BSAI Zone 1 COBLZ Zone 1 Zone 2
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Alaska Seafood Cooperative...... 1,654 29,285 3,150,269 257,941 431,195
Alaska Groundfish Cooperative... 747 14,008 1,759,325 110,580 196,583
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\1\ Refer to Sec. 679.2 for definitions of zones.
Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.
This will enhance the socioeconomic well-being of harvesters of
groundfish dependent upon these halibut PSC allowances. The Regional
Administrator considered the following factors in reaching this
decision: (1) The current catch and stated future harvesting intent of
BSAI trawl limited access sector fisheries and, (2) the harvest
capacity and stated intent on future harvesting patterns of the
Amendment 80 cooperatives that participates in this BSAI fishery.
Classification
This action responds to the best available information recently
obtained from the fishery. 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 requirement is impracticable and
contrary to the public interest as it would prevent NMFS from
responding to the most recent fisheries data in a timely fashion and
would delay the reallocation of halibut PSC allowances from the BSAI
trawl limited access sector to the Amendment 80 cooperatives in the
BSAI. Since the fisheries are currently open, it is important to
immediately inform the industry as to the revised allocations.
Immediate notification is necessary to allow for the orderly conduct
and efficient operation of these fisheries, to allow the industry to
plan for the fishing season, and to avoid potential disruption to the
fishing fleet as well as processors. NMFS was unable to publish a
notice providing time for public comment because the most recent,
relevant data only became available as of October 14, 2014.
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.
[[Page 63579]]
This action is required by Sec. 679.91 and is exempt from review
under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 21, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-25366 Filed 10-21-14; 4:15 pm]
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