[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 67 (Thursday, April 7, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 20259-20260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07971]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 665
[Docket No. 150715616-6300-02]
RIN 0648-XE062
Pacific Island Fisheries; 2015-16 Annual Catch Limits and
Accountability Measures; Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final specifications.
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SUMMARY: NMFS specifies an annual catch limit (ACL) of 326,000 lb for
Deep 7 bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) for the 2015-16
fishing year. As an accountability measure (AM), if the ACL is
projected to be reached, NMFS would close the commercial and non-
commercial fisheries for MHI Deep 7 bottomfish for the remainder of the
fishing year. The ACL and AM specifications support the long-term
sustainability of Hawaii bottomfish.
DATES: The final specifications are effective from May 9, 2016, through
August 31, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Hawaiian
Archipelago are available from the Western Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council), 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813,
tel. 808-522-8220, fax 808-522-8226, or www.wpcouncil.org. Copies of
the environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact for
this action, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2015-0090, are available from
www.regulations.gov, or from Michael D. Tosatto, Regional
[[Page 20260]]
Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd.,
Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Dunlap, NMFS PIR Sustainable
Fisheries, 808-725-5177.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through this action, NMFS is specifying an
ACL of 326,000 lb of Deep 7 bottomfish in the MHI for the 2015-16
fishing year. The Council recommended this ACL, based on the best
available scientific, commercial, and other information, taking into
account the associated risk of overfishing. This ACL is 20,000 lb lower
than the ACL set for the 2014-15 fishing year. The MHI Management
Subarea is the portion of U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone around the
Hawaiian Archipelago lying to the east of 161[deg]20' W. longitude. The
Deep 7 bottomfish consist of onaga (Etelis coruscans), ehu (E.
carbunculus), gindai (Pristipomoides zonatus), kalekale (P. sieboldii),
opakapaka (P. filamentosus), lehi (Aphareus rutilans), and hapuupuu
(Hyporthodus quernus).
The MHI bottomfish fishing year started September 1, 2015, and is
currently open. NMFS will monitor the fishery, and if the fishery
reaches the ACL before August 31, 2016, NMFS will, as an associated
accountability measure authorized in 50 CFR 665.4(f), close the non-
commercial and commercial fisheries for Deep 7 bottomfish in Federal
waters through August 31. During a fishery closure for Deep 7
bottomfish, no person may fish for, possess, or sell any of these fish
in the MHI. There is no prohibition on fishing for or selling other
(non-Deep 7) bottomfish throughout the year. All other management
measures continue to apply in the MHI bottomfish fishery.
You may review additional background information on this action in
the preamble to the proposed specifications (81 FR 8884; February 23,
2016); we do not repeat that information here.
Comments and Responses
The comment period for the proposed specifications ended on March
9, 2016. NMFS received no public comments.
Changes From the Proposed Specifications
There are no changes in the final specifications from the proposed
specifications.
Classification
The Regional Administrator, NMFS PIR, determined that this action
is necessary for the conservation and management of MHI Deep 7
bottomfish, and that it is consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act and other applicable laws.
The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration during the proposed specification stage that this action
would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of
small entities. NMFS published the factual basis for certification in
the proposed specifications, and does not repeat it here. NMFS did not
receive comments regarding this certification. As a result, a final
regulatory flexibility analysis is not required, and one was not
prepared.
This action is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 1, 2016.
Samuel D. Rauch,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-07971 Filed 4-6-16; 8:45 am]
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