[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 8, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 40303-40304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-19499]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 662
[Docket No. 950801198-5198-01; I.D. 072795B]
RIN 0648-XX26
Northern Anchovy Fishery; Quotas for the 1995-96 Fishing Year
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final quotas.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the estimated spawning biomass and final
harvest quotas for the northern anchovy fishery in the exclusive
economic zone south of Point Reyes, CA, for the 1995-96 fishing season.
These quotas may only be adjusted if inaccurate data were used or if
errors were made in the calculations. Comments on these two points are
invited. The intended effect of this action is to establish allowable
harvest levels of Pacific anchovy.
DATES: Effective on August 1, 1995. Comments will be accepted until
September 5, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments on the final quotas to Ms. Hilda Diaz-
Soltero, Regional Director, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean
Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213. Administrative Report LJ-
95-11 is available from this same address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James J. Morgan, Southwest Region,
NMFS, (310) 980-4036.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In consultation with the California
Department of Fish and Game and the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science
Center, the Director of the Southwest Region, NMFS, (Regional Director)
has estimated that the 1995-96 spawning biomass of the central
subpopulation of northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax, is 388,000 mt. The
biomass estimate is derived from a stock assessment model using
spawning biomass estimated by five indices of abundance. Documentation
of the spawning biomass is contained in Administrative Report LJ-95-11,
published by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NMFS (see
ADDRESSES). This report and the determination of harvest quotas were
provided to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council).
According to the formula in the Fishery Management Plan for the
Northern Anchovy Fishery (FMP), the U.S. optimum yield (OY) is 61,600
mt (70 percent of the biomass above 300,000), which is allocated to
reduction fisheries, plus 4,900 mt for non-reduction fisheries. There
is no agreement with Mexico on the management of northern anchovy; a
portion of the biomass (30 percent) above 300,000 mt is designated as
the amount to account for this unregulated harvest. Any portion of the
U.S. OY not used by U.S. fishermen is identified as total allowable
level of foreign fishing (TALFF) and available to foreign fishing.
Estimates for the amount of anchovy that will be used by the U.S.
fishing industry is based, usually, on the largest amount of reduction
and non-reduction processing in the previous 3 years; however, the
spawning biomass has been below 300,000 mt for the last 3 years and no
reduction fishing has been permitted by the FMP. At a meeting of the
Council's Coastal Pelagics Planning Team and Advisory Subpanel held in
Long Beach, CA, on June 21, 1995, NMFS requested estimates of domestic
processing needs from the fishing industry so that a basis could be
established for setting annual quotas. Comments also were received at
the June 26-29 meeting of the Council. From the information available,
NMFS estimates that approximately 13,000 mt will be used by the U.S.
reduction fishery in the 1995-96 season. Future estimates of domestic
processing will be based on performance during the 1995-96 season.
The TALFF depends on that portion of the U.S. OY that will not be
used by U.S. fishermen, minus the amount of harvest by Mexican vessels
that is in excess of the average Mexican harvest (calculated according
to the formula in the FMP), like the estimates of U.S. harvest. The
estimates of Mexican excess harvest is based, generally, on the largest
harvest in the last 3 years; however, the biomass has been so low
[[Page 40304]]
during this time that there has been no significant fishery off Mexico.
Historically, the Mexican fishery has been based on availability and
not on abundance. When the biomass was of a similar level in 1987,
Mexico harvested 124,475 mt. The biomass dropped approximately 45
percent the next year and another 26 percent the following year, yet
Mexico harvested approximately 80,000 mt in each of those 2 years.
Recent harvests are not a reliable predictor of Mexican harvest under
conditions of sudden increased abundance. The issue of uncertainty
about the performance of the domestic industry and the intent of
Mexican harvesters was discussed by the Council, which recommended that
the portion allocated to TALFF be held in reserve. This action would
have protected the domestic industry and helped assure that OY will not
be exceeded; however, the FMP does not allow for a deviation from the
designated formula.
The Regional Director has made the following determinations for the
1995-96 fishing season by applying the formulas in the FMP and in 50
CFR Part 662.20.
1. The total U.S. OY for northern anchovy is 66,500 mt, plus an
unspecified amount for use as live bait.
2. The total U.S. harvest quota for reduction purposes is 13,000
mt.
a. Of the total reduction harvest quota, 1,300 mt is reserved for
the reduction fishery in Subarea A (north of Pt. Buchon). The FMP
requires that 10 percent of the U.S. reduction quota or 9,072 mt,
whichever is less, be reserved for the northern fishery. This is not a
special quota, but only a reduction in the amount allocated to the
southern fishery south of Pt. Buchon (Subarea B). After the northern
fishery has harvested 1,300 mt, any unused portion of the Subarea B
allocation may also be harvested north of Pt. Buchon.
b. The reduction quota for subarea B (south of Pt. Buchon) is
11,700 mt.
3. The U.S. harvest quota for non-reduction fishing (i.e., fishing
for anchovy for use as dead bait or human consumption) is 4,900 mt (as
set by Sec. 662.20).
4. There is no U.S. harvest limit for the live bait fishery.
5. The domestic annual processing capacity (DAP) is 13,000 mt.
6. The amount allocated to joint venture processing (JVP) is zero,
because there is no history of, nor are there applications for, joint
ventures.
7. Domestic annual harvest capacity (DAH) is 13,000 mt. DAH is the
sum of DAP and JVP.
8. The TALFF is 48,600 mt.
The fishery will be monitored during the year and evaluated with
respect to the OY and the estimated needs of the fishing industry.
Adjustments may be made to comply with the requirements of the FMP and
its implementing regulations.
This action is authorized by 50 CFR part 662 and is exempt from
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 2, 1995.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-19499 Filed 8-3-95; 3:49 pm]
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