Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of Halibut Prohibited Species Catch Allowances in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, 63577-63579 [2014-25366]
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63577
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
to the both sectors and the common
pool, depending on the size of the
allocation, the degree of change in the
allocation, and the catch rate of a
particular stock. Further, these
adjustments are based purely on
objective sector enrollment data and are
not subject to our discretion, so there
would be no benefit to allowing time for
prior notice and comment.
Waiving the 30-day delay in
effectiveness allows harvesting in a
manner that prevents catch limits of
species from being exceeded in fisheries
that are important to coastal
communities. Until the final stock
allocations are made, the affected
fishing entities will not know how many
fish of a particular stock they can catch
without going over their ultimate limits.
Fishermen may make both short- and
long-term business decisions based on
the catch limits in a given sector or the
common pool. Any delays in adjusting
these limits may cause the affected
fishing entities to slow down, or speed
up, their fishing activities during the
interim period before this rule becomes
effective. Both of these reactions could
negatively affect the fishery and the
businesses and communities that
depend on them. The fishing industry
and the communities it supports could
be affected by potentially reducing
harvests and delaying profits. Lastly, the
catch limit and allocation adjustments
are not controversial and the need for
them was clearly explained in the
proposed and final rules for fishing year
2014 sector operations plans and
contracts. As a result, the NE
multispecies permit holders are
expecting these adjustments and
awaiting their implementation.
Therefore, it is important to implement
adjusted catch limits and allocations as
soon as possible. For these reasons, we
are waiving the public comment period
and the 30-day delay in effectiveness for
this rule, pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(3)(B) and (d), respectively.
Because advanced notice and the
opportunity for public comment are not
required under the Administrative
Procedure Act, or any other law, the
analytical requirements of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601,
et seq., do not apply to this rule.
Therefore, no final regulatory flexibility
analysis is required and none has been
prepared.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 20, 2014.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–25307 Filed 10–23–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
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
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.
AGENCY:
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
SUMMARY:
harvest their 2014 groundfish
allocations.
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 § 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 § 679.91(f)(1),
NMFS will reissue cooperative quota
permits for the reallocated halibut PSC
allowances following the procedures set
forth in § 679.91(f)(4).
In accordance with § 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:
DATES:
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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PSC species and area 1
Non-trawl PSC
remaining after
CDQ PSQ 2
900
832
3,675
3,349
393
2,401
795
900
n/a
832
n/a
3,675
2,172
3,349
n/a
393
n/a
2,325
n/a
875
n/a
n/a
n/a
97,000
86,621
10,379
43,293
26,489
n/a
n/a
11,185,892
9,989,002
1,196,890
4,909,594
3,210,465
n/a
n/a
980,000
875,140
104,860
368,521
411,228
2014 Halibut mortality
(mt) BSAI ..................
2015 Halibut mortality
(mt) BSAI ..................
Herring (mt) BSAI ........
Red king crab (animals)
Zone 1 ......................
C. opilio (animals)
COBLZ ......................
C. bairdi crab (animals)
Zone 1 ......................
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Trawl PSC
remaining after
CDQ PSQ 2
BSAI trawl
limited access
fishery
Total non-trawl
PSC
Total trawl
PSC
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
CDQ PSQ
reserve 2
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Amendment
80 sector 3
63578
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
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—Continued
PSC species and area 1
Total non-trawl
PSC
Non-trawl PSC
remaining after
CDQ PSQ 2
C. bairdi crab (animals)
Zone 2 ......................
n/a
n/a
Trawl PSC
remaining after
CDQ PSQ 2
Total trawl
PSC
2,970,000
2,652,210
CDQ PSQ
reserve 2
Amendment
80 sector 3
317,790
627,778
BSAI trawl
limited access
fishery
1,241,500
1 Refer
to § 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 § 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
Prohibited species and area 1
BSAI trawl limited access fisheries
2014 Halibut
mortality (mt)
BSAI
Yellowfin sole ...........................................
Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish2 .....
Turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish3 ....................
Rockfish April 15—December 31 ............
Pacific cod ................................................
Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species4 .....
Total BSAI trawl limited access PSC ......
2015 Halibut
mortality (mt)
BSAI
227
0
0
5
353
210
795
Red king crab
(animals) Zone
1
C. opilio (animals) COBLZ
23,338
0
0
0
2,954
197
26,489
3,026,465
0
0
5,000
129,000
50,000
3,210,465
167
0
0
5
453
250
875
C. bairdi (animals)
Zone 1
346,228
0
0
0
60,000
5,000
411,228
Zone 2
1,185,500
0
0
1,000
50,000
5,000
1,241,500
1 Refer
to § 679.2 for definitions of areas.
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.
2 ‘‘Other
TABLE 14—FINAL 2014 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCE FOR THE BSAI AMENDMENT 80 COOPERATIVES
Prohibited species and zones 1
Cooperative
Halibut
mortality
(mt) BSAI
Alaska Seafood Cooperative ...............................................
Alaska Groundfish Cooperative ...........................................
Red king crab
(animals)
Zone 1
1,654
747
29,285
14,008
C. opilio
(animals)
COBLZ
3,150,269
1,759,325
C. bairdi (animals)
Zone 1
257,941
110,580
Zone 2
431,195
196,583
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1 Refer to § 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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Jkt 235001
(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
PO 00000
Frm 00082
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
This action is required by § 679.91
and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
63579
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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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 206 (Friday, October 24, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 63577-63579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25366]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prohibited species and area \1\
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prohibited species and zones \1\
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cooperative Halibut Red king crab C. opilio C. bairdi (animals)
mortality (animals) (animals) -------------------------------
(mt) BSAI Zone 1 COBLZ Zone 1 Zone 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
