Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Control Date for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pacific Cod Fishery, 8269-8270 [E6-2231]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 32 / Thursday, February 16, 2006 / Proposed Rules
Dated: February 10, 2006.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected
Resources,National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6–2196 Filed 2–15–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 060201022–6022–01; I.D.
012606A]
RIN 0648–AU16
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Control Date for
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Pacific Cod Fishery
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Advance notice of proposed
rulemaking; consideration of control
date.
AGENCY:
HSROBINSON on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
SUMMARY: This document announces
that anyone entering the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Pacific cod
fishery after December 11, 2005 (control
date), will not be assured of future
access to the Pacific cod resource if a
management regime is developed and
implemented that limits the number of
participants, licenses or vessels in the
fishery. This announcement is necessary
for public awareness of a potential
eligibility criterion for access with
commercial fishing gear to the BSAI
Pacific cod resource. This
announcement does not prevent any
other date for eligibility in the fishery or
another method of controlling fishing
effort from being proposed and
implemented. The intended effect of
this announcement is to discourage new
entry into the fishery based on
speculation while discussions continue
on whether and how access to the
Pacific cod resource should be limited.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff
Hartman, 907–586–7442, or
jeff.hartman@noaa.gov.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:36 Feb 15, 2006
Jkt 208001
On
December 11, 2005 the North Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council)
recommended that NMFS provide a
notice to the public that a control date
of December 11, 2005, for participation
in the BSAI Pacific cod fishery be set.
The purpose of this notice is to inform
the public that participation in the BSAI
Pacific cod commercial fishery after this
date may not count for consideration of
an allocation or eligibility to fish for
Pacific cod.
The BSAI Pacific cod fishery is
managed pursuant to the Fishery
Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area (FMP). The total
allowable catch (TAC) for BSAI Pacific
cod currently is allocated among trawl,
fixed, and jig gear sectors at 50 CFR
679.20(a)(7). The Council is developing
a proposed amendment to the FMP
(Amendment 85) that would further
divide and refine these allocations.
During the development of this
amendment, the Council became aware
that new entrants into some sectors of
the Pacific cod fishery would exacerbate
competition for increasingly smaller
sector allocations under Amendment 85.
In October 2005, the Council
developed a problem statement for
Amendment 85 identifying that:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Participants in the BSAI Pacific cod fishery
who have made significant investments and
have a long-term dependence on the resource
need stability in the allocations to the trawl,
jig, fixed gear, and CDQ [Community
Development Quota] sectors. To reduce
uncertainty and provide stability for these
participants, allocations should be adjusted
to better reflect historic use by sector. The
basis for determining sector allocations will
be catch history as well as consideration of
socio-economic and community factors. As
other fisheries in the BSAI and GOA [Gulf of
Alaska] are incrementally rationalized,
historical participants in the BSAI Pacific
cod fishery may be put at a disadvantage.
Each sector in the BSAI Pacific cod fishery
currently has different degrees of license
requirements and levels of participation.
Allocations to the sector level are a necessary
step on the path towards comprehensive
rationalization. Prompt action is needed to
maintain stability in the BSAI Pacific cod
fisheries.
In October 2005, the public testified
to the Council that new entry into the
Pacific cod fishery likely would erode
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
8269
the Pacific cod allocations and
associated prohibited species catch
amounts available to long-term
participants, especially under proposed
Amendment 85. On December 11, 2005,
the Council recommended that NMFS
provide a notice to the public that a
control date of December 11, 2005, be
set for participation in the BSAI Pacific
cod fishery. This notice informs the
public that participation in the BSAI
Pacific cod commercial fishery after this
date may not be considered by the
Council for purposes of any future
limited entry program developed for
this fishery.
NMFS and the Council intend, in
making this announcement, to
discourage speculative entry into the
Pacific cod fishery while potential entry
or access control management regimes
are considered by the Council. If the
Council decides to develop an access or
entry control regime, some fishermen
who do not currently fish for Pacific cod
in the BSAI and never have done so may
decide to enter the fishery for the sole
purpose of establishing a record of
making commercial landings of this
species.
A record of making commercial
landings generally is considered
indicative of economic dependence on a
fishery. On this basis, a new entrant
may successfully claim access to a
fishery that otherwise is limited to
traditional participants. New entrants
may have to buy the fishing history or
a permit from an earlier participant.
Hence, initial access to the fishery at
little or no entry cost may result in a
transfer of wealth to entities with little
investment in a fishery and away from
those that have substantial investment
in the fishery as indicated by their
fishing history. Any anticipated increase
in the security of an allocation also may
encourage speculative entry, which is
associated with a rapid and wasteful
increase in fishing effort in fisheries
already fully or over-exploited.
Specification of a control date may
communicate helpful investment and
operational information to businesses
considering entry to a fishery, or those
currently operating in a fishery.
E:\FR\FM\16FEP1.SGM
16FEP1
8270
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 32 / Thursday, February 16, 2006 / Proposed Rules
HSROBINSON on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
This action does not commit the
Council or Secretary to a particular
management regime or criterion for
entry to the Pacific cod fishery.
Fishermen are not guaranteed future
participation in the fishery before or
after the control date. The Council may
choose a different control date, or it may
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:36 Feb 15, 2006
Jkt 208001
choose a management regime that does
not make use of such a date. The
Council may choose to give variably
weighted consideration to fishermen in
the fishery before and after the control
date. The Council may choose also to
take no further action to control entry or
access to the fishery.
PO 00000
Frm 00043
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 13, 2006.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Operations, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. E6–2231 Filed 2–15–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
E:\FR\FM\16FEP1.SGM
16FEP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 32 (Thursday, February 16, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8269-8270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2231]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 060201022-6022-01; I.D. 012606A]
RIN 0648-AU16
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Control Date
for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pacific Cod Fishery
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; consideration of control
date.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This document announces that anyone entering the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Pacific cod fishery after December 11, 2005
(control date), will not be assured of future access to the Pacific cod
resource if a management regime is developed and implemented that
limits the number of participants, licenses or vessels in the fishery.
This announcement is necessary for public awareness of a potential
eligibility criterion for access with commercial fishing gear to the
BSAI Pacific cod resource. This announcement does not prevent any other
date for eligibility in the fishery or another method of controlling
fishing effort from being proposed and implemented. The intended effect
of this announcement is to discourage new entry into the fishery based
on speculation while discussions continue on whether and how access to
the Pacific cod resource should be limited.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Hartman, 907-586-7442, or
jeff.hartman@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 11, 2005 the North Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council) recommended that NMFS provide a
notice to the public that a control date of December 11, 2005, for
participation in the BSAI Pacific cod fishery be set. The purpose of
this notice is to inform the public that participation in the BSAI
Pacific cod commercial fishery after this date may not count for
consideration of an allocation or eligibility to fish for Pacific cod.
The BSAI Pacific cod fishery is managed pursuant to the Fishery
Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area (FMP). The total allowable catch (TAC) for BSAI Pacific
cod currently is allocated among trawl, fixed, and jig gear sectors at
50 CFR 679.20(a)(7). The Council is developing a proposed amendment to
the FMP (Amendment 85) that would further divide and refine these
allocations. During the development of this amendment, the Council
became aware that new entrants into some sectors of the Pacific cod
fishery would exacerbate competition for increasingly smaller sector
allocations under Amendment 85.
In October 2005, the Council developed a problem statement for
Amendment 85 identifying that:
Participants in the BSAI Pacific cod fishery who have made
significant investments and have a long-term dependence on the
resource need stability in the allocations to the trawl, jig, fixed
gear, and CDQ [Community Development Quota] sectors. To reduce
uncertainty and provide stability for these participants,
allocations should be adjusted to better reflect historic use by
sector. The basis for determining sector allocations will be catch
history as well as consideration of socio-economic and community
factors. As other fisheries in the BSAI and GOA [Gulf of Alaska] are
incrementally rationalized, historical participants in the BSAI
Pacific cod fishery may be put at a disadvantage. Each sector in the
BSAI Pacific cod fishery currently has different degrees of license
requirements and levels of participation. Allocations to the sector
level are a necessary step on the path towards comprehensive
rationalization. Prompt action is needed to maintain stability in
the BSAI Pacific cod fisheries.
In October 2005, the public testified to the Council that new entry
into the Pacific cod fishery likely would erode the Pacific cod
allocations and associated prohibited species catch amounts available
to long-term participants, especially under proposed Amendment 85. On
December 11, 2005, the Council recommended that NMFS provide a notice
to the public that a control date of December 11, 2005, be set for
participation in the BSAI Pacific cod fishery. This notice informs the
public that participation in the BSAI Pacific cod commercial fishery
after this date may not be considered by the Council for purposes of
any future limited entry program developed for this fishery.
NMFS and the Council intend, in making this announcement, to
discourage speculative entry into the Pacific cod fishery while
potential entry or access control management regimes are considered by
the Council. If the Council decides to develop an access or entry
control regime, some fishermen who do not currently fish for Pacific
cod in the BSAI and never have done so may decide to enter the fishery
for the sole purpose of establishing a record of making commercial
landings of this species.
A record of making commercial landings generally is considered
indicative of economic dependence on a fishery. On this basis, a new
entrant may successfully claim access to a fishery that otherwise is
limited to traditional participants. New entrants may have to buy the
fishing history or a permit from an earlier participant. Hence, initial
access to the fishery at little or no entry cost may result in a
transfer of wealth to entities with little investment in a fishery and
away from those that have substantial investment in the fishery as
indicated by their fishing history. Any anticipated increase in the
security of an allocation also may encourage speculative entry, which
is associated with a rapid and wasteful increase in fishing effort in
fisheries already fully or over-exploited. Specification of a control
date may communicate helpful investment and operational information to
businesses considering entry to a fishery, or those currently operating
in a fishery.
[[Page 8270]]
This action does not commit the Council or Secretary to a
particular management regime or criterion for entry to the Pacific cod
fishery. Fishermen are not guaranteed future participation in the
fishery before or after the control date. The Council may choose a
different control date, or it may choose a management regime that does
not make use of such a date. The Council may choose to give variably
weighted consideration to fishermen in the fishery before and after the
control date. The Council may choose also to take no further action to
control entry or access to the fishery.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 13, 2006.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-2231 Filed 2-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S