Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; 2007 and 2008 Final Harvest Specifications for Groundfish, 9676-9707 [E7-3775]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 42 / Monday, March 5, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
Dated: February 22, 2007.
David I. Maurstad,
Director, Mitigation Division, Federal
Emergency Management Agency, Department
of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. E7–3724 Filed 3–2–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–12–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 070213032–7032–01; I.D.
022807A]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical
Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of
a closure.
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AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS is reopening directed
fishing for pollock in Statistical Area
630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 24
hours. This action is necessary to fully
use the A season allowance of the 2007
total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock
specified for Statistical Area 630 of the
GOA.
DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local
time (A.l.t.), March 1, 2007, through
1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 2, 2007.
Comments must be received at the
following address no later than 4:30
p.m., A.l.t., March 15, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue
Salveson, Assistant Regional
Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries
Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn:
Ellen Sebastian. Comments may be
submitted by:
• Mail to: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK
99802;
• Hand delivery to the Federal
Building, 709 West 9th Street, Room
420A, Juneau, Alaska;
• FAX to 907–586–7557;
• E-mail to 630pollock2@noaa.gov
and include in the subject line of the email comment the document identifier:
‘‘g63plkro4’’ (E-mail comments, with or
without attachments, are limited to 5
megabytes); or
• Webform at the Federal
eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions at that site for submitting
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Josh
Keaton, 907–586–7228.
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NMFS
manages the groundfish fishery in the
GOA exclusive economic zone
according to the Fishery Management
Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of
Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North
Pacific Fishery Management Council
under authority of the MagnusonStevens 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.
NMFS closed the directed fishery for
pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the
GOA under § 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on
January 22, 2007 (72 FR 2793, January
23, 2007). The fishery was subsequently
reopened on February 6, 2007 and
closed on February 8, 2007 (72 FR 5346,
February 6, 2007), reopened on
February 12, 2007 and closed on
February 14, 2007 (72 FR 7353,
February 15, 2007), and reopened on
February 20, 2007 and closed on
February 22, 2007 (72 FR 8132,
February 23, 2007).
NMFS has determined that
approximately 2,850 mt of pollock
remain in the directed fishing allowance
in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.
Therefore, in accordance with
§ 679.25(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i)(C) and
(a)(2)(iii)(D), and to fully utilize the A
season allowance of the 2007 TAC of
pollock in Statistical Area 630, NMFS is
terminating the previous closure and is
reopening directed fishing for pollock in
Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. In
accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the
Regional Administrator finds that this
directed fishing allowance will be
reached after 24 hours. Consequently,
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for
pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the
GOA after the 24 hours, effective 1200
hrs, A.l.t., March 2, 2007.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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) and 679.25(c)(1)(ii) 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
opening of pollock in Statistical Area
630 of the GOA. NMFS was unable to
publish a notice providing time for
public comment because the most
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recent, relevant data only became
available as of February 27, 2007.
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.
Without this inseason adjustment,
NMFS could not allow the fishery for
pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the
GOA to be harvested in an expedient
manner and in accordance with the
regulatory schedule. Under
§ 679.25(c)(2), interested persons are
invited to submit written comments on
this action to the above address until
March 15, 2007.
This action is required by § 679.25
and § 679.20 and is exempt from review
under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 28, 2007.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 07–988 Filed 2–28–07; 12:48 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No.070213032–7032–01; I.D.
112206B]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; 2007
and 2008 Final Harvest Specifications
for Groundfish
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule; closures.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS announces 2007 and
2008 final harvest specifications,
reserves and apportionments thereof,
Pacific halibut prohibited species catch
(PSC) limits, and associated
management measures for the
groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska
(GOA). This action is necessary to
establish harvest limits and associated
management measures for groundfish
during the 2007 and 2008 fishing years
and to accomplish the goals and
objectives of the Fishery Management
Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of
Alaska (FMP). The intended effect of
this action is to conserve and manage
the groundfish resources in the GOA in
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 42 / Monday, March 5, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (MSA).
DATES: The 2007 and 2008 final harvest
specifications and associated
management measures are effective at
1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.),
March 5, 2007, through 2400 hrs, A.l.t.,
December 31, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),
Record of Decision (ROD), and Final
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA)
prepared for this action are available
from the Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O.
Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn:
Ellen Sebastian, or from the Alaska
Region website at https://
www.fakr.noaa.gov. Copies of the final
2006 Stock Assessment and Fishery
Evaluation (SAFE) report for the
groundfish resources of the GOA, dated
November 2006, are available from the
North Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council), West 4th Avenue,
Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99510 2252
(907 271 2809), or from its website at
https://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom
Pearson, Sustainable Fisheries Division,
Alaska Region, 907–481–1780, or e-mail
at tom.pearson@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
manages the groundfish fisheries in the
exclusive economic zone of the GOA
under the FMP. The Council prepared
the FMP under the authority of the
MSA, 16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.
Regulations governing U.S. fisheries and
implementing the FMP appear at 50
CFR parts 600, 679, and 680.
The FMP and its implementing
regulations require NMFS, after
consultation with the Council, to
specify and apportion the total
allowable catch (TAC) for each target
species and for the ‘‘other species’’
category, the sum of which must be
within the optimum yield (OY) range of
116,000 to 800,000 metric tons (mt). The
final specifications set forth in Tables 1
through 22 of this document satisfy this
requirement. For 2007, the sum of the
TAC amounts is 269,912 mt. For 2008,
the sum of the TAC amounts is 286,173
mt.
Section 679.20(c)(1) further requires
NMFS to publish and solicit public
comment on proposed annual TACs,
halibut PSC amounts, and seasonal
allowances of pollock and inshore/
offshore Pacific cod. The proposed GOA
groundfish specifications and Pacific
halibut PSC allowances for 2007 and
2008 were published in the Federal
Register on December 15, 2006 (71 FR
75437). Comments were invited and
accepted through January 16, 2007.
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NMFS received 2 letters of comment on
the proposed specifications. These
letters of comment are summarized in
the Response to Comments section of
this action. In December 2006, NMFS
consulted with the Council regarding
the 2007 and 2008 harvest
specifications. After considering public
comments received, as well as biological
and economic data that were available
at the Council’s December 2006
meeting, NMFS is implementing the
2007 and 2008 final harvest
specifications, as recommended by the
Council.
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) and
TAC Specifications
In December 2006, the Council, its
Advisory Panel (AP), and its Scientific
and Statistical Committee (SSC),
reviewed current biological and harvest
information about the condition of
groundfish stocks in the GOA. This
information was compiled by the
Council’s GOA Plan Team and was
presented in the final 2006 SAFE report
for the GOA groundfish fisheries, dated
November 2006 (see ADDRESSES). The
SAFE report contains a review of the
latest scientific analyses and estimates
of each species= biomass and other
biological parameters, as well as
summaries of the available information
on the GOA ecosystem and the
economic condition of the groundfish
fisheries off Alaska. From these data and
analyses, the Plan Team estimates an
ABC for each species or species
category.
The final ABC levels are based on the
best available biological and
socioeconomic information, including
projected biomass trends, information
on assumed distribution of stock
biomass, and revised methods used to
calculate stock biomass. The FMP
specifies the formulas, or tiers, to be
used to compute ABCs and overfishing
levels (OFLs). The formulas applicable
to a particular stock or stock complex
are determined by the level of reliable
information available to fisheries
scientists. This information is
categorized into a successive series of
six tiers with tier one representing the
highest level of information and tier six
the lowest level of information.
The final TAC recommendations were
based on the ABCs as adjusted for other
biological and socioeconomic
considerations, including maintaining
the total TAC within the required OY
range of 116,000 to 800,000 mt. The
Council adopted the AP’s TAC
recommendations. The Council
recommended TACs for 2007 and 2008
equal to ABCs for pollock, deep-water
flatfish, rex sole, sablefish, Pacific ocean
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perch, shortraker rockfish, rougheye
rockfish, northern rockfish, pelagic shelf
rockfish, thornyhead rockfish, demersal
shelf rockfish, big skate, longnose skate,
and other skates. The Council
recommended TACs less than the ABCs
for Pacific cod, flathead sole, shallowwater flatfish, arrowtooth flounder,
other rockfish, and Atka mackerel. None
of the Council’s recommended TACs for
2007 and 2008 exceeds the final ABC for
any species or species category. The
2007 and 2008 harvest specifications
approved by the Secretary of Commerce
(Secretary) are unchanged from those
recommended by the Council and are
consistent with the preferred harvest
strategy alternative in the EIS. The 2007
and 2008 TACs are less than the
maximum permissible ABCs
recommended by the Council’s plan
teams and SSC NMFS finds that the
recommended ABCs and TACs are
consistent with the biological condition
of the groundfish stocks as described in
the 2006 SAFE report and approved by
the Council. The apportionment of TAC
amounts among gear types, processing
sectors, and seasons is discussed below.
NMFS finds that the Council’s
recommendations for OFL, ABC, and
TAC amounts are consistent with the
biological condition of groundfish
stocks as adjusted for other biological
and socioeconomic considerations,
including maintaining the total TAC
within the OY range. NMFS reviewed
the Council’s recommended TAC
specifications and apportionments and
approves these specifications under
§ 679.20(c)(3)(ii).
Tables 1 and 2 list the final 2007 and
2008 OFLs, ABCs, TACs, and area
apportionments of groundfish in the
GOA. The sum of 2007 ABCs is 490,327
mt, which is lower than the 2006 ABC
total of 500,625 mt (71 FR 10870, March
3, 2006), while the sum of 2008 ABCs
of 511,838 mt is higher than the 2006
total.
Specification and Apportionment of
TAC Amounts
As in 2006, the SSC and Council
recommended the method of
apportioning the sablefish ABC among
management areas in 2007 and 2008
include commercial fishery and survey
data. NMFS stock assessment scientists
believe the use of unbiased commercial
fishery data reflecting catch-per-unit
effort provides a desirable input for
stock distribution assessments. The use
of commercial fishery data is evaluated
annually to ensure unbiased
information is included in stock
distribution models. The Council’s
recommendation for sablefish area
apportionments also takes into account
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the prohibition on the use of trawl gear
in the Southeast Outside (SEO) District
of the Eastern Regulatory Area and
makes available 5 percent of the
combined Eastern Regulatory Area
ABCs to trawl gear for use as incidental
catch in other directed groundfish
fisheries in the West Yakutat (WYK)
District (§ 679.20(a)(4)(i)).
Since the inception of a State of
Alaska (State) managed pollock fishery
in Prince William Sound (PWS), the
GOA Plan Team has recommended the
guideline harvest level (GHL) for the
pollock fishery in PWS be deducted
from the ABC for the western stock of
pollock in the GOA in the Western/
Central/West Yakutat (W/C/WYK) Area.
For the 2007 and 2008 pollock fisheries
in PWS the State’s GHL is 1,650 mt.
The apportionment of annual pollock
TAC among the Western and Central
Regulatory Areas of the GOA reflects the
seasonal biomass distribution and is
discussed in greater detail below. The
annual pollock TAC in the Western and
Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA is
apportioned among Statistical Areas
610, 620, and 630, as well as equally
among each of the following four
seasons: the A season (January 20
through March 10), the B season (March
10 through May 31), the C season
(August 25 through October 1), and the
D season (October 1 through November
1) (§§ 693.23(d)(2)(i) through (iv) and
679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)).
The SSC, AP, and Council adopted
the Plan Team’s OFL and ABC
recommendations for all groundfish
species categories.
The SSC, AP, and Council
recommended apportionment of the
ABC for Pacific cod in the GOA among
regulatory areas based on the three most
recent NMFS summer trawl surveys.
The 2007 and 2008 Pacific cod TACs
are affected by the State’s fishery for
Pacific cod in State waters in the Central
and Western Regulatory Areas, as well
as in PWS. The SSC, AP, and Council
recommended that the sum of all State
and Federal water Pacific cod removals
not exceed the ABC. Accordingly, the
Council recommended reduction of the
2007 and 2008 Pacific cod TACs from
the ABCs in the Central and Western
Regulatory Areas to account for State
GHLs. Therefore, the 2007 Pacific cod
TACs are less than the ABCs by the
following amounts: (1) Eastern GOA,
413 mt; (2) Central GOA, 9,468 mt; and
(3) Western GOA, 6,714 mt. Similarly,
the 2008 Pacific cod TACs are less than
the ABCs as follows: (1) Eastern GOA,
428 mt; (2) Central GOA, 9,817 mt; and
(3) Western GOA, 6,961 mt. These
amounts reflect the sum of the State’s
2007 and 2008 GHLs in these areas,
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which are 10 percent, 25 percent, and
25 percent of the Eastern, Central, and
Western GOA ABCs, respectively. The
percentages of ABC used to calculate the
GHLs for the State managed Pacific cod
fisheries are unchanged from 2006.
NMFS also is establishing seasonal
apportionments of the annual Pacific
cod TAC in the Western and Central
Regulatory Areas. Sixty percent of the
annual TAC is apportioned to the A
season for hook-and-line, pot, and jig
gear from January 1 through June 10,
and for trawl gear from January 20
through June 10. Forty percent of the
annual TAC is apportioned to the B
season for hook-and-line, pot, and jig
gear from September 1 through
December 31, and for trawl gear from
September 1 through November 1
(§§ 679.23(d)(3) and 679.20(a)(11)).
As in 2006, NMFS establishes for
2007 and 2008 an A season directed
fishing allowance (DFA) for the Pacific
cod fisheries in the GOA based on the
management area TACs minus the
recent average A season incidental catch
of Pacific cod in each management area
before June 10 (§ 679.20(d)(1)). The DFA
and incidental catch before June 10 will
be managed such that total harvest in
the A season will be no more than 60
percent of the annual TAC. Incidental
catch taken after June 10 will continue
to accrue against the B season TAC. This
action meets the intent of the Steller Sea
Lion Protection Measures by achieving
temporal dispersion of the Pacific cod
removals and by reducing the likelihood
of harvest exceeding 60 percent of the
annual TAC in the A season (January 1
through June 10). The seasonal
apportionments of the annual Pacific
cod TAC are discussed in greater detail
below.
The FMP specifies that the amount for
the ‘‘other species’’ category be set at an
amount less than or equal to 5 percent
of the combined TAC amounts for target
species. The final 2007 and 2008 annual
GOA-wide TACs of 4,500 mt are less
than 5 percent of the combined TAC
amounts for target species. The sums of
the TACs for all GOA groundfish is
269,912 mt for 2007 and 286,173 mt for
2008, which are within the OY range
specified by the FMP. The sums of the
2007 and 2008 TACs are lower than the
2006 TAC sum of 291,950 mt.
Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Pilot
Program
Congress granted NMFS specific
statutory authority to manage Central
GOA rockfish fisheries in Section 802 of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of
2004 (Public Law 108–199). The
Council adopted a proposed Central
Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Pilot Program
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(Rockfish Program) to meet the
requirements of Section 802 on June 6,
2005. The elements of the Rockfish
Program are discussed in detail in the
proposed rule to Amendment 68 to the
FMP (71 FR 33040, June 7, 2006) and in
the final rule to implement the Rockfish
Program (71 FR 67210, November 20,
2006). The final rule became effective
December 20, 2006. The Rockfish
Program is authorized for five years,
from January 1, 2007, until December
31, 2011. A brief overview of major
provisions of the Rockfish Program
which have implications for the 2007
and 2008 harvest specifications follows.
The Rockfish Program allocates
exclusive harvesting and processing
privileges for primary rockfish species
and for associated species harvested
incidentally to those rockfish in the
Central GOA, an area from 147° W.
longitude to 159° W. longitude. The
primary rockfish species are northern
rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and
pelagic shelf rockfish. Secondary
species are those species incidentally
harvested during the harvest of the
primary rockfish species fisheries and
include Pacific cod, rougheye rockfish,
shortraker rockfish, sablefish, and
thornyhead rockfish. The Rockfish
Program also allocates a portion of the
total GOA halibut mortality limit
annually specified under § 679.21 to
participants based on historic halibut
mortality rates in the primary rockfish
species fisheries. The amounts of
primary rockfish species, secondary
species, and halibut mortality to be
allocated to the Rockfish Program will
not be known until eligible participants
apply for participation in the Program.
These amounts will be posted on the
Alaska Region website at https://
www.fakr.noaa.gov when they become
available early in 2007.
The Rockfish Program also establishes
catch limits, commonly called
‘‘sideboards,’’ to limit the ability of
participants eligible for the Rockfish
Program to harvest fish in fisheries other
than the Central GOA rockfish fisheries.
Sideboards limit the total amount of
catch in other groundfish fisheries that
can be taken by eligible harvesters to
historic levels, including harvests made
in the State’s parallel groundfish
fisheries. Parallel fisheries are
authorized by the State in its waters
concurrent with the Federal fishery.
Parallel fisheries catch is deducted from
the Federal TACs. Sideboards limit
catch in specific rockfish fisheries and
the amount of halibut bycatch that can
be used in certain flatfish fisheries.
Tables 18 and 19 list the 2007 and 2008
final groundfish sideboard limitations.
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Table 20 lists the 2007 and 2008 final
halibut mortality limitations.
Changes From the Proposed 2007 and
2008 Harvest Specifications in the GOA
In October 2006, the Council’s
recommendations for the proposed 2007
and 2008 harvest specifications (71 FR
75437, December 15, 2006) were based
largely upon information contained in
the final 2005 SAFE report for the GOA
groundfish fisheries, dated November
2005. The Council recommended that
OFLs and ABCs for stocks in tiers 1
through 3 be based on biomass
projections as set forth in the 2005
SAFE report and estimates of groundfish
harvests through the 2006 and 2007
fishing years. For stocks in tiers 4
through 6, for which biomass
projections could not be made, the
Council recommended the same OFL
and ABC levels for 2006 until the final
2006 SAFE report could be completed.
The 2006 SAFE report, dated
November 2006, which was not
available when the Council made its
recommendations in October 2006,
contains the best and most recent
scientific information on the condition
of the groundfish stocks. This report
was considered in December 2006 by
the Council when it made
recommendations for the final 2007 and
2008 harvest specifications. Based on
the final 2006 SAFE report, the sum of
the 2007 final TACs for the GOA
(269,912 mt) is 5,544 mt greater than the
sum of the proposed TACs (264,367 mt).
The largest 2007 increases occurred for
Pacific cod, from 44,705 mt to 52,264 mt
(17 percent increase); rex sole, from
8,700 mt to 9,100 mt (5 percent
increase); sablefish, from 13,700 mt to
14,310 mt (4 percent increase); and for
pelagic shelf rockfish, from 5,461 mt to
5,542 mt (1 percent increase). The
largest decreases occurred for pollock,
from 70,507 mt to 68,307 mt (3 percent
decrease); and for northern rockfish,
from 5,900 mt to 4,938 mt (16 percent
decrease). Other increases or decreases
in 2007 and 2008 are within these
ranges.
Compared to the proposed 2007 and
2008 harvest specifications, the
Council’s final 2007 and 2008 TAC
recommendations increase fishing
opportunities for species for which the
Council had sufficient information to
raise TAC levels. These include, Pacific
cod, rex sole, sablefish, and pelagic
shelf rockfish. Conversely, the Council
reduced TAC levels to provide greater
protection for several species including
pollock, deep water flatfish, Pacific
ocean perch, and northern rockfish. The
changes recommended by the Council
for the 2007 and 2008 fishing years were
based on the best scientific information
available, consistent with National
Standard 2 of the MSA, and within a
reasonable range of variation from the
proposed TAC recommendations so that
the affected public was fairly apprized
and could have made meaningful
comments based on the proposed
specifications. Tables 1 and 2 list the
2007 and 2008 final OFL, ABC, and
TAC amounts of the GOA groundfish.
TABLE 1 - FINAL 2007 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/
WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK),
SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area1
Species
ABC
TAC
OFL
Pollock2
Shumagin (610)
25,012
n/a
Chirikof (620)
20,890
20,980
n/a
Kodiak (630)
14,850
14,850
n/a
WYK (640)
1,398
1,398
n/a
W/C/WYK
62,150
62,150
87,220
SEO (650)
6,157
6,157
8,209
68,307
68,307
95,429
W
26,855
20,141
n/a
C
37,873
28,405
n/a
E
4,131
3,718
n/a
68,859
Subtotal
25,012
52,264
97,600
420
n/a
Total
Pacific cod3
Total
Flatfish4 (deep-water)
420
C
4,163
4,163
n/a
WYK
2,677
2,677
n/a
SEO
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W
1,447
1,447
n/a
8,707
8,707
10,431
W
1,147
1,147
n/a
C
5,446
5,446
n/a
Total
Rex sole
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TABLE 1 - FINAL 2007 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/
WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK),
SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA—Continued
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area1
Species
ABC
TAC
OFL
WYK
1,037
1,037
n/a
SEO
1,470
1,470
n/a
9,100
9,100
11,900
W
10,908
2,000
n/a
C
26,054
5,000
n/a
WYK
2,091
2,091
n/a
SEO
57
57
n/a
39,110
9,148
48,658
W
24,720
4,500
n/a
C
24,258
13,000
n/a
628
n/a
Total
Flathead sole
Total
Flatfish5(shallowwater)
WYK
628
SEO
1,844
1,844
n/a
51,450
19,972
62,418
W
20,852
8,000
n/a
C
139,582
30,000
n/a
WYK
16,507
2,500
n/a
SEO
7,067
2,500
n/a
184,008
43,000
214,828
W
2,470
2,470
n/a
C
6,190
6,190
n/a
WYK
2,280
2,280
n/a
SEO
3,370
3,370
n/a
E(WYK and SEO)
5,650
5,650
n/a
14,310
14,310
16,906
W
4,244
4,244
4,976
C
7,612
7,612
8,922
WYK
1,140
1,140
n/a
SEO
1,640
1,640
n/a
E(WYK and SEO)
2,780
2,780
3,260
14,636
14,635
17,158
Total
Arrowtooth flounder
Total
Sablefish6
Subtotal
Total
Pacific ocean perch7
Subtotal
Total
Shortraker rockfish8
153
153
n/a
C
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
W
353
353
n/a
E
337
337
n/a
843
843
1,124
Total
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TABLE 1 - FINAL 2007 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/
WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK),
SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA—Continued
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area1
Species
Rougheye rockfish9
ABC
TAC
OFL
W
136
136
n/a
C
611
611
n/a
E
241
241
n/a
988
988
1,148
W
577
577
n/a
C
386
386
n/a
WYK
319
319
n/a
SEO
2,872
200
n/a
4,154
1,482
5,394
W
1,439
1,439
n/a
C
3,499
3,499
n/a
E
0
0
n/a
4,938
4,938
5,890
W
1,466
1,466
n/a
C
3,325
3,325
n/a
Total
Other rockfish10,11
Total
Northern rockfish11,12
Total
Pelagic shelf rockfish13
WYK
307
307
n/a
SEO
444
444
n/a
5,542
6,458
Total
5,542
Thornyhead rockfish
W
513
513
n/a
C
989
989
n/a
E
707
707
n/a
2,209
2,945
695
n/a
2,250
n/a
599
n/a
3,544
4,726
65
n/a
1,969
n/a
861
n/a
2,895
2,895
3,860
1,617
2,156
410
650
Total
2,209
Big skates14
W
695
C
2,250
E
599
3,544
Longnose skates15
W
65
C
1,969
E
861
GW
1,617
Demersal shelf rockfish17
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Other skates16
SEO
410
Atka mackerel
GW
4,700
1,500
6,200
Other species18
GW
n/a
4,500
n/a
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TABLE 1 - FINAL 2007 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/
WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK),
SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA—Continued
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area1
Species
ABC
TOTAL19
TAC
490,327
OFL
269,912
615,879
1.
2.
Regulatory areas and districts are defined at § 679.2.
Pollock is apportioned in the Western/Central Regulatory Areas among three statistical areas. During the A season, the apportionment is
based on an adjusted estimate of the relative distribution of pollock biomass of approximately 30 percent, 48 percent, and 22 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. During the B season, the apportionment is based on the relative distribution of pollock biomass at 30
percent, 59 percent, and 11 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. During the C and D seasons, the apportionment is
based on the relative distribution of pollock biomass at 53 percent, 15 percent, and 32 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. Tables 5 and 6 list the seasonal apportionments. In the West Yakutat and Southeast Outside Districts of the Eastern Regulatory Area, pollock is not divided into seasonal allowances.
3. The annual Pacific cod TAC is apportioned 60% to an A season and 40% to a B season in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the
GOA. Pacific cod is allocated 90% for processing by the inshore component and 10% for processing by the offshore component. Tables 7 and 8
list the 2007 and 2008 proposed seasonal apportionments and component allocations of TAC.
4. ″Deep-water flatfish″ means Dover sole, Greenland turbot, and deepsea sole.
5. ″Shallow-water flatfish″ means flatfish not including ″deep-water flatfish,″ flatheador arrowtooth flounder.
6. Sablefish is allocated to trawl and hook-and-line gears for 2007 and to trawl gear in 2008. Tables 3 and 4 list these amounts.
7. ″Pacific ocean perch″ means Sebastes alutus.
8. ″Shortraker rockfish″ means Sebastes borealis.
9. ″Rougheye rockfish″ means Sebastes aleutianus.
10. ″Other rockfish″ in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas and in the West Yakutat District means slope rockfish and demersal shelf
rockfish. The category ″other rockfish″ in the SEO District means slope rockfish.
11. ″Slope rockfish″ means Sebastes aurora (aurora), S. melanostomus (blackgill), S. paucispinis (bocaccio), S. goodei (chilipepper), S. crameri
(darkblotch), S. elongatus (greenstriped), S. variegatus (harlequin), S. wilsoni (pygmy), S. babcocki (redbanded), S. proriger (redstripe), S.
zacentrus (sharpchin), S. jordani (shortbelly), S. brevispinis (silvergrey), S. diploproa (splitnose), S. saxicola (stripetail), S. miniatus (vermilion),
and S. reedi (yellowmouth). In the Eastern GOA only, slope rockfish also includes northern rockfish, S. polyspinous.
12. ″Northern rockfish″ means Sebastes polyspinis.
13. ″Pelagic shelf rockfish″ means Sebastes ciliatus (dark), S. variabilis (dusky), S. entomelas (widow), and S. flavidus (yellowtail).
14. Big skate means Raja binoculata.
15. Longnose skate means Raja rhina.
16. Other skates means Bathyraja spp.
17. ″Demersal shelf rockfish″ means Sebastes pinniger (canary), S. nebulosus (china), S. caurinus (copper), S. maliger (quillback), S.
helvomaculatus (rosethorn), S. nigrocinctus (tiger), and S. ruberrimus (yelloweye).
18. ″Other species″ means sculpins, sharks, squid, and octopus. There is no OFL or ABC for ″other species.″ The FMP specifies that the
amount for the ″other species″ category be set at an amount less than or equal to 5% of the combined TAC amounts for target species.
19. The total ABC and OFL is the sum of the ABCs and OFLs for assessed target species.
TABLE 2 - FINAL 2008 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/
WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK),
SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA (VALUES ARE ROUNDED TO
THE NEAREST METRIC TON)
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area1
Species
ABC
TAC
OFL
Pollock2
Shumagin (610)
30,308
n/a
Chirikof (620)
25,313
25,313
n/a
Kodiak (630)
17,995
17,995
n/a
WYK (640)
1,694
1,694
n/a
W/C/WYK
75,310
75,310
105,490
SEO (650)
6,157
6,157
8,209
81,467
81,467
113,699
W
27,846
20,885
n/a
C
39,270
29,453
n/a
E
4,284
3,856
n/a
71,400
Subtotal
30,308
54,194
86,000
430
n/a
4,296
n/a
Total
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Pacific cod3
Total
Flatfish4 (deep-water)
430
C
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TABLE 2 - FINAL 2008 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/
WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK),
SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA (VALUES ARE ROUNDED TO
THE NEAREST METRIC TON)—Continued
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area1
Species
ABC
TAC
OFL
WYK
2,763
2,763
n/a
SEO
1,494
1,494
n/a
8,983
8,983
11,412
W
1,122
1,122
n/a
C
5,327
5,327
n/a
WYK
1,014
1,014
n/a
SEO
1,437
1,437
n/a
8,900
8,900
11,600
W
11,464
2,000
n/a
C
27,382
5,000
n/a
WYK
2,198
2,198
n/a
SEO
60
60
n/a
41,104
9,258
51,146
W
24,720
4,500
n/a
C
24,258
13,000
n/a
628
n/a
Total
Rex sole
Total
Flathead sole
Total
Flatfish5(shallowwater)
WYK
628
SEO
1,844
1,844
n/a
51,450
19,972
62,418
W
21,164
8,000
n/a
C
141,673
30,000
n/a
WYK
16,754
2,500
n/a
SEO
7,172
2,500
n/a
186,763
43,000
218,020
W
2,458
2,458
n/a
C
6,159
6,159
n/a
WYK
2,269
2,269
n/a
SEO
3,353
3,353
n/a
E(WYK and SEO)
5,622
5,622
n/a
14,239
14,239
15,803
W
4,291
4,291
5,030
C
7,694
7,694
9,019
WYK
1,153
1,153
n/a
SEO
1,659
1,659
n/a
E(WYK and SEO)
2,812
2,812
3,296
Total
Arrowtooth flounder
Total
Sablefish6
Subtotal
Total
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Pacific ocean
Subtotal
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TABLE 2 - FINAL 2008 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/
WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK),
SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA (VALUES ARE ROUNDED TO
THE NEAREST METRIC TON)—Continued
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area1
Species
ABC
Total
TAC
14,797
Shortraker rockfish8
OFL
14,797
17,345
W
153
153
n/a
C
353
353
n/a
E
337
337
n/a
843
843
1,124
W
137
137
n/a
C
614
614
n/a
E
242
242
n/a
993
993
1,197
W
577
577
n/a
C
386
386
n/a
WYK
319
319
n/a
SEO
2,872
200
n/a
4,154
1,482
5,394
W
1,383
1,383
n/a
C
3,365
3,365
n/a
E
0
0
n/a
4,748
4,748
5,660
W
1,752
1,752
n/a
C
3,973
3,973
n/a
Total
Rougheye rockfish9
Total
Other rockfish10,11
Total
Northern rockfish11,12
Total
Pelagic shelf rockfish13
WYK
366
366
n/a
SEO
531
531
n/a
6,622
8,186
Total
6,622
Thornyhead rockfish
W
513
513
n/a
C
989
989
n/a
E
707
707
n/a
2,209
2,945
695
n/a
2,250
n/a
599
n/a
3,544
4,726
65
n/a
1,969
n/a
861
n/a
Total
Big
2,209
skates14
W
695
C
2,250
E
599
Total
3,544
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Longnose skates15
65
C
1,969
E
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TABLE 2 - FINAL 2008 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/
WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK),
SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA (VALUES ARE ROUNDED TO
THE NEAREST METRIC TON)—Continued
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area1
Species
ABC
Total
TAC
OFL
2,895
2,895
3,860
1,617
2,156
410
650
Other skates16
GW
1,617
Demersal shelf rockfish17
SEO
410
Atka mackerel
GW
4,700
1,500
6,200
Other species18
GW
n/a
4,500
n/a
286,173
629,541
TOTAL19
511,838
1.
Regulatory areas and districts are defined at § 679.2.
2. Pollock is apportioned in the Western/Central Regulatory Areas among three statistical areas. During the A season, the apportionment is
based on an adjusted estimate of the relative distribution of pollock biomass of approximately 30 percent, 48 percent, and 22 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. During the B season, the apportionment is based on the relative distribution of pollock biomass at 30
percent, 59 percent, and 11 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. During the C and D seasons, the apportionment is
based on the relative distribution of pollock biomass at 53 percent, 15 percent, and 32 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. Tables 5 and 6 list the seasonal apportionments. In the West Yakutat and Southeast Outside Districts of the Eastern Regulatory Area, pollock is not divided into seasonal allowances.
3. The annual Pacific cod TAC is apportioned 60% to an A season and 40% to a B season in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the
GOA. Pacific cod is allocated 90% for processing by the inshore component and 10% for processing by the offshore component. Tables 7 and 8
list the 2007 and 2008 proposed seasonal apportionments and component allocations of TAC.
4. ″Deep-water flatfish″ means Dover sole, Greenland turbot, and deepsea sole.
5. ″Shallow-water flatfish″ means flatfish not including ″deep-water flatfish,″ flatheador arrowtooth flounder.
6. Sablefish is allocated to trawl and hook-and-line gears for 2007 and to trawl gear in 2008. Tables 3 and 4 list these amounts.
7. ″Pacific ocean perch″ means Sebastes alutus.
8. ″Shortraker rockfish″ means Sebastes borealis.
9. ″Rougheye rockfish″ means Sebastes aleutianus.
10. ″Other rockfish″ in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas and in the West Yakutat District means slope rockfish and demersal shelf
rockfish. The category ″other rockfish″ in the SEO District means slope rockfish.
11. ″Slope rockfish″ means Sebastes aurora (aurora), S. melanostomus (blackgill), S. paucispinis (bocaccio), S. goodei (chilipepper), S. crameri
(darkblotch), S. elongatus (greenstriped), S. variegatus (harlequin), S. wilsoni (pygmy), S. babcocki (redbanded), S. proriger (redstripe), S.
zacentrus (sharpchin), S. jordani (shortbelly), S. brevispinis (silvergrey), S. diploproa (splitnose), S. saxicola (stripetail), S. miniatus (vermilion),
and S. reedi (yellowmouth). In the Eastern GOA only, slope rockfish also includes northern rockfish, S. polyspinous.
12. ″Northern rockfish″ means Sebastes polyspinis.
13. ″Pelagic shelf rockfish″ means Sebastes ciliatus (dark), S. variabilis (dusky), S. entomelas (widow), and S. flavidus (yellowtail).
14. Big skate means Raja binoculata.
15. Longnose skate means Raja rhina.
16. Other skates means Bathyraja spp.
17. ″Demersal shelf rockfish″ means Sebastes pinniger (canary), S. nebulosus (china), S. caurinus (copper), S. maliger (quillback), S.
helvomaculatus (rosethorn), S. nigrocinctus (tiger), and S. ruberrimus (yelloweye).
18. ″Other species″ means sculpins, sharks, squid, and octopus. There is no OFL or ABC for ″other species.″ The FMP specifies that the
amount for the ″other species″ category be set at an amount less than or equal to 5% of the combined TAC amounts for target species.
19. The total ABC and OFL is the sum of the ABCs and OFLs for assessed target species.
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Apportionment of Reserves
Section 679.20(b)(2) requires 20
percent of each TAC for pollock, Pacific
cod, flatfish, and the ‘‘other species’’
category be set aside in reserves for
possible apportionment at a later date.
In 2006, NMFS reapportioned all of the
reserves in the final harvest
specifications. For 2007 and 2008,
NMFS proposed reapportionment of all
the reserves in the proposed 2007 and
2008 harvest specifications published in
the Federal Register on December 15,
2006 (71 FR 75437). NMFS received no
public comments on the proposed
reapportionments. For the final 2007
and 2008 harvest specifications, NMFS
apportioned as proposed all of the
reserves for pollock, Pacific cod, flatfish,
and ‘‘other species.’’ Specifications of
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TAC shown in Tables 1 and 2 reflect
apportionment of reserve amounts for
these species and species groups.
Allocations of the Sablefish TAC
Amounts to Vessels Using Hook-andLine and Trawl Gear
Sections 679.20(a)(4)(i) and (ii)
require allocations of sablefish TACs for
each of the regulatory areas and districts
to hook-and-line and trawl gear. In the
Western and Central Regulatory Areas,
80 percent of each TAC is allocated to
hook-and-line gear, and 20 percent of
each TAC is allocated to trawl gear. In
the Eastern Regulatory Area, 95 percent
of the TAC is allocated to hook-and-line
gear, and 5 percent is allocated to trawl
gear. The trawl gear allocation in the
Eastern Regulatory Area may only be
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used to support incidental catch of
sablefish in directed fisheries for other
target species (§ 679.20(a)(1)). In
recognition of the trawl ban in the SEO
District of the Eastern Regulatory Area,
the Council recommended and NMFS
concurs with the allocation of 5 percent
of the combined Eastern Regulatory
Area sablefish TAC to trawl gear in the
WYK District and the remainder to
vessels using hook-and-line gear. As a
result, NMFS allocates 100 percent of
the sablefish TAC in the SEO District to
vessels using hook-and-line gear. The
Council recommended that hook-andline sablefish TAC be established
annually to ensure that the Individual
Fishery Quota (IFQ) fishery is
conducted concurrent with the halibut
IFQ fishery and is based on the most
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recent survey information. This
recommendation results in an allocation
of 283 mt to trawl gear and 1,997 mt to
hook-and-line gear in the WYK District
and 3,370 mt to hook-and-line gear in
the SEO District in 2007, and 281 mt to
trawl gear in the WYK District in 2008.
Table 3 lists the allocations of the 2007
sablefish TACs between hook-and-line
and trawl gear. Table 4 lists the
allocations of the 2008 sablefish TACs
to trawl gear.
TABLE 3 - FINAL 2007 SABLEFISH TAC SPECIFICATIONS IN THE GULF OF ALASKA AND ALLOCATIONS TO HOOK-AND-LINE
AND TRAWL GEAR
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area/district
TAC
Western
Central
West Yakutat
Southeast Outside
Hook-and-line allocation
Trawl allocation
2,470
6,190
2,280
3,370
494
1,238
283
0
14,310
Total
1,976
4,952
1,997
3,370
12,295
2,015
TABLE 4 - FINAL 2008 SABLEFISH TAC SPECIFICATIONS IN THE GULF OF ALASKA AND ALLOCATION TO TRAWL GEAR
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area/district
TAC
Western
Central
West Yakutat
Southeast Outside
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
492
1,232
281
0
14,239
n/a
2,005
Council recommended that specifications for the hook-and-line gear sablefish IFQ fisheries be limited to 1 year.
Apportionments of Pollock TAC Among
Seasons and Regulatory Areas, and
Allocations for Processing by Inshore
and Offshore Components
In the GOA, pollock is apportioned by
season and area, and is further allocated
for processing by inshore and offshore
components. Pursuant to
§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B), the annual pollock
TAC specified for the Western and
Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA is
apportioned into four equal seasonal
allowances of 25 percent. As established
by § 679.23(d)(2)(i) through (iv), the A,
B, C, and D season allowances are
available from January 20 to March 10,
March 10 to May 31, August 25 to
October 1, and October 1 to November
1, respectively.
Pollock TACs in the Western and
Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA are
apportioned among Statistical Areas
610, 620, and 630. In the A and B
seasons, the apportionments are in
proportion to the distribution of pollock
biomass based on the four most recent
NMFS winter surveys. In the C and D
seasons, the apportionments are in
proportion to the distribution of pollock
biomass based on the four most recent
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Trawl allocation
2,458
6,159
2,269
3,353
Total
1 The
Hook-and-line allocation
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NMFS summer surveys. For 2007 and
2008, the Council recommends
averaging the winter and summer
distribution of pollock in the Central
Regulatory Area for the A season. The
average is intended to reflect the
distribution of pollock and the
performance of the fishery in the area
during the A season for the 2007 and
2008 fishing years. Within any fishing
year, the underage or overage of a
seasonal allowance may be added to, or
subtracted from, subsequent seasonal
allowances in a manner to be
determined by the Regional
Administrator. The rollover amount of
unharvested pollock is limited to 20
percent of the seasonal apportionment
for the statistical area. Any unharvested
pollock above the 20 percent limit could
be further distributed to the other
statistical areas, in proportion to the
estimated biomass in the subsequent
season in those statistical areas
(§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B)). The WYK and
SEO District pollock TACs of 1,398 mt
and 6,157 mt in 2007 and 1,694 mt and
6,157 mt in 2008, respectively, are not
allocated by season.
Section 679.20(a)(6)(i) requires the
allocation of 100 percent of the pollock
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TAC in all regulatory areas and all
seasonal allowances to vessels catching
pollock for processing by the inshore
component after subtracting amounts
projected by the Regional Administrator
to be caught by, or delivered to, the
offshore component incidental to
directed fishing for other groundfish
species. The amount of pollock
available for harvest by vessels
harvesting pollock for processing by the
offshore component is that amount
actually taken as incidental catch during
directed fishing for groundfish species
other than pollock, up to the maximum
retainable amounts allowed by
§ 679.20(e) and (f). At this time, these
incidental catch amounts are unknown
and will be determined during the
fishing year.
The 2007 and 2008 seasonal biomass
distribution of pollock in the Western
and Central Regulatory Areas, area
apportionments, and seasonal
apportionments for the A, B, C, and D
seasons are summarized in Tables 5 and
6, except that amounts of pollock for
processing by the inshore and offshore
components are not shown.
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TABLE 5 - FINAL 2007 DISTRIBUTION OF POLLOCK IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN REGULATORY AREAS OF THE GULF OF
ALASKA; SEASONAL BIOMASS DISTRIBUTION, AREA APPORTIONMENTS; AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF ANNUAL TAC
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area Apportionments Resulting From Seasonal Distribution of Biomass
Season
Shumagin (Area 610)
A
B
C
D
4,511
4,511
7,995
7,995
Chirikof (Area 620)
(29.70%)
(29.70%)
(52.64%)
(52.64%)
Annual Total
7,357
8,924
2,304
2,304
25,012
Kodiak (Area 630)
(48.44%)
(58.76%)
(15.17%)
(15.17%)
3,320
1,753
4,889
4,889
20,890
Total
(21.86%)
(11.54%)
(32.19%)
(32.19%)
15,188
15,188
15,188
15,188
14,850
(100%)
(100%)
(100%)
(100%)
60,752
TABLE 6 - FINAL 2008 DISTRIBUTION OF POLLOCK IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN REGULATORY AREAS OF THE GULF OF
ALASKA; SEASONAL BIOMASS DISTRIBUTION, AREA APPORTIONMENTS; AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF ANNUAL TAC
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Area Apportionments Resulting From Seasonal Distribution of Biomass
Season
Shumagin (Area 610)
A
B
C
D
5,466
5,466
9,688
9,688
Chirikof (Area 620)
(29.70%)
(29.70%)
(52.64%)
(52.64%)
Annual Total
8,915
10,814
2,792
2,792
30,308
Seasonal Apportionments of Pacific
Cod TAC and Allocations for
Processing of Pacific Cod TAC Between
Inshore and Offshore Components
Pacific cod fishing is divided into two
seasons in the Western and Central
Regulatory Areas of the GOA. For hookand-line, pot, and jig gear, the A season
is January 1 through June 10, and the B
season is September 1 through
December 31. For trawl gear, the A
season is January 20 through June 10,
and the B season is September 1 through
November 1 (§ 679.23(d)(3)). After
subtracting incidental catch from the A
Kodiak (Area 630)
(48.44%)
(58.76%)
(15.17%)
(15.17%)
4,023
2,124
5,924
5,924
25,313
Total
(21.86%)
(11.54%)
(32.19%)
(32.19%)
18,404
18,404
18,404
18,404
17,995
season, 60 percent of the annual TAC
will be available as a DFA during the A
season for the inshore and offshore
components. The remaining 40 percent
of the annual TAC will be available for
harvest during the B season. The
seasonal allocations will be apportioned
between the inshore and offshore
components, as provided in
§ 679.20(a)(6)(ii). Under
§ 679.20(a)(11)(ii), any overage or
underage of the Pacific cod allowance
from the A season may be subtracted
from or added to the subsequent B
season allowance.
(100%)
(100%)
(100%)
(100%)
73,616
Section 679.20(a)(6)(ii) requires
allocation of the TAC apportionments of
Pacific cod in all regulatory areas to
vessels catching Pacific cod for
processing by the inshore and offshore
components. Ninety percent of the
Pacific cod TAC in each regulatory area
is allocated to vessels catching Pacific
cod for processing by the inshore
component. The remaining 10 percent
of the TAC is allocated to vessels
catching Pacific cod for processing by
the offshore component. Tables 7 and 8
list the seasonal apportionments and
allocations of the 2007 and 2008 Pacific
cod TACs.
TABLE 7 - FINAL 2007 SEASONAL APPORTIONMENTS AND ALLOCATION OF PACIFIC COD TAC AMOUNTS IN THE GULF OF
ALASKA; ALLOCATIONS FOR PROCESSING BY THE INSHORE AND OFFSHORE COMPONENTS
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Component allocation
Season
Regulatory area
TAC
Inshore (90%)
Offshore (10%)
Western
20,141
12,085
8,056
18,127
10,876
7,251
2,014
1,208
806
Central
28,405
17,043
11,362
25,565
15,339
10,226
2,840
1,704
1,136
Eastern
3,718
3,346
372
52,264
47,038
5,226
A season (60%)
B season (40%)
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A season (60%)
B season (40%)
Total
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TABLE 8 - FINAL 2008 SEASONAL APPORTIONMENTS AND ALLOCATION OF PACIFIC COD TAC AMOUNTS IN THE GULF OF
ALASKA; ALLOCATIONS FOR PROCESSING BY THE INSHORE AND OFFSHORE COMPONENTS
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Component allocation
Season
Regulatory area
TAC
Inshore (90%)
Offshore (10%)
Western
20,885
12,531
8,354
18,796
11,278
7,519
2,089
1,253
835
Central
29,453
17,672
11,781
26,508
15,905
10,603
2,945
1,767
1,178
Eastern
3,856
3,470
386
54,194
48,775
5,419
A season (60%)
B season (40%)
A season (60%)
B season (40%)
Total
Demersal Shelf Rockfish (DSR)
In a commercial fisheries news release
dated December 18, 2006, the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
announced the closure of directed
fishing for DSR in the SEO District in
2007. The ADF&G estimates that the
incidental catch mortality in the
commercial halibut fishery will require
the entire commercial TAC; therefore, a
directed fishery in the SEO District
cannot be prosecuted (5 AAC 28.160).
NMFS reminds all fishermen that full
retention of all DSR by federally
permitted catcher vessels using hookand-line or jig gear fishing for
groundfish and Pacific halibut in the
SEO District of the GOA is required
(§ 679.20(j)).
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Apportionments to the Central GOA
Rockfish Pilot Program
Section 679.81(a)(2) requires the
allocation of the primary rockfish
species after deducting incidental catch
needs in other directed groundfish
fisheries in the Central Regulatory Area.
Five percent (2.5 percent to trawl gear
and 2.5 percent to fixed gear) of the final
TACs for Pacific ocean perch, northern
rockfish, and pelagic shelf rockfish in
the Central Regulatory Area are
allocated to the entry level rockfish
fishery and the remaining 95 percent to
those vessels eligible to participate in
the Rockfish Program as described in
the proposed and final rules for the
Rockfish Program (71 FR 33040, June 7,
2006, and 71 FR 67210, November 20,
2006, respectively). NMFS is setting
aside in 2007 and 2008 incidental catch
amounts of 330 mt of Pacific ocean
perch, 120 mt of northern rockfish, and
100 mt of pelagic shelf rockfish for other
directed fisheries in the Central
Regulatory Area. These amounts are
based on the 2003 through 2006 average
incidental catch in the Central
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Regulatory Area by these other
groundfish fisheries.
Halibut PSC Limits
Section 679.21(d) establishes the
annual halibut PSC limit
apportionments to trawl, hook-and-line
and pot gear. In December 2006, the
Council recommended that NMFS
maintain the 2006 halibut PSC limits of
2,000 mt for the trawl fisheries and 300
mt for the hook-and-line fisheries. Ten
mt of the hook-and-line limit is further
allocated to the DSR fishery in the SEO
District. The DSR fishery is defined at
§ 679.21(d)(4)(iii)(A). This fishery has
been apportioned 10 mt in recognition
of its small scale harvests. Most vessels
in the DSR fishery are less than 60 ft
(18.3 m) length overall (LOA) and are
exempt from observer coverage.
Therefore, observer data are not
available to verify actual bycatch
amounts. NMFS assumes the halibut
bycatch in the DSR fishery is low
because of the short soak times for the
gear and duration of the DSR fishery.
Also, the DSR fishery occurs in the
winter when less overlap occurs in the
distribution of DSR and halibut.
Section 679.21(d)(4)(i) authorizes the
exemption of specified non-trawl
fisheries from the halibut PSC limit.
NMFS, after consultation with the
Council, exempts pot gear, jig gear, and
the sablefish IFQ hook-and-line gear
fishery from the non-trawl halibut limit
for 2007 and 2008. The Council
recommended these exemptions
because (1) the pot gear fisheries have
low annual halibut bycatch mortality
(averaging 18 mt annually from 2001
through 2006 and 21 mt in 2006 alone);
(2) the halibut and sablefish IFQ
fisheries have low halibut bycatch
mortality because the IFQ program
requires retention of legal-sized halibut
by vessels using hook-and-line gear if a
halibut IFQ permit holder is aboard and
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Sfmt 4700
is holding unused halibut IFQ; and (3)
halibut mortality for the jig gear
fisheries is assumed to be negligible.
Halibut mortality is assumed to be
negligible in the jig gear fisheries given
the small amount of groundfish
harvested by jig gear (averaging 323 mt
annually from 2001 through 2006 and
128 mt in 2006 alone), the selective
nature of jig gear, and the likelihood
that halibut caught with jig gear have
high survival rates when released.
Section 679.21(d)(5) provides NMFS
authority to seasonally apportion the
halibut PSC limits after consultation
with the Council. The FMP and
regulations require the Council and
NMFS consider the following
information in seasonally apportioning
halibut PSC limits: (1) seasonal
distribution of halibut, (2) seasonal
distribution of target groundfish species
relative to halibut distribution, (3)
expected halibut bycatch needs on a
seasonal basis relative to changes in
halibut biomass and expected catch of
target groundfish species, (4) expected
bycatch rates on a seasonal basis, (5)
expected changes in directed groundfish
fishing seasons, (6) expected actual start
of fishing effort, and (7) economic
effects of establishing seasonal halibut
allocations on segments of the target
groundfish industry.
The final 2006 and 2007 groundfish
harvest specifications (71 FR 10870,
March 3, 2006) summarized the Council
and NMFS’ findings with respect to
each of these FMP considerations. The
Council and NMFS’ findings for 2007
and 2008 are unchanged from 2006. The
opening dates and halibut PSC
limitations for vessels using trawl gear
participating in the Rockfish Program in
the Central Regulatory Area are
described in the final rule to implement
the Rockfish Program (71 FR 67210,
November 20, 2006).
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NMFS concurs with the Council’s
recommendations described here and
listed in Table 9. Section 679.21,
paragraphs (d)(5)(iii) and (iv) specify
that any underages or overages in a
seasonal apportionment of a PSC limit
will be deducted from or added to the
next respective seasonal apportionment
within the 2007 and 2008 fishing years.
The information to establish the halibut
PSC limits was obtained from the 2006
SAFE report, NMFS, ADF&G, the
International Pacific Halibut
Commission (IPHC), and public
testimony.
TABLE 9 - FINAL 2007 AND 2008 PACIFIC HALIBUT PSC LIMITS, ALLOWANCES, AND APPORTIONMENTS
(values are in metric tons)
Hook-and-line gear1
Trawl gear
Other than DSR
Dates
DSR
Amount
Dates
Amount
Dates
Amount
January 1–December 31
10 (100%)
January 20–April 1
550
(27.5%)
January 1–June 10
250
(86%)
April 1–July 1
400
(20%)
June 10–September 1
5 (2%)
July 1–September 1
600 (30%)
September 1–December 31
35
(12%)
September 1–October 1
150 (7.5%)
n/a
n/a
October 1–December 31
300 (15%)
n/a
n/a
Total
2,000
(100%)
n/a
290
(100%)
10 (100%)
1 The Pacific halibut PSC limit for hook-and-line gear is allocated to the demersal shelf rockfish (DSR) fishery andfisheries other than DSR.
The hook-and-line sablefish fishery is exempt from halibut PSC limits.
Section 679.21(d)(3)(ii) authorizes
further apportionment of the trawl
halibut PSC limit to trawl fishery
categories. The annual apportionments
are based on each category’s
proportional share of the anticipated
halibut bycatch mortality during the
fishing year and optimization of the
total amount of groundfish harvest
under the halibut PSC limit. The fishery
categories for the trawl halibut PSC
limits are (1) a deep-water species
complex, comprised of sablefish,
rockfish, deep-water flatfish, rex sole
and arrowtooth flounder; and (2) a
shallow-water species complex,
comprised of pollock, Pacific cod,
shallow-water flatfish, flathead sole,
Atka mackerel, skates, and ‘‘other
species’’ (§ 679.21(d)(3)(iii)). Table 10
lists the final 2006 and 2007
apportionments for these two fishery
complexes.
TABLE 10 - FINAL 2006 AND 2007 APPORTIONMENT OF PACIFIC HALIBUT PSC TRAWL LIMITS BETWEEN THE TRAWL GEAR
DEEP-WATER SPECIES COMPLEX AND THE SHALLOW-WATER SPECIES COMPLEX
(values are in metric tons)
Season
Total
450
100
200
150
100
300
400
Any remainder
550
400
600
150
Subtotal January 20–October1
900
800
1,700
October 1–December 311
n/a
n/a
300
Total
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Deep-water
January 20–April 1
April 1–July1
July 1–September1
September 1–October1
1 No
Shallow-water
n/a
n/a
2,000
apportionment between shallow-water and deep-water trawl fishery categories during the fifth season (October 1 through December 31).
Estimated Halibut Bycatch in Prior
Years
The best available information on
estimated halibut bycatch is data
collected by observers during 2006. The
calculated halibut bycatch mortality by
trawl, hook and line, and pot gear
through December 31, 2006, is 2,002 mt,
290 mt, and 21 mt, respectively, for a
total halibut mortality of 2,313 mt.
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Halibut bycatch restrictions
seasonally constrained trawl gear
fisheries during the 2006 fishing year.
Trawling during the second season
closed for the deep-water species
category April 27 (71 FR 25781, May 2,
2006) and during the fourth season
September 5 (71 FR 52754, September 7,
2006). Trawling during the first season
closed for the shallow-water species
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category from February 23 to February
27 (71 FR 9977, February 28, 2006, and
71 FR 10625, March 2, 2006) and during
the second season on June 10 (71 FR
34021, June 13, 2006). To prevent
exceeding the fourth season halibut PSC
limit for the shallow-water species
category, directed fishing using trawl
gear was limited to four 12-hour open
periods on September 1 (71 FR 51784,
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August 31, 2006), September 6 (71 FR
53339, September 11, 2006), September
20 (71 FR 55134, September 21, 2006),
and September 25 (71 FR 56898,
September 28, 2006). Trawling for all
groundfish targets (with the exception of
pollock by vessels using pelagic trawl
gear) was closed for the fifth season on
October 8 (71 FR 60078, October 12,
2006). Fishing for groundfish using
hook-and-line gear remained open in
2006 as the halibut PSC limit was not
reached. The amount of groundfish that
trawl gear might have harvested if
halibut PSC limits had not restricted the
2006 season is unknown.
Expected Changes in Groundfish Stocks
and Catch
The final 2007 and 2008 ABCs for
Pacific cod, deep-water flatfish, flathead
sole, arrowtooth flounder, Pacific ocean
perch, and pelagic shelf rockfish are
higher than those established for 2006.
However, the final 2007 and 2008 ABCs
for pollock, sablefish, rex sole, and
northern rockfish are lower than those
established for 2006. For the remaining
target species, the Council
recommended that ABC levels remain
unchanged from 2006. More information
on these changes is included in the final
SAFE report (November 2006) and in
the Council, SSC, and AP minutes from
the December 2006 meeting available
from the Council (see ADDRESSES).
In the GOA, the total final TAC
amounts are 269,912 mt for 2007, and
286,173 mt for 2008, a decrease of about
8 percent in 2007 and 2 percent in 2008
from the 2006 TAC total of 291,950 mt.
Table 11 compares the final TACs for
2006 to the final TACs for 2007 and
2008.
TABLE 11 - COMPARISON OF FINAL 2006 AND FINAL 2007 AND 2008 TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH IN THE GULF OF ALASKA
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
Species
2006
2007
2008
Pollock
86,807
68,307
81,467
Pacific cod
52,264
52,264
54,194
Sablefish
14,840
14,310
14,239
Rex sole
9,200
9,100
8,900
13,856
4,500
4,500
Deep-water flatfish
8,665
8,707
8,983
Flathead sole
9,077
9,148
9,258
Arrowtooth flounder
38,000
43,000
43,000
Pacific ocean perch
14,261
14,636
14,797
Northern rockfish
5,091
4,938
4,748
Pelagic shelf rockfish
5,436
5,542
6,622
‘‘Other species’’
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Current Estimates of Halibut Biomass
and Stock Condition
The most recent halibut stock
assessment was conducted by the IPHC
in December 2006 for the 2007
commercial fishery. The 2006
assessment contains substantial changes
from the previous year. Information
accruing from ongoing passive
integrated transponder (PIT) tag
recoveries, as well as inconsistencies in
the traditional closed-area stock
assessments for some areas has
prompted the IPHC to examine stock
assessment frameworks. It had been
assumed that once the halibut reached
legal commercial size there was little
movement between regulatory areas. PIT
tag recoveries indicate greater
movement between regulatory areas
than previously thought. The IPHC then
developed a coast wide assessment
based on a single stock. The assessment
adopted a coast wide harvest rate of 20
percent of the exploitable biomass
overall but higher for some areas with
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net immigration. The IPHC staff have
recommended a harvest rate of 25
percent in Area 2C, 20 percent in Areas
3A, 3B, and 4A, and 15 percent in Areas
4 B, C, D, and E. The current exploitable
halibut biomass in Alaska for 2007 was
estimated to be 169,000 mt, down from
189,543 mt in 2006. The female
spawning biomass remains far above the
minimum which occurred in the 1970s.
The exploitable biomass of the Pacific
halibut stock peaked at 326,520 mt in
1988. According to the IPHC, the longterm average reproductive biomass for
the Pacific halibut resource was
estimated at 118,000 mt. Long-term
average yield was estimated at 26,980
mt, round weight. The species is fully
utilized. Recent average catches (1994–
2004) in the commercial halibut
fisheries in Alaska have averaged 34,241
mt, round weight. Catch in waters off
Alaska is 27 percent higher than longterm potential yield for the entire
halibut stock, reflecting the good
condition of the Pacific halibut
resource. In December 2006, the IPHC
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recommended Alaska commercial catch
limits totaling 33,560 mt, round weight,
in 2007, a slight increase from 33,421 mt
in 2006. Through December 31, 2006,
commercial hook-and-line harvests of
halibut off Alaska totaled 31,581 mt,
round weight.
Additional information on the Pacific
halibut stock assessment may be found
in the IPHC’s 2006 Pacific halibut stock
assessment (December 2006), available
on the IPHC website at https://
www.iphc.washington.edu. The IPHC
will consider the 2006 Pacific halibut
assessment for 2007 at its January 2007
annual meeting when it sets the 2007
commercial halibut fishery quotas.
Other Factors
The proposed 2006 and 2007 harvest
specifications (71 FR 75437, December
15, 2006) discuss potential impacts of
expected fishing for groundfish on
halibut stocks, as well as methods
available for, and costs of, reducing
halibut bycatch in the groundfish
fisheries.
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Halibut Discard Mortality Rates
The Council recommends and NMFS
concurs that the halibut discard
mortality rates (DMRs) recommended by
the staff of the IPHC for the 2007 and
2008 GOA groundfish fisheries be used
to monitor the 2007 and 2008 GOA
halibut bycatch mortality limits. The
IPHC recommended use of long-term
average DMRs for the 2007 and 2008
groundfish fisheries. The IPHC will
analyze observer data annually and
recommend changes to the DMRs where
a DMR shows large variation from the
mean. Most of the IPHC’s assumed
DMRs were based on an average of
mortality rates determined from NMFS
observer data collected between 1996
and 2005. Long-term average DMRs
were not available for some fisheries, so
rates from the most recent years were
used. For the ‘‘other species’’ and skate
fisheries, where insufficient mortality
data are available, the mortality rate of
halibut caught in the Pacific cod fishery
for that gear type was recommended as
a default rate. The GOA DMRs for 2007
and 2008 are revised from those used in
2006. The DMRs for hook-and-line
targeted fisheries range from 10 to 14
percent. The DMRs for trawl target
fisheries range from 53 to 76 percent.
The DMRs for pot target fisheries are 16
percent. The final DMRs for 2007 and
2008 are listed in Table 12. A copy of
the document justifying these DMRs is
available from the Council (see
ADDRESSES) and is discussed in
Appendix A of the final 2006 SAFE
report, dated November 2006.
9691
Non-exempt American Fisheries Act
TABLE 12 - FINAL 2007 AND 2008
HALIBUT
DISCARD
MORTALITY (AFA) Catcher Vessel Groundfish
RATES FOR VESSELS FISHING IN THE Harvest and PSC Sideboard Limitations
Section 679.64 established groundfish
GULF OF ALASKA
(values are percent of halibut bycatch
assumed to be dead)
Gear
Mortality
Rate (%)
Target
Hook-and-line
Other species
Skates
14
Rockfish
10
Arrowtooth
flounder
69
Atka mackerel
60
Deep-water flatfish
53
Flathead sole
61
Non-pelagic
pollock
59
Other species
63
Skates
63
Pacific cod
63
Pelagic pollock
76
Rex sole
63
Rockfish
67
Sablefish
65
Shallow-water
flatfish
71
Other species
16
Skates
16
Pacific cod
Pot
14
Pacific cod
Trawl
14
16
harvesting and processing sideboard
limitations on AFA catcher/processors
and catcher vessels in the GOA. These
sideboard limits are necessary to protect
the interests of fishermen and
processors who have not directly
benefitted from the AFA from fishermen
and processors who have received
exclusive harvesting and processing
privileges under the AFA. Listed AFA
catcher/processors are prohibited from
harvesting any species of fish in the
GOA (§ 679.7(k)(1)(ii)). The listed AFA
catcher/processors are also prohibited
from processing any pollock in the GOA
and any groundfish harvested in
Statistical Area 630 of the GOA
(§ 679.7(k)(1)(iv)). AFA catcher vessels
less than 125 ft (38.1 m) LOA whose
annual Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
pollock landings totaled less than 5,100
mt and that made 40 or more GOA
groundfish landings from 1995 through
1997 are exempt from sideboard limits
(§ 679.64(b)(2)(ii)).
Sideboard limits for non-exempt AFA
catcher vessels in the GOA are based on
their traditional harvest levels of TAC in
groundfish fisheries covered by the
GOA FMP. Section 679.64(b)(3)(iii)
establishes the groundfish sideboard
limitations in the GOA based on the
retained catch of non-exempt AFA
catcher vessels of each sideboard
species from 1995 through 1997 divided
by the TAC for that species over the
same period. These amounts are listed
in Table 13 for 2007 and in Table 14 for
2008. All catch of sideboard species
made by non-exempt AFA catcher
vessels, whether as targeted catch or
incidental catch, will be deducted from
the sideboard limits in Tables 13 and
14.
TABLE 13 - FINAL 2007 GOA NON-EXEMPT AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL (CV) GROUNDFISH HARVEST
SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS
(values are in metric tons)
Species
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Pollock
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Ratio of 1995-1997 nonexempt AFA CV catch to
1995-1997 TAC
2007 TAC
2007 non-exempt AFA
catcher vessel sideboard
A Season (W/C areas only)
January 20 - February 25
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.6112
0.1427
0.2438
4,511
7,357
3,320
2,757
1,050
809
B Season (W/C areas only)
March 10 - May 31
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.6112
0.1427
0.2438
4,511
8,924
1,753
2,757
1,273
427
C Season (W/C areas only)
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TABLE 13 - FINAL 2007 GOA NON-EXEMPT AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL (CV) GROUNDFISH HARVEST
SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS—Continued
(values are in metric tons)
Species
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Ratio of 1995-1997 nonexempt AFA CV catch to
1995-1997 TAC
2007 non-exempt AFA
catcher vessel sideboard
2007 TAC
August 25 - September 15
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.6112
0.1427
0.2438
7,995
2,304
4,889
4,887
329
1,192
D Season (W/C areas only)
October 1 - November 1
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.6112
0.1427
0.2438
7,995
2,304
4,889
4,887
329
1,192
Annual
WYK (640)
SEO (650)
0.3499
0.3499
1,398
6,157
489
2,154
0.1423
0.1026
0.0722
0.0721
10,876
1,208
15,339
1,704
1,548
124
1,107
123
0.1423
0.1026
0.0722
0.0721
7,251
806
10,226
1,136
1,032
83
738
82
Annual
E inshore
E offshore
0.0079
0.0078
3,346
372
26
3
Flatfish
deep-water
W
C
E
0
0.0670
0.0171
420
4,163
4,124
0
279
71
Rex sole
W
C
E
0.0010
0.0402
0.0153
1,147
5,466
2,507
1
219
38
Flathead sole
W
C
E
0.0036
0.0261
0.0048
2,000
5,000
2,148
7
131
10
Flathead shallow-water
W
C
E
0.0156
0.0598
0.0126
4,500
13,000
2,472
70
777
31
Arrowtooth flounder
W
C
E
0.0021
0.0309
0.0020
8,000
30,000
5,000
17
927
10
Sablefish
W trawl gear
C trawl gear
E trawl gear
0
0.0720
0.0488
494
1,238
283
0
89
14
Pacific ocean perch
W
C
E
0.0623
0.0866
0.0466
4,244
7,612
2,780
264
659
130
Shortraker rockfish
W
C
E
0
0.0237
0.0124
153
353
337
0
8
4
Rougheye rockfish
W
C
E
0
0.0237
0.0124
136
611
241
0
14
3
Other rockfish
W
0.0034
557
2
A Season1
January 1 - June 10
W inshore
W offshore
C inshore
C offshore
B Season2
September 1 - December 31
W inshore
W offshore
C inshore
C offshore
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
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9693
TABLE 13 - FINAL 2007 GOA NON-EXEMPT AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL (CV) GROUNDFISH HARVEST
SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS—Continued
(values are in metric tons)
Species
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Ratio of 1995-1997 nonexempt AFA CV catch to
1995-1997 TAC
2007 non-exempt AFA
catcher vessel sideboard
2007 TAC
C
E
0.2065
0
386
519
80
0
Northern rockfish
W
C
0.0003
0.0336
1,439
3,499
0
128
Pelagic shelf rockfish
W
C
E
0.0001
0
0.0067
1,466
3,325
751
0
0
5
Thornyhead rockfish
W
C
E
0.0308
0.0308
0.0308
513
989
707
16
30
22
Big skates
W
C
E
0.0090
0.0090
0.0090
695
2,250
599
6
20
5
Longnose skates
W
C
E
0.0090
0.0090
0.0090
65
1,969
861
1
18
8
Other skates
GW
0.0090
1,617
15
DSR
SEO
0,0020
410
1
Atka mackerel
Gulfwide
0.0309
1,500
46
Other species
Gulfwide
0.0090
4,500
41
1
2
The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20.
The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1.
TABLE 14 - FINAL 2008 GOA NON-EXEMPT AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL (CV) GROUNDFISH HARVEST
SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS
(values are in metric tons)
Species
Ratio of 1995-1997 nonexempt AFA CV catch to
1995-1997 TAC
2008 TAC
2008 non-exempt AFA
CV sideboard limit
5,466
8,915
4,023
3,341
1,272
981
0.6112
0.1427
0.2438
5,466
10,814
2,124
3,341
1,543
518
0.6112
0.1427
0.2438
9,688
2,304
5,924
5,921
329
1,444
D Season (W/C areas only)
October 1 - November 1
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.6112
0.1427
0.2438
9,688
2,304
5,924
5,921
329
1,444
Annual
WYK (640)
15:27 Mar 02, 2007
0.6112
0.1427
0.2438
C Season (W/C areas only)
August 25 - September 15
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
VerDate Aug<31>2005
A Season (W/C areas only)
January 20 - February 25
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
B Season (W/C areas only)
March 10 - May 31
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Pollock
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
0.3499
1,694
593
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TABLE 14 - FINAL 2008 GOA NON-EXEMPT AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL (CV) GROUNDFISH HARVEST
SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS—Continued
(values are in metric tons)
Species
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Ratio of 1995-1997 nonexempt AFA CV catch to
1995-1997 TAC
SEO (650)
2008 non-exempt AFA
CV sideboard limit
2008 TAC
0.3499
6,157
2,154
0.1423
0.1026
0.0722
0.0721
11,278
1,253
15,905
1,767
1,605
129
1,148
127
0.1423
0.1026
0.0722
0.0721
7,519
835
10,603
1,178
1,070
86
766
85
Annual
E inshore
E offshore
0.0079
0.0078
3,470
386
27
3
Flatfish
deep-water
W
C
E
0
0.0670
0.0171
430
4,296
4,257
0
288
73
Rex sole
W
C
E
0.0010
0.0402
0.0153
1,122
5,327
2,451
1
214
38
Flathead sole
W
C
E
0.0036
0.0261
0.0048
2,000
5,000
2,258
7
131
11
Flathead shallow-water
W
C
E
0.0156
0.0598
0.0126
4,500
13,000
2,472
70
777
31
Arrowtooth flounder
W
C
E
0.0021
0.0309
0.0020
8,000
30,000
5,000
17
927
10
Sablefish
W trawl gear
C trawl gear
E trawl gear
0
0.0720
0.0488
492
1,232
281
0
89
14
Pacific ocean perch
W
C
E
0.0623
0.0866
0.0466
4,291
7,694
2,812
267
666
131
Rougheye rockfish
W
C
E
0
0.0237
0.0124
153
353
337
0
8
4
Shortraker rockfish
W
C
E
0
0.0237
0.0124
137
614
242
0
15
3
Other rockfish
W
C
E
0.0034
0.2065
0
577
386
519
2
80
0
Northern rockfish
W
C
0.0003
0.0336
1,383
3,365
0
123
Pelagic shelf rockfish
W
C
E
0.0001
0
0.0067
1,752
3,973
897
0
0
6
Thornyhead rockfish
W
C
0.0308
0.0308
513
989
16
30
A Season1
January 1 - June 10
W inshore
W offshore
C inshore
C offshore
B Season2
September 1 - December 31
W inshore
W offshore
C inshore
C offshore
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
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9695
TABLE 14 - FINAL 2008 GOA NON-EXEMPT AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL (CV) GROUNDFISH HARVEST
SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS—Continued
(values are in metric tons)
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Species
Ratio of 1995-1997 nonexempt AFA CV catch to
1995-1997 TAC
2008 non-exempt AFA
CV sideboard limit
2008 TAC
E
0.0308
707
22
Big skates
W
C
E
0.0090
0.0090
0.0090
695
2,250
599
6
20
5
Longnose skates
W
C
E
0.0090
0.0090
0.0090
65
1,969
861
1
18
8
Other skates
GW
0.0090
1,617
15
DSR
SEO
0,0020
410
1
Atka mackerel
Gulfwide
0.0309
1,500
46
Other species
Gulfwide
0.0090
4,500
41
1
2
The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20.
The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1.
The PSC sideboard limits for nonexempt AFA catcher vessels in the GOA
are based on the aggregate retained
groundfish catch by non-exempt AFA
catcher vessels in each PSC target
category from 1995 through 1997
divided by the retained catch of all
vessels in that fishery from 1995
through 1997 (§ 679.64(b)(4)). Table 15
lists these amounts.
TABLE 15 - FINAL 2007 AND 2008 NON-EXEMPT AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL PROHIBITED SPECIES
CATCH (PSC) LIMITS FOR THE GOA
PSC species
Halibut
Season
Ratio of 1995-1997
non-exempt AFA
CV retained catch
to total retained
catch
Target fishery
2007 and 2008 nonexempt AFA CV
PSC limit (mt)
2007 and 2008
PSC limit (mt)
Trawl 1st seasonal allowance
shallow-water
0.34
450
153
January 20 - April 1
deep-water
0.07
100
7
Trawl 2nd seasonal allowance
shallow-water
0.34
100
34
April 1- July 1
deep-water
0.07
300
21
Trawl 3rd seasonal allowance
shallow-water
0.34
200
68
July 1 - September 1
deep-water
0.07
400
28
Trawl 4th seasonal allowance
shallow-water
0.34
150
51
September 1 - October 1
deep-water
0.07
0
0
Trawl 5th seasonal allowance
all targets
0.205
300
61
October 1 - December 31
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Non-AFA Crab Vessel Groundfish
Harvest Limitations
Section 680.22 establishes groundfish
catch limits for vessels with a history of
participation in the Bering Sea snow
crab fishery from using the increased
flexibility provided by the Crab
Rationalization Program to expand their
level of participation in the GOA
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groundfish fisheries. These sideboard
limits restrict these vessels’ catch to
their collective historical landings in
each GOA groundfish fishery (except
the fixed-gear sablefish fishery).
Sideboard limits also will apply to catch
made using a License Limitation
Program (LLP) license derived from the
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history of a restricted vessel, even if that
LLP is used on another vessel.
Sideboard limits for non-AFA crab
vessels in the GOA are based on their
traditional harvest levels of TAC in
groundfish fisheries covered by the
GOA FMP. Section 680.22 (d) and (e)
base the groundfish sideboard
limitations in the GOA on the retained
catch by non-AFA crab vessels of each
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sideboard species from 1996 through
2000 divided by the total retained
harvest of that species over the same
period. These amounts are listed in
Table 16 for 2007 and in Table 17 for
2008. All targeted or incidental catch of
sideboard species made by non-AFA
crab vessels will be deducted from the
sideboard limits in Tables 16 and 17.
Vessels exempt from Pacific cod
sideboards are those that landed less
than 45,359 kg of Bering Sea snow crab
and more than 500 mt of groundfish (in
round weight equivalents) from the
GOA between January 1, 1996, and
December 31, 2000, and any vessel
named on an LLP that was generated in
whole or in part by the fishing history
of a vessel meeting the criteria in
§ 680.22(a)(3).
TABLE 16 - FINAL 2007 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD
LIMITATIONS
(Values are rounded to nearest metric ton)
Species
Pollock
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Ratio of 1996-2000 nonAFA crab vessel catch to
1996-2000 total harvest
Proposed 2007
TAC
2007 non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit
A Season (W/C areas only)
January 20 - March 10
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.0098
0.0031
0.0002
4,511
7,357
3,320
44
23
1
B Season (W/C areas only)
March 10 - May 31
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.0098
0.0031
0.0002
4,511
8,924
1,753
44
28
0
C Season (W/C areas only)
August 25 - October 1
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.0098
0.0031
0.0002
7,995
2,304
4,889
78
7
1
D Season (W/C areas only)
October 1 - November 1
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.0098
0.0031
0.0002
7,995
2,304
4,889
78
7
1
0
0
1,398
6,157
0
0
0.0902
0.2046
0.0383
0.2074
10,876
1,208
15,339
1,704
981
247
587
353
0.0902
0.2046
0.0383
0.2074
7,251
806
10,226
1,136
654
165
392
236
Annual
E inshore
E offshore
0.0110
0
3,346
372
37
0
Flatfish
deep-water
W
C
E
0.0035
0
0
420
4,163
4,124
1
0
0
Rex sole
W
C
E
0
0
0
1,147
5,446
2,507
0
0
0
Flathead sole
W
C
E
0.0002
0.0004
0
2,000
5,000
2,148
0
2
0
Flathead shallow-water
W
C
0.0059
0.0001
4,500
13,000
27
1
Annual
WYK (640)
SEO (650)
A Season1
January 1 - June 10
W inshore
W offshore
C inshore
C offshore
B Season2
September 1 - December 31
W inshore
W offshore
C inshore
C offshore
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
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9697
TABLE 16 - FINAL 2007 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD
LIMITATIONS—Continued
(Values are rounded to nearest metric ton)
Species
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Ratio of 1996-2000 nonAFA crab vessel catch to
1996-2000 total harvest
Proposed 2007
TAC
2007 non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit
E
0
2,472
0
Arrowtooth flounder
W
C
E
0.0004
0.0001
0
8,000
30,000
5,000
3
3
0
Sablefish
W trawl gear
C trawl gear
E trawl gear
0
0
0
494
1,238
283
0
0
0
Pacific ocean perch
W
C
E
0
0
0
4,244
7,612
2,780
0
0
0
Shortraker rockfish
W
C
E
0.0013
0.0012
0.0009
153
353
337
0
0
0
Rougheye rockfish
W
C
E
0.0067
0.0047
0.0008
136
611
241
1
3
0
Other rockfish
W
C
E
0.0035
0.0033
0
577
386
519
2
1
0
Northern rockfish
W
C
0.0005
0
1,439
3,499
1
0
Pelagic shelf rockfish
W
C
E
0.0017
0
0
1,466
3,325
751
2
0
0
Thornyhead rockfish
W
C
E
0.0047
0.0066
0.0045
513
989
707
2
7
3
Big skate
W
C
E
0.0392
0.0159
0
695
2,250
599
27
36
0
Longnose skate
W
C
E
0.0392
0.0159
0
65
1,969
861
3
31
0
Other skates
GW
0.0176
1,617
28
DSR
SEO
0
410
0
Atka mackerel
Gulfwide
0
1,500
0
Other species
Gulfwide
0.0176
4,500
79
1
2
The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20.
The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1.
TABLE 17- FINAL 2008 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD
LIMITATIONS
(values are rounded to nearest metric ton)
erjones on PRODPC74 with RULES
Species
Pollock
VerDate Aug<31>2005
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Ratio of 1996-2000 nonAFA crab vessel catch to
1996-2000 total harvest
A Season (W/C areas only)
January 20 - March 10
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
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2008 TAC
0.0098
0.0031
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5,466
8,915
05MRR1
2008 non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit
54
28
9698
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 42 / Monday, March 5, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
TABLE 17- FINAL 2008 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD
LIMITATIONS—Continued
(values are rounded to nearest metric ton)
Species
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Ratio of 1996-2000 nonAFA crab vessel catch to
1996-2000 total harvest
2008 TAC
2008 non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit
Kodiak (630)
0.0002
4,023
1
B Season (W/C areas only)
March 10 - May 31
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.0098
0.0031
0.0002
5,466
10,814
2,124
54
34
0
C Season (W/C areas only)
August 25 - October 1
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.0098
0.0031
0.0002
9,688
2,304
5,924
95
7
1
D Season (W/C areas only)
October 1 - November 1
Shumagin (610)
Chirikof (620)
Kodiak (630)
0.0098
0.0031
0.0002
9,688
2,304
5,924
95
7
1
0
0
1,694
6,157
0
0
0.0902
0.2046
0.0383
0.2074
11,278
1,253
15,905
1,767
1,017
256
609
366
0.0902
0.2046
0.0383
0.2074
7,519
835
10,603
1,178
678
171
406
244
Annual
E inshore
E offshore
0.0110
0
3,470
386
38
0
Flatfish
deep-water
W
C
E
0.0035
0
0
430
4,296
4,257
2
0
0
Rex sole
W
C
E
0
0
0
1,122
5,327
2,551
0
0
0
Flathead sole
W
C
E
0.0002
0.0004
0
2,000
5,000
2,258
0
2
0
Flathead shallow-water
W
C
E
0.0059
0.0001
0
4,500
13,000
2,472
27
1
0
Arrowtooth flounder
W
C
E
0.0004
0.0001
0
8,000
30,000
5,000
3
3
0
Sablefish
W trawl gear
C trawl gear
E trawl gear
0
0
0
492
1,232
281
0
0
0
Pacific ocean perch
W
C
E
0
0
0
4,291
7,694
2,812
0
0
0
Annual
WYK (640)
SEO (650)
A Season1
January 1 - June 10
W inshore
W offshore
C inshore
C offshore
B Season2
September 1 - December 31
W inshore
W offshore
C inshore
C offshore
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Pacific cod
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9699
TABLE 17- FINAL 2008 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD
LIMITATIONS—Continued
(values are rounded to nearest metric ton)
Species
Apportionments and allocations
by area/season/processor/gear
Ratio of 1996-2000 nonAFA crab vessel catch to
1996-2000 total harvest
2008 non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit
2008 TAC
Shortraker rockfish
W
C
E
0.0013
0.0012
0.0009
153
353
337
0
0
0
Rougheye rockfish
W
C
E
0.0067
0.0047
0.0008
137
614
242
1
3
0
Other rockfish
W
C
E
0.0035
0.0033
0
577
386
519
2
1
0
Northern rockfish
W
C
0.0005
0
1,383
3,365
1
0
Pelagic shelf rockfish
W
C
E
0.0017
0
0
1,752
3,973
897
3
0
0
Thornyhead rockfish
W
C
E
0.0047
0.0066
0.0045
513
989
707
2
7
3
Big skate
W
C
E
0.0392
0.0159
0
695
2,250
599
27
36
0
Longnose skates
W
C
E
0.0392
0.0159
0
65
1,969
861
3
31
0
Other skates
GW
0.0176
1,617
28
Demersal shelf rockfish
SEO
0
410
0
Atka mackerel
Gulfwide
0
1,500
0
Other species
Gulfwide
0.0176
4,500
79
1
2
The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20.
The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1.
Rockfish Program Groundfish
Sideboard Limitations and Halibut
Mortality Limitations
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Section 679.82(d)(7) establishes
sideboards to limit the ability of
participants eligible for the Rockfish
Program to catch fish in fisheries other
than the Central GOA rockfish fisheries.
The Rockfish Program provides certain
economic advantages to harvesters.
Harvesters could use this economic
advantage to increase their participation
in other fisheries, adversely affecting the
participants in other fisheries. These
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final sideboards limit the total amount
of catch in other groundfish fisheries
that could be taken by eligible
harvesters and limit the amount of
halibut mortality to historic levels. The
sideboard measures are in effect only
during the month of July. Historically,
the Central GOA trawl rockfish fisheries
opened in July. The sideboards are
designed to restrict fishing during the
historical season for the fishery, but
allow eligible rockfish harvesters to
participate in fisheries before or after
the historical rockfish season. The two
categories of sideboard limits are catch
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amount constraints and closures of
specific directed fisheries during July.
The sideboard provisions are discussed
in detail in the Rockfish Program
proposed rule (71 FR 33040, June 7,
2006) and final rule (71 FR 67210,
November 20, 2006). Tables 18 and 19
list the final 2007 and 2008 harvest
limits for rockfish in the WYK District
and the Western Regulatory Area. Table
20 lists the final 2007 and 2008 halibut
mortality limits for the Western and
Central Regulatory Areas and the WYK
District.
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TABLE 18 - FINAL 2007 ROCKFISH PROGRAM HARVEST LIMITS BY SECTOR FOR WEST YAKUTAT DISTRICT AND WESTERN
REGULATORY AREA BY THE CATCHER/PROCESSOR (C/P) AND CATCHER VESSEL (CV) SECTORS
(values are rounded to nearest metric ton)
C/P sector (% of
TAC)
CV sector (% of
TAC)
Pelagic shelf rockfish
72.4
1.7
307
222
5
Pacific ocean perch
76.0
2.9
1,140
866
33
Pelagic shelf rockfish
63.3
0.0
1,466
928
0
Pacific ocean perch
61.1
0.0
4,244
2,593
0
Northern rockfish
78.9
0.0
1,439
1,135
0
Management Area
West Yakutat District
WesternRegulatory
Area
Fishery
2007 TAC
2007 C/P limit
2007 CV limit
TABLE 19 - FINAL 2008 ROCKFISH PROGRAM HARVEST LIMITS BY SECTOR FOR WEST YAKUTAT DISTRICT AND WESTERN
REGULATORY AREA BY THE CATCHER/PROCESSOR (C/P) AND CATCHER VESSEL (CV) SECTORS
(values are rounded to nearest metric ton)
C/P sector (% of
TAC)
CV sector (% of
TAC)
Pelagic shelf rockfish
72.4
1.7
366
265
5
Pacific ocean perch
76.0
2.9
1,153
876
25
Pelagic shelf rockfish
63.3
0.0
1,752
1,109
0
Pacific ocean perch
61.1
0.0
4,291
2,622
0
Northern rockfish
78.9
0.0
1,383
1,091
0
Management Area
West Yakutat District
Western GOA
Fishery
2008 TAC
2008 C/P limit
2008 CV limit
TABLE 20 - FINAL 2007 AND 2008 ROCKFISH PROGRAM HALIBUT MORTALITY LIMITS FOR THE CATCHER/PROCESSOR AND
CATCHER VESSEL SECTORS
(values are rounded to nearest metric ton)
Sector
Catcher/processor
Catcher vessel
1.08
Directed Fishing Closures
Pursuant to § 679.20(d)(1)(i), if the
Regional Administrator determines (1)
that any allocation or apportionment of
a target species or ‘‘other species’’
category allocated or apportioned to a
fishery will be reached or, (2) with
respect to pollock and Pacific cod, an
Annual shallowwater complex halibut PSC sideboard
limit (mt)
Annual deep-water
complex halibut
PSC sideboard limit
(mt)
2,000
80
11
6.32
3.99
Annual halibut mortality limit (mt)
0.54
Shallow-water complex halibut PSC
sideboard ratio
2,000
22
126
Deep-water complex halibut PSC
sideboard ratio
allocation or apportionment to an
inshore or offshore component
allocation will be reached, the Regional
Administrator may establish a DFA for
that species or species group. If the
Regional Administrator establishes a
DFA and that allowance is or will be
reached before the end of the fishing
year, NMFS will prohibit directed
fishing for that species or species group
in the specified GOA regulatory area or
district (§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii)).
The Regional Administrator has
determined that the following TAC
amounts in Table 21 are necessary as
incidental catch to support other
anticipated groundfish fisheries for the
2007 and 2008 fishing years.
TABLE 21 - DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES IN THE GOA 2007 AND 2008
(Amounts needed for incidental catch in other directed fisheries are in metric tons)
Target
Regulatory Area
Gear/Component
Amount
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Atka mackerel
entire GOA
all
1,500
Thornyhead rockfish
entire GOA
all
2,209
Shortraker rockfish
entire GOA
all
843
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TABLE 21 - DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES IN THE GOA 2007 AND 2008—Continued
(Amounts needed for incidental catch in other directed fisheries are in metric tons)
Target
Regulatory Area
Gear/Component
Amount
Rougheye rockfish
entire GOA
all
988 (2007)
993 (2008)
Other rockfish
entire GOA
all
1,482
Sablefish
entire GOA
trawl
Big skates
entire GOA
all
3,544
Longnose skates
entire GOA
all
2,895
Other skates
entire GOA
all
1,617
Pollock
entire GOA
all/offshore
1Pollock
2,015 (2007)
2,004 (2008)
unknown1
is closed to directed fishing in the GOA by the offshore component under § 679.20(a)(6)(i).
Consequently, in accordance with
§ 679.20(d)(1)(i), the Regional
Administrator establishes the DFA for
the species or species groups listed in
Table 21 as zero. Therefore, in
accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii),
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for
those species, regulatory areas, gear
types, and components listed in Table
21. These closures will remain in effect
through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31,
2008.
Section 679.64(b)(5) provides for
management of AFA catcher vessel
groundfish harvest limits and PSC
bycatch limits using directed fishing
closures and PSC closures according to
procedures set out at §§ 679.20(d)(1)(iv),
679.21(d)(8), and 679.21(e)(3)(v). The
Regional Administrator has determined
that, in addition to the closures listed
above, many of the non-exempt AFA
catcher vessel sideboard limits listed in
Tables 13 and 14 are necessary as
incidental catch to support other
anticipated groundfish fisheries for the
2007 and 2008 fishing years. In
accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iv), the
Regional Administrator sets the DFAs
for the species and species groups in
Table 22 at zero. Therefore, in
accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii),
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing by
non-exempt AFA catcher vessels in the
GOA for the species and specified areas
set out in Table 22. These closures will
remain in effect through 2400 hrs, A.l.t.,
December 31, 2008.
TABLE 22 - 2007 AND 2008 NON-EXEMPT AFA CATCHER VESSEL SIDEBOARD DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES IN THE GOA
(Amounts needed for incidental catch in other directed fisheries are in metric tons)
Species
Regulatory Area/District
Gear
Amount
Eastern
all
Deep-water flatfish
Western
all
0
Rex sole
Western
all
1
Flathead sole
Eastern and Western
all
10 and 7 (2007)
11 and 7 (2008)
Shallow-water flatfish
Eastern
all
31
Arrowtooth flounder
Eastern and Western
all
10 and 17
Northern rockfish
Western
all
0
Pelagic shelf rockfish
entire GOA
all
0(W), 0(C), 5(E) in 2007
0(W), 0(C), 6(E) in 2008
Demersal shelf rockfish
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Pacific cod
SEO District
all
1
Section 680.22 provides for the
management of non-AFA crab vessel
groundfish harvest limits using directed
fishing closures in accordance with
§ 680.22(e)(2) and (3). The Regional
Administrator has determined that the
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26 (inshore
27 (inshore
3 (offshore
3 (offshore
non-AFA crab vessel sideboards listed
in Tables 16 and 17 are insufficient to
support a directed fishery and set the
sideboard DFA at zero, with the
exception of pollock in the Western
Regulatory Area and Pacific cod in the
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2007)
2008)
2007)
2008)
Western and Central Regulatory Areas.
Therefore in accordance with
§ 680.22(e)(3), NMFS is prohibiting
directed fishing by non-AFA crab
vessels in the GOA for all species and
species groups listed in Tables 16 and
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17, with the exception of pollock in the
Western Regulatory Area and Pacific
cod in the Western and Central
Regulatory Areas.
Section 679.82 provides for the
management of Rockfish Program
sideboard limits using directed fishing
closures in accordance with
§ 679.82(d)(7)(i) and (ii). The Regional
Administrator has determined that the
catcher vessel sideboards listed in
Tables 18 and 19 are insufficient to
support a directed fishery and set the
sideboard DFA at zero. Therefore,
NMFS is closing directed fishing for
pelagic shelf rockfish and Pacific ocean
perch in the WYK District and the
Western Regulatory Area and northern
rockfish in the Western Regulatory Area
by catcher vessels participating in the
Central GOA Rockfish Program during
the month of July in 2007 and 2008.
These closures will remain in effect
through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31,
2008.
Under authority of the final 2006
specifications (71 FR 10870, March 3,
2006), pollock fishing opened on
January 20, 2006, for amounts specified
in that notice. NMFS has since closed
Statistical Area 610 to directed fishing
for pollock effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t.,
January 22, 2007 (72 FR 2462, January
19, 2007) until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February
5, 2007 (72 FR 6177, February 09, 2007),
and 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 7, 2007,
until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 8, 2007
(72 FR 6694, February 13, 2007), and
1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 10, 2007, until
1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 10, 2007. NMFS
closed Statistical Area 630 to directed
fishing for pollock effective 1200 hrs,
A.l.t., January 22, 2007 (72 FR 2793,
January 23, 2007) until 1200 hrs, A.l.t.,
February 6, 2007 (72 FR 5346, February
6, 2007), and 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February
8, 2007, until 1200 hrs, A.l.t, February
12, 2007 (72 FR 7353, February 15,
2007), and 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 14,
2007, until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 20,
2007 (72 FR 8132, February 23, 2007)
and 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 22, 2007,
until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 10, 2007.
NMFS prohibited directed fishing for
the A season allowance of the 2007
Pacific cod sideboard limits apportioned
to non AFA crab vessels catching Pacific
cod for processing by the inshore
component in the Central Regulatory
Area of the GOA, effective 12 noon,
A.l.t., January 24, 2007 until 1200 hrs,
A.l.t., September 1, 2007 (72 FR 3748,
January 26, 2007). NMFS prohibited
directed fishing for the A season
allowance of the 2007 Pacific cod
sideboard limits apportioned to non
AFA crab vessels catching Pacific cod
for processing by the inshore
component in the Western Regulatory
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Area of the GOA, effective 12 noon,
A.l.t., February 16, 2007 until 1200 hrs,
A.l.t., September 1, 2007 (72 FR 7750,
February 20, 2007). NMFS prohibited
directed fishing for Pacific cod by
vessels catching Pacific cod for
processing by the offshore component of
the Western Regulatory Area of the
GOA, effective 12 noon, A.l.t., February
14, 2007 until 1200 hrs, A.l.t.,
September 1, 2007 (72 FR 7749,
February 20, 2007). NMFS prohibited
directed fishing for Pacific cod by
vessels catching Pacific cod for
processing by the offshore component of
the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA,
effective 12 noon, A.l.t., February 14,
2007 until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., September 1,
2007 (72 FR 7750, February 20, 2007).
NMFS rescinds the closure in the
Chiniak Gully Research Area of the
GOA to all commercial trawl fishing and
testing of trawl gear from August 1 to
September 20, 2007 (72 FR 7751,
February 20, 2007). While these closures
are in effect, the maximum retainable
amounts at § 679.20(e) and (f) apply at
any time during a fishing trip. These
closures to directed fishing are in
addition to closures and prohibitions
found in regulations at 50 CFR part 679.
NMFS may implement other closures
during the 2007 and 2008 fishing years
as necessary for effective conservation
and management.
Response to Comments
NMFS received 2 letters of comment
(16 comments) in response to proposed
the 2007 and 2008 harvest
specifications. These comments are
summarized and responded to below.
Comment 1: The proposed harvest
specifications and accompanying Alaska
Groundfish Harvest Specifications
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
do not represent a substantial
implementation of the Alaska
Groundfish Fisheries Final
Programmatic Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement
(PSEIS) policy statement, but rather a
transparent attempt to indemnify the
agency against the inadequacies of the
status quo harvest strategy. The
proposed harvest specifications lack the
perspective of the ecosystem-based
policy framework outlined in the PSEIS
because there are no explicit procedures
in the TAC-setting process to address
the impacts of single-species fishing
strategies on dependent and related
species and their habitats in an
ecosystem context. Therefore, the policy
framework outlined in the PSEIS has
not been implemented in the regulations
governing the operation of the
groundfish fisheries. Under the
proposed harvest specifications,
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ecosystem concerns would remain at
best ancillary to the process of
allocating fish and maximizing shortterm economic benefits.
Response: The preferred harvest
strategy alternative described in the EIS
is derived from the policy adopted as
the preferred alternative in the PSEIS
(see ADDRESSES) and is one of the
actions necessary to implement that
policy statement. Ecosystem concerns
are integral to the EIS analysis. The
purpose of the EIS is to describe the
potential environmental impacts of the
alternative harvest strategies, including
an analysis of the potential impacts of
these alternatives on ecosystem
components and the ecosystem as a
whole.
In addition to the EIS analysis, all
available scientific information on the
ecosystem is analyzed and presented to
decision-makers and the public on an
annual basis during the harvest
specifications process. The annual
SAFE reports, which provide the
scientific information to support the
harvest specifications for each species,
include ecosystem considerations
sections that describe the role of each
target species in the ecosystem. The
SAFE report also contains a separate
‘‘Ecosystems Considerations’’ chapter.
Groundfish fisheries management,
including the harvest specification
process, takes account of ecosystem
requirements related to predation,
competition, and habitat to provide
protection for ecosystem components.
Under the harvest strategy, the
determination of annual harvest
specifications incorporates ecosystem
considerations, in the face of
uncertainty in the quantitative links
between species. The most significant
ecosystem considerations are (1) the
upper end of the OY range in the GOA,
which imposes a constraint on total
biomass removal, and (2) OFLs that
prevent overfishing of each stock. A
species’ OFL is a harvest limit rather
than a target and ABCs are set below
OFLs. The tier system sets maximum
ABCs and managers can set actual ABCs
lower for ecosystem considerations.
TACs never exceed ABCs and are
frequently set at lower levels. TACs can
also be adjusted downward for
ecosystem considerations. Additionally,
managers have established harvest
control rules for pollock, Pacific cod,
and Atka mackerel that prohibit
directed fishing at low biomass levels,
to account for Steller sea lion prey
needs. TACs and actual catches,
especially in the GOA, are often lower
than ABCs to protect other species,
especially halibut, that may be taken as
bycatch. Managers frequently restrict
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directed fishing for many species before
TACs are reached to comply with PSC
limits. Inseason management closes
directed fisheries when TACs are
reached, and restricts fishing in other
fisheries taking the species as bycatch
when OFLs are approached.
As noted below in the response to
Comment 2, the groundfish management
framework includes many measures, in
addition to the harvest strategy, to
mitigate the ecosystem impacts of the
groundfish fisheries.
Comment 2: Existing management
measures may be construed as
consistent with an ecosystem-based
approach, but they do not address major
ecosystem impacts of the fisheries as
promulgated in the annual catch
specifications.
Response: Existing management
measures address major ecosystem
impacts of the fisheries, and the Council
and NMFS are engaged in an ongoing
effort to improve the ways this is done.
The existing regulatory framework
imposes many constraints on fishing
activity, including time, area, and gear
restrictions, in order to mitigate or
control ecosystem impacts created by
fishing activity. Regulations impose
maximum retainable amount (MRA)
limits on the volume of bycatch a vessel
may deliver or have onboard. Prohibited
species catch (PSC) regulations impose
limits on harvests of crab, salmon,
herring, and halibut, and restrict fishing
activity once those limits are reached.
Important restrictions have been
imposed on key fisheries to limit
competition for Steller sea lion prey and
to protect Steller sea lion critical
habitat. The Council and NMFS have
adopted numerous measures to limit
bycatch and control the discards of low
value fish by-products. Seabirds
attracted to longlines are protected by
mandatory gear requirements, such as
streamers, meant to reduce incidental
takes.
NMFS and the Council are continuing
to develop ecosystem management
measures for the groundfish fisheries.
The Council has created a committee to
inform them of ecosystem developments
and to assist in formulating positions
with respect to ecosystem-based
management. The Council has taken the
lead in the establishment of the
interagency Alaska Marine Ecosystem
Forum to improve inter-agency
coordination and communication on
marine ecosystem issues. The SSC has
begun to hold annual ecosystem
scientific meetings at the February
Council meetings. In addition to
exploring how to develop ecosystem
management efforts, the Council and
NMFS continue to take account of
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ecosystem impacts of fishing activity as
available information allows. For
example, the Council is currently
consulting under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) for Steller sea lions,
sperm and humpback whales.
Ecosystem protection is supported by an
extensive research program by the
Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC)
into ecosystem components and
integrated ecosystem functioning.
Exempted fishing permits (EFPs) are
issued to research halibut excluder
devices.
Additionally, the EIS considers other
actions taken to manage the fisheries,
including reasonable future fisheries
management actions, as these are
relevant to the environmental
consequences of the harvest strategy
alternatives. The Council and NMFS
have processes consistent with National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to
evaluate each action to regulate other
aspects of the fisheries. The overall
fishery management policy within
which the harvest strategies fall has
been evaluated in the PSEIS. Moreover,
NMFS and the Council evaluated each
management measure at the time it was
adopted in the relevant NEPA
document. Considering different
management measures in separate
actions allows for more careful analysis
of alternatives and the implications of
each, and is often less confusing to the
public. The Council and NMFS are
actively evaluating a wide range of new
management measures through these
processes and will continue to do so.
Comment 3: Levels of exploitation on
single stocks are set with no explicit
consideration of the impacts of
dependent, competing species in the
food web or other impacts on associated
species that flow from the exploitation
of a relative few commercially desirable
species. The single species F40% policy
ignores effects on the ecosystem and
simply assumes that individual target
species can be fished to the maximum
sustainable yield (MSY) without
significant consequences to other
species in the food web.
Response: The harvest strategy
incorporates a key principle of
ecosystem-based fisheries management
by preserving individual stocks and
preventing overfishing of those stocks.
This is important for protecting
ecosystem components that depend on
these individual stocks. The effects of
the groundfish fisheries and fishing
rates are analyzed in the EIS and the
annual SAFE reports.
The tier system in the FMP and the
harvest specifications process lead to
TACs associated with fishing rates that
are less than FMSY. FOFL is never greater
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9703
than FMSY, or an appropriate FMSY
proxy. Average multi-year fishery
harvest rates fall below FMSY because
the tier system treats FOFL as a limit
rather than a target. The fishing rates
associated with maximum permissible
ABC, actual ABC, and the TAC, all fall
below the FOFL, providing a margin
between the actual F and the FMSY.
Moreover, as discussed in response to
Comment 2, other management
measures often constrain actual catches
and fishing rates below the TACs or the
fishing rates associated with the TACs.
With current levels of information, we
cannot precisely specify the margin or
threshold between FOFL and actual
harvest rate that provides the
appropriate level of protection for
various ecosystem properties. The AFSC
continues to develop and improve
scientific information in the Ecosystems
Considerations section of the SAFE
report. New information added in 2006
included the relationship between
predation/production and fishing/
production, a metric proposed to
evaluate the management implications
of potential exploitation of forage
species, and a metric proposed to
evaluate the ‘‘footprint’’ of individual
fisheries.
The AFSC also continues to develop
and improve several multispecies and
ecosystem models to predict the
possible effects of fishing and/or climate
on ecosystem processes. Ecosystem
modeling is extremely complex, and the
incorporation of ecosystem
considerations into the harvest
specifications process is an evolving
process. The AFSC is advancing this
process through the development of
multispecies fish stock assessment
models that include predation,
ecosystem mass-balance and simulation
models, and single-species stock
assessment models that include
predation. The AFSC briefed the
Groundfish Plan Teams on the results of
these analyses to help them in their
deliberations in the harvest
specifications process.
Comment 4: Selective removals of
species and large differences in catch
rates for managed stocks may be
responsible for significant and lasting
changes in the structure of groundfish
assemblages and food webs in the North
Pacific, as seen in other ecosystems.
Selective extraction of a relatively few
high-value species may provide a
competitive opportunity for ‘‘underutilized’’ species such as arrowtooth
flounder, which appear to have
increased dramatically since the 1970s.
NMFS consistently attributes regional
stock declines and broader system
changes to the weather (‘‘regime
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shifts’’), a transparent stratagem that
serves to justify the status quo and
absolve the agency of responsibility for
fishery-related systemic changes.
Response: NMFS analyzes and
considers the interactions among fish
species in its evaluations of the impacts
of groundfish fishing. The nature of
competitive interactions among species
is an area of ongoing research by the
AFSC. These issues are discussed in the
ecosystem sections of individual species
SAFE reports and by the Plan Teams as
they formulate their ABC
recommendations.
Species interactions are complex and
imperfectly understood in the North
Pacific. The AFSC is collaborating to
develop a detailed, age-structured,
multispecies statistical model to study
this complex interaction of pollock and
arrowtooth flounder. This ‘‘cultivation/
depensation’’ model is expected to be
completed in the near future. In
December 2006, a Groundfish Plan
Team leader briefed the Council and its
SSC and AP on the complex interactions
between pollock and arrowtooth
flounder and on the potential
application of this model whereby a
species such as pollock ‘‘cultivates’’ its
young by preying on species that would
eat its young.
Regime shifts remain an important
consideration. Regime shifts are well
documented; these changes in climate
are believed to have affected relative
abundance of species in the past, and
are expected to do so in the future.
Comment 5: NMFS fails to analyze the
cumulative and synergistic effects of
selective exploitation, benthic habitat
modification, and serial depletion of
targeted stocks in the North Pacific. The
‘‘Ecosystem Considerations’’ chapter in
the annual SAFE reports does not
consider the effects of large-scale
fisheries off Alaska on long-term
restructuring of food web dynamics and
on composition of species assemblages.
An evaluation of this phenomenon, and
consideration of alternatives to address
it, is also missing from the EIS and the
harvest specification process.
Additionally, the proposed harvest
specifications do not mitigate the effects
of selective exploitation and
disproportionate exploitation rates.
Response: NMFS takes a conservative
approach to management in response to
uncertainties. Conservative elements in
the harvest strategies and groundfish
fisheries management are listed in the
responses to Comments 1, 2, 12, and 13.
The EIS analyzed alternative harvest
strategies that met the scope of this
action, as determined by the statement
of purpose and need.
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The EIS analyzes the effects of the
alternative harvest strategies on target
stocks and habitat in a comprehensive
way that looks at both the individual
species impacts and the overall
ecosystem function impacts. NMFS
agrees that uncertainty exists in
assessing the ecosystem effects of
alternative harvest strategies. One of the
functions of an EIS is to identify these
uncertainties. The EIS and the
Ecosystem Considerations chapter of the
SAFE reports examine trends in the
trophic level of catch and species
diversity. As noted in the response to
Comment 4, competitive interactions
between fisheries are an active area of
AFSC research, and are discussed, as
appropriate, in the ecosystem
discussions in the species-specific
sections of the SAFE reports.
Comment 6: Neither the EIS nor its
alternatives address the issues of setting
exploitation levels on single stocks with
no explicit consideration of the impacts
of dependent, competing species in the
food web or other impacts on associated
species that flow from the exploitation
of a relative few commercially desirable
species.
Response: The EIS directly examines
the impacts of the alternative harvest
strategies on non-target species,
including food web interactions. The
EIS examines the impacts of groundfish
fishing on forage fish availability in
Chapter 6, and the trophic level of
catches in Chapter 11. The EIS includes
detailed analyses of the impacts on prey
and habitat for key species and species
groupings of marine mammals and
seabirds in Chapters 8 and 9.
Comment 7: The uncertainties of
ecosystem mechanics underscore the
need for a much more precautionary
approach to fisheries management in the
context of food web and habitat
conservation, and illustrate why the
agency’s determinations of nonsignificance for fishery impacts on prey
availability and spatial/temporal
concentration of fisheries are arbitrary
and capricious. NMFS cannot
demonstrate that the current and
proposed levels of fishing permitted in
protected species’ habitats are ‘‘safe’’ or
‘‘insignificant.’’ Rather, NMFS assumes
that the impact is insignificant in the
absence of conclusive evidence to the
contrary. The burden of proof is on the
environment to show harm. This is
opposite of precautionary and the
opposite of an ecosystem-based
approach.
Response: NMFS did not make a
determination of non-significance in the
EIS. The EIS fully discloses known
impacts, areas of uncertainty, and
presents the information in comparative
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form to aid in decision-making. NMFS
agrees that uncertainty exists in
assessing the ecosystem effects of
alternative harvest strategies. Identifying
these uncertainties is one of the
functions of an EIS. The EIS identifies
potential adverse impacts of the
alternatives on the ecosystem and the
uncertainty of those impacts. NMFS is
actively taking steps to reduce
uncertainty and better understand the
environment through ongoing scientific
research. Many elements built into the
harvest specifications process, and into
the groundfish fisheries management
regime, described in the responses to
Comments 1, 2, 12, and 13, contribute
to conservative management.
Comment 8: Major habitat impacts of
fishing on the Essential Fish Habitat
(EFH) of FMP-managed species and
foraging habitats of ESA and Marine
Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)protected species are not addressed in
the EIS or mitigated in the proposed
harvest specifications.
Response: NMFS has examined in the
EIS the impacts of fishing on EFH of
FMP-managed species, and on the
foraging habitats of ESA- and MMPAprotected species. Chapter 8 examines
the impacts of alternative groundfish
harvest strategies on ESA- and MMPAlisted marine mammals. Chapter 9
provides a similar examination for ESAlisted seabirds. Chapter 10 examines the
impacts of the harvest strategies on EFH
and incorporates by reference the
analysis in the Essential Fish Habitat
Environmental Impact Statement (EFH
EIS, see ADDRESSES) that examines the
impact of fishing on benthic habitat.
Habitat impacts of fishing on the EFH
of FMP-managed species and foraging
habitats of ESA- and MMPA-protected
species are mitigated by the extensive
habitat protection measures enacted in
the GOA. These are described in the
response to Comment 11.
Comment 9: The EIS fails to evaluate
the impacts of pelagic trawl gear on
habitat and the impact of the spatial
concentration of pollock and Pacific cod
catches on stock size, in a meaningful
fashion, and fails to consider an
alternative to address these impacts.
There is little scientific evidence that
fishing on spawning stocks of Alaskan
groundfish has had adverse impacts on
recruitment success. The status quo
practice of targeting groundfish on
spawning grounds, when the fish are
most vulnerable to fishing gear, is a
habitat impact of particular significance
that must be addressed. The dismal
abundance trends of several regional
pollock stocks and large uncertainties in
stock structure among many groundfish
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populations cry out for explicit
protection of spawning grounds.
Response: The impacts of pelagic
trawling on habitat are evaluated in the
EFH EIS. Chapter 10 of the EIS provides
an EFH Assessment that incorporates by
reference the EFH EIS analysis of the
impacts of the groundfish fisheries on
EFH. Fisheries management measures,
other than harvest strategies, are outside
the scope of the action analyzed in the
EIS. Pollock and Pacific cod catches are
apportioned seasonally under existing
measures adopted to protect Steller sea
lions. Further seasonal apportionments
of catch would require regulatory
changes that were outside the scope of
this action, as defined by the purpose
and need.
Comment 10: The MSA’s EFH
provisions should require the adoption
of marine reserves to protect vulnerable
reproductive habitats that are targeted
by the fisheries.
Response: This is not a comment on
the content of the groundfish harvest
specifications or on the accompanying
EIS, and deals with issues that are
beyond the scope of both.
Comment 11: NMFS’ assertions that
the status quo EFH measures provide
adequate protection or that the spatial/
temporal concentration of the fisheries
has insignificant impacts on EFH are not
supported by evidence. The EIS fails to
evaluate this information and consider
alternatives that would address these
impacts on fish habitat, and the
proposed harvest specifications provide
no adequate mitigation measures to
address these impacts. NMFS cannot
demonstrate that the current and
proposed levels of fishing permitted in
managed species’ habitats are
insignificant or compliant with the
spirit and letter of the MSA’s EFH
provisions. Rather, NMFS assumes that
the impact is insignificant in the
absence of conclusive evidence to the
contrary. The burden of proof is on the
environment and the managed species
to show harm. This is opposite of a
precautionary approach to EFH
conservation.
Response: In this EIS NMFS fully
discloses known impacts, identifies
uncertainties, and presents information
in comparative form to aid in decisionmaking. Detailed information on fishing
on EFH contained in the 2005 EFH EIS
was incorporated by reference in this
EIS. As discussed in Chapter 2 of the
EIS, fisheries management measures,
other than harvest strategies, are outside
the scope of this action, as defined by
the statement of purpose and need.
The discussion of habitat impacts in
the EIS incorporated by reference the
science and analysis in the EFH EIS.
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The analyses in Section 4.3 and
Appendix B of the EFH EIS indicated
that groundfish fishing has long-term
effects on benthic habitat features off
Alaska and acknowledged that
considerable scientific uncertainty
remains regarding the consequences of
such habitat changes for the sustained
productivity of managed species.
Nevertheless, the EFH EIS concluded
that the effects on EFH are minimal
because the analysis found no
indication that continued fishing
activities at the current rate and
intensity would alter the capacity of
EFH to support healthy populations of
managed species over the long term.
Therefore, the EFH EIS determined that
new protection measures for the
fisheries to reduce the adverse effects on
EFH were not required. Nevertheless,
the Council recommended a suite of
new conservative measures to reduce
potential adverse effects to EFH and
Habitat Areas of Particular Concerns
from the effects of fishing activities.
These actions continue the Council’s
policy of implementing conservative
conservation measures for the Alaska
fisheries, as described in the
management policies and objectives
added to the groundfish FMPs from the
PSEIS policy statement. NMFS
implemented the Council’s
recommendations in 2006 (71 FR 36694;
June 28, 2006).
The Council and NMFS have taken a
conservative approach to habitat
protection by enacting substantial
restrictions on fishing that minimize
potential adverse effects on EFH.
Measures to protect Steller sea lions
have fully or partially closed about
58,000 square nautical miles to fishing
in the AI subarea and GOA. More
recently, the Council and NMFS
adopted a suite of new measures to
reduce the effects of fishing on EFH in
the AI subarea and GOA, protecting
nearly 300,000 square nautical miles of
habitat. Ten areas known as the GOA
Slope Habitat Conservation Areas along
the continental slope are closed to
bottom trawling to protect hard bottom
habitat that may be important to
rockfish. Five GOA Coral Habitat
Protection Areas in southeast Alaska are
closed to all bottom contact fishing and
anchoring to protect dense thickets of
red tree corals. Another fifteen areas
offshore, called the Alaska Seamount
Habitat Protection Areas, are closed to
all bottom contact fishing and anchoring
to protect seamounts.
The Council and NMFS have taken
many other measures to protect habitat.
These include wide range of protection
measures, including the Kodiak king
crab protections zones, the Cook Inlet
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9705
trawl closure area, scallop dredge
closure areas, and the Southeast Alaska
trawl closure. These actions reflect a
conservative management strategy.
Comment 12: The lack of spatialtemporal management of groundfish
stocks has potentially profound adverse
consequences for ESA-listed Steller sea
lions and MMPA-listed northern fur
seals. The apportionment of ABCs
according to broad management
subareas does not address the impacts of
fishing at local scales relevant to
foraging sea lions, fur seals, and other
species. NMFS fails to address localized
effects adequately in any alternative
considered in the EIS or the proposed
harvest specifications. NMFS cannot
demonstrate that the current and
proposed levels of fishing permitted in
protected marine mammal species’
habitats are insignificant. Existing
uncertainties underscore the need for a
highly precautionary approach to
habitat conservation, and illustrate why
the agency’s claims that spatial/
temporal concentration of the fisheries
under the status quo have insignificant
impacts on marine mammal foraging
habitats and prey are not supported by
evidence. As in other instances, the
burden of proof is on the environment
to show harm. This is opposite of a
precautionary approach.
Response: NMFS did not make a
determination of non-significance in the
EIS. The EIS fully discloses known
impacts, areas of uncertainty, and
presents the information in comparative
form to aid in decision-making. The EIS
describes localized impacts of fishing
activity on marine mammals. Chapter 8
in the EIS evaluates the impacts of this
action on marine mammals, with
particular attention to impacts on Steller
sea lions and northern fur seals. The
chapter describes what is known about
the spatial and temporal overlap
between groundfish fishing activity and
marine mammal foraging habitat. The
EIS summarizes the available
information on the impacts of fishing
activity on marine mammals and their
habitat. While information on the
spatial and temporal impact of
groundfish fishing on other species is
relatively limited, the EIS provides a
review of the information available and
indicates where information is lacking.
Endangered Steller sea lions have
been protected by a suite of measures.
Groundfish fisheries conducted in
accordance with the Steller sea lion
protection measures adopted in 2002
have been determined not to jeopardize
Steller sea lions or adversely modify
their critical habitat. The protection
measures involve seasonal
apportionments of annual TACs, limits
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on the proportion of catch within
habitat important for Steller sea lion
foraging, limits on fishing activity
within areas adjacent to haulouts and
rookeries, and closure of directed
fishing when biomass falls to low levels.
The protection measures and the
conclusions of no jeopardy or adverse
modification of habitat were arrived at
after careful evaluation in 2001. Since
that time, NMFS has continued to
investigate the determinants of Steller
sea lion declines. These measures are
currently being reevaluated in a new
biological opinion and revised recovery
plan.
Comment 13: The proposed harvest
specifications and the accompanying
EIS fail in substantive ways to comply
with the intent of the MSA, NEPA, the
ESA, and the MMPA.
Response: Prior to approval, the
Secretary ensures that this action and all
actions it takes are in compliance with
the MSA, NEPA, the ESA, and the
MMPA.
Comment 14: Given the current
uncertainties and lack of scientific
information, it is essential to adopt a
highly precautionary approach to
exploitation of these ecosystems, in
order to avoid the wholesale system
reorganization and impoverishment that
has been linked to fishing in other
marine ecosystems.
Response: The Council recommended
and NMFS approves the use of a
cautionary approach.
Comment 15: There is no ‘‘balance’’
between the interests of fisheries and
other public interests in the North
Pacific region: the scales are tilted
entirely to the advantage of the
industrial fisheries whose interests are
placed above all other public interests.
The tradeoffs between often contrary
FMP objectives are made by a decisionmaking body that is not representative
of the broader public interest and that
is biased heavily in favor of commercial
utilization of the public resource for its
own benefit. This state of affairs cries
out for basic reforms of the kind
outlined by the Pew Oceans
Commission (2003) and the U.S. Oceans
Policy Commission (2004) so that other
public interests and societal goals are
fairly represented, in order to achieve a
real ‘‘balance between competing uses’’
of the ocean commons.
Response: This is not a comment on
the content of the groundfish harvest
specifications or on the accompanying
EIS, and deals with issues that are
beyond the scope of both.
Comment 16: All quotas should be cut
in half this year and cut by 10 percent
each year thereafter until we stop
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starving the marine life that depends on
eating this fish too.
Response: The decisions on the
amount of harvest are based on the best
available science and socioeconomic
considerations. NMFS finds that the
ABCs and TACs are consistent with the
biological condition of the groundfish
stocks as described in the 2006 SAFE
report and approved by the Council.
Small Entity Compliance Guide
The following information is a plain
language guide to assist small entities in
complying with this final rule as
required by the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996. This final rule’s primary
management measures announce 2007
and 2008 final harvest specifications
and prohibited species bycatch
allowances for the groundfish fishery of
the GOA. This action is necessary to
establish harvest limits and associated
management measures for groundfish
during the 2007 and 2008 fishing years
and to accomplish the goals and
objectives of the FMP. This action
affects all fishermen who participate in
the GOA fishery. The specific amounts
of OFL, ABC, TAC, and PSC are
provided in tabular form to assist the
reader. NMFS will announce closures of
directed fishing in the Federal Register
and in information bulletins released by
the Alaska Region. Affected fishermen
should keep themselves informed of
such closures.
Classification
NMFS, determined that the FMP is
necessary for the conservation and
management of the GOA groundfish
fishery and that it is consistent with the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act and
other applicable laws.
NMFS prepared a Draft EIS for this
action and made it available to the
public for comment (71 FR 53093,
September 8, 2006). NMFS prepared the
Final EIS and made it available to the
public on January 12, 2007 (72 FR
1512). On February 13, 2007, NMFS
issued the Record of Decision (ROD) for
the Final EIS. Copies of the Final EIS
and ROD for this action are available
from NMFS (see ADDRESSES).
The Final Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis (FRFA) was prepared to
evaluate the impacts on small entities of
alternative harvest strategies for the
groundfish fisheries in the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) off of Alaska. This
FRFA meets the statutory requirements
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
of 1980, as amended by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act (SBREFA) of 1996 (5 U.S.C.
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601–612). A summary of the FRFA
follows.
The action under consideration is
adoption of a harvest strategy to govern
the harvest of groundfish in the GOA
Management Area. The preferred
alternative is the status quo harvest
strategy in which TACs fall within the
range of ABCs recommended through
the Council’s harvest specification
process and TACs recommended by the
Council. This action is taken in
accordance with the FMP and
recommendations by the Council
pursuant to the MSA.
The need for and objectives of this
rule are described in the preamble and
not repeated here.
Significant issues raised by public
comment are addressed in the preamble
and not repeated here.
The proposed harvest specifications
were published in the Federal Register
on December 15, 2006 (71 FR 75437).
An Initial Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis (IRFA) was prepared and was
described in the classifications sections
of that preamble. The public comment
period ended on January 16, 2006. No
comments were received regarding the
economic impacts of this action.
The directly regulated small entities
include approximately 747 small
catcher vessels and less than 20 small
catcher/processors. The entities directly
regulated by this action are those that
harvest groundfish in the EEZ of the
GOA, and in parallel fisheries within
State of Alaska waters. These include
entities operating catcher vessels and
catcher-processor vessels within the
action area, and entities receiving direct
allocations of groundfish. Catcher
vessels and catcher processors were
considered to be small entities if they
had annual gross receipts, from all of
their economic activities, and including
the revenue of their affiliated
operations, less than or equal to $4
million per year. Data from 2005 was
used because it was the most recent
available.
Estimates of first wholesale gross
revenues for the GOA were used as
indices of the potential impacts of the
alternative harvest strategies on small
entities. An index of revenues were
projected to decline under the preferred
alternative due to declines in ABCs for
key species in the GOA. The index of
revenues declined by less than four
percent between 2006 and 2007 and by
less than one percent between 2006 and
2008.
The preferred alternative (Alternative
2) was compared to four other
alternatives. These included Alternative
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1, which would set TACs so as to
generate fishing rates equal to the
maximum permissible ABC (if the full
TAC were harvested), unless the sum of
TACs would exceed the regional OY, in
which case harvests would be limited to
the OY. Alternative 3 would set TACs
to produce fishing rates equal to the
most recent five year average of fishing
rates. Alternative 4 would set TACs to
equal the lower bound of the regional
OY range. Alternative 5 would set TACs
equal to zero.
Alternatives 3, 4, and 5 were all
associated with smaller levels for
important fishery TACs than Alternative
2. Estimated total first wholesale gross
revenues were used as an index of
potential adverse impacts to small
entities. As a consequence of the lower
TAC levels, Alternatives 3, 4, and 5 all
had smaller values of these first
wholesale revenue indices than
Alternative 2. Thus, Alternatives 3, 4,
and 5 had greater adverse impacts on
small entities. Alternative 1 appeared to
generate higher values of the gross
revenue index for fishing operations in
the GOA than Alternative 2. A large part
of the larger Alternative 1 GOA revenue
appears to be due to the assumption that
the full Alternative 1 TAC would be
harvested. Much of the larger revenue is
due to increases in flatfish TACs that
were much larger for Alternative 1 than
for Alternative 2. In recent years, halibut
bycatch constraints in these fisheries
have kept actual flatfish catches from
reaching the Alternative 1 levels.
Therefore, a large part of the revenues
associated with Alternative 1 are
unlikely to occur. Also, Alternative 2
TACs are constrained by the ABCs the
Plan Team and SSC recommend to the
Council on the basis of a full
consideration of biological issues. These
ABCs are often less than Alternative 1
maximum permissible ABCs. Therefore
higher TACs under Alternative 1 may
not be consistent with prudent
biological management of the resource.
For these reasons, Alternative 2 is the
preferred alternative.
This action does not modify
recordkeeping or reporting
requirements, or duplicate, overlap, or
conflict with any Federal rules.
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This action is authorized under
§ 679.20 and is exempt from review
under Executive Order 12866.
Adverse impacts on marine mammals
resulting from fishing activities
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conducted under this rule are discussed
in the EIS (see ADDRESSES).
Under 5 U.S. C. 553(d)(3), an agency
can waive the 30 day delay in
effectiveness of a rule for good cause.
These final harvest specifications were
developed as quickly as possible, given
Plan Team review in November 2006,
Council consideration and
recommendations in December 2006,
and NOAA Fisheries review and
development in January-February 2007.
For all fisheries not currently closed
because the TACs established under the
2006 and 2007 final harvest
specifications (71 FR 10870, March 3,
2006) were reached, the likely
possibility exists for their closures prior
to the expiration of a 30 day delayed
effectiveness period because their TACs
could be reached. Certain fisheries, such
as those for pollock and Pacific cod
intensive fast paced fisheries. Other
fisheries, such as those for flatfish,
rockfish and ‘‘other species,’’ are critical
as directed fisheries and as incidental
catch in other fisheries. U.S. fishing
vessels have demonstrated the capacity
to catch the TAC allocations in all these
fisheries. Any delay in allocating the
final TAC in these fisheries would cause
disruption to the industry and potential
economic harm through unnecessary
discards. Determining which fisheries
may close is impossible because these
fisheries are affected by several factors
that cannot be predicted in advance,
including fishing effort, weather,
movement of fishery stocks, and market
price. Furthermore, the closure of one
fishery has a cascading effect on other
fisheries by freeing up fishing vessels,
allowing them to move from closed
fisheries to open ones, increasing the
fishing capacity in those open fisheries
and causing them to close at an
accelerated pace.
If the final harvest specifications are
not effective by March 10, 2007, which
is the start of the Pacific halibut season
as specified by the IPHC, the hook-andline sablefish fishery will not begin
concurrently with the Pacific halibut
season. This would cause a conservation
issue as sablefish that is caught with
Pacific halibut would have to be
discarded, as both hook-and-line
sablefish and Pacific halibut are
managed under the same IFQ program.
Immediate effectiveness of the 2007 and
2008 final harvest specifications will
allow the sablefish fishery to begin
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concurrently with the Pacific halibut
season, thus preventing needless
discards. Also, the immediate
effectiveness of this action is required to
provide consistent management and
conservation of fishery resources based
on the best available scientific
information, and to give the fishing
industry the earliest possible
opportunity to plan its fishing
operations. These final harvest
specifications were developed as
quickly as possible, given Plan Team
review in November 2006, Council
consideration and recommendations in
December 2006, and NOAA fisheries
review and development in January and
February 2007.
Furthermore, the current allocation
for GOA Pacific cod under the authority
of the 2006 and 2007 final harvest
specifications (71 FR 10870, March 3,
2006) is lower (37,545 mt) than the
allocation under the 2007 and 2008 final
harvest specifications (52,264 mt),
which is based on the best scientific
information available. Unless this delay
is waived and the 2007 and 2008 final
harvest specifications become effective
upon publication, the A season Pacific
cod fisheries will close earlier than
necessary. The GOA Pacific cod fishery
is the second largest fishery in the GOA
after pollock and all gear types are used
to fish in the Pacific cod fisheries.
Closures of the Pacific cod fisheries are
restrictions on the industry that can be
relieved by making the 2007 and 2008
final harvest specifications effective on
publication. Premature closures disrupt
fisheries and increase the potential for
regulatory discards. The 2007 and 2008
final harvest specifications establish
increased Pacific cod TACs to provide
continued directed fishing for this
species that would otherwise be
prohibited under the 2006 and 2007
harvest specifications. Accordingly,
NMFS finds that there is good cause to
waive the 30 day delayed effectiveness
period under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 1540(f);
1801 et seq.; 1851 note; and 3631 et seq.
Dated: February 22, 2007.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
RegulatoryPrograms, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7–3775 Filed 3–2–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
E:\FR\FM\05MRR1.SGM
05MRR1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 42 (Monday, March 5, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9676-9707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3775]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No.070213032-7032-01; I.D. 112206B]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of
Alaska; 2007 and 2008 Final Harvest Specifications for Groundfish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule; closures.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces 2007 and 2008 final harvest specifications,
reserves and apportionments thereof, Pacific halibut prohibited species
catch (PSC) limits, and associated management measures for the
groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is
necessary to establish harvest limits and associated management
measures for groundfish during the 2007 and 2008 fishing years and to
accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for
Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP). The intended effect of this
action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the GOA in
[[Page 9677]]
accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (MSA).
DATES: The 2007 and 2008 final harvest specifications and associated
management measures are effective at 1200 hrs, Alaska local time
(A.l.t.), March 5, 2007, through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),
Record of Decision (ROD), and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
(FRFA) prepared for this action are available from the Alaska Region,
NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Ellen Sebastian, or from
the Alaska Region website at https://www.fakr.noaa.gov. Copies of the
final 2006 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report for
the groundfish resources of the GOA, dated November 2006, are available
from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), West 4th
Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99510 2252 (907 271 2809), or from its
website at https://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Pearson, Sustainable Fisheries
Division, Alaska Region, 907-481-1780, or e-mail at
tom.pearson@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fisheries in the
exclusive economic zone of the GOA under the FMP. The Council prepared
the FMP under the authority of the MSA, 16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.
Regulations governing U.S. fisheries and implementing the FMP appear at
50 CFR parts 600, 679, and 680.
The FMP and its implementing regulations require NMFS, after
consultation with the Council, to specify and apportion the total
allowable catch (TAC) for each target species and for the ``other
species'' category, the sum of which must be within the optimum yield
(OY) range of 116,000 to 800,000 metric tons (mt). The final
specifications set forth in Tables 1 through 22 of this document
satisfy this requirement. For 2007, the sum of the TAC amounts is
269,912 mt. For 2008, the sum of the TAC amounts is 286,173 mt.
Section 679.20(c)(1) further requires NMFS to publish and solicit
public comment on proposed annual TACs, halibut PSC amounts, and
seasonal allowances of pollock and inshore/offshore Pacific cod. The
proposed GOA groundfish specifications and Pacific halibut PSC
allowances for 2007 and 2008 were published in the Federal Register on
December 15, 2006 (71 FR 75437). Comments were invited and accepted
through January 16, 2007. NMFS received 2 letters of comment on the
proposed specifications. These letters of comment are summarized in the
Response to Comments section of this action. In December 2006, NMFS
consulted with the Council regarding the 2007 and 2008 harvest
specifications. After considering public comments received, as well as
biological and economic data that were available at the Council's
December 2006 meeting, NMFS is implementing the 2007 and 2008 final
harvest specifications, as recommended by the Council.
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) and TAC Specifications
In December 2006, the Council, its Advisory Panel (AP), and its
Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), reviewed current biological
and harvest information about the condition of groundfish stocks in the
GOA. This information was compiled by the Council's GOA Plan Team and
was presented in the final 2006 SAFE report for the GOA groundfish
fisheries, dated November 2006 (see ADDRESSES). The SAFE report
contains a review of the latest scientific analyses and estimates of
each species= biomass and other biological parameters, as well as
summaries of the available information on the GOA ecosystem and the
economic condition of the groundfish fisheries off Alaska. From these
data and analyses, the Plan Team estimates an ABC for each species or
species category.
The final ABC levels are based on the best available biological and
socioeconomic information, including projected biomass trends,
information on assumed distribution of stock biomass, and revised
methods used to calculate stock biomass. The FMP specifies the
formulas, or tiers, to be used to compute ABCs and overfishing levels
(OFLs). The formulas applicable to a particular stock or stock complex
are determined by the level of reliable information available to
fisheries scientists. This information is categorized into a successive
series of six tiers with tier one representing the highest level of
information and tier six the lowest level of information.
The final TAC recommendations were based on the ABCs as adjusted
for other biological and socioeconomic considerations, including
maintaining the total TAC within the required OY range of 116,000 to
800,000 mt. The Council adopted the AP's TAC recommendations. The
Council recommended TACs for 2007 and 2008 equal to ABCs for pollock,
deep-water flatfish, rex sole, sablefish, Pacific ocean perch,
shortraker rockfish, rougheye rockfish, northern rockfish, pelagic
shelf rockfish, thornyhead rockfish, demersal shelf rockfish, big
skate, longnose skate, and other skates. The Council recommended TACs
less than the ABCs for Pacific cod, flathead sole, shallow-water
flatfish, arrowtooth flounder, other rockfish, and Atka mackerel. None
of the Council's recommended TACs for 2007 and 2008 exceeds the final
ABC for any species or species category. The 2007 and 2008 harvest
specifications approved by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) are
unchanged from those recommended by the Council and are consistent with
the preferred harvest strategy alternative in the EIS. The 2007 and
2008 TACs are less than the maximum permissible ABCs recommended by the
Council's plan teams and SSC NMFS finds that the recommended ABCs and
TACs are consistent with the biological condition of the groundfish
stocks as described in the 2006 SAFE report and approved by the
Council. The apportionment of TAC amounts among gear types, processing
sectors, and seasons is discussed below.
NMFS finds that the Council's recommendations for OFL, ABC, and TAC
amounts are consistent with the biological condition of groundfish
stocks as adjusted for other biological and socioeconomic
considerations, including maintaining the total TAC within the OY
range. NMFS reviewed the Council's recommended TAC specifications and
apportionments and approves these specifications under Sec.
679.20(c)(3)(ii).
Tables 1 and 2 list the final 2007 and 2008 OFLs, ABCs, TACs, and
area apportionments of groundfish in the GOA. The sum of 2007 ABCs is
490,327 mt, which is lower than the 2006 ABC total of 500,625 mt (71 FR
10870, March 3, 2006), while the sum of 2008 ABCs of 511,838 mt is
higher than the 2006 total.
Specification and Apportionment of TAC Amounts
As in 2006, the SSC and Council recommended the method of
apportioning the sablefish ABC among management areas in 2007 and 2008
include commercial fishery and survey data. NMFS stock assessment
scientists believe the use of unbiased commercial fishery data
reflecting catch-per-unit effort provides a desirable input for stock
distribution assessments. The use of commercial fishery data is
evaluated annually to ensure unbiased information is included in stock
distribution models. The Council's recommendation for sablefish area
apportionments also takes into account
[[Page 9678]]
the prohibition on the use of trawl gear in the Southeast Outside (SEO)
District of the Eastern Regulatory Area and makes available 5 percent
of the combined Eastern Regulatory Area ABCs to trawl gear for use as
incidental catch in other directed groundfish fisheries in the West
Yakutat (WYK) District (Sec. 679.20(a)(4)(i)).
Since the inception of a State of Alaska (State) managed pollock
fishery in Prince William Sound (PWS), the GOA Plan Team has
recommended the guideline harvest level (GHL) for the pollock fishery
in PWS be deducted from the ABC for the western stock of pollock in the
GOA in the Western/Central/West Yakutat (W/C/WYK) Area. For the 2007
and 2008 pollock fisheries in PWS the State's GHL is 1,650 mt.
The apportionment of annual pollock TAC among the Western and
Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA reflects the seasonal biomass
distribution and is discussed in greater detail below. The annual
pollock TAC in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA is
apportioned among Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, as well as
equally among each of the following four seasons: the A season (January
20 through March 10), the B season (March 10 through May 31), the C
season (August 25 through October 1), and the D season (October 1
through November 1) (Sec. Sec. 693.23(d)(2)(i) through (iv) and
679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)).
The SSC, AP, and Council adopted the Plan Team's OFL and ABC
recommendations for all groundfish species categories.
The SSC, AP, and Council recommended apportionment of the ABC for
Pacific cod in the GOA among regulatory areas based on the three most
recent NMFS summer trawl surveys.
The 2007 and 2008 Pacific cod TACs are affected by the State's
fishery for Pacific cod in State waters in the Central and Western
Regulatory Areas, as well as in PWS. The SSC, AP, and Council
recommended that the sum of all State and Federal water Pacific cod
removals not exceed the ABC. Accordingly, the Council recommended
reduction of the 2007 and 2008 Pacific cod TACs from the ABCs in the
Central and Western Regulatory Areas to account for State GHLs.
Therefore, the 2007 Pacific cod TACs are less than the ABCs by the
following amounts: (1) Eastern GOA, 413 mt; (2) Central GOA, 9,468 mt;
and (3) Western GOA, 6,714 mt. Similarly, the 2008 Pacific cod TACs are
less than the ABCs as follows: (1) Eastern GOA, 428 mt; (2) Central
GOA, 9,817 mt; and (3) Western GOA, 6,961 mt. These amounts reflect the
sum of the State's 2007 and 2008 GHLs in these areas, which are 10
percent, 25 percent, and 25 percent of the Eastern, Central, and
Western GOA ABCs, respectively. The percentages of ABC used to
calculate the GHLs for the State managed Pacific cod fisheries are
unchanged from 2006.
NMFS also is establishing seasonal apportionments of the annual
Pacific cod TAC in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas. Sixty
percent of the annual TAC is apportioned to the A season for hook-and-
line, pot, and jig gear from January 1 through June 10, and for trawl
gear from January 20 through June 10. Forty percent of the annual TAC
is apportioned to the B season for hook-and-line, pot, and jig gear
from September 1 through December 31, and for trawl gear from September
1 through November 1 (Sec. Sec. 679.23(d)(3) and 679.20(a)(11)).
As in 2006, NMFS establishes for 2007 and 2008 an A season directed
fishing allowance (DFA) for the Pacific cod fisheries in the GOA based
on the management area TACs minus the recent average A season
incidental catch of Pacific cod in each management area before June 10
(Sec. 679.20(d)(1)). The DFA and incidental catch before June 10 will
be managed such that total harvest in the A season will be no more than
60 percent of the annual TAC. Incidental catch taken after June 10 will
continue to accrue against the B season TAC. This action meets the
intent of the Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures by achieving
temporal dispersion of the Pacific cod removals and by reducing the
likelihood of harvest exceeding 60 percent of the annual TAC in the A
season (January 1 through June 10). The seasonal apportionments of the
annual Pacific cod TAC are discussed in greater detail below.
The FMP specifies that the amount for the ``other species''
category be set at an amount less than or equal to 5 percent of the
combined TAC amounts for target species. The final 2007 and 2008 annual
GOA-wide TACs of 4,500 mt are less than 5 percent of the combined TAC
amounts for target species. The sums of the TACs for all GOA groundfish
is 269,912 mt for 2007 and 286,173 mt for 2008, which are within the OY
range specified by the FMP. The sums of the 2007 and 2008 TACs are
lower than the 2006 TAC sum of 291,950 mt.
Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Pilot Program
Congress granted NMFS specific statutory authority to manage
Central GOA rockfish fisheries in Section 802 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-199). The Council adopted a
proposed Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Pilot Program (Rockfish
Program) to meet the requirements of Section 802 on June 6, 2005. The
elements of the Rockfish Program are discussed in detail in the
proposed rule to Amendment 68 to the FMP (71 FR 33040, June 7, 2006)
and in the final rule to implement the Rockfish Program (71 FR 67210,
November 20, 2006). The final rule became effective December 20, 2006.
The Rockfish Program is authorized for five years, from January 1,
2007, until December 31, 2011. A brief overview of major provisions of
the Rockfish Program which have implications for the 2007 and 2008
harvest specifications follows.
The Rockfish Program allocates exclusive harvesting and processing
privileges for primary rockfish species and for associated species
harvested incidentally to those rockfish in the Central GOA, an area
from 147[deg] W. longitude to 159[deg] W. longitude. The primary
rockfish species are northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and
pelagic shelf rockfish. Secondary species are those species
incidentally harvested during the harvest of the primary rockfish
species fisheries and include Pacific cod, rougheye rockfish,
shortraker rockfish, sablefish, and thornyhead rockfish. The Rockfish
Program also allocates a portion of the total GOA halibut mortality
limit annually specified under Sec. 679.21 to participants based on
historic halibut mortality rates in the primary rockfish species
fisheries. The amounts of primary rockfish species, secondary species,
and halibut mortality to be allocated to the Rockfish Program will not
be known until eligible participants apply for participation in the
Program. These amounts will be posted on the Alaska Region website at
https://www.fakr.noaa.gov when they become available early in 2007.
The Rockfish Program also establishes catch limits, commonly called
``sideboards,'' to limit the ability of participants eligible for the
Rockfish Program to harvest fish in fisheries other than the Central
GOA rockfish fisheries. Sideboards limit the total amount of catch in
other groundfish fisheries that can be taken by eligible harvesters to
historic levels, including harvests made in the State's parallel
groundfish fisheries. Parallel fisheries are authorized by the State in
its waters concurrent with the Federal fishery. Parallel fisheries
catch is deducted from the Federal TACs. Sideboards limit catch in
specific rockfish fisheries and the amount of halibut bycatch that can
be used in certain flatfish fisheries. Tables 18 and 19 list the 2007
and 2008 final groundfish sideboard limitations.
[[Page 9679]]
Table 20 lists the 2007 and 2008 final halibut mortality limitations.
Changes From the Proposed 2007 and 2008 Harvest Specifications in the
GOA
In October 2006, the Council's recommendations for the proposed
2007 and 2008 harvest specifications (71 FR 75437, December 15, 2006)
were based largely upon information contained in the final 2005 SAFE
report for the GOA groundfish fisheries, dated November 2005. The
Council recommended that OFLs and ABCs for stocks in tiers 1 through 3
be based on biomass projections as set forth in the 2005 SAFE report
and estimates of groundfish harvests through the 2006 and 2007 fishing
years. For stocks in tiers 4 through 6, for which biomass projections
could not be made, the Council recommended the same OFL and ABC levels
for 2006 until the final 2006 SAFE report could be completed.
The 2006 SAFE report, dated November 2006, which was not available
when the Council made its recommendations in October 2006, contains the
best and most recent scientific information on the condition of the
groundfish stocks. This report was considered in December 2006 by the
Council when it made recommendations for the final 2007 and 2008
harvest specifications. Based on the final 2006 SAFE report, the sum of
the 2007 final TACs for the GOA (269,912 mt) is 5,544 mt greater than
the sum of the proposed TACs (264,367 mt). The largest 2007 increases
occurred for Pacific cod, from 44,705 mt to 52,264 mt (17 percent
increase); rex sole, from 8,700 mt to 9,100 mt (5 percent increase);
sablefish, from 13,700 mt to 14,310 mt (4 percent increase); and for
pelagic shelf rockfish, from 5,461 mt to 5,542 mt (1 percent increase).
The largest decreases occurred for pollock, from 70,507 mt to 68,307 mt
(3 percent decrease); and for northern rockfish, from 5,900 mt to 4,938
mt (16 percent decrease). Other increases or decreases in 2007 and 2008
are within these ranges.
Compared to the proposed 2007 and 2008 harvest specifications, the
Council's final 2007 and 2008 TAC recommendations increase fishing
opportunities for species for which the Council had sufficient
information to raise TAC levels. These include, Pacific cod, rex sole,
sablefish, and pelagic shelf rockfish. Conversely, the Council reduced
TAC levels to provide greater protection for several species including
pollock, deep water flatfish, Pacific ocean perch, and northern
rockfish. The changes recommended by the Council for the 2007 and 2008
fishing years were based on the best scientific information available,
consistent with National Standard 2 of the MSA, and within a reasonable
range of variation from the proposed TAC recommendations so that the
affected public was fairly apprized and could have made meaningful
comments based on the proposed specifications. Tables 1 and 2 list the
2007 and 2008 final OFL, ABC, and TAC amounts of the GOA groundfish.
Table 1 - Final 2007 ABCs, TACs, and OFLs of Groundfish for the Western/Central/West Yakutat (W/C/WYK), Western
(W), Central (C), Eastern (E) Regulatory Areas, and in the West Yakutat (WYK), Southeast Outside (SEO), and
Gulfwide (GW) Districts of the Gulf of Alaska
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Area\1\ ABC TAC OFL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock\2\ .................. .................. ................. .................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shumagin (610) 25,012 25,012 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chirikof (620) 20,890 20,980 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kodiak (630) 14,850 14,850 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK (640) 1,398 1,398 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal W/C/WYK 62,150 62,150 87,220
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO (650) 6,157 6,157 8,209
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 68,307 68,307 95,429
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific cod\3\ W 26,855 20,141 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 37,873 28,405 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 4,131 3,718 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 68,859 52,264 97,600
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flatfish\4\ (deep-water) W 420 420 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 4,163 4,163 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 2,677 2,677 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 1,447 1,447 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 8,707 8,707 10,431
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rex sole W 1,147 1,147 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 5,446 5,446 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 9680]]
WYK 1,037 1,037 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 1,470 1,470 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 9,100 9,100 11,900
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flathead sole W 10,908 2,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 26,054 5,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 2,091 2,091 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 57 57 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 39,110 9,148 48,658
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flatfish\5\(shallow-water) W 24,720 4,500 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 24,258 13,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 628 628 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 1,844 1,844 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 51,450 19,972 62,418
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arrowtooth flounder W 20,852 8,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 139,582 30,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 16,507 2,500 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 7,067 2,500 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 184,008 43,000 214,828
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sablefish\6\ W 2,470 2,470 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 6,190 6,190 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 2,280 2,280 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 3,370 3,370 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal E(WYK and SEO) 5,650 5,650 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 14,310 14,310 16,906
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific ocean perch\7\ W 4,244 4,244 4,976
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 7,612 7,612 8,922
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 1,140 1,140 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 1,640 1,640 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal E(WYK and SEO) 2,780 2,780 3,260
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 14,636 14,635 17,158
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shortraker rockfish\8\ W 153 153 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 353 353 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 337 337 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 843 843 1,124
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 9681]]
Rougheye rockfish\9\ W 136 136 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 611 611 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 241 241 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 988 988 1,148
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other rockfish\10,11\ W 577 577 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 386 386 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 319 319 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 2,872 200 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 4,154 1,482 5,394
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern rockfish\11,12\ W 1,439 1,439 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 3,499 3,499 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 0 0 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 4,938 4,938 5,890
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pelagic shelf rockfish\13\ W 1,466 1,466 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 3,325 3,325 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 307 307 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 444 444 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 5,542 5,542 6,458
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thornyhead rockfish W 513 513 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 989 989 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 707 707 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 2,209 2,209 2,945
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Big skates\14\ W 695 695 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 2,250 2,250 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 599 599 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.................. 3,544 3,544 4,726
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Longnose skates\15\ W 65 65 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 1,969 1,969 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 861 861 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.................. 2,895 2,895 3,860
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other skates\16\ GW 1,617 1,617 2,156
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Demersal shelf rockfish\17\ SEO 410 410 650
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Atka mackerel GW 4,700 1,500 6,200
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other species\18\ GW n/a 4,500 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 9682]]
TOTAL\19\ .................. 490,327 269,912 615,879
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\. Regulatory areas and districts are defined at Sec. 679.2.
\2\. Pollock is apportioned in the Western/Central Regulatory Areas among three statistical areas. During the A
season, the apportionment is based on an adjusted estimate of the relative distribution of pollock biomass of
approximately 30 percent, 48 percent, and 22 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively.
During the B season, the apportionment is based on the relative distribution of pollock biomass at 30 percent,
59 percent, and 11 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. During the C and D seasons,
the apportionment is based on the relative distribution of pollock biomass at 53 percent, 15 percent, and 32
percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. Tables 5 and 6 list the seasonal apportionments.
In the West Yakutat and Southeast Outside Districts of the Eastern Regulatory Area, pollock is not divided
into seasonal allowances.
\3\. The annual Pacific cod TAC is apportioned 60% to an A season and 40% to a B season in the Western and
Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA. Pacific cod is allocated 90% for processing by the inshore component and
10% for processing by the offshore component. Tables 7 and 8 list the 2007 and 2008 proposed seasonal
apportionments and component allocations of TAC.
\4\. ''Deep-water flatfish'' means Dover sole, Greenland turbot, and deepsea sole.
\5\. ''Shallow-water flatfish'' means flatfish not including ''deep-water flatfish,'' flatheador arrowtooth
flounder.
\6\. Sablefish is allocated to trawl and hook-and-line gears for 2007 and to trawl gear in 2008. Tables 3 and 4
list these amounts.
\7\. ''Pacific ocean perch'' means Sebastes alutus.
\8\. ''Shortraker rockfish'' means Sebastes borealis.
\9\. ''Rougheye rockfish'' means Sebastes aleutianus.
\10\. ''Other rockfish'' in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas and in the West Yakutat District means
slope rockfish and demersal shelf rockfish. The category ''other rockfish'' in the SEO District means slope
rockfish.
\11\. ''Slope rockfish'' means Sebastes aurora (aurora), S. melanostomus (blackgill), S. paucispinis (bocaccio),
S. goodei (chilipepper), S. crameri (darkblotch), S. elongatus (greenstriped), S. variegatus (harlequin), S.
wilsoni (pygmy), S. babcocki (redbanded), S. proriger (redstripe), S. zacentrus (sharpchin), S. jordani
(shortbelly), S. brevispinis (silvergrey), S. diploproa (splitnose), S. saxicola (stripetail), S. miniatus
(vermilion), and S. reedi (yellowmouth). In the Eastern GOA only, slope rockfish also includes northern
rockfish, S. polyspinous.
\12\. ''Northern rockfish'' means Sebastes polyspinis.
\13\. ''Pelagic shelf rockfish'' means Sebastes ciliatus (dark), S. variabilis (dusky), S. entomelas (widow),
and S. flavidus (yellowtail).
\14\. Big skate means Raja binoculata.
\15\. Longnose skate means Raja rhina.
\16\. Other skates means Bathyraja spp.
\17\. ''Demersal shelf rockfish'' means Sebastes pinniger (canary), S. nebulosus (china), S. caurinus (copper),
S. maliger (quillback), S. helvomaculatus (rosethorn), S. nigrocinctus (tiger), and S. ruberrimus (yelloweye).
\18\. ''Other species'' means sculpins, sharks, squid, and octopus. There is no OFL or ABC for ''other
species.'' The FMP specifies that the amount for the ''other species'' category be set at an amount less than
or equal to 5% of the combined TAC amounts for target species.
\19\. The total ABC and OFL is the sum of the ABCs and OFLs for assessed target species.
Table 2 - Final 2008 ABCs, TACs, and OFLs of Groundfish for the Western/Central/West Yakutat (W/C/WYK), Western
(W), Central (C), Eastern (E) Regulatory Areas, and in the West Yakutat (WYK), Southeast Outside (SEO), and
Gulfwide (GW) Districts of the Gulf of Alaska (values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
(values are rounded to the nearest metric ton)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Area\1\ ABC TAC OFL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock\2\ .................. .................. ................. .................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shumagin (610) 30,308 30,308 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chirikof (620) 25,313 25,313 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kodiak (630) 17,995 17,995 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK (640) 1,694 1,694 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal W/C/WYK 75,310 75,310 105,490
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO (650) 6,157 6,157 8,209
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 81,467 81,467 113,699
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific cod\3\ W 27,846 20,885 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 39,270 29,453 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 4,284 3,856 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 71,400 54,194 86,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flatfish\4\ (deep-water) W 430 430 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 4,296 4,296 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 9683]]
WYK 2,763 2,763 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 1,494 1,494 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 8,983 8,983 11,412
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rex sole W 1,122 1,122 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 5,327 5,327 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 1,014 1,014 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 1,437 1,437 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 8,900 8,900 11,600
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flathead sole W 11,464 2,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 27,382 5,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 2,198 2,198 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 60 60 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 41,104 9,258 51,146
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flatfish\5\(shallow-water) W 24,720 4,500 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 24,258 13,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 628 628 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 1,844 1,844 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 51,450 19,972 62,418
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arrowtooth flounder W 21,164 8,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 141,673 30,000 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 16,754 2,500 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 7,172 2,500 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 186,763 43,000 218,020
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sablefish\6\ W 2,458 2,458 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 6,159 6,159 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 2,269 2,269 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 3,353 3,353 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal E(WYK and SEO) 5,622 5,622 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 14,239 14,239 15,803
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific ocean perch\7\ W 4,291 4,291 5,030
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 7,694 7,694 9,019
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 1,153 1,153 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 1,659 1,659 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal E(WYK and SEO) 2,812 2,812 3,296
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 9684]]
Total .................. 14,797 14,797 17,345
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shortraker rockfish\8\ W 153 153 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 353 353 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 337 337 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 843 843 1,124
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rougheye rockfish\9\ W 137 137 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 614 614 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 242 242 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 993 993 1,197
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other rockfish\10,11\ W 577 577 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 386 386 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 319 319 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 2,872 200 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 4,154 1,482 5,394
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern rockfish\11,12\ W 1,383 1,383 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 3,365 3,365 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 0 0 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 4,748 4,748 5,660
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pelagic shelf rockfish\13\ W 1,752 1,752 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 3,973 3,973 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WYK 366 366 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO 531 531 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 6,622 6,622 8,186
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thornyhead rockfish W 513 513 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 989 989 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 707 707 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 2,209 2,209 2,945
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Big skates\14\ W 695 695 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 2,250 2,250 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 599 599 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total .................. 3,544 3,544 4,726
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Longnose skates\15\ W 65 65 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C 1,969 1,969 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E 861 861 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 9685]]
Total .................. 2,895 2,895 3,860
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other skates\16\ GW 1,617 1,617 2,156
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Demersal shelf rockfish\17\ SEO 410 410 650
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Atka mackerel GW 4,700 1,500 6,200
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other species\18\ GW n/a 4,500 n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL\19\ .................. 511,838 286,173 629,541
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\. Regulatory areas and districts are defined at Sec. 679.2.
\2\. Pollock is apportioned in the Western/Central Regulatory Areas among three statistical areas. During the A
season, the apportionment is based on an adjusted estimate of the relative distribution of pollock biomass of
approximately 30 percent, 48 percent, and 22 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively.
During the B season, the apportionment is based on the relative distribution of pollock biomass at 30 percent,
59 percent, and 11 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. During the C and D seasons,
the apportionment is based on the relative distribution of pollock biomass at 53 percent, 15 percent, and 32
percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630, respectively. Tables 5 and 6 list the seasonal apportionments.
In the West Yakutat and Southeast Outside Districts of the Eastern Regulatory Area, pollock is not divided
into seasonal allowances.
\3\. The annual Pacific cod TAC is apportioned 60% to an A season and 40% to a B season in the Western and
Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA. Pacific cod is allocated 90% for processing by the inshore component and
10% for processing by the offshore component. Tables 7 and 8 list the 2007 and 2008 proposed seasonal
apportionments and component allocations of TAC.
\4\. ''Deep-water flatfish'' means Dover sole, Greenland turbot, and deepsea sole.
\5\. ''Shallow-water flatfish'' means flatfish not including ''deep-water flatfish,'' flatheador arrowtooth
flounder.
\6\. Sablefish is allocated to trawl and hook-and-line gears for 2007 and to trawl gear in 2008. Tables 3 and 4
list these amounts.
\7\. ''Pacific ocean perch'' means Sebastes alutus.
\8\. ''Shortraker rockfish'' means Sebastes borealis.
\9\. ''Rougheye rockfish'' means Sebastes aleutianus.
\10\. ''Other rockfish'' in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas and in the West Yakutat District means
slope rockfish and demersal shelf rockfish. The category ''other rockfish'' in the SEO District means slope
rockfish.
\11\. ''Slope rockfish'' means Sebastes aurora (aurora), S. melanostomus (blackgill), S. paucispinis (bocaccio),
S. goodei (chilipepper), S. crameri (darkblotch), S. elongatus (greenstriped), S. variegatus (harlequin), S.
wilsoni (pygmy), S. babcocki (redbanded), S. proriger (redstripe), S. zacentrus (sharpchin), S. jordani
(shortbelly), S. brevispinis (silvergrey), S. diploproa (splitnose), S. saxicola (stripetail), S. miniatus
(vermilion), and S. reedi (yellowmouth). In the Eastern GOA only, slope rockfish also includes northern
rockfish, S. polyspinous.
\12\. ''Northern rockfish'' means Sebastes polyspinis.
\13\. ''Pelagic shelf rockfish'' means Sebastes ciliatus (dark), S. variabilis (dusky), S. entomelas (widow),
and S. flavidus (yellowtail).
\14\. Big skate means Raja binoculata.
\15\. Longnose skate means Raja rhina.
\16\. Other skates means Bathyraja spp.
\17\. ''Demersal shelf rockfish'' means Sebastes pinniger (canary), S. nebulosus (china), S. caurinus (copper),
S. maliger (quillback), S. helvomaculatus (rosethorn), S. nigrocinctus (tiger), and S. ruberrimus (yelloweye).
\18\. ''Other species'' means sculpins, sharks, squid, and octopus. There is no OFL or ABC for ''other
spec
