A Vessel License Limitation Program for the Pacific Whiting Fishery; Amendment 15 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, 14765-14766 [E8-5561]

Download as PDF 14765 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 54 / Wednesday, March 19, 2008 / Proposed Rules Adjusted trips (full-time, parttime, occasional) Adjusted trips (general category) Adjusted 2009 research setaside TAC Adjusted 2009 observer setaside TAC 0, 0, 0 Exploitable biomass estimate (mt) 491 0.08 0.04 Less than 10,000 * Part-time vessels may take one trip in the Elephant Trunk Access Area at a reduced possession limit of 3,600 lb (1,633 kg) and one trip in the NLCA with a possession limit of 18,000 lb (8,165 kg). * * Occasional vessels may take 1 trip in the Nantucket Lightship Access Area or one trip in the Elephant Trunk Access Area. (3) Table of Delmarva Access Area TAC and trip allocation adjustments based on exploitable biomass estimates and revised target TAC levels. The following table specifies the adjustments that shall be made through the procedure specified in paragraph (a)(3)(i)(F)(1) of this section under Adjusted trips (full-time, parttime, occasional) 10,000 or greater Less than 10,000 Adjusted trips (general category) Adjusted 2009 research setaside TAC Adjusted 2009 observer setaside TAC No adjustment 0,0,0 Exploitable biomass estimate (mt) No adjustment 0 No adjustment 0 No adjustment 0 observer set-aside for the Elephant Trunk Access Area is 222,000 lb (101 mt), and 162,000 lb (73 mt), respectively, unless the 2009 set-aside is adjusted as specified in paragraph (a)(3)(i)(E) of this section. (iv) Delmarva Access Area. For the 2009 fishing year, the observer set-aside for the Delmarva Access Area is 60,000 lb (27 mt), unless the 2009 set-aside is adjusted as specified in paragraph (a)(3)(i)(E) of this section. * * * * * (e) * * * (1) Research set-aside limits and number of trips by area—(i) Nantucket Lightship Access Area. For the 2008 fishing year, the research set-aside for Permit Category Possession the Nantucket Lightship Access Area is Limit Fishing 110,000 lb (50 mt). Year Occa(ii) Closed Area II Access Area. For Full-time Part-time sional the 2009 fishing year, the research set2008 18,000 lb 18,000 lb 7,500 lb aside for the Closed Area II Access Area (8,165 (8,165 (3,402 is 116,000 lb (53 mt). (iii) Elephant Trunk Access Area. For kg) kg) kg) 2009 18,000 lb 18,000 7,500 lb the 2008 and 2009 fishing years, the (8,165 lb1 (3,402 research set-aside for the Elephant kg) (8,165 kg) Trunk Access Area is 440,000 lb (200 kg) mt), and 324,000 lb (147 mt), 1 Unless reduced per § 648.60(a)(3)(i)(E)(2) respectively, unless the 2009 set-aside is adjusted as specified in paragraph * * * * * (a)(3)(i)(E) of this section. (d) Possession limit to defray costs of (iv) Delmarva Access Area. For the observers—(1) Observer set-aside limits by area—(i) Nantucket Lightship Access 2009 fishing year, the research set-aside for the Delmarva Access Area is 120,000 Area. For the 2008 fishing year, the lb (54 mt), unless the 2009 set-aside is observer set-asides for the Nantucket adjusted as specified in paragraph Lightship Access Area is 55,000 lb (25 (a)(3)(i)(E) of this section. mt). * * * * * (ii) Closed Area II Access Area. For 10. The following revision to § 648.62 the 2009 fishing year, the observer setaside for the Closed Area II Access Area is based on the proposed rule for Amendment 11 (72 FR 71315, December is 58,000 lb (26 mt). (iii) Elephant Trunk Access Area. For 17, 2007). In § 648.62, paragraph (b)(1) the 2008 and 2009 fishing years, the is revised to read as follows. * * * * (5) Possession and landing limits—(i) Scallop possession limits. Unless authorized by the Regional Administrator, as specified in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, after declaring a trip into a Sea Scallop Access Area, a vessel owner or operator of a limited access scallop vessel may fish for, possess, and land, per trip, scallops, up to the maximum amounts specified in the table in this paragraph (a)(5). No vessel fishing in the Sea Scallop Access Area may possess shoreward of the VMS demarcation line, or land, more than 50 bu (17.6 hl) of inshell scallops. mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with PROPOSALS * VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:15 Mar 18, 2008 various biomass estimates and adjusted 2009 target TAC estimates: Jkt 214001 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 § 648.62 Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) scallop management area. * * * * * (b) * * * (1) NGOM TAC. The TAC for the NGOM shall be 70,000 lb (31.8 mt) for both the 2008 and 2009 fishing years. * * * * * [FR Doc. 08–1055 Filed 3–14–08; 4:08 pm] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 660 RIN 0648–AW08 A Vessel License Limitation Program for the Pacific Whiting Fishery; Amendment 15 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Availability of an amendment to a fishery management plan; request for comments. AGENCY: SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 15 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for review by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary). Amendment 15 would modify the FMP to implement a limited entry program for the non-tribal Pacific whiting fishery. Amendment 15 is intended to limit participation in the Pacific whiting fishery within the U.S. West Coast E:\FR\FM\19MRP1.SGM 19MRP1 14766 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 54 / Wednesday, March 19, 2008 / Proposed Rules Exclusive Economic Zone until the implementing of a trawl rationalization program in the Pacific whiting fishery. DATES: Comments on Amendment 15 must be received on or before May 19, 2008. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0648–AW08 by any of the following methods: • Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the FederaleRulemaking Portal https:// www.regulations.gov. • Fax: 206–526–6736, Attn: Becky Renko. • Mail: D. Robert Lohn, Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, Attn: Becky Renko, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115–0070. Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted to https:// www.regulations.gov without change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will accept anonymous comments. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Becky Renko (Northwest Region, NMFS), phone: 206–526–6129; fax: 206– 526–6736; and e-mail: becky.renko@noaa.gov. mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with PROPOSALS SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Electronic Access Amendment 15 is available on the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Council’s or Pacific Council’s) website at: https://www.pcouncil.org/groundfish/ gffmp.html. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that each regional fishery management council submit any FMP or plan amendment it prepares to NMFS for review and approval, disapproval, or partial approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, upon receiving an FMP or amendment, immediately publish a notice that the FMP or amendment is available for public review and comment. NMFS will consider the public comments received during the comment period described above in determining whether to approve Amendment 15 to the FMP. Amendment 15 would implement a limited entry program for the Pacific whiting fishery, which occurs within VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:15 Mar 18, 2008 Jkt 214001 the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. The whiting fishery is currently managed with separate allocations for the tribal and non-tribal whiting fisheries, and with sectorspecific whiting allocations for the three non-tribal sectors: mothership, catcher/ processor, and shore-based. Vessels that participate in the mothership sector include both the motherships themselves and the catcher vessels that deliver to the at-sea mothership processors. Vessels that participate in the catcher/processor sector are selfcontained at-sea processors that both catch and process fish. Vessels that participate in the shore-based sector are catcher vessels that deliver their catch to land-based processing plants. This action would limit participation in each of the three non-tribal sectors of the Pacific whiting fishery to those vessels, both catcher vessels and at-sea processing vessels, with historic participation in those particular sectors. NMFS welcomes comments on the proposed FMP amendment through the end of the comment period. A proposed rule to implement Amendment 15 has been submitted for Secretarial review and approval. NMFS expects to publish and request public review and comment on proposed regulations to implement Amendment 15 in the near future. Public comments on the proposed rule must be received by the end of the comment period on the amendment to be considered in the approval/ disapproval decision on the amendment. All comments received by the end of the comment period for the amendment, whether specifically directed to the amendment or the proposed rule, will be considered in the approval/disapproval decision. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: March 13, 2008. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E8–5561 Filed 3–18–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 680 RIN 0648–AW37 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management plan; request for comments. AGENCY: SUMMARY: NMFS proposes Amendment 24 the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP) to: specify a fivetier system for determining the status of the crab stocks managed under the FMP, establish a process for annually assigning each crab stock to a tier and for setting the overfishing and overfished levels, and reduce the number of crab stocks managed under the FMP. Amendment 24 is necessary to establish new overfishing definitions that contain objective and measurable criteria for determining whether each managed stock is overfished or whether overfishing is occurring and to remove several crab stocks managed by the State of Alaska from FMP management. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, and other applicable laws. Comments on Amendment 24 must be submitted on or before May 19, 2008. ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian. You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0648– AW37, by any one of the following methods: • Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at https://www.regulations.gov. • Mail: P. O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802. • Fax: (907) 586–7557. • Hand delivery to the Federal Building: 709 West 9th Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be DATES: E:\FR\FM\19MRP1.SGM 19MRP1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 19, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 14765-14766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5561]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

RIN 0648-AW08


A Vessel License Limitation Program for the Pacific Whiting 
Fishery; Amendment 15 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 
Management Plan

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Availability of an amendment to a fishery management plan; 
request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) has submitted Amendment 15 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for review by the Secretary of Commerce 
(Secretary). Amendment 15 would modify the FMP to implement a limited 
entry program for the non-tribal Pacific whiting fishery. Amendment 15 
is intended to limit participation in the Pacific whiting fishery 
within the U.S. West Coast

[[Page 14766]]

Exclusive Economic Zone until the implementing of a trawl 
rationalization program in the Pacific whiting fishery.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 15 must be received on or before May 19, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0648-AW08 by any 
of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the FederaleRulemaking Portal https://www.regulations.gov.
     Fax: 206-526-6736, Attn: Becky Renko.
     Mail: D. Robert Lohn, Administrator, Northwest Region,
    NMFS, Attn: Becky Renko, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-
0070.
    Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record 
and will generally be posted to https://www.regulations.gov without 
change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, 
address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments. Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or 
Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Becky Renko (Northwest Region, NMFS), 
phone: 206-526-6129; fax: 206-526-6736; and e-mail: 
becky.renko@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    Amendment 15 is available on the Pacific Fishery Management 
Council's (Council's or Pacific Council's) website at: https://
www.pcouncil.org/groundfish/gffmp.html.
    The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that each regional fishery management 
council submit any FMP or plan amendment it prepares to NMFS for review 
and approval, disapproval, or partial approval. The Magnuson-Stevens 
Act also requires that NMFS, upon receiving an FMP or amendment, 
immediately publish a notice that the FMP or amendment is available for 
public review and comment. NMFS will consider the public comments 
received during the comment period described above in determining 
whether to approve Amendment 15 to the FMP.
    Amendment 15 would implement a limited entry program for the 
Pacific whiting fishery, which occurs within the U.S. Exclusive 
Economic Zone off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. The 
whiting fishery is currently managed with separate allocations for the 
tribal and non-tribal whiting fisheries, and with sector-specific 
whiting allocations for the three non-tribal sectors: mothership, 
catcher/processor, and shore-based. Vessels that participate in the 
mothership sector include both the motherships themselves and the 
catcher vessels that deliver to the at-sea mothership processors. 
Vessels that participate in the catcher/processor sector are self-
contained at-sea processors that both catch and process fish. Vessels 
that participate in the shore-based sector are catcher vessels that 
deliver their catch to land-based processing plants. This action would 
limit participation in each of the three non-tribal sectors of the 
Pacific whiting fishery to those vessels, both catcher vessels and at-
sea processing vessels, with historic participation in those particular 
sectors.
    NMFS welcomes comments on the proposed FMP amendment through the 
end of the comment period. A proposed rule to implement Amendment 15 
has been submitted for Secretarial review and approval. NMFS expects to 
publish and request public review and comment on proposed regulations 
to implement Amendment 15 in the near future. Public comments on the 
proposed rule must be received by the end of the comment period on the 
amendment to be considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the 
amendment. All comments received by the end of the comment period for 
the amendment, whether specifically directed to the amendment or the 
proposed rule, will be considered in the approval/disapproval decision.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: March 13, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-5561 Filed 3-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
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