Revisions to Framework Adjustment 51 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan and Sector Annual Catch Entitlements; Updated Annual Catch Limits for Sectors and the Common Pool for Fishing Year 2014, 63563-63577 [2014-25307]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
conservation and management of highly
migratory fish resources in the EPO.
The IATTC adopted Resolution C–13–
01, which establishes an annual catch
limit of bigeye tuna for large U.S.
longline vessels. For calendar years
2014, 2015, and 2016, the catch of
bigeye tuna by longline gear in the
IATTC Convention Area by fishing
vessels of the United States that are over
24 meters in overall length is limited to
500 metric tons per year. With the
approval of the DOS, NMFS
implemented this catch limit by noticeand-comment rulemaking under the Act
(79 FR 19487, April 9, 2014, and
codified at 50 CFR 300.25).
NMFS monitored the retained catches
of bigeye tuna using logbook data
submitted by vessel captains and other
available information from the longline
fisheries in the IATTC Convention Area,
and determined that the 2014 catch
limit is expected to be reached on
October 31, 2014. In accordance with 50
CFR 300.25(b), this Federal Register
notice announces that the U.S. longline
fishery for bigeye tuna in the IATTC
Convention Area will be closed for
vessels over 24 meters in overall length
starting on October 31, 2014, through
the end of the 2014 calendar year. The
2015 fishing year is scheduled to open
on January 1, 2015. The bigeye tuna
catch limit for longline vessels over 24
meters in overall length for 2015 will be
500 metric tons.
During the closure, a U.S. fishing
vessel over 24 meters in overall length
may not be used to retain on board,
transship, or land bigeye tuna captured
by longline gear in the IATTC
Convention Area, except as follows:
• Any bigeye tuna already on board a
fishing vessel upon the effective date of
the prohibitions may be retained on
board, transshipped, and/or landed, to
the extent authorized by applicable laws
and regulations, provided that they are
landed within 14 days after the
prohibitions become effective, that is, by
November 14, 2014.
• In the case of a vessel that has
declared to NMFS that the current trip
type is shallow-set longlining, the 14day limit is waived, but the number of
bigeye tuna retained on board,
transshipped, or landed must not
exceed the number on board the vessel
upon the effective date of the
prohibitions, as recorded by the NMFS
observer on board the vessel.
• Bigeye tuna caught by longline gear
used on a vessel of the United States
over 24 meters in the IATTC Convention
Area may not be transshipped to a
fishing vessel unless that fishing vessel
is operated in compliance with a valid
permit issued under 50 CFR 660.707 or
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14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Jkt 235001
665.801 (the rule implementing
Resolution C–13–1 incorrectly cited
§ 665.21, which has been re-codified as
§ 665.801).
• A fishing vessel of the United States
over 24 meters, other than a vessel for
which a declaration has been made to
NMFS that the current trip is shallowsetting, may not be used to fish in the
Pacific Ocean using longline gear both
inside and outside the IATTC
Convention Area during the same
fishing trip, with the exception of a
fishing trip during which the
prohibitions were put into effect.
• If a vessel over 24 meters that is not
on a declared shallow-set trip is used to
fish in the Pacific Ocean using longline
gear outside the IATTC Convention
Area and the vessel enters the IATTC
Convention Area at any time during the
same fishing trip, the longline gear on
the fishing vessel must be stowed in a
manner so as not to be readily available
for fishing. Specifically, the hooks,
branch lines, and floats must be stowed
and not available for immediate use,
and any power-operated mainline
hauler on deck must be covered in such
a manner that it is not readily available
for use.
Classification
There is good cause to waive prior
notice and opportunity for public
comment pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B).
This action is based on the best
available information and is necessary
for the conservation and management of
bigeye tuna. Compliance with the notice
and comment requirement would be
impracticable and contrary to the public
interest because NMFS would be unable
to ensure that the 2014 bigeye tuna
catch limit applicable to large longline
vessels is not exceeded. The annual
catch limit is an important mechanism
to ensure that the United States
complies with its international
obligations in preventing overfishing
and managing the fishery at optimum
yield. Moreover, NMFS previously
solicited public comments on the rule
that established the catch limit (79 FR
19487, April 9, 2014), including a
provision for issuing a notice to close
the fishery, if necessary, to prevent
exceeding the catch limit. For the same
reasons, there is good cause to establish
an effective date less than 30 days after
date of publication of this notice.
This action is required by § 300.25(b)
and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 951–962 et seq.
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63563
Dated: October 15, 2014.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–25293 Filed 10–21–14; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 140624530–4848–01]
RIN 0648–XD354
Revisions to Framework Adjustment
51 to the Northeast Multispecies
Fishery Management Plan and Sector
Annual Catch Entitlements; Updated
Annual Catch Limits for Sectors and
the Common Pool for Fishing Year
2014
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary final rule;
adjustment to specifications.
AGENCY:
Based on the final Northeast
multispecies sector rosters, we are
adjusting the fishing year 2014
specification of annual catch limits for
commercial groundfish vessels, as well
as sector annual catch entitlements for
groundfish stocks by adding carried
over catch from fishing year 2013 and
reducing quotas for some stocks by the
amount of overages exceeding their
limits in fishing year 2013, among other
adjustments. This revision to fishing
year 2014 catch levels is necessary to
account for changes in the number of
participants electing to fish in sectors.
DATES: Effective October 23, 2014,
through April 30, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Allison Murphy, Sector Policy Analyst,
(978) 281–9122.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The New
England Fishery Management Council
developed Amendment 16 to the
Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery
Management Plan (FMP), in part, to
establish a process for setting
groundfish annual catch limits (also
referred to as ACLs or catch limits) and
accountability measures. The Council
has a biennial review process to develop
catch limits and revise management
measures. Framework Adjustment 51
and concurrent emergency actions set
annual catch limits for nine groundfish
stocks and three jointly managed U.S./
Canada stocks for fishing years 2014–
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES
2015. Recently, we partially approved
Framework 51, which became effective
on May 1, 2014 (79 FR 22421; April 22,
2014), and also approved fishing year
2014 sector operations plans and
allocations (79 FR 23278; April 28,
2014; ‘‘sector rule’’). A sector receives
an allocation of each stock, or annual
catch entitlement (referred to as ACE, or
allocation), based on its members’ catch
histories. State-operated permit banks
also receive an allocation that can be
transferred to qualifying sector vessels
(for more information, see the final rule
implementing Amendment 17 (77 FR
16942; March 23, 2012)). The sum of all
sector and state-operated permit bank
allocations is referred to as the sector
sub-ACL in the FMP. Whatever
groundfish allocation remains after
sectors and state-operated permit banks
receive their allocations is then
allocated to vessels not enrolled in a
sector (referred to as the common pool).
This allocation is also referred to as the
common pool sub-ACL. This rule
adjusts the both the sector and common
pool fishing year 2014 sub-ACLs based
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14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Jkt 235001
on final sector membership, which was
established as of May 1, 2014.
Permitted vessels that wish to fish in
a sector must enroll by December 1 of
each year, with the fishing year
beginning the following May 1 and
lasting through April 30 of the next
year. However, due to a delay in
distributing each vessel’s potential
contribution to a sector’s quota for
fishing year 2014, we extended the
deadline to join a sector until March 6,
2014. Because of this extended
deadline, and the fact that vessels had
until April 30, 2014, to drop out of a
sector and fish in the common pool,
fishing year 2013 membership was used
to estimate sector ACEs in the
Framework 51 final rule. The fishing
year 2014 sector final rule, which
published later than the Framework 51
final rule, used March 6, 2014, rosters
to estimate sector ACEs.
The final number of permits enrolled
in a sector or state-operated permit bank
for fishing year 2014 is 845, which is 4
less than the March 6, 2013, roster. All
sector allocations assume that each NE
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multispecies vessel enrolled in a sector
has a valid permit for fishing year 2014.
Tables 1, 2, and 3 (below) explain the
revised fishing year 2014 allocations as
a percentage and absolute amount (in
metric tons and pounds).
Table 4 compares the preliminary
allocations based on fishing year 2013
membership published in the
Framework 51 proposed and final rules,
with the revised allocations based on
the final sector and state-operated
permit bank rosters as of May 1, 2014.
The table shows that changes in sector
allocations due to updated rosters range
from a decrease of 0.86 percent of
Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic
(SNE/MA) yellowtail flounder, to an
increase of 0.40 percent of Georges Bank
(GB) yellowtail flounder. Common pool
allocation adjustments range between a
2.94-percent decrease in GB cod, to a
15.79-percent increase in redfish. The
changes in the common-pool allocations
are greater because the common pool
has a significantly lower allocation for
all stocks.
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
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VerDate Sep<11>2014
Jkt 235001
Sector
Name
PO 00000
FGS
MCCS
MPB
Frm 00069
NCCS
NEFS 1
NEFS2
Fmt 4700
NEFS 3
NEFS4
NEFS 5
CC/GOM
Yellowtail
Flounder
1.84
2.55
1.12
0.01
0.00
0.31
0.67
O.Dl
0.36
0.00
16.36
0.84
0.00
1.91
0.03
0.73
0.00
1.42
2.90
1.05
0.32
GOM
Cod
GB
Haddock
GOM
Haddock
110
46
11
27
27.72
0.21
2.51
4.60
0.13
0.17
3
81
0.00
1.15
0.85
0.03
18.24
5.76
0.04
0.04
0.12
Witch
Flounder
GB
Winter
Flounder
GOM
Winter
Flounder
SNEIMA
Winter
Flounder
0.98
7.56
2.13
5.06
0.03
0.01
12.87
1.16
0.16
0.73
0.22
1.67
0.19
0.02
0.01
0.01
12.80
0.00
0.07
0.00
3.22
1.96
0.42
0.93
0.05
18.43
White
Hake
Pollock
5.70
4.40
7.38
3.80
0.30
0.00
3.27
2.74
2.50
0.82
0.43
1.65
0.81
1.69
0.51
0.00
14.74
0.00
5.94
0.00
11.26
Redfish
Sfmt 4725
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
0.15
5.32
1.05
0.36
2.38
22.53
2.84
0.03
9.29
0.49
8.50
0.67
0.69
0.52
0.77
1.29
12.01
4.75
5.47
0.48
9.49
6.24
0.07
1.34
8.35
0.29
0.01
2.16
1.61
8.86
9.59
0.01
6.64
0.08
8.06
0.12
6.81
6.14
0.11
2.87
4.66
2.95
0.39
2.92
4.62
3.85
0.47
2.70
10.08
5.31
4.11
3.74
2.35
3.88
3.53
5.20
3.24
1.51
12.97
4.55
0.75
1.94
5.15
5.31
0.59
3.91
0.82
3.29
0.71
6.14
14.24
0.73
0.41
0.46
1.73
5.21
13.62
6.00
11.61
0.25
0.04
0.20
4.80
2.53
3.21
11.26
26.79
0.02
6.40
10.41
12.67
2.59
1.72
8.27
1.70
2.10
2.57
8.28
2.39
2.07
15.55
39.51
0.01
3.16
2.43
17.84
2.25
10.13
18.67
0.73
0.02
0.55
5.83
0.55
0.51
4.15
0.89
4.83
0.61
4.23
1.39
9.44
7.92
0.95
1.14
19.66
15.96
0.99
0.00
24.73
6.05
8.01
0.55
0.02
18.78
5.14
10.98
1.74
0.03
42.71
0.00
14.10
0.00
8.41
6.20
0.01
34.45
2.34
0.00
34.34
5.03
0.02
13.22
0.06
10.38
0.00
19.55
2.27
0.11
50
29
NEFS 6
NEFS 7
22
22
NEFS
NEFS
NEFS
NEFS
20
60
43
56
53
4
117
0.00
10.69
0.63
0.04
19.31
Plaice
7.87
4.06
78
NEFS 13
NHPB
SHS 1
SNE/MA
Yellowtail
Flounder
GB
Cod
5.78
1.26
4.14
0.78
8
9
10
11
GB
Yellowtail
Flounder
MRI
Count
0.00
20.65
14.42
9.28
0.03
39.51
0.00
7.26
0.00
17.31
1.99
3.98
0.02
0.08
50.77
0.16
24OCR1
51.30
SHS3
13
0.29
0.15
0.40
0.07
2.21
2.27
1.13
0.66
0.61
0.46
1.32
1.12
0.18
845
98.11
99.31
99.01
Sector Total
96.61
99.14
95.54
87.82
97.67
98.45
81.92
98.13
97.97
99.58
99.30
Common
Pool
528
1.89
2.33
0.69
0.99
1.55
18.08
3.39
1.87
2.03
0.86
4.46
12.18
0.42
0.70
-Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector (FGS), Maine Coast Community Sector (MCCS), Maine Permit Bank (M PB), Northeast Coastal Communities Sector (NCCS) , Northeast Fishery Sectors
(NEFS), New Hampshire Permit Bank (NH PB), and Sustainable Harvest Sector (SHS)
1All ACE values for sectors outlined in Table 1 assume that each sector permit is valid for fishing year 2014.
39.56
0.07
99.36
0.64
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Table 1. Final Percentage (%) of ACE for Each Sector by Stock for Fishing Year 2014 1
63565
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63566
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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Sector Name
FGS
PO 00000
MCCS
GB
Cod
West
GB
Haddock
East
GOM
Cod
GB
Haddock
West
GOM
Haddock
GB
Yellowtail
Flonnder
SNE/MA
Yellowtail
Flonnder
CC/GOM
Yellowtail
Flonnder
Plaice
Witch
Flonnder
GB
Winter
Flounder
GOM
Winter
Flounder
SNEIMA
Winter
Flounder
Redfish
White
Hake
Pollock
41
449
21
577
413
4
0
2
14
14
13
I
92
20
290
244
976
0
3
38
4
3
6
0
4
5
104
31
0
14
2
264
188
502
Frm 00070
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4725
MPB
0
2
10
4
3
2
0
0
2
16
4
0
3
0
87
71
223
NCCS
0
3
7
12
9
I
2
4
3
2
I
2
7
4
46
35
67
NEFS I
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NEFS2
9
94
151
1070
766
36
5
8
92
109
78
109
132
40
1558
254
1489
NEFS3
2
20
120
15
10
20
0
2
42
56
17
I
68
9
142
203
901
NEFS4
6
67
80
532
381
18
6
13
26
128
52
24
45
16
702
345
812
NEFS5
I
13
0
105
76
I
4
127
2
7
4
17
0
145
8
5
14
435
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
NEFS6
4
46
25
293
210
8
7
30
18
54
32
51
33
23
561
167
NEFS7
7
76
3
462
331
I
26
23
II
49
20
439
5
62
62
35
94
NEFS8
9
100
4
600
430
0
29
34
31
24
16
526
23
123
58
22
80
559
NEFS9
21
231
14
1161
832
11
68
45
50
114
50
1337
17
226
616
178
NEFS 10
I
12
43
25
18
6
0
3
61
24
15
0
127
9
58
38
184
NEFS II
I
7
113
4
3
7
0
0
12
29
13
0
16
0
210
207
1248
NEFS 13
12
128
8
1596
1144
2
63
106
24
71
38
246
17
133
421
74
300
24OCR1
NHPB
0
0
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
3
15
SHS I
31
335
163
3435
2461
94
36
47
63
546
210
586
74
237
5419
2172
5231
SHS3
0
5
1
40
29
0
6
13
5
9
4
16
9
14
19
7
10
145
1590
811
9935
7117
218
251
462
463
1356
598
3356
683
1063
10521
4248
13139
31
19
69
50
2
4
102
16
26
3
TAll ACE values for sectors outlined in Table 2 assume that each sector permit is valid for fishing year 2014.
2These values do not include any potential ACE carryover or deductions from fishing year 2013 sector ACE underages or overages.
12
29
32
147
44
30
85
Sector Total
Common Pool
ER24OC14.001</GPH>
GB
Cod
East
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Table 2. Final ACE for Each Sector by Stock for Fishing Year 2014 (mt) 1•2
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Sector Name
FGS
GB
Cod
East
GB
Cod
West
GOM
Cod
GB
Haddock
East
GB
Haddock
West
GOM
Haddock
GB
Yellowtail
Flounder
SNE/MA
Yellowtail
Flounder
CC/GOM
Yellowtail
Flounder
Plaice
Witch
Flounder
GB
Winter
Flounder
GOM
Winter
Flounder
SNEIMA
Winter
Flounder
Redfish
White
Hake
Pollock
PO 00000
Frm 00071
90
991
46
1271
911
9
0
4
31
30
29
2
203
45
638
538
2151
MCCS
1
8
84
9
6
12
0
8
11
230
68
1
31
5
583
415
1107
MPB
0
5
21
10
7
5
0
0
3
35
10
0
7
0
191
156
492
148
NCCS
1
6
16
27
19
2
5
9
7
5
3
5
15
8
101
77
NEFS 1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
NEFS2
19
207
334
2358
1689
79
11
18
204
240
172
240
290
87
3434
560
3282
Sfmt 4725
NEFS6
9
102
54
645
462
19
15
66
40
118
70
113
72
52
1237
369
960
NEFS7
15
167
7
1018
729
2
57
51
25
107
44
968
12
137
136
77
207
NEFS8
20
220
8
1323
948
I
63
75
68
52
35
1160
50
270
128
48
177
NEFS9
46
509
32
2560
1834
23
150
100
110
252
111
2948
38
498
1358
392
1232
NEFS 10
2
26
95
55
40
12
0
7
134
52
32
I
281
20
127
84
405
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Fmt 4700
NEFS3
4
45
264
32
23
45
0
4
94
124
38
2
150
21
313
448
1985
NEFS4
14
148
176
1173
840
41
12
30
58
283
114
52
98
34
1547
760
1790
NEFS5
3
28
0
233
167
1
9
280
5
15
9
38
1
320
18
11
31
24OCR1
NEFS 11
1
15
249
8
6
16
0
0
27
64
28
0
35
I
462
456
2751
NEFS 13
26
283
17
3519
2521
5
139
233
53
157
83
542
37
293
927
164
662
NHPB
0
0
21
0
0
0
0
0
0
I
0
0
1
0
5
8
32
SHS 1
67
738
360
7573
5426
207
79
105
140
1204
463
1292
163
522
11948
4788
11533
SHS 3
I
10
3
89
63
0
12
28
12
20
8
34
21
30
42
15
22
320
3506
1787
21903
15691
480
552
1019
1020
2990
1317
7399
1505
2343
23195
9366
28966
27
64
70
325
97
66
188
Sector Total
Common Pool
6
67
43
152
109
5
9
225
36
57
All ACE values for sectors outlined in Table 3 assume that each sector permit is valid for fishing year 2014.
2 These values do not include any poteotial ACE carryover or deductions from fishing year 2013 sector ACE underages or overages.
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Table 3. Final ACE for Each Sector by Stock for Fishing Year 2014 (1,000 lb) 1'2
63567
ER24OC14.002</GPH>
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63568
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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PO 00000
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E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
24OCR1
GBCod
GOMCod
GB
Haddock
GOM
Haddock
GB
Yellowtail
Flounder
SNE/MA
Yellowtail
Flounder
CC/GOM
Yellowtail
Flounder
Plaice
Witch
Flounder
GB Winter
Flounder
GOM
Winter
Flounder
SNE/MA
Winter
Flounder
Redfish
White
Hake
Pollock
1769
1316
17171
307
254.5
564
479
1382
610
3385
715
1210
10565
4278
13224
34
19
122
2
4
98
16
25
12
26
32
138
38
29
86
Adjusted
FY2014
Common
Pool
Allocation
33
19
119
2
4
102
16
26
12
29
32
147
44
30
85
%Change
-2.94%
0.00%
-2.46%
0.00%
0.00%
4.08%
0.00%
4.00%
0.00%
11.54%
0.00%
6.52%
15.79%
3.45%
-1.16%
1735
811
17049
218
250
466
463
1357
598
3359
683
1072
10527
4249
13138
1736
811
17052
218
251
462
463
1356
598
3356
683
1063
10521
4248
13139
0.06%
0.00%
0.02%
0.00%
0.40%
-0.86%
0.00%
-0.07%
0.00%
-0.09%
0.00%
-0.84%
-0.06%
-0.02%
0.01%
Total
Commercial
Allocation
FY2014
Common
Pool
Allocation
based on
FY2013
sector
membership
FY 2014
Sector
Allocation
based on
FY 2013
sector
membership
Adjusted
FY2014
Sector
Allocation
%Change
I All values for sectors outlined in Table 4 assume that each sector permit is valid for fishing year 2014.
ER24OC14.003</GPH>
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Table 4. Comparison of Allocations Between the Framework 51 Final Rule and May 1, 2014, Sector Rosters (mt) 1
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES
We have completed fishing year 2013
data reconciliation with sectors and
allowed a 2-week window for any sector
with an overage to trade fishing year
2013 ACE to balance the overage. We
have since determined final fishing year
2013 sector catch and the amount of
quota that sectors may carry from
fishing year 2013 into fishing year 2014.
A recent emergency rule (79 FR 36433;
June 27, 2014) described changes to
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Jkt 235001
carryover and catch accounting in
response to litigation by Conservation
Law Foundation (Conservation Law
Foundation v. Pritzker, et al. (Case No.
1:13–CV–0821–JEB)). The Court
invalidated the previous carryover
measures because those measures failed
to prevent total potential catches of
certain stocks (ACEs plus carryover)
from exceeding their annual biological
catch (ABC). This rule ensures that
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
63569
catch does not exceed the ABC for any
stock. Because of this, the maximum
carryover for certain stocks may be
lower than what a sector expects. Table
5 includes the maximum amount of
quota that sectors may carry over from
fishing year 2013 into fishing year 2014.
Table 6 includes the de minimis amount
of quota that sectors may carry over
from fishing year 2013 into fishing year
2014.
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
24OCR1
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES
63570
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Jkt 235001
Sector
GBCod
West
GB
Haddock
West
GOM
Cod
GOM
Haddock
SNE/MA
Yellowtail
Flounder
CC/GOM
Yellowtail
Flounder
Witch
Flounder
Plaice
GB Winter
Flounder
GOM
Winter
Flounder
SNE
Winter
Flounder
White
Hake
Redfish
Pollock
PO 00000
Frm 00074
0
284
1,575
993
0
64
3,275
2,646
34,596
29,651
119,733
1,051
0
618
601
12,735
2,439
16
1,721
311
31,603
22,932
61,513
143
0
677
349
70
0
160
792
481
5,443
4,106
6,855
57,920
4,440
116,954
757
MCCS
441
8,390
800
NCCS
359
1,368
2,461
FGS
GB
Yellowtail
Flounder
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4725
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
NEFS 1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NEFS2
12,937
33,635
242,197
6,831
0
1,406
11,076
13,654
0
7,684
16,203
5,959
202,643
33,004
197,867
NEFS3
2,621
26,311
2,957
3,974
0
333
4,887
6,843
4
62
8,175
1,236
16,933
24,674
109,487
NEFS4
8,644
10,160
107,880
3,443
0
2,118
3,127
15,662
0
1,617
5,471
1,402
83,903
42,043
99,696
NEFS5
1,642
23
21,378
120
0
21,456
277
834
88
1,210
59
19,890
971
616
1,704
NEFS6
5,985
5,331
59,313
1,580
0
4,824
2,037
6,536
0
3,393
3,832
3,045
67,082
20,421
53,455
NEFS 7
10,889
717
100,537
194
0
4,266
1,633
6,053
574
34,608
732
10,201
7,399
4,307
11,772
NEFS8
12,849
899
115,071
88
0
5,454
3,659
2,782
357
34,078
2,936
15,080
6,760
2,624
9,698
NEFS9
29,765
1,050
235,454
1,977
0
7,428
5,955
13,944
0
92,027
2,136
29,933
65,011
21,673
68,635
NEFS10
1,523
9,617
5,101
1,045
0
0
7,332
2,967
0
33
23,661
1,208
6,926
4,758
22,606
NEFS 11
739
15,551
724
227
0
16
1,203
1,997
0
2
1,696
29
11,833
12,236
104,884
NEFS12
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
24OCR1
NEFS 13
16,633
1,315
326,360
407
0
17,666
2,876
8,700
115
17,377
2,053
17,743
50,293
9,076
36,864
SHS 1
41,165
35,655
671,390
17,390
0
7,691
7,341
66,247
0
38,010
9,008
29,676
631,940
263,115
628,695
SHS3
918
839
13,061
76
0
2,924
1,190
918
0
1,147
2,024
2,255
2,434
804
954
205,030
155,300
2,021,639
39,303
0
77,162
55,116
160,937
3,577
231,485
83,776
141,096
1,225,770
496,040
1,534,417
Sector Total
ER24OC14.004</GPH>
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Table 5. Maximum Carryover ACE from Fishing Year 2013 to Fishing Year 2014 (lbs)
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Jkt 235001
Sector
GBCod
West
PO 00000
GB
Haddock
West
GOM
Cod
GOM
Haddock
GB
Yellowtail
Flounder
0
SNE/MA
Yellowtail
Flounder
CC/GOM
Yellowtail
Flounder
38
10,810
459
21,818
89
MCCS
82
841
149
124
0
83
NCCS
68
156
460
17
0
91
FGS
Plaice
Witch
Flounder
GB
Winter
Flounder
GOM
Winter
Flounder
SNE
Winter
Flounder
Redfish
White
Hake
Pollock
307
298
0
21
2,028
445
6,384
5,376
21,511
Ill
2,302
681
5
309
52
5,826
4,146
11,070
66
48
0
51
146
80
1,006
767
1,479
Frm 00075
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
24OCR1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3,338
40,477
793
0
177
2,039
2,397
0
2,401
2,904
871
34,338
5,603
32,821
NEFS3
492
2,638
553
450
0
45
936
1,236
4
20
1,496
206
3,128
4,479
19,853
NEFS4
1,614
1,755
20,126
405
0
295
577
2,832
0
518
983
345
15,468
7,599
17,899
304
2
3,991
14
0
2,802
51
151
88
385
10
3,203
179
114
306
NEFS6
1,118
540
11,069
187
0
660
395
1,183
0
1,127
717
518
12,367
3,689
9,601
NEFS7
1,819
71
17,476
23
0
511
248
1,075
436
9,681
118
1,375
1,364
775
2,069
NEFS8
2,395
84
22,708
10
0
752
676
523
346
11,602
498
2,702
1,280
484
1,769
NEFS9
5,555
317
43,932
233
0
996
1,100
2,521
0
29,482
384
4,979
13,582
3,917
12,322
NEFS 10
284
953
952
123
0
0
1,338
519
0
10
2,810
196
1,271
843
4,047
NEFS 11
159
2,493
144
156
0
2
273
640
0
2
354
6
4,624
4,559
27,510
NEFS 12
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NEFS 13
3,087
173
60,409
48
0
2,335
531
1,566
115
5,418
369
2,930
9,272
1,640
6,616
SHS 1
8,055
3,598
129,987
2,072
0
1,045
1,396
12,039
0
12,919
1,635
5,215
119,479
47,883
115,330
SHS3
Sector
Total
Sfmt 4725
0
2,255
NEFS5
Fmt 4700
NEFS 1
NEFS2
112
27
1,519
3
0
282
119
202
0
344
207
299
422
147
216
38,210
17,447
375,770
4,746
0
10,114
10,162
29,533
1,669
73,985
14,969
23,422
229,989
92,020
284,420
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Table 6. De Minimis Carryover ACE from Fishing Year 2013 to Fishing Year 2014 (lbs)
63571
ER24OC14.005</GPH>
63572
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
the year following an overage. Table 6
includes a summary of the sectors with
fishing year 2013 witch flounder
overages, the initial fishing year 2014
witch flounder ACE included in Table
3, and adjusted fishing year 2014 witch
flounder ACE, accounting for the
overage.
the total amount of ACE available to
sectors in fishing year 2014, including
reductions for overages, and adding
maximum carryover.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
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E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
24OCR1
ER24OC14.006</GPH>
to use in fishing year 2013. Some sectors
inadvertently exceeded their fishing
year 2013 witch flounder ACE and were
unable to transfer a sufficient amount of
quota to cover the overage. Reducing
ACE by the overage amount is necessary
to address the requirement to apply a
pound-for-pound reduction in ACE in
Summarizing all the information
provided above, Tables 8 and 9 display
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES
We have determined that 9 sectors
have exceeded their fishing year 2013
allocation of witch flounder, requiring
reductions to those sectors’ fishing year
2014 allocations. Because of the Court
decision discussed above, we were
required to reduce the amount of witch
flounder carryover available for sectors
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Jkt 235001
Sector
Name
PO 00000
FGS
GBCod
East
GB
Cod
West
GOM
Cod
GB
Haddock
East
GB
Haddock
West
GOM
Haddock
GB
Yellowtail
Flounder
SNE/MA
Yellowtail
Flounder
CC/GOM
Yellowtail
Flounder
Plaice
Witch
Flounder
GB
Winter
Flounder
GOM
Winter
Flounder
SNE/MA
Winter
Flounder
Redfish
White
Hake
Pollock
Fmt 4700
476
23
577
466
4
0
2
15
14
13
1
93
21
305
257
0
4
42
4
3
6
0
4
5
110
32
0
15
2
279
198
530
MPB
Frm 00077
41
MCCS
1,030
0
2
10
4
3
2
0
0
2
16
4
0
3
0
87
71
223
NCCS
0
3
8
12
10
1
2
4
3
2
1
2
7
4
48
37
70
NEFS 1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NEFS2
9
100
167
1,070
876
39
5
9
97
115
77
112
139
42
1,649
269
1,578
NEFS3
2
22
132
15
12
22
0
2
45
59
17
1
72
10
150
214
950
NEFS4
6
71
84
532
430
20
6
14
28
136
45
24
47
16
740
364
857
Sfmt 4725
NEFS5
1
13
0
105
85
1
4
137
2
7
4
18
0
154
9
5
15
NEFS6
4
49
27
293
236
9
7
32
19
57
31
53
34
25
591
177
460
NEFS7
7
81
4
462
376
1
26
25
12
52
20
455
6
67
65
37
99
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
NEFS8
9
105
4
600
482
0
29
37
32
25
16
542
24
129
61
23
85
NEFS9
21
244
15
1,161
939
11
68
49
53
121
50
1,379
18
239
646
188
590
NEFS 10
1
13
48
25
20
6
0
3
64
25
12
0
138
9
61
40
194
NEFS 11
I
7
120
4
3
7
0
0
13
30
11
0
17
0
215
212
1,295
NEFS 13
12
136
8
1,596
1,292
2
63
114
25
75
38
254
18
141
443
78
317
24OCR1
NHPB
0
0
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
3
15
SHS 1
31
353
179
3,435
2,766
102
36
51
67
576
188
603
78
250
5,706
2,291
5,516
SHS3
Sector
Total
0
5
2
40
35
0
6
14
6
10
4
16
10
15
20
7
10
145
1,683
881
9,935
8,034
236
251
497
488
1,429
564
3,461
721
1,127
11,077
4,473
13,835
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Table 8. Total ACE Available to Sectors in Fishing Year 2014 with Maximum Carryover (mt)
63573
ER24OC14.007</GPH>
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES
63574
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Jkt 235001
Sector
Name
GBCod
East
GBCod
West
PO 00000
GB
Haddock
East
GOM
Cod
GB
Haddock
West
GOM
Haddock
GB
Yellowtail
Flounder
SNE/MA
Yellowtail
Flounder
CC/GOM
Yellowtail
Flounder
Plaice
Witch
Flounder
GB
Winter
Flounder
GOM
Winter
Flounder
SNE/MA
Winter
Flounder
Redfish
Whlte
Hake
Pollock
I,271
I,028
10
0
4
32
3I
29
2
206
47
673
567
2,271
Frm 00078
90
I,049
so
MCCS
I
8
93
9
7
13
0
9
I2
243
70
I
33
5
614
438
1,169
MPB
0
5
2I
IO
7
5
0
0
3
35
IO
0
7
0
I9I
I 56
492
NCCS
I
7
17
27
22
2
5
10
7
5
3
5
IS
8
106
81
ISS
FGS
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4725
0
0
I
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
I
0
0
0
0
NEFS2
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
24OCR1
ER24OC14.008</GPH>
NEFS I
19
220
367
2,358
1,932
86
II
19
215
253
169
248
307
93
3,636
593
3,480
NEFS3
4
48
290
32
26
49
0
5
98
130
38
2
158
22
330
473
2,095
NEFS4
14
157
186
1,173
948
44
12
32
61
299
100
53
104
36
1,631
802
1,890
NEFS 5
3
30
0
233
188
2
9
302
5
16
9
40
I
340
19
12
32
NEFS6
9
108
59
645
521
20
IS
71
42
125
68
116
76
55
1,304
389
1,014
219
NEFS7
IS
178
8
1,018
830
2
57
55
26
114
44
1,003
13
148
144
82
NEFS8
20
232
9
1,323
1,063
I
63
81
71
55
35
1,194
53
285
135
51
187
NEFS9
46
539
33
2,560
2,069
25
ISO
107
116
266
Ill
3,040
41
528
1,423
413
1,301
NEFS 10
2
28
lOS
55
45
13
0
7
141
55
27
I
305
21
134
89
427
NEFS II
I
15
265
8
7
16
0
0
29
66
25
0
37
I
474
468
2,856
NEFS 13
26
300
19
3,519
2,848
5
139
251
56
165
83
559
39
311
977
173
698
NHPB
0
0
2I
0
0
0
0
0
0
I
0
0
I
0
5
8
32
SHS I
67
779
395
7,573
6,097
225
79
112
147
1,270
414
1,330
172
551
12,580
5,051
12,162
SHS3
Sector
Total
I
II
4
89
76
0
12
31
13
21
8
36
23
32
45
15
23
320
3711
1942
21903
17713
520
552
1096
1075
3151
1243
7630
1589
2484
24421
9862
30501
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
Table 9. Total ACE Available to Sectors in Fishing Year 2014 with Maximum Carryover (1,000 lb)
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
Framework 51 also specifies
incidental catch limits (or incidental
total allowable catches, ‘‘TACs’’)
applicable to the common pool and NE
multispecies Special Management
Programs for fishing year 2013–2015,
including the B day-at-sea (DAS)
Program. Special Management Programs
are designed to allow fishing for healthy
stocks that can support additional
fishing effort without undermining the
other goals of the FMP. Incidental catch
limits are specified to limit catch of
certain stocks of concern for common
63575
pool vessels fishing in the Special
Management Programs. Because these
incidental catch limits are based on the
changed common-pool allocation, they
also must be revised. Final incidental
catch limits are included in Tables 10–
13 below.
TABLE 10—FISHING YEAR 2014 COMMON POOL INCIDENTAL CATCH TACS
Percentage of
common pool
sub-ACL
Stock
Incidental catch
TAC
(mt)
2
1
2
1
5
5
1
0.6
0.2
0.08
0.2
1.3
0.6
1.5
GB cod ...................................................................................................................................................................
GOM cod ...............................................................................................................................................................
GB yellowtail flounder ............................................................................................................................................
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder ..................................................................................................................................
American Plaice .....................................................................................................................................................
Witch Flounder .......................................................................................................................................................
SNE/MA winter flounder ........................................................................................................................................
TABLE 11—DISTRIBUTION OF COMMON POOL INCIDENTAL CATCH TACS TO EACH SPECIAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Regular B
DAS program
(%)
Closed area I
hook gear
haddock SAP
(%)
Eastern U.S./
CA haddock
SAP
(%)
50
100
50
100
100
100
100
Stock
16
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
34
NA
50
NA
NA
NA
NA
GB cod .........................................................................................................................................
GOM cod .....................................................................................................................................
GB yellowtail flounder ..................................................................................................................
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder ........................................................................................................
American Plaice ...........................................................................................................................
Witch Flounder .............................................................................................................................
SNE/MA winter flounder ..............................................................................................................
TABLE 12—FISHING YEAR 2014 COMMON POOL INCIDENTAL CATCH TACS FOR EACH
SPECIAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (mt)
Regular B DAS
program
Stock
Closed area I
hook gear
haddock SAP
0.3
0.2
0.04
0.2
1.3
0.6
1.5
0.1
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
GB cod .....................................................................................................................................
GOM cod .................................................................................................................................
GB yellowtail flounder ..............................................................................................................
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder ....................................................................................................
American Plaice .......................................................................................................................
Witch Flounder .........................................................................................................................
SNE/MA winter flounder ..........................................................................................................
Eastern U.S./
Canada haddock SAP
0.2
n/a
0.04
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
TABLE 13—FISHING YEAR 2014 COMMON POOL REGULAR B DAS PROGRAM QUARTERLY INCIDENTAL CATCH TACS (mt)
1st Quarter
(13%)
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GB cod .....................................................................................................
GOM cod .................................................................................................
GB yellowtail flounder ..............................................................................
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder ....................................................................
American Plaice .......................................................................................
Witch Flounder .........................................................................................
SNE/MA winter flounder ..........................................................................
Similar to the accountability measures
for sectors when a quota overage occurs,
if the common pool sub-ACL for any
stock is exceeded, we are required to
reduce the common pool sub-ACL by
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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2nd Quarter
(29%)
0.04
0.02
0.005
0.02
0.17
0.08
0.19
the amount of the overage in the next
fishing year. We are reducing the fishing
year 2014 GB cod and GOM haddock
common pool sub-ACLs due to fishing
year 2013 overages. The fishing year
PO 00000
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Fmt 4700
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3rd Quarter
(29%)
0.09
0.06
0.011
0.05
0.37
0.18
0.43
0.09
0.06
0.011
0.05
0.37
0.18
0.43
4th Quarter
(29%)
0.09
0.06
0.011
0.05
0.37
0.18
0.43
2013 common pool sub-ACL for GB cod
was exceeded by 8 percent (2.3 mt) and
the GOM haddock common pool subACL was exceeded by 118 percent (1.2
mt). Therefore, we are reducing the
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
24OCR1
63576
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
fishing year 2014 GB cod and GOM
haddock common pool sub-ACLs due to
the fishing year 2013 overages. Table 14
provides the common pool overage
adjustments for these stocks. Table 15
provides the updated trimester Total
Allowable Catches (TACs) for GB cod
and GOM haddock based on the final
FY 2014 common pool sub-ACLs.
TABLE 14—FISHING YEAR 2014 COMMON POOL OVERAGE ADJUSTMENT (mt)
Fishing year
2013 overage
Initial fishing
year 2014
common pool
sub-ACL
Adjusted fishing year 2014
common pool
sub-ACL
2.3
1.2
Stock
34
2
31.7
0.8
GB Cod ........................................................................................................................................
GOM Haddock .............................................................................................................................
TABLE 15—FISHING YEAR 2014 COMMON POOL TRIMESTER TACS (mt)
Trimester 1
TAC
Stock
GB Cod ..................................................................................................................................
GOM Haddock .......................................................................................................................
We are reducing the fishing year 2014
GB haddock sub-ACL for the herring
mid-water trawl fishery due to a fishing
year 2013 overage. The herring midwater trawl fishery is allocated 1
percent of the U.S. ABC for each stock
of GOM and GB haddock. If the herring
Trimester 2
TAC
8.0
0.22
mid-water trawl fishery exceeds its
GOM or GB haddock sub-ACL, we are
required to reduce the respective subACL by the amount of the overage in the
following fishing year. In fishing year
2013, the mid-water trawl fishery
exceeded its GB haddock sub-ACL by
11.9
0.21
Trimester 3
TAC
12.2
0.38
16.98 mt. Therefore, this rule reduces
the fishing year 2014 GB haddock subACL by the 16.98 mt overage for the
herring mid-water trawl fishery. Table
16 provides the herring mid-water trawl
adjustments for GB haddock that this
rule implements.
TABLE 16—FISHING YEAR 2014 HERRING MID-WATER TRAWL OVERAGE ADJUSTMENT (mt)
Fishing year
2013 overage
Stock
GB Haddock ..........................................................................................................................
of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other
applicable law.
This final rule is exempt from the
procedures of E.O. 12866 because this
action contains no implementing
regulations.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), we
find good cause to waive prior public
notice and opportunity for public
comment on the catch limit and
allocation adjustments because allowing
time for notice and comment is
TABLE 17—U.S. ACCEPTABLE BIOimpracticable and contrary to the public
LOGICAL CATCHES FOR TRANS- interest. We also find good cause to
waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness
BOUNDARY STOCKS
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), so that
U.S. ABC this final rule may become effective
Stock
(mt)
upon filing.
Notice and comment are
GB Cod .........................................
1,960
impracticable and contrary to the public
GB Haddock .................................
19,229
GB Yellowtail Flounder .................
328 interest because a delay would
potentially impair achievement of the
management plan’s objectives of
Classification
preventing overfishing and achieving
Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the optimum yield by vessels staying within
Magnuson-Stevens Act, the NMFS
ACLs or allocations. The proposed and
Assistant Administrator has determined final rules for fishing year 2014 sector
that this final rule is consistent with the operations plans and contracts
NE Multispecies FMP, other provisions
explained the need and likelihood for
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES
Finally, Table 17 provides the U.S.
ABCs for the three transboundary
Georges Bank stocks that we jointly
manage with Canada. The U.S./Canada
quotas, and the corresponding ACLs/
sub-ACLs were included in the
Framework 51 final rule; however,
because the U.S. ABCs for GB cod,
haddock, and yellowtail flounder were
mis-specified, the corrected levels are
being included here in this rule.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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Frm 00080
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Initial fishing
year 2014 herring mid-water
trawl sub-ACL
16.98
179
Adjusted fishing
year 2014 herring mid-water
trawl sub-ACL
162.02
adjustments of sector and common pool
allocations based on final sector rosters.
No comments were received on the
potential for these adjustments, which
provide an accurate accounting of a
sector’s or common pool’s allocation at
this time. Prior notice of the need to
distribute carryover catch was also
provided. Allowing for prior notice and
public comment on the herring midwater trawl overage adjustment is
impracticable because this is a nondiscretionary action required by
provisions of Framework 46 to the NE
Multispecies FMP, which was subject to
public comment. The proposed rule to
implement Framework 46 requested
public comment on these measures
including the specific accountability
measure implemented by this rule, with
the understanding that possession limit
trigger adjustments would be required if
an ACL overage occurred. If this rule is
not effective immediately, the sector
and common pool vessels will be
operating under incorrect information
on the catch limits for each stock for
sectors and the common pool. This
could cause negative economic impacts
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
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63577
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
to the both sectors and the common
pool, depending on the size of the
allocation, the degree of change in the
allocation, and the catch rate of a
particular stock. Further, these
adjustments are based purely on
objective sector enrollment data and are
not subject to our discretion, so there
would be no benefit to allowing time for
prior notice and comment.
Waiving the 30-day delay in
effectiveness allows harvesting in a
manner that prevents catch limits of
species from being exceeded in fisheries
that are important to coastal
communities. Until the final stock
allocations are made, the affected
fishing entities will not know how many
fish of a particular stock they can catch
without going over their ultimate limits.
Fishermen may make both short- and
long-term business decisions based on
the catch limits in a given sector or the
common pool. Any delays in adjusting
these limits may cause the affected
fishing entities to slow down, or speed
up, their fishing activities during the
interim period before this rule becomes
effective. Both of these reactions could
negatively affect the fishery and the
businesses and communities that
depend on them. The fishing industry
and the communities it supports could
be affected by potentially reducing
harvests and delaying profits. Lastly, the
catch limit and allocation adjustments
are not controversial and the need for
them was clearly explained in the
proposed and final rules for fishing year
2014 sector operations plans and
contracts. As a result, the NE
multispecies permit holders are
expecting these adjustments and
awaiting their implementation.
Therefore, it is important to implement
adjusted catch limits and allocations as
soon as possible. For these reasons, we
are waiving the public comment period
and the 30-day delay in effectiveness for
this rule, pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(3)(B) and (d), respectively.
Because advanced notice and the
opportunity for public comment are not
required under the Administrative
Procedure Act, or any other law, the
analytical requirements of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601,
et seq., do not apply to this rule.
Therefore, no final regulatory flexibility
analysis is required and none has been
prepared.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 20, 2014.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–25307 Filed 10–23–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 131021878–4158–02]
RIN 0648–XD565
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of
Halibut Prohibited Species Catch
Allowances in the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.
AGENCY:
NMFS is reallocating
projected unused amounts of the 2014
halibut prohibited species catch (PSC)
allowance from the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands trawl (BSAI) limited
access sector to the Amendment 80
cooperatives in the BSAI management
area. This action is necessary to allow
the Amendment 80 cooperatives to fully
SUMMARY:
harvest their 2014 groundfish
allocations.
Effective October 21, 2014,
through 2400 hrs, Alaska local time
(A.l.t.), December 31, 2014.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Whitney, 907–586–7269.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
manages the groundfish fishery in the
BSAI according to the Fishery
Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area (FMP) prepared by
the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council under authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act.
Regulations governing fishing by U.S.
vessels in accordance with the FMP
appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600
and 50 CFR part 679.
The Administrator, Alaska Region,
NMFS, has determined that 80 metric
tons of halibut PSC allowance from the
BSAI trawl limited access sector will
not be needed to support BSAI trawl
limited access fisheries. Therefore, in
accordance with § 679.91(f)(4), NMFS is
reallocating this halibut PSC allowance
from the BSAI trawl limited access
sector to the Amendment 80
cooperatives in the BSAI.
In accordance with § 679.91(f)(1),
NMFS will reissue cooperative quota
permits for the reallocated halibut PSC
allowances following the procedures set
forth in § 679.91(f)(4).
In accordance with § 679.91(f)(4)(i),
NMFS will reallocate 95 percent of the
halibut PSC reallocated from the BSAI
trawl limited access sector to the
Amendment 80 cooperatives, which is
76 metric tons.
The 2014 harvest specifications for
halibut PSC allowances included in the
final 2014 and 2015 harvest
specifications in the BSAI (79 FR 12108,
March 4, 2014 and 79 FR 35958, June
25, 2014) are revised as follows in
Tables 10, 12, and 14:
DATES:
TABLE 10—FINAL 2014 AND 2015 APPORTIONMENT OF PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH ALLOWANCES TO NON-TRAWL GEAR,
THE CDQ PROGRAM, AMENDMENT 80, AND THE BSAI TRAWL LIMITED ACCESS SECTORS
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES
PSC species and area 1
Non-trawl PSC
remaining after
CDQ PSQ 2
900
832
3,675
3,349
393
2,401
795
900
n/a
832
n/a
3,675
2,172
3,349
n/a
393
n/a
2,325
n/a
875
n/a
n/a
n/a
97,000
86,621
10,379
43,293
26,489
n/a
n/a
11,185,892
9,989,002
1,196,890
4,909,594
3,210,465
n/a
n/a
980,000
875,140
104,860
368,521
411,228
2014 Halibut mortality
(mt) BSAI ..................
2015 Halibut mortality
(mt) BSAI ..................
Herring (mt) BSAI ........
Red king crab (animals)
Zone 1 ......................
C. opilio (animals)
COBLZ ......................
C. bairdi crab (animals)
Zone 1 ......................
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:09 Oct 23, 2014
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Frm 00081
Trawl PSC
remaining after
CDQ PSQ 2
BSAI trawl
limited access
fishery
Total non-trawl
PSC
Total trawl
PSC
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
CDQ PSQ
reserve 2
E:\FR\FM\24OCR1.SGM
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80 sector 3
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 206 (Friday, October 24, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 63563-63577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25307]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 140624530-4848-01]
RIN 0648-XD354
Revisions to Framework Adjustment 51 to the Northeast
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan and Sector Annual Catch
Entitlements; Updated Annual Catch Limits for Sectors and the Common
Pool for Fishing Year 2014
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary final rule; adjustment to specifications.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Based on the final Northeast multispecies sector rosters, we
are adjusting the fishing year 2014 specification of annual catch
limits for commercial groundfish vessels, as well as sector annual
catch entitlements for groundfish stocks by adding carried over catch
from fishing year 2013 and reducing quotas for some stocks by the
amount of overages exceeding their limits in fishing year 2013, among
other adjustments. This revision to fishing year 2014 catch levels is
necessary to account for changes in the number of participants electing
to fish in sectors.
DATES: Effective October 23, 2014, through April 30, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Murphy, Sector Policy Analyst,
(978) 281-9122.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The New England Fishery Management Council
developed Amendment 16 to the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery
Management Plan (FMP), in part, to establish a process for setting
groundfish annual catch limits (also referred to as ACLs or catch
limits) and accountability measures. The Council has a biennial review
process to develop catch limits and revise management measures.
Framework Adjustment 51 and concurrent emergency actions set annual
catch limits for nine groundfish stocks and three jointly managed U.S./
Canada stocks for fishing years 2014-
[[Page 63564]]
2015. Recently, we partially approved Framework 51, which became
effective on May 1, 2014 (79 FR 22421; April 22, 2014), and also
approved fishing year 2014 sector operations plans and allocations (79
FR 23278; April 28, 2014; ``sector rule''). A sector receives an
allocation of each stock, or annual catch entitlement (referred to as
ACE, or allocation), based on its members' catch histories. State-
operated permit banks also receive an allocation that can be
transferred to qualifying sector vessels (for more information, see the
final rule implementing Amendment 17 (77 FR 16942; March 23, 2012)).
The sum of all sector and state-operated permit bank allocations is
referred to as the sector sub-ACL in the FMP. Whatever groundfish
allocation remains after sectors and state-operated permit banks
receive their allocations is then allocated to vessels not enrolled in
a sector (referred to as the common pool). This allocation is also
referred to as the common pool sub-ACL. This rule adjusts the both the
sector and common pool fishing year 2014 sub-ACLs based on final sector
membership, which was established as of May 1, 2014.
Permitted vessels that wish to fish in a sector must enroll by
December 1 of each year, with the fishing year beginning the following
May 1 and lasting through April 30 of the next year. However, due to a
delay in distributing each vessel's potential contribution to a
sector's quota for fishing year 2014, we extended the deadline to join
a sector until March 6, 2014. Because of this extended deadline, and
the fact that vessels had until April 30, 2014, to drop out of a sector
and fish in the common pool, fishing year 2013 membership was used to
estimate sector ACEs in the Framework 51 final rule. The fishing year
2014 sector final rule, which published later than the Framework 51
final rule, used March 6, 2014, rosters to estimate sector ACEs.
The final number of permits enrolled in a sector or state-operated
permit bank for fishing year 2014 is 845, which is 4 less than the
March 6, 2013, roster. All sector allocations assume that each NE
multispecies vessel enrolled in a sector has a valid permit for fishing
year 2014. Tables 1, 2, and 3 (below) explain the revised fishing year
2014 allocations as a percentage and absolute amount (in metric tons
and pounds).
Table 4 compares the preliminary allocations based on fishing year
2013 membership published in the Framework 51 proposed and final rules,
with the revised allocations based on the final sector and state-
operated permit bank rosters as of May 1, 2014. The table shows that
changes in sector allocations due to updated rosters range from a
decrease of 0.86 percent of Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic (SNE/MA)
yellowtail flounder, to an increase of 0.40 percent of Georges Bank
(GB) yellowtail flounder. Common pool allocation adjustments range
between a 2.94-percent decrease in GB cod, to a 15.79-percent increase
in redfish. The changes in the common-pool allocations are greater
because the common pool has a significantly lower allocation for all
stocks.
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
[[Page 63565]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR24OC14.000
[[Page 63566]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR24OC14.001
[[Page 63567]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR24OC14.002
[[Page 63568]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR24OC14.003
[[Page 63569]]
We have completed fishing year 2013 data reconciliation with
sectors and allowed a 2-week window for any sector with an overage to
trade fishing year 2013 ACE to balance the overage. We have since
determined final fishing year 2013 sector catch and the amount of quota
that sectors may carry from fishing year 2013 into fishing year 2014. A
recent emergency rule (79 FR 36433; June 27, 2014) described changes to
carryover and catch accounting in response to litigation by
Conservation Law Foundation (Conservation Law Foundation v. Pritzker,
et al. (Case No. 1:13-CV-0821-JEB)). The Court invalidated the previous
carryover measures because those measures failed to prevent total
potential catches of certain stocks (ACEs plus carryover) from
exceeding their annual biological catch (ABC). This rule ensures that
catch does not exceed the ABC for any stock. Because of this, the
maximum carryover for certain stocks may be lower than what a sector
expects. Table 5 includes the maximum amount of quota that sectors may
carry over from fishing year 2013 into fishing year 2014. Table 6
includes the de minimis amount of quota that sectors may carry over
from fishing year 2013 into fishing year 2014.
[[Page 63570]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR24OC14.004
[[Page 63571]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR24OC14.005
[[Page 63572]]
We have determined that 9 sectors have exceeded their fishing year
2013 allocation of witch flounder, requiring reductions to those
sectors' fishing year 2014 allocations. Because of the Court decision
discussed above, we were required to reduce the amount of witch
flounder carryover available for sectors to use in fishing year 2013.
Some sectors inadvertently exceeded their fishing year 2013 witch
flounder ACE and were unable to transfer a sufficient amount of quota
to cover the overage. Reducing ACE by the overage amount is necessary
to address the requirement to apply a pound-for-pound reduction in ACE
in the year following an overage. Table 6 includes a summary of the
sectors with fishing year 2013 witch flounder overages, the initial
fishing year 2014 witch flounder ACE included in Table 3, and adjusted
fishing year 2014 witch flounder ACE, accounting for the overage.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR24OC14.006
Summarizing all the information provided above, Tables 8 and 9 display
the total amount of ACE available to sectors in fishing year 2014,
including reductions for overages, and adding maximum carryover.
[[Page 63573]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR24OC14.007
[[Page 63574]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR24OC14.008
[[Page 63575]]
Framework 51 also specifies incidental catch limits (or incidental
total allowable catches, ``TACs'') applicable to the common pool and NE
multispecies Special Management Programs for fishing year 2013-2015,
including the B day-at-sea (DAS) Program. Special Management Programs
are designed to allow fishing for healthy stocks that can support
additional fishing effort without undermining the other goals of the
FMP. Incidental catch limits are specified to limit catch of certain
stocks of concern for common pool vessels fishing in the Special
Management Programs. Because these incidental catch limits are based on
the changed common-pool allocation, they also must be revised. Final
incidental catch limits are included in Tables 10-13 below.
Table 10--Fishing Year 2014 Common Pool Incidental Catch TACs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage of
Stock common pool Incidental
sub-ACL catch TAC (mt)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB cod.................................. 2 0.6
GOM cod................................. 1 0.2
GB yellowtail flounder.................. 2 0.08
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder.............. 1 0.2
American Plaice......................... 5 1.3
Witch Flounder.......................... 5 0.6
SNE/MA winter flounder.................. 1 1.5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 11--Distribution of Common Pool Incidental Catch TACs to Each Special Management Program
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Closed area I
Regular B DAS hook gear Eastern U.S./
Stock program (%) haddock SAP CA haddock SAP
(%) (%)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB cod.......................................................... 50 16 34
GOM cod......................................................... 100 NA NA
GB yellowtail flounder.......................................... 50 NA 50
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder...................................... 100 NA NA
American Plaice................................................. 100 NA NA
Witch Flounder.................................................. 100 NA NA
SNE/MA winter flounder.......................................... 100 NA NA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 12--Fishing Year 2014 Common Pool Incidental Catch TACs for Each
Special Management Program (mt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Closed area I Eastern U.S./
Stock Regular B DAS hook gear Canada haddock
program haddock SAP SAP
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB cod.......................................................... 0.3 0.1 0.2
GOM cod......................................................... 0.2 n/a n/a
GB yellowtail flounder.......................................... 0.04 n/a 0.04
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder...................................... 0.2 n/a n/a
American Plaice................................................. 1.3 n/a n/a
Witch Flounder.................................................. 0.6 n/a n/a
SNE/MA winter flounder.......................................... 1.5 n/a n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 13--Fishing Year 2014 Common Pool Regular B DAS Program Quarterly Incidental Catch TACs (mt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter
(13%) (29%) (29%) (29%)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB cod.......................................... 0.04 0.09 0.09 0.09
GOM cod......................................... 0.02 0.06 0.06 0.06
GB yellowtail flounder.......................... 0.005 0.011 0.011 0.011
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder...................... 0.02 0.05 0.05 0.05
American Plaice................................. 0.17 0.37 0.37 0.37
Witch Flounder.................................. 0.08 0.18 0.18 0.18
SNE/MA winter flounder.......................... 0.19 0.43 0.43 0.43
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Similar to the accountability measures for sectors when a quota
overage occurs, if the common pool sub-ACL for any stock is exceeded,
we are required to reduce the common pool sub-ACL by the amount of the
overage in the next fishing year. We are reducing the fishing year 2014
GB cod and GOM haddock common pool sub-ACLs due to fishing year 2013
overages. The fishing year 2013 common pool sub-ACL for GB cod was
exceeded by 8 percent (2.3 mt) and the GOM haddock common pool sub-ACL
was exceeded by 118 percent (1.2 mt). Therefore, we are reducing the
[[Page 63576]]
fishing year 2014 GB cod and GOM haddock common pool sub-ACLs due to
the fishing year 2013 overages. Table 14 provides the common pool
overage adjustments for these stocks. Table 15 provides the updated
trimester Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for GB cod and GOM haddock
based on the final FY 2014 common pool sub-ACLs.
Table 14--Fishing Year 2014 Common Pool Overage Adjustment (mt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial Adjusted
Fishing year fishing year fishing year
Stock 2013 overage 2014 common 2014 common
pool sub-ACL pool sub-ACL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB Cod.......................................................... 2.3 34 31.7
GOM Haddock..................................................... 1.2 2 0.8
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 15--Fishing Year 2014 Common Pool Trimester TACs (mt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trimester 1 Trimester 2 Trimester 3
Stock TAC TAC TAC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB Cod.......................................................... 8.0 11.9 12.2
GOM Haddock..................................................... 0.22 0.21 0.38
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are reducing the fishing year 2014 GB haddock sub-ACL for the
herring mid-water trawl fishery due to a fishing year 2013 overage. The
herring mid-water trawl fishery is allocated 1 percent of the U.S. ABC
for each stock of GOM and GB haddock. If the herring mid-water trawl
fishery exceeds its GOM or GB haddock sub-ACL, we are required to
reduce the respective sub-ACL by the amount of the overage in the
following fishing year. In fishing year 2013, the mid-water trawl
fishery exceeded its GB haddock sub-ACL by 16.98 mt. Therefore, this
rule reduces the fishing year 2014 GB haddock sub-ACL by the 16.98 mt
overage for the herring mid-water trawl fishery. Table 16 provides the
herring mid-water trawl adjustments for GB haddock that this rule
implements.
Table 16--Fishing Year 2014 Herring Mid-Water Trawl Overage Adjustment (mt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial Adjusted
fishing year fishing year
Stock Fishing year 2014 herring 2014 herring
2013 overage mid-water mid-water
trawl sub-ACL trawl sub-ACL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB Haddock...................................................... 16.98 179 162.02
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, Table 17 provides the U.S. ABCs for the three
transboundary Georges Bank stocks that we jointly manage with Canada.
The U.S./Canada quotas, and the corresponding ACLs/sub-ACLs were
included in the Framework 51 final rule; however, because the U.S. ABCs
for GB cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder were mis-specified, the
corrected levels are being included here in this rule.
Table 17--U.S. Acceptable Biological Catches for Transboundary Stocks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. ABC
Stock (mt)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB Cod....................................................... 1,960
GB Haddock................................................... 19,229
GB Yellowtail Flounder....................................... 328
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Classification
Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the
NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this final rule is
consistent with the NE Multispecies FMP, other provisions of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law.
This final rule is exempt from the procedures of E.O. 12866 because
this action contains no implementing regulations.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), we find good cause to waive
prior public notice and opportunity for public comment on the catch
limit and allocation adjustments because allowing time for notice and
comment is impracticable and contrary to the public interest. We also
find good cause to waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness pursuant to
5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), so that this final rule may become effective upon
filing.
Notice and comment are impracticable and contrary to the public
interest because a delay would potentially impair achievement of the
management plan's objectives of preventing overfishing and achieving
optimum yield by vessels staying within ACLs or allocations. The
proposed and final rules for fishing year 2014 sector operations plans
and contracts explained the need and likelihood for adjustments of
sector and common pool allocations based on final sector rosters. No
comments were received on the potential for these adjustments, which
provide an accurate accounting of a sector's or common pool's
allocation at this time. Prior notice of the need to distribute
carryover catch was also provided. Allowing for prior notice and public
comment on the herring mid-water trawl overage adjustment is
impracticable because this is a non-discretionary action required by
provisions of Framework 46 to the NE Multispecies FMP, which was
subject to public comment. The proposed rule to implement Framework 46
requested public comment on these measures including the specific
accountability measure implemented by this rule, with the understanding
that possession limit trigger adjustments would be required if an ACL
overage occurred. If this rule is not effective immediately, the sector
and common pool vessels will be operating under incorrect information
on the catch limits for each stock for sectors and the common pool.
This could cause negative economic impacts
[[Page 63577]]
to the both sectors and the common pool, depending on the size of the
allocation, the degree of change in the allocation, and the catch rate
of a particular stock. Further, these adjustments are based purely on
objective sector enrollment data and are not subject to our discretion,
so there would be no benefit to allowing time for prior notice and
comment.
Waiving the 30-day delay in effectiveness allows harvesting in a
manner that prevents catch limits of species from being exceeded in
fisheries that are important to coastal communities. Until the final
stock allocations are made, the affected fishing entities will not know
how many fish of a particular stock they can catch without going over
their ultimate limits. Fishermen may make both short- and long-term
business decisions based on the catch limits in a given sector or the
common pool. Any delays in adjusting these limits may cause the
affected fishing entities to slow down, or speed up, their fishing
activities during the interim period before this rule becomes
effective. Both of these reactions could negatively affect the fishery
and the businesses and communities that depend on them. The fishing
industry and the communities it supports could be affected by
potentially reducing harvests and delaying profits. Lastly, the catch
limit and allocation adjustments are not controversial and the need for
them was clearly explained in the proposed and final rules for fishing
year 2014 sector operations plans and contracts. As a result, the NE
multispecies permit holders are expecting these adjustments and
awaiting their implementation. Therefore, it is important to implement
adjusted catch limits and allocations as soon as possible. For these
reasons, we are waiving the public comment period and the 30-day delay
in effectiveness for this rule, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B) and
(d), respectively.
Because advanced notice and the opportunity for public comment are
not required under the Administrative Procedure Act, or any other law,
the analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C.
601, et seq., do not apply to this rule. Therefore, no final regulatory
flexibility analysis is required and none has been prepared.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 20, 2014.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-25307 Filed 10-23-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
