Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; 2015 and 2016 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish, 13787-13788 [C1-2015-05041]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
Dated: March 11, 2015.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[FR Doc. 2015–06041 Filed 3–13–15; 4:15 pm]
Thursday, March 5, 2015, make the
following correction(s):
On page 11921, Table 1 should read:
50 CFR Part 679
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
13787
[Docket No. 141021887–5172–02]
RIN 0648–XD587
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands; 2015 and 2016
Harvest Specifications for Groundfish
Correction
In rule document 2015–05041
beginning on page 11919 in the issue of
TABLE 1–FINAL 2015 OVERFISHING LEVEL (OFL), ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC), TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH
(TAC), INITIAL TAC (ITAC), AND CDQ RESERVE ALLOCATION OF GROUNDFISH IN THE BSAI 1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
2015
Species
Area
OFL
Pacific cod 5 ...................................
Sablefish ........................................
Yellowfin sole ................................
Greenland turbot ...........................
Arrowtooth flounder .......................
Kamchatka flounder ......................
Rock sole .......................................
Flathead sole 6 ...............................
Alaska plaice .................................
Other flatfish 7 ................................
Pacific ocean perch .......................
Northern rockfish ...........................
Rougheye rockfish 8 ......................
Shortraker rockfish ........................
Other rockfish 9 ..............................
rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
Atka mackerel ................................
Skates ............................................
Sculpins .........................................
Sharks ...........................................
Squids ............................................
Octopuses .....................................
BS ............................
AI ..............................
Bogoslof ...................
BS ............................
AI ..............................
BS ............................
AI ..............................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BS ............................
AI ..............................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BS ............................
EAI ...........................
CAI ...........................
WAI ..........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BS/EAI ......................
CAI/WAI ...................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BS ............................
AI ..............................
BSAI .........................
BS/EAI ......................
CAI ...........................
WAI ..........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
BSAI .........................
TOTAL
TAC
ITAC 2
3,330,000
36,005
21,200
346,000
23,400
1,575
2,128
266,400
3,903
n/a
n/a
93,856
10,500
187,600
79,419
54,000
17,700
42,558
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
15,337
560
n/a
n/a
690
1,667
n/a
n/a
125,297
n/a
n/a
n/a
49,575
52,365
1,363
2,624
3,452
1,637,000
29,659
15,900
255,000
17,600
1,333
1,802
248,800
3,172
2,448
724
80,547
9,000
181,700
66,130
44,900
13,250
34,988
8,771
8,312
7,723
10,182
12,488
453
149
304
518
1,250
695
555
106,000
38,492
33,108
34,400
41,658
39,725
1,022
1,970
2,589
1,310,000
19,000
100
240,000
9,422
1,333
1,802
149,000
2,648
2,448
200
22,000
6,500
69,250
24,250
18,500
3,620
32,021
8,021
8,000
7,000
9,000
3,250
349
149
200
250
880
325
555
54,500
27,000
17,000
10,500
25,700
4,700
125
400
400
1,179,000
17,100
100
214,320
8,414
567
383
133,057
2,251
2,081
170
18,700
5,525
61,840
21,655
15,725
3,077
28,250
6,818
7,144
6,251
8,037
2,763
297
127
170
213
748
276
472
48,669
24,111
15,181
9,377
21,845
3,995
106
340
340
131,000
1,900
0
25,680
1,008
183
304
15,943
n/a
262
0
2,354
0
7,410
2,595
0
0
n/a
0
856
749
963
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5,832
2,889
1,819
1,124
0
0
0
0
0
4,769,174
Pollock 4 .........................................
ABC
CDQ 3
2,848,454
2,000,000
1,789,278
197,038
1 These amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of
these harvest specifications, the Bering Sea (BS) subarea includes the Bogoslof District.
2 Except for pollock, the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, and Amendment 80 species, 15 percent of each
TAC is put into a reserve. The ITAC for these species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves. For pollock and
Amendment 80 species, ITAC is the non-CDQ allocation of TAC (see footnotes 3 and 5).
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
3 For the Amendment 80 species (Atka mackerel, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, Pacific cod, and Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean
perch), 10.7 percent of the TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants (see §§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) and 679.31). Twenty percent of the sablefish
TAC allocated to hook-and-line gear or pot gear, 7.5 percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to trawl gear, and 10.7 percent of the TACs for Bering Sea Greenland turbot and arrowtooth flounder are reserved for use by CDQ participants (see § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (D)). Aleutian Islands
Greenland turbot, ‘‘other flatfish,’’ Alaska plaice, Bering Sea Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, shortraker rockfish, rougheye rockfish, ‘‘other
rockfish,’’ skates, sculpins, sharks, squids, and octopuses are not allocated to the CDQ program.
4 Under § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), the annual BS subarea pollock TAC after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent)
and second for the incidental catch allowance (4.0 percent), is further allocated by sector for a pollock directed fishery as follows: Inshore—50
percent; catcher/processor—40 percent; and motherships—10 percent. Under § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual Aleutian Islands subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental catch allowance (2,400
mt) is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a pollock directed fishery.
5 The BS Pacific cod TAC is reduced by 3 percent from the combined BSAI ABC to account for the State of Alaska’s (State) guideline harvest
level in State waters of the Bering Sea subarea. The AI Pacific cod TAC is reduced by 3 percent from the combined BSAI ABC to account for
the State guideline harvest level in State waters of the Aleutian Islands subarea.
6 ‘‘Flathead sole’’ includes Hippoglossoides elassodon (flathead sole) and Hippoglossoides robustus (Bering flounder).
7 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole,
arrowtooth flounder, Kamchatka flounder, and Alaska plaice.
8 ‘‘Rougheye rockfish’’ includes Sebastes aleutianus (rougheye) and Sebastes melanostictus (blackspotted).
9 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, dark rockfish, shortraker
rockfish, and rougheye rockfish.
Note: Regulatory areas and districts are defined at § 679.2 (BS=Bering Sea subarea, AI=Aleutian Islands subarea, EAI=Eastern Aleutian district, CAI=Central Aleutian district, WAI=Western Aleutian district.)
[FR Doc. C1–2015–05041 Filed 3–16–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1505–01–D
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 141021887–5172–02 and
140918791–4999–02]
RIN 0648–XD818
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Sablefish Managed
Under the Individual Fishing Quota
Program
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; opening.
AGENCY:
NMFS is opening directed
fishing for sablefish with fixed gear
managed under the Individual Fishing
Quota (IFQ) Program and the
Community Development Quota (CDQ)
Program. The season will open 1200
hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March
14, 2015, and will close 1200 hours,
A.l.t., November 7, 2015. This period is
the same as the 2015 commercial
halibut fishery opening dates adopted
by the International Pacific Halibut
Commission. The IFQ and CDQ halibut
season is specified by a separate
publication in the Federal Register of
annual management measures.
DATES: Effective 1200 hours, A.l.t.,
March 14, 2015, until 1200 hours, A.l.t.,
November 7, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Obren Davis, 907–586–7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Beginning
in 1995, fishing for Pacific halibut and
sablefish with fixed gear in the IFQ
rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
SUMMARY:
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regulatory areas defined in 50 CFR 679.2
has been managed under the IFQ
Program. The IFQ Program is a
regulatory regime designed to promote
the conservation and management of
these fisheries and to further the
objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act and the Northern Pacific Halibut
Act. Persons holding quota share receive
an annual allocation of IFQ. Persons
receiving an annual allocation of IFQ
are authorized to harvest IFQ species
within specified limitations. Further
information on the implementation of
the IFQ Program, and the rationale
supporting it, are contained in the
preamble to the final rule implementing
the IFQ Program published in the
Federal Register, November 9, 1993 (58
FR 59375) and subsequent amendments.
This announcement is consistent with
§ 679.23(g)(1), which requires that the
directed fishing season for sablefish
managed under the IFQ Program be
specified by the Administrator, Alaska
Region, and announced by publication
in the Federal Register. This method of
season announcement was selected to
facilitate coordination between the
sablefish season, chosen by the
Administrator, Alaska Region, and the
halibut season, adopted by the
International Pacific Halibut
Commission (IPHC). The directed
fishing season for sablefish with fixed
gear managed under the IFQ Program
will open 1200 hours, A.l.t., March 14,
2015, and will close 1200 hours, A.l.t.,
November 7, 2015. This period runs
concurrently with the IFQ season for
Pacific halibut announced by the IPHC.
The IFQ halibut season will be specified
by a separate publication in the Federal
Register of annual management
measures pursuant to 50 CFR 300.62.
PO 00000
Classification
This action responds to the best
available information recently obtained
from the fishery. The Assistant
Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA,
(AA), finds good cause to waive the
requirement to provide prior notice and
opportunity for public comment
pursuant to the authority set forth at 5
U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is
impracticable and contrary to the public
interest. This requirement is
impracticable and contrary to the public
interest as it would prevent NMFS from
responding to the most recent fisheries
data in a timely fashion and would
delay the opening of the sablefish
fishery thereby increasing bycatch and
regulatory discards between the
sablefish fishery and the halibut fishery,
and preventing the accomplishment of
the management objective for
simultaneous opening of these two
fisheries. NMFS was unable to publish
a notice providing time for public
comment because the most recent,
relevant data only became available as
of March 11, 2015.
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.
This action is required by § 679.23
and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 12, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–06064 Filed 3–12–15; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 51 (Tuesday, March 17, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13787-13788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: C1-2015-05041]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 141021887-5172-02]
RIN 0648-XD587
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands; 2015 and 2016 Harvest Specifications for
Groundfish
Correction
In rule document 2015-05041 beginning on page 11919 in the issue of
Thursday, March 5, 2015, make the following correction(s):
On page 11921, Table 1 should read:
Table 1-Final 2015 Overfishing Level (OFL), Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Initial Tac (ITAC), and CDQ Reserve
Allocation of Groundfish in the BSAI \1\
[Amounts are in metric tons]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015
Species Area -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OFL ABC TAC ITAC \2\ CDQ \3\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock \4\............................... BS.......................... 3,330,000 1,637,000 1,310,000 1,179,000 131,000
AI.......................... 36,005 29,659 19,000 17,100 1,900
Bogoslof.................... 21,200 15,900 100 100 0
Pacific cod \5\........................... BS.......................... 346,000 255,000 240,000 214,320 25,680
AI.......................... 23,400 17,600 9,422 8,414 1,008
Sablefish................................. BS.......................... 1,575 1,333 1,333 567 183
AI.......................... 2,128 1,802 1,802 383 304
Yellowfin sole............................ BSAI........................ 266,400 248,800 149,000 133,057 15,943
Greenland turbot.......................... BSAI........................ 3,903 3,172 2,648 2,251 n/a
BS.......................... n/a 2,448 2,448 2,081 262
AI.......................... n/a 724 200 170 0
Arrowtooth flounder....................... BSAI........................ 93,856 80,547 22,000 18,700 2,354
Kamchatka flounder........................ BSAI........................ 10,500 9,000 6,500 5,525 0
Rock sole................................. BSAI........................ 187,600 181,700 69,250 61,840 7,410
Flathead sole \6\......................... BSAI........................ 79,419 66,130 24,250 21,655 2,595
Alaska plaice............................. BSAI........................ 54,000 44,900 18,500 15,725 0
Other flatfish \7\........................ BSAI........................ 17,700 13,250 3,620 3,077 0
Pacific ocean perch....................... BSAI........................ 42,558 34,988 32,021 28,250 n/a
BS.......................... n/a 8,771 8,021 6,818 0
EAI......................... n/a 8,312 8,000 7,144 856
CAI......................... n/a 7,723 7,000 6,251 749
WAI......................... n/a 10,182 9,000 8,037 963
Northern rockfish......................... BSAI........................ 15,337 12,488 3,250 2,763 0
Rougheye rockfish \8\..................... BSAI........................ 560 453 349 297 0
BS/EAI...................... n/a 149 149 127 0
CAI/WAI..................... n/a 304 200 170 0
Shortraker rockfish....................... BSAI........................ 690 518 250 213 0
Other rockfish \9\........................ BSAI........................ 1,667 1,250 880 748 0
BS.......................... n/a 695 325 276 0
AI.......................... n/a 555 555 472 0
Atka mackerel............................. BSAI........................ 125,297 106,000 54,500 48,669 5,832
BS/EAI...................... n/a 38,492 27,000 24,111 2,889
CAI......................... n/a 33,108 17,000 15,181 1,819
WAI......................... n/a 34,400 10,500 9,377 1,124
Skates.................................... BSAI........................ 49,575 41,658 25,700 21,845 0
Sculpins.................................. BSAI........................ 52,365 39,725 4,700 3,995 0
Sharks.................................... BSAI........................ 1,363 1,022 125 106 0
Squids.................................... BSAI........................ 2,624 1,970 400 340 0
Octopuses................................. BSAI........................ 3,452 2,589 400 340 0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL 4,769,174 2,848,454 2,000,000 1,789,278 197,038
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ These amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these
harvest specifications, the Bering Sea (BS) subarea includes the Bogoslof District.
\2\ Except for pollock, the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, and Amendment 80 species, 15 percent of each TAC is
put into a reserve. The ITAC for these species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves. For pollock and Amendment 80
species, ITAC is the non-CDQ allocation of TAC (see footnotes 3 and 5).
[[Page 13788]]
\3\ For the Amendment 80 species (Atka mackerel, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, Pacific cod, and Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch), 10.7
percent of the TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants (see Sec. Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) and 679.31). Twenty percent of the sablefish TAC
allocated to hook-and-line gear or pot gear, 7.5 percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to trawl gear, and 10.7 percent of the TACs for Bering Sea
Greenland turbot and arrowtooth flounder are reserved for use by CDQ participants (see Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (D)). Aleutian Islands Greenland
turbot, ``other flatfish,'' Alaska plaice, Bering Sea Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, shortraker rockfish, rougheye rockfish, ``other
rockfish,'' skates, sculpins, sharks, squids, and octopuses are not allocated to the CDQ program.
\4\ Under Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), the annual BS subarea pollock TAC after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent)
and second for the incidental catch allowance (4.0 percent), is further allocated by sector for a pollock directed fishery as follows: Inshore--50
percent; catcher/processor--40 percent; and motherships--10 percent. Under Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual Aleutian Islands
subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental catch allowance (2,400
mt) is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a pollock directed fishery.
\5\ The BS Pacific cod TAC is reduced by 3 percent from the combined BSAI ABC to account for the State of Alaska's (State) guideline harvest level in
State waters of the Bering Sea subarea. The AI Pacific cod TAC is reduced by 3 percent from the combined BSAI ABC to account for the State guideline
harvest level in State waters of the Aleutian Islands subarea.
\6\ ``Flathead sole'' includes Hippoglossoides elassodon (flathead sole) and Hippoglossoides robustus (Bering flounder).
\7\ ``Other flatfish'' includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin
sole, arrowtooth flounder, Kamchatka flounder, and Alaska plaice.
\8\ ``Rougheye rockfish'' includes Sebastes aleutianus (rougheye) and Sebastes melanostictus (blackspotted).
\9\ ``Other rockfish'' includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, dark rockfish, shortraker
rockfish, and rougheye rockfish.
Note: Regulatory areas and districts are defined at Sec. 679.2 (BS=Bering Sea subarea, AI=Aleutian Islands subarea, EAI=Eastern Aleutian district,
CAI=Central Aleutian district, WAI=Western Aleutian district.)
[FR Doc. C1-2015-05041 Filed 3-16-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1505-01-D
