Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program, 92697-92702 [2016-30068]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 20, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 92697-92702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30068]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 680

[Docket No. 160617541-6999-02]
RIN 0648-BG15


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea 
and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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

SUMMARY: NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 47 to the 
Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner 
Crabs (Crab FMP) and to make minor clarifications to regulations 
implementing the Crab FMP. This final rule addresses how individual 
processing quota (IPQ) use caps apply to the Bering Sea Chionoecetes 
bairdi Tanner crab fisheries: the eastern C. bairdi Tanner (EBT) and 
the western C. bairdi Tanner (WBT). This regulation exempts EBT and WBT 
IPQ crab that is custom processed at a facility through contractual 
arrangements with the processing facility owners from being applied 
against the IPQ use cap of the processing facility owners, thereby 
allowing a facility to process more crab without triggering the IPQ use 
cap. This exemption is necessary to allow all of the EBT and WBT Class 
A individual fishing quota crab to be processed at the facilities 
currently processing EBT and WBT crab, and will have significant 
positive economic effects on the fishermen, processors, and communities 
that participate in the EBT and WBT fisheries. This final rule is 
intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the 
Crab FMP, and other applicable law.

DATES: Effective January 19, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of Amendment 47 to the Crab FMP, the 
Regulatory Impact Review (RIR), Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 
(IRFA), and the Categorical Exclusion prepared for this action are 
available from https://www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS Alaska 
Region Web site at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.
    The Environmental Impact Statement (Program EIS), RIR (Program 
RIR), Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (Program FRFA), and Social 
Impact Assessment prepared for the Crab Rationalization Program 
(Program) are available from the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keeley Kent, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule implements Amendment 47 to 
the Crab FMP and regulatory amendments to the Program. NMFS published a 
notice of availability for Amendment 47 in the Federal Register on 
September 13, 2016 (81 FR 62850). Comment on Amendment 47 was invited 
through November 14, 2016. The Secretary approved Amendment 47 on 
December 6, 2016, after accounting for information from the public, and 
determining that Amendment 47 is consistent with the Crab FMP, the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law. NMFS published the 
proposed rule to implement Amendment 47 on September 23, 2016 (81 FR 
65615). The comment period on the proposed rule ended on October 24, 
2016. NMFS received four comments. A summary of these comments and 
NMFS' responses are provided in the Comments and Responses section of 
this preamble.
    This final rule modifies regulations that specify how IPQ use caps 
apply to IPQ issued for EBT and WBT crab fisheries. The following 
sections describe: (1) The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) crab 
fisheries under the Program, (2) IPQ use caps and custom processing 
arrangements, and (3) this final rule.

The BSAI Crab Fisheries Under the Program

    This section and the following section of the preamble provide a 
brief description of the Program, and the elements of the Program, that 
apply to Amendment 47 and this final rule. For a more detailed 
description of the Program as it relates to this final rule, please see 
Sections 2.5 and 2.6 of the RIR (see ADDRESSES) and the preamble of the 
proposed rule (81 FR 65615; September 23, 2016).
    The Program was implemented on March 2, 2005 (70 FR 10174). The 
Program established a limited access privilege program for nine crab 
fisheries in the BSAI, including the EBT and WBT crab fisheries, and 
assigned quota share (QS) to persons based on their historic 
participation in one or more of those nine BSAI crab fisheries during a 
specific period. Under the Program, NMFS issued four types of QS: 
catcher vessel owner (CVO) QS was assigned to holders of License 
Limitation Program (LLP) licenses who delivered their catch to 
shoreside crab processors or to stationary floating crab processors; 
catcher/processor vessel owner QS was assigned to LLP license holders 
who harvested and processed their catch at sea; catcher/processor crew 
QS was issued to captains and crew on board catcher/processor vessels; 
and catcher vessel crew QS was issued to captains and crew on board 
catcher vessels. Each year, a person who holds QS may receive an 
exclusive harvest privilege for a portion of the annual total allowable 
catch, called individual fishing quota (IFQ).

[[Page 92698]]

    NMFS also issued processor quota share (PQS) under the Program. 
Each year, PQS yields an exclusive privilege to process a portion of 
the IFQ in each of the nine BSAI crab fisheries. This annual exclusive 
processing privilege is called individual processor quota (IPQ). Only a 
portion of the QS issued yields IFQ that is required to be delivered to 
a processor with IPQ. QS derived from deliveries made by catcher vessel 
owners (i.e., CVO QS) is subject to designation as either Class A IFQ 
or Class B IFQ. Ninety percent of the IFQ derived from CVO QS is 
designated as Class A IFQ, and the remaining 10 percent is designated 
as Class B IFQ. Class A IFQ must be matched and delivered to a 
processor with IPQ. Class B IFQ is not required to be delivered to a 
processor holding IPQ for that fishery. Each year there is a one-to-one 
match of the total pounds of Class A IFQ with the total pounds of IPQ 
issued in each crab fishery.
    NMFS issued QS and PQS for the EBT and WBT crab fisheries. Unlike 
the QS and PQS issued for most other Program fisheries, the QS and PQS 
issued for the EBT and WBT crab fisheries are not subject to regional 
delivery and processing requirements, commonly known as 
regionalization. Therefore, the Class A IFQ that results from EBT and 
WBT QS, and the IPQ that results from EBT and WBT PQS, can be delivered 
to, and processed at, any otherwise eligible processing facility. In 
addition, the PQS and resulting IPQ issued for the EBT and WBT crab 
fisheries are not subject to right-of-first-refusal (ROFR) provisions 
included in the Program. The ROFR provisions provide certain 
communities with an option to purchase PQS or IPQ that would otherwise 
be used outside of the community holding the ROFR.
    Because the EBT and WBT crab fisheries are not subject to 
regionalization or ROFR provisions, crab harvested under a Class A IFQ 
permit in these fisheries can be delivered to processors in a broad 
geographic area more easily than crab harvested under Class A IFQ 
permits in Program fisheries subject to regionalization and ROFR 
provisions. The rationale for exempting the EBT and WBT crab fisheries 
from regionalization and ROFR provisions is described in the Program 
EIS (see ADDRESSES), and in the final rule implementing the Program (70 
FR 10174, March 2, 2005).

IPQ Use Caps and Custom Processing Arrangements

    The Program limits the amount of QS that a person can hold (i.e., 
own), the amount of IFQ that a person can use, and the amount of IFQ 
that can be used on board a vessel. Similarly, the Program limits the 
amount of PQS that a person can hold, the amount of IPQ that a person 
can use, and the amount of IPQ that can be processed at a given 
facility. These limits are commonly referred to as use caps.
    In most of the nine BSAI crab fisheries under the Program, 
including the Tanner crab fisheries, a person is limited to holding no 
more than 30 percent of the PQS initially issued in the fishery, and to 
using no more than the amount of IPQ resulting from 30 percent of the 
initially issued PQS in a given fishery, with a limited exemption for 
persons receiving more than 30 percent of the initially issued PQS. No 
person in the EBT or WBT crab fisheries received in excess of 30 
percent of the initially issued PQS (see Section 2.5.2 of the RIR). 
Therefore, no person may use an amount of EBT or WBT IPQ greater than 
an amount resulting from 30 percent of the initially issued EBT or WBT 
PQS. The rationale for the IPQ use caps is described in the Program EIS 
and the final rule implementing the Program (70 FR 10174, March 2, 
2005).
    Section 680.7(a)(7) provides that IPQ use by a person is calculated 
by summing the total amount of IPQ that is held by that person and IPQ 
held by other persons who are affiliated with that person. The term 
``affiliation'' is defined in Sec.  680.2 as a relationship between two 
or more entities where one entity directly or indirectly owns or 
controls 10 percent or more of the other entity. Additional terms used 
in the definition of ``affiliation'' are described in Sec.  680.2.
    Under Sec.  680.7(a)(7), any IPQ crab that is ``custom processed'' 
at a facility an IPQ holder owns will be applied against the IPQ use 
cap of the facility owner, unless specifically exempted by Sec.  
680.42(b)(7). A custom processing arrangement exists when an IPQ holder 
has a contract with the owners of a processing facility to have his or 
her crab processed at that facility, and the IPQ holder does not have 
an ownership interest in that processing facility or is not otherwise 
affiliated with the owners of that processing facility. In custom 
processing arrangements, the IPQ holder contracts with a facility 
operator to have the IPQ crab processed according to that IPQ holder's 
specifications. Custom processing arrangements typically occur when an 
IPQ holder does not own a shoreside processing facility or cannot 
economically operate a stationary floating crab processor.

This Final Rule

    Below is a brief description of this final rule. For a more 
detailed description of the rationale for this final rule, please see 
Sections 1 and 2.9.2 of the RIR (see ADDRESSES) and the preamble of the 
proposed rule (81 FR 65615; September 23, 2016).
    This final rule modifies Sec.  680.42(b)(7)(ii)(A) by adding EBT 
and WBT IPQ crab to the list of BSAI crab fisheries already receiving a 
custom processing arrangement exemption. This final rule will allow EBT 
and WBT IPQ crab received for custom processing by the three processors 
currently operating in these fisheries to qualify for a custom 
processing arrangement exemption and not apply against the IPQ use caps 
for these processors. With this final rule, all EBT and WBT IPQ crab 
received under custom processing arrangements at the facilities owned 
by the three existing EBT and WBT processors (Maruha-Nichiro 
Corporation, Trident Seafoods, or Unisea Seafoods) will not be counted 
against the IPQ use cap of the facility or the facility owners. The 
custom processing arrangement exemption allows these processors to 
custom process crab for unaffiliated IPQ holders who have custom 
processing arrangements with the processors, thereby allowing 
harvesters to fully harvest and deliver their EBT and WBT Class A IFQ 
crab to IPQ holders with a custom processing arrangement at facilities 
operating in these fisheries.
    At its June 2016 meeting, the North Pacific Fishery Management 
Council (Council) voted to recommend Amendment 47, which creates a 
custom processing arrangement exemption for EBT and WBT crab. The 
Council recognized that consolidation within the Tanner crab processing 
sector has constrained the ability of the processing sector to process 
all of the EBT and WBT Class A IFQ crab without exceeding the IPQ use 
caps. The Council determined that the likelihood of additional unique 
and unaffiliated processing facilities entering the Tanner crab 
processing sector for the 2016/2017 crab fishing year or the near 
future is low, creating a significant risk that the portion of the 
Tanner crab allocation in excess of the caps will not be processed. 
Without the ability to have all EBT and WBT Class A IFQ processed, that 
portion of the Tanner crab allocation in excess of the caps will likely 
go unharvested because sufficient processing facilities do not 
currently exist in the Bering Sea region.
    The anticipated effects of this final rule include allowing the 
full processing of all EBT and WBT Class A IFQ crab

[[Page 92699]]

and the associated economic and social benefits of that processing 
activity for harvesters, the existing Tanner crab processors, and the 
communities where processing facilities are located. These communities 
include Akutan, Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, King Cove, and Saint Paul, AK. 
This final rule will allow all of the Tanner crab Class A IFQ to be 
harvested and processed by existing processors and will thus avoid the 
adverse economic and social impacts created by the lack of adequate 
processing capacity that would otherwise result if the EBT and WBT crab 
fisheries could not be fully processed. Without this rule, only 90 
percent of the EBT and WBT Class A IFQ could be processed by the 
existing processors. The remaining ten percent of the EBT and WBT Class 
A IFQ crab represents approximately $3.4 million in ex-vessel value and 
$4.95 million in first wholesale value based on estimated ex-vessel and 
first wholesale values of EBT and WBT crab in the 2015/2016 crab 
fishing year, the most recent crab fishing year for which EBT and WBT 
total allowable catches (TACs) have been specified (see Section 2.9 of 
the RIR for additional detail).
    The Council and NMFS considered whether this final rule could 
result in further consolidation of Tanner crab processing to fewer 
facilities than currently operating. Since EBT and WBT crab are not 
subject to regionalization or ROFR, there would be no regulatory 
limitations preventing all of the EBT and WBT IPQ crab from being 
processed by one company at one facility. The Council and NMFS 
determined that operational factors make it unlikely that additional 
consolidation will occur. First, the extent to which the exemption 
allows further consolidation depends on whether processors choose to 
enter custom processing arrangements with IPQ holders. The choice to 
enter those arrangements depends largely on the benefit to the IPQ 
holder arising from using the IPQ at the holder's own facility or 
custom processing the IPQ at a plant unaffiliated with the IPQ holder. 
Collectively, the three companies and their facilities that process 
Tanner crab have substantial holdings of IPQ (see Table 2-3 of the 
RIR). It is likely more economical for these companies to process the 
IPQ they hold at their facilities rather than to negotiate a custom 
processing agreement with another processor, which reduces the 
likelihood of further consolidation.
    Second, the extent of further consolidation depends on the business 
decisions that participants make regarding their participation in other 
crab fisheries, such as Bristol Bay red king crab and Bering Sea C. 
opilio crab. None of the current Tanner crab processors only process 
Tanner crab; all companies and facilities that process Tanner crab also 
process Bristol Bay red king crab and Bering Sea C. opilio. Crab 
processing tends to be labor intensive, requiring relatively large 
crews. The cost of transporting, housing, and provisioning crews to run 
crab processing lines at a plant can be high. Processors that are 
active in other BSAI crab fisheries may be more likely to continue 
processing in the Tanner crab fisheries to help maintain a consistent 
amount of crab available for processing at the facility (see Section 
2.9.2 of the RIR for more information).
    Third, processors are likely to maintain processing facilities near 
the fishing grounds. Proximity to the fishing grounds may help prevent 
or reduce deadloss--dead crab landed at the dock, which is associated 
with increased transit time between the fishing grounds and offload. 
Additionally, proximity to the fishing grounds can help harvesters 
maximize their efficiency and prevent the need to spend significant 
time transiting to and from processing facilities for offload. Given 
these factors, the Council and NMFS concluded that additional 
consolidation of processing activity in the EBT and WBT fisheries is 
unlikely under current and projected operations.
    This final rule will provide a benefit to processors willing to 
custom process Class A IFQ for EBT and WBT crab, and those IPQ holders 
who do not own processing facilities and must have their crab custom 
processed. The custom processing arrangement exemption for EBT and WBT 
IPQ crab avoids the adverse economic impacts created by the 30-percent 
IPQ use cap for Tanner crab fisheries to IPQ holders who own and 
operate processing facilities. This final rule will also benefit those 
IPQ holders who do not have processing facilities since their IPQ could 
be custom processed by an existing facility and their custom processing 
arrangement will not count against the 30-percent IPQ use cap (see 
Section 2.9.2 of the RIR for further information).
    This final rule will benefit harvesters who hold Class A IFQ for 
EBT and WBT crab. Without this rule, harvesters with EBT or WBT Class A 
IFQ likely will be unable to fully harvest allocations provided to them 
due to IPQ use cap limitations imposed on IPQ holders and the three 
existing processors that receive EBT and WBT crab. This rule allows 
Class A IFQ holders in the EBT and WBT crab fisheries to fully harvest 
their IFQ allocations, because those Class A IFQ holders who match with 
IPQ holders who do not own processing facilities will be able to 
deliver their IFQ to a processing facility that has a custom processing 
arrangement with that IPQ holder.
    The effects of this final rule on communities and community 
sustainability are expected to be beneficial relative to no action. 
This final rule continues the delivery of EBT and WBT Class A IFQ crab 
to processors at facilities owned by the Maruha-Nichiro Corporation, 
Trident Seafoods, or UniSea Seafoods in BSAI communities. This final 
rule is expected to maintain the amount of income generated and the 
amount of tax revenues in communities where existing processing 
facilities are located.
    Although this final rule provides a benefit to the existing three 
processors with processing facilities, this final rule does not 
preclude the ability for new, unaffiliated processing companies to 
enter the EBT and WBT fisheries, establish custom processing 
arrangements with IPQ holders, and process EBT and WBT crab. Section 
2.9.2 of the RIR provides more detail on the potential for new 
unaffiliated processing companies to enter the EBT and WBT crab 
fisheries.

Regulation To Make a Minor Clarification

    This final rule also modifies Sec.  680.42(b)(7)(ii)(B) to clarify 
the meaning of the phrase ``on the effective date of this rule'' that 
occurs in Sec.  680.42(b)(7)(ii)(B). The phrase ``on the effective date 
of this rule'' in Sec.  680.42(b)(7)(ii)(B) refers to the effective 
date of the regulations that implemented Amendment 27 to the Crab FMP 
and that added Sec.  680.42(b)(7)(ii)(B) to the regulations (74 FR 
25449, May 28, 2009). Regulations implementing Amendment 27 to the Crab 
FMP were published on May 28, 2009, and became effective on June 29, 
2009. The phrase ``on the effective date of this rule'' was 
inadvertently left in the regulatory text and not replaced with the 
actual effective date of the rule. This final rule revises the phrase 
``on the effective date of this rule'' to read ``on June 29, 2009'' to 
reduce any confusion about the applicable date for the requirements in 
Sec.  680.42(b)(7)(ii)(B). This minor correction does not substantively 
change the intent or effect of Sec.  680.42(b)(7)(ii)(B).

Comments and Responses

    Comment 1: The commenter states that NOAA should reduce the 
``quota'' (TACs) of the EBT and WBT fisheries by

[[Page 92700]]

50 percent. The commenter also states that existing fishery management 
regulations are causing biological harm, ``poaching'' (unreported 
harvest) is occurring, and additional law enforcement effort is 
required.
    Response: This final rule does not modify the process for 
determining the total amount of EBT or WBT crab available for harvest 
each year. The EBT and WBT fisheries are not overfished, not subject to 
overfishing, and the TACs for these fisheries have not been exceeded in 
any year these fisheries have been open for fishing since the 
implementation of the Program. The commenter's recommendation to reduce 
the TACs is not supported by available information and is outside the 
scope of the rule.
    The commenter does not provide any data to support the assertion 
that unreported harvest is occurring. NMFS does not have any data that 
indicates that unreported harvest is occurring. The NOAA Office of Law 
Enforcement allocates law enforcement resources as it deems necessary 
and appropriate to ensure adequate enforcement.
    Comment 2: Two commenters express support for the proposed rule and 
concur with the rationale for the rule as laid out in the preamble to 
the proposed rule. The commenters urge NMFS to adopt this rule.
    Response: NMFS acknowledges this comment.
    Comment 3: The commenter states that most stakeholders have 
accepted the necessity of Amendment 47 and the proposed rule with the 
understanding that the Council will undertake a more comprehensive 
review of processor use caps in the EBT and WBT fisheries. The 
commenter cites to several sections of the RIR that state that large 
processors are the primary beneficiaries of custom processing cap 
exemptions for the EBT and WBT fisheries, and that smaller processors 
that participate in the fisheries could be disadvantaged by the 
exemption. The commenter also cites to sections in the RIR stating that 
processor consolidation could curtail product development in that some 
processors may wish to develop new products which might not be possible 
(or as advantageous) under custom processing arrangements. According to 
the commenter, the lack of new product forms has been a quantifiable 
result of processor consolidation which should be analyzed and 
addressed through a well-crafted amendment to the FMP.
    Response: As described in the preamble to the proposed rule, this 
final rule, and Section 2.9.2 of the RIR, the Council and NMFS 
considered the potential impact of Amendment 47 and this final rule on 
existing and potential processing operations. Based on the information 
available and the analyses prepared for this action, the Council and 
NMFS determined for reasons provided in the preambles of the proposed 
rule and this final rule that Amendment 47 and this final rule are not 
likely to cause adverse impacts on fishermen, processors, or 
communities participating in the EBT and WBT crab fisheries.
    The decision to enter into a custom processing arrangement is a 
voluntary decision made by each processor. The commenter incorrectly 
stated that the RIR concluded that processor consolidation would impede 
the development of new products. Section 2.9.2 of the RIR states that 
the theoretical interest of processor `A' in the development of new 
products but the disinterest of other processors in new product forms 
may be a reason why processor `A' would not engage in custom processing 
arrangements with other processors, thereby inhibiting further 
consolidation in the sector. Although the commenter states that there 
has been a ``quantifiable'' lack of new product forms due to processor 
consolidation, NMFS does not have data to determine the range of 
product forms provided by crab processors, and cannot determine if 
consolidation in the number of processors in the fishery has resulted 
in fewer new product forms. Although the commenter's suggestion to 
initiate a new analysis and FMP amendment to assess this issue is 
outside of the scope of this final rule, when the Council adopted 
Amendment 47 it also requested Council staff to prepare a discussion 
paper that will review various approaches to processor consolidation 
within the EBT and WBT crab fisheries, such as raising the Tanner crab 
IPQ use cap to 40%; converting Class A IFQ to Class B IFQ; and applying 
a custom processing arrangement exemption only in years when processing 
capacity is not sufficient (i.e., when there are less than four 
processors).
    Comment 4: The commenter requests expedited implementation of this 
rule so that the regulations are effective by January 13, 2017. The 
commenter states that actions taken by the Alaska Board of Fisheries 
(Board of Fisheries) in January 2017 could result in changes to State 
of Alaska (State) harvest policy regulations for the EBT and WBT 
fisheries. The current State harvest policy regulations do not provide 
for an EBT or WBT fishery for the 2016/2017 crab fishing year. However, 
if the Board of Fisheries modifies the EBT and WBT harvest policy 
regulations at its January 2017 meeting, this could result in changes 
that would provide an opportunity for the State to issue TACs for the 
EBT and WBT fisheries for the 2016/2017 crab fishing year. The 
commenter expresses concern that if issued, 10 percent of the EBT and 
WBT Class A IFQ could be stranded if this final rule is not effective 
by the start of the Board of Fisheries meeting on January 13, 2017.
    Response: NMFS acknowledges this request and anticipates that this 
final rule will be published in the Federal Register prior to January 
13, 2017, or shortly thereafter, and that the regulations will be 
effective well in advance of the end of the EBT and WBT fishing seasons 
on March 31, 2017. However, NMFS has determined that implementation 
(i.e., publication and effectiveness) of this final rule is not 
required prior to January 13, 2017, in order for the Board of Fisheries 
to modify its harvest policy regulations, for the State to issue TACs 
for the EBT and WBT fisheries, for NMFS to issue IFQ or IPQ, or to 
prevent stranding of EBT and WBT Class A IFQ. By State regulation (5 
AAC 35.510), the EBT and WBT crab fishing seasons end on March 31 of 
each year. If the Board of Fisheries were to modify its harvest policy 
regulations and the State issued TACs for the EBT and WBT fisheries, 
harvesting and processing in the EBT and WBT fisheries could begin 
because existing Federal regulations allow each of the three processors 
operating in the EBT and WBT fisheries to receive and process up to 30 
percent of the EBT or WBT Class A IFQ (a total of 90 percent of the EBT 
or WBT Class A IFQ) before being constrained. NMFS anticipates that 
this final rule will be effective with sufficient time to allow for the 
complete harvesting and processing of the EBT and WBT fisheries before 
the end of the fishing seasons on March 31, 2017, should the State 
modify its harvest policy regulations so that IFQ and IPQ is issued for 
the 2016/2017 crab fishing year. NMFS is not waiving the 30-day delay 
in effectiveness requirement of the Administrative Procedure Act for 
this final rule based on this comment.

Classification

    The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that 
Amendment 47 to the Crab FMP and this final rule are necessary for the 
conservation and management of the EBT and WBT fisheries and are 
consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable law.
    This final rule has been determined to be not significant for the 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.

[[Page 92701]]

Small Entity Compliance Guide

    Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness 
Act of 1996 states that, for each rule or group of related rules for 
which an agency is required to prepare a final regulatory flexibility 
analysis, the agency shall publish one or more guides to assist small 
entities in complying with the rule, and shall designate such 
publications as ``small entity compliance guides.'' The agency shall 
explain the actions a small entity is required to take to comply with a 
rule or group of rules. The preamble to the proposed rule (81 FR 65615, 
September 23, 2016) and the preamble to this final rule serve as the 
small entity compliance guide for this action.

Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    Section 604 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) requires an 
agency to prepare a final regulatory flexibility analysis (FRFA) after 
being required by that section or any other law to publish a general 
notice of proposed rulemaking and when an agency promulgates a final 
rule under section 553 of Title 5 of the U.S. Code. The following 
paragraphs constitute the FRFA for this action.
    This FRFA incorporates the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 
(IRFA), a summary of the significant issues raised by the public 
comments, NMFS' responses to those comments, and a summary of the 
analyses completed to support the action. Analytical requirements for 
the FRFA are described in the RFA, section 604(a)(1) through (6). The 
FRFA must contain:
    1. A statement of the need for, and objectives of, the rule;
    2. A statement of the significant issues raised by the public 
comments in response to the IRFA, a statement of the assessment of the 
agency of such issues, and a statement of any changes made in the 
proposed rule as a result of such comments;
    3. The response of the agency to any comments filed by the Chief 
Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 
response to the proposed rule, and a detailed statement of any change 
made to the proposed rule in the final rule as a result of the 
comments;
    4. A description and an estimate of the number of small entities to 
which the rule will apply, or an explanation of why no such estimate is 
available;
    5. A description of the projected reporting, recordkeeping, and 
other compliance requirements of the rule, including an estimate of the 
classes of small entities which will be subject to the requirement and 
the type of professional skills necessary for preparation of the report 
or record; and
    6. A description of the steps the agency has taken to minimize the 
significant economic impact on small entities consistent with the 
stated objectives of applicable statutes, including a statement of the 
factual, policy, and legal reasons for selecting the alternative 
adopted in the final rule and why each one of the other significant 
alternatives to the rule considered by the agency which affect the 
impact on small entities was rejected.
    The ``universe'' of entities to be considered in a FRFA generally 
includes only those small entities that can reasonably be expected to 
be directly regulated by the action. If the effects of the rule fall 
primarily on a distinct segment of the industry, or portion thereof 
(e.g., user group, gear type, geographic area), that segment will be 
considered the universe for purposes of this analysis.
    In preparing a FRFA, an agency may provide either a quantifiable or 
numerical description of the effects of a rule (and alternatives to the 
rule), or more general descriptive statements, if quantification is not 
practicable or reliable.
Need for and Objectives of This Final Rule
    C. bairdi crab processing facilities have consolidated to the 
extent that the IPQ use caps are constraining the ability of the 
remaining processing sector to process the entire allocation of Tanner 
crab under the caps. Without the entry of additional unique and 
unaffiliated processors into the Tanner crab processing sector, which 
appears unlikely in the near future, the portion of the C. bairdi 
Tanner crab allocation in excess of the caps (i.e., 10 percent) will 
not be harvested because insufficient processing capacity, relative to 
the use caps, is currently available. In the 2015/2016 Tanner crab 
season, the gross ex-vessel value for 10 percent of the Class A IFQ for 
EBT and WBT crab was estimated at $3.4 million. Without relief from the 
use cap restriction, harvesters, processors, and communities are 
expected to lose the potential benefits from the foregone portion of 
this crab catch. Management objectives include providing relief from 
the processing use caps, so that the full C. bairdi crab allocation can 
be harvested, processed, and delivered to consumer markets, worldwide.
Summary of Significant Issues Raised During Public Comment
    NMFS published the proposed rule to implement Amendment 47 on 
September 23, 2016 (81 FR 65615). An IRFA was prepared and summarized 
in the Classification section of the preamble to the proposed rule. The 
comment period on the proposed rule ended on October 24, 2016. NMFS 
received 4 comments on Amendment 47 and the proposed rule. None of 
these comments raise issues in response to the IRFA. The Chief Counsel 
for Advocacy of the SBA did not file any comments on the IRFA or the 
proposed rule. The public comments received for Amendment 47 were 
mostly supportive of the action. One comment requested further analysis 
of how the development of new products by some processors may not be 
possible or advantageous under custom processing arrangements. However, 
under this final rule, custom processing arrangements are not required, 
but rather remain a voluntary business arrangement that a processor may 
choose to enter. No changes were made to this rule or the RFA analysis 
as a result of public comments.
Number and Description of Directly Regulated Small Entities
    For RFA purposes only, NMFS has established a small business size 
standard for businesses, including their affiliates, whose primary 
industry is commercial fishing (see 50 CFR 200.2). A business primarily 
engaged in commercial fishing (NAICS code 11411) is classified as a 
small business if it is independently owned and operated, is not 
dominant in its field of operation (including its affiliates), and has 
combined annual receipts not in excess of $11 million for all its 
affiliated operations worldwide.
    The SBA has established size criteria for all other major industry 
sectors in the United States, including fish processing businesses. A 
seafood processor is a small business if it is independently owned and 
operated, not dominant in its field of operation, and employs 750 or 
fewer persons on a full-time, part-time, temporary, or other basis, at 
all its affiliated operations worldwide. A wholesale business servicing 
the fishing industry is a small business if it employs 100 or fewer 
persons on a full-time, part-time, temporary, or other basis, at all 
its affiliated operations worldwide.
    The entities directly regulated by this action are those entities 
that process EBT and WBT crab. It does not include entities that 
harvest Class A IFQ EBT and WBT crab. From 2012 through

[[Page 92702]]

2014, the most recent period for which NMFS has data on processors, 
there are no processors considered small entities that will be directly 
regulated by this action.
    This action will also directly regulate registered crab receivers 
(RCRs) as all Program crab must be received by an RCR. Some RCRs are 
the same entities that process Tanner crab, and others are those that 
have their Tanner crab custom processed. In 2015/2016, there were 10 
RCRs that received Tanner crab, seven of which are considered large 
entities due to their affiliations with large seafood processing 
companies. The remaining three are considered small entities because 
they are affiliated with not-for-profit organizations.
Recordkeeping, Reporting, and Other Compliance Requirements
    This action does not require any new recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements, or any modification of existing requirements.
Description of Significant Alternatives to This Final Rule That 
Minimize Economic Impacts on Small Entities
    The Council and NMFS did not identify any alternatives to the 
action alternative that would minimize the impact on small entities 
better than the action alternative and still meet the objectives for 
this final rule. The impacts on small entities are defined in the IRFA 
for this action and are not repeated here. The action alternative will 
allow the full harvest and processing of the Tanner crab total 
allowable catch. This action is not expected to have negative economic 
impacts on the small entities directly impacted by this action.
    The Council considered a limited duration option that would have 
created a temporary rule to provide a fix for the near term, but would 
require the Council to take further action if it intended to create a 
more long-term revision. The Council did not select this option as it 
already has the ability to examine processing activity in the Tanner 
crab fishery at any time and take future action on this subject. This 
option would not have had less economic impact on small entities than 
the action alternative, as the action alternative is not expected to 
have negative impacts.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 680

    Alaska, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: December 9, 2016.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 680 is amended 
as follows:

PART 680--SHELLFISH FISHERIES OF THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE OFF 
ALASKA

0
1. The authority citation for 50 CFR part 680 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1862; Pub. L. 109-241; Pub. L. 109-479.

0
2. In Sec.  680.42, revise paragraph (b)(7)(ii) introductory text, and 
paragraphs (b)(7)(ii)(A) and (B) to read as follows:


Sec.  680.42  Limitations on use of QS, PQS, IFQ, and IPQ.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (7) * * *
    (ii) The IPQ crab meets the conditions in paragraphs (b)(7)(ii)(A) 
and (B) of this section or the IPQ crab meets the conditions in 
paragraph (b)(7)(ii)(C) of this section:
    (A) The IPQ crab is:
    (1) BSS IPQ crab with a North region designation;
    (2) EAG IPQ crab;
    (3) EBT IPQ crab;
    (4) PIK IPQ crab;
    (5) SMB IPQ crab;
    (6) WAG IPQ crab provided that IPQ crab is processed west of 174 
degrees west longitude;
    (7) WAI IPQ crab; or
    (8) WBT IPQ crab.
    (B) That IPQ crab is processed at:
    (1) Any shoreside crab processor located within the boundaries of a 
home rule, first class, or second class city in the State of Alaska in 
existence on June 29, 2009; or
    (2) Any stationary floating crab processor that is:
    (i) Located within the boundaries of a home rule, first class, or 
second class city in the State of Alaska in existence on June 29, 2009;
    (ii) Moored at a dock, docking facility, or at a permanent mooring 
buoy, unless that stationary floating crab processor is located within 
the boundaries of the city of Atka in which case that stationary 
floating crab processor is not required to be moored at a dock, docking 
facility, or at a permanent mooring buoy; and
    (iii) Located within a harbor, unless that stationary floating crab 
processor is located within the boundaries of the city of Atka on June 
29, 2009, in which case that stationary floating crab processor is not 
required to be located within a harbor.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2016-30068 Filed 12-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P