Pacific Island Fisheries; 2017 Hawaii Kona Crab Annual Catch Limit and Accountability Measure, 5051-5052 [2018-02162]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 24 / Monday, February 5, 2018 / Rules and Regulations
Scaup
Season Dates: Open November 4,
2017, through January 28, 2018.
Daily Bag Limits: Seven including no
more than two redheads, one pintail,
three scaup (when open), seven
mallards (including no more than two
hen mallards), and two canvasback.
Possession Limits: Twice the daily bag
limit.
Coots
Season Dates: Open October 14, 2017,
through January 28, 2018.
Daily Bag and Possession Limits: 25
and 50, respectively.
Canada Geese
Season Dates: Open October 14, 2017,
through January 28, 2018.
Daily Bag and Possession Limits:
Three and six Canada geese,
respectively.
General Conditions: All nontribal
hunters hunting band-tailed pigeons
and mourning doves on Reservation
lands shall have in their possession a
valid White Mountain Apache Daily or
Yearly Small Game Permit. In addition
to a small game permit, all nontribal
hunters hunting band-tailed pigeons
must have in their possession a White
Mountain Special Band-tailed Pigeon
Permit. Other special regulations
established by the White Mountain
Apache Tribe apply on the reservation.
Tribal and nontribal hunters will
comply with all basic Federal migratory
bird hunting regulations in 50 CFR part
20 regarding shooting hours and manner
of taking.
Dated: January 16, 2018.
Jason Larrabee,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish
and Wildlife and Parks, Exercising the
Authority of the Assistant Secretary for Fish
and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 2018–02203 Filed 2–2–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 665
[Docket No. 170915903–8077–02]
nshattuck on DSK9F9SC42PROD with RULES
RIN 0648–XF706
Pacific Island Fisheries; 2017 Hawaii
Kona Crab Annual Catch Limit and
Accountability Measure
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce.
AGENCY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:20 Feb 02, 2018
Jkt 244001
ACTION:
Final specification.
In this final rule, NMFS
specifies an annual catch limit (ACL) for
2017 of 3,500 lb for Hawaii Kona crab,
and an accountability measure (AM) to
correct or mitigate any overages of the
catch limit. The ACL and AM support
the long-term sustainability of fishery
resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands.
DATES: The final specification is
effective March 7, 2018. The final
specification is applicable from January
1, 2017, through December 31, 2017.
ADDRESSES: The Fishery Ecosystem Plan
for the Hawaiian Archipelago is
available from the Western Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council),
1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu,
HI 96813, tel 808–522–8220, fax 808–
522–8226, or https://www.wpcouncil.org.
Copies of the environmental analysis
and other supporting documents for this
action, identified by NOAA–NMFS–
2017–0012, are available at https://
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20170012, or from Michael D. Tosatto,
Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific
Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd.
Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sarah Ellgen, NMFS PIR Sustainable
Fisheries, 808–725–5173.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is
specifying an ACL of 3,500 lb of Hawaii
Kona crab for fishing year 2017. NMFS
proposed this specification on
December 20, 2017 (82 FR 60366), and
the final specification does not differ
from the proposed. The 2017 fishing
year began on January 1 and ended on
December 31.
The Council recommended the ACL
based on a recommended acceptable
biological catch of 3,500 lb from its
Scientific and Statistical Committee,
and the results of an October 2015 stock
assessment. The stock assessment found
that the Hawaii Kona crab stock had
reached an overfished status (<50
percent of BMSY, biomass at maximum
sustainable yield) in 2006, and was
likely still overfished in 2010. The
assessment also included biomass
projections for 2010–2030 under three
commercial landings scenarios: Zero lb,
7,000 lb, and 8,000 lb.
At a constant 7,000-lb annual
commercial harvest rate, the assessment
estimated that Kona crab biomass would
increase above 50 percent of BMSY by
2030, but due to uncertainty, there was
a chance that stock biomass could
potentially decline to zero lb by 2020.
In developing the ACL, the Council also
considered information indicating a
50:50 male to female landings ratio, and
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
5051
information suggesting that crabs
disentangled from Kona crab may have
injuries that could result in mortality
rates as high as 100 percent if limbs are
lost. Therefore, to meet the objective of
rebuilding stock biomass to levels >50
percent of BMSY, and limit total fishing
mortality to 7,000 lb, the Council
recommended an ACL of 3,500 lb.
NMFS is planning to complete a
benchmark assessment for Hawaii Kona
crab in 2019, which could be available
for management use in fishing year
2020.
As an AM, NMFS will apply a 3-year
average catch to evaluate fishery
performance against the ACL.
Specifically, NMFS will use the average
catch of fishing years 2015, 2016, and
2017, to evaluate fishery performance
against the 2017 ACL. If, after the end
of the fishing year, NMFS and the
Council determine that the 3-year
average catch exceeded the specified
ACL, NMFS and the Council will reduce
the ACL for that fishery by the amount
of the overage in the subsequent year.
The Council recommended an AM
based on multi-year average catch data
to reduce the influence of inter-annual
variability in catch estimates in
evaluating fishery performance against
the ACL.
You may review additional
background information on this action
in the preamble to the proposed
specification (82 FR 60366; December
20, 2017); we do not repeat that
information here.
Comments and Responses
The comment period for the proposed
specification ended on January 4, 2018.
NMFS received two public comments
that were not relevant to this
rulemaking.
Changes From the Proposed
Specification
There are no changes in the final
specification from the proposed
specification.
Classification
The Regional Administrator, NMFS
PIR, determined that this action is
necessary for the conservation and
management of Pacific Island fisheries,
and that it is consistent with the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act and
other applicable laws.
The Chief Counsel for Regulation of
the Department of Commerce certified
to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the
Small Business Administration during
the proposed rule stage that this action
would not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
E:\FR\FM\05FER1.SGM
05FER1
5052
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 24 / Monday, February 5, 2018 / Rules and Regulations
Dated: January 30, 2018.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
fishing allowances from the Aleutian
Islands subarea to the Bering Sea
subarea directed fisheries. These actions
are necessary to provide opportunity for
harvest of the 2018 total allowable catch
of pollock, consistent with the goals and
objectives of the Fishery Management
Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands Management Area.
DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local
time (A.l.t.), February 5, 2018, until the
effective date of the final 2018 and 2019
harvest specifications for Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands (BSAI) groundfish,
unless otherwise modified or
superseded through publication of a
notification in the Federal Register.
[FR Doc. 2018–02162 Filed 2–2–18; 8:45 am]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
Steve Whitney, 907–586–7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
manages the groundfish fishery in the
BSAI exclusive economic zone
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 (Council)
under authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act. Regulations governing
fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance
with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50
CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the
portion of the 2018 pollock total
allowable catch (TAC) allocated to the
Aleut Corporation’s directed fishing
allowance (DFA) is 14,700 metric tons
(mt) and the Community Development
Quota (CDQ) DFA is 1,900 mt as
established by the final 2017 and 2018
harvest specifications for groundfish in
the BSAI (82 FR 11826, February 26,
2017), and as adjusted by an inseason
entities. NMFS published the factual
basis for certification in the proposed
specification, and does not repeat it
here. NMFS did not receive comments
regarding the certification and has no
reason to think that anything has
changed to affect it. As a result, a final
regulatory flexibility analysis is not
required, and one was not prepared.
This action is exempt from review
under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 161020985–7181–02]
RIN 0648–XF979
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of
Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian
Islands
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule.
AGENCY:
NMFS is reallocating the
projected unused amounts of the Aleut
Corporation’s and the Community
Development Quota pollock directed
SUMMARY:
adjustment (82 FR 60329, December 20,
2017).
As of January 17, 2018, the
Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS,
(Regional Administrator) has
determined that 12,200 mt of Aleut
Corporation’s DFA and 1,900 mt of
pollock CDQ DFA in the Aleutian
Islands subarea will not be harvested.
Therefore, in accordance with
§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(4), NMFS
reallocates 12,200 mt of Aleut
Corporation’s DFA and 1,900 mt of
pollock CDQ DFA from the Aleutian
Islands subarea to the 2018 Bering Sea
subarea allocations. The 1,900 mt of
pollock CDQ DFA is added to the 2018
Bering Sea CDQ DFA. The remaining
12,200 mt of pollock is apportioned to
the AFA Inshore sector (50 percent),
AFA catcher/processor sector (40
percent), and the AFA mothership
sector (10 percent). The 2018 Bering Sea
subarea pollock incidental catch
allowance remains at 47,888 mt. As a
result, the 2018 harvest specifications
for pollock in the Aleutian Islands
subarea included in the final 2017 and
2018 harvest specifications for
groundfish in the BSAI (82 FR 11826,
February 26, 2017) are revised as
follows: 2,500 mt to Aleut Corporation’s
DFA and 0 mt to CDQ DFA.
Furthermore, pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5),
Table 5 of the final 2017 and 2018
harvest specifications for groundfish in
the BSAI (82 FR 11826, February 26,
2017), as adjusted by the inseason
adjustment (82 FR 60329, December 20,
2017), is revised to make 2018 pollock
allocations consistent with this
reallocation. This reallocation results in
adjustments to the 2018 Aleut
Corporation and CDQ pollock
allocations established at § 679.20(a)(5).
TABLE 5—FINAL 2018 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND TO THE CDQ
DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA) 1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
2018 A season 1
2018
Allocations
nshattuck on DSK9F9SC42PROD with RULES
Area and sector
Bering Sea subarea TAC 1 ..............................................................................
CDQ DFA .........................................................................................................
ICA 1 .................................................................................................................
Total Bering Sea non-CDQ DFA .....................................................................
AFA Inshore .....................................................................................................
AFA Catcher/Processors 3 ...............................................................................
Catch by C/Ps ..........................................................................................
Catch by CVs 3 .........................................................................................
Unlisted C/P Limit 4 ...................................................................................
AFA Motherships .............................................................................................
Excessive Harvesting Limit 5 ............................................................................
Excessive Processing Limit 6 ...........................................................................
Aleutian Islands subarea ABC .........................................................................
Aleutian Islands subarea TAC 1 .......................................................................
CDQ DFA .........................................................................................................
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:20 Feb 02, 2018
Jkt 244001
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
1,378,441
138,334
47,888
1,192,219
596,109
476,888
436,352
40,535
2,384
119,222
208,638
357,666
40,788
4,900
0
A season DFA
n/a
62,250
n/a
536,499
268,249
214,599
196,358
18,241
1,073
53,650
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
0
E:\FR\FM\05FER1.SGM
05FER1
SCA harvest
limit 2
n/a
38,734
n/a
333,821
166,911
133,529
n/a
n/a
n/a
33,382
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
2018
B season 1
B season DFA
n/a
76,084
n/a
655,720
327,860
262,288
239,994
22,294
1,311
65,572
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
0
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 24 (Monday, February 5, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 5051-5052]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02162]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 665
[Docket No. 170915903-8077-02]
RIN 0648-XF706
Pacific Island Fisheries; 2017 Hawaii Kona Crab Annual Catch
Limit and Accountability Measure
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Final specification.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In this final rule, NMFS specifies an annual catch limit (ACL)
for 2017 of 3,500 lb for Hawaii Kona crab, and an accountability
measure (AM) to correct or mitigate any overages of the catch limit.
The ACL and AM support the long-term sustainability of fishery
resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands.
DATES: The final specification is effective March 7, 2018. The final
specification is applicable from January 1, 2017, through December 31,
2017.
ADDRESSES: The Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Hawaiian Archipelago is
available from the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council), 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, tel 808-
522-8220, fax 808-522-8226, or https://www.wpcouncil.org. Copies of the
environmental analysis and other supporting documents for this action,
identified by NOAA-NMFS-2017-0012, are available at https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2017-0012, or from
Michael D. Tosatto, Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Region
(PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd. Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Ellgen, NMFS PIR Sustainable
Fisheries, 808-725-5173.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is specifying an ACL of 3,500 lb of
Hawaii Kona crab for fishing year 2017. NMFS proposed this
specification on December 20, 2017 (82 FR 60366), and the final
specification does not differ from the proposed. The 2017 fishing year
began on January 1 and ended on December 31.
The Council recommended the ACL based on a recommended acceptable
biological catch of 3,500 lb from its Scientific and Statistical
Committee, and the results of an October 2015 stock assessment. The
stock assessment found that the Hawaii Kona crab stock had reached an
overfished status (<50 percent of BMSY, biomass at maximum
sustainable yield) in 2006, and was likely still overfished in 2010.
The assessment also included biomass projections for 2010-2030 under
three commercial landings scenarios: Zero lb, 7,000 lb, and 8,000 lb.
At a constant 7,000-lb annual commercial harvest rate, the
assessment estimated that Kona crab biomass would increase above 50
percent of BMSY by 2030, but due to uncertainty, there was a
chance that stock biomass could potentially decline to zero lb by 2020.
In developing the ACL, the Council also considered information
indicating a 50:50 male to female landings ratio, and information
suggesting that crabs disentangled from Kona crab may have injuries
that could result in mortality rates as high as 100 percent if limbs
are lost. Therefore, to meet the objective of rebuilding stock biomass
to levels >50 percent of BMSY, and limit total fishing
mortality to 7,000 lb, the Council recommended an ACL of 3,500 lb. NMFS
is planning to complete a benchmark assessment for Hawaii Kona crab in
2019, which could be available for management use in fishing year 2020.
As an AM, NMFS will apply a 3-year average catch to evaluate
fishery performance against the ACL. Specifically, NMFS will use the
average catch of fishing years 2015, 2016, and 2017, to evaluate
fishery performance against the 2017 ACL. If, after the end of the
fishing year, NMFS and the Council determine that the 3-year average
catch exceeded the specified ACL, NMFS and the Council will reduce the
ACL for that fishery by the amount of the overage in the subsequent
year. The Council recommended an AM based on multi-year average catch
data to reduce the influence of inter-annual variability in catch
estimates in evaluating fishery performance against the ACL.
You may review additional background information on this action in
the preamble to the proposed specification (82 FR 60366; December 20,
2017); we do not repeat that information here.
Comments and Responses
The comment period for the proposed specification ended on January
4, 2018. NMFS received two public comments that were not relevant to
this rulemaking.
Changes From the Proposed Specification
There are no changes in the final specification from the proposed
specification.
Classification
The Regional Administrator, NMFS PIR, determined that this action
is necessary for the conservation and management of Pacific Island
fisheries, and that it is consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act and other applicable laws.
The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action would
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
[[Page 5052]]
entities. NMFS published the factual basis for certification in the
proposed specification, and does not repeat it here. NMFS did not
receive comments regarding the certification and has no reason to think
that anything has changed to affect it. As a result, a final regulatory
flexibility analysis is not required, and one was not prepared.
This action is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 30, 2018.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-02162 Filed 2-2-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
