Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring Fishery; Adjustment to the 2020 Specifications, 67311 [2020-23418]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 205 / Thursday, October 22, 2020 / Rules and Regulations
rigging and tied down, and any try net
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[FR Doc. 2020–22322 Filed 10–21–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 200428–0122; RTID 0648–
XA575]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Atlantic Herring Fishery;
Adjustment to the 2020 Specifications
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason
adjustment.
AGENCY:
NMFS increases the 2020
Atlantic herring annual catch limit and
Area 1A sub-annual catch limit by 1,000
mt. This action is required by the
herring regulations when, based on data
through October 1, the New Brunswick
weir fishery lands less than 2,942 mt of
herring. This notice is intended to
inform the public of these catch limit
changes.
DATES: Effective October 22, 2020
through December 31, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carrie Nordeen, Fishery Policy Analyst,
(978) 281–9272; or Carrie.Nordeen@
noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
published final 2020 specifications for
the Atlantic Herring Fishery
Management Plan on May 6, 2020 (85
FR 26874), establishing the 2020 annual
catch limit (ACL) and area sub-ACLs.
Table 1 shows the original herring
specifications for 2020 and the
specifications that are revised by this
action for the remainder of the calendar
year.
The NMFS Regional Administrator
tracks herring landings in the New
Brunswick weir fishery each year. The
regulations at 50 CFR 648.201(h) require
that if the New Brunswick weir fishery
landings through October 1 are less than
2,942 mt, then NMFS subtracts 1,000 mt
from the management uncertainty buffer
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:23 Oct 21, 2020
Jkt 253001
and increases the ACL and Area 1A subACL by 1,000 mt. When such a
determination is made, NMFS is
required to notify the New England
Fishery Management Council and
publish the ACL and Area 1A sub-ACL
adjustment in the Federal Register.
Information from Canada’s
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
indicates that the New Brunswick weir
fishery landed 1,125 mt of herring
through October 4, 2020. Therefore, the
Regional Administrator determined,
based on the best available information,
that the New Brunswick weir fishery
landed less than 2,942 mt through
October 1, 2020. Effective October 22,
2020, 1,000 mt will be re-allocated from
the management uncertainty buffer to
the Area 1A sub-ACL and ACL. This
increases the Area 1A sub-ACL from
3,344 mt to 4,344 and the ACL from
11,571 mt to 12,571 mt. The revised
specifications will be used to project
when catch will reach 92 percent of the
Area 1A sub-ACL or 95 percent of the
ACL for the purpose of implementing a
2,000-lb (907-kg) herring possession
limit in Area 1A or in all management
areas, respectively.
TABLE 1—ATLANTIC HERRING
SPECIFICATIONS FOR 2020 (mt)
Original
specifications
Overfishing Limit ..
Acceptable Biological Catch.
Management Uncertainty.
Optimum Yield/
ACL.
Domestic Annual
Harvest.
Border Transfer ....
Domestic Annual
Processing.
U.S. At-Sea Processing.
Area 1A Sub-ACL
(28.9%).
Area 1B Sub-ACL
(4.3%).
Area 2 Sub-ACL
(27.8%).
Area 3 Sub-ACL
(39%).
Fixed Gear SetAside.
Research SetAside.
PO 00000
Frm 00047
Revised
specifications
41,830 ......
16,131 ......
41,830.
16,131.
4,560 ........
3,560.
11,571 ......
12,571.
11,571 ......
12,571.
100 ...........
11,471 ......
100.
12,471.
0 ...............
0.
3,344 ........
4,344.
498 ...........
498
3,217 ........
3,217.
4,513 ........
4,513.
30 .............
30.
3% of subACLs.
3% of subACLs
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 9990
67311
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to
section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Act. This action is required by 50 CFR
part 648, which was issued pursuant to
section 403(b), and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
The Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries, NOAA, finds good cause
under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior
notice and the opportunity for public
comment on this inseason adjustment
because it would be contrary to the
public interest. This action allocates a
portion of the management uncertainty
buffer to the ACL and Area 1A sub-ACL
for the remainder of the year. If
implementation of this inseason action
is delayed to solicit prior public
comment, the objective of the fishery
management plan to achieve the
optimum yield (OY) in the fishery could
be compromised. Deteriorating weather
conditions during the latter part of the
fishing year may reduce fishing effort,
and could also prevent the ACL from
being fully harvested. This would result
in a negative economic impact on
vessels permitted to fish in this fishery.
Moreover, the process being applied
here was the subject of notice and
comment rulemaking. The adjustment is
routine and formulaic, required by
regulation, and is expected by industry.
The potential to re-allocate the
management uncertainty buffer was also
outlined in the final 2020 herring
specifications that were published May
8, 2020, which were developed through
public notice and comment. Based on
these considerations, NMFS further
finds, pursuant to 5 U.S.C 553(d)(3),
good cause to waive the 30-day delayed
effectiveness period for the reasons
stated above.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 19, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–23418 Filed 10–21–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
E:\FR\FM\22OCR1.SGM
22OCR1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 205 (Thursday, October 22, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 67311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23418]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 200428-0122; RTID 0648-XA575]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring
Fishery; Adjustment to the 2020 Specifications
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS increases the 2020 Atlantic herring annual catch limit
and Area 1A sub-annual catch limit by 1,000 mt. This action is required
by the herring regulations when, based on data through October 1, the
New Brunswick weir fishery lands less than 2,942 mt of herring. This
notice is intended to inform the public of these catch limit changes.
DATES: Effective October 22, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carrie Nordeen, Fishery Policy
Analyst, (978) 281-9272; or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS published final 2020 specifications for
the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan on May 6, 2020 (85 FR
26874), establishing the 2020 annual catch limit (ACL) and area sub-
ACLs. Table 1 shows the original herring specifications for 2020 and
the specifications that are revised by this action for the remainder of
the calendar year.
The NMFS Regional Administrator tracks herring landings in the New
Brunswick weir fishery each year. The regulations at 50 CFR 648.201(h)
require that if the New Brunswick weir fishery landings through October
1 are less than 2,942 mt, then NMFS subtracts 1,000 mt from the
management uncertainty buffer and increases the ACL and Area 1A sub-ACL
by 1,000 mt. When such a determination is made, NMFS is required to
notify the New England Fishery Management Council and publish the ACL
and Area 1A sub-ACL adjustment in the Federal Register.
Information from Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans
indicates that the New Brunswick weir fishery landed 1,125 mt of
herring through October 4, 2020. Therefore, the Regional Administrator
determined, based on the best available information, that the New
Brunswick weir fishery landed less than 2,942 mt through October 1,
2020. Effective October 22, 2020, 1,000 mt will be re-allocated from
the management uncertainty buffer to the Area 1A sub-ACL and ACL. This
increases the Area 1A sub-ACL from 3,344 mt to 4,344 and the ACL from
11,571 mt to 12,571 mt. The revised specifications will be used to
project when catch will reach 92 percent of the Area 1A sub-ACL or 95
percent of the ACL for the purpose of implementing a 2,000-lb (907-kg)
herring possession limit in Area 1A or in all management areas,
respectively.
Table 1--Atlantic Herring Specifications for 2020 (mt)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Revised
specifications specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overfishing Limit............... 41,830............ 41,830.
Acceptable Biological Catch..... 16,131............ 16,131.
Management Uncertainty.......... 4,560............. 3,560.
Optimum Yield/ACL............... 11,571............ 12,571.
Domestic Annual Harvest......... 11,571............ 12,571.
Border Transfer................. 100............... 100.
Domestic Annual Processing...... 11,471............ 12,471.
U.S. At-Sea Processing.......... 0................. 0.
Area 1A Sub-ACL (28.9%)......... 3,344............. 4,344.
Area 1B Sub-ACL (4.3%).......... 498............... 498
Area 2 Sub-ACL (27.8%).......... 3,217............. 3,217.
Area 3 Sub-ACL (39%)............ 4,513............. 4,513.
Fixed Gear Set-Aside............ 30................ 30.
Research Set-Aside.............. 3% of sub-ACLs.... 3% of sub-ACLs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR part 648, which was
issued pursuant to section 403(b), and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds good cause
under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the opportunity for
public comment on this inseason adjustment because it would be contrary
to the public interest. This action allocates a portion of the
management uncertainty buffer to the ACL and Area 1A sub-ACL for the
remainder of the year. If implementation of this inseason action is
delayed to solicit prior public comment, the objective of the fishery
management plan to achieve the optimum yield (OY) in the fishery could
be compromised. Deteriorating weather conditions during the latter part
of the fishing year may reduce fishing effort, and could also prevent
the ACL from being fully harvested. This would result in a negative
economic impact on vessels permitted to fish in this fishery. Moreover,
the process being applied here was the subject of notice and comment
rulemaking. The adjustment is routine and formulaic, required by
regulation, and is expected by industry. The potential to re-allocate
the management uncertainty buffer was also outlined in the final 2020
herring specifications that were published May 8, 2020, which were
developed through public notice and comment. Based on these
considerations, NMFS further finds, pursuant to 5 U.S.C 553(d)(3), good
cause to waive the 30-day delayed effectiveness period for the reasons
stated above.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 19, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-23418 Filed 10-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
