Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of Pacific Cod in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska, 89319-89320 [2023-28486]
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89319
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2023 / Rules and Regulations
§ 660.140
4. In § 660.140, revise table 1 to
paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(D) to read as
follows:
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Shorebased IFQ Program.
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(d) * * *
*
(1) * * *
(ii) * * *
(D) * * *
*
TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (d)(1)(ii)(D)—SHOREBASED TRAWL ALLOCATIONS FOR 2023 AND 2024
2023 Shorebased
trawl allocation
(mt)
IFQ species
Area
YELLOWEYE ROCKFISH ....................................
Arrowtooth flounder ..............................................
Bocaccio ...............................................................
Canary rockfish .....................................................
Chilipepper ............................................................
Cowcod .................................................................
Darkblotched rockfish ...........................................
Dover sole ............................................................
English sole ..........................................................
Lingcod .................................................................
Lingcod .................................................................
Longspine thornyhead ..........................................
Pacific cod ............................................................
Pacific halibut (IBQ) a ............................................
Pacific ocean perch ..............................................
Pacific whiting b .....................................................
Petrale sole ...........................................................
Sablefish ...............................................................
Sablefish ...............................................................
Shortspine thornyhead .........................................
Shortspine thornyhead .........................................
Splitnose rockfish .................................................
Starry flounder ......................................................
Widow rockfish .....................................................
Yellowtail rockfish .................................................
Other Flatfish complex .........................................
Shelf Rockfish complex ........................................
Shelf Rockfish complex ........................................
Slope Rockfish complex .......................................
Slope Rockfish complex .......................................
Coastwide .............................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
S of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
S of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
S of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
N of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
S of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
N of 34°27′ N lat ...................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
N of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
N of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
N of 36° N lat .......................................................
S of 36° N lat ........................................................
N of 34°27′ N lat ...................................................
S of 34°27′ N lat ...................................................
S of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
N of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
Coastwide .............................................................
N of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
S of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
N of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
S of 40°10′ N lat ...................................................
a Pacific
4.42
15,640.17
700.33
842.50
1,563.80
24.80
646.78
45,972.75
8,320.56
1,829.27
284.20
2,129.23
1,039.30
TBD
2,956.14
159,681.38
3,063.76
3,893.50
970.00
1,146.67
50
1,494.70
171.86
11,509.68
3,761.84
4,142.09
694.70
163.02
894.43
417.1
2024 Shorebased
trawl allocation
(mt)
3.41
11,408.87
694.87
851.42
1517.60
24.42
644.34
45,972.75
8,265.46
1,593.47
282.60
2,002.88
1,039.30
TBD
2,832.64
TBD
2,863.76
3,535.91
909.55
1,117.22
50
1,457.60
171.86
10,367.68
3,431.69
4,152.89
691.65
162.43
874.99
414.58
halibut IBQ is set according to 50 CFR 660.55(m).
through an international process. This allocation will be updated when announced.
b Managed
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5. In § 660.231, revise paragraph
(b)(3)(i) to read as follows:
■
§ 660.231 Limited entry fixed gear
sablefish primary fishery.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
*
*
*
*
*
(b) * * *
(3) * * *
(i) A vessel participating in the
primary season will be constrained by
the sablefish cumulative limit
associated with each of the permits
registered for use with that vessel.
During the primary season, each vessel
authorized to fish in that season under
paragraph (a) of this section may take,
retain, possess, and land sablefish, up to
the cumulative limits for each of the
permits registered for use with that
vessel (i.e., stacked permits). If multiple
limited entry permits with sablefish
endorsements are registered for use with
a single vessel, that vessel may land up
to the total of all cumulative limits
announced in this paragraph for the
tiers for those permits, except as limited
by paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:06 Dec 26, 2023
Jkt 262001
Up to 3 permits may be registered for
use with a single vessel during the
primary season; thus, a single vessel
may not take and retain, possess or land
more than 3 primary season sablefish
cumulative limits in any one year. A
vessel registered for use with multiple
limited entry permits is subject to per
vessel limits for species other than
sablefish, and to per vessel limits when
participating in the daily trip limit
fishery for sablefish under § 660.232. In
2023, the following annual limits are in
effect: Tier 1 at 72,904 lb (33,069 kg),
Tier 2 at 33,138 lb (15,031 kg), and Tier
3 at 18,936 lb (8,589 kg). In 2024 and
beyond, the following annual limits are
in effect: Tier 1 at 66,377lb (30,108 kg),
Tier 2 at 30,171 lb (13,685 kg), and Tier
3 at 17,241lb (7,820 kg).
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[FR Doc. 2023–28339 Filed 12–26–23; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 230224–0053; RTID 0648–
XD567]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of
Pacific Cod in the Central Regulatory
Area of the Gulf of Alaska
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.
AGENCY:
NMFS is reallocating the
projected unused amount of Pacific cod
from catcher vessels using trawl gear to
vessels using jig gear, catcher/processors
using trawl gear, and catcher vessels
greater than or equal to 50 feet (15.2
meters (m)) length overall using hookand-line gear in the Central Regulatory
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\27DER1.SGM
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89320
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2023 / Rules and Regulations
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This
action is necessary to allow the 2023
total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific
cod to be harvested.
DATES: Effective December 21, 2023,
through 2400 hours, Alaska local time
(A.l.t.), December 31, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Obren Davis, 907–586–7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
manages the groundfish fishery in the
GOA according to the Fishery
Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Gulf of Alaska (FMP) prepared by the
North Pacific Fishery Management
Council under authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act.
Regulations governing fishing by U.S.
vessels in accordance with the FMP
appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600
and 50 CFR part 679.
The 2023 Pacific cod TAC specified
for catcher vessels using trawl gear in
the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA
is 4,579 metric tons (mt), as established
by the final 2023 and 2024 harvest
specifications for groundfish in the GOA
(88 FR 13238, March 2, 2023).
The 2023 Pacific cod TAC specified
for vessels using jig gear in the Central
Regulatory Area of the GOA is 111 mt,
as established by the final 2023 and
2024 harvest specifications for
groundfish in the GOA (88 FR 13238,
March 2, 2023).
The 2023 Pacific cod TAC specified
for catcher/processors using trawl gear
in the Central Regulatory Area of the
GOA is 462 mt, as established by the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:06 Dec 26, 2023
Jkt 262001
final 2023 and 2024 harvest
specifications for groundfish in the GOA
(88 FR 13238, March 2, 2023).
The 2023 Pacific cod TAC specified
for catcher vessels greater than or equal
to 50 feet (15.2 m) length overall using
hook-and-line gear in the Central
Regulatory Area of the GOA is 738 mt,
as established by the final 2023 and
2024 harvest specifications for
groundfish in the GOA (88 FR 13238,
March 2, 2023).
The Administrator, Alaska Region,
NMFS, (Regional Administrator) has
determined that catcher vessels using
trawl gear will not be able to harvest 395
mt of the 2023 Pacific cod TAC
allocated to those vessels under
§ 679.20(a)(12)(i)(B)(4).
Therefore, in accordance with
§ 679.20(a)(12)(ii)(B), NMFS apportions
395 mt of Pacific cod from catcher
vessels using trawl gear to the annual
amounts specified for vessels using jig
gear, catcher/processors using trawl
gear, and catcher vessels greater than or
equal to 50 feet (15.2 m) length overall
using hook-and-line gear.
The harvest specifications for 2023
Pacific cod included in the final 2023
and 2024 harvest specifications for
groundfish in the Central Regulatory
Area of the GOA (88 FR 13238, March
2, 2023) is revised as follows: 4,184 mt
to catcher vessels using trawl gear, 246
mt to vessels using jig gear, 597 mt to
catcher/processors using trawl gear, and
863 mt to catcher vessels greater than or
equal to 50 feet (15.2 m) length overall
using hook-and-line gear.
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Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to
section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Act. This action is required by 50 CFR
part 679, which was issued pursuant to
section 304(b), and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there
is good cause to waive prior notice and
an opportunity for public comment on
this action, as notice and comment
would be 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
allow for harvests that exceed the
originally specified apportionment of
the Pacific cod TAC. NMFS was unable
to publish a notice providing time for
public comment because the most
recent, relevant data only became
available as of December 20, 2023.
The Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries, NOAA 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.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 20, 2023.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–28486 Filed 12–21–23; 8:45 am]
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 89319-89320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28486]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 230224-0053; RTID 0648-XD567]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation
of Pacific Cod in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific
cod from catcher vessels using trawl gear to vessels using jig gear,
catcher/processors using trawl gear, and catcher vessels greater than
or equal to 50 feet (15.2 meters (m)) length overall using hook-and-
line gear in the Central Regulatory
[[Page 89320]]
Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to allow the
2023 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.
DATES: Effective December 21, 2023, through 2400 hours, Alaska local
time (A.l.t.), December 31, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Obren Davis, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the
GOA according to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf
of Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council under authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act. Regulations governing fishing by U.S. vessels in
accordance with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50
CFR part 679.
The 2023 Pacific cod TAC specified for catcher vessels using trawl
gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 4,579 metric tons
(mt), as established by the final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications
for groundfish in the GOA (88 FR 13238, March 2, 2023).
The 2023 Pacific cod TAC specified for vessels using jig gear in
the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 111 mt, as established by the
final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications for groundfish in the GOA
(88 FR 13238, March 2, 2023).
The 2023 Pacific cod TAC specified for catcher/processors using
trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 462 mt, as
established by the final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications for
groundfish in the GOA (88 FR 13238, March 2, 2023).
The 2023 Pacific cod TAC specified for catcher vessels greater than
or equal to 50 feet (15.2 m) length overall using hook-and-line gear in
the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 738 mt, as established by the
final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications for groundfish in the GOA
(88 FR 13238, March 2, 2023).
The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, (Regional Administrator)
has determined that catcher vessels using trawl gear will not be able
to harvest 395 mt of the 2023 Pacific cod TAC allocated to those
vessels under Sec. 679.20(a)(12)(i)(B)(4).
Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 679.20(a)(12)(ii)(B), NMFS
apportions 395 mt of Pacific cod from catcher vessels using trawl gear
to the annual amounts specified for vessels using jig gear, catcher/
processors using trawl gear, and catcher vessels greater than or equal
to 50 feet (15.2 m) length overall using hook-and-line gear.
The harvest specifications for 2023 Pacific cod included in the
final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications for groundfish in the
Central Regulatory Area of the GOA (88 FR 13238, March 2, 2023) is
revised as follows: 4,184 mt to catcher vessels using trawl gear, 246
mt to vessels using jig gear, 597 mt to catcher/processors using trawl
gear, and 863 mt to catcher vessels greater than or equal to 50 feet
(15.2 m) length overall using hook-and-line gear.
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR part 679, which was
issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice
and comment would be 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 allow for harvests that exceed the
originally specified apportionment of the Pacific cod TAC. NMFS was
unable to publish a notice providing time for public comment because
the most recent, relevant data only became available as of December 20,
2023.
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 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.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 20, 2023.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-28486 Filed 12-21-23; 8:45 am]
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