Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Exchange of Flatfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 143 (Tuesday, July 26, 2016)
Federal Register Volume 81, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 26, 2016)
Rules and Regulations
Pages 48722-48723
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov
FR Doc No: 2016-17593
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
Docket No. 150916863-6211-02
RIN 0648-XE745
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Exchange of Flatfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS is exchanging unused flathead sole Community Development Quota (CDQ) for rock sole CDQ acceptable biological catch (ABC) reserves in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow the 2016 total allowable catch of flathead sole and rock sole in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area to be harvested.
DATES: Effective July 26, 2016 through December 31, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Whitney, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) 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 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 2016 flathead sole and rock sole CDQ reserves specified in the BSAI are 2,232 metric tons (mt), and 5,760 mt as established by the final 2016 and 2017 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (81 FR 14773, March 18, 2016) and following revision (81 FR 41253, June 24, 2016). The 2016 flathead sole and rock sole CDQ ABC reserves are 4,857 mt and 11,478 mt as established by the final 2016 and 2017 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (81 FR 14773, March 18, 2016) and following revision (81 FR 41253, June 24, 2016).
The Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation has requested that NMFS exchange 400 mt of flathead sole CDQ reserves for 400 mt of rock sole CDQ ABC reserves under Sec. 679.31(d). Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 679.31(d), NMFS exchanges 400 mt of flathead sole CDQ reserves for 400 mt of rock sole CDQ ABC reserves in the BSAI. This action also decreases and increases the TACs and CDQ ABC reserves by the corresponding amounts. Tables 11 and 13 of the final 2016 and 2017 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (81 FR 14773, March 18, 2016), and following revision (81 FR 41253, June 24, 2016), are revised as follows:
Table 11--Final 2016 Community Development Quota (CDQ) Reserves, Incidental Catch Amounts (ICAS), and Amendment 80 Allocations of the Aleutian Islands
Pacific Ocean Perch, and BSAI Flathead Sole, Rock Sole, and Yellowfin Sole Tacs
Amounts are in metric tons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific Ocean perch Flathead sole Rock sole Yellowfin sole
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector Eastern Central Western
Aleutian Aleutian Aleutian BSAI BSAI BSAI
District District District
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAC..................................................... 7,900 7,000 9,000 20,585 57,150 144,365
CDQ..................................................... 845 749 963 1,832 6,160 15,773
ICA..................................................... 200 75 10 5,000 6,000 3,500
BSAI trawl limited access............................... 685 618 161 0 0 14,979
Amendment 80............................................ 6,169 5,558 7,866 13,753 44,990 110,113
Alaska Groundfish Cooperative........................... 3,271 2,947 4,171 1,411 11,129 43,748
Alaska Seafood Cooperative.............................. 2,898 2,611 3,695 12,342 33,861 66,365
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.
Page 48723
Table 13--Final 2016 and 2017 ABC Surplus, Community Development Quota (CDQ) ABC Reserves, and Amendment 80 ABC Reserves in the BSAI for Flathead Sole,
Rock Sole, and Yellowfin Sole
Amounts are in metric tons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 Flathead 2016 Yellowfin 2017 Flathead 2017 Yellowfin
Sector sole 2016 Rock sole sole sole 2017 Rock sole sole
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC..................................................... 66,250 161,100 211,700 64,580 145,000 203,500
TAC..................................................... 20,585 57,150 144,365 21,000 57,100 144,000
ABC surplus............................................. 45,665 103,950 67,335 43,580 87,900 59,500
ABC reserve............................................. 45,665 103,950 67,335 43,580 87,900 59,500
CDQ ABC reserve......................................... 5,257 11,078 6,879 4,663 9,405 6,367
Amendment 80 ABC reserve................................ 40,408 92,872 60,456 38,917 78,495 53,134
Alaska Groundfish Cooperative for 2016 \1\.............. 4,145 22,974 24,019 n/a n/a n/a
Alaska Seafood Cooperative for 2016 \1\................. 36,263 69,898 36,437 n/a n/a n/a
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The 2017 allocations for Amendment 80 species between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not be known until
eligible participants apply for participation in the program by November 1, 2016.
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 flatfish exchange by the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation in the BSAI. Since these fisheries are currently open, it is important to immediately inform the industry as to the revised allocations. Immediate notification is necessary to allow for the orderly conduct and efficient operation of this fishery, to allow the industry to plan for the fishing season, and to avoid potential disruption to the fishing fleet as well as processors. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time for public comment because the most recent, relevant data only became available as of July 14, 2016.
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 Sec. 679.20 and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 20, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
FR Doc. 2016-17593 Filed 7-25-16; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
