83 FR 9232 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; General Category Fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 43 (March 5, 2018)

Page Range		9232-9235
FR Document		2018-04397

NMFS transfers 10 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the January 2018 subquota period (from January 1 through March 31, 2018, or until the available subquota for this period is reached, whichever comes first) and closes the General category fishery for large medium and giant BFT until the General category reopens on June 1, 2018. The quota transfer is based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments and applies to Atlantic tunas General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat category permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT. The intent of the closure is to prevent overharvest of the available General category January 2018 BFT subquota as adjusted in this action.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 43 (Monday, March 5, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 43 (Monday, March 5, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9232-9235]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04397]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 635

[Docket No. 150121066-5717-02]
RIN 0648-XG061


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna 
Fisheries; General Category Fishery

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; General category January fishery for 2018; 
inseason bluefin tuna quota transfer and closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS transfers 10 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna 
(BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the January 2018 subquota 
period (from January 1 through March 31, 2018, or until the available 
subquota for this period is reached, whichever comes

[[Page 9233]]

first) and closes the General category fishery for large medium and 
giant BFT until the General category reopens on June 1, 2018. The quota 
transfer is based on consideration of the regulatory determination 
criteria regarding inseason adjustments and applies to Atlantic tunas 
General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory 
Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat category permitted vessels with a 
commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT. The 
intent of the closure is to prevent overharvest of the available 
General category January 2018 BFT subquota as adjusted in this action.

DATES: The quota transfer is effective February 28, 2018, through March 
2, 2018. The closure is effective 11:30 p.m., local time, March 2, 
2018, through May 31, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah McLaughlin or Brad McHale, 978-
281-9260.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implemented under the authority 
of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA; 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.) and 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) governing the harvest of BFT by 
persons and vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction are found at 50 CFR 
635. Section 635.27 subdivides the U.S. BFT quota recommended by the 
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) 
and as implemented by the United States among the various domestic 
fishing categories, per the allocations established in the 2006 
Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan (2006 
Consolidated HMS FMP) (71 FR 58058, October 2, 2006), as amended by 
Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP (Amendment 7) (79 FR 
71510, December 2, 2014). NMFS is required under ATCA and the Magnuson-
Stevens Act to provide U.S. fishing vessels with a reasonable 
opportunity to harvest the ICCAT-recommended quota.
    NMFS is required, under regulations at Sec.  635.28(a)(1), to file 
a closure notice for publication with the Office of the Federal 
Register when a BFT quota is reached or is projected to be reached. On 
and after the effective date and time of such notification, for the 
remainder of the fishing year or for a specified period as indicated in 
the notification, retaining, possessing, or landing BFT under that 
quota category is prohibited until the opening of the subsequent quota 
period or until such date as specified in the notice.
    The base quota for the General category is 466.7 mt. See Sec.  
635.27(a). Each of the General category time periods (January, June 
through August, September, October through November, and December) is 
allocated a ``subquota'' or portion of the annual General category 
quota. Although it is called the ``January'' subquota, the regulations 
allow the General category fishery under this quota to continue until 
the subquota is reached or March 31, whichever comes first. The 
subquotas for each time period are as follows: 24.7 mt for January; 
233.3 mt for June through August; 123.7 mt for September; 60.7 mt for 
October through November; and 24.3 mt for December. Any unused General 
category quota rolls forward within the fishing year, which coincides 
with the calendar year, from one time period to the next, and is 
available for use in subsequent time periods. Effective January 1, 
2017, NMFS transferred 14.3 mt of the 24.3-mt General category quota 
allocated for the December 2018 period to the January 2018 period, 
resulting in an adjusted subquota of 39 mt for the January period and a 
subquota of 10 mt for the December 2017 period (82 FR 60680, December 
22, 2017).
    Although the 2017 ICCAT recommendation regarding western BFT 
management would result in an increase to the baseline U.S. BFT quota 
(i.e., from 1,058.79 mt to 1,247.86 mt) and subquotas for 2018 
(including an expected increase in General category quota from 466.7 mt 
to 555.7 mt, consistent with the annual BFT quota calculation process 
established in Amendment 7), domestic implementation of that 
recommendation will take place in a separate rulemaking, likely to be 
finalized in mid-2018.

Transfer of 10 mt From the Reserve Category to the General Category

    Under Sec.  635.27(a)(9), NMFS has the authority to transfer quota 
among fishing categories or subcategories, after considering regulatory 
determination criteria provided under Sec.  635.27(a)(8). NMFS has 
considered all of the relevant determination criteria and their 
applicability to this inseason quota. These considerations include, but 
are not limited to, the following:
    Regarding the usefulness of information obtained from catches in 
the particular category for biological sampling and monitoring of the 
status of the stock (Sec.  635.27(a)(8)(i)), biological samples 
collected from BFT landed by General category fishermen and provided to 
researchers by tuna dealers give NMFS valuable parts and data for 
ongoing scientific studies of BFT age and growth, migration, and 
reproductive status.
    NMFS also considered the catches of the General category quota to 
date (including during the winter fishery in the last several years), 
and the likelihood of closure of that segment of the fishery if no 
adjustment is made (Sec.  635.27(a)(8)(ii)). As of February 26, 2018, 
the General category landed 31.3 mt (80 percent) of its adjusted 
January 2018 subquota of 39 mt. Although this Notice also closes the 
fishery, without a quota transfer, closure may have been necessary 
sooner or the subquota category could have exceeded its available 
quota, while some quota is available in the Reserve category and while 
commercial-sized bluefin tuna may remain available in the areas where 
General category permitted vessels operate at this time of year. 
Transferring 10 mt of quota from the Reserve category would result in 
49 mt being available for the January fishery, thus providing limited 
additional opportunities to harvest the U.S. bluefin tuna quota while 
avoiding exceeding it.
    Regarding the projected ability of the vessels fishing under the 
particular category quota (here, the General category) to harvest the 
additional amount of BFT before the end of the fishing year (Sec.  
635.27(a)(8)(iii)), NMFS anticipates that all of the 10 mt of qutoa 
will be used by March 2, based on current figures and the relatively 
small amount of quota being transferred. In the unlikely event that any 
of this quota is unused, by March 31, such quota will roll forward to 
the next subperiod within the calendar year (i.e., the June-August time 
period), and NMFS anticipates that it would be used before the end of 
the fishing year.
    NMFS also considered the estimated amounts by which quotas for 
other gear categories of the fishery might be exceeded (Sec.  
635.27(a)(8)(iv)) and the ability to account for all 2018 landings and 
dead discards. In the last several years, total U.S. BFT landings have 
been below the available U.S. quota such that the United States has 
carried forward the maximum amount of underharvest allowed by ICCAT 
from one year to the next. In 2016 and 2017, the General category 
exceeded its adjusted quota (discussed below) but sufficient quota was 
available to cover the exceedance without affecting the other 
categories. NMFS will need to account for 2018 landings and dead 
discards within the adjusted U.S. quota, consistent with ICCAT 
recommendations, and anticipates having sufficient quota to do that, 
even with the 10 mt transfer to the General category for the January 
fishery.

[[Page 9234]]

    This transfer would be consistent with the current quotas, which 
were established and analyzed in the 2015 BFT quota final rule (80 FR 
52198, August 28, 2015), and with objectives of the 2006 Consolidated 
HMS FMP and amendments. (Sec.  635.27(a)(8)(v) and (vi)). At this time, 
there is a relatively small amount of quota in the Reserve category 
available to transfer to other categories or use for scientific 
research and for prudent responsive management. In the past, we have 
conducted the annual reallocation of unused Purse Seine category quota 
to the Reserve category earlier in the year, which resulted in more 
Reserve category quota available at this time of year. Even if more 
quota were available, however, we likely would limit the amount of 
transferred quota, given considerations related to prudent longer-term 
management for all categories of the fishery this year. Another 
principal consideration is the objective of providing opportunities to 
harvest the full annual U.S. BFT quota without exceeding it based on 
the goals of the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and Amendment 7, including 
to achieve optimum yield on a continuing basis and to optimize the 
ability of all permit categories to harvest their full BFT quota 
allocations (related to Sec.  635.27(a)(8)(x)).
    NMFS also anticipates that some underharvest of the 2017 adjusted 
U.S. BFT quota will be carried forward to 2018 and placed in the 
Reserve category, in accordance with the regulations, later this year. 
This, in addition to the fact that any unused General category quota 
will roll forward to the next subperiod within the calendar year, as 
well as the anticipated increase in the U.S. quota and subquotas for 
2018 as a result of ICCAT recommendations and NMFS' plan to actively 
manage the subquotas to avoid any exceedances, makes it likely that 
General category quota will remain available through the end of 2018 
for December fishery participants, after the fishery re-opens later 
this year. NMFS also may choose to transfer unused quota from the 
Reserve or other categories, inseason, based on consideration of the 
determination criteria, as NMFS did for late 2017 (i.e., transferred 
156.4 mt from the Reserve category, effective October 1, 2017 (82 FR 
46000, October 3, 2017)), and later transferred another 25.6 mt from 
the Harpoon category, effective December 1 (82 FR 55520, November 22, 
2017). NMFS anticipates that General category participants in all areas 
and time periods will have opportunities to harvest the General 
category quota in 2018, through active inseason management such as 
retention limit adjustments and/or the timing of quota transfers, as 
practicable. Thus, this quota transfer would allow fishermen to take 
advantage of the availability of fish on the fishing grounds to the 
extent consistent with the available amount transferrable quota and 
other management objectives, while avoiding quota exceedance.
    Based on the considerations above, NMFS is transferring 10 mt of 
the 24.8-mt Reserve category quota to the General category for the 
January 2018 fishery, resulting in a subquota of 49 mt for the January 
2018 fishery and 14.8 mt in the Reserve category.

Closure of the January 2018 General Category Fishery

    Based on the best available bluefin tuna General category landings 
information (i.e., 31.3 mt landed as of February 26, 2018) as well as 
average catch rates and anticipated fishing conditions, NMFS projects 
that the General category January subquota of 49 mt, as adjusted in 
this action, will be reached by March 2, 2018, and that the fishery 
should be closed to avoid exceedance of the enhanced quota. Through 
this action, we are closing the General category bluefin tuna fishery 
effective 11:30 p.m., March 2, 2018, through May 31, 2018. The fishery 
will reopen on June 1, 2018, with a quota of 233.3 mt available for the 
June through August time period. Therefore, retaining, possessing, or 
landing large medium or giant BFT by persons aboard vessels permitted 
in the Atlantic tunas General and HMS Charter/Headboat categories must 
cease at 11:30 p.m. local time on March 2, 2018. The General category 
will reopen automatically on June 1, 2018, for the June through August 
2018 subquota period. This action applies to Atlantic tunas General 
category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species 
(HMS) Charter/Headboat category permitted vessels when fishing 
commercially for BFT, and is taken consistent with the regulations at 
Sec.  635.28(a)(1). The intent of this closure is to prevent 
overharvest of the available General category January BFT subquota.
    Fishermen may catch and release (or tag and release) BFT of all 
sizes, subject to the requirements of the catch-and-release and tag-
and-release programs at Sec.  635.26. All BFT that are released must be 
handled in a manner that will maximize their survival, and without 
removing the fish from the water, consistent with requirements at Sec.  
635.21(a)(1). For additional information on safe handling, see the 
``Careful Catch and Release'' brochure available at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/.

Monitoring and Reporting

    NMFS will continue to monitor the BFT fishery closely. Dealers are 
required to submit landing reports within 24 hours of a dealer 
receiving BFT. Late reporting by dealers compromises NMFS' ability to 
timely implement actions such as quota and retention limit adjustment, 
as well as closures, and may result in enforcement actions. 
Additionally, and separate from the dealer reporting requirement, 
General and HMS Charter/Headboat category vessel owners are required to 
report the catch of all BFT retained or discarded dead within 24 hours 
of the landing(s) or end of each trip, by accessing hmspermits.noaa.gov 
or by using the HMS Catch Reporting App.
    Depending on the level of fishing effort and catch rates of BFT, 
NMFS may determine that additional action (e.g., quota adjustment, 
daily retention limit adjustment, or closure) is necessary to ensure 
available subquotas are not exceeded or to enhance scientific data 
collection from, and fishing opportunities in, all geographic areas. If 
needed, subsequent adjustments will be published in the Federal 
Register. In addition, fishermen may call the Atlantic Tunas 
Information Line at (978) 281-9260, or access hmspermits.noaa.gov, for 
updates on quota monitoring and inseason adjustments.

Classification

    The Assistant Administrator for NMFS (AA) finds that it is 
impracticable and contrary to the public interest to provide prior 
notice of, and an opportunity for public comment on, this action for 
the following reasons:
    The regulations implementing the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and 
amendments provide for inseason quota transfers and fishery closures to 
respond to the unpredictable nature of BFT availability on the fishing 
grounds, the migratory nature of this species, and the regional 
variations in the BFT fishery. These fisheries are currently underway 
and the currently available quota for the subcategory is projected to 
be reached shortly. Affording prior notice and opportunity for public 
comment to implement the quota transfer is impracticable and contrary 
to the public interest as such a delay would likely result in 
exceedance of the General category January fishery subquota or earlier 
closure of the fishery while fish are available on the fishing grounds. 
Subquota exceedance may result in the

[[Page 9235]]

need to reduce quota for the General category later in the year and 
thus could affect later fishing opportunities. Therefore, the AA finds 
good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the 
opportunity for public comment. For all of the above reasons, there 
also is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d) to waive the 30-day delay in 
effectiveness.
    This action is being taken under Sec. Sec.  635.27(a)(9) and 
635.28(a)(1), and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801 et seq.

    Dated: February 28, 2018.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-04397 Filed 2-28-18; 4:15 pm]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

9232 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2018 / Rules and Regulations

paragraph (g) of this section, the proceedings are permitted after the (iii) If a single meeting includes
prohibitions against ex parte issuance of a notice of proposed presentations from multiple parties,
communications apply following the rulemaking and until 20 days before the counsel, or persons, a single summary
issuance of a notice of proposed deadline for reply comments set forth in may be submitted so long as all
rulemaking. The prohibitions in covered the notice of proposed rulemaking, presenters agree to the form and content
proceedings continue until the unless otherwise specified by the Board of the summary.
proceeding is no longer subject to in procedural orders governing the (iv) If a memorandum, including any
administrative reconsideration under 49 proceeding. The Board may delegate its attachments, contains information that
U.S.C. 1322(c) or judicial review. participation in such ex parte the presenter asserts is confidential, the
(e) Procedure required of Board communications to Board staff. All such presenter must submit a public version
Members and Board staff upon receipt ex parte communications must be and a confidential version of the
of prohibited ex parte communications. disclosed in accordance with paragraph memorandum. If there is no existing
(1) Any Board Member, hearing officer, (g)(4) of this section. Any person who protective order governing the
or Board employee who receives an ex engages in such ex parte proceeding, the presenter must, at the
parte communication not permitted by communications must comply with any same time the presenter submits its
these regulations must promptly schedule and additional instructions public and redacted memoranda, file a
transmit either the written provided by the Board in the request with the Board seeking such an
communication, or a written summary proceeding. Communications that do order pursuant to § 1104.14 of this
of the oral communication with an not comply with this section or with the chapter.
outline of the surrounding schedule and instructions established in (v) Memoranda must be submitted to
circumstances to the Chief, Section of the proceeding are not permitted and the Board in the manner prescribed no
Administration, Office of Proceedings, are subject to the procedures and later than two business days after the ex
Surface Transportation Board. The sanctions in paragraphs (e) and (f) of parte communication.
Section Chief shall promptly place the this section. (vi) Ex parte memoranda submitted
written material or summary in the (2) To schedule ex parte meetings under this section will be posted on the
correspondence section of the public permitted under paragraph (g)(1) of this Board’s website in the docket for the
docket of the proceeding with a section, parties should contact the informal rulemaking proceeding within
designation indicating that it is a Board’s Office of Public Assistance, five days of submission. If a presenter
prohibited ex parte communication that Governmental Affairs, and Compliance has requested confidential treatment for
is not part of the decisional record. or the Board Member office with whom all or part of a memorandum, only the
(2) Any Board Member, hearing the meeting is requested, unless public version will appear on the
officer, or Board employee who is the otherwise specified by the Board. Board’s website. Persons seeking access
recipient of such ex parte (3) Parties seeking to present to the confidential version must do so
communication may request a ruling confidential information during an ex pursuant to the protective order
from the Board’s Designated Agency parte communication must inform the governing the proceeding.
Ethics Official as to whether the Board of the confidentiality of the
[FR Doc. 2018–04411 Filed 3–2–18; 8:45 am]
communication is a prohibited ex parte information at the time of the
communication. The Designated Agency presentation and must comply with the BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

Ethics Official shall promptly reply to disclosure requirements in paragraph
such requests. The Chief, Section of (g)(4)(iv) of this section.
Administration, Office of Proceedings, (4) The following disclosure DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
shall promptly notify the Chairman of requirements apply to ex parte
the Board of such ex parte communications permitted under National Oceanic and Atmospheric
communications sent to the Section paragraph (g)(1) of this section: Administration
Chief. The Designated Agency Ethics (i) Any person who engages in ex
Official shall promptly notify the parte communications in an informal 50 CFR Part 635
Chairman of all requests for rulings sent rulemaking proceeding shall submit to [Docket No. 150121066–5717–02]
to the Designated Agency Ethics the Board Member office or delegated
Board staff with whom the meeting was RIN 0648–XG061
Official. The Chairman may require that
any communication be placed in the held a memorandum that states the date
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species;
correspondence section of the docket and location of the communication; lists
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries;
when fairness requires that it be made the names and titles of all persons who
General Category Fishery
public, even if it is not a prohibited attended (including via phone or video)
communication. The Chairman may or otherwise participated in the meeting AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
direct the taking of such other action as during which the ex parte Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
may be appropriate under the communication occurred; and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
circumstances. summarizes the data and arguments Commerce.
(f) * * * presented during the ex parte ACTION: Temporary rule; General
(3) The Board may censure, suspend, communication. Any written or category January fishery for 2018;
dismiss, or institute proceedings to electronic material shown or given to inseason bluefin tuna quota transfer and
suspend or dismiss any Board employee Board Members or Board staff during closure.
who knowingly and willfully violates the meeting must be attached to the
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with RULES

the rules in this section. memorandum. SUMMARY: NMFS transfers 10 metric
(g) Ex parte communications in (ii) Memoranda must be sufficiently tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT)
informal rulemaking proceedings; detailed to describe the substance of the quota from the Reserve category to the
disclosure requirements. (1) presentation. Board Members or Board January 2018 subquota period (from
Notwithstanding paragraph (c) of this staff may ask presenters to resubmit January 1 through March 31, 2018, or
section, ex parte communications with memoranda that are not sufficiently until the available subquota for this
Board Members in informal rulemaking detailed. period is reached, whichever comes

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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2018 / Rules and Regulations 9235

need to reduce quota for the General ACTION: Temporary rule. the BSAI (83 FR 8369, February 27,
category later in the year and thus could 2018) .
affect later fishing opportunities. SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the
As of February 27, 2018, the
Therefore, the AA finds good cause projected unused amounts of the Aleut
Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS,
under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior Corporation’s and the Community
(Regional Administrator) has
notice and the opportunity for public Development Quota pollock directed
determined that 12,200 mt of Aleut
comment. For all of the above reasons, fishing allowances from the Aleutian
Corporation’s DFA and 1,900 mt of
there also is good cause under 5 U.S.C. Islands subarea to the Bering Sea
pollock CDQ DFA in the Aleutian
553(d) to waive the 30-day delay in subarea directed fisheries. These actions
Islands subarea will not be harvested.
effectiveness. are necessary to provide opportunity for
Therefore, in accordance with
This action is being taken under harvest of the 2018 total allowable catch
§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(4), NMFS
§§ 635.27(a)(9) and 635.28(a)(1), and is of pollock, consistent with the goals and
reallocates 12,200 mt of Aleut
exempt from review under Executive objectives of the Fishery Management
Corporation’s DFA and 1,900 mt of
Order 12866. Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea
pollock CDQ DFA from the Aleutian
and Aleutian Islands Management Area.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801 Islands subarea to the 2018 Bering Sea
et seq. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local subarea allocations. The 1,900 mt of
time (A.l.t.), February 28, 2018, until pollock CDQ DFA is added to the 2018
Dated: February 28, 2018. 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2018.
Jennifer M. Wallace, Bering Sea CDQ DFA. The remaining
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 12,200 mt of pollock is apportioned to
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Steve Whitney, 907–586–7228.
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. the AFA Inshore sector (50 percent),
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS AFA catcher/processor sector (40
[FR Doc. 2018–04397 Filed 2–28–18; 4:15 pm]
manages the groundfish fishery in the percent), and the AFA mothership
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
BSAI exclusive economic zone sector (10 percent). The 2018 Bering Sea
according to the Fishery Management subarea pollock incidental catch
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea allowance remains at 47,888 mt. As a
and Aleutian Islands Management Area result, the 2018 harvest specifications
National Oceanic and Atmospheric (FMP) prepared by the North Pacific for pollock in the Aleutian Islands
Administration Fishery Management Council (Council) subarea included in the final 2018 and
under authority of the Magnuson- 2019 harvest specifications for
50 CFR Part 679 Stevens Fishery Conservation and groundfish in the BSAI (83 FR 8369,
Management Act. Regulations governing February 27, 2018) are revised as
[Docket No. 170817779–8161–02] fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance follows: 2,500 mt to Aleut Corporation’s
with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 DFA and 0 mt to CDQ DFA.
RIN 0648–XG048 Furthermore, pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5),
CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the Table 4 of the final 2018 and 2019
Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of portion of the 2018 pollock total harvest specifications for groundfish in
Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian allowable catch (TAC) allocated to the the BSAI (83 FR 8369, February 27,
Islands Aleut Corporation’s directed fishing 2018) is revised to make 2018 pollock
allowance (DFA) is 14,700 metric tons allocations consistent with this
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries (mt) and the Community Development reallocation. This reallocation results in
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Quota (CDQ) DFA is 1,900 mt as adjustments to the 2018 Aleut
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), established by the final 2018 and 2019 Corporation and CDQ pollock
Commerce. harvest specifications for groundfish in allocations established at § 679.20(a)(5).

TABLE 4—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 B season 1
Area and sector 2018 Allocations
A season DFA SCA harvest limit 2 B season DFA

Bering Sea subarea TAC 1 ...................................................... 1,378,441 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA ................................................................................. 138,334 62,250 38,734 76,084
ICA 1 ......................................................................................... 47,888 n/a n/a n/a
Total Bering Sea non-CDQ DFA ............................................. 1,192,219 536,499 333,821 655,720
AFA Inshore ............................................................................. 596,109 268,249 166,911 327,860
AFA Catcher/Processors 3 ....................................................... 476,888 214,599 133,529 262,288
Catch by C/Ps .................................................................. 436,352 196,358 n/a 239,994
Catch by CVs 3 ................................................................. 40,535 18,241 n/a 22,294
Unlisted C/P Limit 4 ........................................................... 2,384 1,073 n/a 1,311
AFA Motherships ..................................................................... 119,222 53,650 33,382 65,572
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with RULES

Excessive Harvesting Limit 5 .................................................... 208,638 n/a n/a n/a
Excessive Processing Limit 6 ................................................... 357,666 n/a n/a n/a
Aleutian Islands subarea ABC ................................................. 40,788 n/a n/a n/a
Aleutian Islands subarea TAC 1 ............................................... 4,900 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA ................................................................................. 0 0 n/a 0
ICA ........................................................................................... 2,400 1,200 n/a 1,200
Aleut Corporation ..................................................................... 2,500 2,500 n/a 0
Area harvest limit 7 ................................................................... n/a n/a n/a n/a

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Document Created: 2018-03-03 02:46:00
Document Modified: 2018-03-03 02:46:00

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Rules and Regulations
Action		Temporary rule; General category January fishery for 2018; inseason bluefin tuna quota transfer and closure.
Dates		The quota transfer is effective February 28, 2018, through March 2, 2018. The closure is effective 11:30 p.m., local time, March 2, 2018, through May 31, 2018.
Contact		Sarah McLaughlin or Brad McHale, 978- 281-9260.
FR Citation		83 FR 9232
RIN Number		0648-XG06

83 FR 9232 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; General Category Fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCENational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 43 (March 5, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration