Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Exchange of Flatfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
NMFS is exchanging allocations of Amendment 80 cooperative quota (CQ) for Amendment 80 acceptable biological catch (ABC) reserves. This action is necessary to allow the 2020 tot...
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION:
Temporary rule; reallocation.
SUMMARY:
NMFS is exchanging allocations of Amendment 80 cooperative quota (CQ) for Amendment 80 acceptable biological catch (ABC) reserves. This action is necessary to allow the 2020 total allowable catch (TAC) of flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) to be harvested.
DATES:
Effective November 2, 2020, through December 31, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Whitney, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the 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 2020 flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole Amendment 80 allocations of the TAC specified in the BSAI are 12,884 metric tons (mt), 36,090 mt, and 114,903 mt, respectively, as established by the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020) and as revised (85 FR 64413, October 13, 2020). The 2020 flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole Amendment 80 ABC reserves are 44,960 mt, 94,807 mt, and 96,895 mt, respectively, as established by the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020) and as revised (85 FR 64413, October 13, 2020).
The Alaska Seafood Cooperative has requested that NMFS exchange 1,191 mt of flathead sole and 4,527 mt of rock sole Amendment 80 allocation of the TAC for 5,718 mt of yellowfin sole Amendment 80 ABC reserves under § 679.91(i). Therefore, in accordance with § 679.91(i), NMFS exchanges 1,191 mt of flathead sole and 4,527 mt of rock sole Amendment 80 allocation of the TAC for 5,718 mt of yellowfin sole Amendment 80 ABC reserves in the BSAI. This action also decreases and increases the TACs and Amendment 80 ABC reserves by the corresponding amounts. Tables 11 and 13 of the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020) and as revised (85 FR 64413, October 13, 2020) are further revised as follows:
( printed page 69518)
Table 11—Final 2020 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]
Sector
Pacific ocean perch
Flathead sole
Rock sole
Yellowfin sole
Eastern
Aleutian
district
Central
Aleutian
district
Western
Aleutian
district
BSAI
BSAI
BSAI
TAC
10,613
8,094
10,000
16,654
42,178
158,518
CDQ
1,136
866
1,070
1,962
4,615
16,725
ICA
100
60
10
3,000
6,000
4,000
BSAI trawl limited access
938
717
178
17,172
Amendment 80
8,440
6,451
8,742
11,693
31,563
120,621
Note:
Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.
Table 13—Final 2020 and 2021 ABC Surplus, ABC Reserves, 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]
Sector
2020
Flathead sole
2020
Rock sole
2020
Yellowfin sole
2021 1
Flathead sole
2021 1
Rock sole
2021 1
Yellowfin sole
ABC
68,134
153,300
260,918
71,079
230,700
261,497
TAC
16,654
42,128
158,548
24,000
49,000
168,900
ABC surplus
51,480
111,172
102,370
47,079
181,700
92,597
ABC reserve
51,480
111,172
102,370
47,079
181,700
92,597
CDQ ABC reserve
5,329
11,838
11,193
5,037
19,442
9,908
Amendment 80 ABC reserve
46,151
99,334
91,177
42,042
162,258
82,689
1
The 2021 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, 2020.
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, 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 Alaska Seafood Cooperative in the BSAI. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time for public comment because the most recent, relevant data only became available as of October 21, 2020.
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
85 FR 69517
Web Citation
Suggested Web Citation
Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.
“Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Exchange of Flatfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area,” thefederalregister.org (November 3, 2020), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2020-24250/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-exchange-of-flatfish-in-the-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-manageme.