[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 239 (Wednesday, December 14, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30726]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 14, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 611, 675, and 676

[Docket No. 941241-4341; I.D. 112394B]

 

Foreign Fishing; Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands; Limited Access Management of Federal Fisheries In and 
Off of Alaska

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

ACTION: Interim 1995 specifications of groundfish, associated 
management measures, and closures.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS issues interim 1995 initial total allowable catches 
(ITACs) for each category of groundfish and specifications for 
prohibited species bycatch allowances for the groundfish fishery of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). NMFS is also 
closing specified fisheries consistent with the interim 1995 groundfish 
specifications. The intended effect is to conserve and manage the 
groundfish resources in the BSAI.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1995, until the effective date of the final 
1995 initial specifications.

ADDRESSES: The preliminary 1995 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation 
(SAFE) Report may be requested from the North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council, P.O. Box 103136, Anchorage, AK 99510, 907-271-2809.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen R. Varosi, NMFS, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Groundfish fisheries in the BSAI are 
governed by Federal regulations (50 CFR 611.93 and parts 675 and 676) 
that implement the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery 
of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (FMP). The FMP was prepared 
by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and approved 
by NMFS under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
    The FMP and implementing regulations require NMFS, after 
consultation with the Council, to specify for each calendar year the 
total allowable catch (TAC) for each target species and the ``other 
species'' category (Sec. 675.20(a)(2)). Regulations under 
Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i) further require NMFS to publish and solicit public 
comment on amounts of proposed annual TACs and ITACs for each target 
species, apportionments of each TAC, prohibited species catch (PSC) 
allowances under Sec. 675.21(b), and seasonal allowances of pollock 
TAC. The Council, at its September 1994 meeting, based on the 
recommendations of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and 
other information, approved preliminary initial specifications for 
1995, as detailed below. NMFS is publishing these specifications in 
today's proposed rule section of the Federal Register.

Preliminary TAC Specifications

    The Council developed its TAC recommendations (Table 1) based on 
the preliminary acceptable biological catches (ABCs) as adjusted for 
other biological and socioeconomic considerations, including 
maintaining the total TAC in the required optimum yield range of 1.4-
2.0 million metric tons (mt). Each of the Council's recommended TACs 
for 1995 is equal to or less than the final 1995 ABC for each species 
category. Therefore, NMFS finds that the recommended TACs are 
consistent with the biological condition of groundfish stocks. The 
preliminary ABCs, TACs, ITACs, overfishing levels, and initial 
apportionments of groundfish in the BSAI area for 1995 are given in 
Table 1 of this action. The apportionment of TACs among fisheries and 
seasons is discussed below.

Apportionment of TAC

    As required by Sec. 675.20(a)(3) and (a)(7)(i), each species' TAC 
initially is reduced by 15 percent, except the hook-and-line and pot 
gear allocation for sablefish. The sum of these 15 percent amounts is 
the reserve. The reserve is not designated by species or species group, 
and any amount of the reserve may be reapportioned to a target species 
or the ``other species'' category during the year, providing that such 
reapportionments do not result in overfishing.

Interim ITAC Specifications

    Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i) require that one-fourth of each 
proposed ITAC and apportionment thereof, one-fourth of each PSC 
allowance established under Sec. 675.21(b), and the first seasonal 
allowance of pollock be in effect on January 1, on an interim basis, 
and remain in effect until superseded by publication of the final 
initial specifications in the Federal Register. Therefore, effective 
January 1, 1995, the interim 1995 specifications of groundfish are as 
follows: (1) Twenty-five percent of the proposed ITAC and 
apportionments thereof, as contained in Table 1 of this action; (2) the 
first seasonal allowance of pollock as contained in Table 2 of this 
action; and (3) twenty-five percent of the annual PSC bycatch 
allowances as contained in Table 3 of this action. These interim 
specifications will remain in effect until superseded by publication of 
the final 1995 initial specifications in the Federal Register or until 
harvested.

 Table 1.--Proposed 1995 Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Initial TAC (ITAC), and
                Overfishing Levels of Groundfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area.1,2                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Overfishing 
                     Species                            ABC             TAC           ITAC\3\          level    
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock:                                                                                                        
    BS..........................................       1,330,000       1,330,000       1,130,500       1,590,000
    AI..........................................          56,600          56,600          48,110          60,400
    Bogoslof District...........................          20,000           1,000             850         147,000
Pacific cod.....................................         191,000         191,000         162,350         228,000
Sablefish:                                                                                                      
    BS..........................................             540             540             446                
    AI..........................................           2,800           2,800           2,275                
        Total...................................           3,340           3,340           2,721           4,160
Atka mackerel:                                                                                                  
    Western AI..................................          71,810          10,000           8,500                
    Central AI..................................          73,440          44,525          37,846                
    Eastern AI, BS..............................          17,950          13,475          11,454                
        Total...................................         163,200          68,000          57,800         484,000
Yellowfin sole..................................         230,000         150,325         127,776         269,000
Rock sole.......................................         313,000          75,000          63,750         363,000
Greenland turbot:                                                                                               
    BS..........................................                           4,690           3,986                
    AI..........................................                           2,310           1,964                
        Total...................................           7,000           7,000           5,950          24,800
Arrowtooth flounder.............................          93,400          10,000           8,500         130,000
Flathead sole...................................         119,000          29,618          25,175         145,000
Other flatfish\4\...............................         106,000          26,382          22,425         125,000
Pacific ocean perch:                                                                                            
    BS..........................................           1,910           1,910           1,623           2,920
    AI..........................................          10,900          10,900           9,265          16,600
      Western AI................................           6,104           6,104           5,188                
      Central AI................................           3,052           3,052           2,594                
      Eastern AI................................           1,744           1,744           1,483                
Other red rockfish:\5\                                                                                          
    BS..........................................           1,400           1,400           1,190           1,400
Sharpchin/Northern:                                                                                             
    AI..........................................           5,670           5,670           4,820           5,670
Shortraker/Rougheye:                                                                                            
    AI..........................................           1,220           1,220           1,037           1,220
Other rockfish:\6\                                                                                              
    BS..........................................             365             365             310             365
    AI..........................................             770             770             655             770
Squid\7\........................................           3,110           3,110           2,643                
Other Species\8\................................          27,500          26,390          22,432         141,000
        Totals..................................       2,685,385       2,000,000       1,699,882                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Amounts are in metric tons. These amounts apply to the entire Bering Sea (BS) and Aleutian Islands (AI) area 
  unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these specifications, the BS
  includes the Bogoslof District.                                                                               
\2\Zero amounts of groundfish are specified for Joint Venture Processing and Total Allowable Level of Foreign   
  Fishing.                                                                                                      
\3\Except for the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, 0.15 of each TAC is put 
  into a reserve. For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear,    
  0.20 of the allocated TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants. The ITAC for each species is the remainder 
  of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves.                                                           
\4\``Other flatfish'' includes all flatfish species except for Pacific halibut (a prohibited species), flathead 
  sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, and yellowfin sole.                                                        
\5\``Other red rockfish'' includes shortraker, rougheye, sharpchin, and northern.                               
\6\``Other rockfish'' includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, sharpchin, 
  northern, shortraker, and rougheye.                                                                           
\7\Squid may be combined with ``other species'' category in the final initial specifications of TAC. The Council
  will consider combining squid with the ``other species'' category at its December 1994 meeting.               
\8\``Other species'' includes sculpins, sharks, skates, eulachon, smelts, capelin, and octopus. (The ``other    
  species'' category may include squid in the final 1995 initial specifications of TAC.)                        

Seasonal Allowances of Pollock TAC

    Under Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(ii), the TAC of pollock for each subarea or 
district of the BSAI area is divided, after subtraction of reserves 
(Sec. 675.20(a)(3)), into two allowances. The first allowance will be 
available for directed fishing from January 1 to April 15 (roe season). 
The second allowance will be available from August 15 through the end 
of the fishing year (non-roe season). On September 26, 1994, a proposed 
rule was published in the Federal Register (59 FR 49051) that would 
delay the opening of the pollock roe season for the offshore component 
fishery to January 26th. If approved by NMFS, this season delay would 
be effective for the 1995 fishing year.
    In 1994, the seasonal allowance for the roe season was 45 percent 
and the non-roe season 55 percent for the BS pollock fisheries. The 
pollock TACs specified for the AI subarea and the Bogoslof District 
were not seasonally apportioned. For 1995, the Council is considering 
an alternative to the 1994 seasonal allowance that reduces the 
allowance for pollock fisheries in the BS during the roe season to 40 
percent and increases the pollock non-roe allowance to 60 percent 
(Table 2). The Council declined to choose an alternative until its 
December 1994 meeting. Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i) require that 
the first seasonal allowance of pollock be in effect on January 1 on an 
interim basis, and remain in effect until superseded by publication of 
the final initial specifications in the Federal Register or until 
harvested. Therefore, NMFS establishes a seasonal allowance of 45 
percent of the pollock ITAC specified for each management subarea or 
district during the roe season and 55 percent during the non-roe season 
(Table 2), noting that these allowances are subject to change as a 
result of public comment and consultation with the Council at its 
December 1994 meeting.

Apportionment of the Pollock TAC to the Inshore and Offshore 
Components

    Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(iii) require that the 1995 pollock 
ITAC specified for the BSAI be allocated 35 percent to vessels catching 
pollock for processing by the inshore component and 65 percent to 
vessels catching pollock for processing by the offshore component 
(Table 2). Definitions of these components are found at Sec. 675.2.

                      Table 2.--Proposed Seasonal Allowances of the Inshore and Offshore Component Allocations of Pollock TACs.1,2                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  Roe season4                    Non-roe season5        
                        Subarea                               TAC            ITAC3     -----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                              45%             40%             55%              60%      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea:                                                                                                                                             
    Inshore...........................................                         395,675         178,054         158,270         217,621  237,405         
    Offshore..........................................                         734,825         330,671         293,930         404,154  440,895         
        Total.........................................       1,330,000       1,130,500         508,725         452,200         621,775  678,300         
Aleutian Islands:                                                                                                                                       
    Inshore...........................................                          16,838  ..............          16,838  ..............  remainder.      
    Offshore..........................................                          31,272  ..............          31,272  ..............  remainder.      
        Total.........................................          56,600          48,110  ..............          48,110  ..............  remainder.      
Bogoslof:                                                                                                                                               
    Inshore...........................................                             298  ..............             298  ..............  remainder.      
    Offshore..........................................                             552  ..............             552  ..............  remainder.      
        Total.........................................           1,000             850  ..............             850  ..............  remainder.      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1TAC = total allowable catch.                                                                                                                           
2Based on an offshore component allocation of 0.65 (TAC) and an inshore component allocation of 0.35 (TAC).                                             
3ITAC = initial TAC = 0.85 of TAC.                                                                                                                      
4January 1 through April 15--based on a 45/55 or 40/60 split (roe = 45 percent or 40 percent).                                                          
5August 15 through December 31--based on a 45/55 or 40/60 split (non-roe = 55 percent or 60 percent).                                                   

Allocation of PSC Limits for Crab, Halibut, and Herring

    PSC limits of red king crab and C. bairdi Tanner crab in Bycatch 
Limitation Zones (50 CFR 675.2) of the BS subarea, and for Pacific 
halibut throughout the BSAI area are specified under Sec. 675.21(a). 
The current PSC limits are:
    1. Zone 1 trawl fisheries, 200,000 red king crabs;
    2. Zone 1 trawl fisheries, 1 million C. bairdi Tanner crabs;
    3. Zone 2 trawl fisheries, 3 million C. bairdi Tanner crabs;
    4. BSAI trawl fisheries, 3,775 mt mortality of Pacific halibut;
    5. BSAI nontrawl fisheries, 900 mt mortality of Pacific halibut, 
pending the implementation of the IFQ program; and
    6. BSAI trawl fisheries, 1,962 mt Pacific herring.
    The PSC limit of Pacific herring caught while conducting any trawl 
operation for groundfish in the BSAI is 1 percent of the annual eastern 
BS herring biomass. At this time, the best estimate of 1995 herring 
biomass is 196,200 mt. This amount was derived using 1993 survey data 
and an age-structured biomass projection model developed by the Alaska 
Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). Therefore, the interim herring PSC 
limit is 1,962 mt. This value is subject to change, pending an updated 
forecast analysis of 1994 herring survey data that will be presented to 
the Council by the ADF&G during the Council's December 1994 meeting.
    Regulations under Sec. 675.21(b) authorize the apportionment of 
each PSC limit into PSC allowances for specified fishery categories. 
Regulations at Sec. 675.21(b)(1)(iii) specify seven fishery categories 
(midwater pollock, Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish, rock 
sole/other flatfish, yellowfin sole, rockfish, Pacific cod, and bottom 
pollock/Atka mackerel/``other species''). Regulations at 
Sec. 675.21(b)(2) authorize the apportionment of the nontrawl halibut 
PSC limit among three fishery categories (Pacific cod hook-and-line 
fishery, groundfish pot gear fishery, and other nontrawl fisheries). 
The preliminary PSC allowances are listed in Table 3. In general, the 
fishery bycatch allowances listed in Table 3 reflect the 
recommendations made to the Council by its Advisory Panel. These 
recommendations are unchanged from 1994 and were based on 1993 and 1994 
bycatch amounts, anticipated 1995 harvest of groundfish by trawl gear 
and fixed gear, and assumed halibut mortality rates in the different 
groundfish fisheries based on analyses of 1991-93 observer data. As in 
1994, the Council proposed to exempt the 1995 pot gear fisheries from 
halibut bycatch restrictions.
    Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i) require that one-fourth of each 
proposed PSC allowance be made available on an interim basis for 
harvest at the beginning of the fishing year, until superseded by the 
final initial specifications or until harvested. These interim PSC 
bycatch allowances are 25 percent of the annual allowances listed in 
Table 3.

 Table 3. Preliminary 1995 Prohibited Species Bycatch Allowances for the
                    BSAI Trawl and Nontrawl Fisheries                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Zone 1\1\    Zone 2\1\ wide     BASI-wide  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Trawl Fisheries                                                    
Red king crab, number of                                                
 animals:                                                               
yellowfin sole..........          40,000                                
rcksol/otherflat\2\.....         110,000                                
rockfish................               0                                
turb/arrow/sab\3\/rockfi                                                
 sh.....................               0                                
Pacific cod.............          10,000                                
plck/Atka/othr\4\.......          40,000                                
                         -----------------                              
    Total...............         200,000                                
                         =================                              
C. bairdi Tanner crab,                                                  
 number of animals:                                                     
yellowfin sole..........         175,000       1,275,000                
rcksol/oth.flat.........         475,000         260,000                
turb/arrow/sabl.........               0           5,000                
rockfish................               0          10,000                
Pacific cod.............         175,000         200,000                
plck/Atka/othr..........         175,000       1,250,000                
                         ---------------------------------              
    Total...............       1,000,000       3,000,000                
                         =================================              
Pacific halibut,                                                        
 mortality (mt):                                                        
yellowfin sole..........  ..............  ..............             592
rcksol/oth.flat.........  ..............  ..............             688
turb/arrow/sabl.........  ..............  ..............             137
rockfish................  ..............  ..............             201
Pacific cod.............  ..............  ..............           1,200
plck/Atka/othr..........  ..............  ..............             957
                         -----------------------------------------------
    Total...............  ..............  ..............           3,775
                         ===============================================
Pacific herring, mt:                                                    
midwater pollock........  ..............  ..............           1,419
yellowfin sole..........  ..............  ..............             332
rcksol/oth.flat.........  ..............  ..............               0
turb/arrow/sabl.........  ..............  ..............               0
rockfish................  ..............  ..............               8
Pacific cod.............  ..............  ..............              25
plck/Atka/othr\5\.......  ..............  ..............             178
                         -----------------------------------------------
    Total...............  ..............  ..............           1,962
                         ===============================================
Nontrawl Fisheries BSAI-                                                
          Wide                                                          
Pacific halibut,                                                        
 mortality (mt):                                                        
Pacific cod Hook-and-                                                   
 line...................  ..............  ..............             725
Other nontrawl..........  ..............  ..............             175
Groundfish pot gear.....  ..............  ..............           (\6\)
                         -----------------------------------------------
    Total...............  ..............  ..............             900
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Refer to Sec. 675.2 for definitions of areas.                        
\2\Rock sole and other flatfish fishery category. A technical amendment 
  to add flathead sole to this fishery category will be prepared by NMFS
  if the Council makes a final recommendation at its December 1994      
  meeting to break out flathead sole from the ``other flatfish'' species
  group (see Table 1).                                                  
\3\Greenland turbot, arrowtooth flounder, and sablefish fishery         
  category.                                                             
\4\Pollock, Atka mackerel, and ``other species'' fishery category.      
\5\Pollock other than midwater pollock, Atka mackerel, and ``other      
  species'' fishery category.                                           
\6\Exempt.                                                              

Closures to Directed Fishing

    If the Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Director), 
establishes a directed fishing allowance, and that allowance is or will 
be reached before the end of the fishing year, or, with respect to 
pollock, before the end of the fishing season, NMFS will prohibit 
directed fishing for that species or species group in the specified 
subarea or district under Sec. 675.20(a)(8). The Regional Director has 
determined that the interim TAC amounts of groundfish for species or 
species groups identified below will be necessary as incidental catch 
to support other anticipated groundfish fisheries prior to the time 
that final specifications of groundfish are in effect for the 1995 
fishing year. Therefore, NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for those 
target species, gears, and components, to prevent exceeding the interim 
amounts of groundfish TACs specified. These closures will be 
implemented for the period that the interim specifications of 
groundfish TACs are effective (from January 1 until the effective date 
of the final 1995 initial groundfish specifications or until 
harvested). After consideration of public comments on the proposed 1995 
initial specifications and additional scientific information presented 
at its December 1994 meeting, the Council may recommend other actions 
at the time the final 1995 initial specifications of groundfish TACs 
are implemented or during the 1995 fishing year, as necessary for 
effective management.

   Table 4.--Closures to Directed Fishing Under 1995 Interim TACs.\1\   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Fishery (all gear)                     Closed area\2\          
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock in Bogoslof District.......  Statistical Area 518.              
Pacific ocean perch................  Bering Sea.                        
                                     Eastern AI.\3\                     
                                     Central AI.                        
                                     Western AI.                        
Shortraker/rougheye rockfish.......  AI.                                
Other rockfish\4\..................  BSAI.                              
Other red rockfish\5\..............  Bering Sea.                        
Rockfish, Greenland turbot/          Zone 1.                            
 arrowtooth/sablefish.                                                  
Arrowtooth.........................  BSAI.                              
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\These closures to directed fishing are in addition to closures and   
  prohibitions found in regulations at 50 CFR part 675.                 
\2\Refer to Sec. 675.2 for definitions of areas.                        
\3\``AI'' means Aleutian Islands area.                                  
\4\In the BSAI, ``Other rockfish'' includes Sebastes and Sebastolobus   
  species except for Pacific ocean perch and the ``other red rockfish'' 
  species.                                                              
\5\``Other red rockfish'' includes shortraker, rougheye, sharpchin, and 
  northern.                                                             

Classification

    This action is authorized under 50 CFR 611.93(b), 675.20, and part 
676; and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: December 9, 1994.
Charles Karnella,
Acting Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-30726 Filed 12-19-94; 4:22 pm]
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