[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 15, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 24475-24477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12073]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 672, 675, and 676

[Docket No. 960501122-6122-01; I.D. 042596A]
RIN 0648-AI46


Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska; Groundfish Fishery of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Limited Access Management of 
Federal Fisheries Off of Alaska; Addition of the City of Akutan To the 
List of Communities Eligible to Participate in the Community 
Development Quota Programs (CDQ)

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to add the city of Akutan to the list of western 
Alaska communities that are eligible to participate in the CDQ 
programs, to remove the authority to use scales to weigh total catch in 
the pollock CDQ fishery, and to prohibit processor vessels from filling 
fish holding bins above the level of the viewing port. These actions 
are necessary to further the objectives of the CDQ programs.

DATES: Comments must be received at the following address by June 13, 
1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be sent to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries 
Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 
99802-1668; Attn: Lori Gravel. The Environmental Assessment/Regulatory 
Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (EA/RIR/IRFA) may 
be obtained from the same address or by calling 907-586-7228.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Ham, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The domestic groundfish fisheries in the exclusive economic zone of 
the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management 
area (BSAI) are managed by NMFS in accordance with the Fishery 
Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska and the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Island Area (BSAI FMP). The FMPs were prepared by the Council 
and approved by NMFS under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson Act). The FMPs are implemented by regulations 
that appear at 50 CFR parts 672, 675, and 676. General regulations that 
also govern the groundfish fisheries appear at 50 CFR part 620.
    Beginning with the 1995 fishing season, the Pacific halibut and 
sablefish fixed gear fisheries have been managed under the Individual 
Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. The IFQ program is a regulatory regime 
designed to promote the conservation and management of these fisheries 
and to further the objectives of the Magnuson Act and the Northern 
Pacific Halibut Act. Further information on the implementation of the 
IFQ program, and the rationale supporting it, are contained in the 
preamble to the final rule implementing the IFQ Program published in 
the Federal Register, November 9, 1993 (58 FR 59375), and revised in 
subsequent amendments to the program published in the Federal Register.
    Information on the halibut and sablefish (H/S) CDQ program, and the 
rationale supporting it, are contained in the preamble to the proposed 
rule to implement the program that was published in the Federal 
Register on December 3, 1992 (57 FR 57130).
    The pollock CDQ program originally was developed by the Council and 
submitted as part of Amendment 18 to the BSAI FMP. Amendment 18 was 
approved in part by NMFS (57 FR 23321, June 3, 1992). Initial Federal 
regulations implementing the pollock CDQ program became effective on 
November 18, 1992 (57 FR 54936, November 23, 1992), and expired on 
December 31, 1995. The Council proposed re-authorizing the pollock CDQ 
program for an additional 3 years as part of Amendment 38 to the FMP, 
and NMFS approved this amendment on November 28, 1995. Regulations 
implementing the pollock CDQ program for 1996, 1997, and 1998, were 
published on December 12, 1995 (60 FR 63654), and corrected on January 
2, 1996 (61 FR 20).
    The pollock and H/S CDQ programs apportion designated percentages 
of the annual total allowable catch for pollock, Pacific halibut, and 
fixed gear sablefish to a CDQ reserve that may be allocated to eligible 
western Alaska communities. The purpose of the CDQ program is to 
provide the CDQ communities with a means for starting or supporting 
commercial seafood activities that will result in ongoing, regionally 
based, commercial seafood or related businesses.

CDQ Eligibility for Akutan

    The pollock CDQ regulations and the H/S CDQ regulations 
(Sec. 675.27(d)(2) and Sec. 676.24(f)(2), respectively), list four 
criteria for determining the eligibility of western Alaska communities 
to participate in the CDQ programs. In 1992, NMFS determined that the 
city of Akutan met the first three criteria but did not meet the fourth 
criterion. The fourth criterion states that: ``the community must not 
have previously developed harvesting or processing capability 
sufficient to support substantial groundfish fisheries participation in 
the BSAI, except if the community can show that benefits from an 
approved community development plan (CDP) would be the only way to 
realize a return from previous investments.''
    Akutan was excluded from CDQ participation because a large 
groundfish processing plant--the Trident plant--was located within 
Akutan's city limits.
    Despite the presence of this processing plant, the city of Akutan 
apparently gains little benefit. The Council, at its September 1995, 
meeting, recommended to NMFS that Akutan be added to the list of CDQ-
eligible communities. The Council took this action because the Aleutian 
Pribilof Island Community Development Association, a CDQ group, put 
forward evidence showing that Akutan should not be denied CDQ 
eligibility because of the fourth criterion. The evidence showed that 
the residents of Akutan have little economic interaction with the 
Trident processing plant in Akutan due to the nature of the processing 
plant's operations. The processing plant physically is detached from 
the city of

[[Page 24476]]

Akutan, and the plant uses its own catcher vessels to supply the plant 
with raw fish product. The processing plant was built to support the 
large capacity, heavily capitalized fleet. The plant cannot usually 
accept deliveries from the community's small skiff fleet because of the 
relatively small volume of groundfish produced by that fleet, and 
little or no local market exists for the local skiff fleet's fish. 
Hence, the city of Akutan does not have access to groundfish processing 
facilities that would support substantial groundfish fisheries 
participation in the BSAI.
    In addition to a lack of groundfish processing capability, the city 
of Akutan has not developed harvesting capability. Vessels in the local 
skiff fleet are too small and unsafe to participate effectively and no 
small boat harbor is available for moorage. Allowing Akutan to 
participate in the CDQ programs could provide a basis for the community 
to develop the groundfish harvesting fleet and a boat harbor that would 
enable the community to make deliveries to the existing Trident 
groundfish processing plant or to develop alternative groundfish 
processing facilities.

Weighing Total Catch in the Pollock CDQ Fishery

    Processor vessels in the pollock CDQ fishery are required to either 
provide measured, marked, and certified fish holding bins for 
volumetric estimates of catch weight or to provide scales to weigh 
total catch. This requirement at Sec. 675.27(h)(2)(ii)(A) and (B) was 
published on May 16, 1994 (59 FR 25346), and effective August 15, 1994. 
NMFS proposes to terminate the option to use scales to weigh catch 
until NMFS issues regulations specifying a procedure to assure that 
accurate weights are obtained from the scales.
    Under the current regulations, any scale used on a processor vessel 
to weigh groundfish harvested in the CDQ fisheries must measure catch 
weights to at least 95-percent accuracy. However, evaluation of two 
different models of flow scales during the 1995 pollock CDQ fishery and 
open access pollock non-roe season indicates that, although these 
scales are capable of weighing with a high degree of accuracy, 
consistently accurate weighing has not yet been achieved. Observers 
performed a series of scale tests by weighing approximately 800 
kilograms of fish, first on a motion compensated platform scale (to 
establish the ``known weight'' of the fish) and then again on the flow 
scale. The accuracy of the scale, as measured by the difference between 
these two weights, varied between 0 percent and 97 percent in 
individual tests. This level of variability in scale performance would 
not be acceptable under the current CDQ regulations or any regulations 
anticipated for the BSAI pollock fishery. NMFS believes that requiring 
that the scale perform to a certain level of accuracy is not adequate 
to assure accurate weights. NMFS intends to implement a scale testing 
and certification program that would require a processor vessel to 
demonstrate that the scale was weighing accurately before the vessel 
would be allowed to process fish. An advance notice of proposed 
rulemaking, which outlines NMFS's proposed scale testing and 
certification program, was published in the Federal Register on 
February 20, 1996 (61 FR 6337). Once the scale testing and 
certification program is implemented, the use of scales to weigh total 
catch in the pollock CDQ fisheries may be allowed. Until such 
regulations are implemented, Sec. 675.27(h)(2)(ii)(B) would be removed.

Prohibiting Vessels From Overfilling Bins

    NMFS has become aware that the operators of some processor vessels 
in the pollock CDQ fishery have been filling fish holding bins above 
the level of the viewing port. When this happens, the NMFS-certified 
observer is not able to see the marked increments on the inside of the 
bins and to estimate total catch. Therefore, NMFS proposes to amend the 
pollock CDQ regulations at Sec. 675.27(h)(2)(ii) to prohibit such 
activity.

Classification

    This proposed rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of E.O. 12866.
    NMFS prepared an initial regulatory flexibility analysis as part of 
the regulatory impact review. The analysis describes the impact this 
proposed rule would have on small entities if it is adopted. The 
addition of Akutan to the list of eligible CDQ communities would affect 
a substantial number of small entities, that is, the other 5 
communities currently participating in the CDQ program. Akutan would be 
expected to receive some CDQ support, and support would be reduced for 
one or more of the other communities accordingly. While it is possible 
that Akutan would receive only a very small allocation and the 
resulting reallocations would not have a significant impact, it is more 
likely that the reallocations would reduce the gross revenues of the 
other 5 communities by more than 5 percent, thus having a significant 
economic impact on these entities. It would be speculative to try to 
predict specific allocations or impacts. The economic impact on other 
communities is not a factor to be considered in determining whether a 
particular community is eligible under the CDQ program. Accordingly, 
there are no practical alternatives that would be available or that 
could be considered to reduce or minimize the economic impact on other 
communities if Akutan is added to the list of CDQ communities. Other 
aspects of this proposed rule are not expected to have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
    There are no reporting and recordkeeping requirements other than 
those already discussed in the Paperwork Reduction Act material that 
has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for approval.
    There are no Federal rules that duplicate, overlap, or conflict 
with this proposed rule.
    There are no significant alternatives to the proposed action that 
would accomplish the stated objectives.
    A copy of the EA/RIR/IRFA analysis is available from NMFS (see 
ADDRESSES).

List of Subjects

50 CFR Parts 672 and 675

    Fisheries; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

50 CFR Part 676

    Alaska, Fisheries, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: May 8, 1996.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.

    For reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR Parts 672, 675, and 676 
are proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 672--GROUNDFISH OF THE GULF OF ALASKA

    1. The authority citation for part 672 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    2. Table 7 to 50 CFR part 672, is amended by removing the statement 
in brackets that follows the table heading and by revising the heading 
of the Table and the entries under ``Aleutian Region'' to read as 
follows:

Table 7 to Part 672--Communities Determined To Be Eligible To Apply for 
Community Development Quotas (Other Communities That Do Not Appear on 
This Table May Also Be Eligible)

    Aleutian Region:
1. Atka
2. Akutan

[[Page 24477]]

3. False Pass
4. Nelson Lagoon
5. Nikolski
6. St. George
7. St. Paul
* * * * *

PART 675--GROUNDFISH OF THE BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AREA

    3. The authority citation for part 675 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    4. In Sec. 675.27, the last sentence of paragraph (d)(2)(iv) and 
paragraph (h)(2)(ii) introductory text are revised, paragraph 
(h)(2)(ii)(A) heading and paragraph (h)(2)(ii)(B) are removed, and 
paragraphs (h)(2)(ii)(A)(1) through (h)(2)(ii)(A)(5) are redesignated 
as paragraphs (h)(2)(ii)(A) through (h)(2)(ii)(E), respectively, and 
paragraph (h)(2)(ii)(F) is added to read as follows:


Sec. 675.27   Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program.

(applicable through December 31, 1998)
* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (2) * * *
    (iv) * * * The community of Unalaska is excluded under this 
provision.
* * * * *
    (h) * * *
    (2) * * *
    (ii) Each processor vessel participating in the CDQ fishery for 
pollock must estimate the total weight of its groundfish catch by the 
volumetric procedures specified in this paragraph.
* * * * *
    (F) Fish must not be loaded into a bin used for volumetric 
measurements above the level of the viewing port in the bin.

PART 676--LIMITED ACCESS MANAGEMENT OF FEDERAL FISHERIES IN AND OFF 
OF ALASKA

    5. The authority citation for part 676 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq. and 1801 et seq.

    6. In Sec. 676.24, the last sentence of paragraph (f)(2)(iv) is 
revised to read as follows:


Sec. 676.24   Western Alaska community Development Quota Program.

* * * * *
    (f) * * *
    (2) * * *
    (iv) * * * The community of Unalaska is excluded under this 
provision;
* * * * *
    7. Table 1 to Sec. 676.24, is amended by revising the heading of 
the Table and the entries under ``Aleutian Region'' to read as follows:

Table 1 to Sec. 676.24--Communities Determined To Be Eligible To Apply 
for Community Development Quotas (Other Communities That Do Not Appear 
on This Table May Also Be Eligible)

    Aleutian Region:
1. Atka
2. Akutan
3. False Pass
4. Nelson Lagoon
5. Nikolski
6. St. George
7. St. Paul
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-12073 Filed 5-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-W