[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 107 (Thursday, June 4, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 30412-30414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14869]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 961107312-7021-02; I.D. 052098B]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bycatch Rate
Standards for the Second Half of 1998
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Pacific halibut and red king crab bycatch rate standards;
request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces Pacific halibut and red king crab bycatch rate
standards for the second half of 1998. Publication of these bycatch
rate standards is required under regulations
[[Page 30413]]
implementing the vessel incentive program. This action is necessary to
implement the bycatch rate standards for vessel operators who
participate in the Alaska groundfish trawl fisheries. The intent of
this action is to reduce prohibited species bycatch rates and promote
conservation of groundfish and other fishery resources.
DATES: Effective 1201 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 1, 1998,
through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 1998. Comments on this action
must be received at the following address no later than 4:30 p.m.,
A.l.t., June 30, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be mailed to Susan J. Salveson, Assistant
Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, NMFS, P.O. Box
21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel; or be delivered to 709
West 9th Street, Federal Building, Room 401, Juneau, AK.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan J. Salveson, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The domestic groundfish fisheries in the
exclusive economic zone of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
management area (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) are managed by NMFS
according to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of
the Bering Sea and Aleutians Islands Area and the Fishery Management
Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMPs). The FMPs were
prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council)
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act and are implemented by regulations governing the U.S.
groundfish fisheries at 50 CFR part 679.
Regulations at Sec. 679.21(f) implement a vessel incentive program
to reduce halibut and red king crab bycatch rates in the groundfish
trawl fisheries. Under the incentive program, operators of trawl
vessels may not exceed Pacific halibut bycatch rate standards specified
for the BSAI and GOA midwater pollock and ``other trawl'' fisheries and
for the BSAI yellowfin sole and ``bottom pollock'' fisheries. Vessel
operators also may not exceed red king crab bycatch standards specified
for the BSAI yellowfin sole and ``other trawl'' fisheries in Bycatch
Limitation Zone 1 (defined in Sec. 679.2). The fisheries included under
the incentive program are defined in regulations at Sec. 679.21(f)(2).
Regulations at Sec. 679.21(f)(3) require that halibut and red king
crab bycatch rate standards for each fishery included under the
incentive program be published in the Federal Register. The standards
are in effect for specified seasons within the 6-month periods of
January 1 through June 30 and of July 1 through December 31. For
purposes of calculating vessel bycatch rates under the incentive
program, 1998 fishing months were specified in the Federal Register on
December 3, 1997 (62 FR 63878).
Halibut and red king crab bycatch rate standards for the first half
of 1998 also were published in the Federal Register (62 FR 63878,
December 3, 1997). As required by Sec. 679.21(f)(3) and (4), the
Administrator of the Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has
established the bycatch rate standards for the second half of 1998
(July 1 through December 31). These standards were endorsed by the
Council at its April 1998 meeting and are set out in Table 1. The
bycatch rate standards are based on the following information:
1. Previous years' average observed bycatch rates;
2. Immediately preceding season's average observed bycatch rates;
3. The bycatch allowances and associated fishery closures specified
under Sec. 679.21(d) and (e);
4. Anticipated groundfish harvests;
5. Anticipated seasonal distribution of fishing effort for
groundfish; and
6. Other information and criteria deemed relevant by the Regional
Administrator.
Table 1.--Bycatch Rate Standards by Fishery for the Second Half of 1998
for Purposes of the Vessel Incentive Program in the BSAI and GOA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bycatch rate
Fishery standard
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Halibut bycatch rate standards (kilograms of halibut per metric ton of
groundfish catch)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BSAI Midwater pollock................................... 1.0
BSAI Bottom pollock..................................... 5.0
BSAI Yellowfin sole..................................... 5.0
BSAI Other trawl........................................ 30.0
GOA Midwater pollock.................................... 1.0
GOA Other trawl......................................... 40.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zone 1 red king crab bycatch rate standards (number of crab per metric
ton of groundfish catch)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BSAI yellowfin sole..................................... 2.5
BSAI Other trawl........................................ 2.5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bycatch Rate Standards for Pacific Halibut
The halibut bycatch rate standards for the 1998 trawl fisheries are
unchanged from those implemented in 1997. The Regional Administrator
based standards for the second half of 1998 on anticipated seasonal
fishing effort for groundfish species and on 1994-1998 halibut bycatch
rates observed in the trawl fisheries included under the incentive
program. In determining these bycatch rate standards, the Regional
Administrator considered the annual and seasonal bycatch specifications
for the BSAI and GOA trawl fisheries (63 FR 12689, March 16, 1998, and
63 FR 12027, March 12, 1998, respectively). He further recognized that
directed fishing for Pacific cod in the Western and Central Regulatory
Areas of the GOA is closed for the remainder of the year. The GOA
shallow-water and deep-water trawl fishery species complexes will
reopen on July 1 when the third seasonal apportionment of the halibut
bycatch limit established for the GOA trawl fisheries becomes
available. In the Bering Sea, the rockfish and rock sole/flathead sole/
other flatfish fishery categories will open or reopen on July 1 when
seasonal apportionments of halibut bycatch allowances specified for
these fisheries become available. The BSAI yellowfin sole and Pacific
cod trawl fisheries are ongoing, and no
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closure has yet been projected due to crab or halibut bycatch. The
Regional Administrator also considered the September 1 opening date of
the 1998 Bering Sea pollock `B' season (Sec. 679.23(e)(2)) and the Gulf
of Alaska third season pollock fishery (Sec. 679.23(d)(2)).
The halibut bycatch rate standards for the BSAI yellowfin sole and
``bottom pollock'' trawl fisheries are each set at 5 kilograms (kg) of
halibut per metric ton (mt) of groundfish. These standards approximate
the average annual rates observed on trawl vessels participating in
these fisheries since 1992.
The halibut bycatch rate standard for the BSAI and GOA midwater
pollock fisheries (1 kg of halibut/mt of groundfish) is higher than the
bycatch rates normally experienced by vessels participating in these
fisheries. This standard is intended to encourage vessel operators to
maintain off-bottom trawl operations and limit further bycatch of
halibut in the pollock fishery when halibut bycatch restrictions at
Sec. 679.21 prohibit directed fishing for pollock by vessels using non-
pelagic trawl gear.
A bycatch rate standard of 30 kg halibut/mt of groundfish is
established for the BSAI ``other trawl'' fishery. This standard has
remained unchanged since 1992. A bycatch rate standard of 40 kg of
halibut/mt of groundfish is established for the GOA ``other trawl''
fishery, which is unchanged since 1994. The considerations that support
these bycatch rate standards for the ``other trawl'' fisheries are
unchanged from previous years and are discussed in the Federal Register
publications of 1995 bycatch rate standards (60 FR 2905, January 12,
1995, and 60 FR 27425, May 24, 1995).
Observer data collected from the 1997 GOA ``other trawl'' fishery
show average third and fourth quarter halibut bycatch rates of 26 and
48 kg of halibut/mt of groundfish, respectively. The first quarter rate
from 1998 was lower, at 23 kg of halibut/mt of groundfish. Observer
data from the 1997 BSAI ``other trawl'' fishery show third and fourth
quarter halibut bycatch rates of 21 and 3 kg of halibut/mt of
groundfish, respectively. The first quarter rate from the 1998 BSAI
``other trawl'' fishery was 12 kg of halibut/mt of groundfish.
Bycatch Rate Standards for Red King Crab
The red king crab bycatch rate standard for the yellowfin sole and
``other trawl'' fisheries in Zone 1 of the Bering Sea subarea is 2.5
crab/mt of groundfish during the second half of 1998. This standard has
remained unchanged since 1992.
Through May 2, 1998, the rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish
fishery category had taken 20 percent of its annual red king crab
bycatch allowance. The Pacific cod and yellowfin sole fisheries have
taken only 41 percent and 4 percent, respectively, of their bycatch
allowances. The Regional Administrator anticipates that the non-pelagic
trawl gear closure of the red king crab savings area in Zone 1 will
continue to result in low red king crab bycatch rates for the remainder
of the year and is maintaining the 2.5 red king crab/mt of groundfish
bycatch rate standard.
The Regional Administrator has determined that the bycatch rate
standards set out in Table 1 are appropriately based on the information
and considerations necessary for such determinations under
Sec. 679.21(f)(4). These bycatch rate standards may be revised and
published in the Federal Register when deemed appropriate by the
Regional Administrator, pending his consideration of the information
set forth at Sec. 679.21(f)(4).
Classification
This action is taken under 50 CFR 679.21(f) and is exempt from OMB
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq., 1801 et seq., and 3631 et seq.
Dated: June 1, 1998.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-14869 Filed 6-1-98; 3:38 pm]
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