[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 26, 2001)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 49146-49147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23996]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 010112013-1013-01; I.D. 091701A]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation 
of Pollock

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

ACTION: Reallocation.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating projected unused amounts of Bering Sea 
subarea (BS) pollock from the incidental catch account to the directed 
fisheries. This action is necessary to allow the 2001 total allowable 
catch (TAC) of pollock to be harvested.

DATES: Effective September 20, 2001 until 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 
31, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Smoker, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the 
BSAI according to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish 
Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 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.
    In accordance with Sec.  679.20(a)(5)(i)(C)(1) and the American 
Fisheries Act (AFA) (Public Law 105-277, Division C, Title II), NMFS 
specified a pollock incidental catch allowance equal to 4 percent of 
the pollock TAC after subtraction of the 10 percent Community 
Development Quota reserve in the Final 2001 Harvest Specifications and 
Associated Management Measures for the Groundfish Fisheries Off Alaska 
(66 FR 7276, January 22, 2001,and 66 FR 37167, July 17, 2001).
    As of August 25, 2001, the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator), has determined that approximately 24,910 
metric tons (mt) of pollock remain in the incidental catch account. 
Based on projected harvest rates of other groundfish species and the 
expected bycatch of pollock in those fisheries, the

[[Page 49147]]

Regional Administrator has determined that 12,000 mt of pollock 
specified in the incidental catch account will not be necessary as 
incidental catch. Therefore, NMFS is apportioning the projected unused 
amount, 12,000 mt, of pollock from the incidental catch account to the 
directed fishing allowances established at Sec.  679.20(a)(5)(i)(C)(2). 
This transfer will increase the allocation to catcher vessels 
harvesting pollock for processing by the inshore component by 6,000 mt, 
to catcher/processors and catcher vessels harvesting pollock for 
processing by catcher processors in the offshore component by 4,800 mt 
and to catcher vessels harvesting pollock for processing by motherships 
in the offshore component by 1,200 mt. Pursuant to Sec.  
679.20(a)(5)(i)(C)(2)(ii), no less than 8.5 percent of the 4,800 mt 
allocated to catcher processors in the offshore component, 408 mt, will 
be available for harvest only by eligible catcher vessels delivering to 
listed catcher processors.
    Pursuant to Sec.  679.20(a)(5)(i)(C)(3), Table 1 revises the final 
2001 BS subarea allocations to include the seven inshore catcher vessel 
pollock cooperatives that have been approved and permitted by NMFS for 
the 2001 fishing year consistent with this reallocation.

       TABLE 1. BERING SEA SUBAREA INSHORE COOPERATIVE ALLOCATIONS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Sum of
                                     member      Percentage
   Cooperative name and member      vessel's     of inshore   Annual co-
             vessels                official       sector         op
                                      catch      allocation   allocation
                                  histories\1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Akutan Catcher Vessel                  249,800      28.682%      175,187
 Association ALDEBARAN,
 ARCTURUS, BLUE FOX, CAPE
 KIWANDA, COLUMBIA, DOMINATOR,
 DONA MARTITA, EXODUS,
 GLADIATOR, GOLDEN DAWN, GOLDEN
 PISCES, HAZEL LORRAINE,
 INTREPID EXPLORER, LESLIE LEE,
 LISA MELINDA, MAJESTY, MARCY J,
 MARGARET LYN, NORDIC EXPLORER,
 NORTHERN PATRIOT, NORTHWEST
 EXPLORER, PACIFIC RAM, PACIFIC
 VIKING, PEGASUS, PEGGIE JO,
 PERSEVERANCE, PREDATOR, RAVEN,
 ROYAL AMERICAN, SEEKER,
 SOVEREIGNTY, TRAVELER, VIKING
 EXPLORER
Arctic Enterprise Association           51,022       5.858%       35,782
 ARCTIC EXPLORER, BRISTOL
 EXPLORER, OCEAN EXPLORER,
 PACIFIC EXPLORER
Northern Victor Fleet                   72,517       8.326%       50,857
 Cooperative ANITA J, NORDIC
 FURY, PACIFIC FURY, GOLDRUSH,
 EXCALIBUR II, HALF MOON BAY,
 SUNSET BAY, COMMODORE, STORM
 PETREL, POSEIDON, ROYAL
 ATLANTIC, MISS BERDIE
Peter Pan Fleet Cooperative             15,347       1.762%       10,763
 AMBER DAWN, AMERICAN BEAUTY,
 ELIZABETH F, MORNING STAR,
 OCEANIC, OCEAN LEADER, TOPAZ,
 WALTER N, PROVIDIAN
Unalaska Cooperative ALASKA            106,737      12.255%       74,856
 ROSE, BERING ROSE, DESTINATION,
 GREAT PACIFIC, MESSIAH, MORNING
 STAR, MS AMY, PROGRESS, SEA
 WOLF, VANGUARD, WESTERN DAWN
UniSea Fleet Cooperative ALSEA,        212,608      24.411%      149,104
 AMERICAN EAGLE, ARGOSY, AURIGA,
 AURORA, DEFENDER, GUN-MAR,
 NORDIC STAR, PACIFIC MONARCH,
 SEADAWN, STARFISH, STARLITE,
 STARWARD
Westward Fleet Cooperative A.J.,       160,257      18.400%      112,390
 ALASKAN COMMAND, ALYESKA,
 ARCTIC WIND, CAITLIN ANN,
 CHELSEA K, HICKORY WIND, FIERCE
 ALLEGIANCE, OCEAN HOPE 3,
 PACIFIC CHALLENGER, PACIFIC
 KNIGHT, PACIFIC PRINCE, VIKING,
 WESTWARD I
Open access AFA vessels                  2,652       0.304%        1,861
Total inshore allocation               870,941         100%      610,800
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Under Sec.  679.62(e)(1) the individual catch history for each vessel
  is equal to the vessel's best 2 of 3 years inshore pollock landings
  from 1995 through 1997 and includes landings to catcher/processors for
  vessels that made 500 or more mt of landings to catcher/processors
  from 1995 through 1997.

Classification

    This action responds to the best available information recently 
obtained from the fishery. The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 
NOAA, finds that the need to immediately implement this action in order 
to allow full utilization of the pollock TAC constitutes good cause to 
waive the requirement to provide prior notice opportunity for public 
comment pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B) 
and 50 CFR 679.20(b)(3)(iii)(A), as such procedures would be 
unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. Similarly, the need to 
implement these measures in a timely fashion in order to allow full 
utilization of the pollock TAC constitutes good cause to find that the 
effective date of this action cannot be delayed for 30 days. 
Accordingly, under 5 U.S.C. 553(d), a delay in the effective date is 
hereby waived.
    This action is taken under 50 CFR 679.20, and is exempt from review 
under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: September 20, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, office of Sustainable Fisheries, Nationa Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-23996 Filed 9-20-01; 4:48 pm]
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