[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17088-17102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7249]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 680

[Docket No. 0910301387-91390-01]
RIN 0648-AY33


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea 
and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program

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

[[Page 17089]]


ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 34 to the 
Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner 
Crabs. Amendment 34 would amend the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
Crab Rationalization Program to exempt additional recipients of crab 
quota share from Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod and pollock harvest limits, 
called sideboards, which apply to some vessels and license limitation 
program licenses that are used to participate in these fisheries. The 
North Pacific Fishery Management Council determined that these 
recipients demonstrated a sufficient level of historical participation 
in Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod or pollock fisheries and should be exempt 
from the Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod and pollock sideboards. This action 
is necessary to give these recipients an opportunity to participate in 
the Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod and pollock fisheries at historical 
levels. To implement Amendment 34, NMFS would revise regulations 
governing exemptions from and calculations of sideboard harvest limits 
in the Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod and pollock fisheries, and reissue 
Federal fisheries permits and license limitation program licenses to 
all participants that are affected by the proposed action. This action 
is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Fishery Management Plan 
for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs, and other 
applicable law.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than April 27, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Dr. James Balsiger, Regional Administrator, 
Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian. You may submit comments, 
identified by ``RIN 0648-AY33,'' by any one of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal Web site at http://www.regulations.gov.
     Mail: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802.
     Fax: 907-586-7557.
     Hand delivery to the Federal Building: 709 West 9th 
Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK.
    All comments received are a part of the public record and will 
generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change. All 
personal identifying information (e.g., name, address) voluntarily 
submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit 
confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected 
information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required 
fields if you wish to remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or 
Adobe portable document file (pdf) formats only.
    Electronic copies of Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan 
for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs, the 
Environmental Assessment (EA), the Regulatory Impact Review (RIR), and 
the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) prepared for this 
action are available from http://www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS 
Alaska Region Web site at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. The 
Environmental Impact Statement, RIR, Final Regulatory Flexibility 
Analysis, and Social Impact Assessment prepared for the Crab 
Rationalization Program are available from the NMFS Alaska Region Web 
site at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Baker, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The King and Tanner crab fisheries in the 
exclusive economic zone of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) 
are managed under the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian 
Islands King and Tanner Crabs (Crab FMP). Groundfish fisheries in the 
Gulf of Alaska (GOA) are managed under the Fishery Management Plan for 
Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA FMP). The North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council (Council) prepared, and NMFS approved, the Crab FMP 
and the GOA FMP under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). Amendments 18 
and 19 to the Crab FMP implemented the BSAI Crab Rationalization 
Program (CR Program). Regulations implementing Amendments 18 and 19 
were published on March 2, 2005 (70 FR 10174), and are located at 50 
CFR part 680. Regulations implementing the GOA FMP are at 50 CFR part 
679. General regulations governing U.S. fisheries also appear at 50 CFR 
part 600.

Background

    The CR Program allocates BSAI crab resources among harvesters, 
processors, and coastal communities. The CR Program is a limited access 
privilege program (LAPP) for nine BSAI crab fisheries. Participants 
receive exclusive harvesting and processing privileges for a portion of 
the total allowable catch (TAC) established for each crab fishery in 
the CR Program.
    Under the CR Program, persons received quota share (QS) based on 
their historical participation in one or more of the CR Program crab 
fisheries during a specific time period. Quota share represents an 
exclusive but revocable privilege that gives the QS holder an annual 
allocation to harvest a specific percentage of the TAC from a CR 
Program crab fishery. NMFS allocated QS to eligible harvesters in 2005, 
prior to the first year of crab fishing under the CR Program. After the 
initial allocation of QS, persons can only acquire QS if they are 
eligible to receive it by transfer.
    A person's allocation of crab QS was based on a qualifying harvest 
history in a CR Program fishery. Each QS allocation is the harvester's 
average annual portion of the total catch of that crab species during 
the qualifying period as specified for each CR Program fishery in Table 
7 of the CR Program regulations at 50 CFR part 680. Each year, a person 
who holds QS and submits a timely and complete crab permit application 
to NMFS receives an exclusive harvest privilege for a portion of the 
TAC for the CR Program fisheries. This harvest privilege, called 
individual fishing quota (IFQ), is the annual allocation of pounds 
(lbs) of crab for harvest that represent a QS holder's percentage of 
the TAC.
    Under the CR Program, crab QS holders may form voluntary crab 
harvesting cooperatives to combine and cooperatively manage their 
aggregate QS holdings. Each cooperative that is approved by NMFS 
receives the amount of crab harvesting cooperative IFQ yielded by the 
aggregate QS holdings of all of the members of the cooperative. The 
regulations at Sec.  680.21 govern the formation and operation of crab 
harvesting cooperatives. Most harvesters in the CR Program assign their 
IFQ allocations to cooperatives. In the 2008/2009 crab fishing year, 
more than 90 percent of the IFQ issued in each CR Program fishery was 
assigned to cooperatives.

Current GOA Groundfish Sideboards

    The Council and NMFS commonly establish catch limits and other 
fishery participation restrictions, called sideboards, when 
implementing LAPPs to prevent participants who benefit from receiving 
exclusive harvesting privileges from shifting effort into fisheries 
that are not managed with a LAPP. In developing the CR Program, the 
Council anticipated that crab harvesting cooperatives would greatly 
increase operating flexibility for BSAI crab vessel

[[Page 17090]]

operators because they could choose when and where to fish for IFQ. 
Crab fishermen in cooperatives also could potentially reduce costs by 
harvesting crab IFQs on fewer vessels during an extended season. The 
Council was particularly concerned that increased flexibility for 
recipients of Bering Sea snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) QS could give 
them an incentive to increase effort in GOA groundfish fisheries. Most 
GOA groundfish fisheries are not allocated among gear types (sectors) 
or under a quota share program, and increased effort by new entrants in 
these fisheries could economically disadvantage traditional 
participants in these fisheries.
    Historically, the Bering Sea snow crab fishery and many 
economically valuable GOA groundfish fisheries were conducted 
concurrently from January through March. Owners of most vessels 
annually elected to fully participate in either the Bering Sea snow 
crab fishery or the GOA groundfish fisheries. However, owners of some 
vessels participated in both fisheries over a number of years. The 
Council realized that increased flexibility from the CR Program could 
allow owners of BSAI crab vessels to increase fishing effort in GOA 
groundfish fisheries, especially in the Pacific cod fishery, because it 
is one of a limited number of groundfish species in which pots can be 
effectively used for harvest. Pots are the only legal gear type in BSAI 
crab fisheries, and most vessels that fish for crab can be configured 
to catch Pacific cod using groundfish pot gear. The Council determined 
that the CR Program should include sideboards for most GOA groundfish 
fisheries to prevent Bering Sea snow crab QS recipients from increasing 
their participation in GOA groundfish fisheries. However, because some 
Bering Sea snow crab QS recipients had significant historical 
participation in the GOA Pacific cod fishery, the Council also 
developed criteria that would exempt those Bering Sea snow crab QS 
recipients with significant participation in, or dependence on, the GOA 
Pacific cod fishery.
    The CR Program's GOA groundfish sideboards were implemented in 
2006. Under current regulations, CR Program sideboard limits apply to 
vessels that: (1) Harvest any species of GOA groundfish with the 
exception of sablefish harvested with fixed gear; (2) are not 
authorized to conduct directed fishing for pollock under the American 
Fisheries Act (AFA) of 1998 (Public Law 105-277, Title II of Division 
C); and (3) meet one or both of the following criteria: (a) made a 
legal landing of Bering Sea snow crab between January 1, 1996, and 
December 31, 2000, that generated any amount of Bering Sea snow crab 
QS; or (b) are named on a GOA groundfish license limitation program 
(LLP) license that was generated by the fishing history of a vessel 
that also generated Bering Sea snow crab QS. Vessels that meet these 
criteria subsequently will be referred to as ``non-AFA crab vessels.'' 
The CR Program did not establish sideboard limits for AFA vessels with 
historical participation in the Bering Sea snow crab fishery because 
these vessels are subject to GOA harvesting and processing restrictions 
under the AFA and in implementing regulations for the AFA (Sec.  
679.64(b)). Similarly, non-AFA crab vessels are not restricted by 
sideboard limits in the GOA fixed-gear sablefish fisheries because 
these fisheries are managed under a LAPP. Sideboard limits are intended 
to protect participants in non-LAPP fisheries, who may be disadvantaged 
by increased fishing effort from participants who benefit from a LAPP.
    A non-AFA crab vessel's GOA groundfish sideboard is specified on 
the Federal Fisheries Permit (FFP) issued by NMFS to the owner of the 
vessel. An FFP authorizes a vessel owner to deploy the vessel named on 
the FFP to conduct directed fishing for groundfish in Federal waters of 
the GOA or BSAI. An FFP is not transferable and is valid only for the 
vessel for which it is issued. Although the Council primarily intended 
for the CR Program GOA groundfish sideboard limits to restrict vessels 
with Bering Sea snow crab catch history, the Council determined that 
GOA sideboard limits should apply to FFPs and certain LLP licenses. 
Because LLP licenses are transferable, GOA groundfish sideboard limits 
apply to those groundfish LLP licenses that are endorsed for the GOA 
and that derived from a vessel with catch history that also generated 
Bering Sea snow crab QS. The LLP was implemented in 2000 to limit the 
number, size, and operation type (gear designation) of vessels that may 
be deployed in the groundfish fisheries in the exclusive economic zone 
of the BSAI and GOA, and in the crab fisheries in the BSAI. The LLP 
requires, with limited exceptions, that a vessel must be named on a 
legible copy of a valid LLP license that is on board the vessel in 
order to participate in directed fisheries for LLP species. NMFS issued 
LLP licenses based on the catch history of a vessel in specific 
fisheries. The CR Program GOA groundfish sideboards apply to groundfish 
LLP licenses derived from the catch history of a vessel that also 
generated Bering Sea snow crab QS to prevent crab QS recipients from 
circumventing the GOA groundfish sideboards by transferring an LLP 
license for use on a vessel that is not subject to the sideboards. 
Thus, any vessel named on a GOA-endorsed groundfish LLP license that 
was generated by the groundfish catch history of a non-AFA vessel that 
also generated Bering Sea crab QS is subject to the GOA groundfish 
sideboards, even if the vessel named on the LLP license did not have 
historical landings that generated Bering Sea snow crab QS.
    The CR Program's GOA groundfish sideboards apply to non-AFA crab 
vessels that participate in Federal fisheries and State of Alaska 
(State) parallel groundfish fisheries in the GOA (Sec.  680.22(f)). 
State parallel fisheries occur in State waters but are opened at the 
same time as Federal fisheries in Federal waters. State parallel 
fishery harvests are considered part of the overall TAC, and Federally-
permitted vessels move between State and Federal waters during the 
concurrent Federal and State parallel fisheries. Applying sideboards to 
non-AFA crab vessels using an FFP, an LLP, or both, to participate in 
Federal GOA groundfish fisheries prevents these vessels from using the 
flexibility of the CR Program to increase participation in GOA 
groundfish fisheries by fishing in State waters to circumvent fishing 
closures in Federal waters.
    Each year, NMFS calculates the non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limits 
for GOA groundfish sideboard fisheries. A sideboard limit is calculated 
as a ratio of the amount of a groundfish species retained by non-AFA 
crab vessels from 1996 to 2000, relative to the total retained catch of 
that species by all vessels during the same period. This calculation 
yields a fixed ratio, or percentage, that is multiplied by the annual 
TAC for a GOA groundfish sideboard species to determine the non-AFA 
crab vessel sideboard limit in metric tons (Sec.  680.22(d)). The 
sideboard limits are published in the Federal Register in the proposed 
and final harvest specifications for GOA groundfish and posted on the 
NMFS Alaska Region Web site (see ADDRESSES). The CR Program sideboard 
limits constrain the aggregate catch of each sideboard species by non-
AFA crab vessels.
    When developing the CR Program sideboard limits, the Council 
recognized that individual non-AFA crab vessels had varying levels of 
historical participation in the GOA Pacific cod fishery. To recognize 
these different participation patterns, the Council

[[Page 17091]]

added two exceptions to the GOA Pacific cod sideboard limits for 
vessels and LLP licenses that met certain criteria: (1) a prohibition 
on directed fishing for GOA Pacific cod, and (2) an exemption from the 
GOA Pacific cod sideboard limits. For the first exception, the Council 
determined that vessels and groundfish LLP licenses with a catch 
history of less than 50 metric tons (mt) of GOA groundfish from 1996 
through 2000 had extremely limited participation in, and therefore 
likely were not dependent on, the GOA Pacific cod fishery. The Council 
recommended that these vessels--and vessels named on these LLP 
licenses--should be prohibited from conducting directed fishing for GOA 
Pacific cod to prevent their participation in a GOA Pacific cod 
directed fishery. In current regulations, a non-AFA crab vessel is 
prohibited from conducting directed fishing for GOA Pacific cod if it 
meets either or both of the following criteria: (1) the vessel landed 
less than 50 mt (110,231 lbs) of GOA groundfish from 1996 through 2000, 
and the vessel's catch history generated Bering Sea snow crab QS; or 
(2) the vessel is named on a GOA groundfish LLP license that was 
generated by the catch history of a vessel that landed less than 50 mt 
(110,231 lbs) of GOA groundfish from 1996 through 2000, and the 
vessel's catch history generated Bering Sea snow crab QS.
    For the second exception to the sideboard limits, the Council 
determined that vessels and groundfish LLP licenses with catch history 
from 1996 through 2000 that demonstrated minimal dependence on the 
Bering Sea snow crab fishery and sufficient dependence on the GOA 
Pacific cod fishery should be exempt from the GOA Pacific cod sideboard 
limits in order to allow these vessels to participate in the GOA 
Pacific cod fishery unrestricted by the sideboard. In current 
regulations, a non-AFA crab vessel qualifies for an exemption from the 
GOA Pacific cod sideboard limit if it meets either or both of the 
following criteria: (1) The vessel landed less than 100,000 lbs (45.4 
mt) of Bering Sea snow crab and more than 500 mt (1,102,311 lbs) of GOA 
Pacific cod from 1996 through 2000, and the vessel's catch history 
generated Bering Sea snow crab QS; or (2) the vessel is named on a GOA 
groundfish LLP license that was generated by the catch history of a 
vessel that landed less than 100,000 lbs (45.4 mt) of Bering Sea snow 
crab and more than 500 mt (1,102,311 lbs) of GOA Pacific cod from 1996 
through 2000, and the vessel's catch history generated Bering Sea snow 
crab QS. The exempt non-AFA crab vessels do not have to stop fishing 
when the GOA Pacific cod sideboard limit is reached and may continue to 
fish as long as directed fishing for GOA Pacific cod is open. The GOA 
Pacific cod catch history of the exempt vessels and groundfish LLP 
licenses is not included in the non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit 
ratio calculations, and NMFS does not count the GOA Pacific cod catch 
of exempt non-AFA crab vessels toward the sideboard limit.
    Prior to the first year of fishing under the CR Program, NMFS 
determined which non-AFA crab vessel sideboard category applied to each 
vessel with catch history that generated Bering Sea snow crab QS and 
each GOA groundfish LLP license that was generated by the catch history 
of a vessel that also generated Bering Sea snow crab QS. The three 
sideboard categories are: (1) Subject to sideboard limits for all GOA 
groundfish fisheries (CR GOA Sideboarded); (2) prohibited from directed 
fishing for GOA Pacific cod and subject to sideboard limits for all 
other GOA groundfish fisheries (CR GOA Sideboarded, no directed fishing 
for GOA Pacific cod); and (3) exempt from Pacific cod sideboard limits, 
and subject to sideboard limits for all other GOA groundfish fisheries 
(CR GOA Sideboarded except Pacific cod). Figure 1 shows a diagram of 
the current non-AFA crab GOA groundfish sideboard categories and the 
number of vessels and LLP licenses subject to each category. Some 
vessels with catch history that generated Bering Sea snow crab QS did 
not have groundfish catch histories that resulted in LLP licenses 
authorizing participation in GOA groundfish fisheries. Hence, the 
number of vessels is larger than the number of LLP licenses in two of 
the three sideboard categories.

[[Page 17092]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP28MR11.009

    NMFS opens directed fishing for a GOA groundfish sideboard species 
when it determines that all catch, both directed and incidental, of 
that species by non-AFA crab vessels would not exceed the sideboard 
limit for that species. If directed fishing for a GOA groundfish 
sideboard species is open to non-AFA crab vessels, NMFS deducts all 
directed and incidental catch of that GOA groundfish sideboard species 
by non-AFA crab vessels subject to the sideboard from the annual 
sideboard limit for that species. When NMFS determines that the non-AFA 
crab vessel sideboard catch limit is reached or the remainder of the 
sideboard is needed for incidental catch in other fisheries, NMFS 
closes directed fishing for that species to non-AFA crab vessels that 
are subject to the sideboard.
    The annual non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit for a GOA groundfish 
species is an amount that is smaller than the overall TAC for the 
groundfish fishery because the sideboard limit is calculated as a ratio 
of the amount of each groundfish species retained by non-AFA crab 
vessels from 1996 to 2000, relative to the total retained catch of that 
species by all vessels during the same period. This calculation yields 
a fixed ratio, or percentage, that is multiplied by the overall TACs 
for each GOA groundfish sideboard species to determine the non-AFA crab 
vessel sideboard limit in metric tons. Since 2006, NMFS has determined 
that only the Pacific cod sideboard limits in two GOA management areas 
were of a sufficient amount to open directed fishing for non-AFA crab 
vessels. NMFS has closed all other GOA groundfish sideboard species, 
including pollock, to directed fishing by non-AFA crab vessels since 
2006 because the sideboard limits were of insufficient amounts to 
provide for both directed fishing and incidental catch in other target 
fisheries by non-AFA crab vessels.
    Most sideboard limits are apportioned by regulatory area or 
district because most GOA groundfish TACs are apportioned to separate 
fisheries in the

[[Page 17093]]

western GOA, central GOA, and eastern GOA. The TACs and sideboard 
limits for GOA Pacific cod also are allocated between sectors that 
process Pacific cod inshore (90 percent) and offshore (10 percent), and 
the western GOA and central GOA Pacific cod TACs are further split into 
two seasonal apportionments. The GOA pollock TACs and sideboard limits 
are assigned completely to the inshore sector, and the GOA pollock TACs 
in three areas, Shumagin (610), Chirikof (620), and Kodiak (630), are 
split into four seasonal apportionments.
    Table 1 shows the GOA Pacific cod and pollock sideboard ratios and 
sideboard limits that applied to non-AFA crab vessels in 2010.

Table 1--2010 Non-AFA Crab Vessel Groundfish Harvest Sideboard Limits in Metric Tons for GOA Pollock and Pacific
                                                       Cod
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             Ratio of
                                                                            1996-2000
                                                                             non-AFA                  2010 non-
                                                                           crab vessel                 AFA crab
             Species                  Season/gear        Area/component      catch to     2010 TAC      vessel
                                                                            1996-2000                 sideboard
                                                                              total                     limit
                                                                             harvest
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock.........................  A Season: January    Shumagin (610)....       0.0098        5,551           54
                                   20-March 10.        Chirikof (620)....       0.0031        8,414           26
                                                       Kodiak (630)......        0.002        4,403            1
                                  B Season: March 10-  Shumagin (610)....       0.0098        5,551           54
                                   May 31.             Chirikof (620)....       0.0031        9,925           31
                                                       Kodiak (630)......        0.002        2,891            1
                                  C Season: August 25- Shumagin (610)....       0.0098        7,577           74
                                   October 1.          Chirikof (620)....       0.0031        4,878           15
                                                       Kodiak (630)......        0.002        5,912            1
                                  D Season: October 1- Shumagin (610)....       0.0098        7,577           74
                                   November 1.         Chirikof (620)....       0.0031        4,878           15
                                                       Kodiak (630)......        0.002        5,912            1
                                  Annual.............  WYK (640).........       0.0000        2,031            0
                                                       SEO (650).........       0.0000        9,245            0
Pacific cod.....................  A Season\1\:         W inshore.........       0.0902       11,212        1,011
                                   January 1-June 10.  W offshore........       0.2046        1,246          255
                                                       C inshore.........       0.0383       19,862          761
                                                       C offshore........       0.2074        2,207          458
                                  B Season\2\:         W inshore.........       0.0902        7,475          674
                                   September 1-        W offshore........       0.2046          831          170
                                   December 31.        C inshore.........       0.0383       13,242          507
                                                       C offshore........       0.2074        1,471          305
                                  Annual.............  E inshore.........       0.0110        1,815           20
                                                       E offshore........       0.0000          202            0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20.
\2\ The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1.

The Proposed Actions

    After the CR Program was implemented in 2005, some non-AFA crab 
vessel operators testified to the Council that the GOA Pacific cod and 
pollock sideboard limits were too restrictive. These operators 
indicated that they were unable to maintain historical groundfish catch 
levels in the GOA and should qualify for an exemption from the 
sideboard limits. Some operators testified that although their vessel's 
catch history was more than 100,000 lbs of Bering Sea snow crab from 
1996 through 2000, which is the maximum allowable amount to qualify for 
the exemption from the Pacific cod sideboard limits, they had 
significant history in, and dependence on, GOA Pacific cod and pollock 
fisheries. Based on this public testimony and a review of the effects 
of the sideboard limits in the first 2 years of the CR Program (2005/
2006 and 2006/2007 crab fishing years), the Council determined that the 
existing criteria for exemption from the sideboard limits in GOA 
Pacific cod and pollock fisheries should be examined to consider 
inclusion of additional vessels and LLP licenses with historical 
participation in and sufficient dependence on these fisheries. The 
Council initiated an analysis in December 2007 to examine alternatives 
that would expand the criteria for non-AFA crab vessels to qualify for 
an exemption from the Pacific cod sideboard limits and that would 
extend a similar exemption to the pollock sideboard limits. In October 
2008, the Council recommended Amendment 34 to the Crab FMP to exempt 
additional vessels and groundfish LLP licenses from the GOA Pacific cod 
and pollock sideboard limits. The Council also clarified that it did 
not intend for Amendment 34 to disqualify any vessels or groundfish LLP 
licenses that are currently exempt from non-AFA crab vessel Pacific cod 
sideboard limits in the GOA.
    This proposed rule would implement two actions. Action 1 would 
revise the GOA Pacific cod sideboard limit exemption criteria for non-
AFA crab vessels. Action 2 would establish new GOA pollock sideboard 
limit exemption criteria for non-AFA crab vessels. The rationale for, 
and effects of, the proposed actions follow.

Action 1: Revise GOA Pacific Cod Sideboard Limit Exemption Criteria

    The Council considered two alternatives for this action. 
Alternative 1, or status quo, would continue the current exemption 
criteria. Under the status quo, any non-AFA crab vessel that was used 
to land less than 100,000 lbs (45.4 mt) of Bering Sea snow crab and 
more than 500 mt (1,102,311 lbs) of GOA Pacific cod between January 1, 
1996, and December 31, 2000, is exempt from sideboard directed fishing 
closures

[[Page 17094]]

for Pacific cod in the GOA. Alternative 2 would modify the exemption 
criteria. The Council developed five different catch threshold options 
for Alternative 2 based on input from affected non-AFA crab vessel 
owners. These participants provided Bering Sea snow crab and GOA 
Pacific cod catch history information for their operations to the 
Council and suggested specific threshold amounts based on these data. 
Each option included a maximum amount of Bering Sea snow crab landings 
and a minimum amount of GOA Pacific cod landings, and a non-AFA crab 
vessel would have to meet both of these landing thresholds to qualify 
for an exemption from the Pacific cod sideboard limits. One option 
included an exemption qualification criterion that would have required 
a non-AFA crab vessel to have a minimum of 20 landings of pollock 
harvested from the GOA from 1996 through 2000, in addition to meeting a 
maximum Bering Sea snow crab catch threshold and a minimum GOA Pacific 
cod catch threshold.
    Under the five options considered in Alternative 2, the maximum 
amount of Bering Sea snow crab landings were 500,000 lbs (226.8 mt), 
750,000 lbs (353.8 mt),and 1,212,673 lbs (550 mt), or 0.22 percent of 
all Bering Sea snow crab landings from 1996 through 2000. The minimum 
amount of Pacific cod harvested from the GOA Federal and State parallel 
fisheries were the status quo alternative amount of 500 mt (1,102,311 
lbs), 680 mt (1,499,143 lbs),and 2,500 mt (5,511,557 lbs). Under these 
minimum and maximum threshold combinations, a range of zero additional 
vessels and LLP licenses to six additional vessels and LLP licenses 
would qualify for an exemption.
    To evaluate dependence on GOA Pacific cod sufficient to warrant an 
exemption from the GOA Pacific cod sideboard, the Council primarily 
focused on the level of participation in the GOA Pacific cod fishery 
prior to the implementation of the CR Program as well as the level of 
participation in the GOA Pacific cod sideboard fishery after 
implementation of the CR Program by vessels estimated to qualify under 
each option. The Council recognized that any vessel with GOA Pacific 
cod landings in excess of 2,500 mt prior to implementation of the CR 
Program clearly demonstrated dependence on and sufficient participation 
in the GOA Pacific cod fishery. However, the Council determined that 
dependence on the GOA Pacific cod fishery also was demonstrated at the 
next lower landings threshold being considered by the Council of 680 
mt, as evidenced by the Council's original threshold of 500 mt. NMFS 
agrees that vessels with catch history meeting the Council's 
recommended threshold of 680 mt of GOA Pacific cod harvested between 
1996 and 2000 would demonstrate significant participation in, and 
dependence on, the GOA Pacific cod fishery because NMFS estimates that 
the average landings of GOA Pacific cod per non-AFA crab vessel from 
1996 through 2000 totaled approximately 329 mt per vessel. The 
Council's recommended threshold of a minimum harvest of 680 mt is 
slightly more than twice this average.
    The Council also emphasized that continued participation in the 
fishery over time was a clear demonstration of dependence. The 
estimated three vessels and LLP licenses that would qualify for 
exemption under the Council's preferred option had GOA Pacific cod 
landings in excess of 680 mt between 1996 and 2000, and also 
participated in the GOA Pacific cod fishery each year from 1998 through 
2007. In considering continued participation, the Council declined to 
adopt the least restrictive option, which would have exempted the three 
vessels and LLP licenses that qualified under the preferred option as 
well as an additional three vessels and LLP licenses for a total of six 
vessels and LLP licenses. The Council concluded that the additional 
three vessels that would be exempt under this option failed to 
demonstrate sufficient dependence on the GOA Pacific cod fishery 
because these vessels had very limited participation in the fishery in 
recent years. As shown in Table 1-23 of the EA/RIR/IRFA (see 
ADDRESSES), from 1995 through 2007, all six non-AFA crab vessels that 
would be exempt under the least restrictive option were active in the 
GOA Pacific cod fishery in 1998 and 2000, but only the three non-AFA 
crab vessels that also would qualify under the preferred option 
participated in the fishery each year since 1998. Additional discussion 
of the options considered by the Council is provided in the EA/RIR/IRFA 
prepared for this action and in the Classification section of the 
preamble to this proposed rule.
    Under the Council's preferred option, the maximum threshold for 
landings of Bering Sea snow crab would increase to 750,000 lbs. While 
the proposed 750,000 lbs maximum threshold is a significant increase 
relative to the original maximum threshold of 100,000 lbs, the Council 
decided that a higher Bering Sea snow crab threshold was justified 
given the demonstrated dependence on the GOA Pacific cod fishery by the 
vessels that are estimated to qualify for exemption under the Council's 
preferred alternative. NMFS agrees that vessels with Bering Sea snow 
crab catch history that is less than the Council's recommended 
threshold of 750,000 lbs would demonstrate minimal participation in, 
and dependence on, the Bering Sea snow crab fishery because NMFS 
estimates that the average landings of Bering Sea snow crab from 1996 
through 2000 for all vessels with catch history that generated Bering 
Sea snow crab QS totaled approximately 2,366,000 lbs per vessel. The 
Council's recommended threshold of a maximum harvest of 750,000 lbs is 
less than one third of this average.
    The Council also considered the effects of additional exempt 
vessels on participants in the GOA Pacific cod fishery and concluded 
that three additional vessels and LLP licenses would not be likely to 
negatively impact other participants. According to Table 1-23 and 
section 1.4.2.2 in the EA/RIR/IRFA, 254 vessels participated in the GOA 
Pacific cod fishery in 2009; the estimated three vessels that would be 
exempt from the GOA Pacific cod sideboard under this action represent 
approximately one percent of the number of participating vessels with 
combined past harvests of Pacific cod from 1995 through 2009 of less 
than 2 percent of the total catch of GOA Pacific cod.
    Based on the public testimony provided to the Council, the 
information and analysis provided in the EA/RIR/IRFA, and the reasons 
explained above, the Council determined and NMFS agrees that the non-
AFA crab GOA Pacific cod sideboard exemption criteria should be changed 
to exempt any non-AFA crab vessel that was used to land less than 
750,000 lbs (340.2 mt) of Bering Sea snow crab and more than 680 mt of 
GOA Pacific cod between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2000, from 
sideboard directed fishing closures for Pacific cod in the GOA. Vessels 
meeting these criteria have been determined to demonstrate minimal 
dependence on the Bering Sea snow crab fishery and sufficient 
dependence on the GOA Pacific cod, and should be relieved from 
restrictions imposed by the current exemption criteria.
    The EA/RIR/IRFA estimates that, in addition to the five vessels and 
five LLP licenses that are currently exempt from the sideboard limits, 
the Council's recommended catch criteria would result in three 
additional vessels and the groundfish LLP licenses that named these 
vessels at the time of Council final action as qualifying for an 
exemption from the GOA Pacific cod sideboard

[[Page 17095]]

limits. Table 2 shows the current criteria for exemption from the non-
AFA crab vessel GOA Pacific cod sideboard and the proposed criteria for 
exemption from the non-AFA crab vessel GOA Pacific cod sideboard. Table 
3 shows the number of non-AFA crab vessels and LLP licenses under the 
current and proposed criteria for exemption from the non-AFA crab 
vessel GOA Pacific cod sideboard.

   Table 2--Current and Proposed Criteria for Exemption From the Non-AFA Crab Vessel GOA Pacific Cod Sideboard
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Catch threshold                  Current exemption criteria          Proposed exemption criteria
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catch history of Bering Sea snow crab   100,000 lbs........................  750,000 lbs.
 from 1996-2000 was less than.
 
  2AND................................
 
Catch history of GOA Pacific cod from   500 mt.............................  680 mt.
 1996-2000 was more than.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  Table 3--Number of Non-AFA Crab Vessels and LLP Licenses Exempt From the Non-AFA Crab Vessel GOA Pacific Cod
                                  Sideboard Under Current and Proposed Criteria
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Current exemption
                                                     criteria                Proposed exemption criteria
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vessels exempt from sideboard................                     5  8 (estimated).
LLP licenses exempt from sideboard...........                     5  8 (estimated).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Under the proposed action, eight vessels and eight groundfish LLP 
licenses (five vessels and groundfish LLP licenses currently exempt and 
three vessels and groundfish LLP licenses estimated to be exempt under 
proposed Action 1) would be exempt from the GOA Pacific cod sideboard 
limits under the Council's preferred alternative. The eight vessels, 
and any vessel named on one of the eight groundfish LLP licenses exempt 
from the sideboard limits, would be allowed to conduct directed fishing 
for GOA Pacific cod if: (1) Directed fishing for Pacific cod is open in 
the GOA; and (2) the vessel is not subject to a more restrictive 
sideboard, such as the non-AFA crab vessel sideboard prohibiting a 
vessel from conducting directed fishing for GOA Pacific cod. In 
addition, GOA Pacific cod catch by non-AFA crab vessels exempt from the 
sideboard limits would not count toward the Pacific cod non-AFA crab 
vessel sideboard limits. Finally, the eight non-AFA crab vessels and 
eight LLP licenses that would qualify for an exemption from the non-AFA 
crab GOA Pacific cod sideboard limit under the proposed action would 
continue to be subject to non-AFA crab GOA groundfish sideboards for 
other species, unless the vessel or LLP license also would qualify for 
an exemption from the non-AFA crab GOA pollock sideboard limit under 
Action 2 of this proposed rule.
    As described above under ``Current GOA Groundfish Sideboards,'' the 
GOA groundfish catch history of vessels exempt from the non-AFA crab 
vessel Pacific cod sideboard limits is not included in the sideboard 
limit ratio calculations. To implement Action 1, NMFS would reduce the 
non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limits in the GOA inshore component 
Pacific cod fishery proportional to the 1996 to 2000 catch history of 
the non-AFA crab vessels that would qualify for exemption from the GOA 
Pacific cod sideboard under proposed Amendment 34. This adjustment to 
the sideboard limits is discussed in more detail below under 
``Implementation of Amendment 34.'' Management of the GOA non-AFA crab 
vessel Pacific cod sideboard limits likely would not change under 
proposed Action 1, because a maximum of three additional vessels would 
be exempt from the non-AFA crab vessel GOA Pacific cod sideboard limit 
and potentially would shift from the GOA Pacific cod sideboard fishery 
to the GOA Pacific cod fishery limited by the overall TAC. Three 
additional vessels would be approximately 1 percent of the 258 vessels 
that participated in the GOA Pacific cod fishery in 2009, and this 
limited number of additional vessels under the proposed action would 
not be expected to affect the timing or overall harvest of GOA Pacific 
cod in a manner that would change NMFS's management of the fishery. 
NMFS would continue to set an overall TAC for the GOA Pacific cod 
fishery, deduct GOA Pacific cod catch from the overall TAC, and close 
the fishery when the overall TAC was reached. NMFS also would continue 
to calculate the non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit for each GOA 
Pacific cod fishery (see Table 1). If the sideboard limit is of a 
sufficient amount to open directed fishing, NMFS would open directed 
fishing for the Pacific cod sideboard limit to all non-AFA crab vessels 
subject to the sideboard limit at the beginning of each season. All 
targeted or incidental catch of Pacific cod made by these non-AFA crab 
vessels would be deducted from the Pacific cod sideboard limit. NMFS 
would close directed fishing for the GOA Pacific cod sideboard limit 
when the catch in that fishery and projected incidental Pacific cod 
catch by non-AFA crab vessels in other target fisheries reaches the 
sideboard limit. NMFS would not open directed fishing for the GOA 
Pacific cod sideboard limit if the sideboard limit is of an 
insufficient amount to support directed fishing (Sec.  680.22(e)).

Action 2: Establish GOA Pollock Sideboard Limit Exemption Criteria

    The Council heard testimony that some non-AFA crab vessels with 
historical dependence on GOA pollock fisheries have been prevented from 
maintaining their historical participation levels in those fisheries 
under the CR Program. Under the CR Program, all non-AFA crab vessels 
are subject to sideboard limits in GOA pollock fisheries. Although some 
non-AFA crab vessels historically participated in GOA pollock 
fisheries, the aggregate catch history of GOA pollock by non-AFA crab 
vessels from 1996 to 2000 yielded sideboard limits that NMFS determined 
were of an insufficient amount to support directed fishing. Since 2006, 
NMFS has closed the GOA pollock sideboard fishery to directed fishing 
by non-AFA crab vessels. NMFS determined that the GOA pollock sideboard 
limits were

[[Page 17096]]

insufficient to provide for both directed fishing and incidental catch 
of pollock by non-AFA crab vessels in other target fisheries. With the 
likelihood of no directed fishing for pollock sideboard limits for the 
foreseeable future, a GOA pollock-dependent non-AFA crab vessel could 
not maintain its historical level of participation in GOA pollock 
fisheries and likely would be negatively impacted under the status quo.
    The Council considered two alternatives for this action. 
Alternative 1, or status quo, would not provide for an exemption from 
the GOA pollock sideboard. Alternative 2 would add an exemption to GOA 
pollock sideboard limits, and the Council developed three different 
catch threshold options to qualify for an exemption based on input from 
affected non-AFA crab vessel owners. Each option required a non-AFA 
crab vessel to have been used to land less than 1,212,673 lbs (550 mt), 
or 0.22 percent of all Bering Sea snow crab landings from 1996 through 
2000. The options differed by requiring a non-AFA crab vessel to have 
been used to make a minimum of five, ten or twenty landings of pollock 
harvested from the GOA from 1996 through 2000.
    Under the options considered in Alternative 2, one to four vessels 
and groundfish LLP licenses would be exempt. The EA/RIR/IRFA estimates 
that four vessels landed less than 1,212,673 lbs (550 mt) of all Bering 
Sea snow crab landings from 1996 to 2000 and made at least five pollock 
landings during the 1996 through 2000 period. The same four vessels 
would qualify if 10 landings of GOA pollock were required for a 
sideboard limit exemption. Only one of the four vessels would qualify 
for the GOA pollock sideboard limit exemption if 20 pollock landings 
were required.
    The Council had limited historical catch data available for Action 
2 because the data were confidential for two of the three options being 
considered. Confidentiality restrictions prevent disclosure of catch 
data for fewer than four vessels on an aggregated basis. However, the 
owner of the vessel that would qualify under all of the options waived 
his right to confidentiality in order for the Council to have some GOA 
pollock catch data for its decision.
    To evaluate dependence on GOA pollock sufficient to warrant an 
exemption from the sideboard limits, the Council considered a vessel's 
level of participation in the GOA pollock fisheries prior to the 
implementation of the CR Program, as well as the effects of exempt 
vessels on participants in the GOA pollock fisheries. Unlike Action 1, 
the Council was unable to consider levels of participation in the GOA 
pollock sideboard fishery since implementation of the CR Program 
because the sideboard fishery has been closed to directed fishing since 
2006.
    After receiving public testimony and reviewing the available Bering 
Sea snow crab and GOA pollock catch information, the Council determined 
that a non-AFA crab vessel that was used to land less than 0.22 percent 
of all Bering Sea snow crab landings from 1996 to 2000 (1,212,673 lbs 
or 550 mt), and made 20 landings of pollock harvested from the GOA from 
1996 to 2000, was minimally dependent on the Bering Sea snow crab 
fishery and sufficiently dependent on the GOA pollock fisheries to 
qualify for an exemption from the pollock sideboard limits. In reaching 
this decision, the Council determined that the 20-landings minimum 
threshold for an exemption from the GOA pollock sideboard limit was the 
minimum level of participation by non-AFA crab vessels that would 
demonstrate significant participation in, and dependence on, the GOA 
pollock fishery. Table 1-31 in the EA/RIR/IRFA shows the amount of 
pollock harvested from the GOA from 1995 through 2007 by the non-AFA 
crab vessel that would qualify under the Council's preferred 
alternative. Pollock comprised approximately 80 percent of the vessel's 
catch in the GOA in most years from 1995 through 2000. Additionally, 
this vessel was used to make at least twice as many landings of pollock 
(20) harvested from the GOA from 1996 through 2000 than the three other 
vessel operations that would qualify under the 5 and 10 landings 
options. The Council determined, and NMFS agrees, that this catch 
information clearly demonstrated the operator's dependence on the GOA 
pollock fishery. The level of dependence for participants qualifying 
under the 5 or 10 pollock landings options was less clear to the 
Council; the Council noted during its deliberations that it had 
received no testimony advocating a lower pollock landing threshold. 
NMFS also agrees with the Council that vessels meeting the proposed 
threshold for Bering Sea snow crab landings would demonstrate minimal 
participation in, and dependence on, this fishery because it represents 
a very low level of harvest relative to other participants in the 
Bering Sea snow crab fishery. NMFS estimates that the average landings 
of Bering Sea snow crab per vessel from 1996 through 2000 for all 
vessels with catch history that generated Bering Sea snow crab QS 
totaled approximately 2,366,000 lbs per vessel. The Council's 
recommended threshold of a maximum harvest of 1,212,673 lbs is 
approximately half of this average.
    In considering the effects of exempting vessels on participants in 
the GOA pollock fishery, the Council determined that the exemption of 
one vessel and one LLP license that clearly demonstrated past 
dependence on the pollock fishery would not negatively affect other 
participants in the fishery. However, the Council determined that the 
exemption of four vessels, three of which had questionable past 
dependence on the fishery, would negatively affect other GOA pollock 
fishery participants.
    To implement Action 2, NMFS proposes to use the poundage equivalent 
of the Council's recommended 0.22 percent of all Bering Sea snow crab 
landings from 1996 to 2000 in the proposed regulations at Sec.  
680.22(a)(4)(i). The Council recommended that a non-AFA crab vessel 
that landed less than 0.22 percent of all Bering Sea snow crab landings 
from 1996 to 2000, and made 20 landings of pollock harvested from the 
GOA from 1996 to 2000, should qualify for an exemption from the 
sideboard limits. The poundage equivalent of 0.22 percent of all Bering 
Sea Snow crab landings from 1996 through 2000 is 1,212,673 lbs (550 
mt). This approach to use equivalent pounds instead of the percentage 
of all Bering Sea snow crab landings from 1996 to 2000, as recommended 
by the Council, is proposed to maintain consistency with other non-AFA 
crab vessel sideboard regulatory text at Sec. Sec.  680.22(a)(2)(i) and 
(a)(3)(i).
    Management of the GOA non-AFA pollock sideboard limits likely would 
not change under proposed Action 2. NMFS would continue to set a non-
AFA crab vessel sideboard limit for each GOA pollock fishery (see Table 
1). NMFS likely would continue to find the recalculated GOA pollock 
sideboard limits are insufficient amounts for directed fishing. No 
adjustment to the non-AFA crab vessel pollock sideboard limits is 
proposed under Amendment 34, as described under ``Implementation of 
Amendment 34.'' As under Action 1, GOA pollock harvest by the non-AFA 
crab vessel that would qualify for the exemption would not be counted 
toward the GOA pollock sideboard limit. The vessel also would not be 
required to stop fishing when the sideboard limit is reached if 
directed fishing for GOA pollock is open. Finally, the non-AFA crab 
vessel and LLP license that would qualify for an exemption from the GOA 
pollock

[[Page 17097]]

sideboard under the proposed action would continue to be subject to 
non-AFA crab GOA groundfish sideboards for other species, unless the 
vessel or LLP license also would qualify for an exemption from the non-
AFA crab GOA Pacific cod sideboard limit under Action 1 of this 
proposed rule.

Summary of Effects of the Proposed Actions

    Action 1 and Action 2 would have the overall effect of exempting 
additional non-AFA crab vessels from GOA Pacific cod and pollock 
sideboard limits. The Council determined that these participants were 
unduly restricted by the GOA groundfish sideboard limits in fisheries 
on which they had historical dependence and should be exempt from the 
sideboard limits. This rationale is consistent with the Council's 
intent in establishing the GOA sideboard limits, as described above 
under ``Current GOA Groundfish Sideboards.''
    The proposed actions could potentially increase participation in 
directed fishing for GOA Pacific cod and pollock. Any increase in catch 
over their current history by the vessel operations that would be 
exempt from the sideboard limits under the proposed actions would leave 
less GOA Pacific cod and pollock for other participants, and could 
result in some economic loss for those participants. As discussed 
earlier, the EA/RIR/IRFA (see ADDRESSES) estimated that the non-AFA 
crab vessels that would be exempt from GOA sideboard limits by Action 1 
and Action 2 harvested less than 2 percent of the total amount of 
Pacific cod and pollock harvested from the GOA from 1995 through 2009. 
Based on this information, the Council determined that potential 
increased participation by these participants would be unlikely to have 
a significant impact on other participants in the GOA Pacific cod and 
pollock fisheries, which in 2009, numbered 254 and 184, respectively.

Implementation of Amendment 34

    To give effect to the Council's recommendations for Action 1 and 
Action 2, NMFS would: (1) Modify regulatory text at Sec.  680.22; (2) 
adjust the non-AFA crab vessel GOA inshore component Pacific cod 
sideboard limits to remove the catch history of the vessels that would 
qualify for exemption from the sideboard limits under proposed 
Amendment 34; and (3) reissue Federal Fisheries Permits (FFPs) and LLP 
licenses after determining the appropriate non-AFA crab vessel GOA 
groundfish sideboard category for all affected vessels and groundfish 
LLP licenses.

Adjust Sideboard Limits

    As discussed above under ``Current GOA Groundfish Sideboards,'' the 
non-AFA crab vessel groundfish sideboard limits constrain the aggregate 
catch of vessels subject to the sideboard limits to the historical 
groundfish catch of these vessels from 1996 through 2000. To implement 
proposed Amendment 34, NMFS would revise non-AFA crab vessel sideboard 
limit ratios that are specified in the final 2011 and 2012 harvest 
specifications for the GOA. Each year, NMFS develops GOA groundfish 
harvest specifications in consultation with the Council. The Council 
recommended the final 2011 and 2012 GOA harvest specifications to NMFS 
in December 2010. After considering the Council recommendations and 
public comment received on the proposed 2011 and 2012 harvest 
specifications (75 FR 76352, December 8, 2010), NMFS will publish the 
final harvest specifications for 2011 and 2012 as a final rule in the 
Federal Register. If approved, Amendment 34 would revise the 2011 and 
2012 non-AFA crab vessel GOA Pacific cod and pollock sideboard limits.
    For Action 1, NMFS would remove from the inshore component GOA 
Pacific cod sideboard limits the amount of retained catch of Pacific 
cod harvested in the GOA from 1996 through 2000 by the non-AFA crab 
vessels that would qualify for a sideboard limit exemption under 
Amendment 34. The recalculated ratio would represent the remaining non-
AFA crab vessel Pacific cod catch history from 1996 to 2000 of vessels 
subject to the sideboard, relative to the total retained catch of 
Pacific cod by all vessels during the same period. The recalculated 
ratio would be multiplied by the 2011 and 2012 GOA Pacific cod TACs and 
apportioned by area and season to determine the recalculated sideboard 
limits in metric tons. For Action 2, no change is proposed under 
Amendment 34 to the non-AFA crab vessel pollock sideboard limits from 
the current ratios that are implemented in the final 2011 and 2012 GOA 
harvest specifications. The 2011 and 2012 non-AFA crab vessel Pacific 
cod and pollock sideboard limit ratio calculations will already exclude 
the retained catch of these species harvested from the GOA from 1996 
through 2000 by non-AFA crab vessels whose owners took advantage of an 
agency administrative appeals process to challenge implementation of 
the sideboard limits on their vessels in 2006 because NMFS removed this 
catch history during the appeals process. Thus, the 1996 through 2000 
catch history of some of the vessels that likely would qualify for an 
exemption from GOA sideboard limits under Amendment 34 is not currently 
included in the sideboard limit calculations. As a result, the 
sideboard limit adjustments necessary to implement Amendment 34 already 
will be partially reflected in the 2011 and 2012 harvest 
specifications.
    Table 4 and Table 5 present the proposed 2011 and 2012 non-AFA crab 
vessel sideboard limits for GOA Pacific cod and pollock harvest under 
Amendment 34 based on the Council's recommended final harvest 
specifications for these species. If the final 2011 and 2012 harvest 
specifications as recommended by the Council are approved and 
implemented by NMFS, the GOA Pacific cod and pollock sideboard limit 
ratios proposed under Amendment 34 would be as shown in Table 4 and 
Table 5. NMFS is proposing changes to the GOA inshore component Pacific 
cod sideboard limits and soliciting public comment as part of the 
proposed rule to implement Amendment 34. If Amendment 34 is approved 
after considering comments received in the public comment period, NMFS 
would publish revised final 2011 and 2012 sideboard limits for GOA 
pollock and Pacific cod in the final rule to implement Amendment 34.

[[Page 17098]]



  Table 4--Proposed 2011 GOA Pollock and Pacific Cod Non-AFA Crab Vessel Groundfish Harvest Sideboard Limits in Metric Tons Under Amendment 34 Based on
                        Final Harvest Specifications Recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in December 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                               Proposed ratio of                       2011 non-AFA crab
                                                                                               1996-2000 non-AFA       2011 TAC        vessel sideboard
                Species                        Season/gear               Area/component        crab vessel catch    recommended  by     limit based on
                                                                                              to 1996-2000 total      the Council         Council TAC
                                                                                                    harvest                             recommendation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock...............................  A Season: January 20-      Shumagin (610)...........              0.0098               4,787                  47
                                         March 10.                 Chirikof (620)...........              0.0031              11,896                  37
                                                                   Kodiak (630).............              0.0002               4,475                   1
                                        B Season: March 10-May 31  Shumagin (610)...........              0.0098               4,787                  47
                                                                   Chirikof (620)...........              0.0031              14,232                  44
                                                                   Kodiak (630).............              0.0002               2,139                   0
                                        C Season: August 25-       Shumagin (610)...........              0.0098               8,729                  86
                                         October 1.                Chirikof (620)...........              0.0031               5,618                  17
                                                                   Kodiak (630).............              0.0002               6,811                   1
                                        D Season: October 1-       Shumagin (610)...........              0.0098               8,729                  86
                                         November 1.               Chirikof (620)...........              0.0031               5,618                  17
                                                                   Kodiak (630).............              0.0002               6,811                   1
                                        Annual...................  WYK (640)................              0.0000               2,339                   0
                                                                   SEO (650)................              0.0000               9,245                   0
Pacific cod...........................  A Season\1\: January 1-    W inshore................              0.0852              12,303               1,048
                                         June 10.                  W offshore...............              0.3376               1,367                 461
                                                                   C inshore................              0.0475              21,795               1,035
                                                                   C offshore...............              0.2076               2,422                 503
                                        B Season\2\: September 1-  W inshore................              0.0852               8,202                 699
                                         December 31.              W offshore...............              0.3376                 911                 308
                                                                   C inshore................              0.0475              14,530                 690
                                                                   C offshore...............              0.2076               1,614                 335
                                        Annual...................  E inshore................              0.0110               1,758                  19
                                                                   E offshore...............              0.0000                 195                   0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 \1\ The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20.
\2\ The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1.


  Table 5--Proposed 2012 GOA Pollock and Pacific Cod Non-AFA Crab Vessel Groundfish Harvest Sideboard Limits in Metric Tons Under Amendment 34 Based on
                        Final Harvest Specifications Recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in December 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                               Proposed ratio of                       2012 Non-AFA crab
                                                                                               1996-2000 non-AFA       2012 TAC        vessel sideboard
                Species                        Season/gear               Area/component        crab vessel catch    recommended  by     limit based on
                                                                                              to 1996-2000 total      the Council         Council TAC
                                                                                                    harvest                             recommendation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock...............................  A Season: January 20-      Shumagin (610)...........              0.0098               7,342                  72
                                         March 10.                 Chirikof (620)...........              0.0031              11,129                  34
                                                                   Kodiak (630).............              0.0002               5,823                   1
                                        B Season: March 10-May 31  Shumagin (610)...........              0.0098               7,342                  72
                                                                   Chirikof (620)...........              0.0031              13,128                  41
                                                                   Kodiak (630).............              0.0002               3,824                   1
                                        C Season: August 25-       Shumagin (610)...........              0.0098              10,022                  98
                                         October 1.                Chirikof (620)...........              0.0031               6,451                  20
                                                                   Kodiak (630).............              0.0002               7,820                   2
                                        D Season: October 1-       Shumagin (610)...........              0.0098              10,022                  98
                                         November 1.               Chirikof (620)...........              0.0031               6,451                  20
                                                                   Kodiak (630).............              0.0002               7,820                   2
                                        Annual...................  WYK (640)................              0.0000               2,686                   0
                                                                   SEO (650)................              0.0000               9,245                   0
Pacific cod...........................  A Season\1\: January 1-    W inshore................              0.0852              13,877               1,182
                                         June 10.                  W offshore...............              0.3376               1,542                 521
                                                                   C inshore................              0.0475              24,583               1,168
                                                                   C offshore...............              0.2076               2,731                 567
                                        B Season\2\: September 1-  W inshore................              0.0852               9,252                 788
                                         December 31.              W offshore...............              0.3376               1,028                 347
                                                                   C inshore................              0.0475              16,389                 778
                                                                   C offshore...............              0.2076               1,821                 378
                                        Annual...................  E inshore................              0.0110               2,246                  25
                                                                   E offshore...............              0.0000                 250                   0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20.
\2\ The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1.


[[Page 17099]]

Reissue Federal Fisheries Permits and LLP Licenses

    The proposed actions would affect owners of non-AFA vessels with 
catch history that generated Bering Sea snow crab QS and also would 
qualify for a sideboard exemption under proposed Action 1 or Action 2, 
or both. These vessel owners hold unique FFPs. Federal Fisheries 
Permits are required on all vessels participating in groundfish 
fisheries in Federal waters in Alaska. NMFS designates vessel sideboard 
limitations, or exemptions, on a vessel's FFP. The proposed actions 
would also affect holders of a groundfish LLP license derived from 
catch history that was generated by a vessel that would qualify for a 
sideboard exemption under proposed Action 1 or Action 2, or both.
    In June 2008, the Council clarified the process that NMFS should 
follow when determining which vessels and LLP licenses qualify for an 
exemption from the non-AFA crab vessel GOA Pacific cod and pollock 
sideboard limits (EA/RIR/IRFA, Section 1.4.1) (see ADDRESSES). First, a 
vessel must meet the catch threshold criteria currently proposed at 
Sec.  680.22(a) to qualify for an exemption from non-AFA crab vessel 
Pacific cod or pollock sideboard limits. Once a vessel is determined to 
qualify for an exemption from sideboard limits, the Council recommended 
that NMFS determine whether the GOA groundfish LLP license that was 
generated by that exempt vessel's catch history would also qualify for 
the exemption. An LLP license would be deemed to qualify for a GOA 
Pacific cod or pollock sideboard limit exemption if the vessel with 
catch history that generated the groundfish LLP license: (1) Would 
qualify for an exemption under proposed Sec.  680.22(a); and (2) is the 
only vessel that contributed GOA Pacific cod or pollock catch history 
to generate the LLP license. This approach would prevent a groundfish 
LLP license that drew its catch history from multiple vessels from 
qualifying for the sideboard exemption under Amendment 34. NMFS would 
follow this process when determining the non-AFA crab vessel GOA 
Pacific cod and pollock sideboard limit exemptions that apply to FFPs 
and groundfish LLP licenses affected by the proposed actions.
    NMFS would create an official record with all relevant information 
necessary to assign landings to specific vessels and LLP licenses. The 
official record created by NMFS would contain vessel landings data and 
the LLP licenses to which those landings would be attributed. Evidence 
of the number and amount of landings would be based only on legally 
submitted NMFS weekly production reports for catcher/processors and 
State of Alaska fish tickets for catcher vessels. Historically, NMFS 
has used only these two data sources to determine the specific amount 
and location of landings, and NMFS proposes to continue to do this 
under the proposed actions. The official record also would include the 
records of the specific LLP licenses assigned to vessels and other 
relevant information necessary to attribute landings to specific LLP 
licenses.
    NMFS would presume the official record is correct and would notify 
each affected FFP and LLP license holder of the effect of Amendment 34 
on their FFP or LLP license. NMFS would mail a notification to the 
address on record for each FFP and LLP license holder at the time the 
notification is sent. The notification would indicate which non-AFA 
crab vessel sideboard category would be applicable to the FFP or LLP 
license based on the official record: (1) CR GOA Sideboarded for all 
groundfish species; (2) CR GOA Sideboarded for all groundfish species 
and no GOA Pacific cod fishing; (3) CR GOA Sideboarded for all 
groundfish species except Pacific cod; (4) CR GOA Sideboarded for all 
groundfish species except pollock; or (5) CR GOA Sideboarded for all 
groundfish species except Pacific cod and pollock. NMFS would include 
information concerning any changes to the non-AFA crab vessel sideboard 
restrictions applicable to the FFP or LLP license in the GOA and offer 
a single 30-day evidentiary period from the date that notification is 
sent for an FFP or LLP license holder to submit any supporting 
information, or evidence, to verify that the information contained in 
the official record is inconsistent with his or her records.
    An FFP or LLP license holder who submits claims that are 
inconsistent with information in the official record would have the 
burden of proving that the submitted claims are correct. NMFS would not 
accept inconsistent claims unless verified by clear written 
documentation. NMFS would evaluate additional information or evidence 
to support an FFP or LLP license holder's inconsistent claims submitted 
prior to or within the 30-day evidentiary period. If NMFS determines 
that the additional information or evidence proves that the FFP or LLP 
license holder's inconsistent claims were indeed correct, NMFS would 
act in accordance with that information or evidence. However, if after 
the 30-day evidentiary period, NMFS were to determine that the 
additional information or evidence did not show that the FFP or LLP 
license holder's inconsistent claims were correct, NMFS would deny the 
claim. NMFS would notify the applicant through an initial 
administrative determination (IAD) that the additional information or 
evidence did not meet the burden of proof to overcome the official 
record.
    NMFS's IAD would indicate the deficiencies and discrepancies in the 
information or the evidence submitted in support of the claim. NMFS's 
IAD would indicate which claims could not be approved based on the 
available information or evidence, and include information on how an 
applicant could appeal the IAD. The appeals process is described under 
Sec.  679.43. A person who appeals an IAD would be eligible to use the 
disputed FFP or LLP license until final agency action by NMFS on the 
appeal. The non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limitation, or exemption, 
designated on an FFP or LLP license would continue to be effective 
unless modified by a successful appeal. NMFS would reissue any FFP or 
LLP licenses pending final action by NMFS as interim FFP or LLP 
licenses. Once final action has been taken, NMFS would reissue the FFP 
or LLP license as a non-interim license. Interim LLP licenses would be 
non-transferable to ensure that a person would not receive an LLP 
license by transfer and have the non-AFA crab vessel sideboard category 
changed through an appeals process that was initiated and conducted by 
the previous LLP license holder, a process that a transferee could not 
control, and which could substantially affect the value and utility of 
an LLP license. (FFPs are not transferable.)
    If a person does not dispute the notification of changes to their 
FFP or LLP license, or upon the resolution of any inconsistent claims, 
a revised non-interim FFP or LLP license with the appropriate non-AFA 
crab vessel sideboard category would be reissued to the FFP or LLP 
license holder, unless the FFP or LLP license is interim for another 
reason.

Classification

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, has determined 
that this proposed rule is consistent with Amendment 34 to the Crab 
FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable laws, subject to 
further consideration after public comment.
    This proposed rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    An RIR was prepared for proposed Action 1 and Action 2 that 
assesses all costs and benefits of available regulatory

[[Page 17100]]

alternatives. The RIR describes the potential size, distribution, and 
magnitude of the economic impacts that these actions may be expected to 
have. Additionally, an IRFA was prepared, as required by section 603 of 
the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which describes the impact this 
proposed rule would have on small entities. Copies of the RIR/IRFA 
prepared for this proposed rule are available from NMFS (see 
ADDRESSES). The RIR/IRFA prepared for this proposed rule incorporates 
by reference an extensive RIR and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 
prepared for the CR Program that detailed its impacts on small 
entities.
    The IRFA describes the economic impact this proposed rule, if 
adopted, would have on small entities. A detailed description of the 
actions, the reasons why they are being considered, and a statement of 
the objectives of, and the legal basis for, these actions are contained 
in the preamble of this proposed rule and are not repeated here. The 
IRFA prepared for these actions describes in detail why the actions are 
being proposed; describes the objectives and legal basis for the 
proposed rule; describes and estimates the number of small entities to 
which the proposed rule would apply; describes any projected reporting, 
recordkeeping, or other compliance requirements of the proposed rule; 
identifies no overlapping, duplicative, or conflicting Federal rules; 
and describes any significant alternatives to the proposed rule that 
accomplish the stated objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and any 
other applicable statutes, and that would minimize any significant 
adverse economic impact of the proposed rule on small entities. A 
summary of that analysis follows. A discussion of the analysis is also 
found in the preamble to this proposed rule.
    The principal objective of the proposed rule is to rectify an 
economic burden that was unintentionally imposed on a small group of 
non-AFA crab vessels by implementation of the sideboard limit 
provisions of the CR Program. Proposed Action 1 and Action 2 would 
relieve catch restrictions that apply to certain non-AFA crab vessels 
in GOA Pacific cod and pollock fisheries. NMFS expects the relief from 
sideboard limit restrictions would enable these vessels to increase 
participation in these fisheries as compared to their participation in 
these fisheries while subject to the sideboard restrictions, thus 
potentially increasing gross revenues for the vessels exempted by the 
proposed actions.
    The entities directly regulated by the proposed actions are those 
non-AFA crab vessels that target Pacific cod and pollock in Federal and 
State parallel fisheries in the GOA. For purposes of an IRFA, the Small 
Business Administration (SBA) has established that a business involved 
in fish harvesting is a small business if it is independently owned and 
operated, not dominant in its field of operation (including its 
affiliates), and if it has combined annual gross receipts not in excess 
of $4.0 million for all its affiliated operations worldwide. A seafood 
processor is a small business if it is independently owned and 
operated, not dominant in its field of operation, and employs 500 or 
fewer persons on a full-time, part-time, temporary, or other basis, at 
all its affiliated operations worldwide. Because the SBA does not have 
a size criterion for businesses that are involved in both the 
harvesting and processing of seafood products, NMFS has in the past 
applied and continues to apply SBA's fish harvesting criterion for 
these businesses because catcher/processors are first and foremost 
harvesting businesses. Therefore, a business involved in both the 
harvesting and processing of seafood products is a small business if it 
meets the $4.0 million criterion for fish harvesting operations. NMFS 
is currently reviewing its small entity size classification for all 
catcher/processors in the United States. However, until new guidance is 
adopted, NMFS will continue to use the annual receipts standard for 
catcher/processors.
    The Council analyzed two alternatives for Action 1 and two 
alternatives for Action 2. Alternative 1 for each action was the status 
quo. Alternative 2 for each action included different catch threshold 
options for vessels and groundfish LLP licenses to qualify for an 
exemption from non-AFA crab vessel GOA Pacific cod and pollock 
sideboard limits. Alternative 2 for Action 1 included five options. The 
1996 through 2000 catch thresholds for the five options were: (1) 
Option 2.1--a maximum of 0.22 percent (1,212,673 lbs or 550 mt) of 
total Bering Sea snow crab catch and a minimum of 500 mt of GOA Pacific 
cod; (2) Option 2.2--a maximum of 500,000 lbs of Bering Sea snow crab 
and a minimum of 2,500 mt of GOA Pacific cod; (3) Option 2.3--a maximum 
of 500,000 lbs of Bering Sea snow crab and a minimum of 680 mt of GOA 
Pacific cod; (4) Option 2.3.1--a maximum of 500,000 lbs of Bering Sea 
snow crab, a minimum of 680 mt of GOA Pacific cod, and a minimum of 20 
GOA pollock landings; and (5) Option 2.4 (preferred alternative)--a 
maximum of 750,000 lbs of Bering Sea snow crab and a minimum of 680 mt 
of GOA Pacific cod. Alternative 2 for Action 2 included three options. 
Each option had a maximum catch threshold of 0.22 percent (1,212,673 
lbs or 550 mt) of total Bering Sea snow crab catch from 1996 through 
2000. The minimum GOA pollock landing thresholds from 1996 through 2000 
for each option were: (1) Option 2.1--5 pollock landings; (2) Option 
2.2--10 pollock landings; and (3) Option 2.3--20 pollock landings. The 
Council and NMFS determined that the status quo alternatives do not 
contain exemption criteria that includes all non-AFA crab vessels with 
demonstrated dependence on GOA Pacific cod and pollock fisheries. This 
outcome is inconsistent with the Council's intent in establishing the 
non-AFA crab vessel GOA sideboards, which was to enable non-AFA crab 
vessels with relatively small amounts of Bering Sea snow crab QS, but 
with relatively significant participation in GOA groundfish fisheries, 
to continue fishing in GOA groundfish fisheries without being subject 
to the sideboard limit restrictions. Compared with the status quo, the 
alternatives recommended by the Council and NMFS are the alternatives 
that would most benefit non-AFA crab vessels that the Council deemed 
are dependent on GOA Pacific cod and pollock fisheries. The recommended 
alternatives also would have a low likelihood of negatively impacting 
other participants in these GOA fisheries.
    The IRFA prepared for the proposed actions matched earnings from 
all fisheries in and off Alaska for 2007 with the non-AFA crab vessels 
that participated in the GOA Pacific cod and pollock fisheries for that 
year. For all of the options considered by the Council, a total of six 
vessel operators could be directly regulated by Action 1 to revise the 
criteria for exemption from non-AFA Pacific cod sideboard limits in the 
GOA. Of these six vessel operations, five operate catcher vessels and 
each produced gross earnings less than $4 million, thus categorizing 
them as small entities. The remaining operation, a catcher/processor, 
produced gross earnings greater than $4 million, categorizing the 
operation as a large entity. Of the four vessel operations that could 
be directly regulated by all options the Council considered under 
Action 2 to establish criteria for exemption from the non-AFA pollock 
sideboard limits in the GOA, NMFS estimates that all four entities 
operate catcher vessels and are small entities. One small entity would 
qualify for an exemption under Action 1 and Action 2.

[[Page 17101]]

NMFS estimates--under all options that the Council considered under 
Action 1 and Action 2--a maximum of nine entities could be directly 
regulated under Action 1 and Action 2, and eight of these entities are 
small entities.
    Under the Council's preferred alternative for Action 1, three 
operations would be directly regulated by the proposed action, and all 
of these are estimated to be small entities. Under the Council's 
preferred alternative for Action 2, one operation would be directly 
regulated by the proposed action and is estimated to be a small entity. 
This small entity would qualify for exemptions under Action 1 and 
Action 2. NMFS estimates that under the Council's preferred 
alternatives and this proposed rule, a maximum of three small entities 
would be directly regulated under Action 1 and Action 2. All of the 
entities that would be directly regulated under the proposed actions 
would be expected to benefit from the actions relative to the status 
quo alternative because the proposed actions would relieve restrictions 
that limit their ability to conduct directed fishing for GOA Pacific 
cod and pollock. The proposed action would not be expected to have 
adverse impacts on any of the directly regulated small entities.
    Other options considered by the Council for both Action 1 and 
Action 2 would have potentially benefited up to five additional small 
entities, for a total of eight small entities under both actions. 
However, based on landings and participation data, the Council and NMFS 
determined that these five vessel operations were not sufficiently 
dependent on the GOA Pacific cod and pollock fisheries, and should not 
qualify for exemption from the non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limits in 
the GOA under Amendment 34. Exempting these entities from the GOA 
sideboard limits would not be consistent with the Council's objective 
for these actions, which was to exempt from the sideboard limits only 
those vessel operations that demonstrated significant participation in, 
and dependence on, GOA Pacific cod and pollock fisheries. The Council 
and NMFS also concluded that exempting nine entities from the sideboard 
limits under the least restrictive options considered for Action 1 and 
Action 2 would almost double the current number of exempt non-AFA crab 
vessels (five), and potentially have a negative impact on the ability 
of other participants in the GOA Pacific cod and pollock fisheries to 
maintain their historical levels of participation. Two small entities 
that would have qualified under each of the other four options for 
Action 1 would be able to continue to participate in the GOA Pacific 
cod sideboard fishery under Amendment 34. Three small entities that 
would have qualified under each of the other two options for Action 2 
would continue to be subject to the GOA pollock sideboards under 
Amendment 34. These small entities likely would not be able to 
participate in the GOA pollock fishery because NMFS likely would 
continue to find the GOA pollock sideboard limits are insufficient 
amounts for directed fishing.
    The proposed rule would not change existing reporting, 
recordkeeping, and other compliance requirements. The analysis revealed 
no Federal rules that would conflict with, overlap, or be duplicated by 
the alternatives under consideration.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 680

    Alaska, Fisheries.

    Dated: March 22, 2011.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator For Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 680 is 
proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 680--SHELLFISH FISHERIES OF THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE OFF 
ALASKA

    1. The authority citation for 50 CFR part 680 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1862; Pub. L. 109-241; Pub. L. 109-479.

    2. In Sec.  680.22:
    a. Revise paragraph (a)(3)
    b. Add paragraph (a)(4).
    c. Revise the introductory text of paragraph (d).
    d. Redesignate paragraph (d)(2) as (d)(3), and revise redesignated 
paragraph (d)(3).
    e. Add paragraph (d)(2).


Sec.  680.22  Sideboard protections for GOA groundfish fisheries.

* * * * *
    (a) * * *
    (3) Vessels and LLP licenses exempt from Pacific cod sideboard 
closures in the GOA. Any vessel or LLP license that NMFS has determined 
meets either of the following criteria is exempt from sideboard 
directed fishing closures for Pacific cod in the GOA:
    (i) Any vessel subject to GOA groundfish closures under paragraph 
(a)(1)(i) of this section that landed less than 750,000 lb (340.2 mt), 
in raw weight equivalents, of Bering Sea snow crab and more than 680 mt 
(1,499,143 lb), in round weight equivalents, of Pacific cod harvested 
from the GOA between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2000; and
    (ii) Any LLP license that:
    (A) Was initially issued based on the catch history of a vessel 
meeting the criteria in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section; and
    (B) Did not generate crab QS based on legal landings from any 
vessel other than the vessel meeting the criteria in paragraph 
(a)(3)(i) of this section.
    (4) Vessels and LLP licenses exempt from pollock sideboard closures 
in the GOA. Any vessel or LLP license that NMFS has determined meets 
either of the following criteria is exempt from sideboard directed 
fishing closures for pollock in the GOA:
    (i) Any vessel subject to GOA groundfish closures under paragraph 
(a)(1)(i) of this section that landed less than 1,212,673 lb (550 mt), 
in raw weight equivalents, of Bering Sea snow crab, and had 20 or more 
legal landings of pollock harvested from the GOA between January 1, 
1996, and December 31, 2000; and
    (ii) Any LLP license that:
    (A) Was initially issued based on the catch history of a vessel 
meeting the criteria in paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section; and
    (B) Did not generate crab QS based on legal landings from any 
vessel other than the vessel meeting the criteria in paragraph 
(a)(4)(i) of this section.
* * * * *
    (d) Determination of GOA groundfish sideboard ratios. Except for 
fixed-gear sablefish, sideboard ratios for each GOA groundfish species, 
species group, season, and area for which annual specifications are 
made are established according to the following formulas:
* * * * *
    (2) Pollock. The sideboard ratios for pollock are calculated by 
dividing the aggregate retained catch of pollock by vessels that are 
subject to sideboard directed fishing closures under paragraph (a)(1) 
of this section and that do not meet the criteria in paragraph (a)(4) 
of this section by the total retained catch of pollock by all 
groundfish vessels between 1996 and 2000.
    (3) Groundfish other than Pacific cod and pollock. The sideboard 
ratios for groundfish species and species groups other than Pacific cod 
and pollock are calculated by dividing the aggregate landed catch by 
vessels subject to sideboard directed fishing closures under paragraph 
(a)(1) of this section by the total landed catch of that species by

[[Page 17102]]

all groundfish vessels between 1996 and 2000.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2011-7249 Filed 3-25-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P