[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 12412-12413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04907]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 130528511-4171-03]
RIN 0648-BD31


Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 
Management Plan; Commercial, Limited Entry Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Fishery; Program Improvement and Enhancement; Correction

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

ACTION: Final rule; correcting amendment.

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SUMMARY: This action contains two corrections to the limited entry 
Pacific coast groundfish fishery's Program Improvement and Enhancement 
(PIE 2) regulations that published in the Federal Register on November 
15, 2013. This document adds a Vessel Limit table that was 
inadvertently deleted and revises a section to replace language that 
was inadvertently removed by the Pacific coast groundfish fishery's 
Cost Recovery final rule that published December 11, 2013.

DATES: This rule is effective March 5, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ariel Jacobs, 206-526-4491; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Program Improvement and Enhancement rule (PIE 2) implemented 
revisions to the Pacific coast groundfish trawl rationalization program 
(program), a catch share program, and included clarifications of 
regulations that affect the limited entry trawl and limited entry fixed 
gear sectors managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP). Additional background information regarding each 
of these revisions and clarifications was described in detail in the 
proposed rule (78 FR 43125, July 19, 2013) and in the final rule (78 FR 
68764, November 15, 2013), and that information is not repeated here.
    An error in amendatory language resulted in the deletion of the 
Vessel Limit table at Sec.  660.140 (e)(4)(i). This correction restores 
the Vessel Limit table to Sec.  660.140 (e)(4)(i) following the 
introductory paragraph.
    Implementation of the Cost Recovery Program for the Pacific coast 
groundfish trawl rationalization program (78 FR 75268, December 11, 
2013) revised regulations at Sec.  660.140 (f)(6) by adding a 
requirement that cost recovery fees be paid before a first receiver 
site license will be reissued (``NMFS will not reissue a first receiver 
site license until all required cost recovery program fees, as 
specified at Sec.  660.115, associated with that license have been 
paid.''). At the time the cost recovery final rule published, the PIE 2 
final rule had published but was not yet effective, and the existing 
paragraph at Sec.  660.140 (f)(6) had not been revised to reflect 
necessary changes implemented by PIE 2 to the first receiver site 
license renewal process. Consequently, in addition to adding a 
necessary requirement for cost recovery at Sec.  660.140 (f)(6), the 
cost recovery final rule also overwrote necessary revisions contained 
in the PIE 2 regulations. This correction revises Sec.  660.140 (f)(6) 
to reinstate language that was implemented by PIE 2 (78 FR 68764, 
November 15, 2013) and incorrectly removed by the cost recovery rule 
(78 FR 75268, December 11, 2013); the correction includes the language 
added by the Cost Recovery final rule (``NMFS will not reissue a first 
receiver site license until all required cost recovery program fees, as 
specified at Sec.  660.115, associated with that license have been 
paid'').

Classification

    The Assistant Administrator (AA) for Fisheries, NOAA, finds that 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice 
and comment would be unnecessary, and contrary to the public interest. 
This document adds a Vessel Limit table that was incorrectly deleted at 
Sec.  660.140 (e)(4)(i) and revises Sec.  660.140 (f)(6) to replace 
language that was incorrectly removed or revised by 78 FR 75268 
(December 11, 2013). Providing notice and comment on these changes is 
unnecessary because all are non-substantive and have no effect on the 
public or the operation of the fishery. Moreover, allowing 
inconsistencies in regulatory text is contrary to the public interest, 
because it could affect the enforceability of the regulations, and 
because inaccurate regulations could lead to public confusion and 
potentially to incorrect behavior. For the same reasons above, the AA 
finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in 
effectiveness and makes this rule effective immediately upon 
publication.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 660

    Fisheries, Fishing, and Indian fisheries.

    Dated: February 28, 2014.
Paul N. Doremus,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 660 is 
corrected by making the following correcting amendments:

PART 660--FISHERIES OFF WEST COAST STATES

0
1. The authority citation for part 660 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq., and 
16 U.S.C. 7001 et seq.

    2. In Sec.  660.140, revise paragraphs (e)(4)(i) and (f)(6) to read 
as follows:


Sec.  660.140  Shorebased IFQ Program.

* * * * *
    (e) * * *
    (4) * * *
    (i) Vessel limits. For each IFQ species or species group specified 
in this paragraph, vessel accounts may not have QP or IBQ pounds in 
excess of the QP vessel limit (annual limit) in any year, and, for 
species covered by unused QP vessel limits (daily limit), may not have 
QP or IBQ pounds in excess of the unused QP vessel limit at any time. 
The QP vessel limit (annual limit) is calculated as all QPs transferred 
in minus all QPs transferred out of the vessel account. The unused QP 
vessel limits (daily limit) is calculated as unused available QPs plus 
any pending outgoing transfer of QPs.

[[Page 12413]]



                                                  Vessel Limits
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                                                                                               Unused QP vessel
                                                                            QP vessel limit      limit (daily
                            Species category                              (annual limit) (in      limit) (in
                                                                               percent)            percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arrowtooth flounder.....................................................                  20  ..................
Bocaccio S. of 40[deg]10' N. lat........................................                15.4                13.2
Canary rockfish.........................................................                  10                 4.4
Chilipepper S. of 40[deg]10' N. lat.....................................                  15  ..................
Cowcod S. of 40[deg]10' N. lat..........................................                17.7                17.7
Darkblotched rockfish...................................................                 6.8                 4.5
Dover sole..............................................................                 3.9  ..................
English sole............................................................                 7.5  ..................
Lingcod:
    N. of 40[deg]10' N. lat.............................................                 5.3  ..................
    S. of 40[deg]10' N. lat.............................................                13.3  ..................
Longspine thornyhead:
    N. of 34[deg]27' N. lat.............................................                   9  ..................
Minor rockfish complex N. of 40[deg]10' N. lat.:
    Shelf species.......................................................                 7.5  ..................
    Slope species.......................................................                 7.5  ..................
Minor rockfish complex S. of 40[deg]10' N. lat.:
    Shelf species.......................................................                13.5  ..................
    Slope species.......................................................                   9  ..................
Other flatfish complex..................................................                  15  ..................
Pacific cod.............................................................                  20  ..................
Pacific halibut (IBQ) N. of 40[deg]10' N. lat...........................                14.4                 5.4
Pacific ocean perch N. of 40[deg]10' N. lat.............................                   6                   4
Pacific whiting (shoreside).............................................                  15  ..................
Petrale sole............................................................                 4.5  ..................
Sablefish:
    N. of 36[deg] N. lat. (Monterey north)..............................                 4.5  ..................
    S. of 36[deg] N. lat. (Conception area).............................                  15  ..................
Shortspine thornyhead:
    N. of 34[deg]27' N. lat.............................................                   9  ..................
    S. of 34[deg]27' N. lat.............................................                   9  ..................
Splitnose rockfish S. of 40[deg]10' N. lat..............................                  15  ..................
Starry flounder.........................................................                  20  ..................
Widow rockfish..........................................................                 8.5                 5.1
Yelloweye rockfish......................................................                11.4                 5.7
Yellowtail rockfish N. of 40[deg]10' N. lat.............................                 7.5  ..................
Non-whiting groundfish species..........................................                 3.2  ..................
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* * * * *
    (f) * * *
    (6) Re-registration of FRSL in subsequent years. Existing first 
receiver site license holders must reapply annually by following the 
application process specified in paragraph (f)(3) of this section. If 
the existing license holder fails to reapply, the first receiver site 
license will expire as specified in paragraph (f)(5) of this section. 
NMFS will not reissue a first receiver site license until all required 
cost recovery program fees, as specified at Sec.  660.115, associated 
with that license have been paid. For existing first receiver site 
license holders to continue to receive IFQ landings without a lapse in 
the effectiveness of their first receiver site license, the following 
re-registration deadlines apply:
    (i) NMFS will mail a first receiver site license application to 
existing license holders on or about February 1 each year.
    (ii) Applicants who want to have their new license effective for 
July 1 must submit their complete re-registration application to NMFS 
by April 15. For those first receiver site license holders who do not 
submit a complete re-registration application by April 15, NMFS may not 
be able to issue the new license by July 1 of that calendar year, and 
will issue the new license as soon as practicable.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2014-04907 Filed 3-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P