[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 86 (Tuesday, May 5, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 25625-25626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10413]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

RIN 0648-XD682


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Small Vessel 
Exemptions; License Limitation Program

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

ACTION: Notice of Agency decision.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the 
approval of Amendment 108 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish 
of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP), 
Amendment 100 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf 
of Alaska (GOA FMP), and Amendment 46 to the Fishery Management Plan 
for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (Crab FMP). These 
amendments correct text omissions in the BSAI FMP, the GOA FMP, and the 
Crab FMP. These amendments make the fishery management plan (FMP) texts 
that establish vessel length limits for small vessels exempted from the 
license limitation program (LLP) in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
Management Area (BSAI) groundfish and king and Tanner crab fisheries, 
and the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) groundfish fisheries, consistent with the 
original intent of the LLP, current operations in the fisheries, and 
Federal regulations. This action promotes the goals and objectives of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, 
and other applicable laws.

DATES: The amendment was approved on April 27, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of Amendment 108 to the BSAI FMP, 
Amendment 100 to the GOA FMP, Amendment 46 to the Crab FMP, and the 
analysis prepared for this action are available from the Alaska Region 
NMFS Web site at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that each regional 
fishery management council submit proposed amendments to a fishery 
management plan to NMFS for review and approval, disapproval, or 
partial approval by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary). The 
Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that, upon receiving a fishery 
management plan amendment, NMFS immediately publish in the Federal 
Register a notice that the amendment is available for public review and 
comment.
    The notice of availability for Amendment 108 to the BSAI FMP, 
Amendment 100 to the GOA FMP, and Amendment 46 to the Crab FMP was 
published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2015 (80 FR 7816), 
with a 60-day comment period that ended on April 13, 2015. NMFS 
received no comments on Amendment 108 to the BSAI FMP, Amendment 100 to 
the GOA FMP, and Amendment 46 to the Crab FMP.
    NMFS determined that Amendment 108 to the BSAI FMP, Amendment 100 
to the GOA FMP, and Amendment 46 to the Crab FMP are consistent with 
the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable laws, and the Secretary 
approved Amendment 108 to the BSAI FMP, Amendment 100 to the GOA FMP, 
and Amendment 46 to the Crab FMP on April 27, 2015. The February 12, 
2015, notice of availability contains additional information on this 
action. No changes to Federal regulations are necessary to implement 
Amendment 108 to the BSAI FMP, Amendment 100 to the GOA FMP, and 
Amendment 46 to the Crab FMP.
    Amendment 108 amends Table ES-2 and Section 3.3.1 of the BSAI FMP; 
Amendment 100 amends Table ES-2 and Section 3.3.1 of the GOA FMP; and 
Amendment 46 amends Section 8.1.4.2 of the Crab FMP. Specifically, 
these FMP amendments add ``or equal to'' to the vessel length limits 
for small vessels that are exempt from the LLP in the BSAI groundfish 
and king and Tanner crab fisheries and GOA groundfish fisheries. The 
amendments have the effect of adding vessels 26 ft (7.9 m) LOA in the 
GOA and vessels 32 ft (9.8 m) LOA in the BSAI, including BSAI Crab, to 
the LLP exemption. These additions are necessary for consistency with 
Federal regulations that exempt from the LLP vessels that do ``not 
exceed 26 ft (7.9 m) LOA'' in the GOA and vessels that do ``not exceed 
32 ft (9.8 m) LOA'' in the BSAI. Additional information can be found in 
the notice of availability for Amendment 108 to the BSAI FMP, Amendment 
100 to the GOA FMP, and Amendment 46 to the Crab FMP (80 FR 7816, 
February 12, 2015) and the analysis prepared for this action (see 
ADDRESSES).
    Since the implementation of the LLP by Amendment 39 to the BSAI 
FMP,

[[Page 25626]]

Amendment 41 to the GOA FMP, and Amendment 5 to the Crab FMP, which 
were implemented by NMFS on October 1, 1998 (63 FR 52642), fisheries in 
the BSAI and GOA have been conducted according to Federal regulations 
and not the FMP texts; therefore, approval of Amendment 108 to the BSAI 
FMP, Amendment 100 to the GOA FMP, and Amendment 46 to the Crab FMP 
does not impact LLP license holders, fishing behavior or fisheries 
management in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska. These 
amendments make the three FMPs consistent with the original intent of 
the Council and Secretary, current operations in the fisheries, and 
Federal regulations.

Response to Comments

    NMFS did not receive any comments on Amendment 108 to the BSAI FMP, 
Amendment 100 to the GOA FMP, and Amendment 46 to the Crab FMP.

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

    Dated: April 29, 2015.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-10413 Filed 5-4-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P