[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 139 (Tuesday, July 21, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 43046-43050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17778]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 665

[Docket No. 141009847-5604-01]
RIN 0648-XD558


Pacific Island Fisheries; 2015 Annual Catch Limits and 
Accountability Measures

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

ACTION: Proposed specifications; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes annual catch limits (ACLs) for Pacific Island 
bottomfish, crustacean, precious coral, and coral reef ecosystem 
fisheries, and accountability measures (AMs) to correct or mitigate any 
overages of catch limits. The proposed ACLs and AMs would be effective 
in fishing year 2015. The fishing year for each fishery begins on 
January 1 and ends on December 31, except for precious coral fisheries, 
which begins July 1 and ends on June 30 the following year. The 
proposed catch limits and accountability measures support the long-term 
sustainability of fishery resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands.

DATES: NMFS must receive comments by August 5, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2014-0130, by either of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2014-0130, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.
     Mail: Send written comments to Michael D. Tosatto, 
Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp 
Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
    Instructions: NMFS may not consider comments sent by any other 
method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end 
of the comment period. All comments received are a part of the public 
record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible.
    NMFS prepared environmental analyses that describe the potential 
impacts on the human environment that would result from the proposed 
annual catch limits and accountability measures. NMFS provided 
additional background information in the 2014 proposed and final 
specifications (78 FR 77089, December 20, 2013; 79 FR 4276, January 27, 
2014). Copies of the environmental analyses and other documents are 
available at www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jarad Makaiau, NMFS PIRO Sustainable 
Fisheries, 808-725-5176.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fisheries in the U.S. Exclusive Economic 
Zone (EEZ, or Federal waters) around the U.S. Pacific Islands are 
managed under archipelagic fishery ecosystem plans (FEP) for American 
Samoa, Hawaii, the Pacific Remote Islands, and the Mariana Archipelago 
(covering Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
(CNMI)). A fifth FEP covers pelagic fisheries. The Western Pacific 
Fishery Management Council (Council) developed the FEPs, and NMFS 
implemented them under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
    Each FEP contains a process for the Council and NMFS to specify 
ACLs and AMs; that process is codified at Title 50 Code of Federal 
Regulations Section 665.4 (50 CFR 665.4). The regulations require NMFS 
to specify, every fishing year, an ACL for each stock and stock complex 
of management unit species (MUS) included in an FEP, as recommended by 
the Council and considering the best available scientific, commercial, 
and other information about the fishery. If a fishery exceeds an ACL, 
the regulations require the Council to take action, which may include 
reducing the ACL for the subsequent fishing year by the amount of the 
overage, or other appropriate action.

Annual Catch Limits

    NMFS proposes to specify ACLs for bottomfish, crustacean, precious 
coral, and coral reef ecosystem fishery MUS in American Samoa, Guam, 
the CNMI, and Hawaii. NMFS based the proposed specifications on 
recommendations from the Council at its 160th meeting held on June 24-
27, 2014. The Council recommended 112 ACLs: 26 in American Samoa, 26 in 
Guam, 26 in the CNMI, and 34 in Hawaii. The Council recommended that 
NMFS specify multi-year ACL and accountability measures effective in 
fishing years 2015-2018. NMFS proposes to implement the specifications 
for fishing year 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 separately prior to each 
fishing year (January 1 through December 31 each year, except for 
precious coral fisheries, which is July 1 through June 30). The 
proposed ACLs are identical to those that NMFS specified for the 2014 
fishing year for all crustaceans (except for spiny lobster), bottomfish 
(except Hawaii non-Deep 7 bottomfish), and precious corals. For spiny 
lobster, Hawaii non-Deep 7 bottomfish, and coral reef ecosystem 
species, the ACLs are based on new estimates of maximum sustainable 
yield (MSY) and would be specified at five percent below ABC (95 
percent of ABC). At the 161st meeting held October 20-23, 2014, the 
Council maintained its recommendations from the 160th meeting.
    NMFS is not proposing ACLs for MUS that are currently subject to 
Federal fishing moratoria or prohibitions. These MUS include all 
species of gold coral (78 FR 32181, May 29, 2013), the three Hawaii 
seamount groundfish (pelagic armorhead, alfonsin, and raftfish, 75 FR 
69015, November 10, 2010), and deepwater precious corals at the Westpac 
Bed Refugia (75 FR 2198, January 14, 2010). The current prohibitions on 
fishing for these MUS serve as the functional equivalent of an ACL of 
zero.
    Additionally, NMFS is not proposing ACLs for bottomfish, 
crustacean, precious coral, or coral reef ecosystem MUS identified in 
the Pacific Remote Islands Area (PRIA) FEP. This is because fishing is 
prohibited in the EEZ within 12 nm of emergent land, unless authorized 
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) (78 FR 32996, June 3, 
2013). To date, NMFS has not received fishery data for any such 
approvals. In addition, there is no suitable habitat for these stocks 
beyond the 12-nm no-

[[Page 43047]]

fishing zone, except at Kingman Reef, where fishing for these resources 
does not occur. Therefore, the current prohibitions on fishing serve as 
the functional equivalent of an ACL of zero. However, NMFS will 
continue to monitor authorized fishing within the Monument in 
consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and may develop 
additional fishing requirements, including Monument-specific catch 
limits for species that may require them.
    NMFS is also not proposing ACLs for pelagic MUS at this time, 
because NMFS previously determined that pelagic species are subject to 
international fishery agreements or have a life cycle of approximately 
one year and, therefore, are statutorily excepted from the ACL 
requirements.

Proposed Annual Catch Limit Specifications

    The following four tables list the proposed ACL specifications for 
2015.

                                             Table 1--American Samoa
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                                                                                                  Proposed ACL
                   Fishery                                 Management unit species               specification
                                                                                                      (lb)
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Bottomfish...................................  Bottomfish multi-species stock complex........            101,000
Crustacean...................................  Deepwater shrimp..............................             80,000
                                               Spiny lobster.................................              4,845
                                               Slipper lobster...............................                 30
                                               Kona crab.....................................              3,200
Precious Coral...............................  Black coral...................................                790
                                               Precious corals in the American Samoa                       2,205
                                                Exploratory Area.
Coral Reef Ecosystem.........................  Selar crumenophthalmus--atule, bigeye scad....             37,400
                                               Acanthuridae--surgeonfish.....................            129,400
                                               Carangidae--jacks.............................             19,900
                                               Carcharhinidae--reef sharks...................              1,615
                                               Crustaceans--crabs............................              4,300
                                               Holocentridae--squirrelfish...................             15,100
                                               Labridae--wrasses.............................             16,200
                                               Lethrinidae--emperors.........................             19,600
                                               Lutjanidae--snappers..........................             63,100
                                               Kyphosidae--rudderfishes......................              2,000
                                               Mollusks--turbo snail; octopus; giant clams...             18,400
                                               Mugilidae--mullets............................              4,600
                                               Mullidae--goatfishes..........................             11,900
                                               Scaridae--parrotfish..........................            272,000
                                               Serranidae--groupers..........................             25,300
                                               Siganidae--rabbitfishes.......................                200
                                               Bolbometopon muricatum--bumphead parrotfish...                235
                                               Cheilinus undulatus--Humphead (Napoleon)                    1,743
                                                wrasse.
                                               All other CREMUS combined.....................             18,400
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                                       Table 2--Mariana Archipelago--Guam
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                                                                                                  Proposed ACL
                   Fishery                                 Management unit species               specification
                                                                                                      (lb)
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Bottomfish...................................  Bottomfish multi-species stock complex........             66,800
Crustaceans..................................  Deepwater shrimp..............................             48,488
                                               Spiny lobster.................................              3,135
                                               Slipper lobster...............................                 20
                                               Kona crab.....................................              1,900
Precious Coral...............................  Black coral...................................                700
                                               Precious corals in the Guam Exploratory Area..              2,205
Coral Reef Ecosystem.........................  Selar crumenophthalmus--atulai, bigeye scad...             50,200
                                               Acanthuridae--surgeonfish.....................             97,600
                                               Carangidae--jacks.............................             29,300
                                               Carcharhinidae--reef sharks...................              1,900
                                               Crustaceans--crabs............................              7,300
                                               Holocentridae--squirrelfish...................             11,400
                                               Kyphosidae--chubs/rudderfish..................              9,600
                                               Labridae--wrasses.............................             25,200
                                               Lethrinidae--emperors.........................             53,000
                                               Lutjanidae--snappers..........................             18,000
                                               Mollusks--octopus.............................             23,800
                                               Mugilidae--mullets............................             17,900
                                               Mullidae--goatfish............................             15,300
                                               Scaridae--parrotfish..........................             71,600
                                               Serranidae--groupers..........................             22,500
                                               Siganidae--rabbitfish.........................             18,600
                                               Bolbometopon muricatum--bumphead parrotfish...                797
                                                                                                  (CNMI and Guam
                                                                                                       combined)

[[Page 43048]]

 
                                               Cheilinus undulatus--humphead (Napoleon)                    1,960
                                                wrasse.
                                               All other CREMUS combined.....................            185,000
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                                       Table 3--Mariana Archipelago--CNMI
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                                                                                                  Proposed ACL
                   Fishery                                 Management unit species               specification
                                                                                                      (lb)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bottomfish...................................  Bottomfish multi-species stock complex........            228,000
Crustacean...................................  Deepwater shrimp..............................            275,570
                                               Spiny lobster.................................              7,410
                                               Slipper lobster...............................                 60
                                               Kona crab.....................................              6,300
Precious Coral...............................  Black coral...................................              2,100
                                               Precious corals in the CNMI Exploratory Area..              2,205
Coral Reef Ecosystem.........................  Selar crumenophthalmus--Atulai, bigeye scad...             77,400
                                               Acanthuridae--surgeonfish.....................            302,600
                                               Carangidae--jacks.............................             44,900
                                               Carcharhinidae--reef sharks...................              5,600
                                               Crustaceans--crabs............................              4,400
                                               Holocentridae--squirrelfishes.................             66,100
                                               Kyphosidae--rudderfishes......................             22,700
                                               Labridae--wrasses.............................             55,100
                                               Lethrinidae--emperors.........................             53,700
                                               Lutjanidae--snappers..........................            190,400
                                               Mollusks--turbo snail; octopus; giant clams...              9,800
                                               Mugilidae--mullets............................              4,500
                                               Mullidae--goatfish............................             28,400
                                               Scaridae--parrotfish..........................            144,000
                                               Serranidae--groupers..........................             86,900
                                               Siganidae--rabbitfish.........................             10,200
                                               Bolbometopon muricatum--Bumphead parrotfish...                797
                                                                                                  (CNMI and Guam
                                                                                                       combined)
                                               Cheilinus undulatus--Humphead (Napoleon)                    2,009
                                                wrasse.
                                               All other CREMUS combined.....................              7,300
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                 Table 4--Hawaii
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                                                                                                  Proposed ACL
                   Fishery                                 Management unit species               specification
                                                                                                      (lb)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bottomfish...................................  Non-Deep 7 bottomfish.........................            178,000
Crustacean...................................  Deepwater shrimp..............................            250,773
                                               Spiny lobster.................................             15,000
                                               Slipper lobster...............................                280
                                               Kona crab.....................................             27,600
Precious Coral...............................  Auau Channel black coral......................              5,512
                                               Makapuu Bed--Pink coral.......................              2,205
                                               Makapuu Bed--Bamboo coral.....................                551
                                               180 Fathom Bank--Pink coral...................                489
                                               180 Fathom Bank--Bamboo coral.................                123
                                               Brooks Bank--Pink coral.......................                979
                                               Brooks Bank--Bamboo coral.....................                245
                                               Kaena Point Bed--Pink coral...................                148
                                               Kaena Point Bed--Bamboo coral.................                 37
                                               Keahole Bed--Pink coral.......................                148
                                               Keahole Bed--Bamboo coral.....................                 37
                                               Precious corals in the Hawaii Exploratory Area              2,205
Coral Reef Ecosystem.........................  Selar crumenophthalmus--akule, bigeye scad....            988,000
                                               Decapterus macarellus--opelu, mackerel scad...            438,000
                                               Acanthuridae--surgeonfishes...................            342,000
                                               Carangidae--jacks.............................            161,200
                                               Carcharhinidae--reef sharks...................              9,310
                                               Crustaceans--crabs............................             33,500
                                               Holocentridae--squirrelfishes.................            148,000
                                               Kyphosidae--rudderfishes......................            105,000

[[Page 43049]]

 
                                               Labridae--wrasses.............................            205,000
                                               Lethrinidae--emperors.........................             35,500
                                               Lutjanidae--snappers..........................            330,300
                                               Mollusks--octopus.............................             35,700
                                               Mugilidae--mullets............................             19,200
                                               Mullidae--goatfishes..........................            165,000
                                               Scaridae--parrotfishes........................            239,000
                                               Serranidae--groupers..........................            128,400
                                               All other CREMUS combined.....................            485,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Accountability Measures

    Each year, NMFS and local resource management agencies in American 
Samoa, Guam, the CNMI, and Hawaii collect information about MUS catches 
and apply them toward the appropriate ACLs. Pursuant to 50 CFR 665.4, 
when the available information indicates that a fishery is projected to 
reach an ACL for a stock or stock complex, NMFS must notify permit 
holders that fishing for that stock or stock complex will be restricted 
in Federal waters on a specified date. The restriction serves as the AM 
to prevent an ACL from being exceeded, and may include, closing the 
fishery, closing specific areas, changing to bag limits, or restricting 
effort.
    However, local resource management agencies do not have the 
personnel or resources to process catch data in near-real time, so 
fisheries statistics are generally not available to NMFS until at least 
six months after agencies collect and analyze the data. Although the 
State of Hawaii has the capability to monitor and track the catch of 
seven preferentially-targeted bottomfish species in near-real time, (78 
FR 59626, September 27, 2013), these capabilities do not exist for 
other Hawaii bottomfish, crustacean, precious coral, and coral reef 
ecosystem fisheries, or for fisheries in American Samoa, Guam, and the 
CNMI.
    Additionally, Federal logbook and reporting from fisheries in 
Federal waters is not sufficient to accurately monitor and track 
catches towards the proposed ACL specifications. This is because most 
fishing for bottomfish, crustacean, precious coral, and coral reef 
ecosystem MUS occurs in state waters, generally 0-3 nm from shore. For 
these reasons, NMFS proposes to specify the Council's recommended AM, 
which is to apply a moving three-year average catch to evaluate fishery 
performance against the proposed ACLs. Specifically, NMFS and the 
Council would use the average catch of fishing year 2013, 2014, and 
2015 to evaluate fishery performance against a particular 2015 ACL. 
This process would be repeated in future fishing years. At the end of 
each fishing year, the Council would review catches relative to each 
ACL. If NMFS and the Council determine the three-year average catch for 
the fishery exceeds the specified ACL, NMFS would reduce the ACL for 
that fishery by the amount of the overage in the subsequent year.
    NMFS will consider public comments on the proposed ACLs and AMs and 
will announce the final specifications in the Federal Register. NMFS 
must receive any comments by the date provided in the DATES heading, 
not postmarked or otherwise transmitted by that date. Regardless of the 
final ACL specifications and AMs, all other management measures will 
continue to apply in the fisheries.

Classification

    Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the 
NMFS Assistant Administrator for Fisheries has determined that these 
proposed specifications are consistent with the applicable FEPs, other 
provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable laws, 
subject to further consideration after public comment.

Certification of Finding of No Significant Impact on Substantial Number 
of Small Entities

    The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce 
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration that these proposed specifications, if adopted, would 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. A description of the proposed action, why it is being 
considered, and the legal basis for it are contained in the preamble to 
these proposed specifications.
    The proposed action would specify annual catch limits (ACL) and 
accountability measures (AM) for Pacific Island bottomfish, crustacean, 
precious coral, and coral reef ecosystem fisheries for 2015. The 2015 
ACLs and AMs for all crustaceans (except for spiny lobster), bottomfish 
(except Hawaii non-Deep 7 bottomfish), and precious corals are 
identical to those NMFS specified for the 2014 fishing year. For spiny 
lobster, Hawaii non-Deep 7 bottomfish, and coral reef ecosystem 
species, the ACL is based on new estimates of maximum sustainable yield 
(MSY) and would be specified at 95 percent of acceptable biological 
catch (ABC).
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) based the proposed 
specifications on recommendations from the Western Pacific Fishery 
Management Council (Council) at the Council's 160th meeting held from 
June 24-27, 2014, and reaffirmed again at the 161st meeting held from 
October 20-23, 2014. For this action, the Council recommended 112 ACLs: 
26 in American Samoa, 26 in Guam, 26 in CNMI, and 34 in Hawaii. NMFS 
would specify the ACLs for the 2015-2018 fishing years, which begin on 
January 1 and end on December 31, except for precious coral fisheries, 
which begin July 1 and end on June 30 the following year.
    The vessels impacted by this action are federally permitted to fish 
under the Fishery Ecosystem Plans for American Samoa, the Marianas 
Archipelago (Guam and the CNMI) and Hawaii. The numbers of vessels 
permitted under these Fishery Ecosystem Plans affected by this action 
are as follows: American Samoa (0), Marianas Archipelago (3), and 
Hawaii (11). Based on available information, NMFS has determined that 
all impacted entities are small entities under the SBA definition of a 
small entity, i.e., they are engaged in the business of fish 
harvesting, are independently owned or operated, are not dominant in 
their field of operation, and have annual gross receipts not in excess 
of $20.5 million if fishing for finfish (NAICS code 114111), $5.5 
million if fishing for shellfish (NAICS

[[Page 43050]]

code: 114112), or $7.5 million if fishing for other marine life such as 
precious corals (NAICS code: 114119). Therefore, there would be no 
disproportionate economic impacts between large and small entities. 
Furthermore, there would be no disproportionate economic impacts among 
the universe of vessels based on gear, home port, or vessel length.
    Even though this proposed action would apply to a substantial 
number of vessels, the implementation of this action should not result 
in significant adverse economic impact to individual vessels. For 
active fisheries, the ACLs are the same as, or greater than, the 
current annual yields. The Council and NMFS are not considering in-
season closures in any of the fisheries to which these ACLs apply 
because fishery management agencies are not able to track catch 
relative to the ACLs during the fishing year. As a result, fishermen 
would be able to fish throughout the entire year. In addition, the 
ACLs, as proposed, would not change the gear types, areas fished, 
effort, or participation of the fishery during the 2015 fishing year. A 
post-season review of the catch data would be required to determine 
whether any fishery exceeded its ACL by comparing the ACL to the most 
recent 3-year average catch for which data is available. If an ACL is 
exceeded, the Council and NMFS would take action in future fishing 
years to correct the operational issue that caused the ACL overage. 
NMFS and the Council would evaluate the environmental and social and 
economic impacts of future actions, such as changes to future ACLs or 
AMs, after the required data are available. Specifically, if NMFS and 
the Council determine that the three-year average catch for a fishery 
exceeds the specified ACL, NMFS would reduce the ACL for that fishery 
by the amount of the overage in the subsequent year.
    The proposed action does not duplicate, overlap, or conflict with 
other Federal rules and is not expected to have significant impact on 
small entities (as discussed above), organizations, or government 
jurisdictions. The proposed action also will not place a substantial 
number of small entities, or any segment of small entities, at a 
significant competitive disadvantage to large entities. As such, an 
initial regulatory flexibility analysis is not required and none has 
been prepared.
    This action has been determined to be exempt from review under E.O. 
12866.

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

    Dated: July 15, 2015.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-17778 Filed 7-20-15; 8:45 am]
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