[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 113 (Monday, June 13, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 38111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13929]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 151211999-6343-02]
RIN 0648-XE670


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery; Trimester Total Allowable Catch Area Closure for 
the Common Pool Fishery

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; area closure.

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SUMMARY: This action closes the witch flounder Trimester Total 
Allowable Catch Area to Northeast multispecies common pool vessels 
fishing with trawl gear for the remainder of Trimester 1, through 
August 31, 2016. The closure is required by regulation because the 
common pool fishery has caught 90 percent of its Trimester 1 quota for 
witch flounder. This closure is intended to prevent an overage of the 
common pool's quota for this stock.

DATES: This action is effective June 8, 2016, through August 31, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz Scheimer, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9236.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal regulations at Sec.  
648.82(n)(2)(ii) require the Regional Administrator to close a common 
pool Trimester Total Allowable Catch (TAC) Area for a stock when 90 
percent of the Trimester TAC is projected to be caught. The closure 
applies to all common pool vessels fishing with gear capable of 
catching that stock for the remainder of the trimester.
    As of May 31, 2016, the common pool fishery caught approximately 62 
percent of the Trimester 1 TAC (2.1 mt) for witch flounder. We project 
that 90 percent of the Trimester 1 TAC will be caught by June 8, 2016. 
The fishing year 2016 common pool sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) for 
witch flounder is 8 mt.
    Effective June 8, 2016, the witch flounder Trimester TAC Area is 
closed for the remainder of Trimester 1, through August 31, 2016, to 
all common pool vessels fishing with trawl gear. The witch flounder 
Trimester TAC Area consists of statistical areas 512, 513, 514, 515, 
521, 522, and 525. The area reopens at the beginning of Trimester 2 on 
September 1, 2016.
    If a vessel declared its trip through the Vessel Monitoring System 
(VMS) or the interactive voice response system, and crossed the VMS 
demarcation line prior to June 8, 2016, it may complete its trip within 
the Trimester TAC Area.
    Any overage of the Trimester 1 or 2 TACs must be deducted from the 
Trimester 3 TAC. If the common pool fishery exceeds its sub-ACL for the 
2016 fishing year, the overage must be deducted from the common pool's 
sub-ACL for fishing year 2017. Any uncaught portion of the Trimester 1 
and Trimester 2 TACs is carried over into the next trimester. However, 
any uncaught portion of the common pool's sub-ACL may not be carried 
over into the following fishing year.
    Weekly quota monitoring reports for the common pool fishery are on 
our Web site at: http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ro/fso/MultiMonReports.htm. We will continue to monitor common pool catch 
through vessel trip reports, dealer-reported landings, VMS catch 
reports, and other available information and, if necessary, we will 
make additional adjustments to common pool management measures.

Classification

    This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.
    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds good cause 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive prior 
notice and the opportunity for public comment and the 30-day delayed 
effectiveness period because it would be impracticable and contrary to 
the public interest.
    The regulations require the Regional Administrator to close a 
trimester TAC area to the common pool fishery when 90 percent of the 
Trimester TAC for a stock has been caught. Updated catch information 
only recently became available indicating that the common pool fishery 
has caught 90 percent of its Trimester 1 TAC for witch flounder as of 
June 8, 2016. The time necessary to provide for prior notice and 
comment, and a 30-day delay in effectiveness, prevents the immediate 
closure of the witch flounder Trimester 1 TAC Area. This increases the 
likelihood that the common pool fishery exceeds its quota of witch 
flounder to the detriment of this stock, which could undermine 
management objectives of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management 
Plan. Additionally, an overage of the common pool quota could cause 
negative economic impacts to the common pool fishery as a result of 
overage paybacks in a future trimester or fishing year.

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

    Dated: June 8, 2016.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-13929 Filed 6-8-16; 4:15 pm]
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