[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 26, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 74309-74313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24989]



[[Page 74309]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 130808697-6907-02]
RIN 0648-XC808


Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species 
Fisheries; Multi-Year Specifications for Monitored and Prohibited 
Harvest Species Stock Categories

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

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS is implementing annual catch limits (ACL) and, where 
necessary, other annual reference points (overfishing limits (OFL) and 
acceptable biological catches (ABC)) for certain stocks in the 
monitored and prohibited harvest species categories under the Coastal 
Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The ACLs are: Jack 
mackerel, 31,000 metric tons (mt); northern subpopulation of northern 
anchovy, 9,750 mt; central subpopulation of northern anchovy, 25,000 
mt; and krill, zero. Additionally, an OFL of 39,000 mt, an ABC of 9,750 
mt and an annual catch target (ACT) of 1,500 mt are being implemented 
for the northern subpopulation of northern anchovy. This rule is 
intended to conserve and manage these stocks off the U.S. West Coast. 
If the ACL for any one of these stocks is reached, then fishing for 
that stock will be closed until it reopens at the start of the next 
fishing season.

DATES: The Annual Catch Limits established in this final rule are 
effective from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joshua Lindsay, West Coast Region, 
NMFS, (562) 980-4034.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CPS fishery in the U.S. exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ) off the West Coast is managed under the CPS FMP, 
which was developed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (MSA), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. The six species managed under the CPS 
FMP are Pacific sardine, Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel, northern 
anchovy (northern and central subpopulations), market squid and krill. 
The CPS FMP is implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 660, subpart 
I.
    Management unit stocks in the CPS FMP are classified under three 
management categories: actively managed, monitored and prohibited 
harvest species. Active stocks are characterized by periodic stock 
assessments, and/or periodic or annual adjustments of target harvest 
levels. Management of monitored stocks, by contrast, generally involves 
tracking landings against the relevant ACL (previously the ABCs) and 
qualitative comparison to available abundance data, without regular 
stock assessments or annual adjustments to target harvest levels. 
Species in both categories may be subject to management measures such 
as catch allocation, gear regulations, closed areas, closed seasons, or 
other forms of ``active'' management. For example, trip limits and a 
limited entry permit program are already in place for all CPS finfish. 
The monitored category includes jack mackerel, two sub-populations of 
the northern anchovy stock, and market squid. Krill is the only stock 
in the prohibited harvest category. The CPS monitored stocks have not 
been managed to a hard quota like the active category stocks by NMFS 
(although the state of California manages market squid with an annual 
limit). Instead, landings have been monitored against harvest reference 
levels to determine if overfishing is occurring and to gauge the need 
for more active management such as requiring periodic stock assessments 
and regular adjustments to quotas. Catches of the three finfish stocks 
in the monitored category--northern anchovy (northern and central 
subpopulations) and jack mackerel--have remained well below their 
respective ABC (now ACL levels for jack mackerel and the central 
anchovy subpopulation) since implementation of the CPS FMP in 2000, 
with average catches over the last 10 years of approximately 7,300 mt 
(270 mt and 660 mt for the central and northern subpopulations of 
northern anchovy and jack mackerel, respectively).
    In September 2011, NMFS approved Amendment 13 to the CPS FMP, which 
modified the framework process used to set and adjust fishery 
specifications and for setting ACLs and accountability measures (AMs). 
Amendment 13 was intended to ensure the FMP conforms with the 2007 
amendments to the MSA and NMFS' revised MSA National Standard 1 
guidelines at 50 CFR part 600. Specifically, Amendment 13 maintained 
the existing reference points and the primary harvest control rules for 
the monitored stocks (jack mackerel, northern anchovy and market 
squid), including the large buffer built into the ABC control rule for 
the finfish stocks, as well as the overfishing criteria for market 
squid, but modified these reference points and control rules to align 
with the revised advisory guidelines and to comply with the new 
statutory requirement to establish a process for setting ACLs and AMs. 
This included a default management framework under which the OFL for 
each monitored stock was set equal to the maximum sustainable yield 
(MSY) value and ABC was reduced from the OFL by 75 percent as an 
uncertainty buffer (based on the existing ABC control rule where ABC 
equals 25 percent of OFL/MSY). This default framework is used unless 
there is determined to be a more appropriate OFL; as is the case for 
the northern subpopulation of northern anchovy, or stock-specific ABC 
control rule, like the proxy for the fishing rate that is expected to 
result in MSY (FMSY proxy) for market squid of Egg 
Escapement >= 30 percent. ACLs are then set equal to the ABC or could 
be set lower than the ABC, along with ACTs, if deemed necessary. These 
control rules and harvest policies for monitored CPS stocks are simpler 
and more precautionary than those used for actively managed stocks in 
recognition of the low fishing effort and low landings for these 
stocks, as well as the lack of current estimates of stock biomass.
    Through this action, NMFS is implementing the ACLs shown in Table 1 
for jack mackerel, the two subpopulations of northern anchovy, and 
krill, as well as an OFL, ABC and ACT for the northern subpopulation of 
northern anchovy.

 Table 1--ACLs for Monitored CPS Finfish, Including OFL, ABC, and ACT for the Northern Subpopulation of Northern
                                                     Anchovy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Stock                       OFL                  ABC                  ACL                ACT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack mackerel...................  126,000 mt.........  31,000 mt..........  31,000 mt..........  ...............

[[Page 74310]]

 
Northern anchovy, (northern       39,000 mt..........  9,750 mt...........  9,750 mt...........        1,500 mt
 subpopulation).
Northern anchovy, (central        100,000 mt.........  25,000 mt..........  25,000 mt..........  ...............
 subpopulation).
Market squid....................  FMSY proxy           FMSY proxy           ACL not required     ...............
                                   resulting in Egg     resulting in Egg     (Less than 1-year
                                   Escapement >=30%     Escapement >=30%     lifecycle and no
                                                                             overfishing).
Krill...........................  Undefined..........  Undefined..........  0..................  ...............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The OFLs and ABCs listed in Table 1 for jack mackerel, the central 
subpopulation of northern anchovy, market squid and krill are included 
for information purposes only. The OFL and ABC specifications for those 
stocks are set in the FMP; NMFS is not establishing or revising them by 
this action.
    These catch levels and reference points were recommended to NMFS by 
the Council and were based on recommendations from its advisory bodies 
according to the framework in the FMP established through Amendment 13, 
including OFL and ABC recommendations from its Science and Statistical 
Committee (SSC). The ACLs for these monitored stocks will be in place 
for the calendar year fishing season (January 1-December 31), and would 
remain in place for each subsequent calendar year until new scientific 
information becomes available to warrant changing them, or if landings 
increase and consistently reach the ABC/ACL level, necessitating a 
change to active management under the FMP. These ACLs provide a means 
to monitor these stocks on an annual basis and prevent overfishing, as 
each year the total harvest of each stock will be assessed against 
their respective ACLs. Furthermore, if the harvest level of a fishery 
reaches an ACL, the directed fishery would be closed through the end of 
the year. These ACLs and other reference points remain in place until 
changed according to the FMP framework. While this rule announces the 
ACLs for calendar year 2017 only, in a future rulemaking NMFS intends 
to propose regulatory text codifying the ACLs in 50 CFR part 660 
subpart I.
    Market squid, because of their short life-cycle, fall under the 
statutory exception from the requirement to set ACLs and AMs. Section 
303(a)(15) of the MSA states that the requirement for ACLs ``shall not 
apply to a fishery for species that has a life cycle of approximately 1 
year unless the Secretary has determined the fishery is subject to 
overfishing of that species''. Market squid have a lifecycle of less 
than 1 year and have not been determined to be subject to overfishing; 
therefore, an ACL is not required and is not being implemented for 
market squid.
    NMFS is not establishing or changing the specifications for krill 
by this rulemaking. Krill are a prohibited harvest species. The 
targeting, harvesting and transshipment of krill are all explicitly 
prohibited; therefore, the ACL for krill is zero. Because the harvest 
level is zero, setting an OFL or ABC for krill would serve no function 
and is not done in this action.
    If an ACL is reached, or is expected to be reached for one of these 
fisheries, the directed fishery would be closed until the beginning of 
the next fishing season. The NMFS West Coast Regional Administrator 
would publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the date of 
any such closure. Additionally, nearing or exceeding one of these ACLs 
would trigger a review of whether the fishery should be moved into the 
actively managed category of the FMP.
    The proposed rule also referenced ACTs in the paragraph above that 
describes closing fisheries upon attainment of ACLs and reviewing 
whether the fishery should be moved to the actively managed category. 
That was an error and NMFS did not intend to propose closing the 
fishery upon attainment of the ACT, or describe the ACT as trigger 
point for any post-season AMs, as ACTs are not designed to trigger 
automatic closures or management category review; therefore, reference 
to ACTs has been removed from that paragraph. The purpose of the ACT 
for the northern subpopulation of northern anchovy is only to assist 
with in-season tracking of fishery landings to help ensure the ACL is 
not exceeded.
    Further background on this action can be found in the proposed rule 
that solicited public comments for this action (80 FR 72676, November 
20, 2015) and is not repeated here.
    NMFS received 50 comment letters on the proposed rule. Twenty-six 
of these comment letters were of very similar form and substance, and 
were focused only on northern anchovy fishing in Monterey Bay, CA, and 
the proposed ACL for the central subpopulation of northern anchovy. 
Additionally, many of the other comment letters provided multiple 
comments. One comment letter from a non-governmental organization was 
also represented to NMFS as having been electronically signed by 27,151 
individuals. Many of the comments provided, such as reconsideration of 
the existing OFL and ABC values and control rules, as well as other 
aspects of CPS management such as spatial management or stock re-
categorization, are beyond the scope of this rulemaking and will not be 
addressed here. However, NMFS found the comments valuable and will 
consider them for future management planning, and will ensure the 
Council is aware of the comments. Although changes to the OFL or ABC 
levels or revisiting these values or the default ABC control rule for 
monitored stocks was not being proposed in this rulemaking, for 
information purposes only, NMFS will respond to comments on some 
aspects of the existing OFL and ABC values, which were previously 
endorsed by the Council's SSC and NMFS as the best available science. 
No changes were made in response to the comments received. NMFS 
summarizes and responds to the comments below.

Comments and Responses

    Comment 1: The proposed ACL for the central subpopulation of 
northern anchovy is too high and a more precautionary/lower quota 
should be set and additional precautionary measures be adopted, such as 
area closures. Various rationale were stated for this comment including 
concern that: the northern anchovy stock may be at a low abundance 
level, based partially on a recent scientific journal article (MacCall 
et al. 2016) describing a collapse of anchovy off California; that 
fishing may be resulting in potential impacts to northern anchovy 
predators in certain

[[Page 74311]]

locations; and that the ACL is based on an outdated biomass estimate 
and should be revised based on more current information.
    Response: Northern anchovy, like other small pelagic species, can 
undergo wide natural fluctuations in total abundance, even in the 
absence of fishing. This is caused by the fact that northern anchovy 
recruitment (the number of young fish that enter a population in a 
given year) is highly variable and likely correlated with prevailing 
oceanographic conditions. The ACL for the central subpopulation of 
northern anchovy (CSNA) is currently set equal to its ABC value of 
25,000 mt, which is 75,000 mt lower than its OFL. This substantial 
reduction in allowable catch from the OFL (the estimate of the level of 
catch above which overfishing is occurring), is primarily in 
recognition of the high uncertainty in the OFL value and the knowledge 
that the yearly abundance of this stock can fluctuate as described 
above. These catch levels are derived from the default OFL 
specification and ABC control rule framework for monitored stocks, 
which were used for CSNA, under which its OFL was set equal to its MSY 
value and its ABC level was reduced from this OFL by 75 percent to 
account for scientific uncertainty in the OFL and to prevent 
overfishing, among other considerations. This ABC value is also the 
upper bound for which the ACL can be set. As previously stated, the 
existing OFL and ABC values are not subject to this rulemaking. This 
management framework, including the non-discretionary reduction in 
allowable catch built into the harvest policy for CPS stocks in the 
monitored category, was previously recommended by the Council's SSC, 
adopted by the Council and approved by NMFS as best available science 
and determined to appropriately account for uncertainty and protect the 
stock from overfishing. Therefore, until new scientific information 
becomes available and approved for revising the ABC, it is not 
necessary to further reduce the ACL from the ABC for precautionary 
reasons regarding scientific uncertainty in the level of catch intended 
to prevent overfishing.
    Although it is true that the last formal stock assessment for CSNA 
was completed in 1995, contrary to the perceptions expressed in some of 
the comments received, the ACL for CSNA is not based on this assessment 
or any single estimate of biomass. As described above, the ACL has been 
reduced down from the OFL, which has been set equal to its estimate of 
MSY--an estimate that is intended to reflect the largest average 
fishing mortality rate or yield that can be taken from a stock over the 
long term.
    NMFS is aware of the scientific journal article referenced in the 
comments (MacCall et al. 2016) and the methods used by authors of this 
article were partially reviewed at the workshop described below. NMFS 
agrees there is evidence that CSNA did likely go through a decline in 
the recent past and abundance may still be at some relatively low 
state. Additionally, NMFS agrees with the finding in the paper that any 
decline is a result of ``natural phenomena'' and not fishing. NMFS 
notes, however, that the time period for which the article discusses a 
potential decline is from 2008 and 2011, and does not provide analysis 
for years past 2011. The estimates of biomass in the article also 
increased by an order of magnitude between 2003 and 2005, highlighting 
the variability mentioned above that this stock can exhibit. 
Preliminary data examined by NMFS from 2015 shows that anchovy 
recruitment along portions of the U.S. West Coast appears to be 
stronger than previous recruitment levels over the past 10 years. The 
extent of this potential decline and whether or not the stock is still 
at low levels is currently unclear. Much of the available compiled data 
on the central subpopulation of northern anchovy is either outdated or 
from surveys that are best at providing regional indices of relative 
availability and variability of the stock, but are not estimates of 
overall biomass, which are typically best derived from stock 
assessments. Thus, while the increased recruitment signals seen in 2015 
are positive, it would be premature to assess their overall 
contribution to the stock without conducting a formal assessment of the 
data. It is important to note that NMFS' decision to approve the ACL 
for the CSNA is not based on this recent survey data. Similarly, it 
would not be appropriate to reduce the ACL further below the ABC based 
on potentially outdated information or information that has not been 
formally reviewed.
    Relating to the comment that the stock has not been assessed 
recently, and that NMFS should set the ACL based on updated 
information, NMFS points out that the Council, in coordination with 
NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center, recently held a workshop to 
examine available approaches to assessing short-lived, data poor 
species as well the current available data and how it may be used. A 
report from this workshop is now available and was reviewed by the 
Council at its September 2016 meeting. Additionally, NMFS is currently 
analyzing some of the data described above about CSNA and, based on the 
recommendations from this workshop, is scheduled to provide an 
assessment of the available information on the stock in the fall of 
2016. Although the current management framework for anchovy is not set 
up to explicitly utilize the abundance information that may be 
produced, it will hopefully allow NMFS to have a better understanding 
of the current state of this stock.
    With regards to the ACL being implemented for CSNA and the 
potential indirect impact to CSNA predators through the removal of a 
prey source, because the ACL is set equal to the ABC, and the ABC has 
already been substantially reduced to protect CSNA from overfishing, 
harvesting up to the ACL level should equate to very little risk to the 
CSNA as a result of fishing. Therefore, it is unlikely that removing up 
to the ACL will reduce the total abundance of CSNA in a manner that 
would indirectly impact predator populations. Additionally, given that 
harvest rates of CSNA have generally been well below this ACL, with 
little expectation they will increase significantly in the short term, 
and the fact that CSNA is only one component of much larger forage base 
that most predators in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE) along the 
U.S. west coast depend on, harvest at the level of the ACL would likely 
not have a discernable impact as a removal of a prey source. 
Furthermore, there is no direct evidence that the current fishing 
levels are having direct competition effects on species that feed on 
CSNA. The likely reason for this is that most studies have shown that 
predators of CPS in the CCE have more opportunistic diets rather than 
depending on one specific prey item. For example, many documented 
predators of sardines showed no signs of population stress or decline 
during periods of very low sardine abundance in the CCE from the 1950s 
through the 1980s when their diets reflected an absence of this prey 
resource.
    With regards to the comment that spatial fishing area closures may 
be necessary due to the potential for localized effects of prey 
limitations through localized depletion of CSNA by fishing, spatial 
closures such as those requested by some commenters are outside the 
scope of this action. The only part of this action that relates to CSNA 
is the ACL for the stock. However, NMFS appreciates some of the 
commenter's concerns regarding spatial effects. Although additional 
analysis is needed, recent research suggests that CSNA distribution, as 
well as other species, including other forage species,

[[Page 74312]]

may have shifted both spatially and temporally in recent years due to 
severe environmental changes in the ocean, such as the ``Warm Blob'' 
and early El Ni[ntilde]o effects. Although most predators of small 
pelagic species off the west coast are not dependent on the 
availability of a single species (as described above) but rather on a 
suite of species whose total and regional abundances may also shift 
each year, these recent shifts in distribution over time and space may 
be limiting prey availability to some predators during certain times of 
the year. NMFS has been working to better understand diet linkages 
between forage fish species and higher order predators to enhance the 
ecosystem science used in our fisheries management.
    Comment 2: Anchovy fishing within the waters of Monterey Bay, CA, 
is negatively impacting humpback whales and fishing should be 
restricted or prohibited in that area.
    Response: NMFS appreciates the many comments received by both the 
general public and business owners concerned about Humpback whales, as 
they are an important trust resource of NMFS. NMFS found many of the 
comments and the firsthand information provided in them valuable and 
will consider it in future management actions; however, changes to CPS 
management such as area closures are outside the scope of this action. 
However, NMFS will respond in part to these comments. Humpback whales 
are globally distributed and are highly migratory; spending spring, 
summer, and fall feeding in temperate or high-latitude areas of the 
North Atlantic, North Pacific and Southern Ocean and migrating to the 
tropics in winter to breed and calve. Humpback whales are believed to 
be largely opportunistic foragers (Fleming et al., 2015), who target a 
wide variety of prey species (Whitteveen, 2006). They are known to feed 
on several types of small schooling fish and krill, and their prey 
consumption is likely an indicator of dominant prey types in the 
ecosystem. Recent NMFS status reports show humpbacks are increasing in 
abundance throughout much of their range with some populations no 
longer warranting listing under the Endangered Species Act. Humpbacks 
off the central California coast are highly migratory, breeding in 
Costa Rica and Mexico and traveling to central California to forage. 
Coupling their diverse diet and migratory patterns, it is unlikely that 
the removal of a portion of one prey source in one localized geographic 
area would have a substantial negative impact on their population.
    Comment 3: One commenter stated that the default framework for 
setting an OFL for the northern subpopulation of northern anchovy was 
not used, and although not clear from the comment, that presumably had 
the default framework been used, a different value would have been 
calculated. Additionally, the comment stated that NMFS did not explain 
how scientific uncertainty was accounted for in the established OFL.
    Response: As it relates to the specific information used to 
determine the OFL for the northern subpopulation of northern anchovy, 
NMFS has determined the best available scientific information was used. 
This value was determined by the Council's SSC and was determined to 
represent the best available science and therefore recommended to NMFS 
by the Council. With regards to not using the default framework, as 
described in the preamble of the proposed rule, the default framework 
established through Amendment 13 set the OFLs for the central 
subpopulation of northern anchovy and jack mackerel equal to the 
existing MSY values in the FMP that were established through Amendment 
8 to the FMP. An MSY value was undetermined for the northern 
subpopulation of northern anchovy at that time; therefore, the default 
framework could not be used for the northern subpopulation of northern 
anchovy. In 2015, Amendment 14 to the CPS FMP established an 
FMSY of 0.3 as the MSY reference point for the northern 
subpopulation of northern anchovy. However, because the default 
framework in the FMP for setting OFLs and ABCs is based on applying a 
percentage to numerical MSY/OFLs, it was necessary to determine a 
numerical OFL value through the specifications process.
    In formulating its recommendation on an appropriate OFL estimate, 
the SSC reviewed all of the available information on the stock, which 
although limited, included information such as egg and larvae survey 
data, density and distribution data, stock productivity and 
vulnerability information and landings data, which was prepared and 
presented to them by the Council's CPSMT (Agenda Item I.2.c, CPSMT 
Report 1, November 2010 and references contained within). Furthermore, 
the SSC also noted that because the northern subpopulation of anchovy 
has been lightly fished, with inconsistent effort, that the time series 
of catch was an unreliable indicator of annual stock status for setting 
the OFL. In the preamble to the proposed rule, NMFS also explained how 
uncertainty is accounted for in estimating the OFL. The OFL of 39,000 
mt was reduced by 75 percent to 9,750 mt (i.e., the ABC) explicitly to 
account for uncertainty in the OFL.
    Comment 4: The comment stated that the control rules and management 
reference points for jack mackerel are ``fraught with doubt'' because 
the most recent stock assessment is outdated and that NMFS has not 
explained how scientific uncertainty is accounted for in the jack 
mackerel ACL. The commenter also recommends NMFS set the ACL for jack 
mackerel at 1,000 tons based on recent catch as it would better reflect 
the scientific guidance and best available science.
    Response: Although the existing control rules are not subject to 
this rulemaking, NMFS points out that as is the case for the central 
subpopulation of northern anchovy (and explained in response to comment 
one), the existing OFL and ABC control rules for jack mackerel and the 
resulting values are not based on a single stock assessment. NMFS 
recognizes that formal stock assessments have not been conducted in 
many years for either northern anchovy or jack mackerel. However, 
management of these stocks is not based on single point estimates of 
biomass; therefore, the fact that the most recent assessments are 
outdated is not relevant to the current quotas which are based on MSY 
principles. The OFL is based on the principle of MSY, which is a long-
term average and intended to reflect a fishing mortality rate that does 
not jeopardize the capacity of a stock or stock complex to produce MSY. 
This OFL is then reduced by 75 percent by the ABC control rule to 
account for scientific uncertainty in the OFL, which was explained in 
the preamble to the proposed rule, as well as in this final rule and 
was also explained in the environmental assessment and other documents 
that accompanied Amendment 13 to the CPS FMP, which established the ABC 
control rule. Similar to the other monitored finfish stocks, because 
jack mackerel is lightly fished, with inconsistent effort over time, 
the existing time series of catch is likely an unreliable indicator of 
stock status, making it an unreliable source of information for 
estimating abundance or setting catch levels.
    Comment 5: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) 
expressed support for the proposed action, but voiced concern over the 
potential increase in staff workload and monitoring costs that the 
proposed action may cause. Additionally, CDFW asked for clarification 
on whether establishing

[[Page 74313]]

ACLs for the two subpopulations of northern anchovy might require 
improved monitoring of the two stocks in the ocean area where the 
populations can overlap.
    Response: CDFW is an important co-manager in the management of CPS 
and NMFS appreciates its input. Based on current fishery operations and 
landings, NMFS does not expect that changes in monitoring practices 
will be necessary as a result of this action because the ACLs being 
implemented are the same as the ABC levels that have been in place in 
the FMP since 1999. However, NMFS recognizes that these fisheries are 
dynamic and aspects of the fishery, such as ports of landing, could 
change, requiring additional work from CDFW. If this were to occur, 
NMFS would work closely with CDFW to help ensure the burden was 
minimized and work to find efficiencies in current monitoring 
procedures to lessen any additional costs. With regards to how catch is 
currently tracked and reported for the two subpopulations of northern 
anchovy, similarly this action does not require a change in current 
practices for differentiating landings between these two subpopulations 
at this time. However, as the comment points out, we are seeing 
oceanographic changes that could re-distribute the current core 
harvesting and landings areas (Los Angeles, CA, Monterey CA, and off 
near the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington). If this 
were to occur, along with an increase in landings of both these 
subpopulations, status quo procedures would likely need to change in a 
manner described in the comment. If this need arises, NMFS will work 
closely with the CDFW to ensure this is done in an efficient manner.

Classification

    Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, the NMFS Assistant Administrator has 
determined that this final rule is consistent with the CPS FMP, other 
provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act, and other applicable law.
    These final specifications are exempt from review under Executive 
Order 12866.
    The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce 
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action would 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The factual basis for the certification was published in the 
proposed rule and is not repeated here. No comments were received 
regarding this certification. As a result, a regulatory flexibility 
analysis was not required and none was prepared.
    On December 29, 2015, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 
issued a final rule establishing a small business size standard of $11 
million in annual gross receipts for all businesses primarily engaged 
in the commercial fishing industry (NAICS 11411) for Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (RFA) compliance purposes only (80 FR 81194, December 
29, 2015). The $11 million standard became effective on July 1, 2016, 
and is to be used in place of the U.S. Small Business Administration's 
(SBA) current standards of $20.5 million, $5.5 million, and $7.5 
million for the finfish (NAICS 114111), shellfish (NAICS 114112), and 
other marine fishing (NAICS 114119) sectors of the U.S. commercial 
fishing industry in all NMFS rules subject to the RFA after July 1, 
2016. Id. at 81194.
    Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and prior to July 1, 
2016, a certification was developed for this regulatory action using 
SBA's size standards. NMFS has reviewed the analyses prepared for this 
regulatory action in light of the new size standard. All of the 
entities directly regulated by this regulatory action are marine 
commercial fishing businesses and were considered small under the SBA's 
size standards, and thus they all would continue to be considered small 
under the new standard. Thus, NMFS has determined that the new size 
standard does not affect analyses prepared for this regulatory action.
    This action does not contain a collection of information 
requirement for purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

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

    Dated: October 11, 2016.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-24989 Filed 10-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P