[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 125 (Friday, June 30, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 29778-29779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13681]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 665

[Docket No. 170330338-7585-02]
RIN 0648-XF335


Pacific Island Fisheries; 2017-18 Annual Catch Limit and 
Accountability Measures; Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish

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

ACTION: Final specifications.

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SUMMARY: NMFS specifies an annual catch limit (ACL) of 306,000 lb for 
Deep 7 bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) for the 2017-18 
fishing year, which will begin on September 1, 2017, and end on August 
31, 2018. If NMFS projects that the fishery will reach the ACL, NMFS 
would close the commercial and non-commercial fisheries for MHI Deep 7 
bottomfish for the remainder of the fishing year as an accountability 
measure (AM). The ACL and AM support the long-term sustainability of 
Hawaii bottomfish.

DATES: The final specifications are effective from July 31, 2017, 
through August 31, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Hawaiian 
Archipelago are available from the Western Pacific Fishery Management 
Council (Council), 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, 
tel. 808-522-8220, fax 808-522-8226, or www.wpcouncil.org. Copies of 
the environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact for 
this action, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2017-0033, are available from 
www.regulations.gov, or from Michael D. Tosatto, Regional 
Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd. Bldg. 
176, Honolulu, HI 96818.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Ellgen, NMFS PIR Sustainable 
Fisheries, 808-725-5173.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through this action, NMFS is specifying an 
ACL of 306,000 lb of Deep 7 bottomfish in the MHI for the 2017-18 
fishing year. The fishing year begins September 1, 2017, and ends on 
August 31, 2018. The Council recommended this ACL, based on the best 
available scientific, commercial, and other information, taking into 
account the associated risk of overfishing. The ACL of 306,000 lb for 
2017-18 is 12,000 lb less than the ACL that NMFS specified for 2016-17 
(82 FR 5429, January 18, 2017).
    The MHI Management Subarea is the portion of U.S. Exclusive 
Economic Zone around the Hawaiian Archipelago east of 161[deg]20' W. 
The Deep 7 bottomfish are onaga (Etelis coruscans), ehu (E. 
carbunculus), gindai (Pristipomoides zonatus), kalekale (P. sieboldii), 
opakapaka (P. filamentosus), lehi (Aphareus rutilans), and hapuupuu 
(Hyporthodus quernus).
    NMFS will monitor the fishery and, if we project that the fishery 
will reach the ACL before August 31, 2018, we would, as an AM 
authorized in 50 CFR 665.4(f), close the non-commercial and commercial 
fisheries for Deep 7 bottomfish in Federal waters through August 31, 
2018. During a fishery closure for Deep 7 bottomfish, no person may 
fish for, possess, or sell any of these fish in the MHI Management 
Subarea.

[[Page 29779]]

There is no prohibition on fishing for, possessing, or selling other 
(non-Deep 7) bottomfish during such a closure. All other management 
measures continue to apply in the MHI bottomfish fishery. If NMFS and 
the Council determine that the final 2017-18 Deep 7 bottomfish catch 
exceeds the ACL, NMFS would reduce the Deep 7 bottomfish ACL for 2018-
19 by the amount of the overage.
    You may review additional background information on this action in 
the preamble to the proposed specifications (82 FR 24092; May 25, 
2017); we do not repeat that information here.

Comments and Responses

    The comment period for the proposed specifications ended on June 9, 
2017. NMFS did not receive any comments.

Changes From the Proposed Specifications

    There are no changes in the final specifications from the proposed 
specifications.

Classification

    The Regional Administrator, NMFS PIR, determined that this action 
is necessary for the conservation and management of MHI Deep 7 
bottomfish, and that it is consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act and 
other applicable laws.
    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 specification stage that this action 
would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities. NMFS published the factual basis for the certification 
in the proposed specifications, and does not repeat it here. NMFS did 
not receive comments regarding this certification. As a result, a final 
regulatory flexibility analysis is not required, and one was not 
prepared.
    This action is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: June 26, 2017.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-13681 Filed 6-29-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P