[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 19, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43710-43711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19914]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 635

RIN 0648-XF700


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna 
Fisheries

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

ACTION: Notification that the Northeast Distant Area (NED) quota is 
filled and Atlantic Tunas Longline Category Individual Bluefin Quota 
(IBQ) accounting rules now apply in the NED.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the 25-mt quota available for Atlantic 
bluefin tuna bycatch (including landings and dead discards) by the 
Longline category in the Northeast Distant gear restricted

[[Page 43711]]

area (NED) was filled on September 12, 2017. NMFS informs vessels 
fishing in the NED that they now must account for any bluefin tuna 
bycatch retained or discarded dead using Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) 
allocation available to the vessel.

DATES: This notification is valid from September 12, 2017 to December 
31, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Warren or Brad McHale, 978-281-
9260.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implemented under the authority 
of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA; 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.) and 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) governing the harvest of bluefin 
tuna by persons and vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction are found at 
50 CFR part 635. Section 635.27 subdivides the U.S. bluefin tuna quota 
recommended by the International Commission for the Conservation of 
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) among the various domestic fishing categories 
per the allocations established in the 2006 Consolidated Highly 
Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan (2006 Consolidated HMS FMP) 
(71 FR 58058, October 2, 2006), as amended by Amendment 7 to the 2006 
Consolidated HMS FMP (Amendment 7) (79 FR 71510, December 2, 2014).
    The total U.S. bluefin tuna annual quota from ICCAT includes, as in 
previous years, a 25-mt set-aside for bluefin tuna bycatch related to 
pelagic longline fisheries operating in the vicinity of the ICCAT 
management area boundary. See ICCAT Recommendation 14-05 and 80 FR 
52198 (August 28, 2015) (implementing the quota domestically). For 
management and monitoring purposes, NMFS implements this set-aside in 
the NED as quota available to Atlantic Tunas Longline category 
permitted vessels. Longline is not a permitted gear for directed 
fishing on bluefin tuna; any catch must be incidental to fishing for 
other species. Accounting for this bycatch includes all catch (landings 
and dead discards). The NED is defined as the Atlantic Ocean area 
bounded by straight lines connecting the following coordinates in the 
order stated: 35[deg]00' N. lat., 60[deg]00' W. long.; 55[deg]00' N. 
lat., 60[deg]00' W. long.; 55[deg]00' N. lat., 20[deg]00' W. long.; 
35[deg]00' N. lat., 20[deg]00' W. long.; 35[deg]00' N. lat., 60[deg]00' 
W. long.

The IBQ Program and the Northeast Distant Area (NED)

    Under Amendment 7, rules were implemented for Atlantic Tunas 
Longline category permitted vessels fishing in the NED. See 50 CFR 
635.15(b)(8). Any bluefin tuna bycatch by permitted vessels fishing 
with pelagic longline gear in the NED count toward the ICCAT-allocated 
separate NED quota (25 mt) until that quota has been filled. Prior to 
the NED quota being filled, the bluefin tuna accounting requirements of 
the IBQ Program do not apply to those vessels, under the provisions 
adopted in Amendment 7. Once the NED quota is filled, Atlantic Tunas 
Longline category permitted vessels may fish or continue to fish in the 
NED, but these vessels must then abide by the applicable requirements 
of the IBQ program, which requires individual vessel accounting for 
bluefin tuna bycatch using IBQ allocation available to the vessel 
(either through its own quota share or leasing allocation from another 
vessel). Bluefin tuna must be accounted for as described at Sec.  
635.15(b)(4) and (5).
    Based on Atlantic bluefin tuna dealer data and IBQ system data, as 
of September 12, 2017, 40,763 lb (18.5 mt) of bluefin tuna has been 
landed, and 254 lb (0.1 mt) of bluefin tuna has been discarded dead in 
the NED; an additional 21 bluefin tuna have been reported as retained 
through Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) bluefin tuna catch reports. 
These 21 retained bluefin tuna reported via VMS equate to approximately 
13,230 lb (6.0 mt) of catch (based on the average weight of recently 
landed bluefin from the NED), which brings the total estimated bluefin 
tuna catch from the NED to 54,247 lb (24.6 mt). Based on these data, 
NMFS has determined that the 25 mt set-aside has been filled as of 
September 12, 2017.
    Because the NED quota has been caught, vessels are notified that 
they must account for any bycatch of bluefin tuna (landings and/or dead 
discards) in the NED using IBQ allocation as specified in the 
regulations. Sec.  635.15(b)(8). NMFS has determined that the NED quota 
of 25 mt was attained as of September 12, 2017. Thus, the IBQ online 
system will start accounting for bluefin tuna bycatch from the NED 
utilizing IBQ as of that date.
    NMFS will continue to monitor bluefin tuna bycatch by vessels 
fishing with pelagic longline gear using VMS and dealer data, as well 
as monitor the accounting for such catch in the IBQ system, to ensure 
that vessels are accountable for their individual bluefin bycatch and 
that quotas are managed consistent with the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP 
and U.S. international quota obligations. For fishery updates, 
fishermen may call the Atlantic Tunas Information Line at (888) 872-
8862 or (978) 281-9260, access the following internet address: 
www.hmspermits.noaa.gov.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801 et seq.

    Dated: September 14, 2017.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-19914 Filed 9-14-17; 4:15 pm]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P