[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 12 (Thursday, January 18, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2564-2565]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00789]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 161020985-7181-02]
RIN 0648-XF866


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Inseason 
Adjustment to the 2018 Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pollock, Atka 
Mackerel, and Pacific Cod Total Allowable Catch Amounts; Correction

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment; correction.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is correcting a temporary rule that published on December 
20, 2017, adjusting the 2018 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for 
the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) pollock, Atka mackerel, and 
Pacific cod fisheries. One table in the document contained an error.

DATES: Effective January 18, 2018, until the effective date of the 
final 2018 and 2019 harvest specifications for BSAI groundfish, unless 
otherwise modified or superseded through publication of a notification 
in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Whitney, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Need for Correction

    NMFS published an inseason adjustment of the 2018 TAC amounts for 
the BSAI pollock, Atka mackerel, and Pacific cod fisheries (82 FR 
60329, December 20, 2017). A table providing information about the 2018 
allocations of pollock TACs and community development quota (CDQ) 
directed fishing allowances (DFA) contained an incorrect amount in the 
column titled ``2018 allocations'' and the second row in the Bering Sea 
subarea titled ``CDQ DFA.'' This value was specified as 164,434 metric 
tons (mt), instead of the correct value of 136,434 mt.
    NMFS anticipates that this correction will not affect the fishing 
operations of the CDQ vessels that are subject to these DFAs. This is 
because of the seasonal allocations for the Bering Sea subarea CDQ DFAs 
are correctly specified.

Correction

    In FR Doc. 2017-27428, published on December 20, 2017 (82 FR 
60329), the following correction is made to Table 5:
    On page 60330, in Table 5, column 2 is corrected to incorporate the 
correct amount for the Bering Sea subarea CDQ pollock DFA.
    Table 5 is corrected and reprinted in its entirety to read as 
follows:

    Table 5--Final 2018 Allocations of Pollock TACS to the Directed Pollock Fisheries and to the CDQ Directed
                                          Fishing Allowances (DFA) \1\
                                          [Amounts are in metric tons]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         2018 A season \1\        2018 B  season
                                                       2018      --------------------------------       \1\
                 Area and sector                    Allocations                     SCA harvest  ---------------
                                                                   A season DFA      limit \2\     B season DFA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea subarea TAC \1\......................       1,364,341             n/a             n/a             n/a
CDQ DFA.........................................         136,434          61,395          38,202          75,039
ICA \1\.........................................          47,888             n/a             n/a             n/a
    Total Bering Sea non-CDQ....................       1,180,019         531,008         330,405         649,010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DFA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFA Inshore.....................................         590,009         265,504         165,203         324,505
AFA Catcher/Processors \3\......................         472,007         212,403         132,162         259,604
    Catch by C/Ps...............................         431,887         194,349             n/a         237,538
    Catch by CVs \3\............................          40,121          18,054             n/a          22,066
    Unlisted C/P Limit \4\......................           2,360           1,062             n/a           1,298
AFA Motherships.................................         118,002          53,101          33,041          64,901
Excessive Harvesting Limit \5\..................         206,503             n/a             n/a             n/a
Excessive Processing Limit \6\..................         354,006             n/a             n/a             n/a
Aleutian Islands subarea ABC....................          40,788             n/a             n/a             n/a
Aleutian Islands subarea TAC \1\................          19,000             n/a             n/a             n/a

[[Page 2565]]

 
CDQ DFA.........................................           1,900             760             n/a           1,140
ICA.............................................           2,400           1,200             n/a           1,200
Aleut Corporation...............................          14,700          14,355             n/a             345
Area harvest limit \7\..........................             n/a             n/a             n/a             n/a
    541.........................................          12,236             n/a             n/a             n/a
    542.........................................           6,118             n/a             n/a             n/a
    543.........................................           2,039             n/a             n/a             n/a
Bogoslof District ICA \8\.......................             450             n/a             n/a             n/a
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\1\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the Bering Sea subarea pollock, after subtracting the CDQ DFA (10
  percent) and the ICA (3.9 percent), is allocated as a DFA as follows: Inshore sector--50 percent, catcher/
  processor sector (C/P)--40 percent, and mothership sector--10 percent. In the Bering Sea subarea, 45 percent
  of the DFA is allocated to the A season (January 20-June 10) and 55 percent of the DFA is allocated to the B
  season (June 10-November 1). Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) through (iii), the annual Aleutian
  Islands pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second
  for the ICA (2,400 mt), is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a pollock directed fishery. In the Aleutian
  Islands subarea, the A season is allocated up to 40 percent of the ABC and the B season is allocated the
  remainder of the pollock directed fishery.
\2\ In the Bering Sea subarea, pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(C), no more than 28 percent of each sector's
  annual DFA may be taken from the SCA before noon, April 1.
\3\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), not less than 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed catcher/
  processors shall be available for harvest only by eligible catcher vessels delivering to listed catcher/
  processors.
\4\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted catcher/processors are limited to harvesting
  not more than 0.5 percent of the catcher/processors sector's allocation of pollock.
\5\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6), NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5
  percent of the sum of the non-CDQ pollock DFAs.
\6\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30.0
  percent of the sum of the non-CDQ pollock DFAs.
\7\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(6), NMFS establishes harvest limits for pollock in the A season in
  Area 541 of no more than 30 percent, in Area 542 of no more than 15 percent, and in Area 543 of no more than 5
  percent of the Aleutian Islands pollock ABC.
\8\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.22(a)(7)(i)(B), the Bogoslof District is closed to directed fishing for pollock. The
  amounts specified are for ICA only and are not apportioned by season or sector.
Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.

Classification

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good 
cause to waive the requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity 
for public comment pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(B) as such requirement is impracticable and contrary to the 
public interest. This correcting amendment makes changes to correct the 
amount of Bering Sea subarea CDQ pollock DFA in Table 5, as described 
above, and does not change operating practices in the fisheries. If 
this correction is delayed to allow for notice and comment, it would 
result in confusion for participants in the fisheries. Therefore, in 
order to avoid any negative consequences that could result from this 
error, the AA finds good cause to waive the requirement to provide 
prior notice and opportunity for public comment.
    The AA also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the 
effective date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). This correcting 
amendment makes only a minor change to correct the amount of Bering Sea 
subarea CDQ pollock DFA in Table 5, and does not change operating 
practices in the fisheries. This correction would also avoid any 
confusion for participants in the fisheries. For these reasons, the AA 
finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the effective date of 
this action.

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

    Dated: January 12, 2018.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-00789 Filed 1-17-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P