[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 71 (Friday, April 12, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 14887-14890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-07276]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 180831813-9332-03]
RIN 0648-XG471


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of 
Alaska; Final 2019 and 2020 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish; 
Correction

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

ACTION:  Final rule; correction.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service is correcting a final 
rule that published on March 14, 2019, implementing the final 2019 and 
2020 harvest specifications and prohibited species catch allowances for 
the groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska. One table in the document 
contains errors associated with flathead sole. These corrections are 
necessary to provide the correction information about the amount of 
flathead sole available for commercial harvest in 2019, thus allowing 
commercial fishermen to maximize their economic opportunities in this 
fishery. This correction also is necessary to comport with the 
requirements of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf 
of Alaska.

DATES: Effective April 12, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Obren Davis, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Need for Correction

    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published the Gulf of 
Alaska (GOA) final 2019 and 2020 harvest specifications in the Federal 
Register on March 14, 2019 (84 FR 9416). The harvest specifications 
were effective March 14, 2019. A table (Table 1) providing information 
about the 2019 overfishing levels, acceptable biological catch (ABC), 
and total allowable catch (TAC) for groundfish of the GOA contains 
errors associated with the flathead sole ABC for the Central Regulatory 
Area of the GOA, as well as the flathead sole ABCs and TACs in the West 
Yakutat (WYK) and Southeast Outside (SEO) Districts of the Eastern 
Regulatory Area of the GOA. In Table 1 on page 9420 of the harvest 
specifications published in the Federal Register, NMFS inadvertently 
used incorrect values for the flathead sole

[[Page 14888]]

ABCs and TACs for these management areas. The correct 2019 flathead 
sole ABC for the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 21,109 metric 
tons (mt). The correct 2019 flathead sole ABCs for the WYK and SEO 
Districts of the Eastern Regulatory Area of the GOA are 2,016 mt and 
423 mt, respectively. The correct 2019 flathead sole TACs for the WYK 
and SEO Districts of the Eastern Regulatory Area of the GOA are 2,016 
mt and 423 mt, respectively. These corrections also require the 
corresponding grand total of the 2019 flathead sole ABCs and TACs to be 
revised to 36,782 mt and 26,489 mt, respectively.

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 unnecessary and contrary to the public 
interest. This correcting amendment makes changes to correct mis-
specified 2019 flathead sole ABCs and TACs in Table 1, as described 
above, and does not change operating practices in the fisheries. This 
correcting action is consistent with the harvest specifications 
recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in December 
2018, and ensures that the flathead sole TACs that the fishing industry 
expected to be available in 2019 are correct. If this correction is 
delayed to allow for notice and comment, it would result in confusion 
for participants in the fisheries, given that the final rule 
implementing the 2019 and 2020 harvest specifications already is 
effective. Therefore, in order to avoid any negative consequences that 
could result from this correction, the AA finds good cause to waive the 
requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity for public comment. 
The correct 2019 flathead sole TACs for the WYK and SEO Districts of 
the Eastern Regulatory Area of the GOA are slightly more than the 
incorrectly specified TACs for these two management areas. Without this 
correction, commercial fishermen may believe that there is less 
flathead sole available for harvest in 2019 then is actually available, 
to their economic detriment.
    For the reasons above, the AA also finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 
553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in effective date and make this 
rule effective immediately upon publication.

Correction

    In the final rule, published on March 14, 2019 (84 FR 9416), the 
following corrections are made to Table 1:
    On page 9420, in Table 1, columns 4 and 5 are corrected to 
incorporate the correct amounts for the 2019 flathead sole ABCs and 
TACs.
    Table 1 is corrected and reprinted in its entirety to read as 
follows:

 Table 1--Final 2019 OFLs, ABCs, and TACs of Groundfish for the Western/Central/West Yakutat, Western, Central,
 Eastern Regulatory Areas, the West Yakutat and Southeast Outside Districts of the Eastern Regulatory Area, and
                                    Gulfwide Districts of the Gulf of Alaska
                                 [Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Species                          Area \1\                 OFL             ABC             TAC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock \2\........................  Shumagin (610).............             n/a          24,875          24,875
                                     Chirikof (620).............             n/a          67,388          67,388
                                     Kodiak (630)...............             n/a          34,443          34,443
                                     WYK (640)..................             n/a           5,748           5,748
                                     W/C/WYK (subtotal) \2\.....         194,230         135,850         132,454
                                     SEO (650)..................          11,697           8,773           8,773
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................         205,927         144,623         141,227
Pacific cod \3\....................  W..........................             n/a           7,633           5,343
                                     C..........................             n/a           7,667           5,750
                                     E..........................             n/a           1,700           1,275
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................          23,669          17,000          12,368
Sablefish \4\......................  W..........................             n/a           1,581           1,581
                                     C..........................             n/a           5,178           5,178
                                     WYK........................             n/a           1,828           1,828
                                     SEO........................             n/a           2,984           2,984
                                     E (WYK and SEO) (subtotal).             n/a           4,812           4,812
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................          25,227          11,571          11,571
Shallow-water flatfish \5\.........  W..........................             n/a          25,620          13,250
                                     C..........................             n/a          25,731          25,731
                                     WYK........................             n/a           2,279           2,279
                                     SEO........................             n/a           1,957           1,957
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................          68,309          55,587          43,217
Deep-water flatfish \6\............  W..........................             n/a             416             416
                                     C..........................             n/a           3,443           3,443
                                     WYK........................             n/a           3,280           3,280
                                     SEO........................             n/a           2,362           2,362
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................          11,434           9,501           9,501
Rex sole...........................  W..........................             n/a           2,951           2,951
                                     C..........................             n/a           8,357           8,357
                                     WYK........................             n/a           1,657           1,657
                                     SEO........................             n/a           1,727           1,727
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................          17,889          14,692          14,692
Arrowtooth flounder................  W..........................             n/a          35,994          14,500

[[Page 14889]]

 
                                     C..........................             n/a          70,995          70,995
                                     WYK........................             n/a          15,911           6,900
                                     SEO........................  ..............          22,941           6,900
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................         174,598         145,841          99,295
Flathead sole......................  W..........................             n/a          13,234           8,650
                                     C..........................             n/a          21,109          15,400
                                     WYK........................             n/a           2,016           2,016
                                     SEO........................             n/a             423             423
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................          44,865          36,782          26,489
Pacific ocean perch \7\............  W..........................             n/a           3,227           3,227
                                     C..........................             n/a          19,646          19,646
                                     WYK........................             n/a           3,296           3,296
                                     W/C/WYK subtotal...........          31,113          26,169          26,169
                                     SEO........................           2,838           2,386           2,386
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................          33,951          28,555          28,555
Northern rockfish \8\..............  W..........................             n/a           1,190           1,190
                                     C..........................             n/a           3,338           3,338
                                     E..........................             n/a               1  ..............
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................           5,402           4,529           4,528
Shortraker rockfish \9\............  W..........................             n/a              44              44
                                     C..........................             n/a             305             305
                                     E..........................             n/a             514             514
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................           1,151             863             863
Dusky rockfish \10\................  W..........................             n/a             781             781
                                     C..........................             n/a           2,764           2,764
                                     WYK........................             n/a              95              95
                                     SEO........................             n/a              60              60
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................           4,521           3,700           3,700
Rougheye and Blackspotted rockfish   W..........................             n/a             174             174
 \11\.
                                     C..........................             n/a             550             550
                                     E..........................             n/a             704             704
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................           1,715           1,428           1,428
Demersal shelf rockfish \12\.......  SEO........................             411             261             261
Thornyhead rockfish................  W..........................             n/a             326             326
                                     C..........................             n/a             911             911
                                     E..........................             n/a             779             779
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................           2,688           2,016           2,016
Other rockfish 13 14...............  W and C....................             n/a           1,737           1,737
                                     WYK........................             n/a             368             368
                                     SEO........................             n/a           3,489           3,489
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................           7,356           5,594           5,594
Atka mackerel......................  GW.........................           6,200           4,700           3,000
Big skate \15\.....................  W..........................             n/a             504             504
                                     C..........................             n/a           1,774           1,774
                                     E..........................             n/a             570             570
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................           3,797           2,848           2,848
Longnose skate \16\................  W..........................             n/a             149             149
                                     C..........................             n/a           2,804           2,804
                                     E..........................             n/a             619             619
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
                                        Total...................           4,763           3,572           3,572
Other skates \17\..................  GW.........................           1,845           1,384           1,384
Sculpins...........................  GW.........................           6,958           5,301           5,301
Sharks.............................  GW.........................          10,913           8,184           8,184
Octopus............................  GW.........................           1,300             975             975
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total..........................  ...........................         664,889         509,507         430,569
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Regulatory areas and districts are defined at Sec.   679.2. (W = Western Gulf of Alaska; C = Central Gulf of
  Alaska; E = Eastern Gulf of Alaska; WYK = West Yakutat District; SEO = Southeast Outside District; GW = Gulf-
  wide).

[[Page 14890]]

 
\2\ The total for the W/C/WYK Regulatory Areas pollock ABC is 135,850 mt. After deducting 2.5 percent (3,396 mt)
  of that ABC for the State's pollock GHL fishery, the remaining pollock ABC of 132,454 mt (for the W/C/WYK
  Regulatory Areas) is apportioned among four statistical areas (Areas 610, 620, 630, and 640). These
  apportionments are considered subarea ACLs, rather than ABCs, for specification and reapportionment purposes.
  The ACLs in Areas 610, 620, and 630 are further divided by season, as detailed in Table 3 (final 2019 seasonal
  biomass distribution of pollock in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas, area apportionments, and seasonal
  allowances). In the West Yakutat (Area 640) and Southeast Outside (Area 650) Districts of the Eastern
  Regulatory Area, pollock is not divided into seasonal allowances.
\3\ The annual Pacific cod TAC is apportioned 60 percent to the A season and 40 percent to the B season in the
  Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA. Pacific cod TAC in the Eastern Regulatory Area of the GOA is
  allocated 90 percent to vessels harvesting Pacific cod for processing by the inshore component and 10 percent
  to vessels harvesting Pacific cod for processing by the offshore component. Table 5 lists the final 2019
  Pacific cod seasonal apportionments.
\4\ Sablefish is allocated to trawl and fixed gear in 2019 and trawl gear in 2020. Table 7 lists the final 2019
  allocations of sablefish TACs.
\5\ ``Shallow-water flatfish'' means flatfish not including ``deep-water flatfish,'' flathead sole, rex sole, or
  arrowtooth flounder.
\6\ ``Deep-water flatfish'' means Dover sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, and deepsea sole.
\7\ ``Pacific ocean perch'' means Sebastes alutus.
\8\ ``Northern rockfish'' means Sebastes polyspinis. For management purposes, the 1 mt apportionment of ABC to
  the WYK District of the Eastern Gulf of Alaska has been included in the ``other rockfish'' species group.
\9\ ``Shortraker rockfish'' means Sebastes borealis.
\10\ ``Dusky rockfish'' means Sebastes variabilis.
\11\ ``Rougheye and blackspotted rockfish'' means Sebastes aleutianus (rougheye) and Sebastes melanostictus
  (blackspotted).
\12\ ``Demersal shelf rockfish'' means Sebastes pinniger (canary), S. nebulosus (china), S. caurinus (copper),
  S. maliger (quillback), S. helvomaculatus (rosethorn), S. nigrocinctus (tiger), and S. ruberrimus (yelloweye).
\13\ ``Other rockfish'' means Sebastes aurora (aurora), S. melanostomus (blackgill), S. paucispinis (bocaccio),
  S. goodei (chilipepper), S. crameri (darkblotch), S. elongatus (greenstriped), S. variegatus (harlequin), S.
  wilsoni (pygmy), S. babcocki (redbanded), S. proriger (redstripe), S. zacentrus (sharpchin), S. jordani
  (shortbelly), S. brevispinis (silvergrey), S. diploproa (splitnose), S. saxicola (stripetail), S. miniatus
  (vermilion), S. reedi (yellowmouth), S. entomelas (widow), and S. flavidus (yellowtail). In the Eastern GOA
  only, other rockfish also includes northern rockfish, S. polyspinis.
\14\ ``Other rockfish'' in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas and in the West Yakutat District means other
  rockfish and demersal shelf rockfish. The ``other rockfish'' species group in the SEO District only includes
  other rockfish.
\15\ ``Big skate'' means Raja binoculata.
\16\ ``Longnose skate'' means Raja rhina.
\17\ ``Other skates'' means Bathyraja and Raja spp.


    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1540 (f), 1801 et 
seq.; 16 U.S.C. 3631 et seq.; Pub. L. 105-277; Pub. L. 106-31; Pub. 
L. 106-554; Pub. L. 108-199; Pub. L. 108-447; Pub. L. 109-241; Pub. 
L 109-479.

    Dated: April 8, 2019.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-07276 Filed 4-11-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P