[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 65 (Friday, April 3, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 18873-18875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06460]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No.: 200324-0086; RTID 0648-XX040]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery; Adjustment of Georges Bank and Southern New 
England/Mid-Atlantic Yellowtail Flounder Annual Catch Limits

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

ACTION: Temporary final rule; adjustment of annual catch limits.

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SUMMARY: This action transfers unused quota of Georges Bank and 
Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder from the Atlantic 
scallop fishery to the Northeast multispecies fishery for the remainder 
of the 2019 fishing year. This quota transfer is authorized when the 
scallop fishery is not expected to catch its entire allocations of 
yellowtail flounder. The quota transfer is intended to provide 
additional fishing opportunities for groundfish vessels to help achieve 
the optimum yield for these stocks while ensuring sufficient amounts of 
yellowtail flounder remain available for the scallop fishery.

DATES: Effective April 2, 2020, through April 30, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Fenton, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9196.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is required to estimate the total 
amount of yellowtail flounder catch from the scallop fishery by January 
15 each year. If the scallop fishery is expected to catch less than 90 
percent of its Georges Bank (GB) or Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic 
(SNE/MA) yellowtail flounder sub-annual catch limit (ACL), the Regional 
Administrator has the authority to reduce the scallop fishery sub-ACL 
for these stocks to the amount projected to be caught, and increase the 
groundfish fishery sub-ACL by the same amount. This adjustment is 
intended to help achieve optimum yield for these stocks, while not 
threatening an overage of the ACLs for the stocks by the groundfish and 
scallop fisheries.
    Based on the most current available catch data, we project that the 
scallop fishery will have unused quota in the 2019 fishing year. Using 
the highest

[[Page 18874]]

expected catch, the scallop fishery is projected to catch approximately 
1.8 mt of GB yellowtail flounder, or 11 percent of its 2019 fishing 
year sub-ACL, and approximately 1.9 mt of SNE/MA yellowtail flounder, 
or 13 percent of its 2019 fishing year sub-ACL. The analysis of the 
highest expected catch is based on the proportion of estimated 
yellowtail flounder catch occurring in February and March compared to 
catch in the remainder of the scallop fishing year. The highest 
proportion observed (in this case fishing year 2016) over the past 6 
years is used to estimate the highest expected catch in fishing year 
2019.
    Because the scallop fishery is expected to catch less than 90 
percent of its allocation of GB and SNE/MA yellowtail flounder, this 
rule reduces the scallop sub-ACL for both stocks to the upper limit 
projected to be caught, and increases the groundfish sub-ACLs for these 
stocks by the same amount, effective April 2, 2020, through April 30, 
2020. Using the upper limit of expected yellowtail flounder catch by 
the scallop fishery minimizes the risk of constraining scallop fishing 
or an ACL overage by the scallop fishery while still providing 
additional fishing opportunities for groundfish vessels. To date, the 
groundfish fishery's utilization of both yellowtail flounder stocks is 
very low, so the risk of the fishing year 2019 ACL for either stock 
being exceeded is minimal.
    Table 1 summarizes the revisions to the 2019 fishing year sub-ACLs 
(84 FR 34799; July 19, 2019), and Table 2 shows the revised allocations 
for the groundfish fishery as allocated between the sectors and common 
pool based on final sector membership for fishing year 2019.

            Table 1--Georges Bank and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Yellowtail Flounder Sub-ACLs
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                                                   Initial sub-                    Revised sub-
             Stock                   Fishery         ACL (mt)      Change  (mt)      ACL (mt)     Percent change
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB Yellowtail Flounder........  Groundfish......            84.6           +15.2            99.8             +18
                                Scallop.........            17.0           -15.2             1.8             -89
SNE/MA Yellowtail Flounder....  Groundfish......            32.1           +13.1            45.2             +41
                                Scallop.........            15.0           -13.1             1.9             -87
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                              Table 2--Allocations for Sectors and the Common Pool
                                                   (In pounds)
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                                                      GB yellowtail flounder        SNE/MA yellowtail flounder
                   Sector Name                   ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Initial         Revised         Initial         Revised
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fixed Gear Sector...............................           1,580           1,864             511             720
Maine Coast Community Sector....................           3,319           3,915           1,060           1,493
Maine Permit Bank...............................              26              30              23              32
Mooncusser Sector...............................              12              15             125             176
Northeast Fishery Sector (NEFS) 2...............           3,560           4,199           1,334           1,879
NEFS 4..........................................           4,033           4,757           1,600           2,253
NEFS 5..........................................           2,381           2,809          14,184          19,973
NEFS 6..........................................           5,065           5,975           3,270           4,604
NEFS 7..........................................          44,932          53,001           5,591           7,873
NEFS 8..........................................          26,671          31,461           6,247           8,797
NEFS 10.........................................               2               3             388             546
NEFS 11.........................................               3               3              14              19
NEFS 12.........................................               1               1               7              10
NEFS 13.........................................          64,857          76,506          16,289          22,937
New Hampshire Permit Bank.......................               0               0               0               0
Sustainable Harvest Sector (SHS) 1..............           1,507           1,777              90             127
SHS 2...........................................           4,928           5,813           2,204           3,103
SHS 3...........................................          18,372          21,672           3,722           5,241
Common Pool.....................................           5,330           6,287          14,093          19,845
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Sector Total................................         181,248         213,800          56,658          79,782
    Groundfish Total............................         186,578         220,087          70,751          99,627
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                              Table 3--Allocations for Sectors and the Common Pool
                                               (In metric tons) #
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                                                      GB yellowtail flounder        SNE/MA yellowtail flounder
                   Sector name                   ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Initial         Revised         Initial         Revised
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Fixed Gear Sector...............................               1               1               0               0
Maine Coast Community Sector....................               2               2               0               1
Maine Permit Bank...............................               0               0               0               0
Mooncusser Sector...............................               0               0               0               0
NEFS 2..........................................               2               2               1               1
NEFS 4..........................................               2               2               1               1
NEFS 5..........................................               1               1               6               9
NEFS 6..........................................               2               3               1               2
NEFS 7..........................................              20              24               3               4

[[Page 18875]]

 
NEFS 8..........................................              12              14               3               4
NEFS 10.........................................               0               0               0               0
NEFS 11.........................................               0               0               0               0
NEFS 12.........................................               0               0               0               0
NEFS 13.........................................              29              35               7              10
New Hampshire Permit Bank.......................               0               0               0               0
Sustainable Harvest Sector 1....................               1               1               0               0
Sustainable Harvest Sector 2....................               2               3               1               1
Sustainable Harvest Sector 3....................               8              10               2               2
Common Pool.....................................               2               3               6               9
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Sector Total................................              82              97              26              36
    Groundfish Total............................              85             100              32              45
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# Numbers are rounded to the nearest metric ton, but allocations are made in pounds. In some cases, this table
  shows an allocation of 0 metric tons, but that sector may be allocated a small amount of that stock in pounds.

Classification

    The NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that the management 
measures implemented in this final rule are necessary for the 
conservation and management of the Northeast multispecies fishery and 
consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law.
    This action is authorized by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.
    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries finds good cause pursuant 
to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B) and 553(d)(3) to waive prior notice and 
opportunity for public comment and the 30-day delay in effectiveness 
period, respectively. This rule relieves groundfish fishermen from more 
restrictive ACLs for yellowtail stocks and is intended to help the 
fishery achieve optimum yield. The earlier this rule is in place, the 
more time the groundfish fishermen will benefit from the increased 
fishing opportunities this rule provides. Delaying the effective date 
would reduce or eliminate the expected benefit to the groundfish 
fishery and undermines the purpose of the rule to help the fishery 
achieve optimum yield.
    The authority to transfer available yellowtail catch from the 
scallop fishery to the groundfish fishery was designed to allow timely 
implementation before the end of the Northeast multispecies fishing 
year on April 30. Given that scallop fishery bycatch data only recently 
became available, providing additional time for prior public notice and 
comment or a 30-day cooling off period before transferring quota for 
these yellowtail flounder would likely prevent this rule from being in 
place before the end of the fishing year. Such a delay would eliminate 
any potential benefit to the groundfish fishermen from receiving the 
additional allocation that is intended to offset the current negative 
economic effects of severe decreases in ACLs of several important 
groundfish stocks.

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

    Dated: March 24, 2020.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-06460 Filed 4-2-20; 8:45 am]
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