[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 159 (Monday, August 17, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 49976-49977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17929]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 200227-0066; RTID 0648-XA385]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Several 
Groundfish Species in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management 
Area

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; apportionment of reserves; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve to the 
initial total allowable catch (ITAC) of Aleutian Islands (AI) Greenland 
turbot, AI trawl sablefish, Bering Sea (BS) trawl

[[Page 49977]]

sablefish, Bering Sea and Eastern Aleutian Islands (BS/EAI) 
blackspotted/rougheye rockfish, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) 
Alaska plaice, BSAI Kamchatka flounder, BSAI octopuses, and BSAI 
``other flatfish''. This action is necessary to allow the fisheries to 
continue operating. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives 
of the fishery management plan for the BSAI management area.

DATES: Effective August 14, 2020, through 2400 hrs, Alaska local time, 
December 31, 2020. Comments must be received at the following address 
no later than 4:30 p.m., Alaska local time, August 31, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket number NOAA-NMFS-
2019-0074, by either of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NMFS-2019-0074 click the ``Comment 
Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your 
comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Glenn Merrill, Assistant 
Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region 
NMFS. Mail comments to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
    Instructions: NMFS may not consider comments if they are sent by 
any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after 
the comment period ends. All comments received are a part of the public 
record and NMFS will post the comments for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender is publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous).

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the 
BSAI exclusive economic zone according to the Fishery Management Plan 
for Groundfish of the BSAI Management Area (FMP) prepared by the North 
Pacific Fishery Management Council under authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Regulations governing 
fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP appear at subpart H 
of 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
    The 2020 ITAC of AI Greenland turbot was established as 149 metric 
tons (mt), the 2020 ITAC of AI trawl sablefish was established as 433 
mt, the 2020 ITAC of BS trawl sablefish was established as 791 mt, the 
2020 ITAC of BS/EAI blackspotted/rougheye rockfish was established as 
72 mt, the 2020 ITAC of BSAI Alaska plaice was established as 14,450 
mt, the 2020 ITAC of BSAI Kamchatka flounder was established as 5,780 
mt, the 2020 ITAC of BSAI octopuses was established as 234, and the 
2020 ITAC of BSAI ``other flatfish'' was established as 3,400 mt by the 
final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish of the BSAI 
(85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020). In accordance with Sec.  679.20(a)(3) the 
Regional Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has reviewed the most 
current available data and finds that the ITACs for AI Greenland 
turbot, AI trawl sablefish, BS trawl sablefish, BS/EAI blackspotted/
rougheye rockfish, BSAI Alaska plaice, BSAI Kamchatka flounder, BSAI 
octopuses, and BSAI ``other flatfish'' need to be supplemented from the 
non-specified reserve to promote efficiency in the utilization of 
fishery resources in the BSAI and allow fishing operations to continue.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  679.20(b)(3), NMFS apportions 
from the non-specified reserve of groundfish to ITACs in the BSAI 
management area as follows: 550 mt to AI Greenland turbot, 38 mt to AI 
trawl sablefish, 70 mt to BS trawl sablefish, 40 mt to BS/EAI 
blackspotted/rougheye rockfish, 3,000 mt to BSAI Alaska plaice, 800 mt 
to BSAI Kamchatka flounder, 450 mt to BSAI octopuses, and 200 mt to 
BSAI ``other flatfish.'' These apportionments are consistent with Sec.  
679.20(b)(1)(i) and do not result in overfishing of any target species 
because the revised ITACs and total allowable catches (TACs) are equal 
to or less than the specifications of the acceptable biological catch 
in the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the 
BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020).
    The harvest specification for the 2020 ITACs and TACs included in 
the harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI are revised as 
follows: 699 mt for AI Greenland turbot, 471 mt for AI trawl sablefish, 
861 mt for BS trawl sablefish, 112 mt for BS/EAI blackspotted/rougheye 
rockfish, 17,450 mt for BSAI Alaska plaice, 6,580 mt for BSAI Kamchatka 
flounder, 684 mt for BSAI octopuses, and 3,600 mt for BSAI ``other 
flatfish.

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR part 679, which was 
issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under 
Executive Order 12866.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice 
and comment would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest, 
as it would prevent NMFS from responding to the most recent fisheries 
data in a timely fashion and would delay the apportionment of the non-
specified reserves of groundfish to the AI Greenland turbot, AI trawl 
sablefish, BS trawl sablefish, BS/EAI blackspotted/rougheye rockfish, 
BSAI Alaska plaice, BSAI Kamchatka flounder, BSAI octopuses, and BSAI 
``other flatfish''. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time 
for public comment because the most recent, relevant data only became 
available as of August 7, 2020.
    Under Sec.  679.20(b)(3)(iii), interested persons are invited to 
submit written comments on this action (see ADDRESSES) until August 31, 
2020.

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

    Dated: August 12, 2020.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-17929 Filed 8-14-20; 8:45 am]
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