[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 191 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 61875-61876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21751]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 200221-0062; RTID 0648-XA530]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Exchange of 
Flatfish 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; reallocation.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is exchanging allocations of Amendment 80 cooperative 
quota (CQ) for Amendment 80 acceptable biological catch (ABC) reserves. 
This action is necessary to allow the 2020 total allowable catch (TAC) 
of flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole in the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) to be harvested.

DATES: Effective September 28, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the 
BSAI according to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 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 flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole Amendment 80 
allocations of the TAC specified in the BSAI are 14,414 metric tons 
(mt), 36,060 mt, and 113,403 mt, respectively, as established by the 
final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI 
(85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020). The 2020 flathead sole, rock sole, and 
yellowfin sole Amendment 80 ABC reserves are 43,430 mt, 94,837 mt, and 
98,425 mt, respectively, as established by the final 2020 and 2021 
harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 
9, 2020).
    The Alaska Seafood Cooperative has requested that NMFS exchange 
1,530 mt of flathead sole Amendment 80 allocation of the TAC for 30 mt 
of rock sole and 1,500 mt of yellowfin sole Amendment 80 ABC reserves 
under Sec.  679.91(i). Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  679.91(i), 
NMFS exchanges 1,530 mt of flathead sole Amendment 80 allocation of the 
TAC for 30 mt of rock sole and 1,500 mt of yellowfin sole Amendment 80 
ABC reserves in the BSAI. This action also decreases and increases the 
TACs and Amendment 80 ABC reserves by the corresponding amounts. Tables 
11 and 13 of the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for 
groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020) and as revised (85 
FR 59204, September 21, 2020) are further revised as follows:

 Table 11--Final 2020 Community Development Quota (CDQ) Reserves, Incidental Catch Amounts (ICAS), and Amendment 80 Allocations of the Aleutian Islands
                                     Pacific Ocean Perch, and BSAI Flathead Sole, Rock Sole, and Yellowfin Sole Tacs
                                                              [Amounts are in metric tons]
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                                                                        Pacific ocean perch                Flathead sole     Rock sole    Yellowfin sole
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Sector                               Eastern         Central         Western
                                                             Aleutian        Aleutian        Aleutian          BSAI            BSAI            BSAI
                                                             District        District        District
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TAC.....................................................          10,613           8,094          10,000          17,845          47,005         152,500
CDQ.....................................................           1,136             866           1,070           1,962           4,915          16,425
ICA.....................................................             100              60              10           3,000           6,000           4,000

[[Page 61876]]

 
BSAI trawl limited access...............................             938             717             178  ..............  ..............          17,172
Amendment 80............................................           8,440           6,451           8,742          12,884          36,090         114,903
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Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.


 Table 13--Final 2020 and 2021 ABC Surplus, ABC Reserves, Community Development Quota (CDQ) ABC Reserves, and Amendment 80 ABC Reserves in the BSAI for
                                                      Flathead Sole, Rock Sole, and Yellowfin Sole
                                                              [Amounts are in metric tons]
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                                                          2020  Flathead    2020  Rock         2020           2021\1\      2021\1\  Rock      2021\1\
                         Sector                                sole            sole       Yellowfin sole   Flathead sole       sole       Yellowfin sole
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ABC.....................................................          68,134         153,300         260,918          71,079         230,700         261,497
TAC.....................................................          17,845          46,955         152,530          24,000          49,000         168,900
ABC surplus.............................................          50,289         106,345         108,388          47,079         181,700          92,597
ABC reserve.............................................          50,289         106,345         108,388          47,079         181,700          92,597
CDQ ABC reserve.........................................           5,329          11,538          11,493           5,037          19,442           9,908
Amendment 80 ABC reserve................................          44,960          94,807          96,895          42,042         162,258          82,689
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\1\ The 2021 allocations for Amendment 80 species between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not be known until
  eligible participants apply for participation in the program by November 1, 2020.

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 flatfish exchange by the 
Alaska Seafood Cooperative in the BSAI. NMFS was unable to publish a 
notice providing time for public comment because the most recent, 
relevant data only became available as of September 23, 2020.

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

    Dated: September 28, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-21751 Filed 9-28-20; 4:15 pm]
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