[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 220 (Friday, November 13, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 72580-72581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-25043]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 200227-0066; RTID 0648-XA632]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation 
of Atka Mackerel 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 reallocating the projected unused amount of the 2020 
Atka mackerel incidental catch allowance (ICA) for the Bering Sea 
subarea and Eastern Aleutian district (BS/EAI) to the Amendment 80 
cooperative allocation in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the 2020 
total allowable catch of Atka mackerel in the BS/EAI of the BSAI to be 
fully harvested.

DATES: Effective November 6, 2020, 2020 through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., 
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 Atka mackerel ICA for the BS/EAI is 800 metric tons (mt) 
and the 2020 Atka mackerel total allowable catch allocated to the 
Amendment 80 cooperative is 18,904 mt as established by the final 2020 
and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 
13553, March 9, 2020).
    The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that 200 mt 
of the Atka mackerel ICA for the BS/EAI will not be harvested. 
Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  679.91(f), NMFS reallocates 200 mt 
of Atka mackerel from the BS/EAI ICA to the Amendment 80 cooperative in 
the BSAI. In accordance with Sec.  679.91(f), NMFS will reissue 
cooperative quota permit for the reallocated Atka mackerel following 
the procedures set forth in Sec.  679.91(f)(3).
    The harvest specifications for Atka mackerel included in the 
harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 
9, 2020) are revised as follows: 600 mt of Atka mackerel for the BS/EAI 
ICA and 19,104 mt of Atka mackerel for the Amendment 80 cooperative 
allocation in the BS/EAI of the BSAI. Table 6 is revised and 
republished in its entirety as follows:

 Table 6--Final 2020 Seasonal and Spatial Allowances, Gear Shares, CDQ Reserve, Incidental Catch Allowance, and
                             Amendment 80 Allocations of the BSAI ATKA Mackerel TAC
                                          [Amounts are in metric tons]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         2020 Allocation by area
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
            Sector \1\                 Season 2 3 4      Eastern  aleutian
                                                          district/ bering  Central  aleutian  Western  aleutian
                                                                sea            district \5\         district
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TAC..............................  n/a.................             24,535             14,721             20,049
CDQ reserve......................  Total...............              2,625              1,575              2,145
                                   A...................              1,313                788              1,073
                                   Critical Habitat....                n/a                473                644
                                   B...................              1,313                788              1,073
                                   Critical Habitat....                n/a                473                644
Non-CDQ TAC......................  n/a.................             21,910             13,146             17,904
ICA..............................  Total...............                600                 75                 20
Jig \6\..........................  Total...............                106  .................  .................
BSAI trawl limited access........  Total...............              2,100              1,307  .................
                                   A...................              1,050                654  .................
                                   Critical Habitat....                n/a                392  .................
                                   B...................              1,050                654  .................
                                   Critical Habitat....                n/a                392  .................
Amendment 80 sector..............  Total...............             19,104             11,764             17,884
                                   A...................              9,552              5,882              8,942
                                   Critical Habitat....                n/a              3,529              5,365
                                   B...................              9,552              5,882              8,942

[[Page 72581]]

 
                                   Critical Habitat....                n/a              3,529              5,365
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\1\ Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii) allocates the Atka mackerel TACs, after subtracting the CDQ reserves, jig gear
  allocation, and ICAs, to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited access sectors. The allocation of the ITAC
  for Atka mackerel to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited access sectors is established in Table 33 to 50
  CFR part 679 and Sec.   679.91. The CDQ reserve is 10.7 percent of the TAC for use by CDQ participants (see
  Sec.  Sec.   679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) and 679.31).
\2\ Sections 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) and 679.22(a) establish temporal and spatial limitations for the Atka mackerel
  fishery.
\3\ The seasonal allowances of Atka mackerel are 50 percent in the A season and 50 percent in the B season.
\4\ Section 679.23(e)(3) authorizes directed fishing for Atka mackerel with trawl gear during the A season from
  January 20 to June 10 and the B season from June 10 to December 31.
\5\ Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(i) limits no more than 60 percent of the annual TACs in Areas 542 and 543 to
  be caught inside of Steller sea lion critical habitat; section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(ii) equally divides the
  annual TACs between the A and B seasons as defined at Sec.   679.23(e)(3); and section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(2)
  requires that the TAC in Area 543 shall be no more than 65 percent of ABC in Area 543.
\6\ Section 679.20(a)(8)(i) requires that up to 2 percent of the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea
  subarea TAC be allocated to jig gear after subtracting the CDQ reserve and the ICA. NMFS sets the amount of
  this allocation for 2020 at 0.5 percent. The jig gear allocation is not apportioned by season.
Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.

    This will enhance the socioeconomic well-being of harvesters 
dependent upon Atka mackerel in this area. The Regional Administrator 
considered the following factors in reaching this decision: (1) The 
current catch of Atka mackerel ICA in the BS/EAI, (2) the harvest 
capacity and stated intent on future harvesting patterns of the 
Amendment 80 cooperative that participates in this BS/EAI fishery.

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 harvest of Atka mackerel 
in the BE/EAI fishery. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing 
time for public comment because the most recent, relevant data only 
became available as of November 3, 2020.

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

    Dated: November 6, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-25043 Filed 11-6-20; 5:00 pm]
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