[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 46 (Thursday, March 11, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13823-13824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05110]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 181203999-9503-02]
RTID 0648-XA848


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery; Possession and Trip Limit Increases for the 
Common Pool Fishery

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.

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SUMMARY: This action increases the possession and trip limits of 
Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock, Southern 
New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder, American plaice, and witch 
flounder for Northeast multispecies common pool vessels for the 
remainder of the 2020 fishing year. This action will provide the common 
pool fishery greater opportunity to harvest, but not exceed, the annual 
quotas for these stocks.

DATES: These possession and trip limit adjustments are effective March 
11, 2021, through April 30, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Spencer Talmage, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations at Sec.  648.86(o) authorize 
the Regional Administrator to adjust the possession and trip limits for 
common pool vessels in order to help avoid overharvest or underharvest 
of the common pool quotas.
    Based on the most recent catch information, the common pool fishery 
has caught low amounts of the following species relative to the annual 
quotas for each of these stocks (Table 1): Georges Bank (GB) cod; Gulf 
of Maine (GOM) cod; GOM haddock; Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic 
(SNE/MA) winter flounder; American plaice; and witch flounder. At the 
current rate of fishing, we project that the common pool fishery will 
not fully harvest the annual quotas for these stocks by the end of 
fishing year 2020. Providing vessels an opportunity to possess and land 
greater amounts of catch should provide greater incentive to fish and 
more opportunity to catch available quota. Based on our review of past 
fishing effort and performance under various possession and trip 
limits, we project that this action's increases in the possession and 
trip limits for these stocks should provide additional fishing 
opportunities and flexibility to catch available quota while ensuring 
that the common pool does not exceed its annual quotas.

                         Table 1--Summary of Common Pool Catch Through January 26, 2021
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                                                                  FY 2020 catch
                             Stock                                     (mt)        Sub-ACL (mt)   Percent caught
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GB cod.........................................................              2.7            31.4             8.5
GOM cod........................................................              2.3             8.7            25.8
GOM haddock....................................................             30.5           303.1              10
SNE/MA winter flounder.........................................              7.2            63.4            11.4
American plaice................................................              1.6            77.9             2.0
Witch flounder.................................................              1.2            35.4             3.3
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    Effective March 11, 2021 until April 30, 2021, NMFS increases the 
possession and trip limits summarized in Tables 2 and 3.

                         Table 2--Previous Fishing Year 2020 Possession and Trip Limits
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                                                                                                  Small vessel
             Stock                 A days-at-sea (DAS)       Handgear A         Handgear B          category
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GB cod.........................  250 lb (113.4 kg) per   250 lb (113.4 kg)  25 lb (11.3 kg)    250 lb (113.4 kg)
                                  DAS, up to 500 lb       per trip.          per trip.          per trip.
                                  (226.8 kg) per trip.
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GOM cod........................  50 lb (22.7 kg) per     50 lb (22.7 kg)    25 lb (11.3 kg)    50 lb (22.7 kg)
                                  DAS, up to 100 lb       per trip.          per trip.          per trip.
                                  (45.4 kg) per trip.
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[[Page 13824]]

 
GOM haddock....................  1,000 lb (453.6 kg)         1,000 lb (453.6 kg) per trip      300 lb (136.1 kg)
                                  per DAS, up to 2,000                                          per trip.
                                  lb (907.2 kg) per
                                  trip.
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SNE/MA winter flounder.........  2,000 lb (907.2 kg)                  2,000 lb (907.2 kg) per trip.
                                  per DAS, up to 4,000
                                  lb (1,814.4 kg) per
                                  trip.
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American plaice................  1,000 lb (453.6 kg)                  1,000 lb (453.6 kg) per trip.
                                  per DAS, up to 2,000
                                  lb (907.2 kg) per
                                  trip.
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Witch flounder.................                            750 lb (340.2 kg) per trip.
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                            Table 3--New Fishing Year 2020 Possession and Trip Limits
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                                                                                                  Small vessel
             Stock                 A days-at-sea (DAS)       Handgear A         Handgear B          category
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GB cod.........................  500 lb (226.8 kg) per   500 lb (226.8 kg)  25 lb (11.3 kg)    300 lb (136.1 kg)
                                  DAS, up to 1,000 lb     per trip.          per trip.          per trip.
                                  (453.6 kg) per trip.
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GOM cod........................  150 lb (68.0 kg) per    150 lb (68.0 kg)   25 lb (11.3 kg)    150 lb (68.0 kg)
                                  DAS, up to 300 lb       per trip.          per trip.          per trip.
                                  (136.1 kg) per trip.
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GOM haddock....................  3,000 lb (1360.8 kg)        3,000 lb (1360.8 kg) per trip     300 lb (136.1 kg)
                                  per DAS, up to 6,000                                          per trip.
                                  lb (2721.6 kg) per
                                  trip.
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SNE/MA winter flounder.........  3,000 lb (1360.8 kg)                 3,000 lb (1360.8 kg) per trip.
                                  per DAS, up to 6,000
                                  lb (2721.6 kg) per
                                  trip.
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American plaice................  3,000 lb (1360.8 kg)                 3,000 lb (1360.8 kg) per trip.
                                  per DAS, up to 6,000
                                  lb (2721.6 kg) per
                                  trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Witch flounder.................                           1,500 lb (680.4 kg) per trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Weekly quota monitoring reports for the common pool fishery can be 
found on our website at: http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ro/fso/MultiMonReports.htm. We will continue to monitor common pool 
catch through vessel trip reports, dealer-reported landings, Vessel 
Monitoring System catch reports, and other available information and, 
if necessary, we will make additional adjustments to common pool 
management measures.

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 648.86(o), which was 
issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under 
Executive Order 12866. The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, 
finds good cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) 
to waive prior notice and the opportunity for public comment and the 
30-day delayed effectiveness period because this action relieves 
possession and landing restrictions, and delayed implementation would 
be impracticable and contrary to the public interest.
    The regulations at Sec.  648.86(o) authorize the Regional 
Administrator to adjust the possession and trip limits for common pool 
vessels in order to help avoid overharvest or underharvest of the 
common pool quotas. Our analysis indicates that this action's increased 
possession and trip limit adjustments for these stocks should help the 
fishery achieve the optimum yields (OY) for each stock. Any delay in 
this action would limit the benefits to common pool vessels that the 
increased landing and possession limits are intended to provide.
    The time necessary to provide for prior notice and comment, and a 
30-day delay in effectiveness, would keep NMFS from implementing the 
necessary possession and trip limit before the end of the fishing year 
on April 30, 2021, which could prevent the fishery from achieving OY 
and cause negative economic impacts to the common pool fishery. This 
would undermine management objectives of the Northeast Multispecies 
Fishery Management Plan and cause unnecessary negative economic impacts 
to the common pool fishery. The public received prior notice and an 
opportunity to comment on the Regional Administrator's exercise of this 
authority. The fishing industry participants have experienced these 
adjustments and have become accustomed to this process. There is 
additional good cause to waive the delayed effective period because 
this action relieves restrictions on fishing vessels by increasing a 
trip limit.

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

    Dated: March 8, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-05110 Filed 3-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P