[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17403-17405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06021]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 230306-0065; RTID 0648-XC857]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation 
of Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of the Aleut 
Corporation's and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) pollock 
directed fishing allowance (DFA) from the Aleutian Islands subarea to 
the Bering Sea subarea. This action is necessary to provide the 
opportunity for the harvest of the 2023 total allowable catch of 
pollock, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery 
Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
Management Area (BSAI).

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 23, 
2023, through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Abby Jahn, 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 Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area 
(FMP) prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(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.
    In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the portion of the 2023 pollock 
total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to the Aleut Corporation and CDQ 
DFA is 14,600 mt and 1,900 mt, respectively, as established by the 
final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI 
(88 FR 14926, March 10, 2023).
    As of March 17, 2023, the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator), has determined that 12,600 mt of the Aleut 
Corporation's DFA and 1,900 mt of pollock CDQ DFA in the Aleutian 
Islands subarea will not be harvested. Therefore, in accordance with 
Sec.  679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(4), NMFS reallocates 12,600 mt of the Aleut 
Corporation's DFA and 1,900 mt of pollock CDQ DFA from the Aleutian 
Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea allocations. The 1,900 mt of 
pollock CDQ DFA is added to the 2023 Bering Sea CDQ DFA. The 12,600 mt 
of pollock Aleut Corporation's DFA is apportioned to the American 
Fisheries Act (AFA) Inshore sector (50 percent), AFA catcher/processor 
sector (40 percent), and the AFA mothership sector (10 percent). The 
2023 Bering Sea subarea pollock incidental catch

[[Page 17404]]

allowance (ICA) remains at 50,000 mt. As a result, the 2023 harvest 
specifications for pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea included in 
the final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications for groundfish in the 
BSAI (88 FR 14926, March 10, 2023) are revised as follows: 0 mt to CDQ 
DFA and 2,000 mt to the Aleut Corporation's DFA. Furthermore, pursuant 
to Sec.  679.20(a)(5), Table 4 is revised to make 2023 pollock 
allocations consistent with this reallocation. This reallocation 
results in an adjustment to the 2023 CDQ pollock allocation established 
at Sec.  679.20(a)(5).

    Table 4--Final 2023 Allocations of Pollock TACs to the Directed Pollock Fisheries and to the CDQ Directed
                                          Fishing Allowances (DFA) \1\
                                          [Amounts are in metric tons]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      2023 A season \1\            2023 B season
                                                           --------------------------------------       \1\
                                                 2023                         Steller sea lion   ---------------
              Area and sector                 Allocations                     conservation area
                                                             A season DFA    (SCA) harvest limit   B season DFA
                                                                                     \2\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea subarea TAC \1\................       1,314,500             n/a                   n/a             n/a
CDQ DFA...................................         131,900          59,355                36,932          72,545
ICA \1\...................................          50,000             n/a                   n/a             n/a
Total Bering Sea non-CDQ DFA..............       1,132,600         509,670               317,128         622,930
AFA Inshore...............................         566,300         254,835               158,564         311,465
AFA Catcher/Processors: \3\...............         453,040         203,868               126,851         249,172
    Catch by catchers/processors (CPs)....         414,532         186,539                   n/a         227,992
    Catch by catcher vessels (CVs) \3\....          38,508          17,329                   n/a          21,180
    Unlisted CP Limit \4\.................           2,265           1,019                   n/a           1,246
AFA Motherships...........................         113,260          50,967                31,713          62,293
Excessive Harvesting Limit \5\............         198,205             n/a                   n/a             n/a
Excessive Processing Limit \6\............         339,780             n/a                   n/a             n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aleutian Islands subarea acceptable                 43,413             n/a                   n/a             n/a
 biological catch (ABC)...................
Aleutian Islands subarea TAC \1\..........          19,000             n/a                   n/a             n/a
CDQ DFA...................................  ..............  ..............                   n/a  ..............
ICA.......................................           2,500           1,250                   n/a           1,250
Aleut Corporation.........................           2,000           2,100                   n/a           (100)
Area harvest limit: \7\...................             n/a             n/a                   n/a             n/a
    541...................................          13,024             n/a                   n/a             n/a
    542...................................           6,512             n/a                   n/a             n/a
    543...................................           2,171             n/a                   n/a             n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bogoslof District ICA \8\.................             300             n/a                   n/a             n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.
\1\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the Bering Sea subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting the CDQ DFA (10
  percent) and the ICA (50,000 mt, 4.27 percent), is allocated as a DFA as follows: inshore sector--50 percent,
  CP sector--40 percent, and mothership sector--10 percent. In the Bering Sea subarea, 45 percent of the DFAs
  are allocated to the A season (January 20-June 10) and 55 percent of the DFAs are allocated to the B season
  (June 10-November 1). When the AI pollock ABC equals or exceeds 19,000 mt, the annual TAC is equal to 19,000
  mt (Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(1)). Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2), the Aleutian Islands subarea
  pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and second for the ICA (2,500 mt), is
  allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a pollock directed fishery. In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the A
  season is allocated no more than 40 percent of the Aleutian Islands pollock ABC.
\2\ In the Bering Sea subarea, pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(C), no more than 28 percent of each sector's
  annual DFA may be taken from the SCA before 12 p.m. (noon), April 1.
\3\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), 8.5 percent of the allocation to listed CPs shall be available for
  harvest only by eligible catcher vessels with a CP endorsement delivering to listed CPs, unless there is a CP
  sector cooperative for the year.
\4\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted catcher/processors are limited to harvesting
  not more than 0.5 percent of the catcher/processor sector's allocation of pollock.
\5\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6), NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5
  percent of the sum of the non-CDQ pollock DFAs.
\6\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30
  percent of the sum of the non-CDQ pollock DFAs.
\7\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(6), NMFS establishes harvest limits for pollock in the A season in
  Area 541 of no more than 30 percent, in Area 542 of no more than 15 percent, and in Area 543 of no more than 5
  percent of the Aleutian Islands pollock ABC.
\8\ Pursuant to Sec.   679.22(a)(7)(*)(B), the Bogoslof District is closed to directed fishing for pollock. The
  amounts specified are for incidental catch only and are not apportioned by season or sector.

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 reallocation of Aleutian 
Islands pollock. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time for 
public comment because the most recent, relevant data only became 
available as of March 14, 2023.

[[Page 17405]]

    The AA also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the 
effective date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). This finding is 
based upon the reasons provided above for waiver of prior notice and 
opportunity for public comment.

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

    Dated: March 20, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-06021 Filed 3-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P