[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 61 (Thursday, March 30, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 19017-19018]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06609]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 230306-0065; RTID 0648-XC882]


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

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocations; correction.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is correcting a temporary rule that reallocated Aleut 
Corporation and Community Development Quota pollock from the Aleutian 
Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea in the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands management area. The amounts of pollock remaining in 
the Aleutian Islands subarea were incorrect.

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 30, 
2023, through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Abby Jahn, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Need for Correction

    NMFS published the reallocation of pollock on March 23, 2023 (88 FR 
17403). The document contains incorrect amounts of pollock remaining 
for the Aleutian Islands subarea total allowable catch (TAC) and the 
Aleut Corporation's A and B season directed fishing allowance. Aleutian 
Islands subarea TAC is corrected from 19,000 to 4,500. Aleut 
Corporation is corrected from 2,100 to 2,000 for column ``2023 A 
season'' and from (100) to n/a for column ``2023 B season''. NMFS is 
republishing the table in its entirety with the correct numbers. These 
corrections will not affect the fishing operations. These corrections 
are necessary to provide the correct information about the amount of 
the pollock remaining for the Aleutian Islands subarea TAC and the 
Aleut Corporation A and B season directed fishing allowance and 
eliminate potential confusion by fishery participants.

Correction

    In the Federal Register of March 23, 2023 (88 FR 17403), in FR Doc. 
2023-06021, on page 17404, Table 4 is corrected to read as follows:

[[Page 19018]]



    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\..........           4,500             n/a                   n/a             n/a
CDQ DFA...................................  ..............  ..............                   n/a  ..............
ICA.......................................           2,500           1,250                   n/a           1,250
Aleut Corporation.........................           2,000           2,000                   n/a             n/a
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)(i)(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

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good 
cause to waive the requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity 
for public comment pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(B) as such requirement is impracticable and contrary to the 
public interest. This action corrects an error that attributed the 
total amount of pollock remaining for the Aleutian Islands subarea TAC 
(4,500 metric tons (mt)) and the Aleut Corporation (2,000 mt). This 
correction does not change operating practices in the fisheries. 
Corrections should be made as soon as possible to avoid confusion for 
participants in the fisheries.
    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 27, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-06609 Filed 3-27-23; 4:15 pm]
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