[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 20, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 64834-64835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20362]



[[Page 64834]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 230306-0065; RTID 0648-XD376]


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 unused flathead sole Community Development 
Quota (CDQ) for rock sole CDQ acceptable biological catch (ABC) 
reserves in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This 
action is necessary to allow the 2023 total allowable catch of rock 
sole in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area to be 
harvested.

DATES: Effective November 20, 2023 through December 31, 2023.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (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 (Magnuson-Stevens 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 2023 flathead and rock sole CDQ reserves specified in the BSAI 
are 3,799 metric tons (mt) and 7,062 mt as established by the final 
2023 and 2024 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (88 FR 
14926, March 10, 2023) and correction (88 FR 18258, March 28, 2023). 
The 2023 flathead sole and rock sole CDQ ABC reserves are 3,193 mt and 
5,962 mt as established by the final 2023 and 2024 harvest 
specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (88 FR 14926, March 10, 2023) 
and correction (88 FR 18258, March 28, 2023).
    The Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation has requested 
that NMFS exchange 400 mt of flathead sole CDQ reserves for 400 mt of 
rock sole CDQ ABC reserves under Sec.  679.31(d). Therefore, in 
accordance with Sec.  679.31(d), NMFS exchanges 400 mt of flathead sole 
CDQ reserves for 400 mt of rock sole CDQ ABC reserves in the BSAI. This 
action also decreases and increases the TACs and CDQ ABC reserves by 
the corresponding amounts. Tables 11 and 13 of the final 2023 and 2024 
harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (88 FR 14926, March 
10, 2023) and correction (88 FR 18258, March 28, 2023) are further 
revised as follows:

  Table 11-Final 2023 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]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        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.....................................................           8,152           5,648          12,000          35,100          66,400         230,000
CDQ.....................................................             872             604           1,284           3,399           7,462          24,610
ICA.....................................................             100              60              10           3,000           6,000           4,000
BSAI trawl limited access...............................             718             498             214  ..............  ..............          45,498
Amendment 80............................................           6,462           4,485          10,492          28,702          52,938         155,892
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Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.


 Table 13--Final 2023 and 2024 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]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          2023 Flathead                         2023 Yellowfin   2024 \1\ Flathead    2024 \1\ Rock         2024 \1\
                Sector                         sole          2023 Rock sole          sole               sole               sole          Yellowfin sole
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC...................................             65,344            121,719            378,499             66,927            119,969            462,890
TAC...................................             35,100             66,400            230,000             35,500             66,000            230,656
ABC surplus...........................             30,244             55,319            148,499             31,427             53,969            232,234
ABC reserve...........................             30,244             55,319            148,499             31,427             53,969            232,234
CDQ ABC reserve.......................              3,593              5,562             15,889              3,363              5,775             24,849
Amendment 80 ABC reserve..............             26,651             49,757            132,610             28,064             48,194            207,385
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\1\ The 2024 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, 2023.

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

[[Page 64835]]

and would delay the flatfish exchange by the Norton Sound Economic 
Development Corporation 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 8, 2023.
    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 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: September 15, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-20362 Filed 9-15-23; 4:15 pm]
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