[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 145 (Monday, July 29, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 60833-60834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16600]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 300

[Docket No. 240506-0128; RTID 0648-XE093]


Pacific Halibut Fisheries of the West Coast; Inseason Action for 
the 2024 Area 2A Pacific Halibut Directed Commercial Fishery

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces inseason action for the 2024 Pacific halibut 
non-

[[Page 60834]]

Tribal directed commercial fishery in the International Pacific Halibut 
Commission's (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A. This action adds a fishing 
period, August 6 through August 8, 2024, with a fishing period catch 
limit of 1,000 pounds (0.45 metric tons (mt)) per vessel, dressed 
weight. This action is intended to provide opportunity to achieve the 
2024 non-tribal directed commercial fishery allocation.

DATES: Effective date: August 6, 2024 through December 7, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Fitch, West Coast Region, 
NMFS, (360) 320-6549, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 10, 2024, NMFS published a final rule 
implementing fishing periods (i.e., season dates) and fishing period 
limits (i.e., catch limits), by vessel size class, for the IPHC Area 2A 
Pacific halibut non-tribal directed commercial fishery that operates 
south of Point Chehalis, WA (lat. 46[deg]53.30' N) (89 FR 40417). The 
Area 2A non-Tribal directed commercial fishery allocation is 249,338 
pounds (113 mt), net weight (i.e., the weight of Pacific halibut that 
is without gills and entrails, head-off, washed, and without ice and 
slime) (89 FR 19275, March 18, 2024).
    The initial fishing periods occurred on June 25-27 and July 9-11, 
2024, with fishing period limits ranging from 1,800 pounds to 4,500 
pounds (0.816 mt to 2.041 mt), varied by vessel size class. Landings 
information to date indicates that sufficient allocation remains to 
warrant an additional fishing period. Approximately 182,778 pounds 
(82.9 mt), net weight, have been harvested of the 249,338-pound (113 
mt) allocation (73 percent), leaving 66,560 pounds (30.2 mt) remaining 
(27 percent).
    NMFS is adopting an additional fishing period not previously 
implemented in the final rule on May 10, 2024 (89 FR 40417), in 
accordance with 50 CFR 300.63(e)(1)(iii). Fishing period limits 
implemented through inseason action are equal across vessel size 
classes and are based on the allocation estimated to be remaining and 
the projected participation and catch rates in this additional fishing 
period.
    NMFS has determined the following inseason action is necessary to 
meet the management objective of attaining the allocation, is not 
anticipated to risk exceeding the allocation, and is consistent with 
the inseason management provisions allowing for additional fishing 
periods.

Inseason Action

    This inseason action implements an additional fishing period, 
beginning August 6, 2024 at 8 a.m. and ending on August 8, 2024 at 6 
p.m. This inseason action also implements a fishing period catch limit 
of 1,000 pounds (0.45 mt) per vessel, dressed weight (head-on, with ice 
and slime), for all vessel size classes.
    Notice of this additional fishing period and fishing period limit 
will also be announced on the NMFS hotline at 206-526-6667 or 800-662-
9825.

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to the Northern Pacific Halibut 
Act of 1982. This action is taken under the regulatory authority at 50 
CFR 300.63(e)(1)(iii), 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. 
The California, Oregon, and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife 
provided estimated harvest data to NMFS inseason. As of July 18, 2024, 
the Area 2A non-Tribal directed commercial fishery had caught only an 
estimated 73 percent of the fishery allocation. NMFS uses current 
fishery harvest and participation estimates, and fishing period catches 
from prior years, to determine if additional fishing periods are 
necessary to reach the allocation, and to set fishing period limits for 
those additional fishing periods. Given that harvest in the first two 
fishing periods is estimated to be well below the allocation, a third 
fishing period is considered necessary to maximize commercial fishing 
opportunity to attain the allocation. This action should be implemented 
as soon as possible for fishery participants to plan for the additional 
fishing. This fishery has historically had 2 weeks between fishing 
periods, or as close to 2 weeks between them as is practicable. In 
2023, NMFS added a fishing period 3 weeks after the second fishing 
period and the Council recommended a similar timeline for 2024. The 
fishery may close no later than December 7, 2024 (89 FR 19275, March 
18, 2024). As such, implementing this action through proposed and final 
rulemaking would limit the benefit this action would provide to fishery 
participants. Without implementation of an additional fishing period, 
the fishery allocation is unlikely to be reached, limiting economic 
benefits to the participants and not meeting the goals of the Catch 
Sharing Plan. It is necessary that this action be implemented in a 
timely manner so that planning for the additional fishing period can 
take place, and for business decision making by the regulated public 
impacted by this action, which includes commercial fishing operations 
and associated port businesses, among others. To ensure the regulated 
public is fully aware of this action, notice of this regulatory action 
will also be provided to fishery participants through a telephone 
hotline, and via email news release. No aspect of this action is 
controversial, and changes of this nature were anticipated in the 
process described in regulations at 50 CFR 300.63(e)(1)(iii) and in the 
final rule (89 FR 40417, May 10, 2024).
    For the reasons discussed above, there is also good cause under 5 
U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to establish an effective date less than 30 days after 
date of publication, as a delay in effectiveness of this action would 
constrain fishing opportunity and be inconsistent with the goals of the 
Catch Sharing Plan, as well as potentially limit the economic 
opportunity intended by this rule to the associated fishing 
communities. This inseason action is not expected to result in 
exceeding the Area 2A Pacific halibut non-tribal directed commercial 
fishery allocation. NMFS regulations allow the Regional Administrator 
to add fishing periods and set fishing period limits inseason, provided 
that the action allows allocation objectives to be met and will not 
result in exceeding the catch limit for the fishery. NMFS recently 
received information on the progress of landings in the non-Tribal 
directed commercial fishery, indicating an additional fishing period 
with fishing period limits should be implemented in the fishery to 
ensure optimal and sustainable harvest of the allocation. As stated 
above, it is in the public interest that this action is not delayed, 
because a delay in the effectiveness of this additional fishing period 
would not allow the allocation objectives of the Area 2A Pacific 
halibut non-Tribal directed commercial fishery to be met.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773-773k.

    Dated: July 23, 2024.
Lindsay Fullenkamp,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-16600 Filed 7-25-24; 8:45 am]
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