Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11111 

* * * * * 

Dated: February 10, 2011. 

Thomas L. Strickland, 

Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and 

Parks. 

[FR Doc. 2011–4036 Filed 2–28–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–C 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 101126522–0640–02] 

RIN 0648–XZ89 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; Final 

2011 and 2012 Harvest Specifications 

for Groundfish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule; closures. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces final 2011 

and 2012 harvest specifications, 

apportionments, and Pacific halibut 

prohibited species catch limits for the 

groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska 

(GOA). This action is necessary to 

establish harvest limits for groundfish 

during the 2011 and 2012 fishing years 

and to accomplish the goals and 

objectives of the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the GOA. The 

intended effect of this action is to 

conserve and manage the groundfish 

resources in the GOA in accordance 

with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act. 

DATES: Effective at 1200 hrs, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), March 1, 2011, 

through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the 

Final Alaska Groundfish Harvest 

Specifications Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS), Record of Decision 

(ROD), Supplementary Information 

Report (SIR) to the EIS, and the Final 

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) 

prepared for this action are available 

from http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. 

The final 2010 Stock Assessment and 

Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report for the 

groundfish resources of the GOA, dated 

November 2010, is available from the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (Council) at 605 West 4th 

Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99510–2252, phone 907–271–2809, or 

from the Council’s Web site at http:// 

alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom 

Pearson, 907–481–1780, or Obren Davis, 

907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the GOA groundfish fisheries 

in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 

the GOA under the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of 

Alaska (FMP). The Council prepared the 

FMP under the authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 

et seq. Regulations governing U.S. 

fisheries and implementing the FMP 

appear at 50 CFR parts 600, 679, and 

680. 

The FMP and its implementing 

regulations require NMFS, after 

consultation with the Council, to 

specify the total allowable catch (TAC) 

for each target species, the sum of which 

must be within the optimum yield (OY) 

range of 116,000 to 800,000 metric tons 

(mt). Section 679.20(c)(1) further 

requires NMFS to publish and solicit 

public comment on proposed annual 

TACs, halibut prohibited species catch 

(PSC) amounts, and seasonal allowances 

of pollock and inshore/offshore Pacific 

cod. Upon consideration of public 

comment received under § 679.20(c)(1), 

NMFS must publish notice of final 

harvest specifications for up to two 

fishing years as annual target TAC, per 

§ 679.20(c)(3)(ii). The final harvest 

specifications set forth in Tables 1 

through 25 of this document reflect the 

outcome of this process, as required at 

§ 679.20(c). 

The proposed 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications for groundfish of the GOA 

and Pacific halibut PSC allowances 

were published in the Federal Register 

on December 8, 2010 (75 FR 76352). 

Comments were invited and accepted 

through January 7, 2011. NMFS did not 

receive any comments on the proposed 

harvest specifications. In December 

2010, NMFS consulted with the Council 

regarding the 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications. After considering public 

testimony, as well as biological and 

economic data that were available at the 

Council’s December 2010 meeting, 

NMFS is implementing the final 2011 

and 2012 harvest specifications, as 

recommended by the Council. For 2011, 

the sum of the TAC amounts is 318,288 

mt. For 2012, the sum of the TAC 

amounts is 335,078 mt. 

Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) and 

TAC Specifications 

In December 2010, the Council, its 

Advisory Panel (AP), and its Scientific 

and Statistical Committee (SSC), 

reviewed current biological and harvest 

information about the condition of 

groundfish stocks in the GOA. This 

information was compiled by the 

Council’s GOA Plan Team and was 

presented in the draft 2010 SAFE report 

for the GOA groundfish fisheries, dated 

November 2010 (see ADDRESSES). The 

SAFE report contains a review of the 

latest scientific analyses and estimates 

of each species’ biomass and other 

biological parameters, as well as 

summaries of the available information 

on the GOA ecosystem and the 

economic condition of the groundfish 

fisheries off Alaska. From these data and 

analyses, the Plan Team estimates an 

overfishing level (OFL) and ABC for 

each species or species group. The 2010 

SAFE report was made available for 

public review upon notification of the 

proposed harvest specifications. 

In previous years the largest changes 

from the proposed to the final harvest 

specifications have been based on the 

most recent NMFS stock surveys, which 

provide updated estimates of stock 

biomass and spatial distribution, and 

changes to the models used for making 

stock assessments. NMFS scientists 

presented updated and new survey 

results, changes to assessment models, 

and accompanying stock estimates at 

the November Plan Team meeting, and 

the SSC reviewed this information at the 

December 2010 Council meeting. In 

November 2010, the Plan Team 

considered updated stock assessments 

for pollock, Pacific cod, sablefish, 

sharks, squids, sculpins, and octopuses 

that are included in the final 2010 SAFE 

report. For the other groundfish stocks 

without recent surveys or other new 

scientific information, the final 2010 

SAFE report updates the final 2009 

SAFE assessments to include any other 

available, recent information, such as 

2010 catch information, which does not 

result in significant changes from the 

proposed 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications. Changes from the 

proposed to the final harvest 

specifications in 2011 for newly 

assessed groundfish stocks are 

discussed below. New stock surveys and 

assessments are scheduled for 2011 and 

will be considered at the Plan Team and 

Council meetings in 2011 for the 2012 

and 2013 groundfish fisheries. 

The final ABCs and TACs are based 

on the best available biological and 

socioeconomic information, including 

projected biomass trends, information 

on assumed distribution of stock 

biomass, and revised methods used to 

calculate stock biomass. The FMP 

specifies the formulas, or tiers, to be 

used to compute ABCs and OFLs. The 

formulas applicable to a particular stock 

or stock complex are determined by the 

level of reliable information available to 

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11112 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

fisheries scientists. This information is 

categorized into a successive series of 

six tiers to define OFL and ABC 

amounts, with tier one representing the 

highest level of information quality 

available and tier six representing the 

lowest level of information quality 

available. 

The SSC adopted the final 2011 and 

2012 OFLs and ABCs recommended by 

the Plan Team for all groundfish 

species, with the exception of sharks. 

The Plan Team’s ABC recommendation 

for the shark species group was based 

on a 0.04 fishing mortality rate. 

However, the SSC preferred an ABC 

based on the tier 5 ABC calculation for 

spiny dogfish (where the ABC equals 75 

percent of the OFL) and a tier 6 

calculation for other sharks in the 

group. The Council adopted the SSC’s 

OFL and ABC recommendations and the 

AP’s TAC recommendations. The final 

TAC recommendations were based on 

the ABCs as adjusted for other biological 

and socioeconomic considerations, 

including maintaining the sum of all 

TACs within the required OY range of 

116,000 to 800,000 mt. 

The Council recommended TACs for 

2011 and 2012 that are equal to ABCs 

for pollock, deep-water flatfish, rex sole, 

sablefish, Pacific ocean perch, 

shortraker rockfish, rougheye rockfish, 

northern rockfish, pelagic shelf rockfish, 

thornyhead rockfish, demersal shelf 

rockfish, big skate, longnose skate, other 

skates, squids, sharks, octopuses, and 

sculpins. The Council recommended 

TACs for 2011 and 2012 that are less 

than the ABCs for Pacific cod, flathead 

sole, shallow-water flatfish, arrowtooth 

flounder, other rockfish, and Atka 

mackerel. The Pacific cod TACs are set 

to accommodate the State of Alaska’s 

(State’s) guideline harvest levels (GHLs) 

for Pacific cod so that the ABC is not 

exceeded. The flathead sole, shallowwater flatfish, and arrowtooth flounder 

TACs are set to conserve the halibut 

PSC limit for use in other fisheries. The 

other rockfish TAC is set to reduce the 

amount of discards in the Southeast 

Outside (SEO) District. The Atka 

mackerel TAC is set to accommodate 

incidental catch amounts in other 

fisheries. 

The 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications approved by the Secretary 

of Commerce (Secretary) are unchanged 

from those recommended by the 

Council and are consistent with the 

preferred harvest strategy alternative in 

the EIS (see ADDRESSES). NMFS finds 

that the Council’s recommended OFLs, 

ABCs, and TACs are consistent with the 

biological condition of the groundfish 

stocks as described in the final 2010 

SAFE report. NMFS also finds that the 

Council’s recommendations for OFLs, 

ABCs, and TACs are consistent with the 

biological condition of groundfish 

stocks as adjusted for other biological 

and socioeconomic considerations, 

including maintaining the total TAC 

within the OY range. NMFS reviewed 

the Council’s recommended TAC 

specifications and apportionments and 

approves these harvest specifications 

under 50 CFR 679.20(c)(3)(ii). The 

apportionment of TAC amounts among 

gear types, processing sectors, and 

seasons is discussed below. 

Tables 1 and 2 list the final 2011 and 

2012 OFLs, ABCs, TACs, and area 

apportionments of groundfish in the 

GOA. The sums of the 2011 and 2012 

ABCs are 590,121 mt and 603,990 mt, 

respectively, which are higher in 2011 

and 2012 than the 2010 ABC sum of 

565,499 mt (75 FR 11749, March 12, 

2010). 

Specification and Apportionment of 

TAC Amounts 

The ABC for the pollock stock in the 

combined Western, Central, and West 

Yakutat Regulatory Areas (W/C/WYK) 

has been adjusted to reflect the GHL 

established by the State for the Prince 

William Sound (PWS) pollock fishery 

since its inception in 1995. Genetic 

studies have led fisheries scientists to 

believe that the pollock in PWS is not 

a separate stock from the combined W/ 

C/WYK population. Accordingly, the 

Council recommended decreasing the 

W/C/WYK pollock ABC to account for 

the State’s PWS GHL. For 2011 and 

2012, the PWS GHL for pollock is 1,650 

mt. 

The apportionment of annual pollock 

TAC among the Western and Central 

Regulatory Areas of the GOA reflects the 

seasonal biomass distribution and is 

discussed in greater detail below. The 

annual pollock TAC in the Western and 

Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA is 

apportioned among Statistical Areas 

610, 620, and 630, as well as equally 

among each of the following four 

seasons: the A season (January 20 

through March 10), the B season (March 

10 through May 31), the C season 

(August 25 through October 1), and the 

D season (October 1 through November 

1) (50 CFR 679.23(d)(2)(i) through (iv), 

and 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(A) through (B)). 

As in 2010, the SSC and Council 

recommended that the method of 

apportioning the sablefish ABC among 

management areas in 2011 and 2012 

include commercial fishery and survey 

data. NMFS stock assessment scientists 

believe the use of unbiased commercial 

fishery data reflecting catch-per-uniteffort provides rational input for stock 

distribution assessments. NMFS 

evaluates annually the use of 

commercial fishery data to ensure 

unbiased information is included in 

stock distribution models. The Council’s 

recommendation for sablefish area 

apportionments also takes into account 

the prohibition on the use of trawl gear 

in the SEO District of the Eastern 

Regulatory Area and makes available 

five percent of the combined Eastern 

Regulatory Area ABCs to trawl gear for 

use as incidental catch in other directed 

groundfish fisheries in the WYK District 

(§ 679.20(a)(4)(i)). 

The AP, SSC, and Council 

recommended apportionment of the 

ABC for Pacific cod in the GOA among 

regulatory areas based on the three most 

recent NMFS summer trawl surveys. 

The 2011 and 2012 Pacific cod TACs are 

affected by the State’s fishery for Pacific 

cod in State waters in the Central and 

Western Regulatory Areas, as well as in 

PWS. The Plan Team, SSC, AP, and 

Council recommended that the sum of 

all State and Federal water Pacific cod 

removals from the GOA not exceed ABC 

recommendations. Accordingly, the 

Council recommended reducing the 

2011 and 2012 Pacific cod TACs from 

the ABCs in the Eastern, Central and 

Western Regulatory Areas to account for 

State GHLs. Therefore, the 2011 Pacific 

cod TACs are less than the ABCs by the 

following amounts: (1) Eastern GOA, 

651 mt; (2) Central GOA, 13,454 mt; and 

(3) Western GOA, 7,595 mt. The 2012 

Pacific cod TACs are less than the ABCs 

by the following amounts: (1) Eastern 

GOA, 587 mt; (2) Central GOA, 12,121 

mt; and (3) Western GOA, 6,842 mt. 

These amounts reflect the sum of the 

State’s 2011 and 2012 GHLs in these 

areas, which are 25 percent of the 

Eastern, Central, and Western GOA 

ABCs, respectively. The percentage of 

the ABC used to calculate the 2011 and 

2012 GHL for the State-managed Pacific 

cod fishery in PWS fisheries has been 

increased to 25 percent of the Eastern 

GOA ABC in 2011 and 2012, an increase 

from 15 percent in 2010. 

NMFS establishes seasonal 

apportionments of the annual Pacific 

cod TAC in the Western and Central 

Regulatory Areas. Sixty percent of the 

annual TAC is apportioned to the A 

season for hook-and-line, pot, and jig 

gear from January 1 through June 10, 

and for trawl gear from January 20 

through June 10. Forty percent of the 

annual TAC is apportioned to the B 

season for hook-and-line, pot, and jig 

gear from September 1 through 

December 31, and for trawl gear from 

September 1 through November 1 

(§§ 679.23(d)(3) and 679.20(a)(12)). 

For 2011 and 2012, NMFS establishes 

an A season directed fishing allowance 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11113 

(DFA) for the Pacific cod fisheries in the 

GOA based on the management area 

TACs minus the recent, average A 

season incidental catch of Pacific cod in 

each management area before June 10 

(§ 679.20(d)(1)). The DFA and incidental 

catch before June 10 will be managed 

such that total harvest in the A season 

will be no more than 60 percent of the 

annual TAC. Incidental catch taken after 

June 10 will continue to accrue against 

the B season TAC. This action meets the 

intent of the Steller sea lion protection 

measures by achieving temporal 

dispersion of the Pacific cod removals 

and by reducing the likelihood of 

harvest exceeding 60 percent of the 

annual TAC in the A season. 

Other Actions Affecting the 2011 and 

2012 Harvest Specifications 

NMFS published a final rule to 

implement Amendment 87 to the FMP 

on October 6, 2010 (75 FR 61639), 

effective November 5, 2010. 

Amendment 87 moved squids, sharks, 

octopuses, and sculpins from the ‘‘other 

species’’ category to the ‘‘target species’’ 

category in the GOA and eliminated the 

‘‘other species’’ category in the GOA 

FMP. Amendment 87 revised the FMP 

to meet the National Standard 1 

guidelines for annual catch limits and 

accountability measures and requires 

that OFLs, ABCs, and TACs be 

established for squids, sharks, 

octopuses, and sculpins as part of the 

annual groundfish harvest specifications 

process. Based on the 2010 final SAFE 

report, NMFS is establishing ABCs, 

TACs, and OFLs for squids, sharks, 

octopuses, and sculpins for 2011 and 

2012 (see Tables 1 and 2). 

In October 2008, the Council adopted 

Amendment 34 to the Fishery 

Management Plan for Bering Sea/ 

Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs. 

Amendment 34 would amend the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab 

Rationalization Program (Crab 

Rationalization Program) to exempt 

additional fishery participants from 

harvest limits, called sideboards, which 

apply to some vessels and license 

limitation program (LLP) licenses that 

are used to participate in GOA Pacific 

cod and pollock fisheries. These 

particular sideboards are discussed 

under the subsequent section titled 

‘‘Non-AFA Crab Vessel Groundfish 

Harvest Limitations.’’ Tables 17 and 18 

specify the 2011 and 2012 sideboard 

amounts. If the Secretary approves 

Amendment 34, NMFS would revise the 

sideboard amounts specified in Tables 

17 and 18. Pending completion of 

applicable rulemaking, these revisions 

could be effective as soon as the latter 

half of 2011. 

Changes From the Proposed 2011 and 

2012 Harvest Specifications in the GOA 

In October 2010, the Council’s 

recommendations for the proposed 2011 

and 2012 harvest specifications (75 FR 

76352, December 8, 2010) were based 

largely upon information contained in 

the final 2009 SAFE report for the GOA 

groundfish fisheries, dated November 

2009 (see ADDRESSES). The Council 

proposed that the OFLs, ABCs, and 

TACs established for the 2011 

groundfish fisheries (75 FR 11749, 

March 12, 2010) be rolled over to 2011 

and 2012, pending completion and 

review of the 2010 SAFE report at its 

December 2010 meeting. 

As described previously, the SSC 

adopted the final 2011 and 2012 OFLs 

and ABCs recommended by the Plan 

Team, with the exception of sharks. The 

Council adopted the SSC’s OFL and 

ABC recommendations and the AP’s 

TAC recommendations for 2011 and 

2012. The final 2011 ABCs are higher 

than the 2011 ABCs published in the 

proposed 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications (75 FR 76352, December 

8, 2010) for sablefish, arrowtooth 

flounder, northern rockfish, other 

rockfish, pelagic shelf rockfish, 

demersal shelf rockfish, squids, sharks, 

octopuses, and sculpins. Separate ABCs 

for squid, sharks, octopuses, and 

sculpins are being established for the 

first time in 2011 and 2012. These four 

species were formerly grouped under 

the ‘‘other species’’ category, with an 

aggregate OFL, ABC, and TAC. The final 

2011 ABCs are lower than the proposed 

2011 ABCs for pollock, Pacific cod, 

deepwater flatfish, rex sole, flathead 

sole, and rougheye rockfish. The final 

2012 ABCs are higher than the proposed 

2012 ABCs for pollock, sablefish, 

deepwater flatfish, flathead sole, other 

rockfish, demersal shelf rockfish, 

squids, sharks, octopuses, and sculpins. 

In contrast, the final 2012 ABCs are 

lower than the proposed 2012 ABCs for 

Pacific cod, rex sole, arrowtooth 

flounder, Pacific ocean perch, northern 

rockfish, pelagic shelf rockfish, and 

rougheye rockfish. For the remaining 

target species, the Council 

recommended, and the Secretary 

approved, final 2011 and 2012 ABC 

levels that are the same as the proposed 

2011 and 2012 ABC levels. 

Additional information explaining the 

changes between the proposed and final 

ABCs is included in the final 2010 

SAFE report, which was not available 

when the Council made its proposed 

ABC and TAC recommendations in 

October 2010. At that time, the most 

recent stock assessment information was 

contained in the final 2009 SAFE report. 

The final 2010 SAFE report contains the 

best and most recent scientific 

information on the condition of the 

groundfish stocks, as previously 

discussed in this preamble. This 

document currently is available from 

the Council (see ADDRESSES). The 

Council considered the final 2010 SAFE 

report in December 2010 when it made 

recommendations for the final 2011 and 

2012 harvest specifications, including 

recommendations for 2011 and 2012 

TAC limits. The Council’s final 2011 

and 2012 TAC recommendations 

increase fishing opportunities for 

species for which the Council had 

sufficient information to raise TAC 

levels. Conversely, the Council reduced 

TAC levels to provide greater protection 

for some species. In the GOA, the total 

final 2011 TAC amount is 318,288 mt, 

a decrease of four percent from the total 

proposed 2011 TAC limit of 330,746 mt. 

The total final 2012 TAC amount is 

335,078 mt, an increase of one percent 

from the total proposed 2011 TAC limit 

of 330,746 mt. For the species and 

species groups for which a new 

assessment was prepared, the greatest 

TAC increases were for sablefish, 

sharks, octopuses, and sculpins, while 

the greatest decreases were for pollock 

and Pacific cod. These TAC changes 

corresponded to associated changes in 

the ABC levels, as recommended by the 

SSC. 

The largest 2011 decreases in TAC 

occurred for pollock and Pacific cod. 

Pollock decreased from the proposed 

limit 109,105 mt to the final limit of 

96,215 mt (12 percent decrease). While 

the 2010 SAFE report indicates an 

increase in spawning biomass, the 

current spawning biomass level places 

this stock in Tier 3b. Accordingly, ABC 

was calculated as required by the FMP 

for Tier 3b stocks, and TAC was set 

equal to ABC. Although the final TAC 

for pollock is reduced from the 

proposed level by 12 percent, this limit 

is still an increase over the final 2010 

pollock TAC. Pacific cod decreased 

from 73,426 mt to 65,100 mt (11 percent 

decrease) in light of a new assessment 

model that projects a slight decline of 

Pacific cod biomass in coming years 

(rather than a slight increase as 

projected in 2009) and a decrease in the 

biomass estimates for recent year (2006– 

2009) classes. 

The basis for the increased TACs for 

sablefish, sharks, octopuses, and 

sculpins varied. Sablefish increased 

from 9,300 mt to 11,290 mt (21 percent 

increase) due to an increased biomass 

estimate from the 2010 sablefish hookand-line survey. Sharks increased from 

957 mt to 6,197 mt (548 percent 

increase) due to the SSC’s modification 

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11114 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

of the Plan Team’s recommendations for 

calculating shark ABC. The SSC 

recommended estimating the spiny 

dogfish ABC on a tier 5 approach, using 

the best available estimates for biomass 

and natural mortality rates for this 

species. For all other shark species, the 

SSC recommended using tier 6, which 

is based on recent average catch 

information. In combination, these 

recommendations led to the increased 

ABC for the shark complex. Octopuses 

increased from 224 mt to 954 mt (326 

percent increase) due to the adoption of 

a biomass-based estimate placing 

octopuses in tier 5, rather than tier 6. 

Tier 6 management is based on the use 

of average historic catch data, which the 

Plan Team and SSC agreed was not an 

appropriate method to use for setting 

the OFL for octopuses. Instead, the 

octopus OFL was set using a modified 

tier 5 approach, using the average of the 

three most recent GOA trawl survey 

estimates of biomass as a minimum 

estimate, and applying a conservative 

natural mortality rate to that estimate to 

establish the OFL. Sculpins increased 

from 4,746 mt to 5,496 mt (16 percent 

increase) due to revised estimates of 

natural mortality. 

The SSC recommended, and the 

Council concurred, that sharks and 

octopuses be placed on bycatch status. 

This eliminates the possibility that these 

species could be subject to directed 

fishing, and minimizes the potential 

catch of the species in these categories. 

The SSC believed that the stock 

assessment models for these species 

groups should be improved before 

considering allowing any directed 

fishing to occur. As such, NMFS is 

placing sharks and octopuses on 

bycatch status for the entire year. 

Detailed information providing the 

basis for the changes described above is 

contained in the final 2010 SAFE report. 

The other TAC increases or decreases in 

the final 2011 harvest specifications are 

within 2 percent of the proposed 2011 

harvest specifications. The final TACs 

are based on the most recent scientific 

information available. These TACs are 

specified in compliance with the 

harvest strategy described in both the 

proposed and final rules for the 2011 

and 2012 harvest specifications. The 

changes in TAC limits between the 

proposed and this final rule are 

compared in the following table. 

COMPARISON OF PROPOSED AND FINAL 2011 AND 2012 GOA TACS

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Species 2011 final 

TAC 

2011 

proposed 

TAC 

2011 

difference 

from 

proposed 

2012 final 

TAC 

2012 

proposed 

TAC 

2012 

difference 

from 

proposed 

Pollock ...................................................................... 96,215 109,105 ¥12,890 121,649 109,105 12,544 

Pacific cod ................................................................ 65,100 73,426 ¥8,326 58,650 73,426 ¥14,776 

Sablefish .................................................................. 11,290 9,300 1,990 10,345 9,300 1,045 

Shallow-water flatfish ............................................... 20,062 20,062 0 20,062 20,062 0 

Deep-water flatfish ................................................... 6,305 6,325 ¥20 6,486 6,325 161 

Rex sole ................................................................... 9,565 9,592 ¥27 9,396 9,592 ¥196 

Arrowtooth flounder .................................................. 43,000 43,000 0 43,000 43,000 0 

Flathead sole ........................................................... 10,587 10,576 11 10,693 10,576 117 

Pacific ocean perch ................................................. 16,997 16,993 4 16,187 16,993 ¥806 

Northern rockfish ...................................................... 4,854 4,808 46 4,614 4,808 ¥194 

Shortraker rockfish ................................................... 914 914 0 914 914 0 

Other rockfish ........................................................... 1,195 1,192 3 1,914 1,192 2 

Pelagic shelf rockfish ............................................... 4,754 4,727 27 4,438 4,727 ¥289 

Rougheye rockfish ................................................... 1,312 1,313 ¥1 1,312 1,313 ¥1 

Demersal shelf rockfish ........................................... 300 295 5 300 295 5 

Thornyhead rockfish ................................................ 1,770 1,770 0 1,770 1,770 0 

Atka mackerel .......................................................... 2,000 2,000 0 2,000 2,000 0 

Big skate .................................................................. 3,328 3,328 0 3,328 3,328 0 

Longnose skates ...................................................... 2,852 2,852 0 2,852 2,852 0 

Other skates ............................................................. 2,093 2,093 0 2,093 2,093 0 

Squids ...................................................................... 1,148 1,148 0 1,148 1,148 0 

Sharks ...................................................................... 6,197 957 5,240 6,197 957 5,240 

Octopuses ................................................................ 954 224 224 954 224 730 

Sculpins .................................................................... 5,496 4,746 750 5,496 4,746 750 

Total .................................................................. 318,288 330,746 ¥12,458 335,078 330,746 4,332 

The final 2011 and 2012 TAC 

recommendations for the GOA are 

within the OY range established for the 

GOA and do not exceed the ABC for any 

single species or complex. Tables 1 and 

2 list the 2011 and 2012, respectively, 

final OFL, ABC, and TAC amounts for 

GOA groundfish. 

TABLE 1—FINAL 2011 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/ 

WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK), 

SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Species Area 1 OFL ABC TAC 

Pollock 2 ...................................................................... Shumagin (610) .......................................................... n/a 27,031 27,031 

Chirikof (620) .............................................................. n/a 37,365 37,365 

Kodiak (630) ............................................................... n/a 20,235 20,235 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11115 

TABLE 1—FINAL 2011 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/ 

WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK), 

SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA—Continued 

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Species Area 1 OFL ABC TAC 

WYK (640) .................................................................. n/a 2,339 2,339 

W/C/WYK (subtotal) ................................................... 118,030 86,970 86,970 

SEO (650) .................................................................. 12,326 9,245 9,245 

Total ............................................................................ 130,356 96,215 96,215 

Pacific cod 3 ................................................................ W ................................................................................ n/a 30,380 22,785 

C ................................................................................. n/a 53,816 40,362 

E ................................................................................. n/a 2,604 1,953 

Total ............................................................................ 102,600 86,800 65,100 

Sablefish 4 ................................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 1,620 1,620 

C ................................................................................. n/a 4,740 4,740 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 1,990 1,990 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 2,940 2,940 

E (WYK and SEO) (subtotal) ..................................... n/a 4,930 4,930 

Total ............................................................................ 13,340 11,290 11,290 

Shallow-water flatfish 6 ................................................ W ................................................................................ n/a 23,681 4,500 

C ................................................................................. n/a 29,999 13,000 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 1,228 1,228 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 1,334 1,334 

Total ............................................................................ 67,768 56,242 20,062 

Deep-water flatfish 5 .................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 529 529 

C ................................................................................. n/a 2,919 2,919 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 2,083 2,083 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 774 774 

Total ............................................................................ 7,823 6,305 6,305 

Rex sole ...................................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 1,517 1,517 

C ................................................................................. n/a 6,294 6,294 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 868 868 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 886 886 

Total ............................................................................ 12,499 9,565 9,565 

Arrowtooth flounder .................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 34,317 8,000 

C ................................................................................. n/a 144,559 30,000 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 22,551 2,500 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 11,723 2,500 

Total ............................................................................ 251,068 213,150 43,000 

Flathead sole .............................................................. W ................................................................................ n/a 17,442 2,000 

C ................................................................................. n/a 28,104 5,000 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 2,064 2,064 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 1,523 1,523 

Total ............................................................................ 61,412 49,133 10,587 

Pacific ocean perch 7 .................................................. W ................................................................................ 3,221 2,798 2,798 

C ................................................................................. 11,948 10,379 10,379 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 1,937 1,937 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 1,883 1,883 

E (WYK and SEO) (subtotal) ..................................... 4,397 3,820 3,820 

Total ............................................................................ 19,566 16,997 16,997 

Northern rockfish 8, 9 .................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 2,573 2,573 

C ................................................................................. n/a 2,281 2,281 

E ................................................................................. n/a 0 0 

Total ............................................................................ 5,784 4,854 4,854 

Shortraker rockfish 11 .................................................. W ................................................................................ n/a 134 134 

C ................................................................................. n/a 325 325 

E ................................................................................. n/a 455 455 

Total ............................................................................ 1,219 914 914 

Other rockfish 9, 12 ....................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 212 212 

C ................................................................................. n/a 507 507 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 276 276 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 2,757 200 

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11116 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 1—FINAL 2011 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/ 

WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK), 

SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA—Continued 

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Species Area 1 OFL ABC TAC 

Total ............................................................................ 4,881 3,752 1,195 

Pelagic shelf rockfish 13 .............................................. W ................................................................................ n/a 611 611 

C ................................................................................. n/a 3,052 3,052 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 407 407 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 684 684 

Total ............................................................................ 5,570 4,754 4,754 

Rougheye and Blackspotted rockfish 10 ..................... W ................................................................................ n/a 81 81 

C ................................................................................. n/a 868 868 

E ................................................................................. n/a 363 363 

Total ............................................................................ 1,579 1,312 1,312 

Demersal shelf rockfish 14 ........................................... SEO ............................................................................ 479 300 300 

Thornyhead rockfish ................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 425 425 

C ................................................................................. n/a 637 637 

E ................................................................................. n/a 708 708 

Total ............................................................................ 2,360 1,770 1,770 

Atka mackerel ............................................................. GW ............................................................................. 6,200 4,700 2,000 

Big skate 15 ................................................................. W ................................................................................ n/a 598 598 

C ................................................................................. n/a 2,049 2,049 

E ................................................................................. n/a 681 681 

Total ............................................................................ 4,438 3,328 3,328 

Longnose skate 16 ....................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 81 81 

C ................................................................................. n/a 2,009 2,009 

E ................................................................................. n/a 762 762 

Total ............................................................................ 3,803 2,852 2,852 

Other skates 17 ............................................................ GW ............................................................................. 2,791 2,093 2,093 

Squids ......................................................................... GW ............................................................................. 1,530 1,148 1,148 

Sharks ......................................................................... GW ............................................................................. 8,263 6,197 6,197 

Octopuses ................................................................... GW ............................................................................. 1,273 954 954 

Sculpins ...................................................................... GW ............................................................................. 7,328 5,496 5,496 

Total ..................................................................... ..................................................................................... 723,928 590,121 318,288 

1 Regulatory areas and districts are defined at § 679.2. (W=Western Gulf of Alaska; C=Central Gulf of Alaska; E=Eastern Gulf of Alaska; 

WYK=West Yakutat District; SEO=Southeast Outside District; GW=Gulf-wide). 2Pollock is apportioned in the Western/Central Regulatory Areas among three statistical areas. Table 5 lists the final 2011 seasonal apportionments. In the West Yakutat and Southeast Outside Districts of the Eastern Regulatory Area, pollock is not divided into seasonal allowances. 3The annual Pacific cod TAC is apportioned 60% to the A season and 40% to the B season in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of 

the GOA. Pacific cod is allocated 90% for processing by the inshore component and 10% for processing by the offshore component. Table 7 lists 

the final 2011 Pacific cod seasonal apportionments. 4Sablefish is allocated to trawl and hook-and-line gears for 2011. Table 3 lists the final 2011 sablefish TACs. 

5 ‘‘Deep-water flatfish’’ means Dover sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, and deepsea sole. 6 ‘‘Shallow-water flatfish’’ means flatfish not including ‘‘deep-water flatfish,’’ flathead sole, rex sole, or arrowtooth flounder. 7 ‘‘Pacific ocean perch’’ means Sebastes alutus. 8 ‘‘Northern rockfish’’ means Sebastes polyspinous. For management purposes the 3 mt apportionment of ABC to the WYK District of the Eastern Gulf of Alaska has been included in the slope rockfish species group. 9 ‘‘Slope rockfish’’ means Sebastes aurora (aurora), S. melanostomus (blackgill), S. paucispinis (bocaccio), S. goodei (chilipepper), S. crameri 

(darkblotch), S. elongatus (greenstriped), S. variegatus (harlequin), S. wilsoni (pygmy), S. babcocki (redbanded), S. proriger (redstripe), S. 

zacentrus (sharpchin), S. jordani (shortbelly), S. brevispinis (silvergrey), S. diploproa (splitnose), S. saxicola (stripetail), S. miniatus (vermilion), 

and S. reedi (yellowmouth). In the Eastern GOA only, slope rockfish also includes northern rockfish, S. polyspinous. 10 ‘‘Rougheye rockfish’’ means Sebastes aleutianus (rougheye) and Sebastes melanostictus (blackspotted). 11 ‘‘Shortraker rockfish’’ means Sebastes borealis. 12 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas and in the West Yakutat District means slope rockfish and demersal shelf 

rockfish. The ‘‘other rockfish’’ species group in the SEO District means slope rockfish. 13 ‘‘Pelagic shelf rockfish’’ means, S. variabilis (dusky), S. entomelas (widow), and S. flavidus (yellowtail). 14 ‘‘Demersal shelf rockfish’’ means Sebastes pinniger (canary), S. nebulosus (china), S. caurinus (copper), S. maliger (quillback), S. 

helvomaculatus (rosethorn), S. nigrocinctus (tiger), and S. ruberrimus (yelloweye). 15 ‘‘Big skate’’ means Raja binoculata. 16 ‘‘Longnose skate’’ means Raja rhina. 17 ‘‘Other skates’’ means Bathyraja spp. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11117 

TABLE 2—FINAL 2012 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/ 

WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK), 

SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Species Area 1 OFL ABC TAC 

Pollock 2 ...................................................................... Shumagin (610) .......................................................... n/a 34,932 34,932 

Chirikof (620) .............................................................. n/a 48,293 48,293 

Kodiak (630) ............................................................... n/a 26,155 26,155 

WYK (640) .................................................................. n/a 3,024 3,024 

W/C/WYK (subtotal) ................................................... 151,030 112,404 112,404 

SEO (650) .................................................................. 12,326 9,245 9,245 

Total ............................................................................ 163,356 121,649 121,649 

Pacific cod 3 ................................................................ W ................................................................................ n/a 27,370 20,528 

C ................................................................................. n/a 48,484 36,362 

E ................................................................................. n/a 2,346 1,760 

Total ............................................................................ 92,300 78,200 58,650 

Sablefish 4 ................................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 1,484 1,484 

C ................................................................................. n/a 4,343 4,343 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 1,818 1,818 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 2,700 2,700 

E (WYK and SEO) (subtotal) ..................................... n/a 4,518 4,518 

Total ............................................................................ 12,232 10,345 10,345 

Shallow-water flatfish 6 ................................................ W ................................................................................ n/a 23,681 4,500 

C ................................................................................. n/a 29,999 13,000 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 1,228 1,228 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 1,334 1,334 

Total ............................................................................ 67,768 56,242 20,062 

Deep-water flatfish 5 .................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 541 541 

C ................................................................................. n/a 3,004 3,004 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 2,144 2,144 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 797 797 

Total ............................................................................ 8,046 6,486 6,486 

Rex sole ...................................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 1,490 1,490 

C ................................................................................. n/a 6,184 6,184 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 853 853 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 889 889 

Total ............................................................................ 12,279 9,396 9,396 

Arrowtooth flounder .................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 33,975 8,000 

C ................................................................................. n/a 143,119 30,000 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 22,327 2,500 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 11,606 2,500 

Total ............................................................................ 248,576 211,027 43,000 

Flathead sole .............................................................. W ................................................................................ n/a 17,960 2,000 

C ................................................................................. n/a 28,938 5,000 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 2,125 2,125 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 1,568 1,568 

Total ............................................................................ 63,202 50,591 10,693 

Pacific ocean perch 7 .................................................. W ................................................................................ 3,068 2,665 2,665 

C ................................................................................. 11,379 9,884 9,884 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 1,845 1,845 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 1,793 1,793 

E (WYK and SEO) (subtotal) ..................................... 4,188 3,638 3,638 

Total ............................................................................ 18,635 16,187 16,187 

Northern rockfish 8, 9 .................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 2,446 2,446 

C ................................................................................. n/a 2,168 2,168 

E ................................................................................. n/a 0 0 

Total ............................................................................ 5,498 4,614 4,614 

Shortraker rockfish 11 .................................................. W ................................................................................ n/a 134 134 

C ................................................................................. n/a 325 325 

E ................................................................................. n/a 455 455 

Total ............................................................................ 1,219 914 914 

Other rockfish 9, 12 ....................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 212 212 

C ................................................................................. n/a 507 507 

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11118 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 2—FINAL 2012 ABCS, TACS, AND OFLS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE WESTERN/CENTRAL/WEST YAKUTAT (W/C/ 

WYK), WESTERN (W), CENTRAL (C), EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS, AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYK), 

SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA—Continued 

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Species Area 1 OFL ABC TAC 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 275 275 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 2,757 200 

Total ............................................................................ 4,881 3,751 1,194 

Pelagic shelf rockfish 13 .............................................. W ................................................................................ n/a 570 570 

C ................................................................................. n/a 2,850 2,850 

WYK ........................................................................... n/a 380 380 

SEO ............................................................................ n/a 638 638 

Total ............................................................................ 5,387 4,438 4,438 

Rougheye and Blackspotted rockfish 10 ..................... W ................................................................................ n/a 81 81 

C ................................................................................. n/a 868 868 

E ................................................................................. n/a 363 363 

Total ............................................................................ 1,579 1,312 1,312 

Demersal shelf rockfish 14 ........................................... SEO ............................................................................ 479 300 300 

Thornyhead rockfish ................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 425 425 

C ................................................................................. n/a 637 637 

E ................................................................................. n/a 708 708 

Total ............................................................................ 2,360 1,770 1,770 

Atka mackerel ............................................................. GW ............................................................................. 6,200 4,700 2,000 

Big skate 15 ................................................................. W ................................................................................ n/a 598 598 

C ................................................................................. n/a 2,049 2,049 

E ................................................................................. n/a 681 681 

Total ............................................................................ 4,438 3,328 3,328 

Longnose skate 16 ....................................................... W ................................................................................ n/a 81 81 

C ................................................................................. n/a 2,009 2,009 

E ................................................................................. n/a 762 762 

Total ............................................................................ 3,803 2,852 2,852 

Other skates 17 ............................................................ GW ............................................................................. 2,791 2,093 2,093 

Squids ......................................................................... GW ............................................................................. 1,530 1,148 1,148 

Sharks ......................................................................... GW ............................................................................. 8,263 6,197 6,197 

Octopuses ................................................................... GW ............................................................................. 1,272 954 954 

Sculpins ...................................................................... GW ............................................................................. 7,328 5,496 5,496 

Total ..................................................................... ..................................................................................... 743,421 603,990 335,078 

1 Regulatory areas and districts are defined at § 679.2. (W=Western Gulf of Alaska; C=Central Gulf of Alaska; E=Eastern Gulf of Alaska; 

WYK=West Yakutat District; SEO=Southeast Outside District; GW=Gulf-wide). 2Pollock is apportioned in the Western/Central Regulatory Areas among three statistical areas. Table 6 lists the final 2012 seasonal apportionments. In the West Yakutat and Southeast Outside Districts of the Eastern Regulatory Area, pollock is not divided into seasonal allowances. 3The annual Pacific cod TAC is apportioned 60% to the A season and 40% to the B season in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of 

the GOA. Pacific cod is allocated 90% for processing by the inshore component and 10% for processing by the offshore component. Table 8 lists 

the final 2012 Pacific cod seasonal apportionments. 4Sablefish is allocated to trawl gear only for 2012. Table 3 lists the final 2012 trawl allocation of sablefish TACs. 

5 ‘‘Deep-water flatfish’’ means Dover sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, and deepsea sole. 6 ‘‘Shallow-water flatfish’’ means flatfish not including ‘‘deep-water flatfish,’’ flathead sole, rex sole, or arrowtooth flounder. 7 ‘‘Pacific ocean perch’’ means Sebastes alutus. 8 ‘‘Northern rockfish’’ means Sebastes polyspinous. For management purposes the 2 mt apportionment of ABC to the WYK District of the Eastern Gulf of Alaska has been included in the slope rockfish species group. 9 ‘‘Slope rockfish’’ means Sebastes aurora (aurora), S. melanostomus (blackgill), S. paucispinis (bocaccio), S. goodei (chilipepper), S. crameri 

(darkblotch), S. elongatus (greenstriped), S. variegatus (harlequin), S. wilsoni (pygmy), S. babcocki (redbanded), S. proriger (redstripe), S. 

zacentrus (sharpchin), S. jordani (shortbelly), S. brevispinis (silvergrey), S. diploproa (splitnose), S. saxicola (stripetail), S. miniatus (vermilion), 

and S. reedi (yellowmouth). In the Eastern GOA only, slope rockfish also includes northern rockfish, S. polyspinous. 10 ‘‘Rougheye rockfish’’ means Sebastes aleutianus (rougheye) and Sebastes melanostictus (blackspotted). 11 ‘‘Shortraker rockfish’’ means Sebastes borealis. 12 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas and in the West Yakutat District means slope rockfish and demersal shelf 

rockfish. The ‘‘other rockfish’’ species group in the SEO District means slope rockfish. 13 ‘‘Pelagic shelf rockfish’’ means, S. variabilis (dusky), S. entomelas (widow), and S. flavidus (yellowtail). 14 ‘‘Demersal shelf rockfish’’ means Sebastes pinniger (canary), S. nebulosus (china), S. caurinus (copper), S. maliger (quillback), S. 

helvomaculatus (rosethorn), S. nigrocinctus (tiger), and S. ruberrimus (yelloweye). 15 ‘‘Big skate’’ means Raja binoculata. 16 ‘‘Longnose skate’’ means Raja rhina. 17 ‘‘Other skates’’ means Bathyraja spp. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11119 

Apportionment of Reserves 

Section 679.20(b)(2) requires NMFS to 

set aside 20 percent of each TAC for 

pollock, Pacific cod, flatfish, squids, 

sharks, octopuses, and sculpins in 

reserves for possible apportionment at a 

later date during the fishing year. In 

2010, NMFS reapportioned all the 

reserves in the final harvest 

specifications. For 2011 and 2012, 

NMFS proposed reapportionment of all 

the reserves in the proposed 2011 and 

2012 harvest specifications published in 

the Federal Register on December 8, 

2010 (75 FR 76352). NMFS did not 

receive any public comments on the 

proposed reapportionments. For the 

final 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications, NMFS reapportioned, as 

proposed, all the reserves for pollock, 

Pacific cod, flatfish, squids, sharks, 

octopuses, and sculpins. Specifications 

of TAC shown in Tables 1 and 2 reflect 

reapportionment of reserve amounts for 

these species and species groups. 

Allocations of the Sablefish TAC 

Amounts to Vessels Using Hook-andLine and Trawl Gear 

Section 679.20(a)(4)(i) and (ii) require 

allocations of sablefish TACs for each of 

the regulatory areas and districts to 

hook-and-line and trawl gear. In the 

Western and Central Regulatory Areas, 

80 percent of each TAC is allocated to 

hook-and-line gear, and 20 percent of 

each TAC is allocated to trawl gear. In 

the Eastern Regulatory Area, 95 percent 

of the TAC is allocated to hook-and-line 

gear, and five percent is allocated to 

trawl gear. The trawl gear allocation in 

the Eastern Regulatory Area may only be 

used to support incidental catch of 

sablefish in directed fisheries for other 

target species (§ 679.20(a)(4)(i)). In 

recognition of the trawl ban in the SEO 

District of the Eastern Regulatory Area, 

the Council recommended allocating 

five percent of the combined Eastern 

Regulatory Area sablefish TAC to trawl 

gear in the WYK District and making the 

remainder of the WYK sablefish TAC 

available to vessels using hook-and-line 

gear. NMFS concurs with the Council’s 

recommendation, and, as a result, 

allocates 100 percent of the sablefish 

TAC in the SEO District to vessels using 

hook-and-line gear. This 

recommendation results in an allocation 

of 247 mt to trawl gear and 1,744 mt to 

hook-and-line gear in the WYK District 

in 2011, an allocation of 2,940 mt to 

hook-and-line gear in the SEO District 

in 2011, and 226 mt to trawl gear in the 

WYK District in 2012. Table 3 lists the 

allocations of the 2011 sablefish TACs 

to hook-and-line and trawl gear. Table 4 

lists the allocations of the 2012 sablefish 

TACs to trawl gear. 

The Council recommended that the 

hook-and-line sablefish TAC be 

established annually to ensure that this 

Individual Fishery Quota (IFQ) fishery 

is conducted concurrent with the 

halibut IFQ fishery and is based on the 

most recent sablefish survey 

information. The Council also 

recommended that only a trawl 

sablefish TAC be established for two 

years so that retention of incidental 

catch of sablefish by trawl gear could 

commence in January in the second year 

of the groundfish harvest specifications. 

However, since there is an annual 

assessment for sablefish and the final 

harvest specifications are expected to be 

published before the IFQ season begins 

(typically, early March), the Council 

recommended that the hook-and-line 

sablefish TAC be set on an annual basis, 

rather than for two years, so that the 

best and most recent scientific 

information could be considered in 

establishing the sablefish ABCs and 

TACs. Since sablefish is on bycatch 

status for trawl gear during the entire 

fishing year, and given that fishing for 

groundfish is prohibited prior to January 

20, it is not likely that the trawl 

allocation of sablefish would be reached 

before the effective date of the final 

harvest specifications. 

TABLE 3—FINAL 2011 SABLEFISH TAC SPECIFICATIONS IN THE GOA AND ALLOCATIONS TO HOOK-AND-LINE AND TRAWL

GEAR

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Area/district TAC Hook-and-line 

allocation 

Trawl 

allocation 

Western ........................................................................................................................................ 1,620 1,296 324 

Central ......................................................................................................................................... 4,740 3,792 948 

West Yakutat 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1,990 1,744 247 

Southeast Outside ....................................................................................................................... 2,940 2,940 0 

Total ...................................................................................................................................... 11,290 9,772 1,519 

1The trawl allocation is based on allocating five percent of the combined Eastern Regulatory Area (West Yakutat and Southeast Outside combined) sablefish TAC to trawl gear in the West Yakutat District. 

TABLE 4—FINAL 2012 SABLEFISH TAC SPECIFICATIONS IN THE GOA AND ALLOCATION TO TRAWL GEAR 1

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Area/district TAC Hook-and-line 

allocation 

Trawl 

allocation 

Western ........................................................................................................................................ 1,484 n/a 297 

Central ......................................................................................................................................... 4,343 n/a 869 

West Yakutat 2 ............................................................................................................................. 1,818 n/a 226 

Southeast Outside ....................................................................................................................... 2,700 n/a 0 

Total ...................................................................................................................................... 10,345 n/a 1,391 

1The Council recommended that harvest specifications for the hook-and-line gear sablefish Individual Fishing Quota fisheries be limited to one 

year. 2The trawl allocation is based on allocating five percent of the combined Eastern Regulatory Area (West Yakutat and Southeast Outside combined) sablefish TAC to trawl gear in the West Yakutat District. 

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11120 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

Apportionments of Pollock TAC Among 

Seasons and Regulatory Areas, and 

Allocations for Processing by Inshore 

and Offshore Components 

In the GOA, pollock is apportioned by 

season and area, and is further allocated 

for processing by inshore and offshore 

components. Pursuant to 

§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B), the annual pollock 

TAC specified for the Western and 

Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA is 

apportioned into four equal seasonal 

allowances of 25 percent. As established 

by § 679.23(d)(2)(i) through (iv), the A, 

B, C, and D season allowances are 

available from January 20 to March 10, 

March 10 to May 31, August 25 to 

October 1, and October 1 to November 

1, respectively. 

Pollock TACs in the Western and 

Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA are 

apportioned among Statistical Areas 

610, 620, and 630, pursuant to 

§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(A). In the A and B 

seasons, the apportionments are in 

proportion to the distribution of pollock 

biomass based on the four most recent 

NMFS winter surveys. In the C and D 

seasons, the apportionments are in 

proportion to the distribution of pollock 

biomass based on the four most recent 

NMFS summer surveys. For 2011 and 

2012, the Council recommends, and 

NMFS approves, averaging the winter 

and summer distribution of pollock in 

the Central Regulatory Area for the A 

season. The average is intended to 

reflect the distribution of pollock and 

the performance of the fishery in the 

area during the A season for the 2011 

and 2012 fishing years. During the A 

season, the apportionment is based on 

an adjusted estimate of the relative 

distribution of pollock biomass of 

approximately 23 percent, 56 percent, 

and 21 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 

620, and 630, respectively. During the B 

season, the apportionment is based on 

the relative distribution of pollock 

biomass at 23 percent, 67 percent, and 

10 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, 

and 630, respectively. During the C and 

D seasons, the apportionment is based 

on the relative distribution of pollock 

biomass at 41 percent, 27 percent, and 

32 percent in Statistical Areas 610, 620, 

and 630, respectively. Within any 

fishing year, the amount by which a 

seasonal allowance is underharvested or 

overharvested may be added to, or 

subtracted from, subsequent seasonal 

allowances in a manner to be 

determined by the Regional 

Administrator (§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B)). 

The rollover amount is limited to 20 

percent of the unharvested seasonal 

apportionment for the statistical area. 

Any unharvested pollock above the 20 

percent limit could be further 

distributed to the other statistical areas, 

in proportion to the estimated biomass 

in the subsequent season in those 

statistical areas (§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B)). 

The pollock TACs in the WYK and SEO 

District of 2,339 mt and 9,245 mt, 

respectively, in 2011, and 3,024 mt and 

9,245 mt, respectively, in 2012, are not 

allocated by season. 

Section 679.20(a)(6)(i) requires the 

allocation of 100 percent of the pollock 

TAC in all regulatory areas and all 

seasonal allowances to vessels catching 

pollock for processing by the inshore 

component after subtraction of amounts 

projected by the Regional Administrator 

to be caught by, or delivered to, the 

offshore component incidental to 

directed fishing for other groundfish 

species. Thus, the amount of pollock 

available for harvest by vessels 

harvesting pollock for processing by the 

offshore component is that amount that 

will be taken as incidental catch during 

directed fishing for groundfish species 

other than pollock, up to the maximum 

retainable amounts allowed by 

§ 679.20(e) and (f). At this time, these 

incidental catch amounts of pollock are 

unknown and will be determined 

during the fishing year during the 

course of fishing activities by the 

offshore component. 

Tables 5 and 6 list the seasonal 

biomass distribution of pollock in the 

Western and Central Regulatory Areas, 

area apportionments, and seasonal 

allowances. The amounts of pollock for 

processing by the inshore and offshore 

components are not shown. 

TABLE 5—FINAL 2011 DISTRIBUTION OF POLLOCK IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN REGULATORY AREAS OF THE GOA; 

SEASONAL BIOMASS DISTRIBUTION, AREA APPORTIONMENTS; AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF ANNUAL TAC 

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Season 1 Shumagin Chirikof Kodiak Total 2

(Area 610) (Area 620) (Area 630) 

A (Jan 20–Mar 10) ....... 4,787 (22.62%) 11,896 (56.22%) 4,475 (21.15%) 21,159 

B (Mar 10–May 31) ...... 4,787 (22.62%) 14,232 (67.26%) 2,139 (10.11%) 21,158 

C (Aug 25–Oct 1) ......... 8,729 (41.25%) 5,618 (26.55%) 6,811 (32.19%) 21,158 

D (Oct 1–Nov 1) ........... 8,729 (41.25%) 5,618 (26.55%) 6,811 (32.19%) 21,158 

Annual Total 3 ....... 27,031 ........................ 37,365 ........................ 20,235 ........................ 84,631 

1As established by § 679.23(d)(2)(i) through (iv), the A, B, C, and D season allowances are available from January 20 to March 10, March 10 

to May 31, August 25 to October 1, and October 1 to November 1, respectively. The amounts of pollock for processing by the inshore and offshore components are not shown in this table. 2The WYK and SEO District pollock TACs are not allocated by season and are not included in the total pollock TACs shown in this table. 3Seasonal apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 6—FINAL 2012 DISTRIBUTION OF POLLOCK IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN REGULATORY AREAS OF THE GOA; 

SEASONAL BIOMASS DISTRIBUTION, AREA APPORTIONMENTS; AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF ANNUAL TAC 

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Season 1 Shumagin Chirikof Kodiak Total 2

(Area 610) (Area 620) (Area 630) 

A (Jan 20–Mar 10) ....... 6,186 (22.62%) 15,374 (56.22%) 5,783 (21.15%) 27,345 

B (Mar 10–May 31) ...... 6,185 (22.62%) 18,393 (67.26%) 2,765 (10.11%) 27,345 

C (Aug 25–Oct 1) ......... 11,280 (41.25%) 7,262 (26.55%) 8,803 (32.19%) 27,345 

D (Oct 1–Nov 1) ........... 11,280 (41.25%) 7,262 (26.55%) 8,803 (32.19%) 27,345 

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TABLE 6—FINAL 2012 DISTRIBUTION OF POLLOCK IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN REGULATORY AREAS OF THE GOA; 

SEASONAL BIOMASS DISTRIBUTION, AREA APPORTIONMENTS; AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF ANNUAL TAC—Continued 

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Annual Total 3 ....... 34,932 ........................ 48,293 ........................ 26,155 ........................ 109,380 

1As established by § 679.23(d)(2)(i) through (iv), the A, B, C, and D season allowances are available from January 20 to March 10, March 10 

to May 31, August 25 to October 1, and October 1 to November 1, respectively. The amounts of pollock for processing by the inshore and offshore components are not shown in this table. 2The WYK and SEO District pollock TACs are not allocated by season and are not included in the total pollock TACs shown in this table. 3Seasonal apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Seasonal Apportionments of Pacific 

Cod TAC and Allocations for 

Processing of Pacific Cod TAC Between 

Inshore and Offshore Components 

Pacific cod fishing is divided into two 

seasons in the Western and Central 

Regulatory Areas of the GOA. For hookand-line, pot, and jig gear, the A season 

is January 1 through June 10, and the B 

season is September 1 through 

December 31. For trawl gear, the A 

season is January 20 through June 10, 

and the B season is September 1 through 

November 1 (§ 679.23(d)(3)(i)). After 

subtraction of incidental catch from the 

A season, 60 percent of the annual TAC 

will be available as a DFA during the A 

season for the inshore and offshore 

components. The remaining 40 percent 

of the annual TAC will be available for 

harvest during the B season. Under 

§ 679.20(a)(12)(ii), any overage or 

underage of the Pacific cod allowance 

from the A season may be subtracted 

from or added to the subsequent B 

season allowance. 

Section 679.20(a)(6)(ii) requires 

allocation of the TAC apportionments of 

Pacific cod in all regulatory areas to 

vessels catching Pacific cod for 

processing by the inshore and offshore 

components. Ninety percent of the 

Pacific cod TAC in each regulatory area 

is allocated to vessels catching Pacific 

cod for processing by the inshore 

component. The remaining 10 percent 

of the TAC is allocated to vessels 

catching Pacific cod for processing by 

the offshore component. Tables 7 and 8 

list the seasonal apportionments and 

allocations of the final 2011 and 2012 

Pacific cod TACs, respectively. 

TABLE 7—FINAL 2011 SEASONAL APPORTIONMENTS AND ALLOCATION OF PACIFIC COD TAC AMOUNTS IN THE GOA; 

ALLOCATIONS FOR PROCESSING BY THE INSHORE AND OFFSHORE COMPONENTS

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Regulatory area Season TAC 

Component allocation 

Inshore 

(90%) 

Offshore 

(10%) 

Western ........................................................... Annual ............................................................ 22,785 20,507 2,279 

A season (60%) ............................................. 13,671 12,304 1,367 

B season (40%) ............................................. 9,114 8,203 911 

Central ............................................................. Annual ............................................................ 40,362 36,326 4,036 

A season (60%) ............................................. 24,217 21,795 2,422 

B season (40%) ............................................. 16,145 14,530 1,614 

Eastern ............................................................ Annual ............................................................ 1,953 1,758 195 

Total ............................................................... 65,100 58,590 6,510 

TABLE 8—FINAL 2012 SEASONAL APPORTIONMENTS AND ALLOCATION OF PACIFIC COD TAC AMOUNTS IN THE GOA; 

ALLOCATIONS FOR PROCESSING BY THE INSHORE AND OFFSHORE COMPONENTS

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Regulatory area Season TAC 

Component allocation 

Inshore 

(90%) 

Offshore 

(10%) 

Western ........................................................... Annual ............................................................ 20,528 18,475 2,053 

A season (60%) ............................................. 12,317 11,085 1,232 

B season (40%) ............................................. 8,211 7,390 821 

Central ............................................................. Annual ............................................................ 36,363 32,727 3,636 

A season (60%) ............................................. 21,818 19,636 2,182 

B season (40%) ............................................. 14,545 13,091 1,455 

Eastern ............................................................ Annual ............................................................ 1,759 1,583 176 

Total ............................................................... 58,650 52,785 5,865 

Demersal Shelf Rockfish (DSR) 

The recommended 2011 and 2012 

DSR TAC is 300 mt. Management of 

DSR is delegated to the State. In 2006, 

the Alaska Board of Fish allocated 

future SEO District DSR TACs between 

the commercial fishery (84 percent) and 

the sport fishery (16 percent) after 

deductions were made for anticipated 

subsistence harvests (8 mt). This results 

in 2011 and 2012 allocations of 245 mt 

to the commercial fishery and 47 mt to 

the sport fishery. The Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) 

deducts estimates of incidental catch of 

DSR in the commercial halibut fishery 

and test fishery mortality from the DSR 

commercial fishery allocation. In 2010, 

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this resulted in 100 mt being available 

for the directed commercial DSR fishery 

apportioned between four outer coast 

areas. Only one of these areas, the South 

Southeast Outside area was open to 

directed commercial fishery with a GHL 

of 30 mt and a harvest of 30 mt. DSR 

harvest in the halibut fishery is linked 

to the halibut quota; therefore the 

ADF&G cannot estimate potential DSR 

incidental catch in that fishery until 

those quotas are established. Federally 

permitted catcher vessels using hookand-line or jig gear fishing for 

groundfish and Pacific halibut in the 

SEO District of the GOA are required to 

retain all DSR (§ 679.20(j)). The ADF&G 

will announce the opening of directed 

fishing for DSR in 2011 in January 

following the International Pacific 

Halibut Commission’s (IPHC) January 

2011 annual meeting. 

Apportionments to the Central GOA 

Rockfish Pilot Program 

Section 679.81(a)(1) and (2) require 

the allocation of the primary rockfish 

species TACs in the Central Regulatory 

Area, after deducting incidental catch 

needs in other directed groundfish 

fisheries, to participants in the Rockfish 

Program. Five percent (2.5 percent to 

trawl gear and 2.5 percent to fixed gear) 

of the final TACs for Pacific ocean 

perch, northern rockfish, and pelagic 

shelf rockfish in the Central Regulatory 

Area are allocated to the entry level 

rockfish fishery; the remaining 95 

percent are allocated to those vessels 

eligible to participate in the Rockfish 

Program. The Rockfish Program will 

expire in December 2011, although the 

Council has proposed a new program to 

supersede the existing Rockfish Program 

by 2012. NMFS is developing a 

proposed rule to implement the 

Council’s revised program and 

anticipates that it will be published in 

the Federal Register for public review 

and comment early in 2011. 

In 2011, NMFS is setting aside 

incidental catch amounts (ICAs) of 500 

mt of Pacific ocean perch, 100 mt of 

northern rockfish, and 100 mt of pelagic 

shelf rockfish for other directed fisheries 

in the Central Regulatory Area. These 

amounts are based on recent average 

incidental catch in the Central 

Regulatory Area by these other 

groundfish fisheries. 

Section 679.83(a)(1)(i) requires that 

allocations to the trawl entry level 

fishery must be made first from the 

allocation of Pacific ocean perch 

available to the rockfish entry level 

fishery. If the amount of Pacific ocean 

perch available for allocation is less 

than the total allocation allowable for 

trawl catcher vessels in the rockfish 

entry level fishery, then northern 

rockfish and pelagic shelf rockfish must 

be allocated to trawl catcher vessels. 

Allocations of Pacific ocean perch, 

northern rockfish, and pelagic shelf 

rockfish to longline catcher vessels must 

be made after the allocations to trawl 

gear. 

Table 9 lists the final 2011 allocations 

of rockfish in the Central GOA to trawl 

and longline gear in the entry level 

rockfish fishery. Allocations of primary 

rockfish species TACs among 

participants in the Rockfish Program are 

not included in the final harvest 

specifications because applications for 

catcher/processor and catcher vessel 

cooperatives are due to NMFS on March 

1 of each calendar year, thereby 

preventing NMFS from calculating final 

2011 allocations. NMFS will post these 

allocations on the Alaska Region Web 

site (http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ 

sustainablefisheries/goarat/default.htm) 

when they become available 

TABLE 9—FINAL 2011 ALLOCATIONS OF ROCKFISH IN THE CENTRAL GULF OF ALASKA TO TRAWL AND LONGLINE GEAR 1

IN THE ENTRY-LEVEL ROCKFISH FISHERY

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Species TAC 

Incidental 

catch 

allowance 

TAC minus 

ICA 5% TAC 2.5% TAC Entry-level trawl allocation 

Entry-level 

longline 

allocation 

Pacific ocean perch ..... 10,379 500 9,879 494 247 375 119 

Northern rockfish .......... 2,281 100 2,181 109 55 0 109 

Pelagic shelf rockfish ... 3,052 100 2,952 148 74 0 148 

Total ...................... 15,712 700 15,012 751 375 375 375 

1 Longline gear includes jig and hook-and-line gear. 

Halibut PSC Limits 

Section 679.21(d) establishes the 

annual halibut PSC limit 

apportionments to trawl and hook-andline gear and permits the establishment 

of apportionments for pot gear. In 

December 2010, the Council 

recommended that NMFS maintain the 

2010 halibut PSC limits of 2,000 mt for 

the trawl fisheries and 300 mt for the 

hook-and-line fisheries for the 2011 and 

2012 groundfish fisheries. Ten mt of the 

hook-and-line limit is further allocated 

to the DSR fishery in the SEO District. 

The DSR fishery is defined at 

§ 679.21(d)(4)(iii)(A). This fishery has 

been apportioned 10 mt in recognition 

of its small-scale harvests. Most vessels 

in the DSR fishery are less than 60 ft 

(18.3 m) length overall and are exempt 

from observer coverage. Therefore, 

observer data are not available to verify 

actual bycatch amounts. NMFS 

estimates low halibut bycatch in the 

DSR fishery because: The duration of 

the DSR fisheries and the gear soak 

times are short; the DSR fishery occurs 

in the winter when less overlap occurs 

in the distribution of DSR and halibut; 

and, the directed commercial DSR 

fishery has a low DSR TAC. Of the 295 

mt TAC for DSR in 2010, 100 mt was 

available for the commercial fishery, of 

which 30 mt were harvested. 

The FMP authorizes the Council to 

exempt specific gear from the halibut 

PSC limits. NMFS, after consultation 

with the Council, exempts pot gear, jig 

gear, and the sablefish IFQ hook-andline gear fishery from the non-trawl 

halibut limit for 2011 and 2012. The 

Council recommended these 

exemptions because (1) the pot gear 

fisheries have low annual halibut 

bycatch mortality (averaging 19 mt 

annually from 2001 through 2010); 

(2) IFQ program regulations prohibit 

discard of halibut if any halibut IFQ 

permit holder on board a catcher vessel 

holds unused halibut IFQ 

(§ 679.7(f)(11)); sablefish IFQ fishermen 

typically hold halibut IFQ permits and 

are therefore required to retain the 

halibut they catch while fishing 

sablefish IFQ; and (3) NMFS estimates 

negligible halibut mortality for the jig 

gear fisheries. NMFS estimates that 

halibut mortality is negligible in the jig 

gear fisheries given the small amount of 

groundfish harvested by jig gear 

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(averaging 275 mt annually from 2001 

through 2010), the selective nature of jig 

gear, and the high survival rates of 

halibut caught (and subsequently 

released) with jig gear. 

Section 679.21(d)(5) authorizes NMFS 

to seasonally apportion the halibut PSC 

limits after consultation with the 

Council. The FMP and regulations 

require the Council and NMFS to 

consider the following information in 

seasonally apportioning halibut PSC 

limits: (1) Seasonal distribution of 

halibut, (2) seasonal distribution of 

target groundfish species relative to 

halibut distribution, (3) expected 

halibut bycatch needs on a seasonal 

basis relative to changes in halibut 

biomass and expected catch of target 

groundfish species, (4) expected bycatch 

rates on a seasonal basis, (5) expected 

changes in directed groundfish fishing 

seasons, (6) expected actual start of 

fishing effort, and (7) economic effects 

of establishing seasonal halibut 

allocations on segments of the target 

groundfish industry. The Council 

obtained the information it considered 

when setting the halibut PSC limits 

from the 2010 SAFE report, NMFS catch 

data, ADF&G catch data, IPHC stock 

assessment and mortality data, and 

public testimony. 

NMFS concurs in the Council’s 

recommendations listed in Table 10, 

which shows the final 2011 and 2012 

Pacific halibut PSC limits, allowances, 

and apportionments. Sections 

679.21(d)(5)(iii) and (iv) specify that any 

underages or overages of a seasonal 

apportionment of a PSC limit will be 

deducted from or added to the next 

respective seasonal apportionment 

within the fishing year. 

TABLE 10—FINAL 2011 AND 2012 PACIFIC HALIBUT PSC LIMITS, ALLOWANCES, AND APPORTIONMENTS

[Values are in metric tons] 

Trawl gear Hook-and-line gear 1

Season Percent Amount 

Other than DSR DSR 

Season Percent Amount Season Amount 

January 20–April 1 ............. 27 .5 550 January 1–June 10 ............ 86 250 January 1–December 31 .... 10 

April 1–July 1 ...................... 20 400 June 10–September 1 ........ 2 5 

July 1–September 1 ........... 30 600 September 1–December 31 12 35 

September 1–October 1 ..... 7 .5 150 

October 1–December 31 .... 15 300 

Total ............................ 2,000 290 10 

1The Pacific halibut PSC limit for hook-and-line gear is allocated to the DSR fishery and fisheries other than DSR. The hook-and-line sablefish 

fishery is exempt from halibut PSC limits. 

Section 679.21(d)(3)(ii) authorizes 

further apportionment of the trawl 

halibut PSC limit to trawl fishery 

categories. The annual apportionments 

are based on each category’s 

proportional share of the anticipated 

halibut bycatch mortality during the 

fishing year and optimization of the 

total amount of groundfish harvest 

under the halibut PSC limit. The fishery 

categories for the trawl halibut PSC 

limits are (1) a deep-water species 

category, comprised of sablefish, 

rockfish, deep-water flatfish, rex sole, 

and arrowtooth flounder; and (2) a 

shallow-water species category, 

comprised of pollock, Pacific cod, 

shallow-water flatfish, flathead sole, 

Atka mackerel, skates, and ‘‘other 

species’’ (§ 679.21(d)(3)(iii)). Table 11 

lists the final 2011 and 2012 

apportionments of Pacific halibut PSC 

trawl limits between the trawl gear 

deep-water and the shallow-water 

species complexes. 

TABLE 11—FINAL 2011 AND 2012 APPORTIONMENT OF PACIFIC HALIBUT PSC TRAWL LIMITS BETWEEN THE TRAWL GEAR

DEEP-WATER SPECIES COMPLEX AND THE SHALLOW-WATER SPECIES COMPLEX

[Values are in metric tons] 

Season Shallow-water Deep-water 1 Total 

January 20–April 1 .................................................................................................................. 450 100 ..................... 550 

April 1–July 1 .......................................................................................................................... 100 300 ..................... 400 

July 1–September 1 ................................................................................................................ 200 400 ..................... 600 

September 1–October 1 ......................................................................................................... 150 Any remainder .... 150 

Subtotal January 20–October 1 ....................................................................................... 900 800 ..................... 1,700 

October 1–December 31 2 ...................................................................................................... ........................ ............................ 300 

Total ................................................................................................................................. ........................ ............................ 2,000 

1Vessels participating in cooperatives in the Central GOA Rockfish Program will receive a portion of the third season (July 1–September 1) 

deep-water category halibut PSC apportionment. This amount is not currently known but will be posted later on the Alaska Region Web site 

(http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov) when it becomes available. 2There is no apportionment between shallow-water and deep-water trawl fishery categories during the fifth season (October 1–December 31). 

Estimated Halibut Bycatch in Prior 

Years 

The best available information on 

estimated halibut bycatch was data 

collected by observers during 2010. The 

calculated halibut bycatch mortality by 

trawl and hook-and-line gears in 2010 is 

1,637 mt and 232 mt, respectively, for 

a total halibut mortality of 1,869 mt. 

This mortality was calculated using 

groundfish and halibut catch data from 

the NMFS Alaska Region’s catch 

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accounting system. This system 

contains historical and recent catch 

information compiled from each Alaska 

groundfish fishery. 

Halibut bycatch restrictions 

seasonally constrained trawl gear 

fisheries during the 2010 fishing year. 

Table 12 displays the closure dates for 

fisheries that resulted from the 

attainment of seasonal or annual halibut 

PSC limits. NMFS does not know the 

amount of groundfish that trawl gear 

might have harvested if halibut PSC 

limits had not restricted some 2010 

GOA groundfish fisheries. The hookand-line fishery category was not 

constrained by halibut bycatch during 

2010. 

TABLE 12—2010 FISHERY CLOSURES DUE TO ATTAINMENT OF PACIFIC HALIBUT PSC LIMITS

Fishery category Opening date Closure date Federal Register citation 

Trawl Deep-water, season 1 ............................ January 20, 2010 ....... April 28, 2010 ............. 75 FR 23189, May 3, 2010. 

Trawl Shallow-water, season 4 ........................ September 1, 2010 .... September 3, 2010 .... 75 FR 54290, September 7, 2010. 

Trawl Shallow-water, season 4 ........................ September 11, 2010 .. October 1, 2010 ......... 75 FR 56017, September 15, 2010. 

Current Estimates of Halibut Biomass 

and Stock Condition 

The most recent halibut stock 

assessment was developed by the IPHC 

staff in December 2010 for the 2011 

commercial fishery; this assessment was 

considered by the IPHC at its annual 

January 2011 meeting. Since 2006, the 

IPHC stock assessment has been fitted to 

a coastwide data set (including the 

United States and Canada) to estimate 

total exploitable biomass. Coastwide 

exploitable biomass at the beginning of 

2011 is estimated to be 317 million 

pounds (143,790 mt), down from 334 

million pounds (151,500 mt) in 2010. 

The coastwide exploitable biomass was 

apportioned among regulatory areas in 

accordance with survey estimates of 

relative abundance and other 

considerations. 

The halibut resource is fully utilized. 

Recent catches in the commercial 

halibut fisheries in Alaska over the last 

17 years (1994–2010) have averaged 

32,336 mt round weight per year. In 

December 2010, IPHC staff 

recommended Alaska commercial catch 

limits totaling 19,662 mt round weight 

for 2011, a 21 percent decrease from 

25,008 mt in 2010. Through December 

31, 2010, commercial hook-and-line 

harvests of halibut off Alaska totaled 

24,095 mt round weight. 

The IPHC and its staff have expressed 

concerns that the IPHC’s Slow Up-Fast 

Down (SUFD) harvest policy 

adjustments—which applied a policy of 

a 33 percent increase from the previous 

year’s catch limit and a 50 percent 

decrease in recommended catch—have 

not achieved target harvest rate goals 

due to continued stock declines, 

decreases in halibut growth rate, and a 

recent history of high exploitation rates 

in some areas. The IPHC staff has 

recommended the SUFD policy be 

modified to a ‘‘Slow Up-Full Down 

(SUFullD)’’ policy to achieve the 

necessary reductions in harvest rate and 

promote increases in exploitable 

biomass. The SUFullD policy 

incorporates the existing policy of a 33 

percent increase from the previous 

year’s catch limits when stock yields are 

expected to increase but would use a 

100 percent decrease in recommended 

catch when stock yields are projected to 

decrease. 

The largest decreases in the 2011 

catch limit recommendations in Alaska 

are for Area 2C, down from 2,661 mt 

round weight in 2010 to 1,409 mt round 

weight in 2011 (the decline is primarily 

the result of the application of the 

SUFullD harvest policy adjustment), 

and, for Areas 3A and 3B, down from 

18,077 mt round weight in 2010 to 

13,233 mt round weight in 2011 (the 

decline is primarily due to a decline in 

estimated exploitable biomass). 

Additional information on the Pacific 

halibut stock assessment may be found 

in the IPHC’s 2010 Pacific halibut stock 

assessment (December 2010), available 

on the IPHC Web site at http:// 

www.iphc.washington.edu. The IPHC 

considered the 2010 Pacific halibut 

assessment for 2011 at its January 2011 

annual meeting when it set the 2011 

commercial halibut fishery catch limits. 

The proposed 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications (75 FR 76352, December 

8, 2010) discuss potential impacts of 

expected fishing for groundfish on 

halibut stocks, as well as methods 

available for reducing halibut bycatch in 

the groundfish fisheries. 

Halibut Discard Mortality Rates 

The Council recommended that the 

halibut discard mortality rates (DMRs) 

developed and recommended by the 

IPHC for the 2010 through 2012 GOA 

groundfish fisheries be used to monitor 

the 2011 and 2012 GOA halibut bycatch 

mortality allowances. The IPHC will 

analyze observer data annually and 

recommend changes to the DMRs when 

a DMR shows large variation from the 

mean. Most of the IPHCs assumed DMRs 

were based on an average of mortality 

rates determined from NMFS observer 

data collected between 1999 and 2008. 

Long-term average DMRs were not 

available for some fisheries (for 

example, the deepwater flatfish fishery 

has not been prosecuted in recent 

years), so the IPHC used the average 

rates from the available years between 

1999 and 2008. For other fisheries 

targets (which include Atka mackerel, 

skates, squids, sharks, octopuses, and 

sculpins for all gear types; and for the 

hook-and-line sablefish targets), where 

no data mortality was available, the 

IPHC recommended the mortality rate of 

halibut caught in the Pacific cod fishery 

for that gear type as a default rate. Table 

13 lists the final GOA halibut DMRs for 

2011 and 2012. These DMRs are 

unchanged from the proposed 2011 and 

2012 harvest specifications (75 FR 

76352, December 8, 2010). A discussion 

of the DMRs and their justification is 

presented in Appendix 2 to the 2010 

SAFE report (see ADDRESSES). 

TABLE 13—FINAL 2011 AND 2012 HALIBUT DMRS FOR VESSELS FISHING IN THE GOA 

[Values are percent of halibut bycatch assumed to be dead] 

Gear Target fishery 

Final 2011 and 

2012 mortality 

rate (%) 

Hook-and-line ............................................................................. Other fisheries1 ........................................................................... 12 

Pacific cod .................................................................................. 12 

Rockfish ...................................................................................... 9 

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TABLE 13—FINAL 2011 AND 2012 HALIBUT DMRS FOR VESSELS FISHING IN THE GOA—Continued 

[Values are percent of halibut bycatch assumed to be dead] 

Gear Target fishery 

Final 2011 and 

2012 mortality 

rate (%) 

Trawl ........................................................................................... Arrowtooth flounder .................................................................... 72 

Deep-water flatfish ...................................................................... 48 

Flathead sole .............................................................................. 65 

Non-pelagic pollock .................................................................... 59 

Other fisheries1 ........................................................................... 62 

Pacific cod .................................................................................. 62 

Pelagic pollock ............................................................................ 76 

Rex sole ..................................................................................... 64 

Rockfish ...................................................................................... 67 

Sablefish ..................................................................................... 65 

Shallow-water flatfish .................................................................. 71 

Pot .............................................................................................. Other fisheries1 ........................................................................... 17 

Pacific cod .................................................................................. 17 

1Other fisheries include all gear types for Atka mackerel, skates, squid, sharks, octopuses, sculpins, and hook-and-line sablefish. 

American Fisheries Act (AFA) Catcher/ 

Processor (C/P) and Catcher Vessel (CV) 

Groundfish Harvest and PSC Limits 

Section 679.64 establishes groundfish 

harvesting and processing sideboard 

limitations on AFA C/Ps and CVs in the 

GOA. These sideboard limits are 

necessary to protect the interests of 

fishermen and processors, who do not 

directly benefit from the AFA, from 

those fishermen and processors who 

receive exclusive harvesting and 

processing privileges under the AFA. 

Section 679.7(k)(1)(ii) prohibits listed 

AFA C/Ps from harvesting any species 

of groundfish in the GOA. Additionally, 

§ 679.7(k)(1)(iv) prohibits listed AFA C/ 

Ps from harvesting any species of 

groundfish in the GOA. Furthermore, 

§ 679.7(k)(1)(iv) prohibits listed AFA C/ 

Ps from processing any pollock 

harvested in a directed pollock fishery 

in the GOA and any groundfish 

harvested in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA. 

AFA CVs that are less than 125 ft 

(38.1 m) length overall, have annual 

landings of pollock in the Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands less than 5,100 mt, 

and have made at least 40 groundfish 

landings from 1995 through 1997 are 

exempt from GOA sideboard limits 

under § 679.64(b)(2)(ii). Sideboard 

limits for non-exempt AFA CVs in the 

GOA are based on their traditional 

harvest levels of TAC in groundfish 

fisheries covered by the FMP. Section 

679.64(b)(3)(iii) establishes the 

groundfish sideboard limitations in the 

GOA based on the retained catch of nonexempt AFA CVs of each sideboard 

species from 1995 through 1997 divided 

by the TAC for that species over the 

same period. Tables 14 and 15 list the 

final 2011 and 2012 non-exempt AFA 

CV groundfish sideboard limits. NMFS 

will deduct all targeted or incidental 

catch of sideboard species made by nonexempt AFA CVs from the sideboard 

limits specified in Tables 14 and 15. 

TABLE 14—FINAL 2011 GOA NON-EXEMPT AFA CV GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Apportionments by season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1995–1997 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

catch to 

1995–1997 

TAC 

2011 TAC 

2011 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

sideboard 

limit 

Pollock ....................................... A Season .................................. Shumagin (610) ........................ 0.6047 4,787 2,895 

January 20–March 10 Chirikof (620) ............................ 0.1167 11,896 1,388 

Kodiak (630) ............................. 0.2028 4,475 908 

B Season .................................. Shumagin (610) ........................ 0.6047 4,787 2,895 

March 10–May 31 Chirikof (620) ............................ 0.1167 14,232 1,661 

Kodiak (630) ............................. 0.2028 2,139 434 

C Season .................................. Shumagin (610) ........................ 0.6047 8,729 5,278 

August 25–October 1 Chirikof (620) ............................ 0.1167 5,618 656 

Kodiak (630) ............................. 0.2028 6,811 1,381 

D Season .................................. Shumagin (610) ........................ 0.6047 8,729 5,278 

October 1–November 1 Chirikof (620) ............................ 0.1167 5,618 656 

Kodiak (630) ............................. 0.2028 6,811 1,381 

Annual ....................................... WYK (640) ................................ 0.3495 2,339 817 

SEO (650) ................................. 0.3495 9,245 3,231 

Pacific cod ................................. A Season 1 ................................ W inshore ................................. 0.1365 12,303 1,679 

January 1–June 10 W offshore ................................ 0.1026 1,367 140 

C inshore .................................. 0.0689 21,795 1,502 

C offshore ................................. 0.0721 2,422 175 

B Season 2 ................................ W inshore ................................. 0.1365 8,202 1,120 

September 1—December 31 W offshore ................................ 0.1026 911 94 

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11126 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 14—FINAL 2011 GOA NON-EXEMPT AFA CV GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS—Continued 

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Apportionments by season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1995–1997 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

catch to 

1995–1997 

TAC 

2011 TAC 

2011 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

sideboard 

limit 

C inshore .................................. 0.0689 14,530 1,001 

C offshore ................................. 0.0721 1,614 116 

Annual ....................................... E inshore .................................. 0.0079 1,758 14 

E offshore ................................. 0.0078 195 2 

Sablefish .................................... Annual, trawl gear .................... W .............................................. 0.0000 334 0 

C ............................................... 0.0642 948 61 

E ............................................... 0.0433 247 11 

Flatfish, Shallow-water .............. Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0156 4,500 70 

C ............................................... 0.0587 13,000 763 

E ............................................... 0.0126 1,228 15 

Flatfish, deep-water ................... Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0000 529 0 

C ............................................... 0.0647 2,919 189 

E ............................................... 0.0128 2,083 27 

Rex sole .................................... Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0007 1,517 1 

C ............................................... 0.0384 6,294 242 

E ............................................... 0.0029 868 3 

Arrowtooth flounder ................... Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0021 8,000 17 

C ............................................... 0.0280 30,000 840 

E ............................................... 0.0002 2,500 1 

Flathead sole ............................. Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0036 2,000 7 

C ............................................... 0.0213 5,000 107 

E ............................................... 0.0009 2,064 2 

Pacific ocean perch ................... Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0023 2,798 6 

C ............................................... 0.0748 10,379 776 

E ............................................... 0.0466 1,937 90 

Northern rockfish ....................... Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0003 2,573 1 

C ............................................... 0.0277 2,281 63 

Shortraker rockfish .................... Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0000 134 0 

C ............................................... 0.0218 325 7 

E ............................................... 0.0100 455 5 

Other rockfish ............................ Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0034 212 1 

C ............................................... 0.1699 507 86 

E ............................................... 0.0000 276 0 

Pelagic shelf rockfish ................ Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0001 611 0 

C ............................................... 0.0000 3,052 0 

E ............................................... 0.0067 407 3 

Rougheye rockfish ..................... Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0000 81 0 

C ............................................... 0.0237 868 21 

E ............................................... 0.0124 363 5 

Demersal shelf rockfish ............. Annual ....................................... SEO .......................................... 0.0020 300 1 

Thornyhead rockfish .................. Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0280 425 12 

C ............................................... 0.0280 637 18 

E ............................................... 0.0280 708 20 

Atka mackerel ............................ Annual ....................................... Gulfwide .................................... 0.0309 2,000 62 

Big skates .................................. Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0063 598 4 

C ............................................... 0.0063 2,049 13 

E ............................................... 0.0063 681 4 

Longnose skates .................... Annual ....................................... W .............................................. 0.0063 81 1 

C ............................................... 0.0063 2,009 13 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11127 

TABLE 14—FINAL 2011 GOA NON-EXEMPT AFA CV GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS—Continued 

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Apportionments by season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1995–1997 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

catch to 

1995–1997 

TAC 

2011 TAC 

2011 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

sideboard 

limit 

E ............................................... 0.0063 762 5 

Other skates .............................. Annual ....................................... Gulfwide .................................... 0.0063 2,093 13 

Squids ........................................ Annual ....................................... Gulfwide .................................... 0.0063 1,148 7 

Sharks ....................................... Annual ....................................... Gulfwide .................................... 0.0063 6,197 39 

Octopuses ................................. Annual ....................................... Gulfwide .................................... 0.0063 954 6 

Sculpins ..................................... Annual ....................................... Gulfwide .................................... 0.0063 5,496 35 

1The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20. 

2The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1. 

TABLE 15—FINAL 2012 GOA NON-EXEMPT AFA CV GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Apportionments by season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1995–1997 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

catch to 

1995–1997 

TAC 

2012 TAC 

2012 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

sideboard 

limit 

Pollock A Season ........................................... Shumagin (610) ............... 0.6047 6,186 3,741 

January 20–March 10 Chirikof (620) ................... 0.1167 15,374 1,794 

Kodiak (630) ..................... 0.2028 5,783 1,173 

B Season ........................................... Shumagin (610) ............... 0.6047 6,185 3,740 

March 10–May 31 Chirikof (620) ................... 0.1167 18,392 2,146 

Kodiak (630) ..................... 0.2028 2,765 561 

C Season .......................................... Shumagin (610) ............... 0.6047 11,280 6,821 

August 25–October 1 Chirikof (620) ................... 0.1167 7,262 847 

Kodiak (630) ..................... 0.2028 8,803 1,785 

D Season .......................................... Shumagin (610) ............... 0.6047 11,280 6,821 

October 1–November 1 Chirikof (620) ................... 0.1167 7,262 847 

Kodiak (630) ..................... 0.2028 8,803 1,785 

Annual ............................................... WYK (640) ....................... 0.3495 3,024 1,057 

SEO (650) ........................ 0.3495 9,245 3,231 

Pacific cod ................................. A Season 1 ........................................ W inshore ......................... 0.1365 18,475 2,522 

January 1–June 10 W offshore ........................ 0.1026 2,053 211 

C inshore .......................... 0.0689 19,636 1,353 

C offshore ........................ 0.0721 2,182 157 

B Season 2 ........................................ W inshore ......................... 0.1365 7,390 1,009 

September 1–December 31 W offshore ........................ 0.1026 821 84 

C inshore .......................... 0.0689 13,091 902 

C offshore ........................ 0.0721 1,455 105 

Annual ............................................... E inshore .......................... 0.0079 1,583 13 

E offshore ......................... 0.0078 176 1 

Sablefish .................................... Annual, trawl gear ............................. W ...................................... 0.0000 297 0 

C ....................................... 0.0642 869 56 

E ....................................... 0.0433 226 10 

Flatfish, Shallow-water .............. Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0156 4,500 70 

C ....................................... 0.0587 13,000 763 

E ....................................... 0.0126 1,228 15 

Flatfish, deep-water ................... Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0000 541 0 

C ....................................... 0.0647 3,004 194 

E ....................................... 0.0128 2,144 27 

Rex sole .................................... Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0007 1,490 1 

C ....................................... 0.0384 6,184 237 

E ....................................... 0.0029 853 2 

Arrowtooth flounder ................... Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0021 8,000 17 

C ....................................... 0.0280 30,000 840 

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11128 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 15—FINAL 2012 GOA NON-EXEMPT AFA CV GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITATIONS—Continued 

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Apportionments by season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1995–1997 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

catch to 

1995–1997 

TAC 

2012 TAC 

2012 

non-exempt 

AFA CV 

sideboard 

limit 

E ....................................... 0.0002 2,500 1 

Flathead sole ............................. Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0036 2,000 7 

C ....................................... 0.0213 5,000 107 

E ....................................... 0.0009 2,125 2 

Pacific ocean perch ................... Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0023 2,665 6 

C ....................................... 0.0748 9,884 739 

E ....................................... 0.0466 1,845 86 

Northern rockfish ....................... Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0003 2,446 1 

C ....................................... 0.0277 2,168 60 

Shortraker rockfish .................... Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0000 134 0 

C ....................................... 0.0218 325 7 

E ....................................... 0.0100 455 5 

Other rockfish ............................ Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0034 212 0 

C ....................................... 0.1699 507 86 

E ....................................... 0.0000 475 0 

Pelagic shelf rockfish ................ Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0001 570 0 

C ....................................... 0.0000 2,850 0 

E ....................................... 0.0067 380 3 

Rougheye rockfish ..................... Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0000 81 0 

C ....................................... 0.0237 868 21 

E ....................................... 0.0124 363 5 

Demersal shelf rockfish ............. Annual ............................................... SEO .................................. 0.0020 300 1 

Thornyhead rockfish .................. Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0280 425 12 

C ....................................... 0.0280 637 18 

E ....................................... 0.0280 708 20 

Atka mackerel ............................ Annual ............................................... Gulfwide ........................... 0.0309 2,000 62 

Big skates .................................. Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0063 598 4 

C ....................................... 0.0063 2,049 13 

E ....................................... 0.0063 681 4 

Longnose skates ....................... Annual ............................................... W ...................................... 0.0063 81 0 

C ....................................... 0.0063 2,009 13 

E ....................................... 0.0063 762 5 

Other skates .............................. Annual ............................................... Gulfwide ........................... 0.0063 2,093 13 

Squids ........................................ Annual ............................................... Gulfwide ........................... 0.0063 1,148 7 

Sharks ....................................... Annual ............................................... Gulfwide ........................... 0.0063 6,197 39 

Octopuses ................................. Annual ............................................... Gulfwide ........................... 0.0063 954 6 

Sculpins ..................................... Annual ............................................... Gulfwide ........................... 0.0063 5,496 35 

1The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20. 

2The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1. 

Non-Exempt AFA Catcher Vessel 

Halibut PSC Limits 

The halibut PSC sideboard limits for 

non-exempt AFA CVs in the GOA are 

based on the aggregate retained 

groundfish catch by non-exempt AFA 

CVs in each PSC target category from 

1995 through 1997 divided by the 

retained catch of all vessels in that 

fishery from 1995 through 1997 

(§ 679.64(b)(4)). Table 16 lists the final 

2011 and 2012 non-exempt AFA CV 

halibut PSC limits for vessels using 

trawl gear in the GOA. These halibut 

PSC limits are unchanged from the 

proposed 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11129 

TABLE 16—FINAL 2011 AND 2012 NON-EXEMPT AFA CV HALIBUT PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH (PSC) LIMITS FOR

VESSELS USING TRAWL GEAR IN THE GOA 

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Season Season dates Target fishery 

Ratio of 1995– 

1997 non-exempt 

AFA CV retained 

catch to total retained catch 

2011 and 2012 

PSC limit 

2011 and 2012 

non-exempt AFA 

CV PSC limit 

1 ................... January 20–April 1 ................... shallow-water ............................ 0.340 450 153 

deep-water ................................ 0.070 100 7 

2 ................... April 1–July 1 ............................ shallow-water ............................ 0.340 100 34 

deep-water ................................ 0.070 300 21 

3 ................... July 1–September 1 ................. shallow-water ............................ 0.340 200 68 

deep-water ................................ 0.070 400 28 

4 ................... September 1–October 1 ........... shallow-water ............................ 0.340 150 51 

deep-water ................................ 0.070 0 0 

5 ................... October 1–December 31 .......... all targets .................................. 0.205 300 62 

Non-AFA Crab Vessel Groundfish 

Harvest Limitations 

Section 680.22 establishes groundfish 

catch limits for vessels with a history of 

participation in the Bering Sea snow 

crab fishery to prevent these vessels 

from using the increased flexibility 

provided by the Crab Rationalization 

Program to expand their level of 

participation in the GOA groundfish 

fisheries. Sideboard limits restrict these 

vessels’ catch to their collective 

historical landings in each GOA 

groundfish fishery (except the fixed-gear 

sablefish fishery). Sideboard limits also 

apply to catch made using a LLP license 

derived from the history of a restricted 

vessel, even if that LLP license is used 

on another vessel. 

Sideboard limits for non-AFA crab 

vessels in the GOA are based on their 

traditional harvest levels of TAC in 

groundfish fisheries covered by the 

FMP. Sections 680.22(d) and (e) 

establish the formulas used to calculate 

groundfish sideboard limitations in the 

GOA. These limitations are calculated 

by dividing the non-AFA crab vessels’ 

retained catch for each sideboard 

species from 1996–2000 by the total 

retained harvest of that species over the 

same period. The resultant ratios are 

applied against annual TAC limits to 

establish annual sideboard limits for 

individual species. Tables 18 and 19 list 

these final 2011 and 2012 GOA 

groundfish sideboard limits for nonAFA crab vessels. NMFS will deduct all 

targeted or incidental catch of sideboard 

species made by non-AFA crab vessels 

from the sideboard limits specified in 

Tables 17 and 18. The sideboard limits 

in these tables are different from those 

contained in the proposed 2011 and 

2012 harvest specifications, since the 

TACs in Tables 17 and 18 have been 

updated to reflect the final 2011 and 

2012 TACs contained in Tables 1 and 2 

of this rule. 

Vessels exempt from Pacific cod 

sideboards are those that landed less 

than 45,359 kilograms of Bering Sea 

snow crab and more than 500 mt of 

groundfish (in round weight 

equivalents) from the GOA between 

January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2000, 

and any vessel named on an LLP that 

was generated in whole or in part by the 

fishing history of a vessel meeting the 

criteria in § 680.22(a)(3). 

TABLE 17—FINAL 2011 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITS

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1996–2000 

non-AFA 

crab vessel 

catch to 

1996–2000 

total harvest 

2011 TAC 

2011 nonAFA crab 

vessel 

sideboard 

limit 

Pollock .......................................... A Season ............................ Shumagin (610) ........................... 0.0098 4,787 47 

January 20–March 10 Chirikof (620) ............................... 0.0031 11,896 37 

Kodiak (630) ................................ 0.0002 4,475 1 

B Season ............................ Shumagin (610) ........................... 0.0098 4,787 47 

March 10–May 31 Chirikof (620) ............................... 0.0031 14,232 44 

Kodiak (630) ................................ 0.0002 2,139 0 

C Season ............................ Shumagin (610) ........................... 0.0098 8,729 86 

August 25–October 1 Chirikof (620) ............................... 0.0031 5,618 17 

Kodiak (630) ................................ 0.0002 6,811 1 

D Season ............................ Shumagin (610) ........................... 0.0098 8,729 86 

October 1–November 1 Chirikof (620) ............................... 0.0031 5,618 17 

Kodiak (630) ................................ 0.0002 6,811 1 

Annual ................................. WYK (640) ................................... 0.0000 2,339 0 

SEO (650) .................................... 0.0000 9,245 0 

Pacific cod .................................... A Season 1 .......................... W inshore ..................................... 0.0902 12,303 1,110 

January 1–June 10 W offshore ................................... 0.2046 1,367 280 

C inshore ..................................... 0.0383 21,795 835 

C offshore .................................... 0.2074 2,422 502 

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11130 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 17—FINAL 2011 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITS— 

Continued 

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1996–2000 

non-AFA 

crab vessel 

catch to 

1996–2000 

total harvest 

2011 TAC 

2011 nonAFA crab 

vessel 

sideboard 

limit 

B Season 2 .......................... W inshore ..................................... 0.0902 8,202 740 

September 1–December 31 W offshore ................................... 0.2046 911 186 

C inshore ..................................... 0.0383 14,530 557 

C offshore .................................... 0.2074 1,614 335 

Annual ................................. E inshore ...................................... 0.0110 1,758 19 

E offshore .................................... 0.0000 195 0 

Sablefish ...................................... Annual, trawl gear ............... W .................................................. 0.0000 334 0 

C .................................................. 0.0000 948 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 247 0 

Flatfish, shallow-water ................. Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0059 4,500 27 

C .................................................. 0.0001 13,000 1 

E ................................................... 0.0000 1,228 0 

Flatfish, deep-water ..................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0035 529 2 

C .................................................. 0.0000 2,919 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 2,083 0 

Rex sole ....................................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0000 1,517 0 

C .................................................. 0.0000 6,294 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 868 0 

Arrowtooth flounder ...................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0004 8,000 3 

C .................................................. 0.0001 30,000 3 

E ................................................... 0.0000 2,500 0 

Flathead sole ............................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0002 2,000 0 

C .................................................. 0.0004 5,000 2 

E ................................................... 0.0000 2,064 0 

Pacific ocean perch ..................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0000 2,798 0 

C .................................................. 0.0000 10,379 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 1,937 0 

Northern rockfish .......................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0005 2,573 1 

C .................................................. 0.0000 2,281 0 

Shortraker rockfish ....................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0013 134 0 

C .................................................. 0.0012 325 0 

E ................................................... 0.0009 455 0 

Other rockfish ............................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0035 212 1 

C .................................................. 0.0033 507 2 

E ................................................... 0.0000 276 0 

Pelagic shelf rockfish ................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0017 611 1 

C .................................................. 0.0000 3,052 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 407 0 

Rougheye rockfish ....................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0067 81 1 

C .................................................. 0.0047 868 4 

E ................................................... 0.0008 363 0 

Demersal shelf rockfish ............... Annual ................................. SEO ............................................. 0.0000 300 0 

Thornyhead rockfish .................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0047 425 2 

C .................................................. 0.0066 637 4 

E ................................................... 0.0045 708 3 

Atka mackerel .............................. Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0000 2,000 0 

Big skate ...................................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0392 598 23 

C .................................................. 0.0159 2,049 33 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11131 

TABLE 17—FINAL 2011 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITS— 

Continued 

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1996–2000 

non-AFA 

crab vessel 

catch to 

1996–2000 

total harvest 

2011 TAC 

2011 nonAFA crab 

vessel 

sideboard 

limit 

E ................................................... 0.0000 681 0 

Longnose skate ............................ Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0392 81 3 

C .................................................. 0.0159 2,009 32 

E ................................................... 0.0000 762 0 

Other skates ................................. Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 2,093 37 

Squids .......................................... Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 1,148 20 

Sharks .......................................... Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 6,197 109 

Octopuses .................................... Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 954 17 

Sculpins ........................................ Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 5,496 97 

1The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20. 

2The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1. 

TABLE 18—FINAL 2012 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITS

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1996–2000 

non-AFA 

crab vessel 

catch to 

1996–2000 

total harvest 

2012 TAC 

2012 nonAFA crab 

vessel 

sideboard 

limit 

Pollock .......................................... A Season ............................ Shumagin (610) ........................... 0.0098 6,186 61 

January 20–March 10 Chirikof (620) ............................... 0.0031 15,374 48 

Kodiak (630) ................................ 0.0002 5,783 1 

B Season ............................ Shumagin (610) ........................... 0.0098 6,185 61 

March 10–May 31 Chirikof (620) ............................... 0.0031 18,393 57 

Kodiak (630) ................................ 0.0002 2,765 1 

C Season ............................ Shumagin (610) ........................... 0.0098 11,280 111 

August 25–October 1 Chirikof (620) ............................... 0.0031 7,262 23 

Kodiak (630) ................................ 0.0002 8,803 2 

D Season ............................ Shumagin (610) ........................... 0.0098 11,280 111 

October 1–November 1 Chirikof (620) ............................... 0.0031 7,262 23 

Kodiak (630) ................................ 0.0002 8,803 2 

Annual ................................. WYK (640) ................................... 0.0000 3,024 0 

SEO (650) .................................... 0.0000 9,245 0 

Pacific cod .................................... A Season 1 .......................... W inshore ..................................... 0.0902 11,085 1,000 

January 1–June 10 W offshore ................................... 0.2046 1,232 252 

C inshore ..................................... 0.0383 19,636 752 

C offshore .................................... 0.2074 2,182 453 

B Season 2 .......................... W inshore ..................................... 0.0902 7,390 667 

September 1–December 31 W offshore ................................... 0.2046 821 168 

C inshore ..................................... 0.0383 13,091 501 

C offshore .................................... 0.2074 1,455 302 

Annual ................................. E inshore ...................................... 0.0110 1,583 17 

E offshore .................................... 0.0000 176 0 

Sablefish ...................................... Annual, trawl gear ............... W .................................................. 0.0000 297 0 

C .................................................. 0.0000 869 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 226 0 

Flatfish, shallow-water ................. Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0059 4,500 27 

C .................................................. 0.0001 13,000 1 

E ................................................... 0.0000 1,228 0 

Flatfish, deep-water ..................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0035 541 2 

C .................................................. 0.0000 3,004 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 2,144 0 

Rex sole ....................................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0000 1,490 0 

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11132 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 18—FINAL 2012 GOA NON-AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CRAB VESSEL GROUNDFISH HARVEST SIDEBOARD LIMITS— 

Continued 

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Season/gear Area/component 

Ratio of 

1996–2000 

non-AFA 

crab vessel 

catch to 

1996–2000 

total harvest 

2012 TAC 

2012 nonAFA crab 

vessel 

sideboard 

limit 

C .................................................. 0.0000 6,184 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 853 0 

Arrowtooth flounder ...................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0004 8,000 3 

C .................................................. 0.0001 30,000 3 

E ................................................... 0.0000 2,500 0 

Flathead sole ............................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0002 2,000 0 

C .................................................. 0.0004 5,000 2 

E ................................................... 0.0000 2,125 0 

Pacific ocean perch ..................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0000 2,665 0 

C .................................................. 0.0000 9,884 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 1,845 0 

Northern rockfish .......................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0005 2,446 1 

C .................................................. 0.0000 2,168 0 

Shortraker rockfish ....................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0013 134 0 

C .................................................. 0.0012 325 0 

E ................................................... 0.0009 455 0 

Other rockfish ............................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0035 212 1 

C .................................................. 0.0033 507 2 

E ................................................... 0.0000 275 0 

Pelagic shelf rockfish ................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0017 570 1 

C .................................................. 0.0000 2,850 0 

E ................................................... 0.0000 380 0 

Rougheye shelf rockfish .............. Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0067 81 1 

C .................................................. 0.0047 868 4 

E ................................................... 0.0008 363 0 

Demersal shelf rockfish ............... Annual ................................. SEO ............................................. 0.0000 300 0 

Thornyhead rockfish .................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0047 425 2 

C .................................................. 0.0066 637 4 

E ................................................... 0.0045 708 3 

Atka mackerel .............................. Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0000 2,000 0 

Big skate ...................................... Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0392 598 23 

C .................................................. 0.0159 2,049 33 

E ................................................... 0.0000 681 0 

Longnose skate ............................ Annual ................................. W .................................................. 0.0392 81 3 

C .................................................. 0.0159 2,009 32 

E ................................................... 0.0000 762 0 

Other skates ................................. Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 2,093 37 

Squids .......................................... Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 1,148 20 

Sharks .......................................... Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 6,197 109 

Octopuses .................................... Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 954 17 

Sculpins ........................................ Annual ................................. Gulfwide ....................................... 0.0176 5,496 97 

1The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20. 

2The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11133 

Rockfish Program Groundfish 

Sideboard Limitations and Halibut 

Mortality Limitations 

Section 679.82(d) establishes 

sideboards to limit the ability of 

participants eligible for the Rockfish 

Program to harvest fish in fisheries other 

than the Central GOA rockfish fisheries. 

The Rockfish Program provides certain 

economic advantages, which could be 

used to increase their participation in 

other fisheries and possibly adversely 

affect the existing participants in those 

fisheries. Traditionally, the Central GOA 

rockfish fisheries opened in July. The 

sideboards are designed to restrict 

fishing during the historical season for 

the fishery, but allow eligible rockfish 

harvesters to participate in fisheries 

before or after the historical rockfish 

season. 

The final sideboards for 2011 limit the 

total amount of catch that could be 

taken by eligible harvesters and limit 

the amount of halibut mortality to 

historic levels. The sideboard measures 

are in effect only during the month of 

July. Table 19 lists the final 2011 

Rockfish Program harvest limits in the 

WYK District and the Western GOA. 

These limits reflect the final 2011 

pelagic shelf rockfish, Pacific ocean 

perch, and northern rockfish TACs 

established by this action, including 

some changes from the proposed 2011 

harvest specifications. Table 20 lists the 

final 2011 Rockfish Program halibut 

mortality limits for C/Ps and CVs. These 

mortality limits are unchanged from the 

proposed 2011 harvest specifications. 

As discussed earlier in this preamble, 

the Rockfish Program will expire in 

December 2011. The Council has 

proposed a new, revised program and 

associated FMP amendment. NMFS is 

developing rulemaking to implement 

the program, if approved by the 

Secretary. The proposed rule and, if 

approved, the final rule for the new 

Rockfish Program will include revised 

groundfish sideboards and halibut 

mortality limits for 2012. Since the 

current Rockfish Program expires at the 

end of 2011, these final harvest 

specifications for groundfish sideboards 

and halibut mortality limits are only for 

2011. 

TABLE 19—FINAL 2011 ROCKFISH PROGRAM HARVEST LIMITS BY SECTOR FOR WYK DISTRICT AND WESTERN

REGULATORY AREA BY THE CATCHER/PROCESSOR (C/P) AND CATCHER VESSEL (CV) SECTORS

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Area Fishery 

C/P sector (% of 

TAC) 

CV sector 

(% of 

TAC) 

2011 

TAC 

2011 C/P 

limit 

2011 CV 

limit 

West Yakutat District ......................... Pelagic shelf rockfish ................................... 72.4 1.7 407 295 7 

Pacific ocean perch ..................................... 76.0 2.9 1,937 1,472 56 

Western GOA .................................... Pelagic shelf rockfish ................................... 63.3 0 611 387 0 

Pacific ocean perch ..................................... 61.1 0 2,798 1,710 0 

Northern rockfish ......................................... 78.9 0 2,573 2,030 0 

TABLE 20—FINAL 2011 ROCKFISH PROGRAM HALIBUT MORTALITY LIMITS FOR THE CATCHER/PROCESSOR (C/P) AND

CATCHER VESSEL (CV) SECTORS

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Sector 

Shallow-water 

complex halibut 

PSC sideboard 

ratio 

(percent) 

Deep-water 

complex halibut 

PSC sideboard 

ratio 

(percent) 

Annual halibut 

mortality limit 

(mt) 

Annual shallowwater complex 

halibut PSC 

sideboard limit 

(mt) 

Annual deep-water 

complex halibut 

PSC sideboard limit 

(mt) 

C/P ............................................... 0.54 3.99 2,000 11 80 

CV ................................................ 6.32 1.08 2,000 126 22 

GOA Amendment 80 Vessel Groundfish 

Harvest and PSC Limits 

Amendment 80 to the Fishery 

Management Plan for Groundfish of the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area (Amendment 80 

program) established a limited access 

privilege program for the non-AFA trawl 

C/P sector. To limit the ability of 

participants eligible for the Amendment 

80 program to expand their harvest 

efforts in the GOA, the Amendment 80 

program established groundfish and 

halibut PSC catch limits for Amendment 

80 program participants. 

Section 679.92 establishes groundfish 

harvesting sideboard limits on all 

Amendment 80 program vessels, other 

than the F/V GOLDEN FLEECE, to 

amounts no greater than the limits 

shown in Table 37 to 50 CFR part 679. 

Under regulations at § 679.92(d), the F/ 

V GOLDEN FLEECE is prohibited from 

directed fishing for pollock, Pacific cod, 

Pacific ocean perch, pelagic shelf 

rockfish, and northern rockfish in the 

GOA. Groundfish sideboard limits for 

Amendment 80 program vessels 

operating in the GOA are based on their 

average aggregate harvests from 1998 to 

2004. Tables 21 and 22 list the final 

2011 and 2012 sideboard limits for 

Amendment 80 program vessels. These 

limits are based on the final 2011 and 

2012 TACs established by this action, 

and thus may differ proportionately 

from the sideboard limits in the 

proposed 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications. NMFS will deduct all 

targeted or incidental catch of sideboard 

species made by Amendment 80 

program vessels from the sideboard 

limits in Tables 21 and 22. 

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11134 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 21—FINAL 2011 GOA GROUNDFISH SIDEBOARD LIMITS FOR AMENDMENT 80 PROGRAM VESSELS

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Apportionments and allocations by 

season Area 

Ratio of 

Amendment 

80 sector 

vessels 

1998–2004 

catch to 

TAC 

2011 TAC 

(mt) 

2011 

Amendment 

80 vessel 

sideboards 

(mt) 

Pollock ....................... A Season .......................................... Shumagin (610) ................................ 0.003 4,786 14 

January 20–February 25 Chirikof (620) .................................... 0.002 11,895 24 

Kodiak (630) ..................................... 0.002 4,475 9 

B Season .......................................... Shumagin (610) ................................ 0.003 4,876 14 

March 10–May 31 Chirikof (620) .................................... 0.002 14,231 28 

Kodiak (630) ..................................... 0.002 2,139 4 

C Season .......................................... Shumagin (610) ................................ 0.003 8,729 26 

August 25–September 15 Chirikof (620) .................................... 0.002 5,619 11 

Kodiak (630) ..................................... 0.002 6,812 14 

D Season .......................................... Shumagin (610) ................................ 0.003 8,729 26 

October 1–November 1 Chirikof (620) .................................... 0.002 5,619 11 

Kodiak (630) ..................................... 0.002 6,812 14 

Annual ............................................... WYK (640) ........................................ 0.002 2,339 5 

Pacific cod ................. A Season 1 ........................................ W ...................................................... 0.020 13,671 273 

January 1–June 10 C ....................................................... 0.044 24,217 1,066 

B Season 2 ........................................ W ...................................................... 0.020 9,114 182 

September 1–December 31 C ....................................................... 0.044 16,145 710 

Annual ............................................... WYK .................................................. 0.034 1,953 66 

Pacific ocean perch ... Annual ............................................... W ...................................................... 0.994 2,798 2,781 

WYK .................................................. 0.961 1,937 1,861 

Northern rockfish ....... Annual ............................................... W ...................................................... 1.000 2,573 2,573 

Pelagic shelf rockfish Annual ............................................... W ...................................................... 0.764 611 467 

WYK .................................................. 0.896 407 365 

1The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20. 

2The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1. 

TABLE 22—FINAL 2012 GOA GROUNDFISH SIDEBOARD LIMITS FOR AMENDMENT 80 PROGRAM VESSELS

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Apportionments and allocations by season Area 

Ratio of 

Amendment 

80 sector 

vessels 

1998–2004 

catch to 

TAC 

2012 TAC 

(mt) 

2012 

Amendment 

80 vessel 

sideboards 

(mt) 

Pollock ........................... A Season ................................................... Shumagin (610) .................. 0.003 6,186 19 

January 20–February 25 Chirikof (620) ...................... 0.002 15,375 31 

Kodiak (630) ........................ 0.002 5,783 12 

B Season ................................................... Shumagin (610) .................. 0.003 6,186 19 

March 10–May 31 Chirikof (620) ...................... 0.002 18,392 37 

Kodiak (630) ........................ 0.002 2,765 6 

C Season ................................................... Shumagin (610) .................. 0.003 11,281 34 

August 25–September 15 Chirikof (620) ...................... 0.002 7,261 15 

Kodiak (630) ........................ 0.002 8,803 18 

D Season ................................................... Shumagin (610) .................. 0.003 11,281 34 

October 1–November 1 Chirikof (620) ...................... 0.002 7,261 15 

Kodiak (630) ........................ 0.002 8,803 18 

Annual ........................................................ WYK (640) .......................... 0.002 3,024 6 

Pacific cod ..................... A Season 1 ................................................. W ......................................... 0.020 12,317 246 

January 1–June 10 C .......................................... 0.044 21,817 960 

B Season 2 ................................................. W ......................................... 0.020 8,211 164 

September 1–December 31 C .......................................... 0.044 14,545 640 

Annual ........................................................ WYK .................................... 0.034 1,759 60 

Pacific ocean perch ....... Annual ........................................................ W ......................................... 0.994 2,665 2,649 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11135 

TABLE 22—FINAL 2012 GOA GROUNDFISH SIDEBOARD LIMITS FOR AMENDMENT 80 PROGRAM VESSELS—Continued 

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Species Apportionments and allocations by season Area 

Ratio of 

Amendment 

80 sector 

vessels 

1998–2004 

catch to 

TAC 

2012 TAC 

(mt) 

2012 

Amendment 

80 vessel 

sideboards 

(mt) 

WYK .................................... 0.961 1,845 1,773 

Northern rockfish ........... Annual ........................................................ W ......................................... 1.000 2,446 2,446 

Pelagic shelf rockfish ..... Annual ........................................................ W ......................................... 0.764 570 435 

WYK .................................... 0.896 380 340 

1The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20. 

2The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1. 

The halibut PSC sideboard limits for 

Amendment 80 program vessels in the 

GOA are based on the historic use of 

halibut PSC by Amendment 80 program 

vessels in each PSC target category from 

1998 through 2004. These values are 

slightly lower than the average historic 

use to accommodate two factors: 

allocation of halibut PSC cooperative 

quota under the Central GOA Rockfish 

Program and the exemption of the F/V 

GOLDEN FLEECE from this restriction 

(§ 679.92(b)(2)). Table 23 lists the final 

2011 and 2012 halibut PSC limits for 

Amendment 80 program vessels, as 

proscribed at Table 38 to 50 CFR part 

679. These PSC limits are unchanged 

from those listed in the proposed 2011 

and 2012 harvest specifications. 

TABLE 23—FINAL 2011 AND 2012 HALIBUT PSC LIMITS FOR AMENDMENT 80 PROGRAM VESSELS IN THE GOA 

[Values are rounded to nearest metric ton] 

Season Season dates Target fishery 

Historic 

Amendment 

80 use of 

the annual 

halibut PSC 

limit catch 

(ratio) 

2011 and 

2012 annual 

PSC limit 

(mt) 

2011 and 

2012 

Amendment 

80 vessel 

PSC limit 

(mt) 

1 ............................ January 20–April 1 .............................. shallow-water ...................................... 0.0048 2,000 10 

deep-water .......................................... 0.0115 2,000 23 

2 ............................ April 1–July 1 ...................................... shallow-water ...................................... 0.0189 2,000 38 

deep-water .......................................... 0.1072 2,000 214 

3 ............................ July 1–September 1 ............................ shallow-water ...................................... 0.0146 2,000 29 

deep-water .......................................... 0.0521 2,000 104 

4 ............................ September 1–October 1 ..................... shallow-water ...................................... 0.0074 2,000 15 

deep-water .......................................... 0.0014 2,000 3 

5 ............................ October 1–December 31 .................... shallow-water ...................................... 0.0227 2,000 45 

deep-water .......................................... 0.0371 2,000 74 

Directed Fishing Closures 

Pursuant to § 679.20(d)(1)(i), if the 

Regional Administrator determines (1) 

that any allocation or apportionment of 

a target species or species group 

allocated or apportioned to a fishery 

will be reached; or (2) with respect to 

pollock and Pacific cod, that an 

allocation or apportionment to an 

inshore or offshore component 

allocation will be reached, the Regional 

Administrator may establish a DFA for 

that species or species group. If the 

Regional Administrator establishes a 

DFA and that allowance is or will be 

reached before the end of the fishing 

year, NMFS will prohibit directed 

fishing for that species or species group 

in the specified GOA regulatory area or 

district (§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii)). 

The Regional Administrator has 

determined that the TAC limits for the 

species listed in Table 24 are necessary 

to account for the incidental catch of 

these species in other anticipated 

groundfish fisheries for the 2011 and 

2012 fishing years. 

TABLE 24—2011 AND 2012 DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES IN THE GOA 

[Amounts for incidental catch in other directed fisheries are in metric tons] 

Target Area/component/gear Incidental catch 

amount 

Pollock ................................................................ all/offshore ....................................................................................................... 1 unknown 

Sablefish2 ........................................................... all/trawl ............................................................................................................ 1,519 (2011) 

1,391 (2012) 

Shortraker rockfish2 ........................................... all .................................................................................................................... 914 

Other rockfish ..................................................... all .................................................................................................................... 1,195 (2011) 

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11136 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 24—2011 AND 2012 DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES IN THE GOA—Continued 

[Amounts for incidental catch in other directed fisheries are in metric tons] 

Target Area/component/gear Incidental catch 

amount 

1,194 (2012) 

Rougheye rockfish ............................................. all .................................................................................................................... 1,312 

Thornyhead ........................................................ all .................................................................................................................... 1,770 

Atka mackerel .................................................... all .................................................................................................................... 2,000 

Big skate ............................................................ all .................................................................................................................... 3,328 

Longnose skate .................................................. all .................................................................................................................... 2,852 

Other skates ....................................................... all .................................................................................................................... 2,093 

Squids ................................................................ all .................................................................................................................... 1,148 

Sharks ................................................................ all .................................................................................................................... 6,197 

Octopuses .......................................................... all .................................................................................................................... 954 

1Pollock is closed to directed fishing in the GOA by the offshore component under § 679.20(a)(6)(i). 

2 Closures not applicable to participants in cooperatives conducted under the Rockfish Pilot Program. 

Consequently, in accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(i), the Regional 

Administrator establishes the DFA for 

the species or species groups listed in 

Table 24 as zero mt. Therefore, in 

accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), 

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for 

those species, areas, gear types, and 

components in the GOA listed in Table 

24. These closures will remain in effect 

through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 

2012. 

Section 679.64(b)(5) provides for 

management of AFA CV groundfish 

harvest limits and PSC bycatch limits 

using directed fishing closures and PSC 

closures according to procedures set out 

at §§ 679.20(d)(1)(iv), 679.21(d)(8), and 

679.21(e)(3)(v). The Regional 

Administrator has determined that, in 

addition to the closures listed above, 

many of the non-exempt AFA CV 

sideboard limits listed in Tables 14 and 

15 are necessary as incidental catch to 

support other anticipated groundfish 

fisheries for the 2011 and 2012 fishing 

years. In accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iv), the Regional 

Administrator sets the DFAs for the 

species and species groups in Table 25 

at zero. Therefore, in accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), NMFS is prohibiting 

directed fishing by non-exempt AFA 

CVs in the GOA for the species and 

specified areas listed in Table 25. These 

closures will remain in effect through 

2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2012. 

TABLE 25—2011 AND 2012 NON-EXEMPT AFA CV SIDEBOARD DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES FOR ALL GEAR TYPES IN

THE GOA 

[Amounts for incidental catch in other directed fisheries are in metric tons] 

Species Regulatory area/district Incidental catch amount 

Pacific cod .................................................... Eastern ....................................................................... 14 (inshore) and 2 (offshore) in 2011. 

13 (inshore) and 1 (offshore) in 2012. 

Deep-water flatfish ....................................... Western ...................................................................... 0. 

Rex sole ....................................................... Eastern and Western ................................................. 1 and 3 in 2011. 

1 and 2 in 2012. 

Arrowtooth flounder ...................................... Eastern and Western ................................................. 1 and 17. 

Flathead sole ................................................ Eastern and Western ................................................. 2 and 7. 

Pacific ocean perch ...................................... Western ...................................................................... 6. 

Northern rockfish .......................................... Western ...................................................................... 1. 

Pelagic shelf rockfish ................................... Entire GOA ................................................................. 3. 

Demersal shelf rockfish ................................ SEO District ............................................................... 1. 

Sculpins ........................................................ Entire GOA ................................................................. 35. 

Squids ........................................................... Entire GOA ................................................................. 7. 

Section 680.22 provides for the 

management of non-AFA crab vessel 

sideboards using directed fishing 

closures in accordance with 

§ 680.22(e)(2) and (3). The Regional 

Administrator has determined that the 

non-AFA crab vessel sideboards listed 

in Tables 17 and 18 are insufficient to 

support a directed fishery and has set 

the sideboard DFA at zero, with the 

exception of Pacific cod in the Western 

and Central Regulatory Areas. 

Therefore, NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing by non-AFA crab vessels in the 

GOA for all species and species groups 

listed in Tables 17 and 18, with the 

exception of Pacific cod in the Western 

and Central Regulatory Areas. 

Section 679.82 provides for the 

management of Rockfish Program 

sideboard limits using directed fishing 

closures in accordance with 

§ 679.82(d)(7)(i) and (ii). The Regional 

Administrator has determined that the 

CV sideboards listed in Table 19 are 

insufficient to support a directed fishery 

and has set the sideboard DFA at zero. 

Therefore, NMFS is closing directed 

fishing for Pacific ocean perch and 

pelagic shelf rockfish in the WYK 

District and the Western Regulatory 

Area and for northern rockfish in the 

Western Regulatory Area by CVs 

participating in the Central GOA 

Rockfish Program during the month of 

July in 2011. These closures will remain 

in effect through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., 

December 31, 2011. 

Closures implemented under the 2010 

and 2011 Gulf of Alaska harvest 

specifications for groundfish (75 FR 

11749, March 12, 2010) remain effective 

under authority of these final 2011 and 

2012 harvest specifications, and are 

posted at the following Web sites: 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11137 

http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/index/ 

infobulletins/infobulletins.asp?Yr=2010, 

and http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ 

2010/status.htm. While these closures 

are in effect, the maximum retainable 

amounts at § 679.20(e) and (f) apply at 

any time during a fishing trip. These 

closures to directed fishing are in 

addition to closures and prohibitions 

found in regulations at 50 CFR part 679. 

NMFS may implement other closures 

during the 2011 and 2012 fishing years 

as necessary for effective conservation 

and management. 

Response to Comments 

NMFS did not receive any comments 

in response to the proposed 2011 and 

2012 harvest specifications (75 FR 

76352, December 8, 2010). 

Classification 

NMFS has determined that these final 

harvest specifications are consistent 

with the FMP and with the MagnusonStevens Act and other applicable laws. 

This action is authorized under 50 

CFR 679.20 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

NMFS prepared an EIS for this action 

(see ADDRESSES) and made it available to 

the public on January 12, 2007 (72 FR 

1512). On February 13, 2007, NMFS 

issued the Record of Decision (ROD) for 

the EIS. In January 2011, NMFS 

prepared a Supplemental Information 

Report (SIR) for this action. Copies of 

the EIS, ROD, and SIR for this action are 

available from NMFS (see ADDRESSES). 

The EIS analyzes the environmental 

consequences of the groundfish harvest 

specifications and alternative harvest 

strategies on resources in the action 

area. The EIS found no significant 

environmental consequences of this 

action and its alternatives. The SIR 

evaluates the need to prepare a 

Supplemental EIS (SEIS) for the 2011 

and 2012 groundfish harvest 

specifications. 

A SEIS should be prepared if (1) the 

agency makes substantial changes in the 

proposed action that are relevant to 

environmental concerns, or (2) 

significant new circumstances or 

information exist relevant to 

environmental concerns and bearing on 

the proposed action or its impacts (40 

CFR 1502.9(c)(1)). After reviewing the 

information contained in the SIR and 

SAFE reports, the Regional 

Administrator has determined that (1) 

approval of the 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications, which were set according 

to the preferred harvest strategy in the 

EIS, do not constitute a change in the 

action; and (2) there are no significant 

new circumstances or information 

relevant to environmental concerns and 

bearing on the action or its impacts. 

Additionally, the 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications will result in 

environmental impacts within the scope 

of those analyzed and disclosed in the 

EIS. Therefore, supplemental National 

Environmental Protection Act 

documentation is not necessary to 

implement the 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications. 

NMFS also prepared an Initial 

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) 

as required by section 603 of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act, analyzing the 

methodology for establishing the 

relevant TACs. The IRFA evaluated the 

impacts on small entities of alternative 

harvest strategies for the groundfish 

fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska. 

Accordingly, NMFS used the IRFA 

prepared for the EIS is association with 

this action. NMFS published a notice of 

availability of the IRFA and its summary 

in the Classification section of the 

proposed 2006 and 2007 harvest 

specifications for the GOA in the 

Federal Register on December 15, 2006 

(71 FR 75460). No comments were 

received regarding the IRFA or on the 

economic effects of the TAC-setting 

methodology. 

NMFS also prepared a Final 

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA), 

as required by section 604 of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act. Copies of the 

FRFA are available from NMFS, Alaska 

Region (see ADDRESSES). The FRFA 

analyzed the methodology for 

establishing the relevant TACs. As set 

forth in the methodology, TACs are set 

to a level that fall within the range of 

ABCs recommended by the SSC; the 

sum of the TACs must achieve optimum 

yield specified in the FMP. While the 

specific numbers that the methodology 

may produce vary from year to year, the 

methodology itself remains constant. 

Accordingly, NMFS is using the FRFA 

prepared for the EIS in association with 

this action. Pursuant to sections 3.2.3 

and 3.2.4 of the FMP, the established 

methodology produces ABCs and TACs 

within specified ranges and the 

numbers in this final rule’s preferred 

alternative are within those ranges. 

In addition, NMFS considers the 

annual rulemakings establishing the 

harvest specification numbers to be a 

series of closely-related rules stemming 

from the harvest strategy and 

representing one rule for purposes of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 

605(c)). The need for, and objectives of, 

this final rule are described in the 

preamble. A summary of the 2007 FRFA 

follows. This action is taken in 

accordance with the FMP prepared by 

the Council pursuant to the MagnusonStevens Act. 

The directly regulated small entities 

include approximately 747 small CVs 

and fewer than 20 small C/Ps in the 

GOA. The entities directly regulated by 

this action harvest groundfish in the 

EEZ of the GOA, and in parallel 

fisheries within State of Alaska waters. 

These include entities operating CVs 

and C/Ps within the action area, and 

entities receiving direct allocations of 

groundfish. CVs and C/Ps were 

considered to be small entities if they 

had annual gross receipts of $4 million 

per year or less from all economic 

activities, including the revenue of their 

affiliated operations (see Table 37 to the 

Economic Status of the Groundfish 

Fisheries off Alaska, 2005, in the 2006 

SAFE report, dated February 2007, 

available from the Council (see 

ADDRESSES)). 

Estimates of gross product value for 

the GOA groundfish were used as an 

index of revenue and potential impacts 

of the alternative harvest strategies on 

small entities. Revenues were projected 

to decline from 2006 levels in 2007 and 

2008 under the preferred alternative due 

to declines in ABCs for key species, but 

by relatively small amounts. For 

example, the 2006 estimated earned 

revenue for GOA groundfish was 199.4 

million dollars, with projected revenues 

of 192.2 million dollars and 199.2 

million dollars in 2007 and 2008, 

respectively. 

The preferred alternative (Alternative 

2) was compared to four other 

alternatives. These included Alternative 

1, which would have set TACs to 

generate fishing rates equal to the 

maximum permissible ABC (if the full 

TAC were harvested), unless the sum of 

TACs exceeded the GOA OY, in which 

case harvests would be limited to the 

OY. Alternative 3 would have set TACs 

to produce fishing rates equal to the 

most recent five-year average fishing 

rate. Alternative 4 would have set TACs 

to equal the lower limit of the GOA OY 

range. Alternative 5—the ‘‘no action’’ 

alternative—would have set TACs equal 

to zero. 

Alternatives 3, 4, and 5 were all 

associated with smaller levels for 

important fishery TACs than Alternative 

2. Estimated total gross product values 

were used as an index of potential 

adverse impacts to small entities. As a 

consequence of the lower TAC levels, 

Alternatives 3, 4, and 5 all had smaller 

first wholesale revenue indices than 

Alternative 2. Thus, Alternatives 3, 4, 

and 5 had greater adverse impacts on 

small entities. Alternative 1 appeared to 

generate higher values of the gross 

revenue index for fishing operations in 

the GOA than Alternative 2. A large part 

of the Alternative 1 GOA revenue 

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11138 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

appears to be due to the assumption that 

the full Alternative 1 TAC would be 

harvested. Much of the larger revenue 

was due to increases in flatfish TACs 

that were much greater for Alternative 1 

than for Alternative 2. In recent years, 

halibut bycatch constraints in these 

fisheries have kept actual flatfish 

catches from reaching Alternative 1 

levels. Therefore, a large part of the 

revenues associated with Alternative 1 

are unlikely to occur. Also, Alternative 

2 TACs are constrained by the ABCs the 

Plan Teams and SSC are likely to 

recommend to the Council on the basis 

of a full consideration of biological 

issues. These ABCs are often less than 

Alternative 1’s maximum permissible 

ABCs; therefore higher TACs under 

Alternative 1 may not be consistent with 

prudent biological management of the 

resource. For these reasons, Alternative 

2 is the preferred alternative. 

In addition to the IRFA prepared in 

association with the groundfish harvest 

specifications EIS, NMFS prepared a 

supplemental IRFA (SIRFA) in 

conjunction with the proposed harvest 

specifications (see ADDRESSES). The 

SIRFA evaluated the specification of 

separate OFLs and TACs for squids, 

sharks, octopuses, and sculpins in the 

GOA, consistent with the previously 

selected harvest strategy, the tier system 

used to set OFL (per the FMP), 

Amendment 87 to the FMP, the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other 

applicable law (see ADDRESSES). 

Amendment 87 to the FMP was 

published on September 22, 2010, and 

dissolved the ‘‘other species’’ complex 

into its component species of squids, 

sharks, octopuses, and sculpins. 

This supplemental Final Regulatory 

Flexibility Analysis (SFRFA) 

incorporates the SIRFA, a summary of 

the significant issues raised by the 

public comments in response to the 

IRFA, NMFS’ responses to those 

comments, and provides a summary of 

the analyses completed to support the 

action. The SFRFA augments the FRFA 

prepared in connection with the 2007 

Alaska Groundfish Harvest 

Specification EIS. 

NMFS published the proposed 

harvest specifications on December 8, 

2010 (75 FR 76352) with comments 

invited through January 7, 2011. A 

SIRFA was prepared and summarized in 

the ‘‘Classification’’ section of the 

proposed rule. The description of this 

action, its purpose, and its legal basis 

are described in the preamble to the 

proposed rule and are not repeated here. 

No public comments were specifically 

received on the SIRFA or on the 

economic impacts of this action more 

generally. No changes were made from 

the proposed rule to the final rule. 

The 2010 Economic Status of 

Groundfish Fisheries Off Alaska report, 

prepared in conjunction with the 2010 

SAFE report (see ADDRESSES), identifies 

669 small groundfish entities operating 

in the GOA, with average revenues from 

all sources of about $600,000. Most of 

these (660) are C/Vs. A majority of the 

C/Vs (510), used hook-and-line gear and 

had average revenues of about $390,000. 

There were 73 trawl C/Vs, with average 

revenues of about $840,000, and 123 pot 

C/Vs with average revenues of $550,000. 

There were five C/Ps, mostly hook-andline vessels, with average gross revenues 

of about $2.49 million. The 2010 SAFE 

report may overstate the number of 

small entities because it considers 

individual vessel gross revenues, but 

does not capture affiliations among 

vessels. All of these small entities 

would be directly regulated by this 

action. As described below, however, 

certain small entities may be more likely 

than others to be adversely affected by 

this action as a result of potential 

impacts associated with the incidental 

catch of sharks, octopuses, or squids in 

other target fisheries. 

This action does not modify any 

recordkeeping or reporting 

requirements. 

NMFS considered several alternatives 

to the action to specify separate OFLs 

and TACS for GOA sculpins, sharks, 

octopuses, and squids species 

complexes. However, each of these 

alternatives has been eliminated from 

further consideration because it either 

does not minimize significant economic 

impacts on a substantial number of 

small entities or does not accomplish 

the stated objectives of, or is in conflict 

with the requirements of, applicable 

statutes. 

This action is intended to fulfill the 

agency’s mandate to establish catch 

limits that are based on the best 

available scientific information, and to 

achieve optimum yield while 

preventing overfishing. This action 

adopts the alternative that is both 

consistent with the agency’s obligations 

under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and 

the FMP and minimizes the likelihood 

that the specification of TACs and OFLs 

for the sculpin, sharks, octopuses, and 

squid species complexes will adversely 

affect small entities. 

NMFS considered dividing the TACs 

for each of the species complexes among 

different regulatory areas in the GOA. 

Any such further division of the TACs 

would not change the total TACs for 

each species complex in the GOA as a 

whole. However, the incidental catch of 

fishing vessels that operate within each 

of the regulatory areas would be 

counted against a reduced TAC and 

OFL, which would increase the 

likelihood that the TAC or OFL would 

be reached and that one or more area 

closures may be triggered. 

NMFS considered excusing small 

entities from compliance with the TACs 

for each of the species complexes 

evaluated in the SFRFA. However, the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act requires NMFS 

to implement conservation and 

management measures that prevent 

overfishing. Authorizing unlimited 

incidental catch of these species 

complexes by small entities would 

present an unacceptable risk of 

overfishing, and would not be 

consistent with the agency’s obligations 

under Magnuson-Stevens Act, nor with 

the requirements of the Council’s FMP. 

In order to minimize the economic 

impacts of this action, NMFS 

considered allocating relatively large 

portions of the TACs for each of the 

species complexes to potentially 

affected small entities. However, any 

such allocation, which would be 

motivated solely by economic 

considerations under the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act, would not be consistent 

with National Standard 5, which states 

that ‘‘no [conservation and management 

measure] shall have economic allocation 

as its sole purpose.’’ 16 U.S.C. 

1851(a)(5). 

Finally, NMFS considered 

establishing a single group TAC for all 

four of the species complexes in the 

GOA, which would substantially reduce 

the likelihood that incidental catch 

would reach or exceed the TAC or OFL 

and result in area closures of target 

fisheries. However, the establishment of 

a stock complex comprised of species 

with such disparate life histories would 

not be consistent with the statutory 

requirement to establish catch limits 

that prevent overfishing for stocks in the 

fishery, nor with the Council’s intent in 

enacting Amendment 87. 

Adverse impacts on marine mammals 

resulting from fishing activities 

conducted under this rule are discussed 

in the EIS (see ADDRESSES). 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), the 

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

NOAA, finds good cause to waive the 

30-day delay in effectiveness for this 

rule. Plan Team review occurred in 

November 2010, and Council 

consideration and recommendations 

occurred in December 2010. 

Accordingly, NMFS review could not 

begin until January 2011. For all 

fisheries not currently closed because 

the TACs established under the final 

2010 and 2011 harvest specifications (75 

FR 11749, March 12, 2010) were not 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 11139 

reached, the possibility exists that they 

would be closed prior to the expiration 

of a 30-day delayed effectiveness period, 

if implemented, because their TACs 

could be reached. Certain fisheries, such 

as those for pollock and Pacific cod are 

intensive, fast-paced fisheries. Other 

fisheries, such as those for flatfish, 

rockfish, skates, squids, sharks, and 

octopuses are critical as directed 

fisheries and as incidental catch in other 

fisheries. U.S. fishing vessels have 

demonstrated the capacity to catch the 

TAC allocations in these fisheries. If a 

TAC is reached, NMFS would close 

directed fishing or prohibit retention for 

the applicable species, pending 

completion of the 30-day delayed 

effectiveness period. Any delay in 

allocating the final TACs in these 

fisheries would cause confusion to the 

industry and potential economic harm 

through unnecessary discards. Waiving 

the 30-day delay allows NMFS to 

prevent economic loss to fishermen that 

could occur should 2011 TACs be 

reached prior to the close of the 30 day 

delay. Determining which fisheries may 

close is impossible because these 

fisheries are affected by several factors 

that cannot be predicted in advance, 

including fishing effort, weather, 

movement of fishery stocks, and market 

price. Furthermore, the closure of one 

fishery has a cascading effect on other 

fisheries by freeing-up fishing vessels, 

allowing them to move from closed 

fisheries to open ones, increasing the 

fishing capacity in those open fisheries 

and causing them to close at an 

accelerated pace. 

In fisheries subject to declining 

sideboards, a failure to implement the 

updated sideboards before initial 

season’s end could preclude the 

intended economic protection to the 

non-sideboarded sectors. Conversely, in 

fisheries with increasing sideboards, 

economic benefit could be precluded to 

the sideboarded sectors. 

If the final harvest specifications are 

not effective by March 12, 2011, which 

is the start of the 2011 Pacific halibut 

season as specified by the IPHC, the 

hook-and-line sablefish fishery will not 

begin concurrently with the Pacific 

halibut IFQ season. This would result in 

confusion for the industry and 

economic harm from unnecessary 

discard of sablefish that are caught 

along with Pacific halibut, as both hookand-line sablefish and Pacific halibut 

are managed under the same IFQ 

program. Immediate effectiveness of the 

final 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications will allow the sablefish 

IFQ fishery to begin concurrently with 

the Pacific halibut IFQ season. Also, the 

immediate effectiveness of this action is 

required to provide consistent 

management and conservation of fishery 

resources based on the best available 

scientific information. This is 

particularly true of those species which 

have lower 2011 ABCs and TACs than 

those established in the 2010 and 2011 

harvest specifications (75 FR 11749, 

March 12, 2010). Immediate 

effectiveness also would give the fishing 

industry the earliest possible 

opportunity to plan and conduct its 

fishing operations with respect to new 

information about TAC limits. 

Therefore, NMFS finds good cause to 

waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness 

under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). 

Small Entity Compliance Guide 

The following information is a plain 

language guide to assist small entities in 

complying with this final rule as 

required by the Small Business 

Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 

1996. This final rule’s primary purpose 

is to announce the final 2011 and 2012 

harvest specifications and prohibited 

species bycatch allowances for the 

groundfish fisheries of the GOA. This 

action is necessary to establish harvest 

limits and associated management 

measures for groundfish during the 2011 

and 2012 fishing years and to 

accomplish the goals and objectives of 

the FMP. This action affects all 

fishermen who participate in the GOA 

fisheries. The specific amounts of OFL, 

ABC, TAC, and PSC are provided in 

tables to assist the reader. NMFS will 

announce closures of directed fishing in 

the Federal Register and information 

bulletins released by the Alaska Region. 

Affected fishermen should keep 

themselves informed of such closures. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 

1540(f), 1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 3631 et seq.; 

Pub. L. 105–277; Pub. L. 106–31; Pub. L. 

106–554; Pub. L. 108–199; Pub. L. 108–447; 

Pub. L. 109–241; Pub. L. 109–479. 

Dated: February 22, 2011. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–4402 Filed 2–28–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 101126521–0640–02] 

RIN 0648–XZ90 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands; Final 2011 and 2012 

Harvest Specifications for Groundfish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule; closures. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces final 2011 

and 2012 harvest specifications and 

prohibited species catch allowances for 

the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands management area 

(BSAI). This action is necessary to 

establish harvest limits for groundfish 

during the 2011 and 2012 fishing years, 

and to accomplish the goals and 

objectives of the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI (FMP). 

The intended effect of this action is to 

conserve and manage the groundfish 

resources in the BSAI in accordance 

with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act). 

DATES: Effective from 1200 hrs, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), March 1, 2011, 

through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the 

Final Alaska Groundfish Harvest 

Specifications Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS), Record of Decision 

(ROD), Supplementary Information 

Report (SIR) to the EIS, the Final 

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA), 

and Supplemental FRFA prepared for 

this action are available from http:// 

alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. The final 2010 

Stock Assessment and Fishery 

Evaluation (SAFE) report for the 

groundfish resources of the BSAI, dated 

November 2010, is available from the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (Council) at 605 West 4th 

Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99510–2252, phone 907–271–2809, or 

from the Council’s Web site at http:// 

alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 907–586–7269. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal 

regulations at 50 CFR part 679 

implement the FMP and govern the 

groundfish fisheries in the BSAI. The 

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