[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17034-17036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7241]


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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; Correction

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

ACTION: Final rule; closures; correction.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is correcting a 
final rule that published on March 1, 2011, implementing the 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). Two tables within the document contained 
errors.

DATES: Effective from 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 1, 
2011, through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Whitney, 907-586-7269.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Need for Correction

    NMFS published the Final 2011 and 2012 BSAI Harvest Specifications 
in the Federal Register on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 (76 FR 11139). Tables 
providing information on 2011 and 2012 Directed Fishing Closures (Table 
10) and the Final 2011 and 2012 American Fisheries Act Catcher Vessel 
BSAI Groundfish Sideboard Limits (Table 13) contained a number of minor 
errors. In Table 10 on page 11154, NMFS inadvertently listed an 
incidental catch allowance (ICA) of rock sole at ``10,000'' metric tons 
(mt), instead of the correct number of ``5,000'' mt. In addition, 
Federal Register formatting issues caused misalignment in Tables 10 and 
13 and affected the information contained in those tables. In Table 10 
on page 11154, the Federal Register listed the phrase ``ICA rock sole'' 
in the ``sector'' column rather than the ``species'' column. In Table 
13 on page 11156, the Federal Register shifted seven lines upward by 
one row in the following columns: ``Ratio of 1995-1997 TAC''; ``2011 
initial TAC''; ``2011 AFA catcher vessel sideboard limits''; ``2012 
initial TAC''; and ``2012 AFA catcher vessel sideboard limits''. As a 
result of this error, Table 13 contains incorrect information on 
Pacific cod sideboard limits for the following gears and seasons: ``Jig 
gear''; ``Hook and line Catcher Vessels (CV)'' for ``Jan 1-Jun 10''; 
``Pot gear CV'' for ``Jan 1-Jun 10''; and ``Trawl gear CV'' for ``Jan 
20-Apr 1''. Table 13 also contains incorrect information on Atka 
mackerel sideboard limits for the following areas and seasons: 
``Eastern AI/BS'' for ``Jan 1-Jun 10''; ``Central AI'' for ``Jan 1-Jun 
10''; and ``Central AI'' for ``Jan 1-Jun 10''. NMFS' corrections to 
Table 10 and Table 13 are listed below.
    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good 
cause to waive the requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity 
for public comment pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(B) as such requirement is impracticable and contrary to the 
public interest. This correction notice makes only minor changes and 
does not change operating practices in the fisheries. Corrections 
should be made as soon as possible to avoid confusion for participants 
in the fisheries.
    The AA also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the 
effective date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). This finding is 
based upon the reasons provided above for waiver of prior notice and 
opportunity for public comment.

Correction

    On pages 11153, 11154, and 11156, Tables 10 and 13 are corrected to 
read as follows:

                              Table 10--2011 and 2012 Directed Fishing Closures \1\
           [Groundfish and halibut amounts are in metric tons. Crab amounts are in number of animals]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             2011 Incidental    2012 Incidental
             Area                      Sector                Species         catch allowance    catch allowance
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bogoslof District............  All..................  Pollock.............                150                150
Aleutian Islands subarea.....  All..................  ICA pollock.........              1,600              1,600
                                                      ``Other rockfish''..                425                425
Eastern Aleutian District/     Non-amendment 80 and   ICA Atka mackerel...                 75                 75
 Bering Sea.                    BSAI trawl limited
                                access.

[[Page 17035]]

 
Eastern Aleutian District/     All..................  Rougheye rockfish...                234                240
 Bering Sea.
Eastern Aleutian District....  Non-amendment 80 and   ICA Pacific ocean                   100                100
                                BSAI trawl limited     perch.
                                access.
Central Aleutian District....  Non-amendment 80 and   ICA Atka mackerel...                 75                 75
                                BSAI trawl limited
                                access.
                                                      ICA Pacific ocean                    75                 75
                                                       perch.
Western Aleutian District....  Non-amendment 80 and   ICA Atka mackerel...                 40                 40
                                BSAI trawl limited
                                access.
                                                      ICA Pacific ocean                    10                 10
                                                       perch.
Central and Western Aleutian   All..................  Rougheye rockfish...                220                225
 Districts.
Bering Sea subarea...........  All..................  Pacific ocean perch.              4,854              4,854
                                                      ``Other rockfish''..                500                500
                                                      ICA pollock.........             45,072             45,132
Bering Sea and Aleutian        All..................  Northern rockfish...              4,000              4,000
 Islands.
                                                      Shortraker rockfish.                393                393
                                                      Squids..............                361                361
                                                      Skates..............             14,025             14,025
                                                      Sharks..............                 43                 43
                                                      Octopuses...........                128                128
                                                      Sculpins............              4,420              4,420
                               Hook-and-line and pot  ICA Pacific cod.....                500                500
                                gear.
                               Non-amendment 80.....  ICA flathead sole...              5,000              5,000
                               ICA rock sole........  5,000...............              5,000
                               Non-amendment 80 and   ICA yellowfin sole..              2,000              2,000
                                BSAI trawl limited
                                access.
                               BSAI trawl limited     Rock sole/flathead                    0                  0
                                access.                sole/other
                                                       flatfish--halibut
                                                       mortality, red king
                                                       crab zone 1, C.
                                                       opilio COBLZ, C.
                                                       bairdi Zone 1 and 2.
                                                      Turbot/arrowtooth/                    0                  0
                                                       sablefish--halibut
                                                       mortality, red king
                                                       crab zone 1, C.
                                                       opilio COBLZ, C.
                                                       bairdi Zone 1 and 2.
                                                      Rockfish--red king                    0                  0
                                                       crab zone 1.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Maximum retainable amounts may be found in Table 11 to 50 CFR part 679.


                          Table 13--Final 2011 and 2012 American Fisheries Act Catcher Vessel Bsai Groundfish Sideboard Limits
                                                              [Amounts are in metric tons]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                           Ratio of
                                                                                          1995-1997                  2011 AFA                  2012 AFA
                                                                                            AFA CV        2011       catcher        2012       catcher
                    Species                            Fishery by area/gear/season         catch to   initial TAC     vessel    initial TAC     vessel
                                                                                          1995-1997       \1\       sideboard       \1\       sideboard
                                                                                             TAC                      limits                    limits
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific cod....................................  BSAI
                                                    Jig gear...........................            0          n/a            0          n/a            0
                                                 Hook-and-line CV
                                                      Jan 1-Jun 10.....................       0.0006          207            0          208            0
                                                      Jun 10-Dec 31....................       0.0006          199            0          200            0
                                                 Pot gear CV
                                                      Jan 1-Jun 10.....................       0.0006        8,685            5        8,749            5
                                                      Sept 1-Dec 31....................       0.0006        8,345            5        8,406            5
                                                    CV < 60 feet LOA using hook-and-          0.0006        4,055            2        4,084            2
                                                     line or pot gear.
                                                 Trawl gear CV
                                                      Jan 20-Apr 1.....................       0.8609       33,290       28,659       33,532       28,868
                                                      Apr 1-Jun 10.....................       0.8609        4,949        4,261        4,985        4,292
                                                      Jun 10-Nov 1.....................       0.8609        6,748        5,809        6,797        5,852
Sablefish......................................  BS trawl gear.........................       0.0906        1,211          110        1,109          100
                                                 AI trawl gear.........................       0.0645          404           26          370           24
Atka mackerel..................................  Eastern AI/BS
                                                    Jan 1-Jun 10.......................       0.0032       17,994           58       16,431           53
                                                    Jun 10-Nov 1.......................       0.0032       17,994           58       16,431           53
                                                 Central AI
                                                    Jan 1-Jun 10.......................       0.0001        5,037            1        4,596            0
                                                    Jun 10-Nov 1.......................       0.0001        5,037            1        4,596            0
                                                 Western AI
                                                    Jan 1-Jun 10.......................            0          n/a            0          n/a            0

[[Page 17036]]

 
                                                    Jun 10-Nov 1.......................            0          n/a            0          n/a            0
Rock sole......................................  BSAI..................................       0.0341       75,905        2,588       75,905        2,588
Greenland turbot...............................  BS....................................       0.0645        2,975          192        2,975          192
                                                 AI....................................       0.0205        1,318           27        1,233           25
Arrowtooth flounder............................  BSAI..................................        0.069       22,015        1,519       22,015        1,519
Kamchatka flounder.............................  BSAI..................................        0.069       15,045        1,038       15,045        1,038
Alaska plaice..................................  BSAI..................................       0.0441       13,600          600       13,600          600
Other flatfish.................................  BSAI..................................       0.0441        2,550          112        2,550          112
Flathead sole..................................  BS trawl gear.........................       0.0505       37,102        1,874       37,102        1,874
Pacific ocean perch............................  BS....................................          0.1        4,854          485        4,854          485
                                                 Eastern AI............................       0.0077        5,054           39        5,054           39
                                                 Central AI............................       0.0025        4,429           11        4,429           11
                                                 Western AI............................            0          n/a            0          n/a            0
Northern rockfish..............................  BSAI..................................       0.0084        4,000           34        4,000           34
Shortraker rockfish............................  BSAI..................................       0.0037          393            1          393            1
Rougheye rockfish..............................  EBS/EAI...............................       0.0037          234            1          240            1
                                                 CAI/WAI...............................       0.0037          220            1          225            1
Other rockfish.................................  BS....................................       0.0048          500            2          500            2
                                                 AI....................................       0.0095          425            4          425            4
Squids.........................................  BSAI..................................       0.3827          361          138          361          138
Skates.........................................  BSAI..................................       0.0541       14,025          759       14,025          759
Sharks.........................................  BSAI..................................       0.0541           43            2           43            2
Octopuses......................................  BSAI..................................       0.0541          128            7          128            7
Sculpins.......................................  BSAI..................................       0.0541        4,420          239        4,420          239
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch, and BSAI Atka mackerel, flathead sole, and rock sole are multiplied by the remainder of the TAC of that
  species after the subtraction of the CDQ reserve under Sec.   679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C).


    Dated: March 23, 2011.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-7241 Filed 3-25-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P