83834 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Rules and Regulations 

endorsement when fishing 

commercially for BFT. 

Depending on the level of fishing 

effort and catch rates of BFT, NMFS 

may determine that additional action 

(e.g., quota adjustment, daily retention 

limit adjustment, or closure) is 

necessary to ensure available subquotas 

are not exceeded or to enhance 

scientific data collection from, and 

fishing opportunities in, all geographic 

areas. If needed, subsequent 

adjustments will be published in the 

Federal Register. As needed, NMFS will 

close the General category fishery when 

the adjusted January through March 

period subquota has been reached. Even 

if the adjusted subquota is not reached, 

the General category fishery will close 

automatically on March 31, 2021, and 

will remain closed until it reopens on 

June 1, 2021. Fishermen may call the 

Atlantic Tunas Information Line at (978) 

281–9260, or access 

hmspermits.noaa.gov, for updates on 

quota monitoring and inseason 

adjustments. 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is consistent with 

regulations at 50 CFR part 635, which 

were issued pursuant to section 304(c) 

of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the 

Atlantic Tunas Convention Act, and is 

exempt from review under Executive 

Order 12866. 

The Assistant Administrator for 

NMFS (AA) finds that it is impracticable 

and contrary to the public interest to 

provide prior notice of, and an 

opportunity for public comment on, this 

action for the following reasons: 

The regulations implementing the 

2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and 

amendments provide for inseason quota 

transfers to respond to the unpredictable 

nature of BFT availability on the fishing 

grounds, the migratory nature of this 

species, and the regional variations in 

the BFT fishery. Affording prior notice 

and opportunity for public comment to 

implement the quota transfer for the 

January through March 2021 subquota 

period is impracticable and contrary to 

the public interest as NMFS could not 

have proposed this action earlier, as it 

needed to consider and respond to 

updated landings data, including the 

recently available December 2020 data, 

in deciding to transfer a portion of the 

December 2021 subquota to the January 

through March 2021 subquota. If NMFS 

was to offer a public comment period 

now, after having appropriately 

considered that data, it could preclude 

fishermen from harvesting BFT that are 

legally available consistent with all of 

the regulatory criteria, and/or could 

result in selection of a retention limit 

inappropriately high for the amount of 

quota available for the period. This 

action does not raise conservation and 

management concerns. Transferring 

quota within the General category does 

not affect the overall U.S. BFT quota, 

and available data shows the adjustment 

would have a minimal risk of exceeding 

the ICCAT-allocated quota. NMFS notes 

that the public had an opportunity to 

comment on the underlying 

rulemakings that established the U.S. 

BFT quota and the inseason adjustment 

criteria. For all of the above reasons, 

there is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d) to waive the 30-day delay in 

effectiveness. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801 

et seq. 

Dated: December 17, 2020. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28215 Filed 12–22–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[[Docket No. 200221–0062] 

RTID 0648–XA725 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Inseason Adjustment 

to the 2021 Gulf of Alaska Pollock and 

Pacific Cod Total Allowable Catch 

Amounts 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason 

adjustment; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is adjusting the 2021 

total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for 

the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) pollock and 

Pacific cod fishery. This action is 

necessary because NMFS has 

determined these TACs are incorrectly 

specified, and will ensure the GOA 

pollock and Pacific cod TACs are the 

appropriate amount based on the best 

available scientific information for 

pollock and Pacific cod in the GOA. 

This action is consistent with the goals 

and objectives of the Fishery 

Management Plan for Groundfish of the 

Gulf of Alaska. 

DATES: Effective 0001 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), January 1, 2021, until 

the effective date of the final 2021 and 

2022 harvest specifications for GOA 

groundfish, unless otherwise modified 

or superseded through publication of a 

notification in the Federal Register. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., January 7, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by NOAA–NMFS–2019–0102 

by any of the following methods: 

• Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2019- 

0102, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Records. Mail comments to P.O. Box 

21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. 

Instructions: NMFS may not consider 

comments if they are sent by any other 

method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the 

comment period ends. All comments 

received are a part of the public record, 

and NMFS will post the comments for 

public viewing on www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Obren Davis, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of 

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

(Council) under authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act. 

Regulations governing fishing by U.S. 

vessels in accordance with the FMP 

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 

and 50 CFR part 679. 

The final 2020 and 2021 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the GOA 

(85 FR 13802, March 10, 2020 and 

revision to implement Amendment 109, 

85 FR 74266, November 20, 2020) set 

the 2021 pollock TAC at 119,239 metric 

tons (mt) in the GOA. In December 

2020, the Council recommended a 2021 

pollock TAC of 113,227 mt for the GOA, 

which is less than the 119,239 mt 

established by the final 2020 and 2021 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 


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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Rules and Regulations 83835 

the GOA. The Council’s recommended 

2021 TAC, and the area and seasonal 

apportionments, is based on the Stock 

Assessment and Fishery Evaluation 

report (SAFE), dated November 2020. 

The final 2020 and 2021 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the GOA 

(85 FR 13802, March 10, 2020 and 

revision to implement Amendment 109, 

85 FR 74266, November 20, 2020) set 

the 2021 Pacific cod TAC at 6,431 mt in 

the GOA. In December 2020, the 

Council recommended a 2021 Pacific 

cod TAC of 17,321 mt for the GOA, 

which is more than the 6,431 mt 

established by the final 2020 and 2021 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the GOA. The Council’s recommended 

2021 TAC, and the area and seasonal 

apportionments, is based on the SAFE, 

dated November 2020. 

Steller sea lions occur in the same 

location as the pollock and Pacific cod 

fisheries and are listed as endangered 

under the Endangered Species Act. 

Pollock and Pacific cod are principal 

prey species for Steller sea lions in the 

GOA. The seasonal apportionment of 

pollock and Pacific cod harvests are 

necessary to ensure the groundfish 

fisheries are not likely to cause jeopardy 

of extinction or adverse modification of 

critical habitat for Steller sea lions. The 

regulations at § 679.20(a)(5)(iv) specify 

how the pollock TAC will be 

apportioned and the regulations at 

§ 679.20(a)(6)(ii) and (a)(12)(i) specify 

how the Pacific cod TAC will be 

apportioned. 

In accordance with § 679.25(a)(1)(iii), 

(a)(2)(i)(B), and (a)(2)(iv) the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), has 

determined that, based on the best 

available scientific information for this 

fishery, the current GOA pollock and 

Pacific cod TACs are incorrectly 

specified. Consequently, pursuant to 

§ 679.25(a)(1)(iii), the Regional 

Administrator is adjusting the 2021 

GOA pollock TAC to 113,227 mt and the 

2021 Pacific cod TAC to 17,321 mt. 

Therefore, Tables 4 and 6 of the final 

2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the GOA (85 FR 13802, 

March 10, 2020 and revision to 

implement Amendment 109, 85 FR 

74266, November 20, 2020) are revised 

consistent with this adjustment. 

NMFS published a final rule to 

implement Amendment 109 to the FMP 

(85 FR 38093, June 25, 2020). That rule 

revised the pollock seasons in the GOA, 

along with Pacific cod seasonal 

allocations, for the Central and Western 

Regulatory Areas of the GOA. 

Amendment 109 modified the existing 

annual pollock TAC allocation to two 

equal seasonal allocations (50 percent of 

TAC), rather than four equal seasonal 

allocations (25 percent of TAC). The 

pollock A and B seasons were combined 

into a January 20 through May 31 A 

season, and the pollock C and D seasons 

were combined into a September 1 

through November 1 B season. 

Additionally, Amendment 109 revised 

the Pacific cod TAC seasonal allocations 

to the trawl catcher vessel sector by 

increasing the A season allocation and 

decreasing the B season allocation. The 

revisions implemented by Amendment 

109, which are effective January 1, 2021, 

are incorporated into this inseason 

adjustment. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iv), Table 4 

of the final 2020 and 2021 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the GOA 

(85 FR 13802, March 10, 2020 and 

revision to implement Amendment 109, 

85 FR 74266, November 20, 2020) is 

revised for the 2021 TACs of pollock in 

the Central and Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA. 

TABLE 4—FINAL 2021 DISTRIBUTION OF POLLOCK IN THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL REGULATORY AREAS OF THE GULF OF

ALASKA; AREA APPORTIONMENTS; 1 AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF ANNUAL TAC 

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton and percentages are rounded to the nearest 0.01] 

Season 2 Shumigan 

(area 610) 

Chirikof 

(area 620) 

Kodiak 

(area 630) Total 3

A (January 20–May 31) ................................................................................... 799 41,737 6,297 48,833

B (September 1–November 1) ........................................................................ 17,677 13,133 18,023 48,833 

Annual Total ............................................................................................. 18,477 54,870 24,320 97,667 

1Area apportionments and seasonal allowances may not total precisely due to rounding. 

2As established by § 679.23(d)(2)(i) through (ii), the A and B season allowances are available from January 20 through May 31 and September 1 through November 1, respectively. The amounts of pollock for processing by the inshore and offshore components are not shown in 

this table. 3The West Yakutat and Southeast Outside District pollock TACs are not allocated by season and are not included in the total pollock TACs 

shown in this table. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(6)(ii) and 

(a)(12)(i), Table 6 of the final 2020 and 

2021 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the GOA (85 FR 13802, 

March 10, 2020 and revision to 

implement Amendment 109, 85 FR 

74266, November 20, 2020) is revised 

for the 2021 TACs of Pacific cod in the 

GOA. 

TABLE 6—FINAL 2021 SEASONAL APPORTIONMENTS AND ALLOCATION OF PACIFIC COD TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH (TAC) 

AMOUNTS IN THE GOA; ALLOCATIONS IN THE WESTERN GOA AND CENTRAL GOA SECTORS, AND THE EASTERN

GOA INSHORE AND OFFSHORE PROCESSING COMPONENTS

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Regulatory area and sector 

Annual 

allocation 

(mt) 

A Season B Season 

Sector 

percentage of 

annual non-jig 

TAC 

Seasonal 

allowances 

(mt) 

Sector 

percentage of 

annual non-jig 

TAC 

Seasonal 

allowances 

(mt) 

Western GOA 

Jig (3.5% of TAC) ......................................................... 196 N/A 117 N/A 78 

Hook-and-line CV ......................................................... 76 0.70 38 0.70 38 


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83836 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 6—FINAL 2021 SEASONAL APPORTIONMENTS AND ALLOCATION OF PACIFIC COD TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH (TAC) 

AMOUNTS IN THE GOA; ALLOCATIONS IN THE WESTERN GOA AND CENTRAL GOA SECTORS, AND THE EASTERN

GOA INSHORE AND OFFSHORE PROCESSING COMPONENTS—Continued 

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Regulatory area and sector 

Annual 

allocation 

(mt) 

A Season B Season 

Sector 

percentage of 

annual non-jig 

TAC 

Seasonal 

allowances 

(mt) 

Sector 

percentage of 

annual non-jig 

TAC 

Seasonal 

allowances 

(mt) 

Hook-and-line CP ......................................................... 1,068 10.90 588 8.90 480 

Trawl CV ....................................................................... 2,071 31.54 1,701 10.70 370 

Trawl CP ....................................................................... 129 0.90 49 1.50 81 

All Pot CV and Pot CP ................................................. 2,050 19.80 1,068 18.20 982 

Total ....................................................................... 5,590 63.84 3,561 36.16 2,029 

Central GOA 

Jig (1.0% of TAC) ......................................................... 102 N/A 61 N/A 41 

Hook-and-line <50 CV .................................................. 1,481 9.32 945 5.29 536 

Hook-and-line ≥50 CV .................................................. 680 5.61 569 1.10 111 

Hook-and-line CP ......................................................... 518 4.11 416 1.00 101 

Trawl CV1 ..................................................................... 4,216 21.14 2,565 20.45 1,652 

Trawl CP ....................................................................... 426 2.00 203 2.19 223 

All Pot CV and Pot CP ................................................. 2,819 17.83 1,808 9.97 1,011 

Total ....................................................................... 10,242 64.16 6,567 35.84 3,675 

Eastern GOA ........................................................................ ........................ Inshore (90% of Annual TAC) Offshore (10% of Annual TAC) 

1,489 ........................ 1,340 ........................ 149 

1Trawl catcher vessels participating in Rockfish Program cooperatives receive 3.81 percent, or 390 mt, of the annual Central GOA TAC (see 

Table 28c to 50 CFR part 679), which is deducted from the Trawl CV B season allowance (see Table 12. Final 2021 Apportionments of Rockfish 

Secondary Species in the Central GOA and Table 28c to 50 CFR part 679). 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 

part 679, which was issued pursuant to 

section 304(b), and is exempt from 

review under Executive Order 12866. 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there 

is good cause to waive prior notice and 

an opportunity for public comment on 

this action, as notice and comment 

would be impracticable and contrary to 

the public interest, as it would prevent 

NMFS from responding to the most 

recent fisheries data in a timely fashion 

and would allow for harvests that 

exceed the appropriate allocation for 

pollock and Pacific cod based on the 

best scientific information available. 

NMFS was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of December 

16, 2020. 

Without this inseason adjustment, 

NMFS could not allow the fishery for 

pollock, Atka mackerel, and Pacific cod 

in the BSAI to be harvested in an 

expedient manner and in accordance 

with the regulatory schedule. Under 

§ 679.25(c)(2), interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments on 

this action to the above address until 

January 7, 2021. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: December 17, 2020. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28261 Filed 12–22–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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