9910 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 30 / Wednesday, February 17, 2021 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XA807] 

Determination of Overfishing or an 

Overfished Condition 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This action serves as a notice 

that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of 

Commerce (Secretary), has found that 

Gulf of Mexico cobia, Gulf of Mexico 

lane snapper, the Gulf of Mexico jacks 

complex, South Atlantic golden tilefish, 

and Western and Central Pacific Ocean 

silky shark are now subject to 

overfishing; Sacramento River fall-run 

Chinook salmon, Klamath River fall-run 

Chinook salmon, Queets coho salmon, 

Juan de Fuca coho salmon, and Saint 

Matthew Island blue king crab are still 

overfished; and Pacific bluefin tuna is 

still subject to overfishing and 

overfished. NMFS, on behalf of the 

Secretary, notifies the appropriate 

regional fishery management council 

(Council) whenever it determines that a 

stock or stock complex is subject to 

overfishing, overfished, or approaching 

an overfished condition. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kathryn Frens, (301)–427–8523. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to section 304(e)(2) of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens 

Act), 16 U.S.C. 1854(e)(2), NMFS, on 

behalf of the Secretary, must notify 

Councils, and publish a notice in the 

Federal Register, whenever it 

determines that a stock or stock 

complex is subject to overfishing, 

overfished, or approaching an 

overfished condition. 

NMFS has determined that Gulf of 

Mexico cobia, Gulf of Mexico lane 

snapper, and the Gulf of Mexico jacks 

complex are now subject to overfishing. 

The Gulf of Mexico cobia determination 

is based on the most recent assessment, 

completed in 2020 and using data 

through 2018, which indicates that this 

stock is subject to overfishing because 

the fishing mortality rate was above the 

threshold. Gulf of Mexico lane snapper 

and the Gulf jacks complex were not 

assessed in 2020, and catch data from 

2019 support a determination that these 

stocks are subject to overfishing because 

catch for each stock exceeded their 

respective thresholds. NMFS has 

notified the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council of the requirement 

to end and prevent overfishing on lane 

snapper and the jacks complex. NMFS 

has notified the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council and the South 

Atlantic Fishery Management Council of 

the requirement to end and prevent 

overfishing on cobia. 

NMFS has determined that South 

Atlantic golden tilefish is now subject to 

overfishing. This stock was not assessed 

in 2020, and catch data from 2019 

support a determination that this stock 

is subject to overfishing because the 

catch was above the threshold. NMFS 

has notified the South Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council of the requirement 

to end and prevent overfishing on this 

stock. 

NMFS has determined that Western 

and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) silky 

shark is now subject to overfishing. The 

determination for silky shark is based 

on the most recent assessment, 

completed in 2018 using data through 

2016, which indicates that the stock is 

subject to overfishing because the 

fishing mortality rate is above the 

threshold. NMFS has determined that 

section 304(i) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act applies because the overfishing of 

WCPO silky shark is due largely to 

excessive international fishing pressure. 

NMFS has informed the Western Pacific 

Fishery Management Council of its 

obligations for domestic and 

international management under 

Magnuson-Stevens Act section 304(i) to 

address domestic and international 

impacts. 

NMFS has determined that 

Sacramento River fall-run Chinook 

salmon, Klamath River fall-run Chinook 

salmon, Queets coho salmon, and Juan 

de Fuca coho salmon are still 

overfished. These determinations are 

based on the most recent assessments, 

completed in 2020 and using data from 

2017–2019 for the two Chinook stocks, 

and data from 2016–2018 for the two 

coho stocks. The assessments support 

determinations that all four stocks 

remain overfished because the threeyear geometric mean of the annual 

spawning escapement for each stock 

falls below its respective threshold. Of 

these four salmon stocks, only the two 

Chinook stocks are domestically 

managed. The Council has limited 

ability to control the two 

internationally-managed coho stocks in 

waters outside its jurisdiction. The 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

(Pacific Council) adopted rebuilding 

plans for all four overfished salmon 

stocks in 2019. NMFS continues to work 

with the Pacific Council to implement 

these plans. 

NMFS has further determined that 

Pacific bluefin tuna continues to be both 

subject to overfishing and overfished. 

This determination is based on the most 

recent assessment, conducted by the 

International Scientific Committee for 

Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the 

North Pacific Ocean (ISC), completed in 

2020 using data through 2018. Applying 

domestic status determination criteria, 

this stock is still subject to overfishing 

because the fishing mortality rate is 

above its threshold, and is still 

overfished because the spawning stock 

biomass is below its threshold. NMFS 

continues to work with the Pacific 

Council to end overfishing and rebuild 

this stock. 

NMFS has determined that Saint 

Matthew Island blue king crab is still 

overfished. This determination is based 

on the most recent assessment, 

completed in 2020 using data through 

2020, which indicates that the stock is 

overfished because the biomass estimate 

remains below its threshold. NMFS 

continues to work with the North 

Pacific Fishery Management Council to 

rebuild this stock. 

Dated: February 11, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–03147 Filed 2–16–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XA875] 

Western Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

hold a meeting of the Pacific Pelagic 

Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Plan 

Team (PT) to discuss fishery 

management issues and develop 

recommendations to the Council for 

future management of pelagic fisheries 

in the Western Pacific region. 

DATES: The Pelagic PT will be held on 

March 3–4, 2021. For specific times and 

agendas, see SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held by 

web conference. Audio and visual 

portions of the web conference can be 


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