7168 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7021–02; I.D.

102296B]

RIN 0648–XX69

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish Fishery of

the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands;

Final 1997 Harvest Specifications for

Groundfish

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Final 1997 specifications of

groundfish and associated management

measures; apportionment of reserves;

closures and inseason adjustment.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces final 1997

harvest specifications of total allowable

catches (TACs), initial apportionments

of TACs for each category of groundfish,

and associated management measures in

the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

management area (BSAI). This action is

necessary to establish harvest limits and

associated management measures for

groundfish during the 1997 fishing year.

NMFS is apportioning reserves to the

initial TACs (ITACs) specified for

certain species amounts to allow for full

harvest opportunity of these TACs.

NMFS is also closing fisheries and

issuing an inseason adjustment as

specified in the final 1997 groundfish

specifications. These measures are

intended to conserve and manage the

groundfish resources in the BSAI.

EFFECTIVE DATES: The final 1997 harvest

specifications and associated

apportionment of reserves are effective

at 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.),

February 12, 1997 through 2400 hrs,

A.l.t., December 31, 1997, or until

changed by subsequent notification in

the Federal Register. The closures to

directed fishing and inseason

adjustment are effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t.,

February 12, 1997, through 2400 hrs,

A.l.t., December 31, 1997. Comments on

the apportionment of reserves and

inseason adjustment must be submitted

by February 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The final Environmental

Assessment (EA) prepared for the 1997

Total Allowable Catch Specifications

may be obtained from the Fisheries

Management Division, Alaska Region,

NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK

99802–1668, Attn: Lori Gravel, or by

calling 907–586–7229. Comments on the

apportionment of reserves and inseason

adjustment may be sent to Ronald J.

Berg at the same address. The final 1997

Stock Assessment and Fishery

Evaluation (SAFE) report, dated

November 1996, is available from the

North Pacific Fishery Management

Council, West 4th Avenue, Suite 306,

Anchorage, AK 99510–2252 (907–271–

2809).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan J. Salveson, NMFS, 907–586–

7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Groundfish fisheries in the BSAI are

governed by Federal regulations at 50

CFR part 679 that implement the

Fishery Management Plan for the

Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea

and Aleutian Island Area (FMP). The

FMP was prepared by the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council (Council)

and approved by NMFS under the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act.

The FMP and implementing

regulations require NMFS, after

consultation with the Council, to

specify annually the TAC for each target

species and the ‘‘other species’’

category, the sum of which must be

within the optimum yield (OY) range of

1.4 million to 2.0 million metric tons

(mt) (§ 679.20(a)(1)(i)). Regulations

under § 679.20(c)(1) further require

NMFS to publish annually and solicit

public comment on proposed annual

TACs, prohibited species catch (PSC)

allowances, seasonal allowances of the

pollock TAC, and amounts for the

pollock and sablefish Community

Development Quota (CDQ) reserve. The

final specifications set forth in Tables 1–

9 of this action satisfy these

requirements. For 1997, the sum of

TACs is 2 million mt.

The proposed BSAI groundfish

specifications and specifications for

prohibited species bycatch allowances

for the groundfish fishery of the BSAI

were published in the Federal Register

on November 26, 1996 (61 FR 60076),

and corrected on January 17, 1997 (62

FR 2719). Comments were invited

through December 23, 1996. Two

comments were received and are

summarized and responded to below in

the Response to Comments section.

Public consultation with the Council

occurred during the December 11–15,

1996, Council meeting in Anchorage,

AK. After considering public comments

received, as well as biological and

economic data that were available at the

Council’s December meeting, NMFS is

implementing the final 1997

specifications as recommended by the

Council.

Interim Specifications

With the exception of hook-and-line

and pot gear allocation of sablefish,

regulations under § 679.20(c)(2)(ii)

authorize one-fourth of each proposed

ITAC and apportionment thereof, onefourth of each proposed PSC allowance,

and the first proposed seasonal

allowance of pollock to be in effect on

January 1 on an interim basis and to

remain in effect until superseded by

final initial specifications. NMFS

published the interim 1997

specifications in the Federal Register on

November 26, 1996 (61 FR 60044), and

corrected on January 16, 1997 (62 FR

2445). The final 1997 initial groundfish

harvest specifications and prohibited

species bycatch allowances contained in

this action supersede the interim 1997

specifications.

TAC Specifications and Acceptable

Biological Catch (ABC)

The specified TAC for each species is

based on the best available biological

and socioeconomic information. The

Council, its Advisory Panel (AP), and its

Scientific and Statistical Committee

(SSC) reviewed current biological

information about the condition of

groundfish stocks in the BSAI at their

September and December 1996

meetings. This information was

compiled by the Council’s BSAI

Groundfish Plan Team (Plan Team) and

is presented in the final 1997 SAFE

report for the BSAI groundfish fisheries,

dated November 1996. The Plan Team

annually produces such a document as

the first step in the process of specifying

TACs. The SAFE report contains a

review of the latest scientific analyses

and estimates of each species’ biomass

and other biological parameters. From

these data and analyses, the Plan Team

estimates an ABC for each species

category.

A summary of the preliminary ABCs

for each species for 1997 and other

biological data from the September 1996

draft SAFE report were provided in the

discussion supporting the proposed

1997 specifications (61 FR 60076,

November 26, 1996, and corrected at 62

FR 2719, January 17, 1997). The Plan

Team’s recommended ABCs were

reviewed by the SSC, AP, and Council

at their September 1996 meetings. Based

on the SSC’s comments concerning

technical methods and new biological

data not available in September, the

Plan Team revised its ABC

recommendations in the final SAFE

report, dated November 1996. The

revised ABC recommendations were
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 7169

again reviewed by the SSC, AP, and

Council at their December 1996

meetings. While the SSC endorsed most

of the Plan Team’s recommendations for

1997 ABCs set forth in the final SAFE

report, the SSC recommended revisions

to ABC amounts calculated for pollock

in the Bogoslof District, Greenland

turbot, and sablefish. These revisions, as

well as a summary of the SSC’s

discussion on eastern Bering Sea

pollock, are discussed below.

Eastern Bering Sea pollock. The SSC

concurred with the Plan Team’s

recommended 1997 ABC for eastern

Bering Sea pollock (1.13 million mt).

This recommendation was made after

lengthy discussion about the desirability

of reducing the Plan Team’s

recommended ABC to respond to

concerns about future recruitment and

potentially high fishing mortality of

eastern Bering Sea pollock in Russian

waters. The SSC’s discussion focused on

the following issues: (1) Choice of

models used to estimate 1997 eastern

Bering Sea stock biomass, (2) choice of

fishing mortality rates upon which to

base 1997 ABC, (3) the strengths and

weaknesses of the Plan Team’s forecast

of incoming year-classes, (4) the effects

of spatial and temporal distribution of

fishing effort for pollock on the

ecosystem, (5) the utility of foregoing

catch from the upcoming harvest cycle,

(6) impacts of Russian pollock harvests

on the eastern Bering Sea stock, and (7)

industry and conservation group

recommendations for harvest levels in

1997.

The SSC discussed the relative merits

of lowering ABC to forego catch in 1997

as a means to promote improved future

recruitment and/or provide additional

fish in subsequent years. The SSC

concluded that the high natural

mortality rate of pollock would greatly

diminish any foregone catch before it

could contribute to the next spawning

cycle or before it became vulnerable to

the next fishing season. Furthermore,

pollock recruitment is highly variable at

all levels of spawning stock size, so the

addition of a small increment in

spawning biomass through foregone

catch in 1997 likely would have no

discernible impact on future

recruitment. The SSC concluded that

uncertainty in estimates of future

recruitment is a function of a declining

population biomass, variability in

environmental conditions affecting

young pollock, an unquantifiable level

of removals of eastern Bering Sea

pollock in Russian waters, and

variability in the assumed linear

relationship between age 1 pollock in

the NMFS bottom trawl survey and

recruitment at age 3. If pollock biomass

continues to decline, fishing mortality

will be adjusted downward for

increasingly conservative management

in future years. In 1997, data from a

scheduled NMFS hydroacoustic trawl

survey will be used to assess the status

of this stock, as well as any necessary

changes in its management for 1998.

Bogoslof pollock. NMFS 1996 survey

data are used to estimate the biomass of

Bogoslof pollock at 682,000 mt, a

significant reduction from the 1995

estimate of 1.1 million mt. The Plan

Team recommended an ABC of 115,000

mt based on a fishing mortality rate of

about 21 percent applied to a projected

1997 biomass of 558,000 mt. The SSC

believed the Bogoslof ABC should be

reduced by the ratio of current biomass

to target biomass, where target biomass

is assumed to be 2 million mt.

Consequently, the SSC recommended a

1997 Bogoslof ABC of 32,100 mt. The

corresponding overfishing level, 43,800

mt, is estimated using a 30-percent

exploitation rate adjusted by the ratio of

current to target biomass.

The Council recommended that

pollock be closed to directed fishing in

the Bogoslof District and that a TAC of

1,000 mt be established to provide for

bycatch in other groundfish fisheries.

This recommendation was intended to

accommodate uncertainty about

whether or not Bogoslof pollock are a

distinct self-sustaining population or

surplus fish from the shelf populations.

The Council’s TAC recommendation

also addresses concerns about the

potential impacts of undocumented

fishing effort in the Russian zone on

young pollock that are primarily

considered to be of U.S. origin. The

Council’s TAC recommendation is

adopted in these final specifications

(Table 1).

Greenland turbot. The Plan Team’s

ABC recommendation for Greenland

turbot (16,800 mt) was based on a stock

synthesis analysis of the status of this

resource that is sensitive to the relative

contributions of the longline and trawl

fisheries to the total fishing mortality. In

recent years, the longline fleet has taken

about 80 percent of the total catch.

Based on the assumption that the

longline fleet will continue to take this

proportion of total catch, the Plan Team

recommended an ABC based on an

exploitation rate of 0.346. However, the

SSC asserted that difficulties exist in

predicting the percentage of the total

catch that trawl and longline gear will

harvest and believed that a 50/50 split

should be assumed in the development

of ABC. This assumed split dictates an

exploitation rate of 0.253, adjusted by a

ratio of the current female spawning

biomass and the B40% female spawning

biomass (.94) as required under the

Council’s management strategy set out

under Amendment 44 to the FMP. The

application of this adjusted rate to the

projected 1997 exploitable biomass

results in an ABC of 14,400 mt. The

declined status of this resource further

prompted the SSC to recommend a

phase in of the ABC over a 2-year

period. Therefore, given that the ABC

recommended by the SSC for this

species in 1996 was 10,300 mt, the 1997

ABC suggested by the SSC is 12,350 mt.

The SSC concurred with the Plan

Team’s recommendation that the ABC

be split so that two-thirds of the TAC is

apportioned to the Bering Sea subarea

and one-third is apportioned to the

Aleutian Islands subarea. The intent of

this apportionment is to spread fishing

effort over a larger area and to avoid

localized depletion. Using the SSC’s

recommended total ABC, this

apportionment scheme results in eastern

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands ABCs

of 8,275 mt and 4,075 mt, respectively.

The Council concurred with the SSC’s

recommendation for ABC and adopted a

9,000-mt TAC, as recommended by the

AP, with 6,030 mt and 2,970 mt

apportioned to the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands subareas, respectively.

Sablefish. The final 1997 SAFE report

presents a revised assessment of

exploitable biomass for BSAI and Gulf

of Alaska sablefish that is higher relative

to the preliminary assessment

developed by the Plan Team in

September 1996. This increase results

from technical adjustments to the

assessment model.

Nonetheless, the model indicates a

declining trend in biomass due to low

recruitment since 1981. A significant

chance exists that biomass will drop

below the lowest observed levels (post

1979) by the year 2001. The Plan Team’s

ABC recommendation, 3,060 mt for the

combined Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands subareas, would result in an

increase in actual exploitation rate. This

fact, combined with 15 years of low

recruitment prompted the SSC to defer

to the NMFS stock assessment authors’

more conservative recommendation for

ABC; 1,308 mt for the eastern Bering Sea

and 1,367 mt for the Aleutian Islands.

The Council adopted the SSC’s

recommendations for the 1997 ABCs.

The final ABCs are listed in Table 1.

The Council adopted the AP’s

recommendations for TAC amounts.

These recommendations were based on

the final ABCs as adjusted for other

biological and socioeconomic

considerations, including maintaining

the total TAC in the required OY range

of 1.4–2.0 million mt. None of the

Council’s recommended TACs for 1997
7170 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

exceeds the final 1997 ABC for any

species category. Therefore, NMFS finds

that the recommended TACs are

consistent with the biological condition

of groundfish stocks. The final TACs

and overfishing levels for groundfish in

the BSAI area for 1997 are given in

Table 1 of this action.

Apportionment of TAC

Except for the hook-and-line and pot

gear allocation of sablefish, each

species’ TAC initially is reduced by 15

percent to establish the ITAC for each

species (§ 679.20(b)(1)(i)). The sum of

the 15-percent amounts is the reserve.

One-half of the pollock TACs placed in

reserve is designated as a community

development quota (CDQ) reserve for

use by CDQ participants (§ 679.31(a)(1)).

The remainder of the reserve is not

designated by species or species group,

and any amount of the reserve may be

reapportioned to a target species or the

‘‘other species’’ category during the

year, providing that such

reapportionments do not result in

overfishing.

Table 1 lists the final 1997 ABC, TAC,

and ITAC amounts, overfishing levels,

and initial apportionments of

groundfish in the BSAI. The

apportionment of reserves to certain

species ITAC amounts, as well as the

apportionment of TAC amounts among

fisheries and seasons, are discussed

below.

TABLE 1.—FINAL 1997 ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC), TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH (TAC), INITIAL TAC (ITAC),

AND OVERFISHING LEVELS OF GROUNDFISH IN THE BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AREA 1

Species ABC TAC ITAC 2 3 Overfishing

level

Pollock:

Bering Sea (BS) ........................................................................................ 1,130,000 1,130,000 960,500 1,980,000

Aleutian Islands (AI) .................................................................................. 28,000 28,000 23,800 38,000

Bogoslof District ........................................................................................ 32,100 1,000 850 43,800

Pacific cod ........................................................................................................ 306,000 270,000 229,500 418,000

Sablefish:

BS .............................................................................................................. 1,308 1,100 468 2,750

AI ............................................................................................................... 1,367 1,200 255 2,860

Atka mackerel Total .......................................................................................... 66,700 66,700 56,695 81,600

Western AI ................................................................................................. 32,200 32,200 27,370 ........................

Central AI .................................................................................................. 19,500 19,500 16,575 ........................

Eastern AI/BS ............................................................................................ 15,000 15,000 12,750 ........................

Yellowfin sole .................................................................................................... 233,000 230,000 195,500 339,000

Rock sole .......................................................................................................... 296,000 97,185 82,607 427,000

Greenland turbot Total ..................................................................................... 12,350 9,000 7,650 22,600

BS .............................................................................................................. 8,275 6,030 5,125 ........................

AI ............................................................................................................... 4,075 2,970 2,525 ........................

Arrowtooth flounder .......................................................................................... 108,000 20,760 17,646 167,000

Flathead sole .................................................................................................... 101,000 43,500 36,975 145,000

Other flatfish 4 ................................................................................................... 97,500 50,750 43,138 150,000

Pacific ocean perch:

BS .............................................................................................................. 2,800 2,800 2,380 5,400

AI Total ...................................................................................................... 12,800 12,800 10,880 25,300

Western AI ......................................................................................... 6,390 6,390 5,431 ........................

Central AI ........................................................................................... 3,170 3,170 2,695 ........................

Eastern AI .......................................................................................... 3,240 3,240 2,754 ........................

Other red rockfish: 5 BS .................................................................................... 1,050 1,050 893 1,400

Sharpchin/Northern: AI ..................................................................................... 4,360 4,360 3,706 5,810

Shortraker/Rougheye: AI .................................................................................. 938 938 797 1,250

Other rockfish 6

BS .............................................................................................................. 373 373 317 497

AI ............................................................................................................... 714 714 607 952

Squid ................................................................................................................. 1,970 1,970 1,675 2,620

Other Species 7 ................................................................................................. 25,800 25,800 21,930 138,000

Totals .......................................................................................... 2,464,130 2,000,000 1,698,769 3,998,839

1Amounts are in metric tons. These amounts apply to the entire Bering Sea (BS) and Aleutian Islands (AI) area unless otherwise specified.

With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these specifications, the BS includes the Bogoslof District. 2Except for the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, 15 percent of each TAC is put into a reserve. The ITAC

for each species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves. One-half of the amount of the pollock TACs placed in reserve, or 7.5 percent of the TACs, is designated as a CDQ reserve for use by CDQ participants (See § 679.31(a)(1)). 3Twenty percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line gear or pot gear is reserved for use by CDQ participants (See § 679.31(c)).

Regulations at § 679.20(b)(1) do not provide for the establishment of an ITAC for the hook-and-line and pot gear allocation for sablefish. The

ITAC for sablefish reflected in Table 1 is for trawl gear only. 4 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species except for Pacific halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole, and arrowtooth flounder. 5 ‘‘Other red rockfish’’ includes shortraker, rougheye, sharpchin, and northern.

6 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, sharpchin, northern, shortraker, and

rougheye. 7 ‘‘Other species’’ includes sculpins, sharks, skates, eulachon, smelts, capelin, and octopus.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 7171

Apportionment of Reserves

The Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the ITACs specified for

the following species need to be

supplemented from the nonspecific

reserve because U.S. fishing vessels

have demonstrated the capacity to

harvest the full TAC amounts: Pollock

in the Bering Sea subarea, pollock in the

Aleutian Islands subarea, Atka mackerel

in the BSAI, Pacific ocean perch in the

Aleutian Islands subarea, and Pacific

cod in the BSAI. Initial TACs for these

species have been supplemented from

the nonspecific reserve during the past

5 years, and no reason exists to not

make available the full TAC amounts for

these species at the beginning of the

fishing year to enhance the ability of the

industry to plan accordingly. During its

December 1996 meeting, the Council

specifically received testimony from

representatives for the Pacific cod

industry to release reserves at the

beginning of the year and in a manner

that complies with the apportionment of

the initial ITAC (see below).

Therefore, in accordance with

§ 679.20(b)(3), NMFS is apportioning

amounts from the reserve necessary to

increase the initial TAC to the full TAC

amount for the following species, except

for pollock, where the TAC still is

reduced by 7.5 percent to provide for

the CDQ reserve.

Species—area or subarea Reserve

amount (mt)

Pollock—Bering Sea ............................................................................................................................................................................ 84,750

Pollock—Aleutian Is. ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2,100

Atka Mackerel—Western Aleutian Is. .................................................................................................................................................. 4,830

Atka Mackerel—Central Aleutian Is. .................................................................................................................................................... 2,925

Atka mackerel—Eastern Aleutian Is. and Bering Sea Subarea .......................................................................................................... 2,250

Pacific Ocean perch—Western Aleutian Is. ........................................................................................................................................ 959

Pacific Ocean perch—Central Aleutian Is. .......................................................................................................................................... 475

Pacific Ocean perch—Eastern Aleutian Is. ......................................................................................................................................... 486

Pacific cod—BSAI ................................................................................................................................................................................ 40,500

Total .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 139,275

This apportionment of reserve is

consistent with § 679.20(b)(3). If

applicable, these TACs are apportioned

among seasons or gear types as

authorized below.

Seasonal Allowances of Pollock TACs

Under § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the pollock

TAC for each subarea or district of the

BSAI is divided, after subtraction of

reserves (§ 679.20(b)(1)), into two

seasonal allowances. The first allowance

is available for directed fishing from

January 1 to April 15 (roe season) and

the second allowance is available from

September 1 until November 1 (non-roe

season).

The Council recommended that the

seasonal allowances for the Bering Sea

pollock roe and non-roe seasons be

specified at 45 percent and 55 percent

of the TAC amounts, respectively (Table

2). These percentages are unchanged

since 1993. As in past years, the pollock

TAC amounts specified for the Aleutian

Islands subarea and the Bogoslof District

are not seasonally apportioned.

When specifying seasonal allowances

of the pollock TAC, the Council and

NMFS considered the factors specified

in section 14.4.10 of the FMP. A

discussion of these factors relative to the

roe and non-roe seasonal allowances

was presented in the proposed 1995

specifications for BSAI groundfish (59

FR 64383, December 14, 1994). At this

time, the Council’s findings are

unchanged from those set forth for 1995,

given that the relative seasonal

allowances are the same.

Apportionment of the Pollock TAC to

the Inshore and Offshore Components

Regulations at § 679.20(a)(6)(i) require

that the pollock TAC amounts specified

for the BSAI be allocated 35 percent to

vessels catching pollock for processing

by the inshore component and 65

percent to vessels catching pollock for

processing by the offshore component.

Definitions of these components are

found at § 679.2. The 1997 TAC

specifications are consistent with these

requirements (Table 2).

TABLE 2.—SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE INSHORE AND OFFSHORE COMPONENT ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TAC

AMOUNTS 1 2

Subarea TAC ITAC 3 Roe season 4 Non-roe season 5

Bering Sea:

Inshore ....................................................................................................... ........................ 365,837 164,627 201,210

Offshore ..................................................................................................... ........................ 679,413 305,736 373,677

1,130,000 1,045,250 470,363 574,887

Aleutian Islands:

Inshore ....................................................................................................... ........................ 9,065 9,065 (6)

Offshore ..................................................................................................... ........................ 16,835 16,835 (6)

28,000 25,900 25,900 (6)

Bogoslof District:

Inshore ....................................................................................................... ........................ 298 298 (6)

Offshore ..................................................................................................... ........................ 552 552 (6)

1,000 850 850 (6)

1TAC = total allowable catch.

2Based on an offshore component allocation of 65 percent (ITAC) and an inshore component allocation of 35 percent (ITAC).

3 ITAC = initial TAC = 85 percent of TAC for the Bogoslof District and 92.5 percent of TAC for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands subareas.

The ITAC for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands subareas reflects the apportionment of nonspecified reserve amounts.
7172 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

4 January 1 through April 15—based on a 45/55 split (roe = 45 percent). Up to 100 percent of the ITAC specified for the Aleutian Islands subarea and the Bogoslof District may be harvested during the roe season. 5September 1 until November 1—based on a 45/55 split (non-roe = 55 percent).

6 Remainder.

Apportionment of the Pollock TAC to the Western Alaska Community Development Quota

Regulations at § 679.31(a)(1) require one-half of the pollock TAC placed in the reserve for each subarea or district,

or 7.5 percent of each TAC, be assigned to a CDQ reserve for each subarea or district. The 1997 CDQ reserve amounts

for each subarea are as follows:

BSAI subarea

Pollock

CDQ

(mt)

Bering Sea ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 84,750

Aleutian Islands ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 2,100

Bogoslof ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 75

Total .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 86,925

Under regulations governing the CDQ program at subpart C of part 679, NMFS may allocate the 1997 pollock

CDQ reserves to eligible Western Alaska communities or groups of communities that have an approved community

development plan (CDP). NMFS has approved six CDPs and associated percentages of the CDQ reserve for each CDP

recipient for 1996–98 (60 FR 66516, December 22, 1995). Table 3 lists the approved CDP recipients, and each recipient’s

allocation of the 1997 pollock CDQ reserve for each subarea.

TABLE 3.—APPROVED SHARES (PERCENTAGES) AND RESULTING ALLOCATIONS AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES (METRIC

TONS) OF THE 1997 POLLOCK CDQ RESERVE SPECIFIED FOR THE BERING SEA (BS) AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (AI)

SUBAREAS, AND THE BOGOSLOF DISTRICT (BD) AMONG APPROVED CDP RECIPIENTS

CDP recipient Percent Area Allocation Roe-season

allowance 1

Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Assn ............................................ 16 BS 13,560 6,102

AI 336 336

BD 12 12

Total ................................................................................................................. ........................ .............. 13,908 6,450

Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp .................................................................. 20 BS 16,950 7,627

AI 420 420

BD 15 15

Total ................................................................................................................. ........................ 17,385 8,062

Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Assn ....................................................................... 4 BS 3,390 1,526

AI 84 84

BD 3 3

Total ................................................................................................................. ........................ 3,477 1,613

Coastal Villages Fishing Coop ................................................................................... 25 BS 21,188 9,535

AI 525 525

BD 19 19

Total ................................................................................................................. ........................ .............. 21,732 10,079

Norton Sound Fisheries Development Corp .............................................................. 22 BS 18,645 8,390

AI 462 462

BD 16 16

Total ................................................................................................................. ........................ .............. 19,123 8,868

Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Corp ................................................................ 13 BS 11,017 4,958

AI 273 273

BD 10 10

Total ................................................................................................................. ........................ .............. 11,300 5,241

Total ................................................................................................................. 100 .............. 86,925 40,313

1 No more than 45 percent of a CDP recipient’s 1997 Bering Sea pollock allocation may be harvested during the pollock roe season, January 1

through April 15. Up to 100 percent of a recipient’s 1997 Aleutian Islands or Bogoslof District pollock allocation may be harvested during this time

period.

Allocation of the Pacific Cod TAC

Under § 679.20(a)(7), 2 percent of the

Pacific cod TAC is allocated to vessels

using jig gear, 51 percent to vessels

using hook-and-line or pot gear, and 47

percent to vessels using trawl gear. The

portion of the Pacific cod TAC allocated

to trawl gear is further allocated 50

percent to catcher vessels and 50

percent to catcher/processor vessels

(§ 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B)).

At its December 1996 meeting, the

Council recommended seasonal

allowances of the portion of the Pacific

cod TAC allocated to vessels using

hook-and-line or pot gear. Seasonal

allowances are authorized under

§ 679.20(a)(7)(iv) for the following three

time periods: January 1 through April

30; May 1 through August 31; and

September 1 through December 31. The

intent of the seasonal allowances is to

provide for the harvest of Pacific cod

when flesh quality and market

conditions are optimum and Pacific

halibut bycatch rates are low. The

Council’s recommendations for seasonal

allowances are based on: (1) Seasonal

distribution of Pacific cod relative to

prohibited species distributions, (2)
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 7173

variations in prohibited species bycatch

rates experienced in the Pacific cod

fisheries throughout the year, and (3)

economic effects of seasonal allowances

of Pacific cod on the hook-and-line and

pot gear fisheries. Regulations at

§ 679.20(a)(7)(iv)(C) authorize NMFS,

after consultation with the Council, to

determine the manner in which an

unused portion of a seasonal allowance

of Pacific cod will be reapportioned to

remaining seasons during the same

fishing year. Accordingly, the Council

recommmended that any unused

portion of the first seasonal Pacific cod

allowance specified for the Pacific cod

hook-and-line or pot gear fishery be

reapportioned to the third seasonal

allowance. NMFS concurs with this

recommendation. The gear allocations

and associated seasonal allowances of

the Pacific cod TAC are specified in

Table 4.

TABLE 4.—1997 GEAR SHARES OF THE BSAI PACIFIC COD TAC

Gear Percent

TAC

Share TAC

(mt)

Seasonal apportionment

Date Percent Amount (mt)

Jig ....................................................................................... 2 5,400 Jan. 1–Dec. 31 ........ 100 5,400

Hook-and-line and pot gear ................................................ 51 137,700 Jan. 1–Apr. 30 ......... 73 1 100,521

May 1–Aug. 31 ........ 23 31,671

Sep. 1–Dec. 31 ....... 4 5,508

Trawl gear 2:

Total .................................................................................... 47 126,900 Jan. 1–Dec. 31 ........ 100 126,900

Catcher vessel ............................................................. 63,450

Catcher/processor ....................................................... 63,450

Total ..................................................................... 100 270,000

1Any unused portion of the first seasonal Pacific cod allowance specified for the Pacific cod hook-and-line or pot gear fishery will be reapportioned to the third seasonal allowance 2The portion of the Pacific cod TAC allocated to trawl gear is apportioned 50 percent to catcher vessels and 50 percent to catcher/processors

under § 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B).

Sablefish Gear Allocation and CDQ

Allocations for Sablefish

Regulations at § 679.20(a)(4) require

that sablefish TACs for the BSAI

subareas be divided between trawl and

hook-and-line/pot gear types. Gear

allocations of TACs are established in

the following proportions: Bering Sea

subarea: Trawl gear—50 percent; hookand-line/pot gear—50 percent; and

Aleutian Islands subarea: Trawl gear—

25 percent; hook-and-line/pot gear—75

percent. In addition, regulations under

§ 679.31(c) require NMFS to withhold

20 percent of the hook-and-line and pot

gear sablefish allocation as sablefish

CDQ reserve. Gear allocations of

sablefish TAC and CDQ reserve amounts

are specified in Table 5.

TABLE 5.—1997 GEAR SHARES AND CDQ RESERVE OF BSAI SABLEFISH TACS

Subarea Gear Percent of

TAC (mt)

Share of

TAC (mt)

Initial TAC

(mt)

CDQ reserve

Bering Sea ................................................. Trawl ......................................................... 50 550 468 N/A

Hook-and-line/pot gear 2 ........................... 50 550 N/A 110

Total ................................................ ................................................................... .................... 1,100 468 110

Aleutian Islands ......................................... Trawl ......................................................... 25 300 255 N/A

Hook-and-line/pot gear 2 ........................... 75 900 N/A 180

Total ................................................ ................................................................... .................... 1,200 255 180

1 Except for the sablefish hook-and-line and pot gear allocation, 15 percent of TAC is apportioned to reserve. The ITAC is the remainder of the

TAC after the subtraction of these reserves. 2 For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear, 20 percent of the allocated TAC is reserved for use

by CDQ participants. Regulations at § 679.20(b)(1) do not provide for the establishment of an ITAC for sablefish allocated to hook-and-line or pot

gear.

Under regulations governing the

sablefish CDQ program at subpart C of

part 679, NMFS may allocate the 1997

sablefish CDQ reserve to eligible

Western Alaska communities or groups

of communities that have an approved

CDP. NMFS has approved seven CDPs

and associated percentages of the

sablefish CDQ reserve for each CDP

recipient for 1995–97 (59 FR 61877,

December 2, 1994). Table 6 lists the

approved CDP recipients and each

recipient’s allocation of the 1997

sablefish CDQ reserve for each subarea.

TABLE 6.—APPROVED SHARES (PERCENTAGES) AND RESULTING ALLOCATIONS (MT) OF THE 1997 SABLEFISH CDQ RESERVE SPECIFIED FOR THE BERING SEA (BS) AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (AI) SUBAREAS AMONG APPROVED CDP RECIPIENTS

Sablefish CDP recipient Area Percent Allocation (mt)

Atka Fishermen’s Association ................................................................................................................ BS 0 0
7174 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

TABLE 6.—APPROVED SHARES (PERCENTAGES) AND RESULTING ALLOCATIONS (MT) OF THE 1997 SABLEFISH CDQ RESERVE SPECIFIED FOR THE BERING SEA (BS) AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (AI) SUBAREAS AMONG APPROVED CDP RECIPIENTS—Continued

Sablefish CDP recipient Area Percent Allocation (mt)

AI 0 0

Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. ............................................................................................ BS 0 0

AI 25 45

Coastal Villages Fishing Cooperative .................................................................................................... BS 0 0

AI 25 45

Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation ............................................................................. BS 25 28

AI 30 54

Pribilof Island Fishermen ....................................................................................................................... BS 0 0

AI 0 0

Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association .................................................................................. BS 75 82

AI 10 18

Aleutian Pribilof Islands Community Development Association ............................................................ BS 0 0

AI 10 18

Total ............................................................................................................................................ BS 100 110

AI 100 180

Allocation of Prohibited Species Catch

(PSC) Limits for Crab, Halibut, and

Herring

PSC limits of C. bairdi Tanner crab in

Bycatch Limitation Zones (50 CFR

679.2) of the Bering Sea subarea and for

Pacific halibut throughout the BSAI are

established under § 679.21(e) as follows:

—Zone 1 trawl fisheries, 1 million C.

bairdi Tanner crabs;

—Zone 2 trawl fisheries, 3 million C.

bairdi Tanner crabs;

—BSAI trawl fisheries, 3,775 mt

mortality of Pacific halibut;

—BSAI nontrawl fisheries, 900 mt

mortality of Pacific halibut;

Regulations at § 679.21(e) also require

that a PSC limit for red king crab in

Zone 1 and for Pacific herring in the

BSAI be specified annually based on

abundance and spawning biomass

criteria. Under new regulations

implementing Amendment 37 to the

FMP (61 FR 65985, December 16, 1996),

the 1997 red king crab PSC limit in zone

1 is 100,000 crab based on the following

criteria set out at § 679.21(e)(1)(i)(B):

The number of mature female red king

crab is above the threshold of 8.4

million mature crab and the effective

spawning biomass is greater than 14.5

but less than 55 million lbs (24,948 mt).

Based on a length-based analysis of

NMFS 1996 trawl survey data, the

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

(ADF&G) estimates the abundance of

mature females is 10.2 million crab and

effective spawning biomass is 20.3

million lbs (9,206 mt).

The PSC limit of Pacific herring

caught while conducting any trawl

operation for groundfish in the BSAI is

1 percent of the annual eastern Bering

Sea herring biomass (§ 679.21(e)(v)). The

best estimate of 1997 herring biomass is

157,887 mt. This amount was derived

using 1996 survey data and an agestructured biomass projection model

developed by ADF&G. Therefore, the

herring PSC limit for 1997 is 1,579 mt.

The C. bairdi PSC limits currently

established in regulations are subject to

change pending the approval of

Amendment 41 to the FMP adopted by

the Council at its September 1996

meeting. A proposed rule to implement

Amendment 41 was published in the

Federal Register on January 2, 1997 (62

FR 85). Based on the proposed rule and

pending approval of Amendment 41 by

NMFS, the 1997 C. bairdi PSC limit in

Zones 1 and 2 would be adjusted

downward to 750,000 crab and

2,100,000 crab, respectively. If

Amendment 41 is not approved, the C.

bairdi PSC limits will remain

unchanged. At its December 1996

meeting, the Council also adopted a new

PSC limit for C. opilio Tanner crab.

NMFS anticipates that a proposed rule,

as well as a proposed 1997 PSC limit for

C. opilio crab, will be published in the

Federal Register for public review and

comment by March 1997.

Regulations under § 679.21(e)(3)

authorize the apportionment of each

PSC limit into PSC allowances for

specified fishery categories. Regulations

at § 679.21(e)(3)(iv) specify seven trawl

fishery categories (midwater pollock,

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/

sablefish, rock sole/flathead sole/other

flatfish, yellowfin sole, rockfish, Pacific

cod, and bottom pollock/Atka mackerel/

‘‘other species’’). Regulations at

§ 679.21(e)(4)(ii) authorize the

apportionment of the nontrawl halibut

PSC limit among five fishery categories

(Pacific cod hook-and-line, sablefish

hook-and-line, groundfish pot gear,

groundfish jig gear, and other nontrawl

fishery categories). The fishery bycatch

allowances for the trawl and nontrawl

fisheries are listed in Table 7.

Regulations at § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)

require that an amount of the red king

crab PSC limit be specified for the red

king crab savings subarea (RKCSS),

defined at § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(1), if the

subarea is open to fishing by vessels

using nonpelagic trawl gear. Under

provisions of these regulations, the

RKCSS will be open to fishing with

nonpelagic trawl gear in 1997 because

ADF&G had established a 1996

guideline harvest level for the

commercial red king crab fishery in

Bristol Bay. Consistent with

§ 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(2), the red king crab

bycatch allowance specified for the

RKCSS is an amount equal to 35 percent

of the red king crab bycatch allowance

recommended by the Council for the

rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish

fishery category (75,000 crab), or 26,250

crab. The bycatch allowance specified

in Table 7 for the rock sole/flathead

sole/other flatfish fishery category is

reduced correspondingly to 48,750 crab.

When the total number of red king crab

taken by trawl vessels fishing in the

RKCSS reaches the specified bycatch

allowance, further directed fishing for

groundfish in the RKCSS by vessels

using nonpelagic trawl gear will be

prohibited.

The fishery bycatch allowances listed

in Table 7 reflect the recommendations

made to the Council by its AP. With the

exception of the red king crab bycatch

allowance specified for the RKCSS,

these recommendations generally reflect

those established for 1996. The

prohibited species bycatch allowances

primarily were based on 1996 bycatch

amounts, anticipated 1997 harvest of

groundfish by trawl gear and fixed gear,
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 7175

and assumed halibut mortality rates in

the different groundfish fisheries.

Regulations at § 679.21(e)(4)(i) allow

NMFS to exempt specified nontrawl

fisheries from the halibut PSC limit. As

in 1995 and 1996, the Council

recommended that the pot gear, jig gear,

and sablefish hook-and-line gear fishery

categories be exempt from the halibut

bycatch restrictions.

The Council recommended that the

pot and jig gear fisheries be exempt from

halibut-bycatch restrictions because

these fisheries use selective gear types

that experience low halibut bycatch

mortality. In 1996, total groundfish

catch for the pot gear fishery in the

BSAI was approximately 33,841 mt with

an associated halibut bycatch mortality

of about 21 mt. The 1996 groundfish jig

gear fishery harvested about 264 mt of

groundfish. The jig gear fleet is

comprised of vessels less than 60 ft

(18.3 m) length overall that are exempt

from observer coverage requirements.

As a result, no observer data are

available on halibut bycatch in the BSAI

jig gear fishery. Nonetheless, the

selective nature of this gear type and the

relatively small amount of groundfish

harvested with jig gear likely results in

a negligible amount of halibut bycatch

mortality.

As in 1995 and 1996, the Council

recommended that the sablefish

Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) fishery

be exempt from halibut bycatch

restrictions because of the sablefish and

halibut IFQ program (subpart D of part

679). The IFQ program requires legalsized halibut to be retained by vessels

using hook-and-line gear if a halibut IFQ

permit holder is aboard. The best

available information on the 1995

sablefish IFQ fishery indicates that less

than 40 mt of halibut discard mortality

was associated with this fishery. An

estimate of halibut bycatch mortality

associated with the 1996 sablefish IFQ

fishery is not available. Nonetheless, no

reason exists to suggest the 1996

bycatch mortality in this fishery differed

significantly from that estimated for

1995.

TABLE 7.—FINAL 1997 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR THE BSAI TRAWL AND NONTRAWL FISHERIES

Zone 1 Zone 2 BSAI-wide

Trawl fisheries

Red king crab, number of animals:

Yellowfin sole .......................................................................................................................................... 10,000 .................. ..................

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish ...................................................................................................... 48,750 .................. ..................

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish .................................................................................................... 0 .................. ..................

Rockfish ................................................................................................................................................... 0 .................. ..................

Pacific cod ............................................................................................................................................... 7,500 .................. ..................

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species ...................................................................................................... 7,500 .................. ..................

Red king crab savings subarea 1 ............................................................................................................ 26,250 .................. ..................

Total ................................................................................................................................................. 100,000 .................. ..................

C. Bairdi tanner crab, number of animals:

Yellowfin sole .......................................................................................................................................... 368,421 1,530,000 ..................

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish ...................................................................................................... 394,736 510,000 ..................

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish .................................................................................................... 0 0 ..................

Rockfish ................................................................................................................................................... 0 10,000 ..................

Pacific cod ............................................................................................................................................... 177,632 278,571 ..................

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species ...................................................................................................... 59,211 671,429 ..................

Total ................................................................................................................................................. 1,000,000 3,000,000 ..................

Pacific halibut, mortality (MT):

Yellowfin sole .......................................................................................................................................... .................. .................. 930

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish ...................................................................................................... .................. .................. 795

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish .................................................................................................... .................. .................. 0

Rockfish ................................................................................................................................................... .................. .................. 100

Pacific cod ............................................................................................................................................... .................. .................. 1,600

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species ...................................................................................................... .................. .................. 350

Total ................................................................................................................................................. .................. .................. 3,775

Pacific herring (MT):

Midwater pollock ..................................................................................................................................... .................. .................. 1,142

Yellowfin sole .......................................................................................................................................... .................. .................. 267

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish ...................................................................................................... .................. .................. 0

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish .................................................................................................... .................. .................. 0

Rockfish ................................................................................................................................................... .................. .................. 7

Pacific cod ............................................................................................................................................... .................. .................. 20

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species ...................................................................................................... .................. .................. 143

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

Nontrawl Fisheries

Pacific halibut, mortality (MT):

Pacific cod hook-and-line ........................................................................................................................ .................. .................. 840

Sablefish hook-and-line ........................................................................................................................... .................. .................. (2)

Groundfish pot gear ................................................................................................................................ .................. .................. (2)

Groundfish jig gear .................................................................................................................................. .................. .................. (2)

Other nontrawl ......................................................................................................................................... .................. .................. 60
7176 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

TABLE 7.—FINAL 1997 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR THE BSAI TRAWL AND NONTRAWL FISHERIES—

Continued

Zone 1 Zone 2 BSAI-wide

Total ................................................................................................................................................. .................. .................. 900

1The red king crab savings subarea is defined at § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B) as the portion of the red king crab savings area between 56°00′ and

56°10′ N. lat. The amount of the red king crab bycatch limit specified for this area under § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(2) is not designated by fishery and,

when reached, will result in closure of the subarea to directed fishing for groundfish with nonpelagic gear (§ 679.21(e)(7)(ii)(B)). 2Exempt.

Seasonal Apportionments of PSC limits

Regulations at § 679.21(e)(5) authorize

NMFS, after consultation with the

Council, to establish seasonal

apportionments of prohibited species

bycatch allowances. At its December

1996 meeting, the Council

recommended that the trawl fishery

halibut bycatch allowances, and the

halibut bycatch allowance apportioned

to the Pacific cod hook-and-line gear

fishery be seasonally apportioned as

shown in Table 8. The recommended

seasonal apportionments reflect

recommendations made to the Council

by its AP.

The Council recommended seasonal

apportionments of the halibut bycatch

allowances specified for the trawl

flatfish and rockfish fisheries to provide

additional fishing opportunities in the

BSAI early in the year and to reduce the

incentive for trawl vessel operators to

move from the BSAI to the Gulf of

Alaska after the rock sole roe fishery is

closed, typically by early March.

The recommended seasonal

apportionment of the halibut bycatch

allowance for the pollock/Atka

mackerel/’’other species’’ fishery

category is based on the seasonal

allowances of the Bering Sea pollock

TAC recommended for the roe and nonroe seasons. Although most of the

pollock harvested during the roe season

will be taken with pelagic trawl gear

and low halibut bycatch rates, any

unused halibut bycatch mortality

apportioned to the roe season will be

available after the roe season.

The Council recommended three

seasonal apportionments of the halibut

bycatch allowance specified for the

Pacific cod hook-and-line fishery. The

intent of this recommendation was to

provide amounts of halibut necessary to

support the harvest of the seasonal

apportionments of Pacific cod TAC

listed in Table 4, as well as limit a hookand-line fishery for Pacific cod during

summer months when halibut bycatch

rates are high. The third seasonal

allowance of halibut bycatch mortality

will become available September 15,

even though the third seasonal

allowance of Pacific cod specified for

this fishery is available September 1

(Table 4). This means that directed

fishing for the third seasonal allowance

of Pacific cod by vessels using hookand-line gear will be prohibited until

September 15. The intent of the

Council’s recommendation was to limit

fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using

hook-and-line gear during summer

months, including the first half of

September, when halibut bycatch rates

are relatively high. As authorized under

§ 679.21(e)(5)(iv), the Council further

recommended that any unused portion

of the first seasonal halibut bycatch

allowance specified for the Pacific cod

hook-and-line fishery be reapportioned

to the third seasonal allowance to avoid

opportunity for additional fishing for

Pacific cod until September 15. The

Council further recommended that any

overage of a halibut bycatch allowance

would be deducted from the remaining

seasonal bycatch allowances specified

for 1997 in amounts proportional to

those remaining seasonal bycatch

allowances.

TABLE 8.—FINAL SEASONAL APPORTIONMENTS OF THE 1997 PACIFIC

HALIBUT BYCATCH ALLOWANCES

FOR THE BSAI TRAWL AND NONTRAWL FISHERIES

Pacific

halibut

seasonal

Trawl Fisheries Bycatch

Allowances (mt)

Yellowfin sole:

Jan. 20–Mar. 31 ........................ 210

Apr. 01–May 10 ......................... 210

May 11–Aug. 14 ........................ 100

Aug. 15–Dec. 31 ....................... 410

Total ....................................... 930

Rock sole/flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’:

Jan. 20–Mar. 31 ........................ 485

Apr. 01–Jun. 30 ......................... 130

Jul. 01–Dec. 31 ......................... 180

Total ....................................... 795

Rockfish:

Jan. 20–Mar. 31 ........................ 30

Apr. 01–Jun. 30 ......................... 45

Jul. 01–Dec. 31 ......................... 25

Total ....................................... 100

TABLE 8.—FINAL SEASONAL APPORTIONMENTS OF THE 1997 PACIFIC

HALIBUT BYCATCH ALLOWANCES

FOR THE BSAI TRAWL AND NONTRAWL FISHERIES—Continued

Pacific

halibut

seasonal

Pacific cod:

Jan. 20–Dec. 31 ........................ 1,600

Pollock/Atka mackerel/‘‘other species’’:

Jan. 20–Apr. 15 ......................... 300

Apr. 16–Dec. 31 ........................ 50

Total ....................................... 350

Non-Trawl Gear

Pacific cod hook-and-line: 1

Jan. 01–Apr. 30 ......................... 495

May 01–Sep. 14 ........................ 40

Sep. 15–Dec. 31 ....................... 305

Total ....................................... 840

Other nontrawl:

Jan. 01–Dec. 31 ........................ 60

1Any unused portion of the first seasonal

halibut bycatch allowance specified for the Pacific cod hook-and-line fishery will be reapportioned to the third seasonal allowance. Any

overage of a seasonal halibut bycatch allowance would be deducted from the remaining

seasonal bycatch allowances specified for

1997 in amounts proportional to those remaining seasonal bycatch allowances.

For purposes of monitoring the

fishery halibut bycatch mortality

allowances and apportionments, the

Regional Administrator will use

observed halibut bycatch rates and

estimates of groundfish catch to project

when a fishery’s halibut bycatch

mortality allowance or seasonal

apportionment is reached. The Regional

Administrator monitors the fishery’s

halibut bycatch mortality allowances

using assumed mortality rates that are

based on the best information available,

including information contained in the

final annual SAFE report.

With one exception, the Council

recommended that the assumed halibut

mortality rates developed by staff of the

International Pacific Halibut

Commission (IPHC) for the 1997 BSAI

groundfish fisheries be adopted for

purposes of monitoring halibut bycatch

allowances established for the 1997
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 7177

groundfish fisheries. The IPHC’s

assumed halibut mortality rates

generally are based on an average of

mortality rates determined from NMFS

observer data collected during 1994 and

1995. Assumed Pacific halibut mortality

rates for BSAI fisheries during 1997 are

specified in Table 9.

For the Pacific cod hook-and-line gear

fishery, the Council recommended an

assumed rate of 11.5 percent (the rate

used in 1996) until such time in 1997

that the IPHC completes an analysis of

1996 observer data on halibut mortality

rates in this fishery. The rate

recommended by IPHC staff based on

1994 and 1995 observer data was 14

percent. The Council’s recommendation

was made in response to public

testimony that the 1996 mortality rates

improved substantially from earlier

years due to a voluntary information

program developed by the Pacific cod

hook-and-line gear fleet to reduce

halibut bycatch discard mortality rates.

The Council further recommended that

once the IPHC’s analysis of 1996 data is

complete, NMFS publish a notice in the

Federal Register to change the assumed

mortality rate for the Pacific cod hookand-line fishery to reflect the 1996

observed mortality rate. NMFS concurs

with the Council’s recommendation.

TABLE 9.—ASSUMED PACIFIC HALIBUT

MORTALITY RATES FOR THE BSAI

FISHERIES DURING 1997

Fishery

Assumed

mortality

(percent)

Hook-and-line gear fisheries:

Rockfish ................................. 15

Pacific cod ............................. 11.5

Greenland turbot ................... 11

Sablefish ................................ 29

Trawl gear fisheries:

Midwater pollock ................... 79

Nonpelagic pollock ................ 76

Yellowfin sole ........................ 79

Rock sole .............................. 73

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

Other flatfish .......................... 65

Rockfish ................................. 72

Pacific cod ............................. 68

Atka mackerel ....................... 73

Arrowtooth flounder ............... 66

Greenland turbot ................... 66

Sablefish ................................ 23

Other species ........................ 68

Pot gear fisheries:

Pacific cod ............................. 10

Closures to Directed Fishing and

Inseason Adjustment

Under § 679.20(d), if the Regional

Administrator determines that the

amount of a target species or ‘‘other

species’’ category apportioned to a

fishery or, with respect to pollock, to an

inshore or offshore component

allocation, is likely to be reached, the

Regional Administrator may establish a

directed fishing allowance for the

species or species group. If the Regional

Administrator established a directed

fishing allowance, 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 subarea or

district. Similarly, under §§ 679.21(e)(7)

and 679.21(e)(8), if the Regional

Administrator determines that a fishery

category’s bycatch allowance of halibut,

Pacific herring, red king crab, or C.

bairdi Tanner crab for a specified area

has been reached, the Regional

Administrator will prohibit directed

fishing for each species in that category

in the specified area.

The Regional Administrator has

determined that the TAC amounts of

pollock in the Bogoslof District, Pacific

ocean perch in the Bering Sea subarea,

shortraker/rougheye rockfish in the

Aleutian Islands subarea, sharpchin/

northern rockfish in the Aleutian

Islands subarea, other red rockfish in

the Bering Sea subarea and other

rockfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands subareas will be necessary as

incidental catch to support other

anticipated groundfish fisheries.

Therefore, NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for these target species in the

specified area identified in Table 10 to

prevent exceeding the groundfish TACs

specified in Table 1 of this document.

A Zone 1 red king crab bycatch

allowance of zero crab is specified for

the rockfish trawl fishery, which is

defined at § 679.21(e)(3)(iv)(D).

Similarly, the BSAI halibut bycatch

allowance specified for the Greenland

turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish

trawl fishery category, defined at

§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv)(C), is 0 mt. The BSAI

herring bycatch allowance specified for

the rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish

trawl fishery category, defined at

§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv)(B)(2), also is 0 mt. The

Regional Administrator has determined,

in accordance with §§ 679.21(e)(7)(ii),

679.21(e)(7)(iv), and § 679.21(e)(7)(v)

that the red king crab bycatch allowance

specified for the trawl rockfish fishery

in Zone 1, the halibut bycatch

allowance specified for the Greenland

turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish

trawl fishery category, and the Pacific

herring bycatch allowance specified for

the rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish

trawl fishery category have been caught.

Therefore, NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for rockfish in Zone 1 by vessels

using trawl gear; for Greenland turbot,

arrowtooth flounder, and sablefish in

the BSAI by vessels using trawl gear;

and for rock sole, flathead sole, and

other flatfish in the Herring Savings

Area defined at § 679.2 (See Table 10.).

NMFS issues an inseason adjustment

closing the RKCSS to directed fishing

for groundfish by vessels using

nonpelagic trawl gear. This action is

necessary to prevent exceeding the 1997

red king crab bycatch allowance

specified for the RKCSS. The groundfish

fishery by vessels using trawl gear in the

BSAI began January 20, 1997. Vessels

fishing for groundfish with nonpelagic

trawl gear in Zone 1 south of 56 degrees

North latitude, the southern boundary of

the red king crab savings area,

experienced high bycatch rates of red

king crab, taking an estimated 27,000

animals in three days. Historical data

show that bycatch rates of red king crab

by vessels fishing for groundfish with

nonpelagic trawl gear increase with

increasing latitude in the red king crab

savings area. If groundfish were

available to vessels using nonpelagic

trawl gear in the RKCSS for a minimum

time period, NMFS anticipates that

effort by those vessels would be

substantial, resulting in the allowance of

26,250 red king crab being exceeded.

This allowance is not expected to

sustain the fishery although it is the

maximum amount allowed under

§ 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(2).

In accordance with

§ 679.25(a)(2)(i)(B), NMFS has

determined that the red king crab for the

red king crab bycatch allowance

specified for the RKCSS will not

adequately provide for nonpelagic trawl

gear fishing operations in the subarea.

Therefore, in accordance with

§ 679.25(a)(1)(i) and (a)(2)(i), the

Regional Administrator has determined

that closing the RKCSS to directed

fishing for groundfish by vessels using

nonpelagic trawl gear is necessary to

prevent exceeding the red king crab

bycatch allowance specified for the

subarea and is the least restrictive

measure to achieve that purpose.

Without this prohibition of fishing, red

king crab bycatch in excess of the

allowance specified for the RKCSS

would occur.

Under authority of the Interim 1997

Specifications (61 FR 60044, November

26, 1996), NMFS closed directed fishing

for atka mackerel in the Eastern

Aleutian District and the Bering Sea

Subarea of the BSAI effective 1200 hrs,

A.l.t., February 4, 1997, through 2400

hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1997 (62 FR

5781, February 7, 1997). The amount of

TAC remaining under the final

specifications of groundfish following

closure under the interim specifications

will be used as incidental catch in

directed fishing for other species in the
7178 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea

Subarea. In accordance with

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the closure to

directed fishing for atka mackerel in the

Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering

Sea Subarea of the BSAI will remain in

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

31, 1997.

The closures listed in Table 10

supersede the closures announced in

the 1997 interim specifications (61 FR

60044, November 26, 1996 and

corrected at 62 FR 2445, January 16,

1997). In accordance with

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), § 679.21(e)(7), and

§ 679.25(a)(1)(i) and (a)(2)(i), the

closures listed in Table 10 will remain

in effect through 2400 hrs, A.l.t.,

December 31, 1997. While these closure

are in effect, the maximum retainable

bycatch amounts at § 679.20(e) apply at

any time during a fishing trip.

Additional closures and restrictions

may be found in existing regulations at

50 CFR part 679.

TABLE 10.—CLOSURES TO DIRECTED FISHING UNDER 1997 TACS 1

Fishery (All Gear): Closed Area 2

Pollock in Bogoslof District ................................................................ Statistical Area 518.

Pacific ocean perch ........................................................................... Bering Sea subarea.

Other red rockfish 3 ............................................................................ Bering Sea subarea.

Shortraker/rougheye rockfish ............................................................ Aleutian Islands subarea.

Sharpchin/northern rockfish ............................................................... Aleutian Islands subarea.

Other rockfish 4 .................................................................................. BSAI.

Atka mackerel .................................................................................... Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea Subarea.

Fishery (Trawl only):

Rockfish ............................................................................................. Zone 1.

Greenland turbot, arrowtooth, sablefish ............................................ BSAI.

Rock sole, flathead sole and other flatfish ........................................ Herring Savings Area.

Groundfish (nonpelagic trawl gear) ................................................... RKCSS.

1These closures to directed fishing are in addition to closures and prohibitions found in regulations at 50 CFR part 679.

2 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas, subareas, Bycatch Limitation Zone 1, and the Herring Savings Area, and to Figure 1 to Part 679 for a

description of BSAI Statistical Areas. The red king crab savings subarea (RKCSS) is defined at § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B). 3 ‘‘Other red rockfish’’ includes shortraker, rougheye, sharpchin, and northern.

4 In the BSAI, ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch and the ‘‘other red rockfish’’ species.

Response to Comments

Comment 1. The draft environmental

assessment prepared for the 1997

specifications provides an inadequate

basis for a Finding of No Significant

Impact. The environmental impact

statement (EIS) prepared for the BSAI

groundfish fishery was drafted 15 years

ago. Since that time, the conduct of the

fisheries has changed, new information

regarding the affected groundfish

species exists, and substantial and

unanalyzed questions exist regarding

the impact of the groundfish fisheries on

the BSAI ecosystem. NMFS should

prepare a supplement to the EIS which

fully evaluates the potential impacts of

the groundfish TACs on the BSAI

ecosystem.

Response. NMFS acknowledges that

the final EIS prepared for the BSAI

groundfish fishery is 15 years old.

Nonetheless, NMFS believes the final

EA prepared for the 1997 BSAI

groundfish specifications, as well as the

documents incorporated by reference

into the EA, adequately support a

Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI). The FONSI is based on the

best available information contained in

the SAFE report on the biological

condition of groundfish stocks, the

socioeconomic condition of the fishing

industry, and consultation with the

Council at its December 1996 meeting.

For each species category, the Council

recommended harvest amounts such

that catches at or below these amounts

would not result in overfishing as

defined by the FMP. The Council’s

recommended final TACs for many

groundfish species differ from the

proposed TACs due to new information

on status of stocks and/or changes in

exploitation strategy. Each of the

Council’s recommended TACs for 1997

is equal to or less than the ABC for each

species category. Therefore, NMFS finds

that the recommended TACs are

consistent with the biological condition

of the groundfish stocks.

Comment 2. The draft EA does not

adequately assess the impact of

proposed 1997 fishing levels on the age

class distribution of declining stocks of

pollock in the eastern Bering Sea, on

endangered Steller sea lions, or on the

unlisted species also suffering

population declines. The draft EA also

neglects to address dramatic increases

in catches of pollock and Atka mackerel

in areas designated as critical foraging

habitat for Steller sea lions, the

increasing effort directed on spawning

pollock in the winter months, and the

geographic and temporal concentration

of fishing in the areas of the BSAI where

the greatest declines of sea lion, other

marine mammals, and seabirds have

occurred.

Response. The issues of concern

identified in Comment 2 are addressed

within the scope of the final EA, as well

as in the documents incorporated by

reference into the final EA. Efforts to

identify relationships between the

Alaska groundfish fisheries and Steller

sea lions are ongoing, but any potential

linkages remain unclear. Overlaps

between Steller sea lion prey and

harvested species have been identified,

particularly with reference to pollock

and Atka mackerel stocks. However, no

data currently are available to suggest

that the recommended ABCs for these or

any other species will adversely impact

the recovery of Steller sea lions or other

listed species. Participants in the

Alaskan groundfish fisheries are not

expected to significantly alter their

fishing practices, either spatially or

temporally, as a result of the 1997

groundfish specifications nor operate in

any manner that would predictably pose

obvious impacts to Steller Sea lions.

New information on the declining

abundance of juvenile pollock in the

eastern Bering Sea is not expected to

influence the fishery during 1997,

because fishing effort will continue to

concentrate on older age classes that are

spatially separate from juvenile

aggregations. Available information on

the relationship between pollock

spawner and recruit biomass suggests

that the remaining unharvested mature

portion of the stock is above the level

that would cause further reductions in

pollock recruitment.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 7179

Classification

This action is authorized under 50

CFR part 679 and is exempt from review

under E.O. 12866.

This action adopts final 1997 harvest

specifications for the BSAI, implements

associated management measures,

releases reserves to certain species

ITACs, and closes specified fisheries.

Generally, this action does not

significantly revise management

measures in a manner that would

require time to plan or prepare for those

revisions. In some cases, such as

closures, action must be taken

immediately to conserve fishery

resources. In other cases, such as the

apportionment of the nonspecified

reserve to specified ITAC amounts,

action must be taken immediately to

convey a benefit to the industry in terms

of providing the opportunity to plan for

the full harvest of specified TAC

amounts. Without the specified

closures, prohibited species bycatch

allowances will be exceeded,

established TAC amounts will be

overharvested, and retention of some

groundfish species will become

prohibited, which would disadvantage

fishermen who could no longer retain

bycatch amounts of these species. In

some cases, the interim specifications in

effect would be insufficient to allow

directed fisheries to operate during a 30-

day delayed effectiveness period, which

would result in unnecessary closures

and disruption within the fishing

industry; in many of these cases, the

final specifications will allow the

fisheries to continue without

interruption. The immediate

effectiveness of this action is required to

provide consistent management and

conservation of fishery resources and to

convey a benefit to fishermen by

providing an opportunity to harvest

available TAC amounts. Accordingly,

the Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good cause

exists to waive the 30-day delayed

effectiveness period under 5 U.S.C.

553(d)(3) with respect to such

provisions. Comments on the

apportionment of reserves will be

received until February 27, 1997 (see

ADDRESSES).

The AA under authority of 5 U.S.C.

553(b)(B) finds good cause that

providing prior notice and an

opportunity for public comment

regarding the inseason adjustment

closing the red king crab savings

subarea of the BSAI is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest.

Similarly, under authority of 5 U.S.C.

553(d)(3), the AA finds good cause to

waive the 30-day delay in effective date

and immediate effectiveness is

necessary to prevent exceeding the red

king crab bycatch allowance specified

for the RKCSS. Under § 679.25(c)(2),

interested persons are invited to submit

written comments on this action to the

above address until February 27, 1997.

Pursuant to section 7 of the

Endangered Species Act, NMFS and the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have

determined that the groundfish fisheries

operating under the 1997 BSAI TAC

specifications are unlikely to jeopardize

the continued existence or recovery of

species listed as endangered or

threatened or to adversely modify

critical habitat of these species.

NMFS prepared an EA on the 1997

TAC specifications. The AA concluded

that no significant impact on the

environment will result from their

implementation. A copy of the EA is

available (see ADDRESSES).

The Assistant General Counsel for

Legislation and Regulation of the

Department of Commerce certified to

the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the

Small Business Administration that this

final specification will not have a

significant economic impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The number of fixed gear and trawl

catcher vessels expected to be operating

as small entities in the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands groundfish fishery is

356, excluding catcher/processor

vessels. All these small entities will be

affected by the harvest limits

established in the 1997 specifications

but changes from 1996 are relatively

minor and are expected to be shared

proportionally among participants. For

this reason, the expected effects would

not likely cause a reduction in gross

revenues of more than 5 percent,

increase compliance costs by more than

10 percent, or force small entities out of

business.

The Alaska commercial fishing

industry is accustomed to shifting effort

among alternative species and

management areas in response to

changes in TAC between years and

inseason closures. Such mobility is

necessary to survive in the open access

fishery. Therefore, the annual

specification process for Alaska

groundfish for 1997 would not have

significant economic impact on a

significant number of small entities. No

comments were received regarding this

regulatory flexibility act certification.

Thus no regulatory flexibility analysis

was prepared.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq. and 1801

et seq.

Dated: February 12, 1997.

Nancy Foster,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–3952 Filed 2–12–97; 4:30 pm]

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