Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 10669 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i) 

and (d)(1)(ii)(B), the Administrator, 

Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional 

Administrator), has determined that the 

A season allowance of the 2012 Pacific 

cod TAC allocated to AFA trawl catcher 

processors in the BSAI will be taken as 

incidental catch in the directed fishing 

for other species. Therefore, the 

Regional Administrator is establishing a 

directed fishing allowance for Pacific 

cod allocated to AFA trawl catcher 

processors in the BSAI of 0 mt. In 

accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the 

Regional Administrator finds that this 

directed fishing allowance has been 

reached. Consequently, NMFS is 

prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific 

cod by AFA trawl catcher processors in 

the BSAI. 

After the effective date of this closure 

the maximum retainable amounts at 

§ 679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time 

during a trip. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement to provide prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment 

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. This requirement is 

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 

delay the closure of Pacific cod by AFA 

trawl catcher/processors in the BSAI. 

NMFS was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of February 16, 

2012. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30-day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

This action is required by § 679.20 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: February 17, 2012. 

Carrie Selberg, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–4245 Filed 2–17–12; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 111213751–2102–02] 

RIN 0648–XA758 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands; Final 2012 and 2013 

Harvest Specifications for Groundfish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule; closures. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces final 2012 

and 2013 harvest specifications and 

prohibited species catch allowances for 

the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands management area 

(BSAI). This action is necessary to 

establish harvest limits for groundfish 

during the 2012 and 2013 fishing years, 

and to accomplish the goals and 

objectives of the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI (FMP). 

The intended effect of this action is to 

conserve and manage the groundfish 

resources in the BSAI in accordance 

with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act). 

DATES: Effective from 1200 hrs, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), February 23, 2012, 

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

2013. 

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the 

Final Alaska Groundfish Harvest 

Specifications Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS), Record of Decision 

(ROD), Supplementary Information 

Report (SIR) to the EIS, and the Final 

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA), 

prepared for this action are available 

from http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. 

The final 2011 Stock Assessment and 

Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report for the 

groundfish resources of the BSAI, dated 

November 2011 and SAFE reports for 

previous years, are available from the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (Council) at 605 West 4th 

Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99510–2252, phone 907–271–2809, or 

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

alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal 

regulations at 50 CFR part 679 

implement the FMP and govern the 

groundfish fisheries in the BSAI. The 

Council prepared the FMP, and NMFS 

approved it under the MagnusonStevens Act. General regulations 

governing U.S. fisheries also appear at 

50 CFR part 600. 

The FMP and its implementing 

regulations require NMFS, after 

consultation with the Council, to 

specify the total allowable catch (TAC) 

for each target species; the sum TAC for 

all groundfish species must be within 

the optimum yield (OY) range of 1.4 

million to 2.0 million metric tons (mt) 

(see § 679.20(a)(1)(i)). This final rule 

specifies the TAC at 2.0 million mt for 

both 2012 and 2013. NMFS also must 

specify apportionments of TACs, 

prohibited species catch (PSC) 

allowances, and prohibited species 

quota (PSQ) reserves established by 

§ 679.21; seasonal allowances of 

pollock, Pacific cod, and Atka mackerel 

TAC; Amendment 80 allocations; and 

Community Development Quota (CDQ) 

reserve amounts established by 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii). The final harvest 

specifications set forth in Tables 1 

through 16 of this action satisfy these 

requirements. 

Section 679.20(c)(3)(i) further requires 

NMFS to consider public comment on 

the proposed annual TACs (and 

apportionments thereof) and PSC 

allowances, and to publish final harvest 

specifications in the Federal Register. 

The proposed 2012 and 2013 harvest 

specifications and PSC allowances for 

the groundfish fishery of the BSAI were 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 27, 2011 (76 FR 80782). 

Comments were invited and accepted 

through January 26, 2012. NMFS 

received 1 letter with 1 comment on the 

proposed harvest specifications. This 

comment is summarized and responded 

to in the ‘‘Response to Comments’’ 

section of this rule. NMFS consulted 

with the Council on the final 2012 and 

2013 harvest specifications during the 

December 2011 Council meeting in 

Anchorage, AK. After considering 

public comments, as well as biological 

and economic data that were available 

at the Council’s December meeting, 

NMFS is implementing the final 2012 

and 2013 harvest specifications as 

recommended by the Council. 

Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) and 

TAC Harvest Specifications 

The final ABC levels for Alaska 

groundfish are based on the best 

available biological and socioeconomic 

information, including projected 

biomass trends, information on assumed 

distribution of stock biomass, and 

revised technical methods used to 

calculate stock biomass. In general, the 

development of ABCs and overfishing 


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10670 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

levels (OFLs) involves sophisticated 

statistical analyses of fish populations. 

The FMP specifies a series of six tiers 

to define OFL and ABC amounts based 

on the level of reliable information 

available to fishery scientists. Tier 1 

represents the highest level of 

information quality available while Tier 

6 represents the lowest. 

In December 2011, the Scientific and 

Statistical Committee (SSC), Advisory 

Panel (AP), and Council reviewed 

current biological information about the 

condition of the BSAI groundfish stocks. 

The Council’s Plan Team compiled and 

presented this information in the 2011 

SAFE report for the BSAI groundfish 

fisheries, dated November 2011. The 

SAFE report contains a review of the 

latest scientific analyses and estimates 

of each species’ biomass and other 

biological parameters, as well as 

summaries of the available information 

on the BSAI ecosystem and the 

economic condition of groundfish 

fisheries off Alaska. NMFS notified the 

public and asked for review of the SAFE 

report in the notice of proposed harvest 

specifications; the report is still 

available (see ADDRESSES). From these 

data and analyses, the Plan Team 

estimated an OFL and ABC for each 

species or species category. 

In December 2011, the SSC, AP, and 

Council reviewed the Plan Team’s 

recommendations. The SSC concurred 

with the Plan Team’s recommendations, 

and the Council adopted the OFL and 

ABC amounts recommended by the SSC 

(Table 1). The final TAC 

recommendations were based on the 

ABCs as adjusted for other biological 

and socioeconomic considerations, 

including maintaining the sum of the 

TACs within the required OY range of 

1.4 million to 2.0 million mt. As 

required by annual catch limit rules for 

all fisheries (74 FR 3178, January 16, 

2009), none of the Council’s 

recommended TACs for 2012 or 2013 

exceeds the final 2012 or 2013 ABCs for 

any species category. The final 2012 and 

2013 harvest specifications approved by 

the Secretary of Commerce are 

unchanged from those recommended by 

the Council and are consistent with the 

preferred harvest strategy alternative in 

the EIS (see ADDRESSES). NMFS finds 

that the Council’s recommended OFLs, 

ABCs, and TACs are consistent with the 

biological condition of groundfish 

stocks as described in the 2011 SAFE 

report that was approved by the 

Council. 

Other Actions Potentially Affecting the 

2012 and 2013 Harvest Specifications 

The Council is currently considering 

implementing management measures in 

the event that Pacific cod is split from 

a BSAI-wide fishery into separate OFLs, 

ABCs, and TACs for the Bering Sea 

subarea and the Aleutian Island subarea. 

This split depends on NMFS developing 

an age-structured model for the Aleutian 

Islands Pacific cod stock assessment 

that will be reviewed by the Plan Team 

and SSC in 2012 or 2013. This split 

could impact the OFLs, ABCs, and 

TACs for Pacific cod on Table 1 for 

2013. 

Changes From the Proposed 2012 and 

2013 Harvest Specifications for the 

BSAI 

In October 2011, the Council 

proposed its recommendations for the 

2012 and 2013 harvest specifications (76 

FR 80782, December 27, 2011), based 

largely on information contained in the 

2010 SAFE report for the BSAI 

groundfish fisheries. Through the 

proposed harvest specifications, NMFS 

notified the public that these harvest 

specifications could change, as the 

Council would consider information 

contained in the 2011 SAFE report, 

recommendations from the SSC, Plan 

Team, and AP committees, and public 

testimony when making its 

recommendations for final harvest 

specification levels at the December 

Council meeting. NMFS further notified 

the public that, as required by the FMP 

and its implementing regulations, the 

sum of the TACs must be within the OY 

range of 1.4 million and 2.0 million mt. 

Information contained in the 2011 

SAFE reports indicates biomass changes 

for several groundfish species from the 

2010 SAFE reports. At the December 

2011 Council meeting, the SSC 

recommended the ABCs for many 

species in 2012 and 2013 based on the 

best and most recent information 

contained in the 2011 SAFE reports. 

This recommendation resulted in an 

ABC sum total for all BSAI groundfish 

species that exceeds 2 million mt for 

both 2012 and 2013. Based on the SSC 

ABC recommendations and the 2011 

SAFE reports, the AP recommended 

raising the TACs for more economically 

valuable species that have increasing 

biomasses, such as Pacific cod and 

Greenland turbot. Conversely, the SSC 

reduced the OFL and ABC of Bering Sea 

pollock from the proposed OFL and 

ABC, and these reductions led to the 

largest decrease in TAC in terms of 

tonnage. In terms of percentage change 

from the proposed TACs, octopuses and 

sharks had the largest increases in TAC. 

This is due to model changes for the 

calculation of octopuses OFL and ABC, 

and recommendations by the AP and 

the Council of TACs that are more 

realistic of incidental harvest of these 

species in other fisheries. The Bogoslof 

pollock TAC also had a large percentage 

increase, because the SSC discontinued 

the target biomass of 2 million mt and 

adopted a traditional OFL and ABC 

estimate under the Tier 5 approach of 

the FMP. The Council recommended a 

TAC to account for incidental catch in 

other fisheries. However, under 

§ 679.22(a)(7)(i)(B), directed fishing for 

pollock in the Bogoslof area is 

prohibited, so changes in TAC will have 

little effect upon fisheries. The changes 

to TAC between the proposed and final 

harvest specifications are based on the 

most recent scientific and economic 

information and are consistent with the 

FMP and regulatory obligations and 

harvest strategy as described in the 

proposed harvest specifications. These 

changes are compared in the following 

table. 

Table 1 lists the Council’s 

recommended final 2012 and 2013 OFL, 

ABC, TAC, initial TAC (ITAC), and CDQ 

reserve amounts of the BSAI groundfish. 

NMFS concurs in these 

recommendations. The final 2012 and 

2013 TAC recommendations for the 

BSAI are within the OY range 

established for the BSAI and do not 

exceed the ABC for any single species 

or complex. The apportionment of TAC 

amounts among fisheries and seasons is 

discussed below. 

COMPARISON OF FINAL 2012 AND 2013 WITH PROPOSED 2012 AND 2013 TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH IN THE BSAI 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area 1 2012 final TAC 2012 proposed 

TAC 

2012 

difference 

from 

proposed 

2013 final TAC 2013 proposed 

TAC 

2013 

difference 

from 

proposed 

Pollock ................................ BS ............ 1,200,000 1,253,658 ¥53,658 1,201,900 1,253,658 ¥51,758 

AI ............. 19,000 19,000 0 19,000 19,000 0 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 10671 

COMPARISON OF FINAL 2012 AND 2013 WITH PROPOSED 2012 AND 2013 TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH IN THE BSAI— 

Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area 1 2012 final TAC 2012 proposed 

TAC 

2012 

difference 

from 

proposed 

2013 final TAC 2013 proposed 

TAC 

2013 

difference 

from 

proposed 

Bogoslof ... 500 150 350 500 150 350 

Pacific cod .......................... BSAI ........ 261,000 229,608 31,392 262,900 229,608 33,292 

Sablefish ............................ BS ............ 2,230 2,610 ¥380 2,200 2,610 ¥410 

AI ............. 2,050 1,740 310 2,020 1,740 280 

Atka mackerel .................... EAI/BS ..... 38,500 36,800 1,700 31,700 36,800 ¥5,100 

CAI ........... 10,763 10,293 470 8,883 10,293 ¥1,410 

WAI .......... 1,500 1,500 0 1,500 1,500 0 

Yellowfin sole ..................... BSAI ........ 202,000 197,660 4,340 203,900 197,660 6,240 

Rock sole ........................... BSAI ........ 87,000 85,000 2,000 87,000 85,000 2,000 

Greenland turbot ................ BS ............ 6,230 3,500 2,730 6,010 3,500 2,510 

AI ............. 2,430 1,450 980 2,020 1,450 570 

Arrowtooth flounder ............ BSAI ........ 25,000 25,900 ¥900 25,000 25,900 ¥900 

Kamchatka flounder ........... BSAI ........ 17,700 17,700 0 17,700 17,700 0 

Flathead sole ..................... BSAI ........ 34,134 41,548 ¥7,414 34,134 41,548 ¥7,414 

Other flatfish ....................... BSAI ........ 3,200 3,000 200 3,200 3,000 200 

Alaska plaice ...................... BSAI ........ 24,000 16,000 8,000 24,000 16,000 8,000 

Pacific ocean perch ........... BS ............ 5,710 5,710 0 6,540 5,710 830 

EAI ........... 5,620 5,660 ¥40 6,440 5,660 780 

CAI ........... 4,990 4,960 30 5,710 4,960 750 

WAI .......... 8,380 8,370 10 9,610 8,370 1,240 

Northern rockfish ................ BSAI ........ 4,700 4,000 700 4,700 4,000 700 

Shortraker rockfish ............. BSAI ........ 393 393 0 393 393 0 

Rougheye rockfish ............. BS/EAI ..... 231 240 ¥9 241 240 1 

CAI/WAI ... 244 225 19 258 225 33 

Other rockfish ..................... BS ............ 500 500 0 500 500 0 

AI ............. 570 500 70 570 500 70 

Squids ................................ BSAI ........ 425 425 0 425 425 0 

Skates ................................ BSAI ........ 24,700 16,500 8,200 24,746 16,500 8,246 

Sharks ................................ BSAI ........ 200 50 150 200 50 150 

Octopuses .......................... BSAI ........ 900 150 750 900 150 750 

Sculpins .............................. BSAI ........ 5,200 5,200 0 5,200 5,200 0 

Total ............................ BSAI ........ 2,000,000 2,000,000 0 2,000,000 2,000,000 0 

1Bering Sea subarea (BS), Aleutian Islands subarea (AI), Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI), Eastern Aleutian District 

(EAI), Central Aleutian District (CAI), and Western Aleutian District (WAI). 

TABLE 1—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 OVERFISHING LEVEL (OFL), ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC), TOTAL ALLOWABLE

CATCH (TAC), INITIAL TAC (ITAC), AND CDQ RESERVE ALLOCATION OF GROUNDFISH IN THE BSAI 1

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area 

2012 2013 

OFL ABC TAC ITAC 2 CDQ 3 OFL ABC TAC ITAC 2 CDQ 3

Pollock 4 ........ BS .............. 2,474,000 1,220,000 1,200,000 1,080,000 120,000 2,840,000 1,360,000 1,201,900 1,081,710 120,190 

AI ................ 39,600 32,500 19,000 17,100 1,900 42,900 35,200 19,000 17,100 1,900 

Bogoslof ..... 22,000 16,500 500 500 0 22,000 16,500 500 500 0 

Pacific cod 5 .. BSAI ........... 369,000 314,000 261,000 233,073 27,927 374,000 319,000 262,900 234,770 28,130 

Sablefish ....... BS .............. 2,640 2,230 2,230 1,840 307 2,610 2,200 2,200 935 83 

AI ................ 2,430 2,050 2,050 1,666 346 2,400 2,020 2,020 429 38 

Atka mackerel BSAI ........... 96,500 81,400 50,763 45,331 5,432 78,300 67,100 42,083 37,580 4,503 

EAI/BS ........ n/a 38,500 38,500 34,381 4,120 n/a 31,700 31,700 28,308 3,392 

CAI ............. n/a 22,900 10,763 9,611 1,152 n/a 18,900 8,883 7,933 950 

WAI ............ n/a 20,000 1,500 1,340 161 n/a 16,500 1,500 1,340 161 

Yellowfin sole BSAI ........... 222,000 203,000 202,000 180,386 21,614 226,000 207,000 203,900 182,083 21,817 

Rock sole ...... BSAI ........... 231,000 208,000 87,000 77,691 9,309 217,000 196,000 87,000 77,691 9,309 

Greenland 

turbot.

BSAI ........... 11,700 9,660 8,660 7,361 n/a 9,700 8,030 8,030 6,826 n/a 

BS .............. n/a 7,230 6,230 5,296 667 n/a 6,010 6,010 5,109 643 

AI ................ n/a 2,430 2,430 2,066 0 n/a 2,020 2,020 1,717 0 

Arrowtooth 

flounder.

BSAI ........... 181,000 150,000 25,000 21,250 2,675 186,000 152,000 25,000 21,250 2,675 

Kamchatka 

flounder.

BSAI ........... 24,800 18,600 17,700 15,045 0 24,800 18,600 17,700 15,045 0 

Flathead sole BSAI ........... 84,500 70,400 34,134 30,482 3,652 83,100 69,200 34,134 30,482 3,652 

Other flatfish 6 BSAI ........... 17,100 12,700 3,200 2,720 0 17,100 12,700 3,200 2,720 0 

Alaska plaice BSAI ........... 64,600 53,400 24,000 20,400 0 65,000 54,000 24,000 20,400 0 

Pacific ocean 

perch.

BSAI ........... 35,000 24,700 24,700 21,812 n/a 33,700 28,300 28,300 24,991 n/a 


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10672 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 1—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 OVERFISHING LEVEL (OFL), ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC), TOTAL ALLOWABLE

CATCH (TAC), INITIAL TAC (ITAC), AND CDQ RESERVE ALLOCATION OF GROUNDFISH IN THE BSAI 1—Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area 

2012 2013 

OFL ABC TAC ITAC 2 CDQ 3 OFL ABC TAC ITAC 2 CDQ 3

BS .............. n/a 5,710 5,710 4,854 0 n/a 6,540 6,540 5,559 0 

EAI ............. n/a 5,620 5,620 5,019 601 n/a 6,440 6,440 5,751 689 

CAI ............. n/a 4,990 4,990 4,456 534 n/a 5,710 5,710 5,099 611 

WAI ............ n/a 8,380 8,380 7,483 897 n/a 9,610 9,610 8,582 1,028 

Northern rockfish.BSAI ........... 10,500 8,610 4,700 3,995 0 10,400 8,490 4,700 3,995 0 

Shortraker 

rockfish.

BSAI ........... 524 393 393 334 0 524 393 393 334 0 

Rougheye 

rockfish.

BSAI ........... 576 475 475 404 0 605 499 499 424 0 

EBS/EAI ..... n/a 231 231 196 0 n/a 241 241 205 0 

CAI/WAI ..... n/a 244 244 207 0 n/a 258 258 219 0 

Other rockfish 7.

BSAI ........... 1,700 1,280 1,070 910 0 1,700 1,280 1,070 910 0 

BS .............. n/a 710 500 425 0 n/a 710 500 425 0 

AI ................ n/a 570 570 485 0 n/a 570 570 485 0 

Squids ........... BSAI ........... 2,620 1,970 425 361 0 2,620 1,970 425 361 0 

Skates ........... BSAI ........... 39,100 32,600 24,700 20,995 0 38,300 32,000 24,746 21,034 0 

Sharks ........... BSAI ........... 1,360 1,020 200 170 0 1,360 1,020 200 170 0 

Octopuses ..... BSAI ........... 3,450 2,590 900 765 0 3,450 2,590 900 765 0 

Sculpins ........ BSAI ........... 58,300 43,700 5,200 4,420 0 58,300 43,700 5,200 4,420 0 

Total ....... .................... 3,996,000 2,511,778 2,000,000 1,789,010 195,860 4,341,869 2,639,792 2,000,000 1,786,924 195,269

1These amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these harvest specifications, the Bering Sea (BS) subarea includes the Bogoslof District. 2Except for pollock, the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, and Amendment 80 species, 15 percent of each TAC is put into a reserve. The ITAC for these species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves. For pollock and Amendment 80 species, ITAC is the non-CDQ 

allocation of TAC (see footnotes 3 and 5). 3For the Amendment 80 species (Atka mackerel, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, Pacific cod, and Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch), 10.7 percent of the 

TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants (see §§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) and 679.31). Twenty percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line gear or pot gear, 

7.5 percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to trawl gear, and 10.7 percent of the TACs for Bering Sea Greenland turbot and arrowtooth flounder are reserved for use 

by CDQ participants (see § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (D)). Aleutian Islands Greenland turbot, ‘‘other flatfish,’’ Alaska plaice, Bering Sea Pacific ocean perch, northern 

rockfish, shortraker rockfish, rougheye rockfish, ‘‘other rockfish,’’ squid, sculpins, sharks, skates, and octopuses are not allocated to the CDQ program. 4 Under § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), the annual BS subarea pollock TAC after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental catch allowance (4.0 percent), is further allocated by sector for a directed pollock fishery as follows: inshore—50 percent; catcher/processor—40 percent; and 

motherships—10 percent. Under § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual Aleutian Islands subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing 

allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental catch allowance (1,600 mt) is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. 5The Pacific cod TAC is reduced by 3 percent from the ABC to account for the State of Alaska’s (State) guideline harvest level in State waters of the Aleutian Islands subarea. 6 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole, arrowtooth flounder, 

Kamchatka flounder, and Alaska plaice. 7 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern, dark, shortraker, and rougheye rockfish. 

Note: Regulatory areas and districts are defined at § 679.2 (BS = Bering Sea subarea, AI = Aleutian Islands subarea, EAI = Eastern Aleutian Islands district, CAI = 

Central Aleutian Islands district, WAI = Western Aleutian Islands district). 

Groundfish Reserves and the Incidental 

Catch Allowance (ICA) for Pollock, 

Atka Mackerel, Flathead Sole, Rock 

Sole, Yellowfin Sole, and Aleutian 

Islands Pacific Ocean Perch 

Section 679.20(b)(1)(i) requires NMFS 

to reserve 15 percent of the TAC for 

each target species, except for pollock, 

the hook-and-line and pot gear 

allocation of sablefish, and the 

Amendment 80 species, in a nonspecified reserve. Section 

679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) requires that 20 

percent of the hook-and-line and pot 

gear allocation of sablefish be set aside 

for the fixed gear sablefish CDQ reserve. 

Section 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(D) requires 

NMFS to allocate 7.5 percent of the 

trawl gear allocations of sablefish and 

10.7 percent of the Bering Sea 

Greenland turbot and arrowtooth 

flounder TACs to the respective CDQ 

reserves. Under section 

679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C), NMFS must allocate 

10.7 percent of the TACs for Atka 

mackerel, Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean 

perch, yellowfin sole, rock sole, flathead 

sole, and Pacific cod to the CDQ 

reserves. Sections 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) and 

679.31(a) also require that 10 percent of 

the BSAI pollock TACs be allocated to 

the pollock CDQ directed fishing 

allowance (DFA). The entire Bogoslof 

District pollock TAC is allocated as an 

ICA (see § 679.20(a)(5)(ii)). With the 

exception of the hook-and-line and pot 

gear sablefish CDQ reserve, the 

regulations do not further apportion the 

CDQ allocations by gear. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), 

NMFS allocates a pollock ICA of 3 

percent of the BS subarea pollock TAC 

after subtracting the 10 percent CDQ 

reserve. This allowance is based on 

NMFS’ examination of the pollock 

incidental catch, including the 

incidental catch by CDQ vessels, in 

target fisheries other than pollock from 

1999 through 2011. During this 13-year 

period, the pollock incidental catch 

ranged from a low of 2.4 percent in 2006 

to a high of 5 percent in 1999, with a 

13-year average of 3.2 percent. Pursuant 

to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), 

NMFS establishes a pollock ICA of 

1,600 mt of the AI subarea TAC after 

subtracting the 10 percent CDQ DFA. 

This allowance is based on NMFS’ 

examination of the pollock incidental 

catch, including the incidental catch by 

CDQ vessels, in target fisheries other 

than pollock from 2003 through 2011. 

During this 9-year period, the incidental 

catch of pollock ranged from a low of 5 

percent in 2006 to a high of 10 percent 

in 2003, with a 9-year average of 7 

percent. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(8) and (10), 

NMFS allocates ICAs of 5,000 mt of 

flathead sole, 10,000 mt of rock sole, 

2,000 mt of yellowfin sole, 10 mt of 

Western Aleutian District Pacific (WAI) 

ocean perch, 75 mt of Central Aleutian 

District (CAI) Pacific ocean perch, 100 

mt of Eastern Aleutian District (EAI) 

Pacific ocean perch, 40 mt of WAI Atka 

mackerel, 100 mt of CAI Atka mackerel, 


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and 1,000 mt of EAI and BS subarea 

Atka mackerel TAC after subtracting the 

10.7 percent CDQ reserve. These ICA 

allowances are based on NMFS’ 

examination of the incidental catch in 

other target fisheries from 2003 through 

2011. 

The regulations do not designate the 

remainder of the non-specified reserve 

by species or species group. Any 

amount of the reserve may be 

apportioned to a target species category 

during the year, providing that such 

apportionments do not result in 

overfishing (see § 679.20(b)(1)(i)). The 

Regional Administrator has determined 

that the ITACs specified for the species 

listed in Table 2 need to be 

supplemented from the non-specified 

reserve because U.S. fishing vessels 

have demonstrated the capacity to catch 

the full TAC allocations. Therefore, in 

accordance with § 679.20(b)(3), NMFS is 

apportioning the amounts shown in 

Table 2 from the non-specified reserve 

to increase the ITAC for northern 

rockfish, shortraker rockfish, rougheye 

rockfish, Bering Sea ‘‘other rockfish,’’ 

skates, sharks, octopuses, and sculpins 

by 15 percent of the TAC in 2012 and 

2013. 

TABLE 2—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 APPORTIONMENT OF RESERVES TO ITAC CATEGORIES

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species-area or subarea 2012 ITAC 2012 reserve 

amount 

2012 final 

ITAC 2013 ITAC 2013 reserve amount 

2013 final 

ITAC 

Shortraker rockfish—BSAI ....................... 334 59 393 334 59 393 

Rougheye rockfish—EBS/EAI .................. 196 35 231 205 36 241 

Rougheye rockfish—CAI/WAI .................. 207 37 244 219 39 258 

Northern rockfish—BSAI .......................... 3,995 705 4,700 3,995 705 4,700 

Other rockfish—Bering Sea subarea ....... 425 75 500 425 75 500 

Skates—BSAI .......................................... 20,995 3,705 24,700 21,034 3,712 24,746 

Sharks—BSAI .......................................... 170 30 200 170 30 200 

Octopuses—BSAI .................................... 765 135 900 765 135 900 

Sculpins—BSAI ........................................ 4,420 780 5,200 4,420 780 5,200 

Total .................................................. 31,508 5,560 37,068 31,567 5,571 37,138 

Allocation of Pollock TAC Under the 

American Fisheries Act (AFA) 

Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) requires that 

the BS subarea pollock TAC be 

apportioned, after subtracting the 10 

percent for the CDQ program and the 3 

percent for the ICA, as a DFA as follows: 

50 percent to the inshore sector, 40 

percent to the catcher/processor (C/P) 

sector, and 10 percent to the mothership 

sector. In the BS subarea, 40 percent of 

the DFA is allocated to the A season 

(January 20–June 10), and 60 percent of 

the DFA is allocated to the B season 

(June 10–November 1) 

(§ 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)). The AI directed 

pollock fishery allocation to the Aleut 

Corporation is the amount of pollock 

remaining in the AI subarea after 

subtracting 1,900 mt for the CDQ DFA 

(10 percent) and 1,600 mt for the ICA 

(§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(ii)). In the AI 

subarea, 40 percent of the DFA is 

allocated to the A season and the 

remainder of the directed pollock 

fishery is allocated to the B season. 

Table 3 lists these 2012 and 2013 

amounts. 

Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4) also 

includes several specific requirements 

regarding BS subarea pollock 

allocations. First, it requires that 8.5 

percent of the pollock allocated to the 

C/P sector be available for harvest by 

AFA catcher vessels (CVs) with C/P 

sector endorsements, unless the 

Regional Administrator receives a 

cooperative contract that allows the 

distribution of harvest among AFA C/Ps 

and AFA CVs in a manner agreed to by 

all members. Second, AFA C/Ps not 

listed in the AFA are limited to 

harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of 

the pollock allocated to the C/P sector. 

Table 3 lists the 2012 and 2013 

allocations of pollock TAC. Tables 11 

through 16 list the AFA C/P and CV 

harvesting sideboard limits. The tables 

for the pollock allocations to the BS 

subarea inshore pollock cooperatives 

and open access sector will be posted on 

the Alaska Region Web site at http:// 

alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. 

Table 3 also lists seasonal 

apportionments of pollock and harvest 

limits within the Steller Sea Lion 

Conservation Area (SCA). The harvest 

within the SCA, as defined at 

§ 679.22(a)(7)(vii), is limited to 28 

percent of the annual DFA until 12 

noon, April 1 as provided in 

§ 679.20(a)(5)(i)(C). The remaining 12 

percent of the 40 percent annual DFA 

allocated to the A season may be taken 

outside the SCA before 12 noon, April 

1 or inside the SCA after 12 noon, April 

1. If less than 28 percent of the annual 

DFA is taken inside the SCA before 12 

noon, April 1, the remainder will be 

available to be taken inside the SCA 

after 12 noon, April 1. The A season 

pollock SCA harvest limit will be 

apportioned to each sector in proportion 

to each sector’s allocated percentage of 

the DFA. Table 3 lists these 2012 and 

2013 amounts by sector. 

TABLE 3—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND TO THE

CDQ DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA) 1

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Area and sector 2012 

Allocations 

2012 A season 1 2012 B 

season 1

2013 

Allocations 

2013 A season 1 2013 B 

season 1

A season 

DFA 

SCA 

harvest 

limit 2

B season 

DFA 

A season 

DFA 

SCA 

harvest 

limit 2

B season 

DFA 

Bering Sea subarea .......................................................... 1,200,000 n/a n/a n/a 1,201,900 n/a n/a n/a 

CDQ DFA .......................................................................... 120,000 48,000 33,600 72,000 120,190 48,076 33,653 72,114 

ICA1 .................................................................................. 32,400 n/a n/a n/a 32,451 n/a n/a n/a 

AFA Inshore ...................................................................... 523,800 209,520 146,664 314,280 524,629 209,852 146,896 314,778 


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TABLE 3—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND TO THE

CDQ DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA) 1—Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Area and sector 2012 

Allocations 

2012 A season 1 2012 B season 1

2013 

Allocations 

2013 A season 1 2013 B 

season 1

A season 

DFA 

SCA 

harvest 

limit 2

B season 

DFA 

A season 

DFA 

SCA 

harvest 

limit 2

B season 

DFA 

AFA Catcher/Processors 3 ................................................ 419,040 167,616 117,331 251,424 419,703 167,881 117,517 251,822 

Catch by C/Ps ................................................................... 383,422 153,369 n/a 230,053 384,029 153,611 n/a 230,417 

Catch by CVs 3 .................................................................. 35,618 14,247 n/a 21,371 35,675 14,270 n/a 21,405 

Unlisted C/P Limit 4 ........................................................... 2,095 838 n/a 1,257 2,099 839 n/a 1,259 

AFA Motherships ............................................................... 104,760 41,904 29,333 62,856 104,926 41,970 29,379 62,956 

Excessive Harvesting Limit 5 ............................................. 183,330 n/a n/a n/a 183,620 n/a n/a n/a 

Excessive Processing Limit 6 ............................................ 314,280 n/a n/a n/a 314,778 n/a n/a n/a 

Total Bering Sea DFA ....................................................... 1,047,600 419,040 293,328 628,560 1,049,259 419,703 293,792 629,555 

Aleutian Islands subarea 1 ................................................ 19,000 n/a n/a n/a 19,000 n/a n/a n/a 

CDQ DFA .......................................................................... 1,900 760 n/a 1,140 1,900 760 n/a 1,140 

ICA .................................................................................... 1,600 800 n/a 800 1,600 800 n/a 800 

Aleut Corporation .............................................................. 15,500 15,500 n/a 0 15,500 15,500 n/a 0 

Bogoslof District ICA7 ....................................................... 150 n/a n/a n/a 150 n/a n/a n/a 

1Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the BS subarea pollock, after subtracting the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and the ICA (3 percent), is allocated as a DFA as follows: 

inshore sector—50 percent, catcher/processor sector (C/P)—40 percent, and mothership sector—10 percent. In the BS subarea, 40 percent of the DFA is allocated to 

the A season (January 20–June 10) and 60 percent of the DFA is allocated to the B season (June 10–November 1). Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the 

annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second the ICA (1,600 mt), is allocated to the Aleut Corporation 

for a directed pollock fishery. In the AI subarea, the A season is allocated 40 percent of the ABC and the B season is allocated the remainder of the directed pollock 

fishery. 2 In the BS subarea, no more than 28 percent of each sector’s annual DFA may be taken from the SCA before April 1. The remaining 12 percent of the annual DFA 

allocated to the A season may be taken outside of SCA before April 1 or inside the SCA after April 1. If less than 28 percent of the annual DFA is taken inside the 

SCA before April 1, the remainder will be available to be taken inside the SCA after April 1. 3Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), not less than 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed catcher/processors shall be available for harvest only by eligible catcher 

vessels delivering to listed catcher/processors. 4Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted catcher/processors are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the catcher/processors sector’s 

allocation of pollock. 5Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6), NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ pollock DFAs. 6Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30.0 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ pollock DFAs. 7The Bogoslof District is closed by the final harvest specifications to directed fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are for ICA only and are not apportioned by 

season or sector. 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Allocation of the Atka Mackerel TACs 

Section 679.20(a)(8) allocates the Atka 

mackerel TACs to the Amendment 80 

and BSAI trawl limited access sectors, 

after subtracting the CDQ reserves, jig 

gear allocation, and ICAs for the BSAI 

trawl limited access sector and nontrawl gear sector (Table 4). The process 

for allocating the ITAC for Atka 

mackerel to the Amendment 80 and 

BSAI trawl limited access sectors is 

listed in Table 33 to part 679 and 

§ 679.91. Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(8)(i), 

up to 2 percent of the EAI and the BS 

subarea Atka mackerel ITAC may be 

allocated to the jig gear sector. This 

allocation is determined annually by the 

Council based on several criteria, 

including the anticipated harvest 

capacity of the jig gear fleet. The 

Council recommended, and NMFS 

approves, a 0.5 percent allocation of the 

Atka mackerel ITAC in the EAI and BS 

subarea to the jig gear sector in 2012 and 

2013. This percentage is applied to the 

Atka mackerel TAC after subtracting the 

CDQ reserve and the ICA. 

Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(3) limits 

the annual Atka mackerel TAC for Area 

542 (the CAI) to no more than 47 

percent of the Area 542 ABC. Section 

679.7(a)(19) prohibits retention of Atka 

mackerel in Area 543 (the WAI), and the 

amount set here accounts for discards in 

other fisheries. 

Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) apportions 

the Atka mackerel ITAC into two equal 

seasonal allowances. Section 

679.23(e)(3) sets the first seasonal 

allowance for directed fishing with 

trawl gear from January 20 through June 

10 (A season), and the second seasonal 

allowance from June 10 through 

November 1 (B season). Section 

679.23(e)(4)(iii) applies Atka mackerel 

seasons to CDQ Atka mackerel fishing. 

The jig gear allocation is not 

apportioned by season. 

Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C) requires the 

Amendment 80 cooperatives and CDQ 

groups to limit harvest to 10 percent of 

their Central Aleutian District Atka 

mackerel allocation equally divided 

between the A and B seasons, within 

waters 10 nm to 20 nm of Gramp Rock 

and Tag Island, as described on Table 12 

to part 679. Vessels not fishing under 

the authority of an Amendment 80 

cooperative quota or CDQ allocation are 

prohibited from conducting directed 

fishing for Atka mackerel inside Steller 

sea lion critical habitat in the Central 

Aleutian District. 

Table 4 lists these 2012 and 2013 Atka 

mackerel season and area allowances, as 

well as the sector allocations. The 2013 

allocations for Atka mackerel between 

Amendment 80 cooperatives and the 

Amendment 80 limited access sector 

will not be known until eligible 

participants apply for participation in 

the program by November 1, 2012. 


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TABLE 4—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 SEASONAL AND SPATIAL ALLOWANCES, GEAR SHARES, CDQ RESERVE, INCIDENTAL

CATCH ALLOWANCE, AND AMENDMENT 80 ALLOCATIONS OF THE BSAI ATKA MACKEREL TAC 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 1 Season 234

2012 allocation by area 2013 allocation by area 

Eastern Aleutian District/ 

Bering Sea 

Central 5 Aleutian District 

Western Aleutian District 

Eastern Aleutian District/ 

Bering Sea 

Central 5 Aleutian District 

Western Aleutian District 

TAC ................................ n/a ................ 38,500 10,763 1,500 31,700 8,883 1,500 

CDQ reserve .................. Total ............. 4,120 1,152 161 3,392 950 161 

A ................... 2,060 576 80 1,696 475 80 

Critical Habitat 5.n/a 58 n/a n/a 48 n/a 

B ................... 2,060 576 80 1,696 475 80 

Critical Habitat 5.n/a 58 n/a n/a 48 n/a 

ICA ................................. Total ............. 1,000 100 40 1,000 100 40 

Jig 6 ................................ Total ............. 167 0 0 137 0 0 

BSAI trawl limited access.Total ............. 3,321 951 0 2,717 783 0 

A ................... 1,661 476 0 1,359 392 0 

B ................... 1,661 476 0 1,359 392 0 

Amendment 80 sectors Total ............. 29,892 8,560 1,300 24,454 7,049 1,300 

A ................... 14,946 4,280 650 12,227 3,525 650 

B ................... 14,946 4,280 650 12,227 3,525 650 

Alaska Groundfish Cooperative.Total ............. 17,432 5,020 759 n/a n/a n/a 

A ................... 8,716 2,510 380 n/a n/a n/a 

Critical Habitat 5.n/a 251 n/a n/a n/a n/a 

B ................... 8,716 2,510 380 n/a n/a n/a 

Critical Habitat 5.n/a 251 n/a n/a n/a n/a 

Alaska Seafood Cooperative.Total ............. 12,461 3,540 541 n/a n/a n/a 

A ................... 6,231 1,770 271 n/a n/a n/a 

Critical Habitat 5.n/a 177 n/a n/a n/a n/a 

B ................... 6,231 1,770 271 n/a n/a n/a 

Critical Habitat 5.n/a 177 n/a n/a n/a n/a 

1Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii) allocates the Atka mackerel TACs, after subtractng the CDQ reserves, jig gear allocation, and ICAs to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited access sectors. The allocation of the ITAC for Atka mackerel to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited access sectors is established in Table 33 to part 679 and § 679.91. The CDQ reserve is 10.7 percent of the TAC for use by CDQ participants (see 

§§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) and 679.31). 2 Regulations at §§ 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) and 679.22(a) establish temporal and spatial limitations for the Atka mackerel fishery. 

3The seasonal allowances of Atka mackerel are 50 percent in the A season and 50 percent in the B season. 

4Section 679.23(e)(3) authorizes directed fishing for Atka mackerel with trawl gear during the A season from January 20 to June 10 and the B 

season from June 10 to November 1. 5Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C) requires the TAC in area 542 shall be no more than 47% of ABC, and Atka mackerel harvests for Amendment 80 

cooperatives and CDQ groups within waters 10 nm to 20 nm of Gramp Rock and Tag Island, as described Table 12 to part 679, in Area 542 are 

limited to no more than 10 percent of the Amendment 80 cooperative Atka mackerel allocation or 10 percent of the CDQ Atka mackerel allocation. 6Section 679.20(a)(8)(i) requires that up to 2 percent of the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea TAC be allocated to jig gear 

after subtracting the CDQ reserve and ICA. The amount of this allocation is 0.5 percent. The jig gear allocation is not apportioned by season. 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Allocation of the Pacific Cod ITAC 

Section 679.20(a)(7)(i) and (ii) 

requires NMFS to allocate the Pacific 

cod TAC in the BSAI, after subtracting 

10.7 percent for the CDQ reserve, as 

follows: 1.4 percent to vessels using jig 

gear; 2.0 percent to hook-and-line and 

pot CVs less than 60 ft (18.3 m) length 

overall (LOA); 0.2 percent to hook-andline CVs greater than or equal to 60 ft 

(18.3 m) LOA; 48.7 percent to hook-andline C/P; 8.4 percent to pot CVs greater 

than or equal to 60 ft (18.3 m) LOA; 1.5 

percent to pot C/Ps; 2.3 percent to AFA 

trawl C/Ps; 13.4 percent to non-AFA 

trawl C/Ps; and 22.1 percent to trawl 

CVs. The ICA for the hook-and-line and 

pot sectors will be deducted from the 

aggregate portion of Pacific cod TAC 

allocated to the hook-and-line and pot 

sectors. For 2012 and 2013, the Regional 

Administrator establishes an ICA of 500 

mt based on anticipated incidental catch 

by these sectors in other fisheries. The 

ITAC allocation of Pacific cod to the 

Amendment 80 sector is established in 

Table 33 to part 679 and § 679.91. The 

2013 allocations for Pacific cod between 

Amendment 80 cooperatives and the 

Amendment 80 limited access sector 

will not be known until November 1, 

2012, the date by which the applicants 

eligible to apply for participation in the 

Amendment 80 program must file their 

application. Amendment 80 

applications for 2013 have not yet been 

submitted to NMFS, thereby preventing 

NMFS from calculating 2013 

allocations. NMFS will post 2013 

Amendment 80 allocations when they 

become available in December 2012. 


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The Pacific cod ITAC is apportioned 

into seasonal allowances to disperse the 

Pacific cod fisheries over the fishing 

year (see §§ 679.20(a)(7) and 

679.23(e)(5)). In accordance with 

§ 679.20(a)(7)(iv)(B) and (C), any unused 

portion of a seasonal Pacific cod 

allowance will become available at the 

beginning of the next seasonal 

allowance. 

The CDQ and non-CDQ season 

allowances by gear based on the 2012 

and 2013 Pacific cod TACs are listed in 

Tables 5a and 5b, and are based on the 

sector allocation percentages of Pacific 

cod set forth at §§ 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) and 

679.20(a)(7)(iv)(A); and the seasonal 

allowances of Pacific cod set forth at 

§ 679.23(e)(5). 

Section 679.7(a)(19) prohibits 

retaining Pacific cod in Area 543, and 

§ 679.7(a)(23) prohibits directed fishing 

for Pacific cod with hook-and-line, pot, 

or jig gear in the Aleutian Islands 

subarea November 1 through December 

31. 

TABLE 5A—FINAL 2012 GEAR SHARES AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE BSAI PACIFIC COD TAC 

Gear sector Percent 

Share of 

gear sector 

total 

Share of 

sector total 

Seasonal apportionment 

Dates Amount 

Total TAC ............................................................................... 100 261,000 n/a n/a ..................................... n/a 

CDQ ....................................................................................... 10.7 27,927 n/a See § 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) .... n/a 

Total hook-and-line/pot gear .................................................. 60.8 141,708 n/a n/a ..................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line/pot ICA1 .......................................................... n/a 500 n/a See 679.20(a)(7)(ii)(B) ...... n/a 

Hook-and-line/pot sub-total .................................................... n/a 141,208 n/a n/a ..................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line catcher/processor ........................................... 48.7 n/a 113,106 Jan 1–Jun 10 ....................

Jun 10–Dec 31 ..................

57,684 

55,422 

Hook-and-line catcher vessel ≥60 ft LOA .............................. 0.2 n/a 465 Jan 1–Jun 10 ....................

Jun 10–Dec 31 ..................

237 

228 

Pot catcher/processor ............................................................ 1.5 n/a 3,484 Jan 1–Jun 10 ....................

Sept 1–Dec 31 ..................

1,777 

1,707 

Pot catcher vessel ≥60 ft LOA ............................................... 8.4 n/a 19,509 Jan 1–Jun 10 ....................

Sept 1–Dec 31 ..................

9,950 

9,559 

Catcher vessel <60 ft LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear 2 n/a 4,645 n/a ..................................... n/a 

Trawl catcher vessel .............................................................. 22.1 51,509 n/a Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1–Jun 10 .....................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

38,117 

5,666 

7,726 

AFA trawl catcher/processor .................................................. 2.3 5,361 n/a Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1– Jun 10 ...................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

4,021 

1,340 

0 

Amendment 80 ....................................................................... 13.4 31,232 n/a Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1– Jun 10 ...................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

23,424 

7,808 

0 

Alaska Groundfish Cooperative ............................................. n/a n/a 5,816 Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1– Jun 10 ...................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

4,362 

1,454 

0 

Alaska Seafood Cooperative ................................................. n/a n/a 25,416 Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1– Jun 10 ...................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

19,062 

6,354 

0 

Jig ........................................................................................... 1.4 3,263 n/a Jan 1–Apr 30 .....................

Apr 30–Aug 31 ..................

Aug 31–Dec 31 .................

1,958 

653 

653 

1The ICA for the hook-and-line and pot sectors will be deducted from the aggregate portion of Pacific cod TAC allocated to the hook-and-line 

and pot sectors. The Regional Administrator approves an ICA of 500 mt based on anticipated incidental catch in these fisheries.

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 5B—FINAL 2013 GEAR SHARES AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE BSAI PACIFIC COD TAC 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Gear sector Percent 

Share of 

gear sector 

total 

Share of 

sector total 

Seasonal apportionment 2

Dates Amount 

Total TAC ............................................................................... 100 262,900 n/a n/a ..................................... n/a 

CDQ ....................................................................................... 10.7 28,130 n/a See § 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) .... n/a 

Total hook-and-line/pot gear .................................................. 60.8 142,740 n/a n/a ..................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line/pot ICA1 .......................................................... n/a 500 n/a See § 679.20(a)(7)(ii)(B) .... n/a 

Hook-and-line/pot sub-total .................................................... n/a 142,240 n/a n/a ..................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line catcher/processor ........................................... 48.7 n/a 113,932 Jan 1–Jun 10 ....................

Jun 10–Dec 31 ..................

58,105 

55,827 

Hook-and-line catcher vessel ≥60 ft LOA .............................. 0.2 n/a 468 Jan 1–Jun 10 ....................

Jun 10–Dec 31 ..................

239 

229 

Pot catcher/processor ............................................................ 1.5 n/a 3,509 Jan 1–Jun 10 ....................

Sept 1–Dec 31 ..................

1,790 

1,720 

Pot catcher vessel ≥60 ft LOA ............................................... 8.4 n/a 19,652 Jan 1–Jun 10 ....................

Sept 1–Dec 31 ..................

10,022 

9,629 

Catcher vessel <60 ft LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear 2 n/a 4,679 n/a ..................................... n/a 


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TABLE 5B—FINAL 2013 GEAR SHARES AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE BSAI PACIFIC COD TAC—Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Gear sector Percent 

Share of 

gear sector 

total 

Share of 

sector total 

Seasonal apportionment 2

Dates Amount 

Trawl catcher vessel .............................................................. 22.1 51,884 n/a Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1–Jun 10 .....................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

38,394 

5,707 

7,783 

AFA trawl catcher/processor .................................................. 2.3 5,400 n/a Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1–Jun 10 .....................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

4,050 

1,350 

0 

Amendment 80 ....................................................................... 13.4 31,459 n/a Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1–Jun 10 .....................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

23,594 

7,865 

0 

Amendment 80 limited access2 ............................................. n/a n/a See footnote 2 Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1–Jun 10 .....................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

75% 

25% 

0 

Amendment 80 cooperatives2 ................................................ n/a n/a See footnote 2 Jan 20–Apr 1 .....................

Apr 1–Jun 10 .....................

Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................

75% 

25% 

0 

Jig ........................................................................................... 1.4 3,287 n/a Jan 1–Apr 30 .....................

Apr 30–Aug 31 ..................

Aug 31–Dec 31 .................

1,972 

657 

657 

1The ICA for the hook-and-line and pot sectors will be deducted from the aggregate portion of Pacific cod TAC allocated to the hook-and-line 

and pot sectors. The Regional Administrator approves an ICA of 500 mt based on anticipated incidental catch in these fisheries. 2The 2013 allocations for Amendment 80 species between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not 

be known November 1, 2012, the date by which the applicants eligible to apply for participation in the Amendment 80 program must file their application. 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Sablefish Gear Allocation 

Sections 679.20(a)(4)(iii) and (iv) 

require that sablefish TACs for the BS 

and AI subareas be allocated between 

trawl and hook-and-line or pot gear 

sectors. Of the TAC for the BS subarea, 

50 percent is allocated to vessels using 

trawl gear, and 50 percent to hook-andline or pot gear vessels. TACs for the AI 

subarea are divided 25 percent to the 

trawl gear vessels, and 75 percent to 

hook-and-line or pot gear sector. Section 

679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) requires NMFS to 

allot 20 percent of the hook-and-line 

and pot gear allocation of sablefish to 

the CDQ reserve. Additionally, 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(D) requires that 7.5 

percent of the trawl gear allocation of 

sablefish from the nonspecified 

reserves, established under 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(i), be assigned to the CDQ 

reserve. The Council recommended that 

only trawl sablefish TAC be established 

biennially, because the harvest 

specifications for the hook-and-line gear 

and pot gear sablefish Individual 

Fishing Quota (IFQ) fisheries will be 

limited to the 2012 fishing year to 

ensure those fisheries are conducted 

concurrently with the halibut IFQ 

fishery. Concurrent sablefish and 

halibut IFQ fisheries reduce the 

potential for discards of halibut and 

sablefish in those fisheries. The 

sablefish IFQ fisheries will remain 

closed at the beginning of each fishing 

year until the final specifications for the 

sablefish IFQ fisheries are in effect. 

Table 6 lists the 2012 and 2013 gear 

allocations of the sablefish TAC and 

CDQ reserve amounts. 

TABLE 6—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 GEAR SHARES AND CDQ RESERVE OF BSAI SABLEFISH TACS 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Subarea and gear Percent of 

TAC 

2012 Share 

of TAC 2012 ITAC 2012 CDQ reserve 

2013 Share 

of TAC 2013 ITAC 2013 CDQ reserve 

Bering Sea 

Trawl 1 ............................................... 50 1,115 948 84 1,100 935 83 

Hook-and-line/pot gear 2 ................... 50 1,115 892 223 n/a n/a n/a 

Total ........................................... 100 2,230 1,840 307 1,100 935 83 

Aleutian Islands 

Trawl 1 ............................................... 25 513 436 38 505 429 38 

Hook-and-line/pot gear 2 ................... 75 1,537 1,230 307 n/a n/a n/a 

Total ........................................... 100 2,050 1,666 346 505 429 38 

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

the TAC after the subtracting these reserves. 2For 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. The Council recommended that specifications for the hook-and-line gear sablefish IFQ fisheries be limited to one year. 

Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 


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Allocation of the AI Pacific Ocean 

Perch, and BSAI Flathead Sole, Rock 

Sole, and Yellowfin Sole TACs 

Sections 679.20(a)(10)(i) and (ii) 

require that NMFS allocate AI Pacific 

ocean perch, and BSAI flathead sole, 

rock sole, and yellowfin sole TACs 

between the Amendment 80 sector and 

BSAI trawl limited access sector, after 

subtracting 10.7 percent for the CDQ 

reserve and an ICA for the BSAI trawl 

limited access sector and vessels using 

non-trawl gear. The allocation of the 

ITAC for AI Pacific ocean perch, and 

BSAI flathead sole, rock sole, and 

yellowfin sole to the Amendment 80 

sector is established in accordance with 

Tables 33 and 34 to part 679 and 

§ 679.91. The 2013 allocations for 

Amendment 80 species between 

Amendment 80 cooperatives and 

limited access sector will not be known 

until November 1, 2012, the date by 

which the applicants eligible to apply 

for participation in the Amendment 80 

program must file their application. 

Amendment 80 applications for 2013 

have not yet been submitted to NMFS, 

thereby preventing NMFS from 

calculating 2013 allocations. NMFS will 

publish 2013 Amendment 80 allocations 

when they become available in 

December 2012. Table 7a and 7b lists 

the 2012 and 2013 allocations of the AI 

Pacific ocean perch, and BSAI flathead 

sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole TACs. 

TABLE 7A—FINAL 2012 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUOTA (CDQ) RESERVES, INCIDENTAL CATCH AMOUNTS (ICAS), AND

AMENDMENT 80 ALLOCATIONS OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS PACIFIC OCEAN PERCH, AND BSAI FLATHEAD SOLE, ROCK

SOLE, AND YELLOWFIN SOLE TACS 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 

Pacific ocean perch Flathead sole Rock sole Yellowfin sole 

Eastern Aleutian District Central Aleutian 

District 

Western Aleutian District BSAI BSAI BSAI 

TAC .............................................. 5,620 4,990 8,380 34,134 87,000 202,000 

CDQ ............................................. 601 534 897 3,652 9,309 21,614 

ICA ............................................... 100 75 10 5,000 10,000 2,000 

BSAI trawl limited access ............ 492 438 149 0 0 36,297 

Amendment 80 ............................. 4,427 3,943 7,324 25,482 67,691 142,089 

Alaska Groundfish Cooperative ... 2,347 2,091 3,883 4,976 19,000 60,313 

Alaska Seafood Cooperative ....... 2,080 1,852 3,440 20,506 48,691 81,776 

Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 7B—FINAL 2013 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUOTA (CDQ) RESERVES, INCIDENTAL CATCH AMOUNTS (ICAS), AND

AMENDMENT 80 ALLOCATIONS OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS PACIFIC OCEAN PERCH, AND BSAI FLATHEAD SOLE, ROCK

SOLE, AND YELLOWFIN SOLE TACS 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 

Pacific ocean perch Flathead sole Rock sole Yellowfin sole 

Eastern Aleutian District Central Aleutian 

District 

Western Aleutian District BSAI BSAI BSAI 

TAC .............................................. 6,440 5,710 9,610 34,134 87,000 203,900 

CDQ ............................................. 689 611 1,028 3,652 9,309 21,817 

ICA ............................................... 100 75 10 5,000 10,000 2,000 

BSAI trawl limited access ............ 565 502 171 0 0 36,975 

Amendment 801 ........................... 5,086 4,522 8,400 25,482 67,691 143,107 

1The 2013 allocations for Amendment 80 species between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not 

be known until November 1, 2012, the date by which the applicants eligible to apply for participation in the Amendment 80 program must file 

their application. 

Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Allocation of PSC Limits for Halibut, 

Salmon, Crab, and Herring 

Section 679.21(e) sets forth the BSAI 

PSC limits. Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(iv) 

and (e)(2), the 2012 and 2013 BSAI 

halibut mortality limits are 3,675 mt for 

trawl fisheries and 900 mt for the nontrawl fisheries. Under sections 

679.21(e)(3)(i)(A)(2) and (e)(4)(i)(A), 

NMFS allocates 326 mt of the trawl 

halibut mortality limit and 7.5 percent, 

or 67 mt, of the non-trawl halibut 

mortality limit as the PSQ reserve for 

use by the groundfish CDQ program. 

Section 679.21(e)(4)(i) authorizes 

NMFS to apportion the non-trawl 

halibut PSC limit into PSC bycatch 

allowances among six fishery categories. 

Table 8c lists the fishery bycatch 

allowances for the trawl and non-trawl 

fisheries. 

Pursuant to section 3.6 of the BSAI 

FMP, the Council recommends, and 

NMFS agrees, that certain specified nontrawl fisheries be exempt from the 

halibut PSC limit. As in past years, after 

consulting with the Council, NMFS 

exempts pot gear, jig gear, and the 

sablefish IFQ hook-and-line gear fishery 

categories from halibut bycatch 

restrictions for the following reasons: (1) 

The pot gear fisheries have low halibut 

bycatch mortality; (2) NMFS estimates 

halibut mortality for the jig gear fleet to 

be negligible because of the small size 

of the fishery and the selectivity of the 

gear; and (3) the sablefish and halibut 

IFQ fisheries have low halibut bycatch 

mortality because the IFQ program 

requires legal-size halibut to be retained 

by vessels using hook-and-line gear if a 

halibut IFQ permit holder or a hired 

master is aboard and is holding unused 

halibut IFQ (subpart D of 50 CFR part 

679). In 2011, total groundfish catch for 

the pot gear fishery in the BSAI was 

approximately 29,508 mt, with an 

associated halibut bycatch mortality of 

about 6 mt. 

The 2011 jig gear fishery harvested 

about 505 mt of groundfish. Most 


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vessels in the jig gear fleet are less than 

60 ft (18.3 m) LOA and thus are exempt 

from observer coverage requirements. 

As a result, observer data are not 

available on halibut bycatch in the jig 

gear fishery. However, as mentioned 

above, NMFS estimates the jig gear 

sector will have a negligible amount of 

halibut bycatch mortality because of the 

selective nature of jig gear and the low 

mortality rate of halibut caught with jig 

gear and released. 

Section 679.21(f)(2) requires NMFS to 

annually allocate portions of either 

47,591 or 60,000 Chinook salmon PSC 

among the AFA sectors, depending 

upon past catch performance and upon 

whether or not Chinook salmon bycatch 

incentive plan agreements are formed. If 

an AFA sector participates in an 

approved Chinook salmon bycatch 

incentive plan agreement, then NMFS 

will allocate a portion of the 60,000 PSC 

limit to that sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(A). If no Chinook 

salmon bycatch incentive plan 

agreement is approved, or if the sector 

has exceeded its performance standard 

under § 679.21(f)(6), NMFS will allocate 

a portion of the 47,591 Chinook salmon 

PSC limit to that sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(B). In 2012, the 

Chinook salmon PSC limit is 60,000 and 

the AFA sector Chinook salmon 

allocations are seasonally allocated with 

70 percent of the allocation for the A 

season pollock fishery, and 30 percent 

of the allocation for the B season 

pollock fishery as stated in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(A). The basis for these 

PSC limits is described in detail in the 

final rule implementing management 

measures for Amendment 91 (75 FR 

53026, August 30, 2010). NMFS 

publishes the approved Chinook salmon 

bycatch incentive plan agreements, 2012 

allocations and reports at: http:// 

alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ 

sustainablefisheries/bycatch/ 

default.htm. 

Section 679.21(e)(1)(viii) specifies 700 

fish as the 2012 and 2013 Chinook 

salmon PSC limit for the AI subarea 

pollock fishery. Pursuant to section 

679.21(e)(3)(i)(A)(3)(i), NMFS allocates 

7.5 percent, or 53 Chinook salmon, to 

the AI subarea PSQ for the CDQ 

program, and allocates the remaining 

647 Chinook salmon to the non-CDQ 

fisheries. 

Section 679.21(e)(1)(vii) specifies 

42,000 fish as the 2012 and 2013 nonChinook salmon PSC limit. Section 

679.21(e)(3)(i)(A)(3)(ii) requires NMFS 

to allocate 10.7 percent, or 4,494 nonChinook salmon, as the PSQ for the 

CDQ program and allocates the 

remaining 37,506 non-Chinook salmon 

to the non-CDQ fisheries. 

PSC limits for crab and herring are 

specified annually based on abundance 

and spawning biomass. Pursuant to 

§ 679.21(e)(3)(i)(A)(1), 10.7 percent from 

each trawl gear PSC limit specified for 

crab is allocated as a PSQ reserve for use 

by the groundfish CDQ program. 

Based on the 2011 survey data, the 

red king crab mature female abundance 

is estimated at 27.6 million red king 

crabs, and the effective spawning 

biomass is estimated at 43.1 million lb. 

Based on the criteria set out at 

§ 679.21(e)(1)(i), the 2012 and 2013 PSC 

limit of red king crab in Zone 1 for trawl 

gear is 97,000 animals. This limit 

derives from the mature female 

abundance of more than 8.4 million 

king crab and the effective spawning 

biomass estimate of less than 55 million 

lb (24,948 mt). 

Section 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(2) 

establishes criteria under which NMFS 

must specify an annual red king crab 

bycatch limit for the Red King Crab 

Savings Subarea (RKCSS). The 

regulations require NMFS to set the 

RKCSS red king crab bycatch limit to up 

to 25 percent of the red king crab PSC 

limit, based on the need to optimize the 

groundfish harvest relative to red king 

crab bycatch. In December 2011, the 

Council recommended that the red king 

crab bycatch limit be equal to 25 percent 

of the red king crab PSC limit within the 

RKCSS (Table 8b). NMFS concurs with 

the Council’s recommendation. 

Based on 2011 survey data, Tanner 

crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) abundance is 

estimated at 670 million animals. 

Pursuant to criteria set out at 

§ 679.21(e)(1)(ii), NMFS calculates 2012 

and 2013 C. bairdi crab PSC limit for 

trawl gear is 980,000 animals in Zone 1 

and 2,970,000 animals in Zone 2. These 

limits are derived from the C. bairdi 

crab abundance estimate being in excess 

of the 400 million animals for both the 

Zone 1 and Zone 2 allocations. 

Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(iii), the PSC 

limit for snow crab (C. opilio) is based 

on total abundance as indicated by the 

NMFS annual bottom trawl survey. The 

C. opilio crab PSC limit is set at 0.1133 

percent of the BS abundance index 

minus 150,000 crabs. Based on the 2011 

survey estimate of 6.337 billion animals, 

the calculated C. opilio crab PSC limit 

is 7,029,520 animals. 

Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(v), the PSC 

limit of Pacific herring caught while 

conducting any trawl operation for BSAI 

groundfish is 1 percent of the annual 

eastern BS herring biomass. The best 

estimate of 2012 and 2013 herring 

biomass is 209,419 mt. This amount was 

derived using 2011 survey data and an 

age-structured biomass projection model 

developed by the Alaska Department of 

Fish and Game. Therefore, the herring 

PSC limit for 2012 and 2013 is 2,094 mt 

for all trawl gear, as presented in Tables 

8a and b. 

Section 679.21(e)(3)(A) requires PSQ 

reserves to be subtracted from the total 

trawl PSC limits. The amounts of 2011 

PSC limits assigned to the Amendment 

80 and BSAI trawl limited access sectors 

are specified in Table 35 to part 679. 

The resulting allocation of PSC limit to 

CDQ PSQ, the Amendment 80 sector, 

and the BSAI trawl limited access 

fisheries are listed in Table 8a. Pursuant 

to § 679.21(e)(1)(iv) and § 679.91(d) 

through (f), crab and halibut trawl PSC 

limits assigned to the Amendment 80 

sector are then further allocated to 

Amendment 80 cooperatives as PSC 

cooperative quota, as listed in Table 8e. 

PSC cooperative quota assigned to 

Amendment 80 cooperatives is not 

allocated to specific fishery categories. 

In 2012, there are no vessels in the 

Amendment 80 limited access sector. 

NMFS will not know the 2013 PSC 

allocations between Amendment 80 

cooperatives and the Amendment 80 

limited access sector until November 1, 

2012, the date by which the applicants 

eligible to apply to participate in the 

Amendment 80 program must file their 

application. Section 679.21(e)(3)(i)(B) 

requires NMFS to apportion each trawl 

PSC limit not assigned to Amendment 

80 cooperatives into PSC bycatch 

allowances for seven specified fishery 

categories. 

Section 679.21(e)(5) authorizes 

NMFS, after consulting with the 

Council, to establish seasonal 

apportionments of PSC amounts for the 

BSAI trawl limited access and 

Amendment 80 limited access sectors in 

order to maximize the ability of the fleet 

to harvest the available groundfish TAC 

and to minimize bycatch. The factors to 

be considered are (1) seasonal 

distribution of prohibited species; (2) 

seasonal distribution of target 

groundfish species; (3) PSC bycatch 

needs on a seasonal basis relevant to 

prohibited species biomass; (4) expected 

variations in bycatch rates throughout 

the year; (5) expected start of fishing 

effort; and (6) economic effects of 

seasonal PSC apportionments on 

industry sectors. The Council 

recommended and NMFS approves the 

seasonal PSC apportionments in Tables 

8c and 8d to maximize harvest among 

gear types, fisheries, and seasons while 

minimizing bycatch of PSC based on the 

above criteria. 


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TABLE 8A—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 APPORTIONMENT OF PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH ALLOWANCES TO NON-TRAWL GEAR, 

THE CDQ PROGRAM, AMENDMENT 80, AND THE BSAI TRAWL LIMITED ACCESS SECTORS

PSC species Total nontrawl PSC 

Non-trawl 

PSC remaining after 

CDQ PSQ 1

Total trawl 

PSC 

Trawl PSC 

remaining 

after CDQ 

PSQ 1

CDQ PSQ 

reserve 1

Amendment 

80 sector 2

BSAI trawl 

limited access fishery 

Halibut mortality (mt) BSAI ........ 900 832 3,675 3,349 393 2,325 875 

Herring (mt) BSAI ...................... n/a n/a 2,094 n/a n/a n/a n/a 

Red king crab (animals) Zone 

1 1 ........................................... n/a n/a 97,000 86,621 10,379 43,293 26,489 

C. opilio (animals) COBLZ 2 ....... n/a n/a 7,029,520 6,277,361 752,159 3,085,323 2,017,544 

C. bairdi crab (animals) Zone 1 2 n/a n/a 980,000 875,140 104,860 368,521 411,228 

C. bairdi crab (animals) Zone 2 n/a n/a 2,970,000 2,652,210 317,790 627,778 1,241,500 

1Section 679.21(e)(3)(i)(A)(2) allocates 326 mt of the trawl halibut mortality limit and § 679.21(e)(4)(i)(A) allocates 7.5 percent, or 67 mt, of the 

non-trawl halibut mortality limit as the PSQ reserve for use by the groundfish CDQ program. The PSQ reserve for crab species is 10.7 percent of 

each crab PSC limit. 2The Amendment 80 program reduced apportionment of the trawl PSC limits by 150 mt for halibut mortality and 20 percent for crab. These reductions are not apportioned to other gear types or sectors. 

Note: Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of zones. 

Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 8B—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 HERRING AND RED KING CRAB SAVINGS SUBAREA PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH

ALLOWANCES FOR ALL TRAWL SECTORS

Fishery categories Herring (mt) 

BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) 

Zone 1 

Yellowfin sole ....................................................................................................................................................... 179 n/a 

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 1 ................................................................................................................ 31 n/a 

Turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish 2 ............................................................................................................................... 15 n/a 

Rockfish ............................................................................................................................................................... 11 n/a 

Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................................... 31 n/a 

Midwater trawl pollock ......................................................................................................................................... 1,600 n/a 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species 3 4 ............................................................................................................... 227 n/a 

Red king crab savings subarea non-pelagic trawl gear 5 .................................................................................... n/a 24,250 

Total trawl PSC ............................................................................................................................................ 2,094 97,000 

1 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), arrowtooth flounder, flathead sole, 

Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 2 ‘‘Arrowtooth flounder’’ for PSC monitoring includes Kamchatka flounder. 

3Pollock other than pelagic trawl pollock, Atka mackerel, and ‘‘other species’’ fishery category. 

4 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes sculpins, sharks, skates, and octopuses. 

5 In December 2011 the Council recommended that the red king crab bycatch limit for non-pelagic trawl fisheries within the RKCSS be limited 

to 25 percent of the red king crab PSC allowance (see § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(2)). 

Note: Species apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 8C—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR THE BSAI TRAWL LIMITED ACCESS

SECTOR

BSAI trawl limited access fisheries 

Prohibited species and area 1

Halibut mortality 

(mt) BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) Zone 

1 

C. opilio (animals) COBLZ 

C. bairdi (animals) 

Zone 1 Zone 2 

Yellowfin sole ............................................................. 167 23,338 1,901,193 346,228 1,185,500 

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 2 ....................... 0 0 0 0 0 

Turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish 3 ..................................... 0 0 0 0 0 

Rockfish April 15–December 31 ................................ 5 0 3,232 0 1,000 

Pacific cod .................................................................. 453 2,954 80,799 60,000 50,000 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species 4 ....................... 250 197 32,320 5,000 5,000 

Total BSAI trawl limited access PSC ................. 875 26,489 2,017,544 411,228 1,241,500 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas. 

2 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock 

sole, yellowfin sole, Kamchatka flounder, and arrowtooth flounder. 3Arrowtooth flounder for PSC monitoring includes Kamchatka flounder. 

4 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes sculpins, sharks, skates, and octopuses. 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 


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TABLE 8D—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR NON-TRAWL FISHERIES

Non-trawl fisheries Catcher/processor Catcher vessel 

Pacific cod—Total ................................................................................................................................ 760 15 

January 1–June 10 .............................................................................................................................. 455 10 

June 10–August 15 .............................................................................................................................. 190 3 

August 15–December 31 ..................................................................................................................... 115 2 

Other non-trawl—Total ................................................................................................................. 58 

May 1–December 31 ........................................................................................................................... 58 

Groundfish pot and jig ......................................................................................................................... Exempt 

Sablefish hook-and-line ....................................................................................................................... Exempt 

Total non-trawl PSC ..................................................................................................................... 833 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 8E—FINAL 2012 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCE FOR THE BSAI AMENDMENT 80 COOPERATIVES

Cooperative 

Prohibited species and zones 1

Halibut mortality 

(mt) BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) Zone 

1 

C. opilio (animals) COBLZ 

C. bairdi (animals) 

Zone 1 Zone 2 

Alaska Seafood Cooperative ..................................... 1,609 29,484 1,991,961 259,427 433,149 

Alaska Groundfish Cooperative ................................. 716 13,809 1,093,362 109,094 194,629 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of zones. 

Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Halibut Discard Mortality Rates (DMR) 

To monitor halibut bycatch mortality 

allowances and apportionments, the 

Regional Administrator uses observed 

halibut bycatch rates, DMRs, and 

estimates of groundfish catch to project 

when a fishery’s halibut bycatch 

mortality allowance or seasonal 

apportionment is reached. The DMRs 

are based on the best information 

available, including information 

contained in the annual SAFE report. 

NMFS approves the halibut DMRs 

developed and recommended by the 

International Pacific Halibut 

Commission (IPHC) and the Council for 

the 2012 and 2013 BSAI groundfish 

fisheries for use in monitoring the 2012 

and 2013 halibut bycatch allowances 

(see Tables 8a–8e). The IPHC developed 

these DMRs for the 2010 and 2011 BSAI 

fisheries using the 10-year mean DMRs 

for those fisheries. The IPHC will 

analyze observer data annually and 

recommend changes to the DMRs when 

a fishery DMR shows large variation 

from the mean. The document justifying 

these DMRs is available in Appendix 2 

in the final 2009 SAFE report dated 

November 2009 (see ADDRESSES). Table 

9 lists the 2012 and 2013 DMRs. 

TABLE 9—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 PACIFIC HALIBUT DISCARD MORTALITY RATES FOR THE BSAI 

Gear Fishery 

Halibut discard 

mortality rate 

(percent) 

Non-CDQ hook-and-line .......................................................... Greenland turbot ..................................................................... 11 

Other species 1 ........................................................................ 10 

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

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

Non-CDQ trawl ........................................................................ Arrowtooth flounder 2 ............................................................... 76 

Atka mackerel .......................................................................... 76 

Flathead sole ........................................................................... 74 

Greenland turbot ..................................................................... 67 

Non-pelagic pollock ................................................................. 73 

Pelagic pollock ........................................................................ 89 

Other flatfish 3 .......................................................................... 72 

Other species 1 ........................................................................ 71 

Pacific cod ............................................................................... 71 

Rockfish ................................................................................... 81 

Rock sole ................................................................................. 82 

Sablefish .................................................................................. 75 

Yellowfin sole .......................................................................... 81 

Non-CDQ Pot ........................................................................... Other species 1 ........................................................................ 8 

Pacific cod ............................................................................... 8 

CDQ trawl ................................................................................ Atka mackerel .......................................................................... 85 

Greenland turbot ..................................................................... 88 

Flathead sole ........................................................................... 84 

Non-pelagic pollock ................................................................. 85 

Pacific cod ............................................................................... 90 

Pelagic pollock ........................................................................ 90 


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TABLE 9—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 PACIFIC HALIBUT DISCARD MORTALITY RATES FOR THE BSAI—Continued 

Gear Fishery 

Halibut discard 

mortality rate 

(percent) 

Rockfish ................................................................................... 84 

Rock sole ................................................................................. 87 

Yellowfin sole .......................................................................... 85 

CDQ hook-and-line .................................................................. Greenland turbot ..................................................................... 4 

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

CDQ pot ................................................................................... Pacific cod ............................................................................... 8 

Sablefish .................................................................................. 32 

1 ‘‘Other species’’ includes sculpins, sharks, skates, and octopuses. 

2Arrowtooth flounder includes Kamchatka flounder. 

3 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole, 

Kamchatka flounder, and arrowtooth flounder. 

Directed Fishing Closures 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i), 

the Regional Administrator may 

establish a DFA for a species or species 

group if the Regional Administrator 

determines that any allocation or 

apportionment of a target species has 

been or will be reached. If the Regional 

Administrator establishes a DFA, and 

that allowance is or will be reached 

before the end of the fishing year, NMFS 

will prohibit directed fishing for that 

species or species group in the specified 

subarea or district (see 

§ 697.20(d)(1)(iii)). Similarly, pursuant 

to § 679.21(e), if the Regional 

Administrator determines that a fishery 

category’s bycatch allowance of halibut, 

red king crab, C. bairdi crab, or C. opilio 

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. 

Based upon historic catch patterns 

and anticipated fishing activity, the 

Regional Administrator has determined 

that the groundfish allocation amounts 

in Table 10 will be necessary as 

incidental catch to support other 

anticipated groundfish fisheries for the 

2012 and 2013 fishing years. 

Consequently, in accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(i), the Regional 

Administrator establishes the DFA for 

the species and species groups in Table 

10 as zero. Therefore, in accordance 

with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), NMFS is 

prohibiting directed fishing for these 

sectors and species in the specified 

areas effective at 1200 hrs, A.l.t., 

February 23, 2012, through 2400 hrs, 

A.l.t., December 31, 2013. Also, for the 

BSAI trawl limited access sector, 

bycatch allowances of halibut, red king 

crab, C. bairdi crab, and C. opilio crab 

listed in Table 10 are insufficient to 

support directed fisheries. Therefore, in 

accordance with § 679.21(e)(7), NMFS is 

prohibiting directed fishing for these 

sectors and fishery categories in the 

specified areas effective at 1200 hrs, 

A.l.t., February 23, 2012, through 2400 

hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2013. 

TABLE 10—2012 AND 2013 DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES 1

[Groundfish and halibut amounts are in metric tons. Crab amounts are in number of animals] 

Area Sector Species 

2012 incidental catch 

allowance 

2013 incidental catch 

allowance 

Bogoslof District ................................ All ...................................................... Pollock .............................................. 500 500 

Aleutian Islands subarea ................... All ...................................................... ICA pollock ....................................... 1,600 1,600 

‘‘Other rockfish’’ 2 .............................. 570 570 

Eastern Aleutian District/Bering Sea Non-amendment 80 and BSAI trawl 

limited access.

ICA Atka mackerel ............................ 1,000 1,000 

Eastern Aleutian District/Bering Sea All ...................................................... Rougheye rockfish ............................ 231 241 

Eastern Aleutian District .................... Non-amendment 80 and BSAI trawl 

limited access.

ICA Pacific ocean perch ................... 100 100 

Central Aleutian District .................... Non-amendment 80 and BSAI trawl 

limited access.

ICA Atka mackerel ............................ 100 100 

ICA Pacific ocean perch ................... 75 75 

Western Aleutian District ................... Non-amendment 80 and BSAI trawl 

limited access.

ICA Atka mackerel ............................ 40 40 

ICA Pacific ocean perch ................... 10 10 

Central and Western Aleutian Districts.All ...................................................... Rougheye rockfish ............................ 244 258 

Bering Sea subarea .......................... All ...................................................... Pacific ocean perch .......................... 4,854 5,559 

‘‘Other rockfish’’ 2 .............................. 500 500 

ICA pollock ....................................... 32,400 32,451 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands ...... All ...................................................... Northern rockfish .............................. 4,700 4,700 

Shortraker rockfish ........................... 393 393 

Squids ............................................... 361 361 

Skates ............................................... 24,700 24,746 

Sharks ............................................... 200 200 

Octopuses ......................................... 900 900 

Sculpins ............................................ 5,200 5,200 

Hook-and-line and pot gear .............. ICA Pacific cod ................................. 500 500 

Non-amendment 80 .......................... ICA flathead sole .............................. 5,000 5,000 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 10683 

TABLE 10—2012 AND 2013 DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES 1—Continued 

[Groundfish and halibut amounts are in metric tons. Crab amounts are in number of animals] 

Area Sector Species 

2012 incidental catch 

allowance 

2013 incidental catch 

allowance 

ICA rock sole .................................... 10,000 10,000 

Non-amendment 80 and BSAI trawl 

limited access.

ICA yellowfin sole ............................. 2,000 2,000 

BSAI trawl limited access ................. Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish—halibut mortality, red king 

crab Zone 1, C. opilio COBLZ, C. 

bairdi Zone 1 and 2.

0 0 

Turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish—halibut 

mortality, red king crab Zone 1, C. 

opilio COBLZ, C. bairdi Zone 1 

and 2.

0 0 

Rockfish—red king crab Zone 1 ....... 0 0 

1 Maximum retainable amounts may be found in Table 11 to 50 CFR part 679. 

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

rockfish, and rougheye rockfish. 

Closures implemented under the 2011 

and 2012 BSAI harvest specifications for 

groundfish (76 FR 11139, March 1, 

2011) remain effective under authority 

of these final 2012 and 2013 harvest 

specifications, and are posted at the 

following Web sites: http:// 

alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/index/ 

infobulletins/infobulletins.asp?Yr=2012 

and http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ 

2012/status.htm. While these closures 

are in effect, the maximum retainable 

amounts at § 679.20(e) and (f) apply at 

any time during a fishing trip. These 

closures to directed fishing are in 

addition to closures and prohibitions 

found in regulations at 50 CFR part 679. 

Listed AFA Catcher/Processor 

Sideboard Limits 

Pursuant to § 679.64(a), the Regional 

Administrator is responsible for 

restricting the ability of listed AFA 

C/Ps to engage in directed fishing for 

groundfish species other than pollock to 

protect participants in other groundfish 

fisheries from adverse effects resulting 

from the AFA and from fishery 

cooperatives in the directed pollock 

fishery. These restrictions are set out as 

‘‘sideboard’’ limits on catch. The basis 

for these sideboard limits is described in 

detail in the final rules implementing 

the major provisions of the AFA (67 FR 

79692, December 30, 2002) and 

Amendment 80 (72 FR 52668, 

September 14, 2007). Table 11 lists the 

2012 and 2013 C/P sideboard limits. 

All harvest of groundfish sideboard 

species by listed AFA C/Ps, whether as 

targeted catch or incidental catch, will 

be deducted from the sideboard limits 

in Table 11. However, groundfish 

sideboard species that are delivered to 

listed AFA C/Ps by CVs will not be 

deducted from the 2012 and 2013 

sideboard limits for the listed AFA C/Ps. 

Section 679.64(a)(2) and Tables 40 

and 41 of part 679 establish a formula 

for calculating PSC sideboard limits for 

listed AFA C/Ps. The basis for these 

sideboard limits is described in detail in 

the final rules implementing the major 

provisions of the AFA (67 FR 79692, 

December 30, 2002) and Amendment 80 

(72 FR 52668, September 14, 2007). 

PSC species listed in Table 12 that are 

caught by listed AFA C/Ps participating 

in any groundfish fishery other than 

pollock will accrue against the 2012 and 

2013 PSC sideboard limits for the listed 

AFA C/Ps. Section 679.21(e)(3)(v) 

authorizes NMFS to close directed 

fishing for groundfish other than 

pollock for listed AFA C/Ps once a 2012 

or 2013 PSC sideboard limit listed in 

Table 12 is reached. 

Crab or halibut PSC caught by listed 

AFA C/Ps while fishing for pollock will 

accrue against the bycatch allowances 

annually specified for either the 

midwater pollock or the pollock/Atka 

mackerel/‘‘other species’’ fishery 

categories under regulations at 

§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv). 

TABLE 11—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 LISTED BSAI AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER/PROCESSOR GROUNDFISH

SIDEBOARD LIMITS

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Target species Area/season 

1995–1997 

2012 ITAC 

available to 

trawl C/Ps 1

2012 AFA 

C/P sideboard limit 

2013 ITAC 

available to 

trawl C/Ps 1

2013 AFA 

C/P sideboard limit Retained 

catch Total catch 

Ratio of retained catch 

to total 

catch 

Sablefish trawl ...... BS ......................... 8 497 0.016 948 15 935 15 

AI .......................... 0 145 0 436 0 429 0 

Atka mackerel ....... Central AI A season 2.n/a n/a 0.115 4,806 553 3,966 456 

Central AI B season 2.n/a n/a 0.115 4,806 553 3,966 456 

Western AI A season 2.n/a n/a 0.2 670 134 670 134 

Western AI B season 2.n/a n/a 0.2 670 134 670 134 

Rock sole .............. BSAI ...................... 6,317 169,362 0.037 77,691 2,875 77,691 2,875 


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10684 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 11—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 LISTED BSAI AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER/PROCESSOR GROUNDFISH

SIDEBOARD LIMITS—Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Target species Area/season 

1995–1997 

2012 ITAC 

available to 

trawl C/Ps 1

2012 AFA 

C/P sideboard limit 

2013 ITAC 

available to 

trawl C/Ps 1

2013 AFA 

C/P sideboard limit Retained 

catch Total catch 

Ratio of retained catch 

to total 

catch 

Greenland turbot ... BS ......................... 121 17,305 0.007 5,296 37 5,109 36 

AI .......................... 23 4,987 0.005 2,066 10 1,717 9 

Arrowtooth flounder BSAI ...................... 76 33,987 0.002 21,250 43 21,250 43 

Kamchatka flounder.BSAI ...................... 76 33,987 0.002 15,045 30 15,045 30 

Flathead sole ........ BSAI ...................... 1,925 52,755 0.036 30,482 1,097 30,482 1,097 

Alaska plaice ......... BSAI ...................... 14 9,438 0.001 20,400 20 20,400 20 

Other flatfish ......... BSAI ...................... 3,058 52,298 0.058 2,720 158 2,720 158 

Pacific ocean 

perch.

BS ......................... 12 4,879 0.002 4,854 10 5,559 11 

Eastern AI ............. 125 6,179 0.02 5,019 100 5,751 115 

Central AI .............. 3 5,698 0.001 4,456 4 5,099 5 

Western AI ............ 54 13,598 0.004 7,483 30 8,582 34 

Northern rockfish .. BSAI ...................... 91 13,040 0.007 4,700 33 4,700 33 

Shortraker rockfish BSAI ...................... 50 2,811 0.018 393 7 393 7 

Rougheye rockfish EBS/EAI ................ 50 2,811 0.018 231 4 241 4 

CAI/WAI ................ 50 2,811 0.018 244 4 258 5 

Other rockfish ....... BS ......................... 18 621 0.029 500 15 500 15 

AI .......................... 22 806 0.027 570 15 570 15 

Squids ................... BSAI ...................... 73 3,328 0.022 361 8 361 8 

Skates ................... BSAI ...................... 553 68,672 0.008 24,700 198 24,746 198 

Sharks ................... BSAI ...................... 553 68,672 0.008 200 2 200 2 

Octopuses ............. BSAI ...................... 553 68,672 0.008 900 7 900 7 

Sculpins ................ BSAI ...................... 553 68,672 0.008 5,200 42 5,200 42 

1Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch, and BSAI Atka mackerel, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole are multiplied by the remainder of the 

TAC after the subtraction of the CDQ reserve under § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C). 2The seasonal apportionment of Atka mackerel in the open access fishery is 50 percent in the A season and 50 percent in the B season. Listed AFA catcher/processors are limited to harvesting no more than zero in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea, 20 percent of 

the annual ITAC specified for the Western Aleutian District, and 11.5 percent of the annual ITAC specified for the Central Aleutian District. 

TABLE 12—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 BSAI AFA LISTED CATCHER/PROCESSOR PROHIBITED SPECIES SIDEBOARD LIMITS

PSC species and area1

Ratio of PSC 

catch to total 

PSC 

2012 and 2013 

PSC available 

to trawl vessels 

after subtraction 

of PSQ 2

2012 and 2013 

catcher/processor sideboard 

limit 2

Halibut mortality BSAI ............................................................................................................ n/a n/a 286 

Red king crab zone 1 ............................................................................................................ 0.007 86,621 606 

C. opilio (COBLZ) .................................................................................................................. 0.153 6,277,361 960,436 

C. bairdi Zone 1 ..................................................................................................................... 0.14 875,140 122,520 

C. bairdi Zone 2 ..................................................................................................................... 0.05 2,652,210 132,611 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas. 

2 Halibut amounts are in metric tons of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals. 

AFA Catcher Vessel Sideboard Limits 

Pursuant to § 679.64(a), the Regional 

Administrator is responsible for 

restricting the ability of AFA CVs to 

engage in directed fishing for groundfish 

species other than pollock to protect 

participants in other groundfish 

fisheries from adverse effects resulting 

from the AFA and from fishery 

cooperatives in the directed pollock 

fishery. Section 679.64(b) establishes a 

formula for setting AFA CV groundfish 

and PSC sideboard limits for the BSAI. 

The basis for these sideboard limits is 

described in detail in the final rules 

implementing the major provisions of 

the AFA (67 FR 79692, December 30, 

2002) and Amendment 80 (72 FR 52668, 

September 14, 2007). Tables 13 and 14 

list the 2012 and 2013 AFA CV 

sideboard limits. 

All catch of groundfish sideboard 

species made by non-exempt AFA CVs, 

whether as targeted catch or incidental 

catch, will be deducted from the 2012 

and 2013 sideboard limits listed in 

Table 13. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 10685 

TABLE 13—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL BSAI GROUNDFISH SIDEBOARD LIMITS

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species/gear Fishery by area/season 

Ratio of 1995– 

1997 AFA CV 

catch to 1995– 

1997 TAC 

2012 initial 

TAC 1

2012 AFA 

catcher vessel 

sideboard limits 

2013 initial 

TAC 1

2013 AFA 

catcher vessel 

sideboard limits 

Pacific cod/Jig gear ........ BSAI .............................. 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 

Pacific cod/Hook-andline CV.BSAI Jan 1–Jun 10 ....... 0.0006 237 0 239 0 

BSAI Jun 10–Dec 31 ..... 0.0006 228 0 229 0 

Pacific cod pot gear CV BSAI Jan 1–Jun 10 ....... 0.0006 9,950 6 10,022 6 

BSAI Sept 1—Dec 31 ... 0.0006 9,959 6 9,629 6 

Pacific cod CV < 60 feet 

LOA using hook-andline or pot gear.

BSAI .............................. 0.0006 4,645 3 4,679 3 

Pacific cod trawl gear 

CV.

BSAI Jan 20–Apr 1 ....... 0.8609 38,117 32,815 38,394 33,053 

BSAI Apr 1–Jun 10 ....... 0.8609 5,666 4,878 5,707 4,913 

BSAI Jun 10–Nov 1 ....... 0.8609 7,726 6,651 7,783 6,700 

Sablefish trawl gear ....... BS .................................. 0.0906 948 86 935 85 

AI ................................... 0.0645 436 28 429 28 

Atka mackerel ................ Eastern AI/BS Jan 1– 

Jun 10.

0.0032 17,190 55 14,154 45 

Eastern AI/BS Jun 10– 

Nov 1.

0.0032 17,190 55 14,154 45 

Central AI Jan 1–Jun 10 0.0001 4,806 0 3,966 0 

Central AI Jun 10–Nov 1 0.0001 4,806 0 3,966 0 

Western AI Jan 1–Jun 

10.

0 n/a 0 n/a 0 

Western AI Jun 10–Nov 

1.

0 n/a 0 n/a 0 

Rock sole ....................... BSAI .............................. 0.0341 77,691 2,649 77,691 2,649 

Greenland turbot ............ BS .................................. 0.0645 5,296 342 5,109 330 

AI ................................... 0.0205 2,066 42 1,717 35 

Arrowtooth flounder ........ BSAI .............................. 0.069 21,250 1,466 21,250 1,466 

Kamchatka flounder ....... BSAI .............................. 0.069 15,045 1,038 15,045 1,038 

Alaska plaice .................. BSAI .............................. 0.0441 20,400 900 20,400 900 

Other flatfish ................... BSAI .............................. 0.0441 2,720 120 2,720 120 

Flathead sole ................. BS .................................. 0.0505 30,482 1,539 30,482 1,539 

Pacific ocean perch ....... BS .................................. 0.1 4,854 485 5,559 556 

Eastern AI ...................... 0.0077 5,019 39 5,751 44 

Central AI ...................... 0.0025 4,456 11 5,099 13 

Western AI ..................... 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 

Northern rockfish ............ BSAI .............................. 0.0084 4,700 39 4,700 39 

Shortraker rockfish ......... BSAI .............................. 0.0037 393 1 393 1 

Rougheye rockfish ......... EBS/EAI ......................... 0.0037 231 1 241 1 

CAI/WAI ......................... 0.0037 244 1 258 1 

Other rockfish ................. BS .................................. 0.0048 500 2 500 2 

AI ................................... 0.0095 570 5 570 5 

Squids ............................ BSAI .............................. 0.3827 361 138 361 138 

Skates ............................ BSAI .............................. 0.0541 24,700 1,336 24,746 1,339 

Sharks ............................ BSAI .............................. 0.0541 200 11 200 11 

Octopuses ...................... BSAI .............................. 0.0541 900 49 900 49 

Sculpins .......................... BSAI .............................. 0.0541 5,200 281 5,200 281 

1Aleutians Islands Pacific ocean perch, and BSAI Atka mackerel, flathead sole, and rock sole are multiplied by the remainder of the TAC of 

that species after the subtraction of the CDQ reserve under § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C). 

Halibut and crab PSC limits listed in 

Table 14 that are caught by AFA CVs 

participating in any groundfish fishery 

for groundfish other than pollock will 

accrue against the 2012 and 2013 PSC 

sideboard limits for the AFA CVs. 

Sections 679.21(d)(8) and 679.21(e)(3)(v) 

authorize NMFS to close directed 

fishing for groundfish other than 

pollock for AFA CVs once a 2012 or 

2013 PSC sideboard limit listed in Table 

14 is reached. The PSC that is caught by 

AFA CVs while fishing for pollock in 

the BSAI will accrue against the bycatch 

allowances annually specified for either 

the midwater pollock or the pollock/ 

Atka mackerel/‘‘other species’’ fishery 

categories under regulations at 

§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv). 


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10686 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 14—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH SIDEBOARD

LIMITS FOR THE BSAI 1

PSC species Target fishery category 2

AFA catcher vessel PSC sideboard 

limit ratio 

2012 and 2013 

PSC limit after 

subtraction of 

PSQ reserves 

2012 and 2013 

AFA catcher vessel PSC sideboard 

limit 

Halibut .............................. Pacific cod trawl .......................................................... n/a n/a 887 

Pacific cod hook-and-line or pot ................................. n/a n/a 2 

Yellowfin sole total ...................................................... n/a n/a 101 

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 3 ....................... n/a n/a 228 

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish 4 ..................... n/a n/a 0 

Rockfish ...................................................................... n/a n/a 2 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species 5 ........................ n/a n/a 5 

Red king crab Zone 1 4 6 .. n/a ............................................................................... 0.299 86,621 25,900 

C. opilio COBLZ 4 6 ........... n/a ............................................................................... 0.168 6,277,361 1,054,597 

C. bairdi Zone 1 4 6 ........... n/a ............................................................................... 0.33 875,140 288,796 

C. bairdi Zone 2 6 ............. n/a ............................................................................... 0.186 2,652,210 493,311 

1 Halibut amounts are in metric tons of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals. 

2Target fishery categories are defined in regulation at § 679.21(e)(3)(iv). 

3 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock 

sole, yellowfin sole, Kamchatka flounder, and arrowtooth flounder. 4Arrowtooth for PSC monitoring includes Kamchatka flounder. 

5 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes sculpins, sharks, skates, and octopuses. 

6 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas. 

AFA Catcher/Processor and Catcher 

Vessel Sideboard Directed Fishing 

Closures 

Based upon historical catch patterns, 

the Regional Administrator has 

determined that many of the AFA C/P 

and CV sideboard limits listed in Tables 

15 and 16 are necessary as incidental 

catch to support other anticipated 

groundfish fisheries for the 2012 fishing 

year. In accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iv), the Regional 

Administrator establishes the sideboard 

limits listed in Tables 15 and 16 as 

DFAs. Because many of these DFAs will 

be reached before the end of the year, 

the Regional Administrator has 

determined, in accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), that NMFS is 

prohibiting directed fishing by listed 

AFA C/Ps for the species in the 

specified areas set out in Table 15 and 

directed fishing by non-exempt AFA 

CVs for the species in the specified 

areas set out in Table 16. 

TABLE 15—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT LISTED CATCHER/PROCESSOR SIDEBOARD DIRECTED

FISHING CLOSURES 1

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area Gear types 2012 sideboard 

limit 

2013 sideboard 

limit 

Sablefish trawl ............................ BS .............................................. trawl ............................................ 15 15 

AI ................................................ trawl ............................................ 0 0 

Rock sole .................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 2,875 2,875 

Greenland turbot ......................... BS .............................................. all ................................................ 37 36 

AI ................................................ all ................................................ 10 9 

Arrowtooth flounder .................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 43 43 

Kamchatka flounder .................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 30 30 

Alaska plaice .............................. BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 20 20 

Other flatfish 2 ............................. BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 158 158 

Flathead sole .............................. BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 1,097 1,097 

Pacific ocean perch .................... BS .............................................. all ................................................ 10 11 

Eastern AI .................................. all ................................................ 100 115 

Central AI ................................... all ................................................ 4 5 

Western AI ................................. all ................................................ 30 34 

Northern rockfish ........................ BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 33 33 

Shortraker rockfish ..................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 7 7 

Rougheye rockfish ...................... EBS/EAI ..................................... all ................................................ 4 4 

CAI/WAI ..................................... all ................................................ 4 5 

Other rockfish 3 ........................... BS .............................................. all ................................................ 15 15 

AI ................................................ all ................................................ 15 15 

Squids ......................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 8 8 

Skates ......................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 198 198 

Sharks ......................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 2 2 

Octopuses ................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 7 7 

Sculpins ...................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 42 42 

1 Maximum retainable amounts may be found in Table 11 to 50 CFR part 679. 

2 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species, except for halibut, flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole, Kamchatka flounder, 

and arrowtooth flounder. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 10687 

3 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern, dark, shortraker, and rougheye 

rockfish. 

TABLE 16—FINAL 2012 AND 2013 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL SIDEBOARD DIRECTED FISHING

CLOSURES 1

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area Gear types 2012 sideboard 

limit 

2013 sideboard 

limit 

Pacific cod .................................. BSAI ........................................... hook-and-line ............................. 0 0 

BSAI ........................................... pot .............................................. 12 12 

BSAI ........................................... CV< 60 feet LOA ....................... 3 3 

BSAI ........................................... jig ................................................ 0 0 

Sablefish ..................................... BS .............................................. trawl ............................................ 86 85 

AI ................................................ trawl ............................................ 28 28 

Atka mackerel ............................. Eastern AI/BS ............................ all ................................................ 110 90 

Central AI ................................... all ................................................ 0 0 

Western AI ................................. all ................................................ 0 0 

Greenland turbot ......................... BS .............................................. all ................................................ 342 330 

AI ................................................ all ................................................ 42 35 

Arrowtooth flounder .................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 1,466 1,466 

Kamchatka flounder .................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 1,038 1,038 

Alaska plaice .............................. BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 900 900 

Other flatfish 2 ............................. BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 120 120 

Flathead sole .............................. BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 1,539 1,539 

Rock sole .................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 2,649 2,649 

Pacific ocean perch .................... BS .............................................. all ................................................ 485 556 

Eastern AI .................................. all ................................................ 39 44 

Central AI ................................... all ................................................ 11 13 

Western AI ................................. all ................................................ 0 0 

Northern rockfish ........................ BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 39 39 

Shortraker rockfish ..................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 1 1 

Rougheye rockfish ...................... BS/EAI ........................................ all ................................................ 1 1 

CAI/WAI ..................................... all ................................................ 1 1 

Other rockfish 3 ........................... BS .............................................. all ................................................ 2 2 

AI ................................................ all ................................................ 5 5 

Squids ......................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 138 138 

Skates ......................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 1336 1339 

Sharks ......................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 11 11 

Octopuses ................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 49 49 

Sculpins ...................................... BSAI ........................................... all ................................................ 281 281 

1 Maximum retainable amounts may be found in Table 11 to 50 CFR part 679. 

2 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species, except for halibut, flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole, Kamchatka flounder, 

and arrowtooth flounder. 3 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern, dark, shortraker, and rougheye 

rockfish. 

Response to Comments 

NMFS received one comment from 

the Western Alaska Community 

Development Association, which 

represents the six CDQ groups. 

Comment: This comment states that 

the CDQ portion of a Kamchatka 

flounder fishery would be too small to 

support a viable fishery, and that it 

could also constrain other CDQ 

fisheries. Therefore, the CDQ groups 

request that NMFS does not allocate 

Kamchatka flounder to the CDQ groups 

for 2012 or 2013. 

Response: In the proposed 2012 and 

2013 harvest specifications NMFS 

requested comments about whether 

Kamchatka flounder was a directed 

fishery under section 305(i)(1)(B)(ii)(II) 

of the MSA. If it were, NMFS would 

allocate 10.7 percent of the Kamchatka 

flounder TAC to the CDQ program. 

NMFS specifically requested comments 

from the CDQ groups about the 

economic value of Kamchatka flounder 

and whether the CDQ groups intended 

to conduct directed fishing for 

Kamchatka flounder in the future. Based 

on the comment received, NMFS has 

determined that Kamchatka flounder is 

not a directed fishery of the BSAI under 

section 305(i)(1)(B)(ii)(II). Therefore, 

NMFS will not allocate Kamchatka 

flounder to the CDQ Program in the 

final 2012 and 2013 harvest 

specifications. However, NMFS will 

consider allocating Kamchatka flounder 

to the CDQ program if information is 

presented in future harvest 

specifications that the status of 

Kamchatka flounder as a directed 

fishery of the BSAI has changed. 

Classification 

NMFS has determined that these final 

harvest specifications are consistent 

with the FMP and with the MagnusonStevens Act and other applicable laws. 

This action is authorized under 50 

CFR 679.20 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Orders 12866 and 

13563. 

NMFS prepared an EIS for this action 

(see ADDRESSES) and made it available to 

the public on January 12, 2007 (72 FR 

1512). On February 13, 2007, NMFS 

issued the Record of Decision (ROD) for 

the EIS. In January 2012, NMFS 

prepared a Supplemental Information 

Report (SIR) for this action. Copies of 

the EIS, ROD, and SIR for this action are 

available from NMFS (see ADDRESSES). 

The EIS analyzes the environmental 

consequences of the groundfish harvest 

specifications and alternative harvest 

strategies on resources in the action 

area. The EIS found no significant 

environmental consequences of this 

action and its alternatives. The SIR 


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evaluates the need to prepare a 

Supplemental EIS (SEIS) for the 2012 

and 2013 groundfish harvest 

specifications. 

A SEIS should be prepared if (1) the 

agency makes substantial changes in the 

proposed action that are relevant to 

environmental concerns; or (2) 

significant new circumstances or 

information exist relevant to 

environmental concerns and bearing on 

the proposed action or its impacts (40 

CFR 1502.9(c)(1)). After reviewing the 

information contained in the SIR and 

SAFE reports, the Regional 

Administrator has determined that (1) 

approval of the 2012 and 2013 harvest 

specifications, which were set according 

to the preferred harvest strategy in the 

EIS, do not constitute a change in the 

action; and (2) there are no significant 

new circumstances or information 

relevant to environmental concerns and 

bearing on the action or its impacts. 

Additionally, the 2012 and 2013 harvest 

specifications will result in 

environmental impacts within the scope 

of those analyzed and disclosed in the 

EIS. Therefore, supplemental National 

Environmental Protection Act 

documentation is not necessary to 

implement the 2012 and 2013 harvest 

specifications. 

Pursuant to section 604 of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, 

et seq., a FRFA was prepared for this 

action. The FRFA incorporates the 

IRFA, and includes a summary of the 

significant issues raised by public 

comments in response to the IRFA, and 

NMFS’ responses to those comments, 

and a summary of the analyses 

completed to support the action. 

A copy of the FRFA prepared for this 

final rule is available from NMFS (see 

ADDRESSES). A description of this 

action, its purpose, and its legal basis 

are contained at the beginning of the 

preamble to this final rule and are not 

repeated here. 

NMFS published the proposed rule on 

December 27, 2011 (76 FR 80782). The 

rule was accompanied by an Initial 

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), 

which was summarized in the proposed 

rule. The comment period closed on 

January 26, 2012. No comments were 

received on the IRFA. 

The entities directly regulated by this 

action are those that receive allocations 

of groundfish in the EEZ of the BSAI, 

and in parallel fisheries within State of 

Alaska waters, during the annual 

harvest specifications process. These 

directly regulated entities include the 

groundfish CVs and C/Ps active in these 

areas. Direct allocations of groundfish 

are also made to certain organizations, 

including the CDQ groups, American 

Fisheries Act (AFA) C/P and inshore CV 

sectors, Aleut Corporation, and 

Amendment 80 cooperatives. These 

entities are, therefore, also considered 

directly regulated. 

In 2009, there were 191 individual 

catcher vessels with total gross revenues 

less than or equal to $4 million. Many 

of these vessels are members in AFA 

inshore pollock cooperatives. Vessels 

that participate in these cooperatives are 

considered to be large entities within 

the meaning of the RFA. After 

accounting for membership in these 

cooperatives, there are an estimated 103 

small CVs remaining in the BSAI. 

In 2009, 18 C/Ps grossed less than $4 

million. Some of these vessels were 

affiliated through ownership by the 

same business firm. NMFS estimates 

that these vessels were owned by 11 

separate firms. By 2011, the vessels in 

this group were also affiliated through 

membership in two cooperatives (the 

Amendment 80 ‘‘Best Use’’ cooperative, 

or the Freezer Longline Conservation 

Cooperative). Applying the 2011 firm 

and cooperative affiliations to these 

vessels, NMFS estimates that these 18 

vessels currently represent two small 

entities. 

Through the CDQ program, the 

Council and NMFS allocate a portion of 

the BSAI groundfish TACs, and 

prohibited species halibut and crab PSC 

limits, to 65 eligible Western Alaska 

communities. These communities work 

through six non-profit CDQ groups, and 

are required to use the proceeds from 

the CDQ allocations to start or support 

activities that will result in ongoing, 

regionally based, commercial fishery or 

related businesses. The CDQ groups 

receive allocations through the harvest 

specifications process, and are directly 

regulated by this action, but the 65 

communities are not directly regulated. 

Because they are nonprofit entities, the 

CDQ groups are considered small 

entities for RFA purposes. 

The AFA and Amendment 80 

fisheries cooperatives are directly 

regulated because they receive 

allocations of TAC through the harvest 

specifications process. However, the 

Freezer Longline Conservation 

Cooperative (FLCC), a voluntary private 

cooperative which became fully 

effective in 2010, is not considered to be 

directly regulated. The FLCC runs a 

catch share program among its 

members, but it does not, itself, receive 

an allocation under the harvest 

specifications. NMFS allocates TAC to 

the freezer longline sector, and the 

cooperative members voluntarily 

allocate this TAC among themselves via 

the FLCC. The AFA and Amendment 80 

cooperatives are large entities, since 

they are affiliated with firms with joint 

revenues over $4 million. 

The Aleut Corporation is an Alaska 

Native Corporation that receives an 

allocation of pollock in the Aleutian 

Islands. The Aleut Corporation is a 

holding company and evaluated 

according to the SBA criteria at 13 CFR 

121.201, using a $6 million gross annual 

receipts threshold for ‘‘Offices of Other 

Holding Companies.’’ Aleut Corporation 

revenues are believed to exceed this 

threshold, and the Aleut Corporation is 

considered to be a large entity. This 

determination follows the analysis in 

the RFA certification for BSAI FMP 

Amendment 82. (NMFS–AKR 2005: 

413). 

This action does not modify 

recordkeeping or reporting 

requirements. 

The significant alternatives were 

those considered as alternative harvest 

strategies when the Council selected its 

preferred harvest strategy in December 

2006. These included the following: 

• Alternative 1: Set TACs to produce 

fishing mortality rates, F, that are equal 

to maxFABC, unless the sum of the 

TACs is constrained by the OY 

established in the FMPs. This is 

equivalent to setting TACs to produce 

harvest levels equal to the maximum 

permissible ABCs, as constrained by 

OY. The term ‘‘maxFABC’’ refers to the 

maximum permissible value of FABC 

under Amendment 56 to the groundfish 

FMPs. Historically, the TAC has been 

set at or below the ABC, therefore, this 

alternative represents a likely upper 

limit for setting the TAC within the OY 

and ABC limits. 

• Alternative 3: For species in Tiers 1, 

2, and 3, set TAC to produce F equal to 

the most recent 5-year average actual F. 

For species in Tiers 4, 5, and 6, set TAC 

equal to the most recent 5-year average 

actual catch. For stocks with a high 

level of scientific information, TACs 

would be set to produce harvest levels 

equal to the most recent five year 

average actual fishing mortality rates. 

For stocks with insufficient scientific 

information, TACs would be set equal to 

the most recent five year average actual 

catch. This alternative recognizes that 

for some stocks, catches may fall well 

below ABCs, and recent average F may 

provide a better indicator of actual F 

than FABC does. 

• Alternative 4: (1) Set TACs for 

rockfish species in Tier 3 at F75%. Set 

TACs for rockfish species in Tier 5 at 

F=0.5M. Set spatially explicit TACs for 

shortraker and rougheye rockfish in the 

BSAI. (2) Taking the rockfish TACs as 

calculated above, reduce all other TACs 

by a proportion that does not vary 

across species, so that the sum of all 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 10689 

TACs, including rockfish TACs, is equal 

to the lower bound of the area OY 

(1,400,000 mt in the BSAI). This 

alternative sets conservative and 

spatially explicit TACs for rockfish 

species that are long-lived and late to 

mature and sets conservative TACs for 

the other groundfish species. 

• Alternative 5: Set TACs at zero. 

Alternative 2 is the preferred 

alternative chosen by the Council: Set 

TACs that fall within the range of ABCs 

recommended through the Council 

harvest specifications process and TACs 

recommended by the Council. Under 

this scenario, F is set equal to a constant 

fraction of maxFABC. The 

recommended fractions of maxFABC 

may vary among species or stocks, based 

on other considerations unique to each. 

This is the method for determining 

TACs that has been used in the past. 

Alternatives 1, 3, 4, and 5 do not both 

meet the objectives of this action 

although they have a smaller adverse 

economic impact on small entities than 

the preferred alternative. The Council 

rejected these alternatives as harvest 

strategies in 2006, and the Secretary did 

so in 2007. Alternative 1 would lead to 

TACs whose sum exceeds the fishery 

OY, which is set out in statute and the 

FMP. As shown in Table 1, the sum of 

ABCs in 2012 and 2013 would be 

2,511,778 and 2,639,792 million mt. 

Both of these are substantially in excess 

of the fishery OY for the BSAI. This 

would be inconsistent with the 

objectives of this action, in that it would 

violate the Consolidated Appropriations 

Act of 2004, Pub. L. No. 108–199, Sec. 

803(c), and the FMP for the BSAI 

groundfish fishery, which both set a 

2,000,000 mt maximum harvest for 

BSAI groundfish. 

Alternative 3 selects harvest rates 

based on the most recent five years’ 

worth of harvest rates (for species in 

Tiers 1 through 3) or for the most recent 

five years’ worth of harvests (for species 

in Tiers 4 through 6). This alternative is 

also inconsistent with the objectives of 

this action, because it does not take 

account of the most recent biological 

information for this fishery. 

Alternative 4 would lead to 

significantly lower harvests of all 

species to reduce TACs from the upper 

end of the OY range in the BSAI, to its 

lower end. This would lead to 

significant reductions in harvests of 

species by small entities. While 

reductions of this size could be 

associated with offsetting price 

increases, the size of these increases is 

very uncertain, and there can be no 

confidence that they would be sufficient 

to offset the volume decreases and leave 

revenues unchanged. Thus, this action 

would have an adverse economic 

impact on small entities, compared to 

the preferred alternative. 

Alternative 5, which sets all harvests 

equal to zero, may also address 

conservation issues, but would have a 

significant adverse economic impact on 

small entities. 

Impacts on marine mammals resulting 

from fishing activities conducted under 

this rule are discussed in the EIS (see 

ADDRESSES). 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), the 

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

NOAA, finds good cause to waive the 

30-day delay in effectiveness for this 

rule, because delaying this rule is 

contrary to the public interest. Plan 

Team review occurred in November 

2011, and Council consideration and 

recommendations occurred in December 

2011. Accordingly, NMFS review could 

not begin until January 2012. If this 

rule’s effectiveness is delayed, fisheries 

that might otherwise remain open under 

these rules may prematurely close based 

on the lower 2011 and 2012 harvest 

specifications (76 FR 11139, March 1, 

2011). If implemented immediately, this 

rule would allow these fisheries to 

continue fishing without worrying about 

a potential closure, because the new 

TACs are higher than the ones under 

which they are currently fishing. Certain 

fisheries, such as those for pollock and 

Pacific cod are intensive, fast-paced 

fisheries. Other fisheries, such as those 

for flatfish, rockfish, octopuses, 

sculpins, sharks, skates, and squids, are 

critical as directed fisheries and as 

incidental catch in other fisheries. U.S. 

fishing vessels have demonstrated the 

capacity to catch the TAC allocations in 

these fisheries. Any delay in allocating 

the final TACs in these fisheries would 

cause confusion to the industry and 

potential economic harm through 

unnecessary discards. Determining 

which fisheries may close is impossible 

because these fisheries are affected by 

several factors that cannot be predicted 

in advance, including fishing effort, 

weather, movement of fishery stocks, 

and market price. Furthermore, the 

closure of one fishery has a cascading 

effect on other fisheries by freeing up 

fishing vessels, allowing them to move 

from closed fisheries to open ones, 

increasing the fishing capacity in those 

open fisheries and causing them to close 

at an accelerated pace. 

Additionally, in fisheries subject to 

declining sideboards, delaying this 

rule’s effectiveness could allow some 

vessels inadvertently reach or exceed 

their new sideboard levels. Because 

sideboards are intended to protect 

traditional fisheries in other sectors, 

allowing one sector to exceed its new 

sideboards by delaying this rule’s 

effectiveness would effectively reduce 

the available catch for non-sideboarded 

sectors. Thus, the delay is contrary to 

the public interest in protecting 

traditional fisheries. 

If the final harvest specifications are 

not effective by March 17, 2012, which 

is the start of the 2012 Pacific halibut 

season as specified by the IPHC, the 

hook-and-line sablefish fishery will not 

begin concurrently with the Pacific 

halibut IFQ season. Delayed 

effectiveness of this action would result 

in confusion for sablefish harvesters and 

economic harm from unnecessary 

discard of sablefish that are caught 

along with Pacific halibut, as both hookand-line sablefish and Pacific halibut 

are managed under the same IFQ 

program. Immediate effectiveness of the 

final 2012 and 2013 harvest 

specifications will allow the sablefish 

IFQ fishery to begin concurrently with 

the Pacific halibut IFQ season. Also, the 

immediate effectiveness of this action is 

required to provide consistent 

management and conservation of fishery 

resources based on the best available 

scientific information. This is 

particularly true of those species which 

have lower 2012 ABCs and TACs than 

those established in the 2011 and 2012 

harvest specifications (76 FR 11139, 

March 1, 2011). Immediate effectiveness 

also would give the fishing industry the 

earliest possible opportunity to plan and 

conduct its fishing operations with 

respect to new information about TAC 

limits. Therefore, NMFS finds good 

cause to waive the 30-day delay in 

effectiveness under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). 

Small Entity Compliance Guide 

This final rule is a plain language 

guide to assist small entities in 

complying with this final rule as 

required by the Small Business 

Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 

1996. This final rule’s primary purpose 

is to announce the final 2012 and 2013 

harvest specifications and prohibited 

species bycatch allowances for the 

groundfish fisheries of the BSAI. This 

action is necessary to establish harvest 

limits and associated management 

measures for groundfish during the 2012 

and 2013 fishing years and to 

accomplish the goals and objectives of 

the FMP. This action affects all 

fishermen who participate in the BSAI 

fisheries. The specific amounts of OFL, 

ABC, TAC, and PSC are provided in 

tables to assist the reader. NMFS will 

announce closures of directed fishing in 

the Federal Register and information 

bulletins released by the Alaska Region. 

Affected fishermen should keep 

themselves informed of such closures. 


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10690 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 

1540(f); 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 

3631 et seq.; Pub. L. 105–277; Pub. L. 106– 

31; Pub. L. 106–554; Pub. L. 108–199; Pub. 

L. 108–447; Pub. L. 109–241; Pub. L. 109– 

479. 

Dated: February 15, 2012. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–4106 Filed 2–22–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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