101514 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

conclusions, as well as the reasons or 

bases therefore, upon the material issues 

presented. A copy of each decision shall 

be served on the parties to the 

proceeding and furnished to interested 

persons upon request. 

(3) It shall be the duty of the Hearing 

Examiner, and the Secretary where there 

is an appeal, to determine whether the 

person has engaged in one or more of 

the acts or activities described in 

paragraph (a) of this section, and, if 

there is a finding that the person has 

engaged in such acts or activities, the 

length of time the person shall be 

debarred and the processing 

establishments to which the debarment 

shall apply. 

[FR Doc. 2024–29129 Filed 12–13–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 660 

[Docket No. 241022–0278] 

RIN 0648–BN08 

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; 

Fisheries Off West Coast States; 

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 

Management Plan; Amendment 33; 

2025–26 Biennial Specifications and 

Management Measures 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This final rule establishes the 

2025–26 harvest specifications for 

groundfish caught in the U.S. exclusive 

economic zone (EEZ) seaward of 

Washington, Oregon, and California, 

consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act or MSA) 

and the Pacific Coast Groundfish 

Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP). 

This final rule also revises management 

measures intended to keep the total 

annual catch of each groundfish stock or 

stock complex within the annual catch 

limits. These measures are intended to 

help prevent overfishing, rebuild 

overfished stocks, achieve optimum 

yield, and ensure that management 

measures are based on the best scientific 

information available. Additionally, this 

final rule makes minor corrections (e.g., 

correcting grammar, removing outdated 

regulations, revisions for clarity) to the 

regulations, as well as technical 

corrections recommended by the Pacific 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

at their September 2024 meeting. Last, 

this final rule implements amendment 

33 to the PCGFMP, which establishes a 

rebuilding plan for California quillback 

rockfish and revises the allocation 

framework for shortspine thornyhead. 

DATES: Effective January 1, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: The Analysis, which 

addresses the National Environmental 

Policy Act, Presidential Executive Order 

12866, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 

and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, is 

accessible via the internet at the NMFS 

West Coast Region website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/westcoast. The final 2024 Stock Assessment 

and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report 

for Pacific Coast groundfish, as well as 

the SAFE reports for previous years, are 

available from the Council’s website at 

https://www.pcouncil.org. The final 

Council Analytical Document, which 

describes the Council’s final 

recommendations on the 2025–26 

harvest specifications and management 

measures and amendment 33, is also 

available from the Council’s website at 

https://www.pcouncil.org. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lynn Massey, Fishery Management 

Specialist, at 562–900–2060 or 

lynn.massey@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Harvest Specifications 

This final rule sets 2025–26 harvest 

specifications and management 

measures for the 90+ groundfish stocks 

or management units which currently 

have annual catch limits (ACLs) or ACL 

contributions to stock complexes 

managed under the PCGFMP, except for 

Pacific whiting. Pacific whiting harvest 

specifications are established annually 

through a separate bilateral process with 

Canada. 

The proposed overfishing limits 

(OFLs), acceptable biological catches 

(ABCs), and ACLs are based on the best 

available biological and socioeconomic 

data, including projected biomass 

trends, information on assumed 

distribution of stock biomass, and 

revised technical methods used to 

calculate stock biomass. See tables 1a 

and 2a to Part 660, Subpart C in the 

regulatory text supporting this rule for 

the 2025–26 OFLs, ABCs, and ACLs for 

each stock or stock complex. 

A detailed description of each stock 

and stock complex for which the 

Council establishes harvest 

specifications set through this rule can 

be found in the 2024 SAFE document 

posted on the Council’s website at 

https://www.pcouncil.org/stockassessments-star-reports-stat-reportsrebuilding-analyses-terms-of-reference/ 

safe-documents-4/. A summary of how 

the 2025–26 harvest specifications were 

developed, including a description of 

off-the-top deductions for Tribal, 

research, incidental open access (IOA), 

and experimental fisheries, was 

provided in the proposed rule (87 FR 

70406, August 29, 2024) and is not 

repeated here. Additional information 

on the development of these harvest 

specifications is also provided in the 

Analysis. 

For most stocks, the Council 

recommended harvest specifications 

based on the default harvest control rule 

used in the prior biennium. The Council 

recommended deviating from the 

default harvest control rule for four 

stocks in 2025–2026. Table 1 presents a 

summary of the changes to the harvest 

control rules for these stocks for the 

2025–26 biennium. Each of these 

changes was discussed in the proposed 

rule and that discussion is not repeated 

here. 

TABLE 1—CHANGES TO HARVEST CONTROL RULES FOR THE 2025–26 BIENNIUM

Stock Default harvest control rule a Alternative harvest control rule a

Rex Sole ............................................................ ACL = ABC (P* 0.40) ....................................... ACL = ABC (P* 0.45). 

Shortspine thornyhead b .................................... ACL < ABC (P* 0.40) ....................................... ACL < ABC (P* 0.45), 40–10 HRC applied. 

Dover sole ......................................................... ACL = 50,000 metric tons (mt) ......................... ACL = ABC (P* 0.45). 

Quillback Rockfish off California ....................... ACL contribution < ABC (SPR 0.55; P* 0.45) c ABC Rule d (ACL = ABC; P* 0.45). 

aThe Default Harvest Control Rules were used to set the ACLs in 2023 and 2024. The Alternative Harvest Controls rules are the proposed 

changes for setting the ACLs in 2025 and 2026. bThe 40–10 adjustment applies where a precautionary reduction is warranted, per the PCGFMP at section 4.6.1. The 40–10 adjustment reduces the harvest rate to help the stock return to the maximum sustainable yield level. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101515 

c In 2023–24, the harvest control rule (ACL contribution < ABC, SPR 0.55; P* 0.45) specified an ACL contribution because quillback rockfish 

was still part of the Nearshore rockfish complex. For 2025–26, California quillback rockfish is proposed to be taken out of the Nearshore complex 

and managed pursuant to a stock-specific ACL. dThe Council recommended the ABC Rule as the alternative harvest control rule based on a range of harvest strategies analyzed in the California Quillback Rockfish Rebuilding Plan new management measure, which is described in section III, P of this preamble. 

II. Management Measures 

This final rule revises management 

measures, which are used to further 

allocate the ACLs to the various 

components of the fishery (i.e., biennial 

fishery harvest guidelines and setasides) and to control fishing. 

Management measures for the 

commercial fishery modify fishing 

behavior during the fishing year to 

ensure catch does not exceed the ACL, 

and include trip and cumulative landing 

limits, time/area closures, size limits, 

and gear restrictions. Management 

measures for the recreational fisheries 

include bag limits, size limits, gear 

restrictions, fish dressing requirements, 

and time/area closures. Each of these 

changes was discussed in the proposed 

rule and that discussion is not repeated 

here. 

A. Deductions From the ACLs 

Before making allocations to the 

primary commercial and recreational 

components of groundfish fisheries, the 

Council recommends ‘‘off-the-top 

deductions,’’ or deductions from the 

ACLs to account for anticipated 

mortality for certain types of activities, 

including: (1) harvest in Pacific Coast 

treaty Indian Tribal fisheries; (2) harvest 

in scientific research activities; (3) 

harvest in non-groundfish fisheries (i.e., 

IOA catch); and (4) harvest that occurs 

under exempted fishing permits (EFPs). 

As part of NMFS’ effort to simplify 

regulations pertaining to harvest 

specifications, the footnotes that 

typically specify these values in tables 

1a, 1b, 2a, and 2b of subpart C have 

been removed, and all off-the-top 

deductions for individual stocks or 

stock complexes and are included in the 

2024 SAFE. The details of the EFPs are 

discussed below in section II, I of this 

preamble and section III, I of the 

proposed rule. 

B. Annual Catch Targets 

As defined at 50 CFR 660.11, an 

annual catch target (ACT) is a 

management target set below the ACL 

that may be used as an accountability 

measure in cases where there is 

uncertainty in inseason catch 

monitoring to ensure against exceeding 

an ACL. Since the ACT is a target and 

not a limit, it can be used in lieu of 

harvest guidelines (HGs) or set 

strategically to accomplish other 

management objectives. Sector-specific 

ACTs can also be specified to 

accomplish management objectives. For 

the 2025–26 biennium, NMFS is 

implementing ACTs for yelloweye 

rockfish in the non-trawl sectors (both 

commercial and recreational), copper 

rockfish in the recreational sector south 

of 34° 27′ North latitude (N lat.), and 

shortspine thornyhead in the 

commercial non-trawl sector north of 

34° 27′ N lat. Further, NMFS is 

removing the ACT from the 2023–24 

biennium for California quillback 

rockfish. These ACTs can be found in 

the footnotes to tables 1a and 2a to part 

660, subpart C in the regulatory text of 

this final rule. 

C. Biennial Fishery Allocations 

The Council routinely recommends 2- 

year trawl and non-trawl allocations 

during the biennial specifications 

process for stocks without formal 

allocations (as defined in section 6.3.2 

of the PCGFMP) or stocks where the 

long-term allocation is suspended 

because the stock is declared overfished. 

The 2-year trawl and non-trawl 

allocations, with the exception of 

sablefish north of 36° N lat., are based 

on the fishery HG. The fishery HG is the 

tonnage that remains after subtracting 

the off-the-top deductions described in 

section II, A, entitled ‘‘Deductions from 

the ACLs,’’ in this preamble. The trawl 

and non-trawl allocations and 

recreational HGs are designed to 

accommodate anticipated mortality in 

each sector as well as variability and 

uncertainty in those mortality estimates. 

Additional information on the Council’s 

allocation framework and formal 

allocations can be found in section 6.3 

of the PCGFMP and 50 CFR 660.55 of 

the Federal regulations. Allocations are 

detailed in the harvest specification 

tables appended to 50 CFR part 660, 

subpart C in the regulatory text of this 

final rule and described in section III, C 

of the proposed rule. As proposed, 

allocations for shortspine thornyhead 

and widow rockfish are revised with 

this final rule. 

D. Harvest Guideline Sharing 

Agreements 

For each biennium, the Council can 

consider HG sharing agreements for 

other stocks or stock complexes separate 

from the standard list of biennial 

allocations discussed in section II, C of 

this preamble and in section III, C of the 

proposed rule. These sharing 

agreements can be arrangements on how 

the HG is split among separate states, 

fishery sectors, or both. For the 2025–26 

biennium, NMFS is implementing 

sharing agreements for: bocaccio south 

of 40°10′ N lat., canary rockfish, 

cowcod, Nearshore rockfish complex 

north of 40°10′ N lat., sablefish south of 

36° N lat., slope rockfish south of 40°10′ 

N lat., and blackgill rockfish. All sharing 

agreements are maintained from the 

2023–24 biennium, with the exception 

of sablefish south of 36° N lat. NMFS is 

implementing a new sharing agreement 

for sablefish south of 36° N lat. 

(described in section III, D of the 

proposed rule) based on a new 

recreational set-aside. Refer to the 

Council Analytical Document (see 

ADDRESSES) for more information on 

how these HG sharing agreements were 

chosen. Each of the sharing agreements 

and the resulting shares between sectors 

and/or states are published in the SAFE. 

E. Modifications to Waypoints for 

Rockfish Conservation Areas 

Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) 

are large area closures intended to 

reduce the catch of a rockfish stock or 

stock complex by restricting fishing 

activity at specific depths. The 

boundaries for RCAs are defined by 

straight lines connecting a series of 

latitude and longitude coordinates that 

approximate depth contours. These sets 

of coordinates, or lines, are not gear or 

fishery specific, but can be used in 

combination to define an area. NMFS 

then implements fishing restrictions for 

a specific gear and/or fishery within 

each defined area. For the 2025–26 

biennium, NMFS is making coordinate 

modifications to six waypoints (#95 

through 100) on the 50 fathom (fm) line 

seaward of California between Pt. Arena 

and Bodega Bay. These modifications 

would better align existing RCA 

coordinates with the 50-fm chart-based 

depth contour. 

F. Limited Entry Trawl 

The limited entry trawl fishery is 

made up of the shorebased individual 

fishing quota (IFQ) program (for whiting 

and non-whiting) and the at-sea whiting 

sectors (Mothership (MS) and catcherprocessor (C/P)). For some stocks and 

stock complexes with a trawl allocation, 

an amount is first set-aside for the at-sea 

whiting sector with the remainder of the 

trawl allocation going to the Shorebased 

IFQ sector. Set-asides are not managed 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101516 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

by NMFS or the Council except in the 

case of a risk to the ACL. 

At-Sea Set Asides 

For several species, the trawl 

allocation is reduced by an amount setaside for the at-sea whiting sector. This 

amount is designed to accommodate 

catch by the at-sea whiting sector when 

they are targeting Pacific whiting. This 

final rule adopts at-sea set asides as 

shown in section III, F, table 11 of the 

proposed rule. 

Incidental Trip Limits for IFQ Vessels 

For vessels fishing in the Shorebased 

IFQ Program, with either groundfish 

trawl gear or non-trawl gears, the 

following incidentally-caught stocks are 

managed with trip limits: Nearshore 

rockfish complex north and south of 

40°10′ N lat., Washington black 

rockfish, Oregon black/blue/deacon 

rockfish complex, cabezon (46°16′ to 

40°10′ N lat. and south of 40°10′ N lat.), 

Pacific spiny dogfish, longspine 

thornyhead south of 34°27′ N lat., big 

skate, California scorpionfish, longnose 

skate, Pacific whiting, and the Other 

Fish complex. As described in the 

proposed rule in section III, F, this rule 

maintains the same IFQ fishery trip 

limits for these stocks for the start of the 

2025–26 biennium as those in place in 

2024. Trip limits for the IFQ fishery can 

be found in table 1b (North) and table 

1b (South) to part 660, subpart D in the 

regulatory text of this final rule. 

Changes to trip limits would be 

considered a routine measure under 

§ 660.60(c), and may be implemented or 

adjusted, if determined necessary, 

through inseason action. 

G. Limited Entry Fixed Gear (LEFG) and 

Open Access (OA) Non-Trawl Fishery 

Management measures for the LEFG 

and OA non-trawl fisheries tend to be 

similar because the majority of 

participants in both fisheries use hookand-line gear. Management measures, 

including area restrictions (e.g., NonTrawl RCA) and trip limits in these nontrawl fisheries, are generally designed to 

allow harvest of target stocks while 

keeping catch of overfished stocks low. 

LEFG trip limits are specified in table 2b 

(North) and table 2b (South) to subpart 

E in the regulatory text of this final rule. 

OA trip limits are specified in table 3b 

(North) and table 3b (South) to subpart 

F, in the regulatory text of this final 

rule. HG sharing agreements between 

non-trawl sectors are published in the 

SAFE. 

LEFG and OA Trip Limits 

NMFS is implementing status quo trip 

limits for LEFG and OA fisheries in 

2025, with the exception of the OA trip 

limit for lingcod north of 42° N lat., 

which is being decreased from 11,000 

pounds (lb) (4,990 kilograms (kg)) per 2 

months, to 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) per 2 

months, to ensure the OA trip limit is 

lower than the LEFG trip limit. NMFS 

is also modifying the temporal 

component (i.e., monthly to bimonthly) 

of multiple OA and LEFG trip limits. 

Consolidating trip limits from monthly 

to bimonthly is expected to reduce 

regulatory complexity and confusion. 

With the exception of the trip limit for 

lingcod north of 42° N lat., trip limit 

amounts that were monthly will double 

for the bimonthly trip limit (i.e., a trip 

limit that was 100 lb (45 kg) monthly 

will become a 200 lb (91 kg) trip limit 

in the bimonthly option). The Council 

could recommend further adjustment to 

the trip limits through additional 

inseason action, once more data on the 

current limits is collected and the 

effects on mortality, particularly discard 

mortality, are better understood. More 

information on these trip limits can be 

found in the Council Analytical 

Document (see ADDRESSES). 

Primary Sablefish Tier Limits 

The primary sablefish fishery tier 

program is a limited access privilege 

program set up under amendment 14 to 

PCGFMP (66 FR 41152, August 7, 2001). 

Participants hold limited entry permits 

with a pot gear and/or longline gear 

endorsement and a sablefish 

endorsement. 

Under amendment 14, as set out in 50 

CFR 660.231, the permit holder of a 

sablefish-endorsed permit receives a tier 

limit, which is an annual share of the 

sablefish catch allocation to this sector. 

NMFS sets three different tier limits 

through the biennial harvest 

specifications and management 

measures process and up to three 

permits may be stacked at one time on 

a vessel participating in the fishery. 

Stacked tier limits are combined to 

provide a cumulative catch limit for that 

vessel. After vessels have caught their 

full tier limits, they are allowed to move 

into other fisheries for sablefish, 

specifically the LEFG or OA trip limit 

fishery, or fisheries for other species. 

The tier limits for 2025 are as follows: 

Tier 1 at 246,824 lb (111,957 kg), Tier 

2 at 112,193 lb (50,890 kg), and Tier 3 

at 64,110 lb (29,080 kg). The tier limits 

for 2026 are as follows: Tier 1 at 234,312 

lb (106,282 kg), Tier 2 at 106,506 lb 

(48,310 kg), and Tier 3 at 60,860 lb 

(27,606 kg). 

H. Recreational Fisheries 

Management measures for the 

recreational fisheries typically include 

depth restrictions and bag limits to 

constrain catch within the recreational 

HGs for each stock. These measures are 

designed to limit catch of overfished 

stocks found in the waters adjacent to 

each state while allowing target fishing 

opportunities in their particular 

recreational fisheries. Washington, 

Oregon, and California each proposed, 

and NMFS is implementing, different 

combinations of seasons, bag limits, area 

closures, and size limits for stocks 

targeted in recreational fisheries, as 

described in section III, H of the 

proposed rule. This final rule would set 

these measures for recreational fisheries 

occurring in the EEZ. Each state, 

respectively, typically sets measures for 

recreational fisheries in State waters. 

Changes to management measures for 

recreational fisheries off the coasts of 

Washington, Oregon and California can 

be found in § 660.360 of the regulatory 

text of this final rule. 

I. Permit Program for the Directed OA 

Fishery Sector 

NMFS is implementing a new permit 

program for the directed OA sector 

starting on March 1, 2025. The directed 

OA fishery is defined in 50 CFR 660.11 

under ‘‘open access fishery’’ and 

includes those vessels targeting 

groundfish pursuant to the OA 

regulations under Part 660 subpart F. It 

does not include vessels that retain 

groundfish incidentally to nongroundfish target species (e.g., the 

salmon troll fishery, which may retain 

incidentally caught groundfish). For 

more background information on this 

measure, see section III, J of the 

proposed rule. 

The permit program will require 

vessels that intend to participate in the 

directed OA sector to register their 

information, pay an administrative fee, 

and obtain a permit on an annual basis. 

Permits will expire on the last day of the 

birth month of the permit holder. The 

number of permits will not be capped. 

Permits will be assigned to a vessel 

owner per vessel (i.e., if an owner 

intends to use two vessels in the 

directed OA fishery, they would need to 

obtain two permits, one for each vessel). 

Applications will be available yearround with an estimated 2-week 

turnaround between when an applicant 

submits a complete application and 

when a permit is issued; therefore, 

directed OA participants will need to do 

some short-term planning ahead for 

their participation in the sector. NMFS 

will use its existing web-based 

application with digital submission and 

delivery of the permit applications and 

to allow participants to provide either 

digital or paper proof of permit upon 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101517 

request. Required application 

information includes vessel ownership 

documentation from either the U.S. 

Coast Guard or state registration form. 

Permit lists would be shared with the 

West Coast Groundfish Observer 

Program for observer selection purposes. 

All permits issued by NMFS carry an 

administrative cost, per the 

requirements for user fees based on the 

provision of a service. These costs vary 

based on the administrative costs of 

receiving applications, reviewing 

applications and any associated 

required documentation, and issuing 

permits, as a factor of the number of 

expected applications. The cost of the 

directed OA permit is estimated to be 

$73 per permit. This amount was 

determined in accordance with the 

NOAA Finance Handbook available at 

https://www.corporateservices.

noaa.gov/finance/documents/

NOAAFinanceHBTOC_09.06.19.pdf and 

will be specified on the application 

form. The fee must be submitted with 

the application for the application to be 

considered complete. NMFS 

periodically recalculates the cost of 

permits, and will notify affected users 

on the application form in the future if 

the cost changes. 

In the proposed rule, NMFS solicited 

public comment on whether vessel 

monitoring system (VMS) information 

should be required during the 

application process for the directed OA 

permit. All directed OA vessels are 

required to obtain and activate VMS in 

accordance with 50 CFR 660.14. NMFS 

did not receive any formally-submitted 

public comment related to this aspect of 

the proposed rule and after additional 

consideration, NMFS has decided to 

include this requirement in this final 

action. Specifically, the directed OA 

application will require the ‘‘passcode,’’ 

which is a code given to a fisherman 

when NOAA’s Office of Law 

Enforcement confirms that their VMS 

unit has been activated. If fishermen do 

not know their passcode, they can call 

the West Coast Groundfish Declarations 

Line at 1–888–585–5518 to obtain that 

information. 

Additionally, in the proposed rule, 

NMFS solicited public comment on 

whether or not the ability to dual 

declare both a directed OA declaration 

code (codes 33 through 35 at 

§ 660.13(d)(4)(iv)(A)) and an IOA 

declaration code should be restricted. 

The purpose of this restriction would be 

to better delineate directed OA 

fishermen from IOA fishermen. NMFS 

did not receive any written public 

comment related to this aspect of the 

proposed rule and, after additional 

consideration, NMFS has decided to not 

restrict this activity. 

J. Update Electronic Monitoring 

Program Discard and Retention 

Requirements 

NMFS is modifying the regulations 

pertaining to discard and retention 

requirements in the Electronic 

Monitoring (EM) program for non-IFQ 

species, to include sablefish and rex 

sole, and to exclude California halibut. 

The addition of sablefish and rex sole to 

the existing list in regulations, and 

removing California halibut from them, 

align current practices with the vessel 

monitoring plans that were approved 

under the Electronic Monitoring 

Program EFP. For more background 

information on this measure, see section 

III, K of the proposed rule. 

K. Shortspine Thornyhead Allocation 

Framework 

NMFS is modifying the allocation 

framework for shortspine thornyhead. 

These modifications include removing 

the management line at 34°27′ N lat. and 

combining the area-specific ACLs, offthe-top deductions, HGs, and trawl/nontrawl allocations that would have 

otherwise been assigned north and 

south of 34°27′ N lat. NMFS is also 

changing shortspine thornyhead to a 2- 

year allocation species (i.e., trawl/nontrawl allocation amounts will be set 

biennially as opposed to specified in the 

PCGFMP). See table 1a and table 2a to 

subpart C in the regulatory text of this 

final rule for the new 2025 and 2026 

ACLs, and see table 1b and table 2b to 

subpart C in the regulatory text of this 

final rule for the new biennial trawl/ 

non-trawl allocations. These allocation 

amounts may be revisited by the 

Council in future biennia. For more 

background information on this 

measure, see section III, L of the 

proposed rule. 

L. Requirement for Recreational Vessels 

To Possess a Descending Device 

NMFS is implementing a new 

management measure that requires 

recreational vessels fishing in Federal 

waters seaward of Washington, Oregon, 

or California, to possess a functional 

descending device. The requirement is 

one functional descending device per 

vessel, regardless of the number of 

anglers onboard. Although each of the 

respective states have their own 

requirements, those requirements are 

only applicable in State waters. This 

management measure applies to any 

vessel fishing for groundfish under 

recreational catch limits in Federal 

waters, thus creating continuity across 

State and Federal regulations. Anglers 

are required to present the descending 

device at the request of an enforcement 

officer. For more background 

information on this measure, see section 

III, M of the proposed rule. 

M. Modification to Continuous Transit 

Limitations for California Recreational 

Vessels 

NMFS is modifying the continuous 

transit regulations for California 

recreational vessels. These changes 

allow recreational vessels to stop and/or 

anchor in Federal waters shoreward of 

a Recreational RCA line, provided that 

no hook-and-line gear is deployed. 

NMFS took temporary emergency action 

to modify the continuous transit 

regulations for the 2024 fishing year (89 

FR 22352, April 1, 2024 and 89 FR 

67326, August 20, 2024). NMFS is 

making the same modifications 

permanent through this action for the 

2025–26 biennium and beyond. For 

more background information on this 

measure, see section III, N of the 

proposed rule. 

N. Change to the Scientific Name of 

Pacific Sand Lance and the Common 

Name of Pacific Spiny Dogfish 

NMFS is making administrative 

changes to the regulations that correct 

the scientific name of Pacific sand lance 

and the common name of Pacific spiny 

dogfish. The scientific name for Pacific 

sand lance at § 660.5(a) is incorrectly 

listed as Ammodytes hexapterus. The 

correct scientific name for this species 

is Ammodytes personatus. The common 

name for spiny dogfish (Squalus 

suckleyi) has changed to include 

‘‘Pacific’’ thus the correct common 

name is Pacific Spiny Dogfish. 

O. Rebuilding Plan for California 

Quillback Rockfish 

NMFS is implementing a rebuilding 

plan for California quillback rockfish. 

NMFS declared California quillback 

rockfish overfished in December 2023 in 

response to a data-moderate assessment 

conducted by the Northwest Fisheries 

Science Center in 2021 (Agenda Item 

E.2, Attachment 4, November 2021). 

When NMFS declares a stock 

overfished, the Council must develop 

and manage the stock in accordance 

with a rebuilding plan (50 CFR 

600.310(j)), which must include certain 

rebuilding parameters, including TMIN, 

TMAX, and TTARGET. In March 2024, the 

Council adopted the California 

quillback rockfish rebuilding analysis 

(Agenda Item F.2 Attachment 1, March 

2024), which specified the following 

rebuilding parameters: TMIN = 2045, 

TMAX = 2071, and mean generation time 

of 26 years. TTARGET (2060) was selected 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101518 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

based on the chosen rebuilding strategy, 

which is the stock’s ABC Rule (ACL = 

ABC; P* 0.45). As shown in the 

Analysis, this rebuilding strategy has a 

50 percent probability of rebuilding the 

stock by 2060 (TTARGET) and 73.6 

percent probability of rebuilding by 

TMAX (2071). Accordingly, this strategy 

will rebuild the stock within the MSAmandated timeframe, while still 

providing some fishing opportunity to 

meet the needs of the fishing 

communities. For more information 

about how these rebuilding parameters 

were developed, see the Analysis and 

section III, P of the proposed rule. 

The majority of quillback rockfish 

fishing mortality occurs in State waters. 

The rebuilding plan only applies in the 

EEZ. NMFS expects to work 

cooperatively with the California 

Department of Fish and Wildlife 

(CDFW) on any measures the state 

deems fit to apply in state waters to 

support rebuilding throughout the 

stock’s range. Mortality of California 

quillback rockfish in state waters will be 

deducted from the Federal ACL. 

P. Administrative Changes to 50 CFR 

Part 660 

This final rule makes minor 

corrections to the regulations at 50 CFR 

part 660, which were included in the 

proposed rule. These minor corrections 

are necessary to reduce confusion and 

inconsistencies in the regulatory text, 

alleviate enforcement challenges, and 

ensure the regulations accurately 

implement the Council’s intent. 

At § 660.11, NMFS removed the 

definition for ‘‘grandfathered or first 

generation’’ because it is a term that is 

no longer used in Federal regulations. 

At § 660.13, NMFS made various 

changes to the non-trawl logbook 

regulations. First, at § 660.13(a)(3)(ii)(A) 

and (B), NMFS amended the regulations 

to clarify that information on setting and 

retrieving gear must be recorded for 

every set. The regulations as previously 

written: ‘‘Logbook entries for setting 

gear, including vessel information, gear 

specifications, set date/time/location, 

must be completed within 2 hours of 

setting gear’’ created enforcement 

challenges because some fishermen 

interpreted the regulations to mean that 

they were only required to record 

information once all of their gear was 

deployed (i.e., if they set a portion of 

their gear on one day, and the rest of 

their gear the next day, they interpreted 

that to mean the 2-hour requirement 

starts after the last piece of gear is set). 

Amending these regulations clarifies 

that the 2-hour and 4-hour requirements 

for setting and retrieving gear apply to 

each individual set. Second, at 

§ 660.13(a)(3)(ii)(A) and (B), NMFS 

clarified that all logbook information, 

whether recorded inside or outside of 

the electronic application, must be 

available at-sea for review by an 

enforcement officer. The regulations as 

written: ‘‘Information recorded outside 

of the logbook entry must be available 

for review at-sea by authorized law 

enforcement personnel upon request’’ 

have led to enforcement challenges 

because some fishermen have 

interpreted the regulations to mean they 

are only required to show enforcement 

officers logbook data that they have 

recorded outside of the electronic 

application. Amending these regulations 

clarifies that all logbook data, whether 

recorded in the electronic application or 

by some other method, must be 

available for review by an enforcement 

officer. Third, NMFS removed the 

paragraph at § 660.13(a)(4), as the nontrawl paper logbook provision will 

expire at the end of 2024 and this 

regulation will no longer be relevant 

starting in 2025. 

At § 660.55(i)(2), NMFS clarified that 

at-sea set-asides are described in the 

biennial specifications process and not 

‘‘in Tables 1D and 2D of this subpart’’ 

as previously stated. 

At § 660.60(c)(1)(i), NMFS removed 

the cross reference to ‘‘(c)(1)(i)(A) and 

(B) of this section’’ as those references 

no longer exist. 

At § 660.60(g) and § 660.65, NMFS 

clarified the language about how catch 

of groundfish species in state waters is 

accounted for under Federal harvest 

specifications. 

At § 660.140(g), NMFS added a 

sentence clarifying that IFQ species 

with discard mortality rates (DMRs) 

should be appropriately accounted for 

when deducting discard amounts from 

quota pounds (QP) in vessel accounts. 

As previously written, the regulations 

stated that discarded species must be 

accounted for and deducted from QP in 

vessels accounts, but they did not state 

that the species with reduced discard 

amounts because of DMRs should be 

accounted for when deducting discard 

amounts from QP in vessels accounts. 

Revising this regulation clarifies that 

IFQ species with DMRs should also be 

accounted for when deducting discard 

amounts from QP in vessel accounts. 

At § 660.230(b) and § 660.330(b), 

NMFS removed the 25-hook maximum 

limit on each mainline. As previously 

written, the regulations precluded 

fishermen from adjusting the number of 

hooks on mainlines if they were using 

fewer than four mainlines. For example, 

if a fisherman chooses to only have two 

mainlines in the water, then the intent 

of the regulations is to allow a 

maximum of 50 hooks on each 

mainline. However, as previously 

written, the fisherman would still only 

be able to use 25 hooks per mainline. 

The gear specifications require that no 

more than 100 hooks may be in the 

water, therefore, removing the 25-hook 

maximum does not change the intent of 

the regulations. 

At § 660.231, NMFS revised the 

paragraph at (b)(3)(iv) to improve 

readability. The purpose of these 

revisions is to make the regulatory text 

less confusing for fishermen and 

enforcement to interpret. No substantive 

changes to this regulation were made. 

III. Comments and Responses 

The notice of availability (NOA) for 

amendment 33 to the PCGFMP was 

published on August 2, 2024 (89 FR 

63153). NMFS received one supportive 

public comment on the NOA. The 

proposed rule was published on August 

29, 2024 (87 FR 70406). NMFS received 

two public comments which were 

generally supportive of the proposed 

rule, one of which offered technical 

corrections. All public comments 

pertaining to the changes to the 

PCGFMP and harvest specification and 

management measures described in the 

proposed rule are summarized and 

addressed below. 

Comment 1: CDFW submitted a 

public comment that supported the 

proposed rule. CDFW also provided 

NMFS with a list of technical 

corrections and clarifications to the text 

in the preamble of the proposed rule. 

Response: NMFS thanks CDFW for 

their support and thorough review of 

the proposed rule. All technical 

corrections and clarifications requested 

by CDFW were to text or tables in the 

preamble of the proposed rule; none of 

which are carried forward in the 

preamble of this final rule. However, 

NMFS affirms the below technical 

corrections and clarifications to the 

proposed rule preamble text and tables. 

On page 70414, the cabezon IOA setaside for 2025 in table 5 was incorrectly 

listed as 0.06 mt. The correct value is 

0.6 mt. With the implementation of this 

final rule, IOA set-asides are no longer 

specified in regulatory text, but will be 

available in the SAFE posted on the 

Council’s website (see ADDRESSES). 

On page 70416, the 2026 bocaccio 

south of 40°10′ N lat. non-trawl 

percentage and value in table 8 was 

incorrectly listed as 60 percent and 

1,025.1 mt. The correct values are 61 

percent and 1,012.7 mt. These values 

were correctly listed in the proposed 

regulatory text in table 2b to Part 660, 

Subpart C on page 70436. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101519 

On page 70421, the season dates for 

the Northern Mendocino, San Francisco, 

and part of the Central Groundfish 

Management Areas (GMAs) were 

incorrectly listed as April 1–April 31. 

The correct dates are April 1–April 30. 

Additionally, on page 70421 in the same 

paragraph, the ‘‘closed in the EEZ’’ text, 

listed between the October and 

December seaward of 50 fm fisheries, 

did not provide a corresponding time 

for that closure, which should be 

November 1–November 30. These 

season dates and time ranges were 

accurately listed in table 13 on page 

70421. Last, on page 70421, CDFW 

recommended that NMFS use consistent 

naming conventions for the Central 

Management Areas, as CDFW uses in 

their state regulations. NMFS lists these 

two areas as Central Management Area 

(37°11′ N lat. to 36° N lat.) and Central 

Management Area (36° N lat. to 34°27′ 

N lat.), whereas CDFW refers to these 

areas as ‘‘Central north’’ and ‘‘Central 

south.’’ NMFS will consider this 

recommendation in the drafting of 

future rulemakings. 

On page 70422, CDFW commented 

that NMFS mis-characterized how RCA 

lines have historically been used for 

recreational fisheries. NMFS agrees that 

using a range of depths, i.e., 

implementing an RCA closure between 

two fathom lines, is a standard practice 

for the commercial non-trawl fishery, 

and not the recreational fishery as the 

proposed rule text suggests. 

Additionally, on page 70422, CDFW 

commented that NMFS incorrectly 

identified the first time that the 50 fm 

‘‘offshore fishery’’ management measure 

was enacted. NMFS cited the Council’s 

September 2023 inseason action (88 FR 

67656, October 2, 2023) as the first time 

the 50 fm ‘‘offshore fishery’’ came into 

effect, while CDFW commented that 

such an ‘‘offshore fishery’’ was in effect 

from May 15 to July 15, 2023, in the San 

Francisco and Mendocino GMAs, and 

that offshore only fisheries were also 

scheduled to occur from October 1 

through December 31, 2023, in the 

Central GMA, and from September 16 

through December 31, 2023, in the 

Southern GMA. These scheduled 

offshore fishery management measure 

actions identified by CDFW were 

enacted by CDFW through their State 

regulations. Thus, NMFS correctly cited 

the September 2023 inseason action as 

the first time that an ‘‘offshore fishery’’ 

management measure was enacted in 

Federal waters through the Council 

process. Next, on page 70422, NMFS 

affirms CDFW’s comment that the 

seasonal Recreational RCA boundaries 

listed in table 13 are not an ‘‘exception’’ 

to the recreational management 

measures to be carried forward from 

2024 to the 2025–26 biennium, as the 

text suggests. No changes were made to 

the season structure and depth limits by 

management area between 2024 and 

2025–26. NMFS did however change the 

language used in table 13 to describe 

when recreational vessels are required 

to fish shoreward of 20 fm (i.e., NMFS 

denotes ‘‘closed in the EEZ’’ instead of 

‘‘<20 fm’’). Last, on page 70422, when 

discussing the modification of filet 

requirements for select groundfish 

species, CDFW recommended that 

NMFS specify the ‘‘entire skin’’ when 

referring to the skin that is required to 

be left on the filet. NMFS affirms that 

the intent is for the ‘‘entire skin’’ to be 

left on the filet in the modified 

requirements. 

The remainder of CDFW’s 

suggestions, such as deleting commas 

and rearranging paragraphs, do not 

apply in this final rule as the text 

commented on is not being carried 

forward in this final rule. 

Comment 2: The Pacific Whiting 

Conservation Cooperative (PWCC) 

submitted a comment that supports the 

proposed rule; specifically the proposed 

set-asides for the at-sea Pacific whiting 

sectors. 

Response: NMFS thanks the PWCC for 

their support and appreciates their 

collaboration on the development of the 

set-asides. 

Comment 3: An anonymous 

individual submitted a comment on the 

NOA that supports the proposed 

amendment, including the California 

Quillback Rockfish Rebuilding Plan and 

the revised allocation framework for 

shortspine thornyhead. 

Response: NMFS thanks the 

commenter for their support of the 

proposed amendment. 

IV. Council-Recommended Corrections 

to the Proposed Rule 

At the September 2024 meeting, the 

Council discussed and recommended 

necessary corrections to the proposed 

rule that were discovered by Council 

and NMFS staff during the preparation 

of the proposed rule. The Council also 

recommended that certain inseason 

changes for 2024 be carried over to the 

start of 2025. In alignment with the 

Council’s recommendations, NMFS 

offers the following corrections and 

carryover changes in this final rule. 

These corrections and changes to the 

proposed rule do not change the 

substance or intent of this action. 

In tables 1a, 1b, 2a, and 2b to 50 CFR 

part 660 Subpart C in the regulatory text 

of the proposed rule (see 87 FR 70434 

through 87 FR 70438), the OFLs, ABCs, 

ACLs, and biennial allocations for the 

Shelf Rockfish complexes north and 

south of 40°10′ N lat are incorrect. In 

addition, the trawl IFQ allocations for 

north of 40°10′ N lat on table 1 to 

paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(D) to Part 660 

Subpart D are incorrect (see 87 FR 

70439). These errors occurred because 

the harvest specifications for 

greenspotted rockfish, which is a 

component species of the Shelf Rockfish 

complexes, were incorrect in the 

Council’s final Analytical Document 

(see ADDRESSES), and those 

specifications contributed to the overall 

OFLs, ABCs, ACLs, and allocations for 

the Shelf Rockfish complexes specified 

in the proposed rule. The Council’s 

Scientific and Statistical Committee 

reviewed and approved the revised 

OFLs and ABCs at the Council’s 

September 2024 meeting. Specifically, 

the corrected harvest specifications, 

biennial allocations, and trawl IFQ 

allocations for the Shelf Rockfish 

complexes can be found in Agenda Item 

I.6 Supplemental Revised Attachment 1 

September 2024 (see pcouncil.org) and 

in tables 2 through 5 below. These 

corrections are incorporated into tables 

1a, 1b, 2a, and 2b to CFR 50 Part 660 

Subpart C and table 1 to paragraph 

(d)(1)(ii)(D) to Part 660 Subpart D in the 

regulatory text of this final rule. 

TABLE 2—2025 HARVEST SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE SHELF ROCKFISH COMPLEX NORTH AND SOUTH OF 40°10′ N LAT., 

CORRECTED, VALUES IN mt 

Area 2025 OFL 2025 ABC 2025 ACL 2025 HG 

North of 40°10′ N lat ........................................................................ 1,668.66 1,329.7 1,329.6 1,250.4 

South of 40°10′ N lat ....................................................................... 1,827.6 1,457.7 1,457.12 1,430.52 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101520 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 3—2026 HARVEST SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE SHELF ROCKFISH COMPLEX NORTH AND SOUTH OF 40°10′ N LAT., 

CORRECTED, VALUES IN mt 

Area 2026 OFL 2026 ABC 2026 ACL 2026 HG 

North of 40°10′ N lat ........................................................................ 1,654.54 1,316.3 1,316.2 1,263.8 

South of 40°10′ N lat ....................................................................... 1,827.12 1,455.37 1,454.89 1,428.4 

TABLE 4—2025 AND 2026 TRAWL/NON-TRAWL ALLOCATIONS FOR THE SHELF ROCKFISH COMPLEX NORTH AND SOUTH OF

40°10′ N LAT., CORRECTED, VALUES IN mt 

Area 2025 Trawl 2025 Non-trawl 2026 Trawl 2026 Non-trawl 

North of 40°10′ N lat ........................................................................ 760.81 502.99 752.74 497.66 

South of 40°10′ N lat ....................................................................... 174.52 1,256.0 174.27 1,254.14 

TABLE 5—2025 AND 2026 TRAWL IFQ ALLOCATIONS FOR THE SHELF ROCKFISH COMPLEX NORTH OF 40°10′ N LAT., 

CORRECTED, VALUES IN mt 

Area 2025 2026 

Trawl allocation ................................................................................................................................................ 760.81 752.74 

At-sea Set-Aside .............................................................................................................................................. 35 35 

IFQ ................................................................................................................................................................... 725.81 717.74 

In table 3b (South) to Part 660 Subpart 

F in the regulatory text of the proposed 

rule (see 87 FR 70446), the trip limit for 

sablefish between 40°10′ N lat. and 36° 

N lat. is incorrect. In alignment with the 

Council’s recommendation, NMFS is 

changing the trip limit to 3,250 lbs. 

(1,474 kg) per week not to exceed 6,500 

lbs. (2,948 kg) per 2 months. More 

information on the corrected trip limit 

can be found in Agenda Item I.6.a 

Supplemental GMT Report 1 September 

2024 (see pcouncil.org). 

Additionally, in alignment with the 

Council’s recommendation, NMFS is 

changing the LEFG and OA trip limits 

for cabezon and the Nearshore Rockfish 

complex in the area south of 40°10′ N 

lat. The purpose of these changes is to 

align Federal trip limits with California 

state trip limits at the beginning of 2025, 

which will reduce enforcement 

complexity and simplify regulations for 

fishermen. For more information on 

these trip limit changes, see Agenda 

Item I.6.a Supplemental GMT Report 1 

September 2024 at pcouncil.org. The 

trip limit changes in table 6 below are 

incorporated into tables 2b (South) and 

3b (South) to Part 660 Subpart F in the 

regulatory text of this final rule. 

TABLE 6—LEFG AND OA TRIP LIMITS FOR CABEZON AND THE NEARSHORE ROCKFISH COMPLEX FOR SOUTH OF 40°10′ N 

LAT., REVISED

Species Trip limit 

Cabezon (40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N lat.) ...................................................................... CLOSED. 

Cabezon (south of 37°07′ N lat.) .............................................................................. Unlimited. 

Nearshore rockfish complexes: 

Shallow nearshore rockfish complex (40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N lat.) ................... CLOSED. 

Shallow nearshore rockfish complex (south of 37°07′ N lat.) ........................... 2,000 lb/2 months. 

Deeper nearshore rockfish complex (40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N lat.) .................... CLOSED. 

Deeper nearshore rockfish complex (south of 37°07′ N lat.) ............................ 2,000 lb/2 months, of which no more than 75 lb may be copper rockfish. 

V. Other Changes to the Proposed Rule 

NMFS offers the below additional 

changes to the proposed rule. These 

changes are additional clarifying 

changes that NMFS deems necessary to 

achieve regulatory consistency and 

accuracy. These clarifications and 

corrections to the information provided 

in the proposed rule do not change the 

substance or intent of this action. 

Table 2a to Part 660, Subpart C in the 

regulatory text of the proposed rule (see 

87 FR 70436) shows an incorrect area 

delineation for the Nearshore Rockfish 

North complex. The area delineation is 

listed as N of 42° N lat., whereas it 

should be listed as N of 40°10′ N lat. 

NMFS has corrected this error in Table 

2a to Part 660, Subpart C in the 

regulatory text of this final rule. 

In table 1b to Part 660 Subpart C of 

the regulatory text of the proposed rule 

(see 87 FR 70434), the 2025 non-trawl 

allocation (i.e., the non-trawl HG) of 

38.5 mt for yelloweye rockfish is 

incorrect. The correct value of 37.7 mt 

is incorporated into table 2b Part 660 

Subpart C of the regulatory text of this 

final rule. 

In table 1 to Paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(D), 

the 2025 Shorebased trawl allocations 

were incorrect for arrowtooth flounder, 

dover sole, lingcod north of 40°10′ N 

lat., widow rockfish, the Other flatfish 

complex, and the Shelf Rockfish 

complex north of 40°10′ N lat. 

Additionally, the 2026 Shorebased trawl 

allocations were incorrect for yelloweye 

rockfish, arrowtooth flounder, cowcod 

south of 40°10′ N lat., canary rockfish, 

sablefish north of 36° N lat., sablefish 

south of 36° N lat., widow rockfish, the 

Shelf Rockfish complex north of 40°10′ 

N lat., and the Shelf Rockfish complex 

south of 40°10′ N lat.. These errors 

occurred either because of rounding 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101521 

error or because of a miscalculation in 

subtracting the 2025–26 at-sea set-asides 

for the at-sea Pacific whiting sectors. 

NMFS has corrected these values in 

table 1 to paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(D) in the 

regulatory text of this final rule. 

Since the proposed rule (87 FR 70406) 

published, NMFS has recognized that 

there may be confusion about how 

renewal of the directed OA permit will 

work during 2025. NMFS has set the 

expiration date for the directed OA 

permits as the last day of the permit 

holder’s birthday month. Therefore, 

there was ambiguity regarding whether 

a permit holder would need to pay for 

the directed OA permit twice if, for 

example, they receive a directed OA 

permit in January 2025, but their 

birthday month is in March 2025. To 

prevent multiple charges for directed 

OA permits in 2025, NMFS has added 

a paragraph under § 660.25(i)(2)(iv)(A) 

to clarify that directed OA permits 

issued in 2025 will be valid for the 

remainder of 2025 and through the 

permit holder’s birthday month in 2026. 

For directed OA permits issued in 2026, 

and after, the duration of a directed OA 

permit will be no longer than 1 year and 

the expiration will be on the last day of 

the permit holder’s birthday month. 

NMFS also added additional language at 

§ 660.14(d)(4)(iii) to allow a VMS 

exemption if a directed OA permit has 

not been renewed and the vessel is not 

participating in a different fishery that 

requires VMS. If NMFS does not 

provide this exemption, then the vessel 

would be required to have VMS for the 

remainder of the fishing year, regardless 

of its fishing activity. 

Additionally, NMFS is making a 

minor administrative revision to a 

regulation promulgated in this final rule 

to clarify existing requirements for 

logbooks. NMFS added a sentence 

under § 660.13(a)(3)(ii) explaining that 

non-trawl logbook submissions are not 

required if no fish were caught or 

discarded on a fishing trip. In reviewing 

the corrections to the non-trawl logbook 

regulations in 50 CFR part 660 noticed 

in the proposed rule, NMFS noted 

ambiguity in the current regulations 

regarding whether logbook submissions 

are required if no fish are caught or 

discarded on a fishing trip and 

accordingly added a sentence under 

§ 660.13(a)(3)(ii) to clarify logbook 

submission is not required in such 

circumstances. 

Lastly, NMFS included regulations in 

the proposed rule that remove the 

Farallon Islands from the list of 

Groundfish Conservation Areas at 

§§ 660.11, 660.70, 660.230, and 660.330. 

The reason for removing the Farallon 

Islands from these lists is because the 

only fishery regulations pertaining to 

the Farallon Islands apply within 10 fm 

(18 m), which is entirely in State waters. 

Therefore, NMFS removed the closure 

from Federal regulations. Although the 

regulatory revisions were included in 

the proposed rule, NMFS did not 

describe the change in the preamble and 

is therefore highlighting the changes in 

this final rule. 

VI. Classification 

Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) and 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, the NMFS Assistant Administrator 

has determined that this final rule is 

consistent with the PCGFMP, other 

provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, and other applicable law. 

NMFS finds good cause to waive the 

30-day delay in effectiveness pursuant 

to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), so that this final 

rule may become effective on January 1, 

2025. This action establishes the final 

specifications (i.e., annual catch limits) 

for the Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries 

for the 2025 fishing year, which begins 

on January 1, 2025. If this final rule is 

not effective on January 1, 2025, then 

the fishing year begins using the catch 

limits and management measures from 

2024. 

Pursuant to Executive Order 13175, 

this rulemaking was developed after 

meaningful consultation and 

collaboration with Tribal officials from 

the area covered by the PCGFMP. Under 

the MSA at 16 U.S.C. 1852(b)(5), one of 

the voting members of the Council must 

be a representative of an Indian Tribe 

with federally recognized fishing rights 

from the area of the Council’s 

jurisdiction. In addition, regulations 

implementing the PCGFMP establish a 

procedure by which the Tribes with 

treaty fishing rights in the area covered 

by the PCGFMP request new allocations 

or regulations specific to the Tribes, in 

writing, before the first of the two 

meetings at which the Council considers 

groundfish management measures. The 

regulations at 50 CFR 660.50 further 

direct NMFS to develop Tribal 

allocations and regulations in 

consultation with the affected Tribes. 

The Tribal management measures in 

this rule have been developed following 

these procedures. The Tribal 

representative on the Council made a 

motion to adopt the non-whiting Tribal 

management measures, which was 

passed by the Council. Those 

management measures, which were 

developed and proposed by the Tribes, 

are included in this final rule. 

This final rule has been determined to 

be not significant for purposes of 

Executive Order 12866. 

NMFS prepared an Analysis for this 

action, which addresses the statutory 

requirements of the MSA, Presidential 

Executive Order 12866, and the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act. The full suite 

of alternatives analyzed by the Council 

can be found on the Council’s website 

at www.pcouncil.org. NMFS addressed 

the statutory requirements of the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

through preparation of an 

Environmental Assessment (EA), which 

is included in the Analysis. The EA 

concluded that there will be no 

significant impact on the human 

environment as a result of this rule. A 

copy of the Analysis is available from 

NMFS (see ADDRESSES). 

The Chief Counsel for Regulation of 

the Department of Commerce certified 

to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 

Small Business Administration during 

the proposed rule stage that this action 

would not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. The factual basis for the 

certification was published in the 

proposed rule, and is not repeated here. 

No comments were received regarding 

this certification. As a result, a final 

regulatory flexibility analysis was not 

required and none was prepared. 

This final rule contains a collectionof-information requirement subject to 

review and approval by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 

This rule revises existing requirements 

for information collection 0648–0203, 

Northwest Region Federal Fisheries 

Permits. The main change to this 

collection is the addition of a new 

directed groundfish OA fishery permit. 

The addition of this permit will increase 

the number of respondents for this 

collection by 400 respondents. The 

public reporting burden for the directed 

groundfish OA permit is estimated to 

average 20 minutes per respondent, 

including the time for reviewing 

instructions, searching existing data 

sources, gathering and maintaining the 

data needed, and completing and 

reviewing the collection of information. 

This results in an additional 133 hours 

for the time burden for this collection 

(1,953 hours to 2,086 hours). The 

additional permit will also result in 

additional labor costs of $2,226.67 and 

$40,000 in miscellaneous costs to the 

public. 

We invite the general public and other 

Federal agencies to comment on 

proposed and continuing information 

collections, which helps us assess the 

impact of our information collection 

requirements and minimize the public’s 

reporting burden. Written comments 

and recommendations for this 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101522 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

information collection should be 

submitted at the following website 

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 

Find this particular information 

collection by using the search function 

and entering either the title of the 

collection or the OMB Control Number 

0648–0203. 

Notwithstanding any other provision 

of the law, no person is required to 

respond to, nor shall any person be 

subject to a penalty for failure to comply 

with, a collection of information subject 

to the requirements of the PRA, unless 

that collection of information displays a 

currently valid OMB Control Number. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 660 

Fisheries, Fishing, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements. 

Dated: November 22, 2024. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

For the reasons set out in the 

preamble, NMFS amends 50 CFR part 

660 as follows: 

PART 660—FISHERIES OFF WEST 

COAST STATES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 660 

continues to read as follows: 

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

773 et seq., and 16 U.S.C. 7001 et seq. 

■ 2. Amend part 660 by: 

■ a. Removing the word ‘‘non-coop’’ 

and adding in its place the word ‘‘noncooperative’’ wherever it appears; 

■ b. Removing the word ‘‘coop’s’’ and 

adding in its place the word 

‘‘cooperative’s’’ wherever it appears; 

■ c. Removing the name ‘‘nontrawl 

RCA’’ and adding in its place the name 

‘‘Non-Trawl RCA’’ wherever it appears; 

and 

■ d. Removing the word ‘‘nontrawl’’ and 

adding in its place the word ‘‘nontrawl’’ wherever it appears. 

■ 3. Amend § 660.5 by revising 

paragraph (a)(3) to read as follows: 

§ 660.5 Shared Ecosystem Component 

Species. 

(a) * * * 

(3) Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes 

personatus) 

* * * * * 

■ 4. Amend § 660.11: 

■ a. In the definition of ‘‘Conservation 

areas(s)’’ by removing paragraph (1)(v); 

redesignating paragraphs (1)(vi), (vii), 

and (viii) as paragraphs (1)(v), (vi), and 

(vii); and revising newly redesignated 

paragraphs (1)(vi)(A) and (B); 

■ b. By removing the definition of 

‘‘Grandfathered or first generation’’; 

■ c. In the definition of ‘‘Groundfish’’ by 

revising paragraphs (1) and (7); and 

■ d. In the definition of ‘‘Open access 

fishery’’ by revising paragraph (1) and 

adding paragraph (2). 

The revisions and addition read as 

follows: 

§ 660.11 General definitions. 

* * * * * 

Conservation area(s) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(vi) * * * 

(A) Trawl (Limited Entry and Open 

Access Non-groundfish Trawl Gears) 

RCAs. The Trawl RCAs are intended to 

protect a complex of species, such as 

overfished shelf rockfish species, and 

have boundaries defined by specific 

latitude and longitude coordinates 

approximating depth contours. 

Boundaries for the limited entry Trawl 

RCA throughout the year are provided 

in table 1a (North) subpart D of this part. 

Boundaries for the open access nongroundfish Trawl RCA throughout the 

year are provided in § 660.333(e). 

Boundaries of the Trawl RCAs may be 

modified by NMFS inseason pursuant to 

§ 660.60(c). 

(B) Non-Trawl (Limited Entry Fixed 

Gear and Open Access Non-Trawl 

Gears) RCAs. Non-Trawl RCAs are 

intended to protect a complex of 

species, such as overfished shelf 

rockfish species, and have boundaries 

defined by specific latitude and 

longitude coordinates approximating 

depth contours. Boundaries for the NonTrawl RCA throughout the year are 

provided in tables 2a (North) and 2a 

(South) of subpart E of this part and 

tables 3a (North) and 3a (South) of 

subpart F of this part and may be 

modified by NMFS inseason pursuant to 

§ 660.60(c). 

* * * * * 

Groundfish * * * 

(1) Sharks: Leopard shark, Triakis 

semifasciata; soupfin shark, 

Galeorhinus zyopterus; Pacific spiny 

dogfish, Squalus suckleyi. 

* * * * * 

(7) Rockfish: ‘‘Rockfish’’ in the 

PCGFMP include all genera and species 

of the family Scorpaenidae that occur 

off Washington, Oregon, and California, 

even if not listed below, including 

longspine thornyhead, Sebastolobus 

altivelis, and shortspine thornyhead, S. 

alascanus. Where species below are 

listed both in a geographic category 

(nearshore, shelf, slope) and as an areaspecific listing (north or south of 40°10′ 

N lat.) those species are managed within 

a complex in that area-specific listing. 

(i) Nearshore rockfish includes black 

rockfish, Sebastes melanops (off 

Washington and California) and the 

following nearshore rockfish species 

managed in complexes: 

(A) Nearshore Rockfish Complex 

North of 46°16′ N lat. (Washington): 

Black and yellow rockfish, S. 

chrysomelas; blue rockfish, S. mystinus; 

brown rockfish, S. auriculatus; calico 

rockfish, S. dalli; China rockfish, S. 

nebulosus; copper rockfish, S. caurinus; 

deacon rockfish, S. diaconus, gopher 

rockfish, S. carnatus; grass rockfish, S. 

rastrelliger; kelp rockfish, S. atrovirens; 

olive rockfish, S. serranoides; quillback 

rockfish, S. maliger; treefish, S. 

serriceps. 

(B) Nearshore Rockfish Complex 

between 46°16′ N lat. and 42° N lat. 

(Oregon): Black and yellow rockfish, S. 

chrysomelas; brown rockfish, S. 

auriculatus; calico rockfish, S. dalli; 

China rockfish, S. nebulosus; copper 

rockfish, S. caurinus; gopher rockfish, S. 

carnatus; grass rockfish, S. rastrelliger; 

kelp rockfish, S. atrovirens; olive 

rockfish, S. serranoides; quillback 

rockfish, S. maliger; treefish, S. 

serriceps. 

(C) Black/blue/deacon Rockfish 

Complex between 46°16′ N lat. and 42° 

N lat. (Oregon): Black rockfish, S. 

melanops, blue rockfish, S. mystinus, 

and deacon rockfish, S. diaconus. 

(D) Nearshore Rockfish Complex 

between 42° N lat. and 40°10′ N lat. 

(northern California): Black and yellow 

rockfish, S. chrysomelas; blue rockfish, 

S. mystinus; brown rockfish, S. 

auriculatus; calico rockfish, S. dalli; 

China rockfish, S. nebulosus; copper 

rockfish, S. caurinus; deacon rockfish, 

S. diaconus, gopher rockfish, S. 

carnatus; grass rockfish, S. rastrelliger; 

kelp rockfish, S. atrovirens; olive 

rockfish, S. serranoides; treefish, S. 

serriceps. 

(E) Nearshore Rockfish Complex 

South of 40°10′ N lat. (Southern 

California): Nearshore rockfish are 

divided into three management 

categories: 

(1) Shallow nearshore rockfish 

consists of black and yellow rockfish, S. 

chrysomelas; China rockfish, S. 

nebulosus; gopher rockfish, S. carnatus; 

grass rockfish, S. rastrelliger; kelp 

rockfish, S. atrovirens. 

(2) Deeper nearshore rockfish consists 

of black rockfish, S. melanops; blue 

rockfish, S. mystinus; brown rockfish, S. 

auriculatus; calico rockfish, S. dalli; 

copper rockfish, S. caurinus; deacon 

rockfish, S. diaconus; olive rockfish, S. 

serranoides; treefish, S. serriceps. 

(3) California scorpionfish, Scorpaena 

guttata. 

(ii) Shelf rockfish includes bocaccio, 

Sebastes paucispinis; canary rockfish, S. 

pinniger; chilipepper, S. goodei; 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101523 

cowcod, S. levis; shortbelly rockfish, S. 

jordani; widow rockfish, S. entomelas; 

yelloweye rockfish, S. ruberrimus; 

yellowtail rockfish, S. flavidus and the 

following shelf rockfish species 

managed in complexes: 

(A) Shelf Rockfish Complex North of 

40°10′ N lat.: Bronzespotted rockfish, S. 

gilli; bocaccio, S. paucispinis; 

chameleon rockfish, S. phillipsi; 

chilipepper, S. goodei; cowcod, S. levis; 

dusky rockfish, S. ciliatus; dwarf-red 

rockfish, S. rufianus; flag rockfish, S. 

rubrivinctus; freckled rockfish, S. 

lentiginosus; greenblotched rockfish, S. 

rosenblatti; greenspotted rockfish, S. 

chlorostictus; greenstriped rockfish, S. 

elongatus; halfbanded rockfish, S. 

semicinctus; harlequin rockfish, S. 

variegatus; honeycomb rockfish, S. 

umbrosus; Mexican rockfish, S. 

macdonaldi; pink rockfish, S. eos; 

pinkrose rockfish, S. simulator; pygmy 

rockfish, S. wilsoni; redstripe rockfish, 

S. proriger; rosethorn rockfish, S. 

helvomaculatus; rosy rockfish, S. 

rosaceus; silvergray rockfish, S. 

brevispinis; speckled rockfish, S. ovalis; 

squarespot rockfish, S. hopkinsi; starry 

rockfish, S. constellatus; stripetail 

rockfish, S. saxicola; sunset rockfish, S. 

crocotulus; swordspine rockfish, S. 

ensifer; tiger rockfish, S. nigrocinctus; 

vermilion rockfish, S. miniatus. 

(B) Shelf Rockfish Complex South of 

40°10′ N lat.: Bronzespotted rockfish, S. 

gilli; chameleon rockfish, S. phillipsi; 

dusky rockfish, S. ciliatus; dwarf-red 

rockfish, S. rufianus; flag rockfish, S. 

rubrivinctus; freckled rockfish, S. 

lentiginosus; greenblotched rockfish, S. 

rosenblatti; greenspotted rockfish, S. 

chlorostictus; greenstriped rockfish, S. 

elongatus; halfbanded rockfish, S. 

semicinctus; harlequin rockfish, S. 

variegatus; honeycomb rockfish, S. 

umbrosus; Mexican rockfish, S. 

macdonaldi; pink rockfish, S. eos; 

pinkrose rockfish, S. simulator; pygmy 

rockfish, S. wilsoni; redstripe rockfish, 

S. proriger; rosethorn rockfish, S. 

helvomaculatus; rosy rockfish, S. 

rosaceus; silvergray rockfish, S. 

brevispinis; speckled rockfish, S. ovalis; 

squarespot rockfish, S. hopkinsi; starry 

rockfish, S. constellatus; stripetail 

rockfish, S. saxicola; sunset rockfish, S. 

crocotulus; swordspine rockfish, S. 

ensifer; tiger rockfish, S. nigrocinctus; 

vermilion rockfish, S. miniatus; 

yellowtail rockfish, S. flavidus. 

(iii) Slope rockfish includes 

darkblotched rockfish, Sebastes crameri; 

Pacific ocean perch, S. alutus; splitnose 

rockfish, S. diploproa; and the following 

slope rockfish species managed in 

complexes: 

(A) Slope Rockfish Complex North of 

40°10′ N lat.: Aurora rockfish, S. aurora; 

bank rockfish, S. rufus; blackgill 

rockfish, S. melanostomus; blackspotted 

rockfish, S. melanostictus; redbanded 

rockfish, S. babcocki; rougheye rockfish, 

S. aleutianus; sharpchin rockfish, S. 

zacentrus; shortraker rockfish, S. 

borealis; splitnose rockfish, S. 

diploproa; yellowmouth rockfish, S. 

reedi. 

(B) Slope Rockfish Complex South of 

40°10′ N lat.: Aurora rockfish, S. aurora; 

bank rockfish, S. rufus; blackgill 

rockfish, S. melanostomus; blackspotted 

rockfish, S. melanostictus; Pacific ocean 

perch, S. alutus; redbanded rockfish, S. 

babcocki; rougheye rockfish, S. 

aleutianus; sharpchin rockfish, S. 

zacentrus; shortraker rockfish, S. 

borealis; yellowmouth rockfish, S. reedi. 

* * * * * 

Open access fishery ***

(1) Directed open access fishery 

means that a fishing vessel is target 

fishing (defined at § 660.11) for 

groundfish and is only declared into a 

directed open access groundfish gear 

type or sector as defined in 

§ 660.13(d)(4)(iv)(A). In addition to the 

requirements in subpart F of this part, 

fishing vessels participating in the 

directed open access fishery must be 

registered to a directed open access 

permit described at § 660.25(i) and are 

also subject to the non-trawl logbook 

requirement at § 660.13(a)(3). 

(2) Incidental open access fishery 

means that a fishing vessel is retaining 

groundfish incidentally to a nongroundfish target species (see 

‘‘Incidental catch or incidental 

species’’). 

* * * * * 

■ 5. Amend § 660.12 by adding 

paragraph (a)(22) to read as follows: 

§ 660.12 General groundfish prohibitions. 

* * * * * 

(a) * * * 

(22) Take and retain, possess, or land 

groundfish in the directed open access 

fishery without having a valid directed 

open access permit for the vessel. 

* * * * * 

■ 6. Amend § 660.13 by: 

■ a. Revising paragraphs (a)(2)(ii) and 

(a)(3)(ii)(A) and (B); 

■ b. Adding paragraph (a)(3)(iii); 

■ c. Removing paragraph (a)(4); and 

■ d. Revising paragraphs (d)(3), 

(d)(4)(iv) introductory text, and 

(d)(4)(iv)(A)(21), (23), and (27) through 

(29). 

The revisions and addition read as 

follows: 

§ 660.13 Recordkeeping and reporting. 

* * * * * 

(a) * * * 

(2) * * * 

(ii) The limited entry fixed gear trip 

limit fisheries subject to the trip limits 

in tables 2b (North) and 2b (South) to 

subpart E of this part, and primary 

sablefish fisheries, as defined at 

§ 660.211; and 

* * * * * 

(3) * * * 

(ii) * * * 

(A) Setting gear. Logbook entries for 

setting gear, including vessel 

information, gear specifications, set 

date/time/location, must be completed 

within 2 hours of setting each piece of 

string or gear. The authorized 

representative of each vessel may record 

or document this information in a 

format outside of the electronic logbook 

application (e.g., waterproof paper). All 

logbook information whether recorded 

inside or outside of the electronic 

application must be available for 

immediate review by at-sea authorized 

law enforcement personnel. 

(B) Retrieving gear. Logbook entries 

for retrieving gear, including date/time 

recovered and catch/discard 

information, must be completed within 

4 hours of retrieving each piece of string 

or gear. The authorized representative of 

each vessel may record or document 

this information in a format outside of 

the electronic logbook application (e.g., 

waterproof paper). All logbook 

information whether recorded inside or 

outside of the electronic application 

must be available for immediate review 

by at-sea authorized law enforcement 

personnel. 

* * * * * 

(iii) If no fish are retained or 

discarded on a fishing trip, then a nontrawl logbook submission is not 

required for that fishing trip. 

* * * * * 

(d) * * * 

(3) Declaration reports for open access 

vessels using non-trawl gear (all types of 

open access gear other than nongroundfish trawl gear). The operator of 

any vessel that is not registered to a 

limited entry permit or is registered to 

a directed open access permit, must 

provide NMFS with a declaration 

report, as specified at paragraph 

(d)(4)(iv) of this section, before the 

vessel leaves port on a trip in which the 

vessel is used to take and retain or 

possess groundfish in the EEZ or land 

groundfish taken in the EEZ. 

(4) * * * 

(iv) Declaration reports will include: 

The vessel name and/or identification 

number, gear type, and monitoring type 

where applicable, (as defined in 

paragraph (d)(4)(iv)(A) of this section). 

Upon receipt of a declaration report, 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101524 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

NMFS will provide a confirmation code 

or receipt to confirm that a valid 

declaration report was received for the 

vessel. Retention of the confirmation 

code or receipt to verify that a valid 

declaration report was filed and the 

declaration requirement was met is the 

responsibility of the vessel owner or 

operator. Vessels using non-trawl gear 

may declare more than one gear type, 

with the exception of vessels 

participating in the Shorebased IFQ 

Program (i.e., gear switching) and those 

vessels declaring to fish inside the NonTrawl RCA with non-bottom contact 

stationary vertical jig gear or groundfish 

troll gear (i.e., if one of these 

declarations is used, no other 

declaration may be made on that fishing 

trip). For the purpose of the directed 

open access permit defined at § 660.65, 

declaration codes for the directed open 

access fishery include codes 33 through 

37. Vessels using trawl gear may only 

declare one of the trawl gear types listed 

in paragraph (d)(4)(iv)(A) of this section 

on any trip and may not declare nontrawl gear on the same trip in which 

trawl gear is declared. 

(A) * * * 

(21) Directed open access bottom 

contact hook-and-line gear for 

groundfish (e.g., bottom longline, 

commercial vertical hook-and-line, rod 

and reel, dinglebar) (declaration code 

33); 

* * * * * 

(23) Directed open access groundfish 

trap or pot gear (declaration code 34); 

* * * * * 

(27) Directed open access non-bottom 

contact hook and line gear for 

groundfish (e.g., troll, jig gear, rod & reel 

gear) (outside the Non-Trawl RCA only) 

(declaration code 35); 

(28) Directed open access non-bottom 

contact stationary vertical jig gear 

(allowed inside or outside the NonTrawl RCA) (declaration code 36); 

(29) Directed open access non-bottom 

contact troll gear (allowed inside or 

outside the Non-Trawl RCA) 

(declaration code 37); 

* * * * * 

■ 7. Amend § 660.14 by revising 

paragraph (d)(4)(iii) to read as follows: 

§ 660.14 Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) 

requirements. 

* * * * * 

(d) * * * 

(4) * * * 

(iii) Permit exemption. If a limited 

entry permit had a change in vessel 

registration so that it is no longer 

registered to the vessel (for the purposes 

of this section, this includes permits 

placed into ‘‘unidentified’’ status); or if 

a directed open access permit has not 

yet been renewed, NMFS may exempt 

the vessel from VMS requirements 

providing the vessel is not used in a 

fishery requiring VMS off the States of 

Washington, Oregon, or California (0– 

200 nm (5.6–370.4 km) offshore) for the 

remainder of the fishing year. 

* * * * * 

■ 8. Amend § 660.25 by adding 

paragraph (i) to read as follows: 

§ 660.25 Permits. 

* * * * * 

(i) Directed open access permit—(1) 

Permit information. This section applies 

to vessels that take and retain, possess, 

or land groundfish in the West Coast 

groundfish directed open access fishery, 

as defined in § 660.11 under ‘‘Open 

Access Fishery’’. Starting on March 1, 

2025, no person shall take and retain, 

possess, or land groundfish as part of 

the directed open access fishery, unless 

SFD has issued them a permit valid for 

the groundfish directed open access 

fishery. 

(i) Validity. The following section 

applies to vessel for permits under this 

paragraph (i): 

(A) A permit issued under this 

paragraph (i) is valid only for the vessel 

for which it is registered. 

(B) A permit issued under this 

paragraph (i) not registered for use with 

a particular vessel is not valid. 

(C) Only a person eligible to own a 

documented vessel under the terms of 

46 U.S.C. 12103 may be issued or may 

hold a directed open access vessel 

permit. 

(D) No individual may alter, erase, 

mutilate, or forge any permit or 

document issued under this section. 

Any such permit or document that is 

intentionally altered, erased, mutilated, 

or forged is invalid. 

(ii) Transferability. Permits are not 

transferable. A permit issued under this 

paragraph (i) is valid only for the vessel 

for which it is registered. A change in 

ownership, documentation, or name of 

the registered vessel, or transfer of the 

ownership of the registered vessel will 

render the permit invalid. 

(A) A vessel owner must contact SFD 

if the vessel for which the permit is 

issued is sold, ownership of the vessel 

is transferred, the vessel is renamed, or 

any other reason for which the 

documentation of the vessel is changed 

as the change may invalidate the current 

permit. 

(B) In the case where a permit is 

invalidated due to a change in 

documentation, a new permit 

application is required. To submit a new 

application, please complete the process 

outlined in paragraph (i)(2) of this 

section. 

(iii) Civil Procedures. SFD may 

suspend, revoke, or modify any permit 

issued under this section under policies 

and procedures in title 15 CFR part 904, 

or other applicable regulations in this 

chapter. 

(2) Applications. A vessel owner who 

wants to engage in the West Coast 

groundfish directed open access fishery, 

as defined in section § 660.11, must 

apply for the directed open access 

permit using the application form in 

paragraph (i)(2)(i) of this section. 

(i) Application form. To apply for a 

directed open access permit, an 

individual must submit a complete 

permit application to the SFD West 

Coast Region through the NOAA 

Fisheries Pacific Coast Groundfish and 

Halibut Portal—Log In web page at 

https://www.webapps.nwfsc.noaa.gov/ 

apex/ifq/f?p=120:LOGIN_DESKTOP. 

(ii) Required documentation. A 

complete application consists of: 

(A) An application form that contains 

valid responses for all required data 

fields, information, and signatures. 

(B) A copy of the current (not expired) 

U.S. Coast Guard Documentation Form 

or state registration form for the vessel. 

(C) Payment of required fees as 

required at paragraph (f) of this section. 

(D) Additional documentation SFD 

may require as it deems necessary to 

make a determination on the 

application. 

(iii) Application review, approval or 

denial, and appeals—(A) Application 

review. Applications for groundfish 

directed open access permits issued 

under this paragraph (i) must be 

received a minimum of 15 days before 

intending to participate in the fishery to 

allow for processing time. 

(B) Approved application. SFD shall 

issue a vessel permit upon receipt of a 

completed permit application, including 

all required information listed in 

paragraph (i)(2)(ii) of this section, 

submitted through the Pacific Coast 

Groundfish and Halibut Portal, and a 

cleared sanctions check. 

(C) Denied application. If the 

application is denied, SFD will issue an 

initial administrative decision (IAD) 

that will explain the denial in writing. 

SFD may decline to act on a permit 

application that is incomplete, or if the 

vessel or vessel owner is subject to 

sanction provisions of the MagnusonStevens Act at 16 U.S.C. 1858(a) and 

implementing regulations at 15 CFR part 

904, subpart D. 

(D) Appeals. In cases where the 

applicant disagrees with SFD’s decision 

on a permit application, the applicant 

may file an appeal following the 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101525 

procedures described at paragraph (g) of 

this section. 

(iv) Issuance. Upon review and 

approval of a directed open access 

permit application, SFD will issue a 

permit under this paragraph (i) 

electronically to the permit owner. 

(A) Duration. A permit issued under 

this paragraph (i) is valid until the first 

date of renewal, except as provided in 

this paragraph (i). The date of renewal 

will be the last day of the vessel owner’s 

birth month, following the year after the 

permit is issued (e.g., if the birth month 

is March and the permit is issued on 

October 3, 2026, the permit will remain 

valid through March 31, 2027). The 

permit owner is responsible for 

renewing their directed open access 

permit. Any permit not renewed by the 

renewal date will expire and is no 

longer valid. 

(1) For permits issued in 2025, the 

date of renewal will be the last day of 

the vessel owner’s birth month in 2026 

(e.g., if the birth month is October and 

the permit is issued on March 3, 2025, 

the permit will remain valid through 

October 31, 2026). 

(2) [Reserved] 

(B) Display. A copy (electronic or 

paper) of the permit issued under this 

subpart must be available for inspection 

by an authorized officer when the vessel 

is operating in the groundfish open 

access fishery, defined at § 660.11. 

■ 9. Amend § 660.40 by adding 

paragraph (b) to read as follows: 

§ 660.40 Rebuilding plans. 

* * * * * 

(b) Quillback rockfish off California. 

Quillback rockfish off California was 

declared overfished in 2023. The target 

year for rebuilding the California 

quillback rockfish stock to BMSY is 2060. 

The harvest control rule to be used to 

rebuild the quillback rockfish stock off 

California is the ABC Rule (P* 0.45). 

■ 10. Amend § 660.50 by revising 

paragraphs (f) and (g) to read as follows: 

§ 660.50 Pacific Coast treaty Indian 

fisheries. 

* * * * * 

(f) Pacific Coast treaty Indian fisheries 

allocations, harvest guidelines, and setasides. Trip limits for certain species 

were recommended by the Tribes and 

the Council and are specified in 

paragraph (g) of this section. 

(1) Arrowtooth flounder. The Tribal 

harvest guideline is 2,041 mt per year. 

(2) Big skate. The Tribal harvest 

guideline is 15 mt per year. 

(3) Black rockfish off Washington. (i) 

Harvest guidelines for commercial 

harvests of black rockfish by members of 

the Pacific Coast Indian Tribes using 

hook-and-line gear will be established 

biennially for two subsequent 1-year 

periods for the areas between the U.S.- 

Canadian border and Cape Alava 

(48°09.50′ N lat.) and between 

Destruction Island (47°40′ N lat.) and 

Leadbetter Point (46°38.17′ N lat.), in 

accordance with the procedures for 

implementing harvest specifications and 

management measures. Pacific Coast 

treaty Indians fishing for black rockfish 

in these areas under these harvest 

guidelines are subject to the provisions 

in this section, and not to the 

restrictions in subparts C through G of 

this part. 

(ii) For the commercial harvest of 

black rockfish off Washington State, a 

treaty Indian Tribes’ harvest guideline is 

set at 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) for the area 

north of Cape Alava, WA (48°09.50′ N 

lat.) and 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) for the area 

between Destruction Island, WA (47°40′ 

N lat.) and Leadbetter Point, WA 

(46°38.17′ N lat.). This harvest guideline 

applies and is available to the Pacific 

Coast treaty Indian Tribes. There are no 

Tribal harvest restrictions for black 

rockfish in the area between Cape Alava 

and Destruction Island. 

(4) Canary rockfish. The Tribal 

harvest guideline is 50 mt per year. 

(5) Darkblotched rockfish. The Tribal 

harvest guideline is 5 mt per year. 

(6) Dover sole. The Tribal harvest 

guideline is 1,497 mt per year. 

(7) English sole. The Tribal harvest 

guideline is 200 mt per year. 

(8) Lingcod. The Tribal harvest 

guideline is 250 mt per year. 

(9) Longnose skate. The Tribal harvest 

guideline is 220 mt per year. 

(10) Minor nearshore rockfish. The 

Tribal harvest guideline is 1.5 mt per 

year. 

(11) Minor shelf rockfish. The Tribal 

harvest guideline is 30 mt per year. 

(12) Minor slope rockfish. The Tribal 

harvest guideline is 36 mt per year. 

(13) Other flatfish. The Tribal harvest 

guideline is 60 mt per year. 

(14) Pacific cod. The Tribal harvest 

guideline is 500 mt per year. 

(15) Pacific ocean perch. The Tribal 

harvest guideline is 130 mt per year. 

(16) Pacific spiny dogfish. The Tribal 

harvest guideline is 275 mt per year. 

(17) Pacific whiting. The Tribal 

whiting allocation will be announced 

annually in conjunction with the Total 

Allowable Catch (TAC) setting process 

of the Whiting Act. 

(18) Petrale sole. The harvest 

guideline is 290 mt per year. 

(19) Sablefish. (i) The sablefish 

allocation to Pacific coast treaty Indian 

Tribes is 10 percent of the sablefish ACL 

for the area north of 36° N lat. This 

allocation represents the total amount 

available to the treaty Indian fisheries 

before deductions for discard mortality. 

(ii) The Tribal allocation is 2,869 mt 

in 2025 and 2,724 mt in 2026. This 

allocation is, for each year, 10 percent 

of the Monterey through Vancouver area 

(North of 36° N lat.) ACL, including 

estimated discard mortality. 

(20) Starry flounder. The Tribal 

harvest guideline is 2 mt per year. 

(21) Thornyheads. The Tribal harvest 

guideline for shortspine thornyhead is 

50 mt per year and the Tribal harvest 

guideline for longspine thornyhead is 30 

mt per year. 

(22) Washington cabezon/kelp 

greenling. The Tribal harvest guideline 

is 2 mt per year. 

(23) Widow rockfish. Widow rockfish 

taken in the directed Tribal midwater 

trawl fisheries are subject to a catch 

limit of 200 mt for the entire fleet, per 

year. 

(24) Yelloweye rockfish. The Tribal 

harvest guideline is 8 mt per year. 

(25) Yellowtail rockfish. Yellowtail 

rockfish taken in the directed Tribal 

mid-water trawl fisheries are subject to 

a catch limit of 1,000 mt for the entire 

fleet, per year. 

(g) Pacific coast treaty Indian fisheries 

management measures. Trip limits for 

certain species were recommended by 

the Tribes and the Council and are 

specified here. 

(1) Rockfish. The Tribes will require 

full retention of all overfished rockfish 

species and all other marketable 

rockfish species during treaty fisheries. 

(2) Yelloweye rockfish. Subject to a 

200-lb (90-kg) trip limit. 

(3) Pacific whiting. Tribal whiting 

processed at-sea by non-Tribal vessels, 

must be transferred within the Tribal 

U&A from a member of a Pacific Coast 

treaty Indian Tribe fishing under this 

section. 

(4) Groundfish without a Tribal 

allocation. Makah Tribal members may 

use midwater trawl gear to take and 

retain groundfish for which there is no 

Tribal allocation and will be subject to 

the trip landing and frequency and size 

limits applicable to the limited entry 

fishery. 

(5) EFH. Measures implemented to 

minimize adverse impacts to groundfish 

EFH, as described in § 660.12, do not 

apply to Tribal fisheries in their U&A 

fishing areas described at § 660.4, 

subpart A. 

(6) Small footrope trawl gear. Makah 

Tribal members fishing in the bottom 

trawl fishery may use only small 

footrope (less than or equal to 8 inches 

(20.3 cm)) bottom trawl gear. 

* * * * * 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101526 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

■ 11. Amend § 660.55 by revising table 

1 to paragraph (c)(1) and paragraph (i)(2) 

to read as follows: 

§ 660.55 Allocations. 

* * * * * 

(c) * * * 

(1) * * * 

TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (c)(1)—ALLOCATION AMOUNTS AND PERCENTAGES FOR LIMITED ENTRY TRAWL AND NON-TRAWL

SECTORS SPECIFIED FOR FMP GROUNDFISH STOCKS AND STOCK COMPLEXES

Stock or complex All non-treaty LE trawl sectors 

(%) 

All non-treaty non-trawl sectors 

(%) 

Arrowtooth Flounder ............................................................................................ 95 5 

Chilipepper Rockfish S. of 40°10′ N lat. .............................................................. 75 25 

Darkblotched Rockfish ......................................................................................... 95 5 

Dover Sole ........................................................................................................... 95 5 

English Sole ......................................................................................................... 95 5 

Lingcod N of 40°10′ N lat. ................................................................................... 45 55 

Longspine Thornyhead N of 34°27′ N lat. ........................................................... 95 5 

Pacific Cod ........................................................................................................... 95 5 

Pacific Ocean Perch ............................................................................................ 95 5 

Sablefish S of 36° N lat. ...................................................................................... 42 58 

Splitnose Rockfish S. of 40°10′ N lat. ................................................................. 95 5 

Starry Flounder .................................................................................................... 50 50 

Yellowtail Rockfish N of 40°10′ N lat. ................................................................. 88 12 

Minor Slope Rockfish North of 40°10′ N lat. ....................................................... 81 19 

Other Flatfish ....................................................................................................... 90 10 

* * * * * 

(i) * * * 

(2) The fishery harvest guideline for 

Pacific whiting is allocated among three 

sectors, as follows: 34 percent for the C/ 

P Co-op Program; 24 percent for the MS 

Co-op Program; and 42 percent for the 

Shorebased IFQ Program. No more than 

5 percent of the Shorebased IFQ 

Program allocation may be taken and 

retained south of 42° N lat. before the 

start of the primary Pacific whiting 

season north of 42° N lat. Specific sector 

allocations for a given calendar year are 

found in tables 1a through c and 2a 

through c of this subpart. Set-asides for 

other species for the at-sea whiting 

fishery for a given calendar year are 

established through the biennial 

specifications process. 

* * * * * 

■ 12. Amend § 660.60 by revising 

paragraphs (b)(1), (c) introductory text, 

(c)(1)(i), (g), (h)(1), (h)(7)(i)(D), and 

(h)(7)(ii)(A)(2) to read as follows: 

§ 660.60 Specifications and management 

measures. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(1) Except for Pacific whiting, every 

biennium, NMFS will implement OFLs, 

ABCs, and ACLs, if applicable, for each 

species or species group based on the 

harvest controls used in the previous 

biennium (referred to as default harvest 

control rules) applied to the best 

available scientific information. The 

default harvest control rules for each 

species or species group are listed in the 

biennial SAFE document. NMFS may 

implement OFLs, ABCs, and ACLs, if 

applicable, that vary from the default 

harvest control rules based on a Council 

recommendation. 

* * * * * 

(c) Routine management measures. 

Catch restrictions that are likely to be 

adjusted on a biennial, or more frequent, 

basis may be imposed and announced 

by a single notification in the Federal 

Register, if good cause exists under the 

Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to 

waive notice and comment, and if they 

have been designated as routine through 

the two-meeting process described in 

the PCGFMP. Routine management 

measures that may be revised during the 

fishing year, via this process, are 

implemented in paragraph (h) of this 

section, and in subparts C through G of 

this part, including tables 1a through 1c, 

and 2a through 2c to subpart C of this 

part, tables 1a and 1b (North) and tables 

1a and 1b (South) of subpart D of this 

part, tables 2a and 2b (North) and tables 

2a and 2b (South) of subpart E of this 

part, and tables 3a and 3b (North) and 

tables 3a and 3b (South) of subpart F of 

this part. Most trip, bag, and size limits, 

and some Groundfish Conservation Area 

closures in the groundfish fishery have 

been designated ‘‘routine,’’ which 

means they may be changed rapidly 

after a single Council meeting. Council 

meetings are held in the months of 

March, April, June, September, and 

November. Inseason changes to routine 

management measures are announced in 

the Federal Register pursuant to the 

requirements of the APA. Changes to 

trip limits are effective at the times 

stated in the Federal Register. Once a 

trip limit change is effective, it is illegal 

to take and retain, possess, or land more 

fish than allowed under the new trip 

limit. This means that, unless otherwise 

announced in the Federal Register, 

offloading must begin before the time a 

fishery closes or a more restrictive trip 

limit takes effect. The following catch 

restrictions have been designated as 

routine: 

(1) * * * 

(i) Trip landing and frequency limits, 

size limits, all gear. Trip landing and 

frequency limits have been designated 

as routine for the following species or 

species groups: Widow rockfish, canary 

rockfish, yellowtail rockfish, Pacific 

ocean perch, yelloweye rockfish, black 

rockfish, blue/deacon rockfish, splitnose 

rockfish, blackgill rockfish in the area 

south of 40°10′ N lat., chilipepper, 

bocaccio, cowcod, Minor Nearshore 

Rockfish or shallow and deeper Minor 

Nearshore Rockfish, shelf or Minor 

Shelf Rockfish, and Minor Slope 

Rockfish; Dover sole, sablefish, 

shortspine thornyheads, and longspine 

thornyheads; petrale sole, rex sole, 

arrowtooth flounder, Pacific sanddabs, 

big skate, and the Other Flatfish 

complex, which is composed of those 

species plus any other flatfish species 

listed at § 660.11; Pacific whiting; 

lingcod; Pacific cod; Pacific spiny 

dogfish; longnose skate; cabezon in 

Oregon and California; and ‘‘Other 

Fish’’ as defined at § 660.11. In addition 

to the species and species groups listed 

above, sub-limits or aggregate limits 

may be specified, specific to the 

Shorebased IFQ Program, for the 

following species: big skate, California 

skate, California scorpionfish, leopard 

shark, soupfin shark, finescale codling, 

Pacific rattail (grenadier), ratfish, kelp 

greenling, shortbelly rockfish, and 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101527 

cabezon in Washington. Size limits have 

been designated as routine for sablefish 

and lingcod. Trip landing and frequency 

limits and size limits for species with 

those limits designated as routine may 

be imposed or adjusted on a biennial or 

more frequent basis for the purpose of 

keeping landings within the harvest 

levels announced by NMFS. 

* * * * * 

(g) Applicability. These specifications 

account for fish caught in state ocean 

waters (0–3 nm offshore) though that 

fishing activity is governed by the States 

of Washington, Oregon, and California, 

respectively. Catch of a stock in State 

waters is taken off the top of the harvest 

specifications for the stock in the EEZ 

(3–200 nm (5.6–370.4 km) offshore). 

(h) * * * 

(1) Commercial trip limits and 

recreational bag and boat limits. 

Commercial trip limits and recreational 

bag and boat limits defined in tables 1a 

through 2d of this subpart, and those 

specified in subparts D through G of this 

part, including tables 1b (North) and 1b 

(South) of subpart D of this part, tables 

2b (North) and 2b (South) of subpart E 

of this part, and tables 3b (North) and 

3b (South) of subpart F of this part must 

not be exceeded. 

* * * * * 

(7) * * * 

(i) * * * 

(D) Rockfish complexes. Several 

rockfish species are designated with 

species-specific limits on one side of the 

40°10′ N lat. management line and are 

included as part of a rockfish complex 

on the other side of the line. A vessel 

that takes and retains fish from a 

rockfish complex (nearshore, shelf, or 

slope) on both sides of a management 

line during a single cumulative limit 

period is subject to the more restrictive 

cumulative limit for that rockfish 

complex during that period. 

(1) If a vessel takes and retains species 

from the slope rockfish complex north 

of 40°10′ N lat., that vessel is also 

permitted to take and retain, possess or 

land splitnose rockfish up to its 

cumulative limit south of 40°10′ N lat., 

even if splitnose rockfish were a part of 

the landings from slope rockfish 

complex taken and retained north of 

40°10′ N lat. 

(2) If a vessel takes and retains species 

from the slope rockfish complex south 

of 40°10′ N lat., that vessel is also 

permitted to take and retain, possess or 

land Pacific ocean perch up to its 

cumulative limit north of 40°10′ N lat., 

even if Pacific ocean perch were a part 

of the landings from slope rockfish 

complex taken and retained south of 

40°10′ N lat. 

(ii) * * * 

(A) * * * 

(2) Vessels with a valid limited entry 

permit endorsed for bottom longline 

and/or pot gear fishing inside the NonTrawl RCA with stationary vertical jig 

gear or groundfish troll gear as defined 

at § 660.320(b)(6). Vessels fishing with 

one of these two approved hook-andline gear configurations may fish up to 

the limited entry fixed gear trip limits 

in table 2b (North) and table 2b (South) 

of subpart E, either inside or outside the 

Non-Trawl RCA. This provision only 

applies on fishing trips where the vessel 

made the appropriate declaration 

(specified at § 660.13(d)(4)(iv)(A)). 

* * * * * 

■ 13. Revise § 660.65 to read as follows: 

§ 660.65 Groundfish harvest 

specifications. 

Harvest specifications include OFLs, 

ABCs, and the designation of OYs and 

ACLs. Management measures necessary 

to keep catch within the ACL include 

ACTs, HGs, or quotas for species that 

need individual management, the 

allocation of fishery HGs between the 

trawl and non-trawl segments of the 

fishery, and the allocation of 

commercial HGs between the open 

access and limited entry segments of the 

fishery. These specifications account for 

fish caught in state ocean waters (0–3 

nm (0–5.6 km) offshore), though that 

fishing activity is governed by the States 

of Washington, Oregon, and California 

respectively. Catch of a stock in State 

waters is taken off the top of the harvest 

specifications for the stock in the EEZ 

(3–200 nm (5.6–370.4 km) offshore). 

Harvest specifications are provided in 

tables 1a through 2d of this subpart. 

§ 660.70 [Amended] 

■ 14. Amend § 660.70 by removing 

paragraph (u) and redesignating 

paragraph (v) as paragraph (u). 

■ 15. Amend § 660.72 by revising 

paragraphs (a)(95) through (100) to read 

as follows: 

§ 660.72 Latitude/longitude coordinates 

defining the 50 fm (91 m) through 75 fm (137 

m) depth contours. 

* * * * * 

(a) * * * 

(95) 39°32.47′ N lat., 123°52.25′ W 

long.; 

(96) 39°21.86′ N lat., 123°54.13′ W 

long.; 

(97) 39°8.35′ N lat., 123°49.67′ W 

long.; 

(98) 38°57.50′ N lat., 123°49.42′ W 

long.; 

(99) 38°51.20′ N lat., 123°46.09′ W 

long.; 

(100) 38°29.47′ N lat., 123°20.19′ W 

long.; 

* * * * * 

■ 16. Revise tables 1a through 1c to part 

660, subpart C to read as follows: 

TABLE 1a TO PART 660, SUBPART C—2025, SPECIFICATIONS OF OFL, ABC, ACL, ACT AND FISHERY HG (WEIGHTS IN

METRIC TONS). CAPITALIZED STOCKS ARE REBUILDING

Species/stock Area OFL ABC ACL a Fishery HG b

QUILLBACK ROCKFISH OFF CALIFORNIA ............................. California 1.52 1.3 1.3 1.2 

YELLOWEYE ROCKFISH c ........................................................ Coastwide 105.8 87.2 55.8 41 

Arrowtooth Flounder ................................................................... Coastwide 16,460 11,193 11,193 9,098 

Big Skate ..................................................................................... Coastwide 1,456 1,224 1,224 1,164.6 

Black Rockfish ............................................................................ Washington 

(N of 

46°16′ 

N lat.).

262 244.6 244.6 226 

Black Rockfish ............................................................................ California 

(S of 

42° N 

lat.).

250 234 224 222.3 

Bocaccio ...................................................................................... S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,849 1,681 1,681 1,673.2 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101528 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 1a TO PART 660, SUBPART C—2025, SPECIFICATIONS OF OFL, ABC, ACL, ACT AND FISHERY HG (WEIGHTS IN

METRIC TONS). CAPITALIZED STOCKS ARE REBUILDING—Continued 

Species/stock Area OFL ABC ACL a Fishery HG b

Cabezon ...................................................................................... California 

(S of 

42° N 

lat.).

176 162 162 161.2 

California Scorpionfish ................................................................ S of 

34°27′ 

N lat.

273 244 244 242 

Canary Rockfish .......................................................................... Coastwide 647 605 572 508.4 

Chilipepper .................................................................................. S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

3,128 2,815 2,815 2,788 

Cowcod ....................................................................................... S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

111 77 77 66.5 

Cowcod ................................................................................ (Conception).93 66 66 ........................

Cowcod ................................................................................ (Monterey).18 11 11 ........................

Darkblotched Rockfish ................................................................ Coastwide 830 754 754 729.8 

Dover Sole .................................................................................. Coastwide 52,214 47,424 47,424 45,840 

English Sole ................................................................................ Coastwide 11,175 8,884 8,884 8,669.4 

Lingcod ........................................................................................ N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

4,237 3,631 3,631 3,349.9 

Lingcod ........................................................................................ S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

897 768 748 736.4 

Longnose Skate .......................................................................... Coastwide 1,922 1,616 1,616 1,365.4 

Longspine Thornyhead ............................................................... Coastwide 4,284 2,698 2,698 ........................

Longspine Thornyhead ............................................................... N of 

34°27′ 

N lat.

........................ ........................ 2,050 2,000.7 

Longspine Thornyhead ............................................................... S of 

34°27′ 

N lat.

........................ ........................ 648 646 

Pacific Cod .................................................................................. Coastwide 3,200 1,926 1,600 1,098.6 

Pacific Ocean Perch ................................................................... N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

4,029 3,328 3,328 3,182.5 

Pacific Spiny Dogfish .................................................................. Coastwide 1,857 1,361 1,361 1,037.6 

Pacific Whiting ............................................................................ Coastwide (d) (d) (d) (d) 

Petrale Sole ................................................................................ Coastwide 2,518 2,354 2,354 2,035.5

Sablefish ..................................................................................... Coastwide 39,085 36,545 36,545 ........................

Sablefish ..................................................................................... N of 36° 

N lat.

........................ ........................ 28,688 See Table 1c 

Sablefish ..................................................................................... S of 36° N 

lat.

........................ ........................ 7,857 7,829.80 

Shortspine Thornyhead e ............................................................. Coastwide 940 821 815 743.3 

Splitnose ..................................................................................... S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,724 1,508 1,508 1,493.9 

Starry Flounder ........................................................................... Coastwide 652 392 392 375.3 

Widow Rockfish .......................................................................... Coastwide 12,254 11,237 11,237 11,018.7

Yellowtail Rockfish ...................................................................... N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

6,866 6,241 6,241 5,216.1 

Species/Stock Complexes 

Blue/Deacon/Black Rockfish ....................................................... Oregon ... 464 423 423 421.7 

Cabezon/Kelp Greenling ............................................................. Washington.19 15 15 12.2 

Cabezon/Kelp Greenling ............................................................. Oregon ... 196 177 177 176.1 

Nearshore Rockfish North .......................................................... N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

106 88 88 84.8 

Nearshore Rockfish South .......................................................... S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,137 934 932 929.3 

Other Fish ................................................................................... Coastwide 286 223 223 213.2 

Other Flatfish .............................................................................. Coastwide 10,895 7,974 7,974 7,803 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101529 

TABLE 1a TO PART 660, SUBPART C—2025, SPECIFICATIONS OF OFL, ABC, ACL, ACT AND FISHERY HG (WEIGHTS IN

METRIC TONS). CAPITALIZED STOCKS ARE REBUILDING—Continued 

Species/stock Area OFL ABC ACL a Fishery HG b

Shelf Rockfish North ................................................................... N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,668.7 1,329.7 1,329.6 1,250.4 

Shelf Rockfish South .................................................................. S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,827.6 1,457.7 1,457.1 1,430.5 

Slope Rockfish North .................................................................. N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,779 1,488 1,488 1,430 

Slope Rockfish South ................................................................. S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

866 693 693 674 

aAnnual catch limits (ACLs), annual catch targets (ACTs) and harvest guidelines (HGs) are specified as total catch values. 

bFishery HGs means the HG or quota after subtracting Pacific Coast treaty Indian Tribes allocations and projected catch, projected research 

catch, deductions for fishing mortality in non-groundfish fisheries, and deductions for EFPs from the ACL or ACT. These deductions, as well as 

any HG sharing agreements between states and/or sectors, are published in the SAFE. cYelloweye rockfish has a non-trawl ACT of 29.6 mt and a non-nearshore ACT of 6.2 mt. The recreational ACTs are: 7.6 mt (Washington), 6.9 

mt (Oregon), and 8.9 mt (California). dPacific whiting are assessed annually. The final specifications will be determined consistent with the U.S.-Canada Pacific Whiting Agreement 

and will be announced in 2025. eShortspine thornyhead has a commercial ACT of 67 mt for north of 34° 27′ N lat. f Copper rockfish has a recreational ACT of 15.8 for south of 34° 27′ N lat. 

TABLE 1b TO PART 660, SUBPART C—2025, ALLOCATIONS BY SPECIES OR SPECIES GROUP

[Weight in metric tons] 

Species/stock & complexes Area Fishery HG or 

ACT 

Trawl Non-trawl 

% mt % mt 

YELLOWEYE ROCKFISH ............................ Coastwide ........... 41 8 3.3 92 37.7 

Arrowtooth flounder ...................................... Coastwide ........... 9,098 95 8,643.1 5 454.9 

Big skate ....................................................... Coastwide ........... 1,164.6 95 1,106.4 5 58.2 

Bocaccio ....................................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 1,673.2 39 652.5 61 1,020.6 

Canary rockfish ............................................ Coastwide ........... 508.4 72.3 367.6 27.7 140.8 

Chilipepper rockfish ...................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 2,788 75 2,091 25 697 

Cowcod ......................................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 66.5 36 23.90 64 42.6 

Darkblotched rockfish ................................... Coastwide ........... 729.8 95 693.3 5 36.5 

Dover sole .................................................... Coastwide ........... 45,840 95 43,459.8 5 2,290.2 

English sole .................................................. Coastwide ........... 8,669.4 95 8,235.9 5 433.5 

Lingcod ......................................................... N of 40°10′ N lat 3,349.9 45 1,507.5 55 1,842.4 

Lingcod ......................................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 736.4 40 294.6 60 441.8 

Longnose skate ............................................ Coastwide ........... 1,365.4 90 1,228.9 10 136.5 

Longspine thornyhead .................................. N of 34°27′ N lat 2,000.7 95 1,900.7 5 100 

Pacific cod .................................................... Coastwide ........... 1,098.6 95 1,043.7 5 54.9 

Pacific Ocean perch ..................................... N of 40°10′ N lat 3,182.5 95 3,023.4 5 159.1 

Pacific whiting ............................................... Coastwide ........... .............................. 100 .................... 0 0 

Petrale sole .................................................. Coastwide ........... 2,035.5 .................... 2,005.5 .................... 30 

Sablefish ....................................................... N of 36° N lat ...... 25,729.3 See Table 1c 

Sablefish ....................................................... S of 36° N lat ...... 7,829.8 42 3,288.5 58 4,541.3 

Shortspine thornyhead ................................. Coastwide ........... 743.3 64 475.71 36 267.59 

Splitnose rockfish ......................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 1,493.9 95 1,419.2 5 74.7 

Starry flounder .............................................. Coastwide ........... 375.3 50 187.7 50 187.7 

Widow rockfish ............................................. Coastwide ........... 11,018.7 .................... 10,718.7 .................... 300 

Yellowtail rockfish ......................................... N of 40°10′ N lat 5,216.1 88 4,590.2 12 625.9 

Shelf rockfish north ...................................... N of 40°10′ N lat 1,250.4 60.2 760.8 39.8 503 

Shelf rockfish south ...................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 1,430.5 12.2 174.5 87.8 1,256 

Slope rockfish north ..................................... N of 40°10′ N lat 1,430 81 1,158.3 19 271.7 

Slope rockfish south ..................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 674 63 424.6 37 249.4 

Other flatfish ................................................. Coastwide ........... 7,803 90 7,022.7 10 780.3 

TABLE 1c TO PART 660, SUBPART C—SABLEFISH NORTH OF 36° N LAT. ALLOCATIONS, 2025 

[Weight in metric tons] 

Percent Allocation 

(mt) 

Non-Tribal Commercial HG a ................................................................................................... ........................................ 25,729.3 

LE Share ........................................................................................................................... 90.6 23,310.7 

LE Trawl .................................................................................................................... 58 13,520.2 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101530 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 1c TO PART 660, SUBPART C—SABLEFISH NORTH OF 36° N LAT. ALLOCATIONS, 2025—Continued 

[Weight in metric tons] 

Percent Allocation 

(mt) 

LEFG ......................................................................................................................... 42 9,791.9 

Primary ............................................................................................................... 85 8,323.1 

Trip limit .............................................................................................................. 15 1,468.8 

OA Share .......................................................................................................................... 9.4 2,418.6 

aOff-the-top deductions from the ACL that result in the HG are in the SAFE. 

■ 17. Revise tables 2a through 2c to part 

660, subpart C, to read as follows: 

TABLE 2a TO PART 660, SUBPART C—2026, AND BEYOND, SPECIFICATIONS OF OFL, ABC, ACL, ACT, AND FISHERY HG 

(WEIGHTS IN METRIC TONS). CAPITALIZED STOCKS ARE REBUILDING

Species/stock Area OFL ABC ACL a Fishery HG b

QUILLBACK ROCKFISH OFF CALIFORNIA ............................. California 1.77 1.5 1.5 1.4 

YELLOWEYE ROCKFISH c ........................................................ Coastwide 108.3 88.5 56.6 41.8 

Arrowtooth Flounder ................................................................... Coastwide 13,833 9,227 9,227 7,132 

Big Skate ..................................................................................... Coastwide 1,426 1,188 1,188 1,128.6 

Black Rockfish ............................................................................ Washington 

(N of 

46°16′ 

N lat.).

259 241 241 226.6 

Black Rockfish ............................................................................ California 

(S of 

42° N 

lat.).

265 247 236 234.4 

Bocaccio ...................................................................................... S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,846 1,668 1,668 1,660.2 

Cabezon ...................................................................................... California 

(S of 

42° N 

lat.).

170 155 155 154.5 

California Scorpionfish ................................................................ S of 

34°27′ 

N lat.

267 238 238 236 

Canary Rockfish .......................................................................... Coastwide 655 609 573 509.6 

Chilipepper Rockfish ................................................................... S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

2,949 2,643 2,643 2,615.2 

Cowcod ....................................................................................... S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

111 75 75 65.2 

Cowcod ....................................................................................... (Conception).92 64 64 ........................

Cowcod ....................................................................................... (Monterey).19 11 11 ........................

Darkblotched Rockfish ................................................................ Coastwide 810 732 732 707.8 

Dover Sole .................................................................................. Coastwide 46,049 42,457 42,457 40,873 

English Sole ................................................................................ Coastwide 11,192 8,819 8,819 8,604.4 

Lingcod ........................................................................................ N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

4,163 3,534 3,534 3,252.9 

Lingcod ........................................................................................ S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

937 795 773 761.5 

Longnose Skate .......................................................................... Coastwide 1,895 1,579 1,579 1,328.4 

Longspine Thornyhead ............................................................... Coastwide 4,166 2,575 2,575 ........................

Longspine Thornyhead ............................................................... N of 

34°27′ 

N lat.

........................ ........................ 1,957 1,907.3 

Longspine Thornyhead ............................................................... S of 

34°27′ 

N lat.

........................ ........................ 618 616.5 

Pacific Cod .................................................................................. Coastwide 3,200 1,926 1,600 1,098.6 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101531 

TABLE 2a TO PART 660, SUBPART C—2026, AND BEYOND, SPECIFICATIONS OF OFL, ABC, ACL, ACT, AND FISHERY HG 

(WEIGHTS IN METRIC TONS). CAPITALIZED STOCKS ARE REBUILDING—Continued 

Species/stock Area OFL ABC ACL a Fishery HG b

Pacific Ocean Perch ................................................................... N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

3,937 3,220 3,220 3,074.5 

Pacific Spiny Dogfish .................................................................. Coastwide 1,833 1,318 1,318 994.2 

Pacific Whiting ............................................................................ Coastwide (d) (d) (d) (d) 

Petrale Sole ................................................................................ Coastwide 2,424 2,255 2,238 1,919.5

Sablefish ..................................................................................... Coastwide 37,310 34,699 34,699 ........................

Sablefish ..................................................................................... N of 36° 

N lat.

........................ ........................ 27,238 See Table 2c 

Sablefish ..................................................................................... S of 36° N 

lat.

........................ ........................ 7,460 7,432.9 

Shortspine Thornyhead e ............................................................. Coastwide 961 831 825 752.7 

Splitnose Rockfish ...................................................................... S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,686 1,469 1,469 1,454.9 

Starry Flounder ........................................................................... Coastwide 652 392 392 375.3 

Widow Rockfish .......................................................................... Coastwide 11,382 10,392 10,392 10,173.7

Yellowtail Rockfish ...................................................................... N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

6,662 6,023 6,023 4,997.5 

Species/stock Complexes 

Blue/Deacon/Black Rockfish ....................................................... Oregon ... 472 428 428 426.5 

Cabezon/Kelp Greenling ............................................................. Washington.19 15 15 12.1 

Cabezon/Kelp Greenling ............................................................. Oregon ... 194 174 174 173.6 

Nearshore Rockfish North .......................................................... N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

105 86 86 83 

Nearshore Rockfish South f ........................................................ S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,143 933 931 928.1 

Other Fish ................................................................................... Coastwide 286 223 223 212.7 

Other Flatfish .............................................................................. Coastwide 9,988 7,144 7,144 6,972.6

Shelf Rockfish North ................................................................... N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,654.5 1,316.3 1,316.2 1,263.8 

Shelf Rockfish South .................................................................. S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,827.1 1,455.4 1,454.9 1,428.4 

Slope Rockfish North .................................................................. N of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

1,754 1,460 1,460 1,402.2 

Slope Rockfish South ................................................................. S of 

40°10′ 

N lat.

865 690 690 671 

aAnnual catch limits (ACLs), annual catch targets (ACTs) and harvest guidelines (HGs) are specified as total catch values. 

bFishery HGs means the HG or quota after subtracting Pacific Coast treaty Indian Tribes allocations and projected catch, projected research 

catch, deductions for fishing mortality in non-groundfish fisheries, and deductions for EFPs from the ACL or ACT. These deductions, as well as 

any HG sharing agreements between states and/or sectors, are published in the SAFE. cYelloweye rockfish has a non-trawl ACT of 30.2 mt and a non-nearshore ACT of 6.3 mt. The recreational ACTs are: 7.7 mt (Washington), 7.0 

mt (Oregon), and 9.1 mt (California). dPacific whiting are assessed annually. The final specifications will be determined consistent with the U.S.-Canada Pacific Whiting Agreement 

and will be announced in 2026. eShortspine thornyhead has a commercial ACT of 55 mt for north of 34° 27′ N lat. f Copper rockfish has a recreational ACT of 18.0 for south of 34° 27′ N lat. 

TABLE 2b TO PART 660, SUBPART C—2026, AND BEYOND, ALLOCATIONS BY SPECIES OR SPECIES GROUP

Species/stock & complexes Area Fishery HG or 

ACT 

Trawl Non-trawl 

% mt % mt 

YELLOWEYE ROCKFISH ............................ Coastwide ........... 41.8 8 3.3 92 38.5 

Arrowtooth flounder ...................................... Coastwide ........... 7,132 95 6,775.4 5 356.6 

Big skate ....................................................... Coastwide ........... 1,128.6 95 1,072.2 5 56.4 

Bocaccio ....................................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 1,660.2 39 647.5 61 1,012.7 

Canary rockfish ............................................ Coastwide ........... 509.6 72.3 368.4 27.7 141.2 

Chilipepper rockfish ...................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 2,615.2 75 1,961.4 25 653.8 

Cowcod ......................................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 65.2 36 23.5 64 41.7 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101532 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 2b TO PART 660, SUBPART C—2026, AND BEYOND, ALLOCATIONS BY SPECIES OR SPECIES GROUP—Continued 

Species/stock & complexes Area Fishery HG or 

ACT 

Trawl Non-trawl 

% mt % mt 

Darkblotched rockfish ................................... Coastwide ........... 707.8 95 672.4 5 35.4 

Dover sole .................................................... Coastwide ........... 40,873 95 38,829.4 5 2,043.7 

English sole .................................................. Coastwide ........... 8,604.4 95 8,174.2 5 430.2 

Lingcod ......................................................... N of 40°10′ N lat 3,252.9 45 1,463.8 55 1,789.1 

Lingcod ......................................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 761.5 40 304.6 60 456.9 

Longnose skate ............................................ Coastwide ........... 1,328.4 90 1,195.6 10 132.8 

Longspine thornyhead .................................. N of 34°27′ N lat 1,907.3 95 1,811.9 5 95.4 

Pacific cod .................................................... Coastwide ........... 1,098.6 95 1,043.7 5 54.9 

Pacific Ocean perch ..................................... N of 40°10′ N lat 3,074.5 95 2,920.8 5 153.7 

Pacific whiting ............................................... Coastwide ........... .............................. 100 0.0 .................... 0 

Petrale sole .................................................. Coastwide ........... 1,919.5 .................... 1,889.5 .................... 30 

Sablefish ....................................................... N of 36° N lat ...... 24,425.1 See Table 2c 

Sablefish ....................................................... S of 36° N lat ...... 7,432.9 42 3,121.8 58 4,311.1 

Shortspine thornyhead ................................. Coastwide ........... 752.7 71 534.4 29 218.3 

Splitnose rockfish ......................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 1,454.9 95 1,382.2 5 72.7 

Starry flounder .............................................. Coastwide ........... 375.3 50 187.7 50 187.7 

Widow rockfish ............................................. Coastwide ........... 10,173.7 .................... 9,873.7 .................... 300 

Yellowtail rockfish ......................................... N of 40°10′ N lat 4,997.5 88 4,397.8 12 599.7 

Shelf rockfish north ...................................... N of 40°10° N lat 1,263.8 60.2 760.8 39.8 503 

Shelf rockfish south ...................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 1,428.4 12.2 174.3 87.8 1,254.1 

Slope rockfish north ..................................... N of 40°10′ N lat 1,402.2 81 1,135.8 19 266.4 

Slope rockfish south ..................................... S of 40°10′ N lat 671 63 422.7 37 248.3 

Other flatfish ................................................. Coastwide ........... 6,972.6 90 6,275.3 10 697.3 

TABLE 2c TO PART 660, SUBPART C—SABLEFISH NORTH OF 36° N LAT. ALLOCATIONS, 2026 AND BEYOND

[Weights in metric tons] 

Percent Allocation 

(mt) 

Non-Tribal Commercial HG a ................................................................................................... ........................................ 24,425.1 

LE Share .................................................................................................................................. 90.6 22,129.1 

LE Trawl ........................................................................................................................... 58 12,834.9 

LEFG ................................................................................................................................ 42 9,294 

Primary ...................................................................................................................... 85 7,899.9 

Trip limit ..................................................................................................................... 15 1,394.1 

OA Share .......................................................................................................................... 9.4 2,296 

aOff-the-top deductions from the ACL that result in the HG are in the SAFE. 

■ 18. Amend § 660.111 by revising the 

definition of ‘‘Block area closures or 

BACs’’ to read as follows: 

§ 660.111 Trawl fishery—definitions. 

* * * * * 

Block area closures or BACs are a type 

of groundfish conservation area, defined 

at § 660.11, bounded on the north and 

south by commonly used geographic 

coordinates, defined at § 660.11, and on 

the east and west by the EEZ, and 

boundary lines approximating depth 

contours, defined with latitude and 

longitude coordinates at §§ 660.71 

through 660.74 (10 fm (18 m) through 

250 fm (457 m)), and § 660.76 (700 fm 

(1,280 m)). BACs may be implemented 

or modified as routine management 

measures, per regulations at § 660.60(c). 

BACs may be implemented in the EEZ 

seaward of Washington, Oregon, and 

California for vessels using limited entry 

bottom trawl and/or midwater trawl 

gear. BACs may be implemented within 

Tribal Usual and Accustomed fishing 

areas but may only apply to non-Tribal 

vessels. BACs may close areas to 

specific trawl gear types (e.g., closed for 

midwater trawl, bottom trawl, or bottom 

trawl unless using selective flatfish 

trawl) and/or specific programs within 

the trawl fishery (e.g., Pacific whiting 

fishery or MS Co-op Program). BACs 

may vary in their geographic boundaries 

and duration. Their geographic 

boundaries, applicable gear type(s) and/ 

or specific trawl fishery program, and 

effective dates will be announced in the 

Federal Register. BACs may have a 

specific termination date as described in 

the Federal Register or may be in effect 

until modified. BACs that are in effect 

until modified by Council 

recommendation and subsequent NMFS 

action are set out in tables 1a (North) 

and 1a (South) of this subpart. 

* * * * * 

■ 19. Amend § 660.130 by: 

■ a. Revising paragraphs (a), (c) 

introductory text, and (c)(4) 

introductory text; 

■ c. Removing paragraph (e)(2); 

■ d. Redesignating paragraphs (e)(3) 

through (8) as (e)(2) through (7); and 

■ e. Revising newly redesignated 

paragraph (e)(3) introductory text. 

The revisions read as follows: 

§ 660.130 Trawl fishery—management 

measures. 

(a) General. This section applies to the 

limited entry trawl fishery. Most species 

taken in the limited entry trawl fishery 

will be managed with quotas (see 

§ 660.140), allocations or set-asides (see 

§ 660.150 or § 660.160), or cumulative 

trip limits (see trip limits in tables 1b 

(North) and 1b (South) of this subpart), 

size limits (see § 660.60(h)(5)), seasons 

(see Pacific whiting at § 660.131(b)), 

gear restrictions (see paragraphs (b) and 

(c) of this section) and closed areas (see 

paragraphs (c) and (e) of this section and 

§§ 660.70 through 660.79). The limited 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101533 

entry trawl fishery has gear 

requirements and harvest limits that 

differ by the type of groundfish trawl 

gear on board and the area fished. 

Groundfish vessels operating south of 

Point Conception must adhere to CCA 

restrictions (see paragraph (e)(1) of this 

section and § 660.70). The trip limits in 

tables 1b (North) and 1b (South) of this 

subpart apply to vessels participating in 

the limited entry trawl fishery and may 

not be exceeded. Federal commercial 

groundfish regulations are not intended 

to supersede any more restrictive state 

commercial groundfish regulations 

relating to federally managed 

groundfish. 

* * * * * 

(c) Restrictions by limited entry trawl 

gear type. Management measures may 

vary depending on the type of trawl gear 

(i.e., large footrope, small footrope, 

selective flatfish, or midwater trawl 

gear) used and/or on board a vessel 

during a fishing trip, cumulative limit 

period, and the area fished. Trawl nets 

may be used on and off the seabed. For 

some species or species groups, tables 

1b (North) and 1b (South) of this subpart 

provide trip limits that are specific to 

different types of trawl gear: Large 

footrope, small footrope (including 

selective flatfish), selective flatfish, 

midwater, and multiple types. If tables 

1a (North), 1b (North), 1a (South), and 

1b (South) of this subpart provide gear 

specific limits or closed areas for a 

particular species or species group, 

prohibitions at §§ 660.12 and 

660.112(a)(5) apply. Additional 

conservation areas applicable to vessels 

registered to limited entry permits with 

trawl endorsements are listed at 

paragraph (e) of this section. 

* * * * * 

(4) More than one type of trawl gear 

on board. The trip limits in table 1b 

(North) or 1b (South) of this subpart 

must not be exceeded. A vessel may not 

have both groundfish trawl gear and 

non-groundfish trawl gear onboard 

simultaneously. A vessel may have 

more than one type of limited entry 

trawl gear on board (midwater, large or 

small footrope, including selective 

flatfish trawl), either simultaneously or 

successively, during a cumulative limit 

period except between 42° N lat. and 

40°10′ N lat. as described in this section. 

If a vessel fishes both north and south 

of 40°10′ N lat. with any type of small 

or large footrope gear onboard the vessel 

at any time during the cumulative limit 

period, the most restrictive cumulative 

limit associated with the gear on board 

would apply for that trip and all catch 

would be counted toward that 

cumulative limit (see crossover 

provisions at § 660.60(h)(7)). When 

operating in an applicable GCA, all 

trawl gear must be stowed, consistent 

with prohibitions at § 660.112(a)(5)(i), 

unless authorized in this section. 

* * * * * 

(e) * * * 

(3) Trawl RCA. This GCA is off the 

coast of Washington, between the US/ 

Canada border and 46°16′ N lat. 

Boundaries for the trawl RCA applicable 

to groundfish trawl vessels throughout 

the year are provided in the header to 

table 1a (North) of this subpart and may 

be modified by NMFS inseason 

pursuant to § 660.60(c). Prohibitions at 

§ 660.112(a)(5) do not apply under the 

following conditions and when the 

vessel has a valid declaration for the 

allowed fishing: 

* * * * * 

■ 20. Amend § 660.131 by revising 

paragraphs (b)(3) introductory text and 

(g)(2) to read as follows: 

§ 660.131 Pacific whiting fishery 

management measures. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(3) Pacific whiting trip limits. For 

Shorebased IFQ Program vessels 

targeting Pacific whiting outside the 

primary season, the ‘‘per trip’’ limit for 

whiting is announced in table 1b of this 

subpart. The per-trip limit is a routine 

management measure under § 660.60(c). 

This trip limit includes any whiting 

caught shoreward of 100 fm (183 m) in 

the Eureka management area. The pertrip limit for other groundfish species 

are announced in tables 1b (North) and 

1b (South) of this subpart and apply as 

follows: 

* * * * * 

(g) * * * 

(2) The amount of whole whiting on 

board does not exceed the trip limit (if 

any) allowed under § 660.60(c) or table 

1b (North) or 1b (South) in subpart D. 

* * * * * 

■ 21. Amend § 660.140 by revising table 

1 to paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(D) and 

paragraph (g)(1) to read as follows: 

§ 660.140 Shorebased IFQ Program. 

* * * * * 

(d) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(ii) * * * 

(D) * * * 

TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (d)(1)(ii)(D)—SHOREBASED TRAWL ALLOCATIONS FOR 2025 AND 2026 

IFQ species Area 

2025 Shorebased 

trawl allocation 

(mt) 

2026 Shorebased 

trawl allocation 

(mt) 

YELLOWEYE ROCKFISH ...................................... Coastwide ............................................................... 3.3 3.3 

Arrowtooth flounder ................................................ Coastwide ............................................................... 8,543 6,765 

Bocaccio ................................................................. South of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 653 648 

Canary rockfish ....................................................... Coastwide ............................................................... 348 348 

Chilipepper rockfish ................................................ South of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 2,091 1,961 

Cowcod ................................................................... South of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 24 24 

Darkblotched rockfish ............................................. Coastwide ............................................................... 593 572 

Dover sole .............................................................. Coastwide ............................................................... 43,538 38,819 

English sole ............................................................ Coastwide ............................................................... 8,236 8,174 

Lingcod ................................................................... North of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 1,493 1,449 

Lingcod ................................................................... South of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 295 305 

Longspine thornyhead ............................................ North of 34°27′ N lat .............................................. 1,901 1,812 

Pacific cod .............................................................. Coastwide ............................................................... 1,044 1,044 

Pacific ocean perch ................................................ North of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 2,723 2,621 

Pacific whiting a ....................................................... Coastwide ............................................................... TBD TBD 

Petrale sole ............................................................. Coastwide ............................................................... 2,001 1,885 

Sablefish ................................................................. North of 36° N lat ................................................... 13,091 12,406 

Sablefish ................................................................. South of 36° N lat ................................................... 3,289 3,122 

Shortspine thornyhead ........................................... Coastwide ............................................................... 406 464 

Splitnose rockfish ................................................... South of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 1,419 1,382 

Starry flounder ........................................................ Coastwide ............................................................... 188 188 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101534 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (d)(1)(ii)(D)—SHOREBASED TRAWL ALLOCATIONS FOR 2025 AND 2026—Continued 

IFQ species Area 

2025 Shorebased 

trawl allocation 

(mt) 

2026 Shorebased 

trawl allocation 

(mt) 

Widow rockfish ....................................................... Coastwide ............................................................... 10,419 9,574 

Yellowtail rockfish ................................................... North of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 4,230 4,038 

Other Flatfish complex ........................................... Coastwide ............................................................... 6,923 6,175 

Shelf Rockfish complex .......................................... North of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 726 718 

Shelf Rockfish complex .......................................... South of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 175 175 

Slope Rockfish complex ......................................... North of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 858 836 

Slope Rockfish complex ......................................... South of 40°10′ N lat .............................................. 425 423 

a Managed through an international process. These allocations will be updated when announced. 

* * * * * 

(g) * * * 

(1) General. Shorebased IFQ Program 

vessels may discard IFQ species/species 

groups, provided such discards are 

accounted for and deducted from QP in 

the vessel account. The discard 

mortality for those species with discard 

mortality rates must be accounted for 

and applied to QP in the vessel account. 

With the exception of vessels on a 

declared Pacific whiting IFQ trip and 

engaged in maximized retention, and 

vessels fishing under a valid EM 

Authorization in accordance with 

§ 660.604, prohibited and protected 

species (except short-tailed albatross as 

directed by § 660.21(c)(1)(v)) must be 

discarded at sea. Pacific halibut must be 

discarded as soon as practicable and the 

discard mortality must be accounted for 

and deducted from IBQ pounds in the 

vessel account. Non-IFQ species and 

non-groundfish species may be 

discarded at sea, unless otherwise 

required by EM Program requirements at 

§ 660.604. The sorting of catch, the 

weighing and discarding of any IBQ and 

IFQ species, and the retention of IFQ 

species must be monitored by the 

observer or EM system. 

* * * * * 

Table 1 (North) to Part 660, Subpart 

D—[Removed] 

■ 22. Remove table 1 (North) to part 660, 

subpart D. 

Table 1 (South) to Part 660, Subpart 

D—[Removed] 

■ 23. Remove table 1 (South) to part 

660, subpart D. 

■ 24. Add tables 1a (North), 1b (North), 

1a (South), and 1b (South) to part 660, 

subpart D to read as follows: 

TABLE 1a (NORTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART D—LIMITED ENTRY TRAWL ROCKFISH CONSERVATION AREAS FOR NORTH OF

40°10′ N LAT

Latitude Boundary 

North of 46°16′ N lat ................................................................ 100 fm line–150 fm line. 

46°16′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat ........................................................ BACs may be implemented and will be announced in the Federal Register. 

Note 1 to table 1a (North): The Trawl RCA is an area closed to fishing with groundfish trawl gear, as defined at § 660.11. Trawl RCA boundaries apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state closures. Trawl RCA boundaries or Block Area Closures (BACs) may be 

revised or implemented via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. Vessels fishing groundfish trawl 

quota pounds with groundfish non-trawl gears, under gear switching provisions at § 660.140, are subject to the limited entry fixed gear Non-Trawl 

RCA, as described in tables 2a (North) and 2a (South) to part 660, subpart E. 

TABLE 1b (NORTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART D—LANDING ALLOWANCES FOR NON-IFQ SPECIES AND PACIFIC WHITING

NORTH OF 40°10′ N LAT. 

Species Trip limit 

Big skate ................................................................................... Unlimited. 

Cabezon (California) ................................................................ 50 lb/month. 

Longnose skate ........................................................................ Unlimited. 

Nearshore rockfish complex, Washington black rockfish and 

Oregon black/blue/deacon rockfish.

300 lb/month. 

Oregon cabezon/kelp greenling complex ................................. 50 lb/month. 

Other fish .................................................................................. Unlimited. 

Pacific Spiny Dogfish ............................................................... 60,000 lb/month. 

Pacific whiting—Midwater Trawl .............................................. Before the primary whiting season: CLOSED. 

During the primary whiting season: mid-water trawl permitted in the RCA. See 

§ 660.131 for season and trip limit details. 

After the primary whiting season: CLOSED. 

Pacific whiting—Large & Small Footrope Gear ....................... Before the primary whiting season: 20,000 lb/trip. 

During the primary whiting season: 10,000 lb/trip. 

After the primary whiting season: 10,000 lb/trip. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101535 

TABLE 1b (NORTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART D—LANDING ALLOWANCES FOR NON-IFQ SPECIES AND PACIFIC WHITING

NORTH OF 40°10′ N LAT.—Continued 

Species Trip limit 

Pacific whiting—Eureka Management Area ............................. No more than 10,000 lb of whiting may be taken and retained, possessed, or 

landed by a vessel that, at any time during the fishing trip, fished in the fishery 

management area shoreward of 100 fm contour (see § 660.131(d)). 

Note 1 to table 1b (North): This table describes incidental landing allowances for vessels registered to a Federal limited entry trawl permit. 

Trip limits apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state trip limits. Trip limits are effective year-round unless otherwise specified for different cumulative periods (defined at § 660.11 under ‘‘Trip limits’’). Trip limits are effective from the U.S.-Canada border to 40°10′ N lat. 

unless otherwise specified via latitudinal or state subdivisions in this table. Stock complexes are defined at § 660.11 under ‘‘Groundfish’’. Trip limits may be revised via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. To convert pounds to kilograms, divide the weight in pounds by 2.20462. The resulting quotient is the weight in kilograms. See provisions at § 660.130 for gear restrictions and requirements by area. Vessels fishing groundfish trawl quota pounds with groundfish non-trawl gears, under gear switching provisions at § 660.140, 

are subject to the limited entry groundfish trawl fishery landing allowances in this table, regardless of the type of fishing gear used. 

TABLE 1a (SOUTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART D—LIMITED ENTRY TRAWL ROCKFISH CONSERVATION AREAS FOR SOUTH OF

40°10′ N LAT. 

Latitude Boundary 

South of 40°10′ N lat.: .............................................................. BACs may be implemented and will be announced in the Federal Register. 

Note 1 to table 1a (South): The Trawl RCA is an area closed to fishing with groundfish trawl gear, as defined at § 660.11. Trawl RCA boundaries apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state closures. Trawl RCA boundaries or Block Area Closures (BACs) may be 

revised or implemented via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. Vessels fishing groundfish trawl 

quota pounds with groundfish non-trawl gears, under gear switching provisions at § 660.140, are subject to the limited entry fixed gear Non-Trawl 

RCA, as described in tables 2a (North) and 2a (South) to part 660, subpart E. 

TABLE 1b (SOUTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART D—LANDING ALLOWANCES FOR NON-IFQ SPECIES AND PACIFIC WHITING

SOUTH OF 40°10′ N LAT. 

Species Trip limit 

Big skate ................................................................................... Unlimited. 

Blackgill rockfish ....................................................................... Unlimited. 

Cabezon ................................................................................... 50 lb/month. 

California scorpionfish .............................................................. Unlimited. 

Longnose skate ........................................................................ Unlimited. 

Longspine thornyhead (south of 34°27′ N lat.) ........................ 24,000 lb/2 months. 

Nearshore rockfish complex, Washington black rockfish and 

Oregon black/blue/deacon rockfish.

300 lb/month. 

Other fish .................................................................................. Unlimited. 

Pacific Spiny Dogfish ............................................................... 60,000 lb/month. 

Pacific whiting—Midwater Trawl .............................................. During the primary whiting season: allowed seaward of the Trawl RCA; prohibited 

within and shoreward of the Trawl RCA. 

Pacific whiting—Large & Small Footrope Gear ....................... Before the primary whiting season: 20,000 lb/trip. 

During the primary whiting season: 10,000 lb/trip. 

After the primary whiting season: 10,000 lb/trip. 

Note 1 to table 1b (South): This table describes incidental landing allowances for vessels registered to a Federal limited entry trawl permit. 

Trip limits apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state trip limits. Trip limits are effective year-round unless otherwise specified for different cumulative periods (defined at § 660.11 under ‘‘Trip limits’’). Trip limits are effective from 40°10′ N lat. to the U.S.-Mexico border 

unless otherwise specified via latitudinal or state subdivisions in this table. Stock complexes are defined at § 660.11 under ‘‘Groundfish’’. Trip limits may be revised via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. To convert pounds to kilograms, divide the weight in pounds by 2.20462. The resulting quotient is the weight in kilograms. See provisions at § 660.130 for gear restrictions and requirements by area. Vessels fishing groundfish trawl quota pounds with groundfish non-trawl gears, under gear switching provisions at § 660.140, 

are subject to the limited entry groundfish trawl fishery landing allowances in this table, regardless of the type of fishing gear used. 

■ 25. Amend § 660.230 by: 

■ a. Revising paragraphs (a) and 

(b)(6)(i)(B); 

■ b. Removing paragraph (d)(15); and 

■ c. Redesignating paragraphs (d)(16) 

and (17) as paragraphs (d)(15) and (16). 

The revisions read as follows: 

§ 660.230 Fixed gear fishery— 

management measures. 

(a) General. Most species taken in 

limited entry fixed gear (longline and 

pot/trap) fisheries will be managed with 

cumulative trip limits (see trip limits in 

tables 2b (North) and 2b (South) of this 

subpart), size limits (see § 660.60(h)(5)), 

seasons (see trip limits in tables 2b 

(North) and 2b (South) of this subpart 

and sablefish primary season details in 

§ 660.231), gear restrictions (see 

paragraph (b) of this section), and closed 

areas (see paragraph (d) of this section 

and §§ 660.70 through 660.79). Cowcod, 

yelloweye, and California quillback 

rockfish retention is prohibited in all 

fisheries, and groundfish vessels 

operating south of Point Conception 

must adhere to GEA restrictions (see 

paragraph (d)(16) of this section and 

§ 660.70). Regulations governing tier 

limits for the limited entry fixed gear 

sablefish primary season north of 36° N 

lat. are found in § 660.231. Vessels not 

participating in the sablefish primary 

season are subject to daily or weekly 

sablefish limits in addition to 

cumulative limits for each cumulative 

limit period. Only one sablefish landing 

per week may be made in excess of the 

daily trip limit and, if the vessel chooses 

to make a landing in excess of that daily 

trip limit, then that is the only sablefish 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101536 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

landing permitted for that week. The 

trip limit for black rockfish caught with 

hook-and-line gear also applies, see 

paragraph (e) of this section. The trip 

limits in tables 2b (North) and 2b 

(South) of this subpart apply to vessels 

participating in the limited entry 

groundfish fixed gear fishery and may 

not be exceeded. 

(b) * * * 

(6) * * * 

(i) * * * 

(B) No more than four vertical 

mainlines attached to or fished from the 

vessel (e.g., rod and reel) may be used 

in the water at one time. 

* * * * * 

■ 26. Amend § 660.231 by revising 

paragraphs (b)(3)(i) and (iv) to read as 

follows: 

§ 660.231 Limited entry fixed gear 

sablefish primary fishery. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(3) * * * 

(i) A vessel participating in the 

primary season will be constrained by 

the sablefish cumulative limit 

associated with each of the permits 

registered for use with that vessel. 

During the primary season, each vessel 

authorized to fish in that season under 

paragraph (a) of this section may take, 

retain, possess, and land sablefish, up to 

the cumulative limits for each of the 

permits registered for use with that 

vessel (i.e., stacked permits). If multiple 

limited entry permits with sablefish 

endorsements are registered for use with 

a single vessel, that vessel may land up 

to the total of all cumulative limits 

announced in this paragraph for the 

tiers for those permits, except as limited 

by paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section. 

Up to three permits may be registered 

for use with a single vessel during the 

primary season; thus, a single vessel 

may not take and retain, possess or land 

more than three primary season 

sablefish cumulative limits in any one 

year. A vessel registered for use with 

multiple limited entry permits is subject 

to per vessel limits for species other 

than sablefish, and to per vessel limits 

when participating in the daily trip 

limit fishery for sablefish under 

§ 660.232. In 2025, the following annual 

limits are in effect: Tier 1 at 246,824 lb 

(111,957 kg), Tier 2 at 112,193 lb 

(50,890 kg), and Tier 3 at 64,110 lb 

(29,080 kg). In 2026 and beyond, the 

following annual limits are in effect: 

Tier 1 at 234,312 lb (106,282 kg), Tier 

2 at 106,506 lb (48,310 kg), and Tier 3 

at 60,860 lb (27,606 kg). 

* * * * * 

(iv) Incidental Pacific halibut 

retention north of Pt. Chehalis, WA 

(46°53.30′ N lat.). Pacific halibut may be 

retained north of Pt Chehalis by vessels 

participating in the sablefish primary 

fishery with the requisite Pacific halibut 

commercial fishery permit. Pacific 

halibut incidentally caught in the 

primary sablefish fishery when using 

bottom longline gear may be retained 

from April 1 through the Pacific halibut 

commercial fishing closure date set by 

the International Pacific Halibut 

Commission. Vessels permitted as 

described in this section may possess 

and land up to 150 lb (68 kg) dressed 

weight of Pacific halibut for every 1,000 

lb (454 kg) dressed weight of sablefish 

landed, plus two additional Pacific 

halibut. Pacific halibut retained as 

described in this section may not be 

possessed or landed south of Pt. 

Chehalis. 

* * * * * 

■ 27. Amend § 660.232 by revising 

paragraph (a)(3) to read as follows: 

§ 660.232 Limited entry daily trip limit 

(DTL) fishery for sablefish. 

(a) * * * 

(3) Vessels registered for use with a 

limited entry fixed gear permit that does 

not have a sablefish endorsement may 

fish in the limited entry DTL fishery, 

consistent with regulations at § 660.230, 

for as long as that fishery is open during 

the fishing year, subject to routine 

management measures imposed under 

§ 660.60(c), Subpart C. DTL limits for 

the limited entry fishery north and 

south of 36° N lat. are provided in tables 

2b (North) and 2b (South) of this 

subpart. 

* * * * * 

Table 2 (North) to Part 660, Subpart E— 

[Removed] 

■ 28. Remove table 2 (North) to part 660, 

subpart E. 

Table 2 (South) to Part 660, Subpart E— 

[Removed] 

■ 29. Remove table 2 (South) to part 

660, subpart E. 

■ 30. Add tables 2a (North), 2b (North), 

2a (South), and 2b (South) to part 660, 

subpart E to read as follows: 

TABLE 2a (NORTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART E—NON-TRAWL ROCKFISH CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARIES

Latitude Boundary 

North of 46°16′ N lat.: .............................................................. Shoreward EEZ–100 fm line. 

46°16′ N lat.–42°00′ N lat ........................................................ 30 fm line–75 fm line. 

42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat ........................................................ Shoreward EEZ–75 fm line. 

Note 1 to table 2a (North): The Non-Trawl RCA is an area closed to fishing with particular non-trawl gear types, as defined at § 660.11. NonTrawl RCA boundaries apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state closures. Non-Trawl RCA boundaries may be revised 

via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. 

TABLE 2b (NORTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART E—TRIP LIMITS FOR LIMITED ENTRY FIXED GEAR NORTH OF 40°10′ N LAT. 

Species Trip limit 

Big skate ................................................................................... Unlimited. 

Black rockfish (42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat.) ............................. CLOSED. 

Cabezon (42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat.) ..................................... CLOSED. 

Cabezon/kelp greenling complex (Oregon) ............................. Unlimited. 

Canary rockfish ........................................................................ 3,000 lb/2 months. 

Flatfish (includes dover sole, arrowtooth flounder, petrale 

sole, English sole, starry flounder).

20,000 lb/2 months. 

Lingcod (north of 42°00′ N lat.) ................................................ 11,000 lb/2 months. 

Lingcod (42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat.) ....................................... 2,000 lb/2 months seaward of the Non-Trawl RCA; CLOSED inside the NonTrawl RCA. 

Longnose skate ........................................................................ Unlimited. 

Longspine thornyheads ............................................................ 10,000 lb/2 months. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101537 

TABLE 2b (NORTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART E—TRIP LIMITS FOR LIMITED ENTRY FIXED GEAR NORTH OF 40°10′ N LAT.— 

Continued 

Species Trip limit 

Nearshore rockfish complex, Oregon black/blue/deacon rockfish, & Washington black rockfish (north of 42°00′ N lat.).5,000 lb/2 months, no more than 1,200 lb of which may be species other than 

black rockfish or blue/deacon rockfish. 

See § 660.230(e) for additional trip limits for Washington black rockfish. 

Nearshore rockfish complex (42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat.) ....... CLOSED. 

Other fish .................................................................................. Unlimited. 

Other flatfish complex (north of 42°00′ N lat.) ......................... 20,000 lb/2 months. 

Other flatfish complex (42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat.) ................. 20,000 lb/2 months seaward of the Non-Trawl RCA; CLOSED inside the NonTrawl RCA. 

Pacific cod ................................................................................ 1,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific ocean perch .................................................................. 3,600 lb/2 months. 

Pacific Spiny Dogfish ............................................................... Periods 1–2: 200,000 lb/2 months. 

Period 3: 150,000 lb/2 months. 

Periods 4–6: 100,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific whiting ........................................................................... 10,000 lb per trip. 

Quillback rockfish (42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat.) ....................... CLOSED. 

Sablefish ................................................................................... 4,500 lb/week not to exceed 9,000 lb/2 months. 

Shelf rockfish complex ............................................................. 1,600 lb/2 months. 

Shortspine thornyhead ............................................................. 3,000 lb/2 months. 

Slope rockfish complex & darkblotched rockfish ..................... 8,000 lb/2 months. 

Widow rockfish ......................................................................... 4,000 lb/2 months. 

Yelloweye rockfish .................................................................... CLOSED. 

Yellowtail rockfish ..................................................................... 6,000 lb/2 months. 

Note 1 to table 2b (North): Trip limits apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state trip limits. Trip limits are effective yearround unless otherwise specified for different cumulative periods (defined at § 660.11 under ‘‘Trip limits’’). Trip limits are effective from the U.S.- 

Canada border to 40°10′ N lat. unless otherwise specified via latitudinal or state subdivisions in this table. Stock complexes are defined at 

§ 660.11 under ‘‘Groundfish’’. Trip limits may be revised via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. 

To convert pounds to kilograms, divide the weight in pounds by 2.20462. The resulting quotient is the weight in kilograms. 

TABLE 2a (SOUTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART E—NON-TRAWL ROCKFISH CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARIES

Latitude Boundary 

40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N lat ........................................................ Shoreward EEZ–75 fm line. 

37°07′ N lat.–34°27′ N lat ........................................................ 50 fm line–75 fm line. 

South of 34°27′ N lat ................................................................ 100 fm line–150 fm line (also applies around islands and banks). 

Note 1 to table 2a (South): The Non-Trawl RCA is an area closed to fishing with particular non-trawl gear types, as defined at § 660.11. NonTrawl RCA boundaries apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state closures. Non-Trawl RCA boundaries may be revised 

via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. 

TABLE 2b (SOUTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART E—B TRIP LIMITS FOR LIMITED ENTRY FIXED GEAR SOUTH OF 40°10′ N. 

LAT. 

Species Trip limit 

Big skate ................................................................................... Unlimited. 

Bocaccio ................................................................................... 8,000 lb/2 months. 

Bronzespotted rockfish ............................................................. CLOSED. 

Cabezon (40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N lat.) ..................................... CLOSED. 

Cabezon (south of 37°07′ N lat.) ............................................. Unlimited. 

California scorpionfish .............................................................. 3,500 lb/2 months. 

Canary rockfish ........................................................................ 3,500 lb/2 months. 

Chilipepper rockfish (40°10′ N lat.–34° 27′ N lat.) ................... 10,000 lb/2 months. 

Chilipepper rockfish (south of 34° 27′ N lat.) ........................... 8,000 lb/2 months. 

Cowcod ..................................................................................... CLOSED. 

Flatfish (includes dover sole, arrowtooth flounder, petrale 

sole, English sole, starry flounder).

20,000 lb/2 months. 

Lingcod (40°10′ N lat.–37° 07′ N lat.) ...................................... 1,600 lb/2 months seaward of the Non-Trawl RCA; 0 lb/2 months inside of the 

Non-Trawl RCA. 

Lingcod (south of 37° 07′ N lat.) .............................................. 1,600 lb/2 months. 

Longnose skate ........................................................................ Unlimited. 

Longspine thornyhead (south of 34° 27′ N lat.) ....................... 10,000 lb/2 months. 

Nearshore rockfish complexes.

Shallow nearshore rockfish complex (40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N 

lat.).

CLOSED. 

Shallow nearshore rockfish complex (south of 37°07′ N lat.) .. 2,000 lb/2 months. 

Deeper nearshore rockfish complex (40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N 

lat.).

CLOSED. 

Deeper nearshore rockfish complex (south of 37°07′ N lat.) .. 2,000 lb/2 months, of which no more than 75 lb may be copper rockfish. 

Other fish .................................................................................. Unlimited. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101538 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 2b (SOUTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART E—B TRIP LIMITS FOR LIMITED ENTRY FIXED GEAR SOUTH OF 40°10′ N. 

LAT.—Continued 

Species Trip limit 

Other flatfish complex (40°10′ N lat.–37° 07′ N lat.) ............... 20,000 lb/2 months seaward of the Non-Trawl RCA; CLOSED inside of the NonTrawl RCA. 

Other flatfish complex (south of 37° 07′ N lat.) ....................... 20,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific cod ................................................................................ 1,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific spiny dogfish ................................................................. Periods 1–2: 200,000 lb/2 months Period 3: 150,000 lb/2 months Periods 4–6: 

100,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific whiting ........................................................................... 10,000 lb per trip. 

Quillback rockfish ..................................................................... CLOSED. 

Sablefish (40°10′ N lat.–36° N lat.) .......................................... 4,500 lb/week not to exceed 9,000 lb/2 months. 

Sablefish (south of 36° N lat.) .................................................. 2,500 lb/2 months. 

Shelf rockfish complex (40°10′ N lat.–37° 07′ N lat.); excludes bronzespotted rockfish.6,000 lb per 2 months, of which no more than 500 lb may be vermilion/sunset 

rockfish. 

Shelf rockfish complex (37° 07′ N lat.–34° 27′ N lat.); excludes bronzespotted rockfish.8,000 lb per 2 months, of which no more than 500 lb may be vermilion/sunset 

rockfish. 

Shelf rockfish complex (south of 34° 27′ N lat.); excludes 

bronzespotted rockfish.

5,000 lb per 2 months, of which no more than 3,000 lb may be vermilion/sunset 

rockfish. 

Shortspine thornyhead (40° 10′ N. lat.–34° 27′ N. lat.) ........... 3,000 lb/2 months. 

Slope rockfish complex & darkblotched rockfish ..................... 40,000 lb/2 months, of which no more than 6,000 lb may be blackgill rockfish. 

Splitnose rockfish ..................................................................... 40,000 lb/2 months. 

Widow rockfish (40°10′ N lat.–34° 27′ N lat.) .......................... 10,000 lb/2 months. 

Widow rockfish (south of 34° 27′ N lat.) .................................. 8,000 lb/2 months. 

Yelloweye rockfish .................................................................... CLOSED. 

Note 1 to table 2b (South): Trip limits apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state trip limits. Trip limits are effective 

year-round unless otherwise specified for different cumulative periods (defined at § 660.11 under ‘‘Trip limits’’). Trip limits are effective from 

40°10′ N lat. to the U.S.-Mexico border unless otherwise specified via latitudinal or state subdivisions in this table. Stock complexes are defined 

at § 660.11 under ‘‘Groundfish’’. Trip limits may be revised via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the 

year. To convert pounds to kilograms, divide the weight in pounds by 2.20462. The resulting quotient is the weight in kilograms. 

■ 31. Amend § 660.312 by adding 

paragraph (a)(6) to read as follows: 

§ 660.312 Open access fishery— 

prohibitions. 

* * * * * 

(a) * * * 

(6) Take and retain, possess, or land 

groundfish in the directed open access 

fishery without having a valid directed 

open access permit for the vessel. 

* * * * * 

■ 32. Amend § 660.330 by: 

■ a. Revising paragraphs (a), (b)(3) 

introductory text, and (b)(3)(i)(B) and 

(C); 

■ b. Removing paragraph (d)(17); and 

■ c. Redesignating paragraphs (d)(18) 

and (19) as paragraphs (d)(17) and (18). 

The revisions read as follows: 

§ 660.330 Open access fishery— 

management measures. 

(a) General. Groundfish species taken 

in open access fisheries will be managed 

with cumulative trip limits (see trip 

limits in tables 3b (North) and 3b 

(South) of this subpart), size limits (see 

§ 660.60(h)(5)), seasons (see seasons in 

tables 3a (North) and 3a (South) of this 

subpart), gear restrictions (see paragraph 

(b) of this section), and closed areas (see 

paragraph (d) of this section and 

§§ 660.70 through 660.79). Unless 

otherwise specified, a vessel operating 

in the open access fishery is subject to, 

and must not exceed, any trip limit, 

frequency limit, and/or size limit for the 

open access fishery. Retention of 

cowcod, yelloweye rockfish, and 

quillback rockfish off California is 

prohibited in all fisheries, and 

groundfish vessels operating south of 

Point Conception must adhere to GEA 

restrictions (see paragraph (d)(18) of this 

section and § 660.70). For information 

on the open access daily/weekly trip 

limit fishery for sablefish, see § 660.332 

and the trip limits in tables 3b (North) 

and 3b (South) of this subpart. Open 

access vessels are subject to daily or 

weekly sablefish limits in addition to 

cumulative limits for each cumulative 

limit period. Only one sablefish landing 

per week may be made in excess of the 

daily trip limit and, if the vessel chooses 

to make a landing in excess of that daily 

trip limit, then that is the only sablefish 

landing permitted for that week. The 

trip limit for black rockfish caught with 

hook-and-line gear also applies (see 

paragraph (e) of this section). 

(b) * * * 

(3) Gear for use inside the Non-Trawl 

RCA. Inside the Non-Trawl RCA, only 

legal non-bottom contact hook-and-line 

gear configurations may be used for 

target fishing for groundfish by vessels 

that participate in the directed open 

access sector as defined at § 660.11. 

Vessels must be registered to a valid 

directed open access permit as defined 

at § 660.25(i). On a fishing trip where 

any fishing will occur inside the NonTrawl RCA, only one type of legal nonbottom contact gear may be carried on 

board, and no other fishing gear of any 

type may be carried on board or stowed 

during that trip. The vessel may fish 

inside and outside the Non-Trawl RCA 

on the same fishing trip, provided a 

valid declaration report as required at 

§ 660.13(d) has been filed with NMFS 

OLE. Legal non-bottom contact hookand-line gear means stationary vertical 

jig gear not anchored to the bottom, and 

groundfish troll gear, subject to the 

specifications in paragraphs (b)(3)(i) and 

(ii) of this section. 

(i) * * * 

(B) No more than four vertical 

mainlines attached to or fished from the 

vessel (e.g., rod & reel) may be used in 

the water at one time. 

(C) No more than 100 hooks may be 

in the water at one time, with no more 

than 25 extra hooks on board the vessel. 

* * * * * 

■ 33. Amend § 660.332 by revising 

paragraph (b)(1) to read as follows: 

§ 660.332 Open access daily trip limit 

(DTL) fishery for sablefish. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(1) Daily and/or weekly trip limits for 

the open access fishery north and south 

of 36° N lat. are provided in tables 3b 

(North) and 3b (South) of this subpart. 

* * * * * 

■ 34. Amend § 660.333 by revising 

paragraph (a), redesignating paragraph 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101539 

(e) as paragraph (g), adding new 

paragraph (e), and adding paragraphs (f), 

(h), and (i). 

The revision and additions read as 

follows: 

§ 660.333 Open access non-groundfish 

trawl fishery—management measures. 

(a) General. This section describes 

management measures for vessels that 

take groundfish incidentally with nongroundfish trawl gear, including vessels 

engaged in fishing for pink shrimp, 

ridgeback prawns, California halibut, or 

sea cucumbers. 

* * * * * 

(e) Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation 

Area restrictions for the ridgeback 

prawn, California halibut, and sea 

cucumber fisheries. (1) 40° 10′ N lat.– 

38.00° N lat.: 100 fm to 150 fm during 

Periods 1 and 6; 100 fm to 150 fm 

during Periods 2, 3, 4, and 5. 

(2) 38.00° N lat.–34° 27 N lat.: 100 fm 

to 150 fm 

(3) South of 34° 27 N lat.: 100 fm to 

150 fm 

(f) Trip Limits for the ridgeback 

prawn, California halibut, and sea 

cucumber fisheries. Groundfish. 300 lb 

(136 kg) per trip. Species-specific limits 

described in table 3b South also apply 

and are counted toward the 300 lb (136 

kg) groundfish per trip limit. The 

amount of groundfish landed may not 

exceed the amount of the target species 

landed, except that the amount of 

Pacific spiny dogfish landed may 

exceed the amount of target species 

landed. Pacific spiny dogfish are limited 

by the 300 lb (136 kg)/trip overall 

groundfish limit. The daily trip limits 

for sablefish coastwide and thornyheads 

south of Pt. Conception and the overall 

groundfish ‘‘per trip’’ limit may not be 

multiplied by the number of days of the 

trip. Vessels participating in the 

California halibut fishery south of 

38°57.50′ N lat. are allowed to: 

(1) Land up to 100 lb (45 kg) per day 

of groundfish without the ratio 

requirement, provided that at least one 

California halibut is landed; and 

(2) Land up to 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) per 

month of flatfish, no more than 300 lb 

(136 kg) of which may be species other 

than Pacific sanddabs, sand sole, starry 

flounder, rock sole, curlfin sole, or 

California scorpionfish (California 

scorpionfish is also subject to the trip 

limits and closures in table 3b South). 

* * * * * 

(h) Management measures for the 

pink shrimp fishery north of 40° 10′ N 

lat. Effective April 1–October 31: 

Groundfish: 500 lb (227 kg)/day, 

multiplied by the number of days of the 

trip, not to exceed 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip. 

The following sublimits also apply and 

are counted toward the overall 500 lb 

(227 kg)/day and 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip 

groundfish limits: lingcod 300 lb (136 

kg)/month (minimum 24-inch (0.61 cm) 

size limit); sablefish 2,000 lb (907 kg)/ 

month; canary, thornyheads, and 

yelloweye rockfish are PROHIBITED. 

All other groundfish species taken are 

managed under the overall 500 lb (227 

kg)/day and 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip 

groundfish limits. Landings of these 

species count toward the per day and 

per trip groundfish limits and do not 

have species-specific limits. The 

amount of groundfish landed may not 

exceed the amount of pink shrimp 

landed. 

(i) Management measures for the pink 

shrimp fishery south of 40° 10′ N lat. 

Effective April 1–October 31: 

Groundfish: 500 lb (227 kg)/day, 

multiplied by the number of days of the 

trip, not to exceed 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip. 

The following sublimits also apply and 

are counted toward the overall 500 lb 

(227 kg)/day and 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip 

groundfish limits: lingcod 300 lb (136 

kg)/month (minimum 24-inch (0.61 cm) 

size limit); sablefish 2,000 lb (907 kg)/ 

month; canary rockfish, thornyheads, 

and yelloweye rockfish are 

PROHIBITED. All other groundfish 

species taken are managed under the 

overall 500 lb (227 kg)/day and 1,500 lb 

(680 kg)/trip groundfish limits. 

Landings of all groundfish species count 

toward the per day, per trip or other 

species-specific sublimits described 

here and the species-specific limits 

described in the table above do not 

apply. The amount of groundfish landed 

may not exceed the amount of pink 

shrimp landed. 

■ 35. Add § 660.334 to subpart F to read 

as follows: 

§ 660.334 Open access non-groundfish 

salmon troll fishery—management 

measures. 

(a) General. This section includes 

management measures applicable to 

vessels that incidentally take and retain 

groundfish while participating in the 

West Coast salmon fishery under the 

regulations at part 660, subpart H 

(herein referred to as ‘‘salmon troll 

fishery’’). All salmon troll vessels that 

take and retain groundfish species are 

subject to the open access trip limits, 

seasons, size limits, and Non-Trawl 

RCA restrictions listed in tables 3a 

(North), 3b (North), 3a (South), and 3b 

(South) to this subpart, unless otherwise 

stated in this section. 

(b) Trip limits. (1) In the area north of 

40° 10′ N lat., salmon trollers may retain 

and land up to 500 lb (227 kg) of 

yellowtail rockfish per month as long as 

salmon is on board, both within and 

outside of the Non-Trawl RCA. Salmon 

trollers may retain and land up to 1 

lingcod per 2 Chinook per trip, plus 1 

lingcod per trip, up to a trip limit of 10 

lingcod, on a trip where any fishing 

occurs within the Non-Trawl RCA. The 

lingcod limit only applies during times 

when lingcod retention is allowed and 

is not ‘‘CLOSED’’. These limits are 

within the limits described in table 3b 

(North), and not in addition to those 

limits. 

(2) In the area south of 40° 10′ N lat., 

salmon trollers may retain and land up 

to 1 lb (0.45 kg) of yellowtail rockfish 

for every 2 lb (0.90 kg) of Chinook 

salmon landed, with a cumulative limit 

of 200 lb (91 kg)/month, both within 

and outside of the Non-Trawl RCA. This 

limit is within the trip limits for shelf 

rockfish, and not in addition to those 

limits. All groundfish species are 

subject to the open access limits, 

seasons, size limits, and RCA 

restrictions listed in tables 3a (South) 

and 3b (South) to this subpart, unless 

otherwise stated here. 

Table 3 (North) to Part 660, Subpart F— 

[Removed] 

■ 36. Remove table 3 (North) to part 660, 

subpart F. 

Table 3 (South) to Part 660, Subpart F— 

[Removed] 

■ 37. Remove table 3 (South) to part 

660, subpart F. 

■ 38. Add tables 3a (North), 3b (North), 

3a (South), and 3b (South) to part 660, 

subpart F to read as follows: 

TABLE 3a (NORTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART F—NON-TRAWL ROCKFISH CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARIES

Latitude Boundary 

North of 46°16′ N lat.: .............................................................. Shoreward EEZ–100 fm line. 

46°16′ N lat.–42°00′ N lat. ................................................ 30 fm line–75 fm line. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101540 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 3a (NORTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART F—NON-TRAWL ROCKFISH CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARIES—Continued 

Latitude Boundary 

42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat. ................................................ Shoreward EEZ–75 fm line. 

Note 1 to table 3a (North): The Non-Trawl RCA is an area closed to fishing with particular non-trawl gear types, as defined at § 660.11. NonTrawl RCA boundaries apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state closures. Non-Trawl RCA boundaries may be revised 

via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. 

TABLE 3b (NORTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART F—TRIP LIMITS FOR OPEN ACCESS NORTH OF 40°10′ N. lat. 

Species Trip limit 

Big skate ................................................................................... Unlimited. 

Black rockfish (42°00′ N. lat.–40°10′ N. lat.) ........................... CLOSED. 

Cabezon (42°00′ N. lat.–40°10′ N. lat.) ................................... CLOSED. 

Cabezon/kelp greenling complex (Oregon) ............................. Unlimited. 

Canary rockfish ........................................................................ 1,000 lb/2 months. 

Flatfish (includes dover sole, arrowtooth flounder, petrale 

sole, English sole, starry flounder).

10,000 lb/2 months. 

Lingcod (north of 42°00′ N. lat.) ............................................... 9,000 lb/2 months. 

Lingcod (42°00′ N. lat.–40°10′ N. lat.) ..................................... 2,000 lb/2 months seaward of the Non-Trawl RCA; CLOSED inside the NonTrawl RCA. 

Longnose skate ........................................................................ Unlimited. 

Longspine thornyheads ............................................................ 100 lb/2 months. 

Nearshore rockfish complex, Oregon black/blue/deacon rockfish, & Washington black rockfish (north of 42°00′ N. lat.).5,000 lb/2 months no more than 1,200 lb of which may be species other than 

black rockfish or blue/deacon rockfish. 

See § 660.330(e) for additional trip limits for Washington black rockfish. 

Nearshore rockfish complex (42°00′ N. lat.–40°10′ N. lat.) ..... CLOSED. 

Other fish .................................................................................. Unlimited. 

Other flatfish complex (north of 42°00′ N. lat.) ........................ 10,000 lb/2 months. 

Other flatfish complex (42°00′ N. lat.–40°10′ N. lat.) ............... 10,000 lb/2 months seaward of the Non-Trawl RCA; 0 lb/2 months inside the 

Non-Trawl RCA. 

Pacific cod ................................................................................ 1,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific ocean perch .................................................................. 200 lb/2 months. 

Pacific Spiny Dogfish ............................................................... Periods 1–2: 200,000 lb/2 months. 

Period 3: 150,000 lb/2 months. 

Periods 4–6: 100,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific whiting ........................................................................... 600 lb/2 months. 

Quillback rockfish (42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat.) ....................... CLOSED. 

Sablefish ................................................................................... 3,250 lb/week not to exceed 6,500 lb/2 months. 

Shelf rockfish complex (north of 42°00′ N. lat.) ....................... 1,600 lb/2 months. 

Shelf rockfish complex (42°00′ N lat.–40°10′ N lat.) ............... 1,200 lb per 2 months. 

Shortspine thornyhead ............................................................. 100 lb/2 months. 

Slope rockfish complex & darkblotched rockfish ..................... 4,000 lb/2 months. 

Widow rockfish ......................................................................... 2,000 lb/2 months. 

Yelloweye rockfish .................................................................... CLOSED. 

Yellowtail rockfish ..................................................................... 3,000 lb/2 months. 

Salmon Troll ............................................................................. See § 660.334(b)(1). 

Pink Shrimp non-groundfish trawl ............................................ See § 660.333(g) and (h). 

Note 1 to table 3b (North): Trip limits apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state trip limits. Trip limits are effective yearround unless otherwise specified for different cumulative periods (defined at § 660.11 under ‘‘Trip limits’’). Trip limits are effective from the U.S.- 

Canada border to 40°10′ N lat. unless otherwise specified via latitudinal or state subdivisions in this table. Stock complexes are defined at 

§ 660.11 under ‘‘Groundfish’’. Trip limits may be revised via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. 

To convert pounds to kilograms, divide the weight in pounds by 2.20462. The resulting quotient is the weight in kilograms. 

TABLE 3a (SOUTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART F—NON-TRAWL ROCKFISH CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARIES

Latitude Boundary 

40°10′ N lat.–37° 07′ N lat. ...................................................... Shoreward EEZ–75 fm line. 

37° 07′ N lat.–34° 27′ N lat. ..................................................... 50 fm line–75 fm line. 

South of 34° 27′ N lat. .............................................................. 100 fm line–150 fm line (also applies around islands and banks). 

Note 1 to table 3a (South): The Non-Trawl RCA is an area closed to fishing with particular non-trawl gear types, as defined at § 660.11. NonTrawl RCA boundaries apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state closures. Non-Trawl RCA boundaries may be revised 

via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. 

TABLE 3b (SOUTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART F—TRIP LIMITS FOR OPEN ACCESS SOUTH OF 40°10′ N. lat. 

Species Trip limit 

Big skate ................................................................................... Unlimited. 

Bocaccio ................................................................................... 6,000 lb/2 months. 

Bronzespotted rockfish ............................................................. CLOSED. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101541 

TABLE 3b (SOUTH) TO PART 660, SUBPART F—TRIP LIMITS FOR OPEN ACCESS SOUTH OF 40°10′ N. lat.—Continued 

Species Trip limit 

Cabezon (40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N lat.) ..................................... CLOSED. 

Cabezon (south of 37°07′ N lat.) ............................................. Unlimited. 

California scorpionfish .............................................................. 3,500 lb/2 months. 

Canary rockfish ........................................................................ 1,500 lb/2 months. 

Chilipepper rockfish (40°10′ N lat.–34° 27′ N lat.) ................... 6,000 lb/2 months. 

Chilipepper rockfish (south of 34° 27′ N lat.) ........................... 4,000 lb/2 months. 

Cowcod ..................................................................................... CLOSED. 

Flatfish (includes Dover sole, arrowtooth flounder, petrale 

sole, English sole, starry flounder).

10,000 lb/2 months. 

Lingcod (40°10′ N lat.—37° 07′ N lat.) .................................... 1,400 lb/2 months seaward of the Non-Trawl RCA; CLOSED inside of the NonTrawl RCA. 

Lingcod (south of 37° 07′ N lat.) .............................................. 1,400 lb/2 months. 

Longnose skate ........................................................................ Unlimited. 

Longspine thornyhead (40° 10′ to 34° 27′ N lat.) .................... 100 lb/2 months. 

Nearshore rockfish complexes: 

Shallow nearshore rockfish (40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N lat.) CLOSED. 

Shallow nearshore rockfish (south of 37°07′ N lat.) ......... 2,000 lb/2 months. 

Deeper nearshore rockfish (40°10′ N lat.–37°07′ N lat.) .. CLOSED. 

Deeper nearshore rockfish (south of 37°07′ N lat.) .......... 2,000 lb/2 months, of which no more than 75 lb may be copper rockfish. 

Other fish (defined at § 660.11) ............................................... Unlimited. 

Other flatfish complex (defined at § 660.11) ............................ 40°10′ N lat.–37° 07′ N lat.: 10,000 lb/2 months seaward of the Non-Trawl RCA; 

CLOSED inside of the Non-Trawl RCA 

South of 37° 07′ N lat.: 10,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific cod ................................................................................ 1,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific Spiny Dogfish ............................................................... Periods 1–2: 200,000 lb/2 months. 

Period 3: 150,000 lb/2 months. 

Periods 4–6: 100,000 lb/2 months. 

Pacific whiting ........................................................................... 600 lb/2 months. 

Quillback rockfish ..................................................................... CLOSED. 

Sablefish (40°10′ N lat.–36° N lat.) .......................................... 3,250 lb/week not to exceed 6,500 lb/2 months. 

Sablefish (south of 36° N lat.) .................................................. 2,000 lb/week not to exceed 6,000 lb/2 months. 

Shelf rockfish complex (40°10′ N lat.–37° 07′ N lat.); excludes bronzespotted rockfish.3,000 lb per 2 months, of which no more than 300 lb may be vermilion/sunset 

rockfish. 

Shelf rockfish complex (37° 07′ N lat.–34° 27′ N lat.); excludes bronzespotted rockfish.4,000 lb per 2 months, of which no more than 300 lb may be vermilion/sunset 

rockfish. 

Shelf rockfish complex (south of 34° 27′ N lat.); excludes 

bronzespotted rockfish.

3,000 lb per 2 months, of which no more than 900 lb may be vermilion/sunset 

rockfish. 

Shortspine thornyhead (40° 10′ N. lat.–34° 27′ N. lat.) ........... 100 lb/2 months. 

Shortspine thornyhead and longspine thornyhead (south of 

34° 27′ N. lat.).

100 lb/day, no more than 1,000 lb/2 months for all periods. 

Slope rockfish complex & darkblotched rockfish ..................... 10,000 lb/2 months, of which no more than 2,500 lb may be blackgill rockfish. 

Splitnose rockfish ..................................................................... 400 lb/2 months. 

Widow rockfish (40°10′ N lat.–34° 27′ N lat.) .......................... 6,000 lb/2 months. 

Widow rockfish (south of 34° 27′ N lat.) .................................. 4,000 lb/2 months. 

Yelloweye rockfish .................................................................... CLOSED. 

Salmon Troll ............................................................................. See § 660.334(b)(2). 

Ridgeback Prawn, California halibut, and sea cucumber ........ See § 660.333(e) and (f). 

Pink Shrimp .............................................................................. See § 660.333(g) and (i). 

Note 1 to table 3b (South): Trip limits apply in the EEZ only; see appropriate state regulations for state trip limits. Trip limits are effective yearround unless otherwise specified for different cumulative periods (defined at § 660.11 under ‘‘Trip limits’’). Trip limits are effective from 40°10′ N 

lat. to the U.S.-Mexico border unless otherwise specified via latitudinal or state subdivisions in this table. Stock complexes are defined at 

§ 660.11 under ‘‘Groundfish’’. Trip limits may be revised via inseason action; therefore, users should refer back to this table throughout the year. 

To convert pounds to kilograms, divide the weight in pounds by 2.20462. The resulting quotient is the weight in kilograms. 

■ 39. Amend § 660.351 by revising the 

definition of ‘‘Boat limit’’ and adding in 

alphabetical order a definition for 

‘‘Descending device’’ to read as follows: 

§ 660.351 Recreational fishery— 

definitions. 

* * * * * 

Boat limit means the number of fish 

available for a vessel or boat. 

Descending device means an 

instrument capable of releasing a fish at 

the depth from which the fish was 

caught. 

* * * * * 

■ 40. Amend § 660.352 by adding 

paragraph (c) to read as follows: 

§ 660.352 Recreational fishery— 

prohibitions. 

* * * * * 

(c) Fail to have at least one functional 

descending device on board ready for 

immediate use during a groundfish 

recreational fishing trip. 

■ 41. Amend § 660.360 by: 

■ a. Adding paragraph (b)(1) and a 

reserved paragraph (b)(2); 

■ b. Revising paragraph (c)(1) 

introductory text, table 1 to paragraph 

(c)(1)(i)(D), paragraphs (c)(1)(ii) through 

(iv) and (c)(2)(iii)(A) through (C); 

■ c. Redesignating paragraphs 

(c)(2)(iii)(D) and (E) as paragraphs 

(c)(2)(iii)(E) and (F); 

■ d. Adding new paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(D); 

■ e. Revising paragraph (c)(3)(i)(A) 

introductory text; 

■ f. Removing paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(C); 

■ g. Redesignating paragraph 

(c)(3)(ii)(D) as paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(C) and 

revising it; 

■ h. Revising paragraph (c)(3)(iii)(D); 

■ i. Removing paragraph (c)(3)(v)(C); 

and 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
101542 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

■ j. Redesignating paragraph (c)(3)(v)(D) 

as paragraph (c)(3)(v)(C) and revising it. 

The revisions and additions read as 

follows: 

§ 660.360 Recreational fishery— 

management measures. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(1) All vessels participating in the 

groundfish recreational fishery seaward 

of California, Oregon, or Washington 

must carry on board one functional 

descending device as defined at 

§ 660.351. The descending device must 

be available for immediate use and be 

available to present to an enforcement 

officer upon request. 

(2) [Reserved] 

(c) * * * 

(1) Washington. For each person 

engaged in recreational fishing off the 

coast of Washington, the groundfish bag 

limit is nine groundfish per day, 

including rockfish, cabezon, and 

lingcod. Within the groundfish bag 

limit, there are sub-limits for rockfish, 

lingcod, and cabezon outlined in 

paragraph (c)(1)(i)(D) of this section. In 

addition to the groundfish bag limit of 

nine, there will be a flatfish limit of five 

fish, not to be counted towards the 

groundfish bag limit but in addition to 

it. The recreational groundfish fishery 

will open the second Saturday in March 

through the third Saturday in October 

for all species. In the Pacific halibut 

fisheries, retention of groundfish is 

governed in part by annual management 

measures for Pacific halibut fisheries, 

which are published in the Federal 

Register. The following seasons, closed 

areas, sub-limits, and size limits apply: 

(i) * * * 

(D) * * * 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 101543 

(ii) Rockfish. In areas of the EEZ 

seaward of Washington (Washington 

Marine Areas 1–4) that are open to 

recreational groundfish fishing, there is 

a seven rockfish per day bag limit, 

including a sub-bag limit of five canary 

rockfish. Taking and retaining 

yelloweye rockfish is prohibited in all 

Marine Areas. 

(iii) Cabezon. In areas of the EEZ 

seaward of Washington (Washington 

Marine Areas 1–4) that are open to 

recreational groundfish fishing, there is 

a one cabezon per day bag limit. 

(iv) Lingcod. In areas of the EEZ 

seaward of Washington (Washington 

Marine Areas 1–4) that are open to 

recreational groundfish fishing and 

when the recreational season for lingcod 

is open, there is a bag limit of two 

lingcod per day. The recreational fishing 

seasons for lingcod is open from the 

second Saturday in March through the 

third Saturday in October. 

(2) * * * 

(iii) * * * 

(A) Marine fish. The bag limit is 10 

marine fish per day, which includes 

rockfish, kelp greenling, cabezon, and 

other groundfish species; except the 

daily bag limit in the long-leader gear 

fishery is 12 fish per day with a sub-bag 

limit of 5 fish per day for canary 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1ER16DE24.000</GPH>

Table 1 to Paragraph (C)(l)(i)(D) -- Washington Recreational Fishing Season 

Structure 

Marine Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Area 

3&4 See WA state 

regulations (N. Closed Open a Open Closed for allowable Coast) depths a be 

2 (S. Closed Open de Closed Coast) 

1 (Col. Closed Open fg Closed River) 

a Retention of copper, quillback, and vermilion rockfishes prohibited May 1 through July 

31. 

b Retention of lingcod, Pacific cod, sablefish, bocaccio, silvergray rockfish, canary 

rockfish, widow rockfish, and yellowtail rockfish allowed >20 fm (37 m) on days when 

Pacific halibut is open June 1 through July 31. 

c Retention ofyellowtail and widow rockfishes is allowed >20 fm (37 m) in July. 

d From May 1 through May 31, lingcod retention prohibited >30 fm (55 m), except on 

days that the primary Pacific halibut season is open. 

e When lingcod is open, retention is prohibited seaward of a line drawn from Queets 

River (47° 31.70' N. lat. 124° 45.00' W. long.) to Leadbetter Point (46° 38.17' N. lat. 124° 

30.00' W. long.), except on days open to the primary Pacific halibut fishery and June 1 -

15 and September 1 - 30. 

f Retention of sablefish, Pacific cod, flatfish ( other than halibut), yellowtail, widow, 

canary, redstripe, greenstriped, silvergray, chilipepper, bocaccio, and blue/deacon 

rockfishes allowed during the all-depth Pacific halibut fishery. Lingcod retention is only 

allowed with halibut on board north of the WA-OR border. 

g Retention of lingcod is prohibited seaward of a line drawn from Leadbetter Point ( 46° 

38.17' N. lat., 124° 21.00' W. long.) to 46° 33.00' N. lat., 124° 21.00' W. long. yearround, except lingcod retention is allowed from June 1 - June 15 and Sept 1 - Sept 30. 
101544 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

rockfish. The bag limit of marine fish 

excludes Pacific halibut, salmonids, 

tuna, perch species, sturgeon, sanddabs, 

flatfish, lingcod, striped bass, hybrid 

bass, offshore pelagic species, and 

baitfish (e.g., herring, smelt, anchovies, 

and sardines). The minimum size for 

cabezon retained in the Oregon 

recreational fishery is 16 in (41 cm) total 

length. 

(B) Lingcod. There is a three fish limit 

per day. The minimum size for lingcod 

retained in the Oregon recreational 

fishery is 22 in (56 cm) total length. For 

vessels using long-leader gear (as 

defined in § 660.351) and fishing inside 

the Recreational RCA, possession of 

lingcod is prohibited. 

(C) Flatfish. There is a 25 fish limit 

per day for all flatfish, excluding Pacific 

halibut, but including all soles, 

flounders, and Pacific sanddabs. 

(D) Sablefish. There is a 10 fish limit 

per day. 

* * * * * 

(3) * * * 

(i) * * * 

(A) Recreational rockfish conservation 

areas. The Recreational RCAs are areas 

that are closed to recreational fishing for 

certain groundfish. Fishing for the 

California rockfish, cabezon, greenling 

complex (RCG Complex), as defined in 

paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section, and 

lingcod with recreational gear, is 

prohibited within the Recreational RCA. 

It is unlawful to take and retain, 

possess, or land the RCG Complex and 

lingcod taken with recreational gear 

within the Recreational RCA, unless 

otherwise authorized in this section. A 

vessel fishing in the Recreational RCA 

may not be in possession of any species 

prohibited by the restrictions that apply 

within the Recreational RCA. For 

example, if a vessel fishes in the 

recreational salmon fishery within the 

Recreational RCA, the vessel cannot be 

in possession of the RCG Complex and 

lingcod while in the Recreational RCA. 

The vessel may, however, on the same 

trip fish for and retain rockfish 

shoreward of the Recreational RCA on 

the return trip to port. If the season is 

closed for a species or species group, 

fishing for that species or species group 

is prohibited both within the 

Recreational RCA and outside of the 

Recreational RCA, unless otherwise 

authorized in this section. In times and 

areas where a Recreational RCA is 

closed shoreward of a Recreational RCA 

line (i.e., when an ‘‘off-shore only’’ 

fishery is active in that management 

area) vessels may stop, anchor in, or 

transit through waters shoreward of the 

Recreational RCA line so long as they do 

not have any hook-and-line fishing gear 

in the water. Coordinates approximating 

boundary lines at the 30 fm (55 m) 

through 100 fm (183 m) depth contours 

can be found at §§ 660.71 through 

660.73. The recreational fishing season 

structure and RCA depth boundaries 

seaward of California by management 

area and month are as follows: 

* * * * * 

(ii) * * * 

(C) Dressing/fileting. Each RCG 

Complex filet must have the entire skin 

attached. 

(iii) * * * 

(D) Dressing/fileting. Lingcod filets 

may be no smaller than 14 in (36 cm) 

in length. Each lingcod filet must have 

the entire skin attached. 

* * * * * 

(v) * * * 

(C) Dressing/fileting. Each California 

scorpionfish filet must have the entire 

skin attached. 

* * * * * 

■ 42. Amend § 660.604 by revising 

paragraph (p)(4)(i) introductory text to 

read as follows: 

§ 660.604 Vessel and first receiver 

responsibilities. 

* * * * * 

(p) * * * 

(4) * * * 

(i) The vessel must retain IFQ species 

(as defined at § 660.140(c)), except for 

Arrowtooth flounder, English sole, 

Dover sole, deep sea sole, Pacific 

sanddab, Pacific whiting, lingcod, 

sablefish, starry flounder, and rex sole; 

must retain salmon and eulachon; and 

must retain the following non-IFQ 

species: Greenland turbot, slender sole, 

hybrid sole, c-o sole, bigmouth sole, 

fantail sole, hornyhead turbot, spotted 

turbot, northern rockfish, black rockfish, 

blue rockfish, shortbelly rockfish, olive 

rockfish, Puget Sound rockfish, 

semaphore rockfish, walleye pollock, 

slender codling, and Pacific tom cod, 

with exceptions listed in paragraphs 

(p)(4)(i)(A) and (B) of this section. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2024–28035 Filed 12–13–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1