Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 13771 

TABLE 52.385—EPA-APPROVED REGULATIONS

Connecticut 

State 

citation 

Title/Subject 

Dates Federal 

Register 

citation 

Section 52.370 Comments/Description Date adopted 

by State 

Date approved 

by EPA 

*******

22a–174–27 .. Emission standards and onboard diagnostic II test requirements for periodic 

motor vehicle inspection 

and maintenance.

8/25/04 12/05/08 74 FR 74019 (c)(98) DEP regulations including 

emissions standards and 

OBD2 requirements. Paragraph 52.370(c)(98) was 

revised March 17, 2015 by 

redesignating paragraph 

(c)(98)(i)(A) as 

(c)(98)(i)(A)(1) and adding 

paragraph (c)(98)(i)(A)(2) 

to read as follows: (2) In 

revisions to the State Implementation Plan submitted by the Connecticut 

Department of Environmental Protection on January 22, 2010 section 

22a–174–27 (e) was repealed by the State of 

Connecticut effective August 10, 2009. Section 

22a–174–27 (e), which 

was approved in paragraph (c)(98)(i)(A)(1), is 

removed from the SIP 

without replacement; see 

paragraph (c)(105)(i)(B) of 

this section. 

22a–174–27 .. Emission standards and onboard diagnostic II test requirements for periodic 

motor vehicle inspection 

and maintenance.

8/10/09 3/17/15 [Insert Federal Register citation] (c)(105) This SIP revision includes a 

change to exempt composite vehicles from tailpipe inspections. Revision 

to Section 22a–174–27 (b) 

and removal of Section 

22a–174–27 (e). 

*******

22a–174–36b Low Emission Vehicles II 

Program..

12/22/05 3/17/15 [Insert Federal Register citation] (c)(105) Adoption of Connecticut’s 

Low Emissions Vehicle II 

(LEV II) Program. Sections 

22a–174–36b (a), (b), (d), 

(f) through (j), (l), (m), and 

new sections (n) and (o). 

22a–174–36b Low Emission Vehicles II 

Program..

8/10/09 3/17/15 [Insert Federal Register citation] (c)(105) Sections 22a–174–36b (c), 

(e), and (k). 

*******

[FR Doc. 2015–05964 Filed 3–16–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 300 

[Docket No. 141126999–5235–01] 

RIN 0648–BE69 

Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Catch 

Sharing Plan 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Administrator 

(AA) for Fisheries, National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA), on behalf of the International 

Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), 

publishes annual management measures 

governing the Pacific halibut fishery 

recommended as regulations by the 

IPHC and accepted by the Secretary of 

State. This action is intended to 

enhance the conservation of Pacific 


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halibut and further the goals and 

objectives of the Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (PFMC) and the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (NPFMC). 

DATES: The IPHC’s 2015 annual 

management measures are effective 

March 13, 2015. The 2015 management 

measures are effective until superseded. 

ADDRESSES: Additional requests for 

information regarding this action may 

be obtained by contacting the 

International Pacific Halibut 

Commission, 2320 W. Commodore Way 

Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98199–1287; or 

Sustainable Fisheries Division, NMFS 

Alaska Region, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 

AK 99802, Attn: Ellen Sebastian, 

Records Officer; or Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, NMFS West Coast Region, 

7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 

98115. This final rule also is accessible 

via the Internet at the Federal 

eRulemaking portal at http://

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

waters off Alaska, Glenn Merrill or Julie 

Scheurer, 907–586–7228; or, for waters 

off the U.S. West Coast, Sarah Williams, 

206–526–4646. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The IPHC has recommended 

regulations which would govern the 

Pacific halibut fishery in 2015, pursuant 

to the Convention between Canada and 

the United States for the Preservation of 

the Halibut Fishery of the North Pacific 

Ocean and Bering Sea (Convention), 

signed at Ottawa, Ontario, on March 2, 

1953, as amended by a Protocol 

Amending the Convention (signed at 

Washington, DC, on March 29, 1979). 

As provided by the Northern Pacific 

Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act) at 16 

U.S.C. 773b, the Secretary of State, with 

the concurrence of the Secretary of 

Commerce, may accept or reject, on 

behalf of the United States, regulations 

recommended by the IPHC in 

accordance with the Convention 

(Halibut Act, Sections 773–773k). The 

Secretary of State of the United States, 

with the concurrence of the Secretary of 

Commerce, accepted the 2015 IPHC 

regulations as provided by the Halibut 

Act at 16 U.S.C. 773–773k. 

The Halibut Act provides the 

Secretary of Commerce with the 

authority and general responsibility to 

carry out the requirements of the 

Convention and the Halibut Act. The 

Regional Fishery Management Councils 

may develop, and the Secretary of 

Commerce may implement, regulations 

governing harvesting privileges among 

U.S. fishermen in U.S. waters that are in 

addition to, and not in conflict with, 

approved IPHC regulations. The NPFMC 

has exercised this authority most 

notably in developing halibut 

management programs for three 

fisheries that harvest halibut in Alaska: 

the subsistence, sport, and commercial 

fisheries. 

Subsistence and sport halibut fishery 

regulations are codified at 50 CFR part 

300. Commercial halibut fisheries in 

Alaska are subject to the Individual 

Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and 

Community Development Quota (CDQ) 

Program (50 CFR part 679), and the areaspecific catch sharing plans. 

The IPHC apportions catch limits for 

the Pacific halibut fishery among 

regulatory areas (Figure 1): Area 2A 

(Oregon, Washington, and California), 

Area 2B (British Columbia), Area 2C 

(Southeast Alaska), Area 3A (Central 

Gulf of Alaska), Area 3B (Western Gulf 

of Alaska), and Area 4 (subdivided into 

5 areas, 4A–4E, in the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands of Western Alaska). 

The NPFMC implemented a catch 

sharing plan (CSP) among commercial 

IFQ and CDQ halibut fisheries in IPHC 

Areas 4C, 4D and 4E (Area 4, Western 

Alaska) through rulemaking, and the 

Secretary of State approved the plan on 

March 20, 1996 (61 FR 11337). The Area 

4 CSP regulations were codified at 50 

CFR 300.65, and were amended on 

March 17, 1998 (63 FR 13000). New 

annual regulations pertaining to the 

Area 4 CSP also may be implemented 

through IPHC action, subject to 

acceptance by the Secretary of State. 

The NPFMC recommended and 

NMFS implemented through 

rulemaking a CSP for guided sport 

(charter) and commercial IFQ halibut 

fisheries in IPHC Area 2C and Area 3A 

on January 13, 2014 (78 FR 75844, 

December 12, 2013). The Area 2C and 

3A CSP regulations are codified at 50 

CFR 300.65. The CSP defines an annual 

process for allocating halibut between 

the commercial and charter fisheries so 

that each sector’s allocation varies in 

proportion to halibut abundance; 

specifies a public process for setting 

annual management measures; and 

authorizes limited annual leases of 

commercial IFQ for use in the charter 

fishery as guided angler fish (GAF). 

The IPHC held its annual meeting in 

Vancouver, British Columbia, January 

26–30, 2015, and recommended a 

number of changes to the previous IPHC 

regulations (79 FR 13906, March 12, 

2014). The Secretary of State accepted 

the annual management measures, 

including the following changes to the 

previous IPHC regulations for 2015: 

1. New halibut catch limits in all 

regulatory areas in Section 11; 

2. New commercial halibut fishery 

opening and closing dates in Section 8; 

3. New management measures for 

Area 2C and Area 3A guided sport 

fisheries in Section 28, and in Figure 3 

and Figure 4; and 

4. Addition of California Division of 

Fish and Wildlife to the list of officers 

authorized to enforce these regulations 

in Section 3. 

Pursuant to regulations at 50 CFR 

300.62, the 2015 IPHC annual 

management measures are published in 

the Federal Register to provide notice of 

their immediate regulatory effectiveness 

and to inform persons subject to the 

regulations of their restrictions and 

requirements. Because NMFS publishes 

the regulations applicable to the entire 

Convention area, these regulations 

include some provisions relating to and 

affecting Canadian fishing and fisheries. 

NMFS could implement more restrictive 

regulations for the sport fishery for 

halibut or components of it; therefore, 

anglers are advised to check the current 

Federal or IPHC regulations prior to 

fishing. 

Catch Limits 

The IPHC recommended to the 

governments of Canada and the United 

States catch limits for 2015 totaling 

29,223,000 lb (13,255 mt). The IPHC 

recommended area-specific catch limits 

for 2015 that were higher than 2014 in 

most of its management areas except 

Area 3B, where catch limits were 

reduced, and Areas 4B and 4CDE where 

catch limits remained at the same level 

as in 2014. The IPHC is responding to 

stock challenges with a risk-based 

precautionary approach and a review of 

the current harvest policy to ensure the 

best possible advice. A description of 

the process the IPHC used to set these 

catch limits follows. 

As in 2012 and 2013, the 2014 stock 

assessment was based on an ensemble of 

models incorporating the uncertainty 

within each model as well as the 

uncertainty among models. This 

approach provides a stronger basis for 

risk assessment of specific management 

measures that may be recommended by 

the IPHC. There were two new additions 

to this year’s ensemble of models: The 

use of long and short time-series models 

treating Areas As Fleets (AAF). The two 

AAF models considered this year assess 

the halibut population as a coastwide 

stock, while allowing for region-specific 

variations in the selectivity and 

catchability in the treatment of survey 

and fishery information. The AAF 

approach is a commonly applied stock 

assessment method for dealing with 

populations showing evidence of spatial 

structure, but without explicitly 


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modeling different recruitment 

distribution and migration rates among 

areas. Spatially explicit approaches are 

currently being developed for future 

evaluation; however, there is no 

comprehensive information available on 

juvenile distribution and movement. For 

2014, the stock assessment ensemble 

included short and long time-series 

models based on both the coastwide and 

the AAF approaches. This combination 

of models included uncertainty in 

natural mortality rates, environmental 

effects on recruitment, and uncertainty 

in other model parameters. 

The assessment indicates that the 

Pacific halibut stock declined 

continuously from the late 1990s to 

around 2010. That trend is estimated to 

have been a result of decreasing size at 

age as well as smaller recruitments than 

those observed through the 1980s and 

1990s. In recent years, the estimated 

female spawning biomass appears to 

have stabilized near 200 million 

pounds. Overall, the ensemble models 

project a stable halibut biomass in the 

next 3 years at current harvest rates. The 

AAF models project a slight increase in 

halibut biomass in the next 3 years at 

current harvest rates. 

As in 2014, and as part of an ongoing 

effort to provide Commissioners with 

greater flexibility when selecting catch 

limits, in January 2015 IPHC staff 

provided a decision table that estimates 

the consequences to stock and fishery 

status and trends from different levels of 

harvest. This decision table more fully 

accommodates uncertainty in the stock 

status and allowed the Commissioners 

to weigh the risk and benefits of 

management choices as they set the 

annual catch limits. After considering 

harvest advice for 2015 from its 

scientific staff, Canadian and U.S. 

harvesters and processors, and other 

fishery agencies, the IPHC 

recommended catch limits for 2015 to 

the U.S. and Canadian governments (see 

Table 1 below). 

The IPHC recommended higher catch 

limits than 2014 for Areas 2A, 2B, and 

2C because the stock assessment survey 

and fishery weight per unit effort 

(WPUE) estimates indicate a stable and 

upward trend in exploitable biomass in 

these areas. The IPHC recommended the 

higher catch limits in Areas 2A, 2B, and 

2C than would result from the 

application of the IPHC’s adopted 

harvest policy. The IPHC made these 

catch limit recommendations after 

considering the low risk of an adverse 

impact on the halibut stock from the 

recommended catch limits in Areas 2A, 

2B, and 2C, and the favorable survey 

and fishery trends in these areas. 

The IPHC recommended a more 

precautionary approach to their catch 

limit recommendations for Areas 3A 

and 3B relative to Areas 2A, 2B, and 2C. 

The IPHC recommended catch limits 

that were consistent with the IPHCs 

adopted harvest policy in Areas 3A and 

3B. The IPHC noted that the catch limit 

recommendations in Areas 3A and 3B 

are precautionary and catch limits 

greater than the adopted harvest policy 

were not warranted given downward 

trends in exploitable biomass and 

WPUE in these areas. The catch limit in 

Area 3A increased slightly relative to 

2014 due to increased biomass estimates 

in Area 3A. The catch limit in Area 3B 

decreased slightly relative to 2014 due 

to decreased biomass estimates in Area 

3B. 

The IPHC recommended a catch limit 

for Area 4A that was higher than the 

2014 limit. The IPHC-recommended 

catch limit in Area 4A is consistent with 

the IPHC’s adopted harvest policy in 

this area. The IPHC did not recommend 

a catch limit amount in Area 4A greater 

than its adopted harvest policy in this 

area because the stock trends in this 

area are uncertain and a more 

precautionary approach to management 

is appropriate. Specifically, the survey 

trends in Area 4A show an increased 

biomass, but the commercial WPUE 

decreased in 2014. 

The IPHC recommended a catch limit 

for Area 4B that was the same as that 

adopted in 2014. The IPHC 

recommended a catch limit in Area 4B 

that is slightly higher than that which 

would result from application of its 

adopted harvest policy in Area 4B. The 

IPHC made this catch limit 

recommendation after considering the 

low risk of an adverse impact on the 

halibut stock from the recommended 

catch limit in Area 4B, and the after 

considering the adverse socioeconomic 

impact that could result from a catch 

limit that was lower than that provided 

in 2014. 

Similarly, the IPHC recommended a 

catch limit for Areas 4CDE that is the 

same as that adopted in 2014. The IPHC 

recommended a catch limit in Areas 

4CDE that is higher than that which 

would result from application of its 

adopted harvest policy in Areas 4CDE. 

The IPHC made this catch limit 

recommendation after considering the 

low risk of an adverse impact on the 

halibut stock from the recommended 

catch limit in Areas 4CDE, and the after 

considering the adverse socioeconomic 

impact that could result from a catch 

limit that was lower than that provided 

in 2014. The IPHC also noted that 

overall stock trends in Area 4CDE from 

the fishery survey show an increasing 

biomass. The IPHC also considered 

ongoing efforts by the North Pacific 

groundfish fleet to reduce the amount of 

halibut mortality from bycatch, 

particularly in Areas 4CDE, during 2014 

and 2015. The IPHC noted that reduced 

bycatch mortality in 2015 is likely to 

provide additional harvest opportunities 

for the commercial fishery in the future. 

Overall, the IPHC’s catch limit 

recommendations for 2015 are projected 

to result in a stable or slightly increasing 

halibut stock in the future. 

TABLE 1—PERCENT CHANGE IN CATCH LIMITS FROM 2014 TO 2015 BY IPHC REGULATORY AREA

Regulatory Area 2015 IPHC Recommended catch limit 

(lb) 

2014 Catch limit 

(lb) Percent change from 2014 

2A1 ................... 970,000 960,000 1 .0 

2B2 ................... 7,038,000 6,850,000 2 .7 

2C 3 ................... 4,650,000 4,160,000 11 .8 

3A3 ................... 10,100,000 9,430,000 7 .1 

3B ..................... 2,650,000 2,840,000 ¥6 .7 

4A ..................... 1,390,000 850,000 63 .5 

4B ..................... 1,140,000 1,140,000 0 

4CDE ................ 1,285,000 1,285,000 0 

Coastwide ......... 29,223,000 27,515,000 6 .2 

1Area 2A catch limit includes sport, commercial, and tribal catch limits. 

2Area 2B catch limit includes sport and commercial catch limits. 

3Shown is the combined commercial and charter allocation under the Area 2C and Area 3A CSP. This value includes allocations to the charter 

sector, and an amount for commercial wastage. The commercial catch limits after deducting wastage are 3,679,000 lb in Area 2C and 7,790,000 

lb in Area 3A. 


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Commercial Halibut Fishery Opening 

Dates 

The opening date for the tribal 

commercial fishery in Area 2A and for 

the commercial halibut fisheries in 

Areas 2B through 4E is March 14, 2015. 

The date takes into account a number of 

factors, including the timing of halibut 

migration and spawning, marketing for 

seasonal holidays, and interest in 

getting product to processing plants 

before the herring season opens. The 

closing date for the halibut fisheries is 

November 7, 2015. This date takes into 

account the anticipated time required to 

fully harvest the commercial halibut 

catch limits while providing adequate 

time for IPHC staff to review the 

complete record of 2015 commercial 

catch data for use in the 2016 stock 

assessment process. 

In the Area 2A non-treaty directed 

commercial fishery the IPHC 

recommended seven 10-hour fishing 

periods. Each fishing period shall begin 

at 0800 hours and terminate at 1800 

hours local time on June 24, July 8, July 

22, August 5, August 19, September 2, 

and September 16, 2015, unless the 

IPHC specifies otherwise. These 10-hour 

openings will occur until the quota is 

taken and the fishery is closed. 

Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan 

The NMFS West Coast Region 

published a proposed rule for changes 

to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing 

Plan for Area 2A off Washington, 

Oregon, and California on February 3, 

2015 (80 FR 5719), with public 

comments accepted through March 5, 

2015. A separate final rule will be 

published to approve changes to the 

Area 2A CSP and to implement the 

portions of the CSP and management 

measures that are not implemented 

through the IPHC annual management 

measures that are published in this final 

rule. These measures include the sport 

fishery allocations and management 

measures for Area 2A. Once published, 

the final rule implementing the Area 2A 

CSP will be available on the NOAA 

Fisheries West Coast Region’s Web site 

at http://

www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/

fisheries/management/pacific_halibut_

management.html, and under FDMS 

Docket Number NOAA–NMFS–2014– 

0159 at www.regulations.gov. 

Catch Sharing Plan for Area 2C and 

Area 3A 

In 2014, NMFS implemented a CSP 

for Area 2C and Area 3A. The CSP 

defines an annual process for allocating 

halibut between the charter and 

commercial fisheries in Area 2C and 

Area 3A, and establishes allocations for 

each fishery. To allow flexibility for 

individual commercial and charter 

fishery participants, the CSP also 

authorizes annual transfers of 

commercial halibut IFQ as guided 

angler fish (GAF) to charter halibut 

permit holders for harvest in the charter 

fishery. Under the CSP, the IPHC 

recommends combined catch limits 

(CCLs) for the charter and commercial 

halibut fisheries in Area 2C and Area 

3A. Each CCL includes estimates of 

discard mortality (wastage) for each 

fishery. The CSP was implemented to 

achieve the halibut fishery management 

goals of the NPFMC. More information 

is provided in the proposed (78 FR 

39122, June, 28, 2013) and final (78 FR 

75844, December 12, 2013) rules 

implementing the CSP. Implementing 

regulations for the CSP are at 50 CFR 

300.65. The Area 2C and Area 3A CSP 

allocation tables are located in Tables 1 

through 4 of subpart E of 50 CFR part 

300. 

The IPHC recommended a CCL of 

4,650,000 lb (2,109.2 mt) for Area 2C. 

Following the CSP allocations in Tables 

1 and 3 of subpart E of 50 CFR part 300, 

the commercial fishery is allocated 81.7 

percent or 3,799,000 lb (1,723.2 mt), and 

the charter fishery is allocated 18.3 

percent or 851,000 lb (386.0 mt) of the 

CCL (rounded to the nearest 1,000 lb). 

Wastage in the amount of 120,000 lb 

(54.4 mt) was deducted from the 

commercial allocation to obtain the 

commercial catch limit of 3,679,000 lb 

(1,668.8 mt). The charter allocation for 

2015 is about 90,000 lb (40.8 mt), or 

11.8 percent greater than the charter 

sector allocation of 761,000 lb (345.2 

mt) in 2014. 

The IPHC recommended a CCL of 

10,100,000 lb (4,581.3 mt) for Area 3A. 

Following the CSP allocations in Tables 

2 and 4 of subpart E of 50 CFR part 300, 

the commercial fishery is allocated the 

difference of the CCL and a fixed 

1,890,000 lb (857.3 mt) for the charter 

fishery. The commercial fishery is 

therefore allocated 8,210,000 lb (3,724.0 

mt), and the charter fishery is allocated 

1,890,000 lb (857.3 mt). Discard 

mortality in the amount of 420,000 lb 

(190.5 mt) was deducted from the 

commercial allocation to obtain the 

commercial catch limit of 7,790,000 lb 

(3,533.5 mt). The charter allocation 

increased by about 108,000 lb (49.0 mt), 

or 6.1 percent, from the 2014 allocation 

of 1,782,000 lb (808.3 mt). 

Charter Halibut Management Measures 

for Area 2C and Area 3A 

The NPFMC formed the Charter 

Halibut Management Implementation 

Committee to provide it with 

recommendations for annual 

management measures intended to limit 

charter harvest to the charter catch limit 

while minimizing negative economic 

impacts to the charter fishery 

participants in times of low halibut 

abundance. The committee is composed 

of representatives from the charter 

fishing industry in Areas 2C and 3A. 

The committee selected management 

measures for further analysis from a 

suite of alternatives that were presented 

in October 2014. After reviewing an 

analysis of the effects of the alternative 

measures on estimated charter removals, 

the committee recommended its 

preferred management measures to the 

NPFMC for 2015. The NPFMC 

recommended the committee’s preferred 

measures to recommend to the IPHC, 

and the IPHC took action consistent 

with the NPFMC’s recommendations. 

The NPFMC has used this process to 

select and recommend annual 

management measures to the IPHC since 

2012. 

The IPHC recognizes the role of the 

NPFMC to develop policy and 

regulations that allocate the Pacific 

halibut resource among fishermen in 

and off Alaska, and that NMFS has 

developed numerous regulations to 

support the NPFMC’s goals of limiting 

charter harvests over the past several 

years. The IPHC concluded that 

additional restrictions were necessary 

for 2015 to limit the Area 2C and Area 

3A charter halibut fisheries to their 

charter catch limits under the CSP, to 

achieve the IPHC’s overall conservation 

objective to limit total halibut harvests 

to established catch limits, and to meet 

the NPFMC’s allocation objectives for 

these areas. The IPHC determined that 

limiting charter harvests by 

implementing the management 

measures discussed below would meet 

these objectives. 

Reverse Slot Limit for Halibut Retained 

on a Charter Vessel Fishing in Area 2C 

Total charter removals in Area 2C 

exceeded the 2014 charter allocation by 

about 109,677 lb (49.7 mt) or 14 percent. 

The method used to forecast harvest for 

2015 was changed to better account for 

trends, and the harvest forecast for 2015 

is higher than the preliminary estimate 

for 2014. 

The preliminary estimate of charter 

wastage (release mortality) in 2014 

represented about 5.5 percent of the 

directed harvest amount. Therefore, 

projected charter harvest for 2015 was 

inflated by 5.5 percent to account for all 

charter removals in the selection of 

annual management measures for Area 

2C. 


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Changes in management measures are 

required to manage total charter 

removals, including wastage, in Area 2C 

within the 2015 allocation. Therefore, 

the 2015 reverse slot limit is more 

restrictive to limit charter removals in 

Area 2C within the allocation under the 

CSP of 851,000 lb (386.0 mt). This final 

rule amends the 2014 measures 

applicable to the charter vessel fishery 

in Area 2C. 

For 2015, the IPHC recommended a 

management measure that prohibits a 

person on board a charter vessel referred 

to in 50 CFR 300.65 and fishing in Area 

2C from taking or possessing any 

halibut, with head on, that is greater 

than 42 inches (107 cm) and less than 

80 inches (203 cm), as measured in a 

straight line, passing over the pectoral 

fin from the tip of the lower jaw with 

mouth closed, to the extreme end of the 

middle of the tail. This type of 

restriction is referred to as a ‘‘reverse 

slot limit.’’ The 2014 reverse slot limit 

prohibited retention by charter anglers 

of halibut that were greater than 44 

inches (112 cm) and less than 76 inches 

(193 cm). 

Management Measures for Charter 

Vessel Fishing in Area 3A 

Charter removals in Area 3A in 2014 

exceeded the charter allocation by 

413,374 lb (187.5 mt), or 23 percent, 

primarily because the halibut that were 

caught and retained by charter anglers 

were larger on average than predicted 

for the size limit. The estimation error 

for average weight was factored into the 

analysis of potential management 

measures for 2015. 

The preliminary estimate of charter 

wastage in 2014 represented less than 2 

percent of the directed harvest amount. 

The projected charter harvest for 2015 

was increased by 2 percent to account 

for total charter removals in the 

selection of appropriate annual 

management measures for Area 3A for 

2015. 

This final rule amends the 2014 

management measures applicable to the 

charter halibut fishery in Area 3A. The 

NPFMC and IPHC considered 2014 

information on charter removals and the 

projections of charter harvest for 2015. 

Despite the increased allocation for 

2015, the NPFMC and IPHC determined 

that changes to the 2014 Area 3A 

management measures are necessary to 

manage total charter removals, 

including wastage, within the 2015 

allocation. 

For 2015, the IPHC recommended the 

following management measures for 

Area 3A: (1) A two-fish bag limit with 

a 29-inch size limit on one of the 

halibut; (2) A one trip per day limit; (3) 

a day-of-week closure; and (4) an annual 

limit. Each of these management 

measures is described in more detail 

below. The size and trip limit 

regulations were in place in 2014, but 

the day-of-week closure and annual 

limit measures are new for 2015. 

Size Limit for Halibut Retained on a 

Charter Vessel in Area 3A 

The 2015 charter halibut fishery in 

Area 3A will be managed under a twofish daily bag limit in which one of the 

retained halibut may be of any size and 

one of the retained halibut must be 29 

inches (74 cm) total length or less. The 

NPFMC and the IPHC recommended the 

2014 daily bag and size limit in Area 3A 

for 2015 to maintain similar angling 

opportunities to previous years. This 

daily bag and size limit will be 

combined with additional restrictions to 

limit charter halibut removals to the 

2015 allocation. 

Trip Limit for Charter Vessels 

Harvesting Halibut in Area 3A 

In 2014, charter vessels were limited 

to one charter halibut fishing trip in 

which halibut were retained per 

calendar day in Area 3A. The one-trip 

per day limit will remain in place in 

Area 3A for 2015. If no halibut are 

retained during a charter vessel fishing 

trip, the vessel may take an additional 

trip to catch and retain halibut that day. 

The trip limit applies to vessels only, 

not to charter halibut permits. A charter 

operator may use more than one vessel 

to take more than one charter vessel 

fishing trip using the same charter 

halibut permit per day. Trip limits will 

affect only a small number of charter 

operators and allows the size of the sizerestricted fish in the daily bag limit to 

be maximized for the entire charter fleet 

in Area 3A. Without a trip limit, a more 

restrictive size or bag limit might have 

been necessary to achieve harvest 

targets. 

Currently, charter operators in Area 

3A are able to conduct a single trip over 

two calendar days by remaining at sea 

overnight because, according to the 

Federal definition at 50 CFR 300.61, a 

charter vessel fishing trip does not end 

until clients or halibut are offloaded. 

This practice allows retention of two 

daily halibut limits on a single trip. 

Additionally, the charter operator could 

start another trip on the same day that 

the previous trip ended because a 

complete trip had not occurred on a 

single calendar day; thereby 

circumventing the trip limit. The 

committee and the NPFMC requested 

that the trip limit annual management 

measures recommended by the IPHC 

and implemented in this regulation be 

reworded to reflect their original intent 

for this measure. This regulation 

provides that clarification. 

For purposes of the trip limit in Area 

3A in 2015, a charter vessel fishing trip 

will end when anglers or halibut are 

offloaded, or at the end of the calendar 

day, whichever occurs first. Charter 

operators will still be able to conduct 

overnight trips and harvest a bag limit 

of halibut on each calendar day, but 

they will not be allowed to begin 

another overnight trip until the day after 

the trip ended. For example, if an 

overnight trip started on a Monday and 

ended on a Tuesday, and charter vessel 

anglers harvested halibut on Monday 

and Tuesday, the charter operator 

would not be able to start another 

charter vessel fishing trip on that vessel 

until Wednesday. Alternatively, charter 

anglers could harvest halibut on the first 

calendar day of an overnight trip, but 

not the second, allowing the guide to 

embark on another overnight trip on the 

second day. GAF halibut are exempt 

from the trip limit; therefore, GAF could 

be used to harvest halibut on a second 

trip in a day, but only if exclusively 

GAF halibut were harvested on that trip. 

For example, if an overnight trip started 

on a Monday and anglers harvested 

halibut on Monday, they could harvest 

GAF on Tuesday, allowing the charter 

operator to start another charter vessel 

fishing trip on Tuesday on the same 

charter vessel and charter vessel anglers 

to harvest halibut on Tuesday. 

Day-of-Week Closure in Area 3A 

The NPFMC and the IPHC 

recommended a day-of-week closure for 

Area 3A in 2015. No retention of halibut 

by charter vessel anglers will be allowed 

in Area 3A on Thursdays beginning 

June 15 through August 31 (i.e., June 18 

and 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, and 

August 6 and 13). Retention of only 

GAF halibut will be allowed on charter 

vessels on Thursdays during these 

dates; all other halibut that are caught 

while fishing on a charter vessel must 

be released. Thursday was selected as 

the closure day because it was estimated 

to have the largest potential effect on 

reducing charter harvest in Area 3A. 

Annual Limit of Five Fish for Charter 

Vessels Anglers in Area 3A 

Charter vessel anglers will be limited 

to harvesting no more than five halibut 

on charter vessel fishing trips in Area 

3A during a calendar year. This limit 

applies only to halibut caught aboard 

charter vessels in Area 3A. Halibut 

harvested while unguided fishing, 

fishing in other IPHC regulatory areas, 

or harvested as GAF will not accrue 

toward the annual limit. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
13776 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

Final Rule To Change the Definition of 

Sport Fishing Guide Services in Federal 

Regulations 

NMFS published a proposed rule on 

December 3, 2014 (79 FR 71729), to 

revise Federal regulations for charter 

halibut fishing in Areas 2C and 3A. The 

proposed revisions were recommended 

by the NPFMC under authority of the 

Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 at 

16 U.S.C. 773b. The proposed rule 

would align Federal regulations with 

State of Alaska regulations, would 

clarify the intent of the NPFMC and 

NMFS for management of charter 

halibut fisheries in Alaska, and would 

facilitate enforcement and clarify 

recordkeeping and reporting 

requirements for the charter halibut 

fishery. The proposed rule is available 

on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at 

http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/

prules/79fr71729.pdf. 

Current Federal charter fishing 

regulations do not apply to a small 

number of businesses that offer guideassisted sport fishing services in which 

guides provide assistance to halibut 

anglers, likely for compensation, from 

adjacent vessels or shore. Under current 

Federal regulations, a person providing 

assistance to an angler during a fishing 

trip, and who is not on board the vessel 

with the anglers, is not providing sport 

fishing guide services. As a result, 

persons providing guide-assisted sport 

fishing services are not required to have 

charter halibut permits as required by 

the charter halibut limited access 

program regulations at 50 CFR 300.67. 

In addition, anglers receiving assistance 

during the fishing trip from a guide who 

is not on board the same vessel are not 

subject to regulations that limit guided 

anglers to more restrictive daily bag and 

size limits that are intended to limit 

charter removals to allocations specified 

by the NPFMC’s CSP for Area 2C and 

Area 3A. The proposed rule is primarily 

intended to clarify that (1) ‘‘guideassisted’’ sport fishing services for 

halibut would be managed under 

Federal charter fishery regulations, and 

(2) halibut harvested by a guide-assisted 

angler would accrue toward charter 

allocations. 

In recommending the proposed 

revisions to Federal regulations, the 

NPFMC specified that guide-assisted 

sport fishing services for halibut are a de 

facto form of charter fishing and should 

be managed under charter fishing 

regulations. A guide who is not on the 

same vessel with an angler and who 

provides assistance for compensation to 

an angler meets the NPFMC’s definition 

of guided fishing. For example, the 

guide may accompany the anglers from 

a separate vessel, lead them to the 

fishing location, and assist in landing 

and filleting the halibut from a separate 

vessel. The proposed rule would 

implement the NPFMC’s intent for 

managing these types of activities by 

establishing clear and consistent 

regulations that apply to all businesses 

providing, and all anglers receiving, 

sport fishing guide services for halibut 

fishing. 

Once implemented, this rule will 

revise several Federal regulations and 

definitions pertaining to charter fishing 

for halibut. Some revisions to the IPHC 

annual management measures are also 

necessary to facilitate compliance and 

enforcement. First, NMFS proposed 

adding an annual management measures 

to section 28(1) to require all halibut 

harvested on a charter vessel fishing trip 

to be retained on board the vessel on 

which it was caught until the end of a 

charter vessel fishing trip. This 

requirement will prevent charter vessel 

anglers without a guide on board the 

vessel from transferring their catch to 

another vessel for processing, and is 

necessary for enforcement of bag and 

size limits. Second, NMFS proposed 

revising the IPHC definition of ‘‘charter 

vessel’’ at Section 3 to specify that, for 

Alaska, a charter vessel means a vessel 

used while providing or receiving sport 

fishing guide services for halibut. This 

change does not alter the definition of 

charter vessel as it applies to other IPHC 

regulatory areas, while making the 

definition more consistent with the 

proposed Federal definition for Alaska. 

Third, minor technical revisions would 

be made to maintain consistency with 

Federal and State of Alaska sport fishing 

regulations. Fourth, section 25(7) will be 

revised to clarify that the charter vessel 

guide shall be held liable for any 

violations of annual management 

measures committed by an angler on a 

charter vessel, whether the guide is on 

board the vessel with the angler or on 

a separate vessel. And finally, this rule 

would implement a Federal regulation 

requiring carcass-retention that 

duplicates annual management 

measures at 28(2)(d) and 28(3)(d). This 

change is discussed in the next section. 

The IPHC recommended that these 

changes be made to the annual 

management measures. 

Areas 2C and 3A Carcass-Retention 

Current IPHC regulations prohibit the 

filleting, mutilation, or other 

disfigurement of sport-caught halibut 

that would prevent the determination of 

the size or number of halibut possessed 

or landed. The IPHC first implemented 

a carcass-retention requirement in 2011 

for Area 2C at section 28(2)(b) requiring 

that a person on board a charter vessel 

who possesses filleted halibut must also 

retain the entire carcass, with head and 

tail connected as a single piece, on 

board the vessel until all the fillets are 

offloaded. This regulation was 

implemented in Area 2C to facilitate 

enforcement of maximum size limits 

and reverse slot limits in that area. The 

IPHC recommended a carcass-retention 

requirement in Area 3A in 2014 at 

section 28(3)(d) to facilitate enforcement 

of the 29-inch maximum size limit on 

one of the two fish. In 2015, anglers in 

Area 3A are required to retain only the 

carcass of the halibut that is less than 

the 29-inch maximum size limit if two 

halibut are retained. If an angler only 

retained one halibut in a day, the 

carcass need not be retained. 

The IPHC recommended removing the 

carcass-retention requirements from the 

IPHC annual management measures 

when a carcass-retention requirement is 

implemented through Federal 

regulations. NMFS has proposed a 

carcass-retention requirement through 

Federal regulation in the sport fishing 

guide services proposed rule (79 FR 

71729, December 3, 2014). This Federal 

regulation would be effective upon 

publication of the sport fishing guide 

services final rule. Because the final rule 

affecting sport fishing guide services has 

not yet been published and will not be 

effective prior to the publication of 

these annual management measures, the 

carcass-retention requirements will be 

retained in these IPHC management 

measures for 2015, and will be removed 

next year, if applicable, after the sport 

fishing guide services final rule has 

become effective. This will ensure that 

the carcass-retention requirement is in 

effect for the 2015 charter fishing 

season. 

Annual Halibut Management Measures 

The following annual management 

measures for the 2015 Pacific halibut 

fishery are those recommended by the 

IPHC and accepted by the Secretary of 

State, with the concurrence of the 

Secretary. 

1. Short Title 

These Regulations may be cited as the 

Pacific Halibut Fishery Regulations. 

2. Application 

(1) These Regulations apply to 

persons and vessels fishing for halibut 

in, or possessing halibut taken from, the 

maritime area as defined in Section 3. 

(2) Sections 3 to 6 apply generally to 

all halibut fishing. 

(3) Sections 7 to 20 apply to 

commercial fishing for halibut. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 13777 

1Call NOAA Enforcement Division, Alaska 

Region, at 907–586–7225 between the hours of 0800 

and 1600 local time for a list of NMFS-approved 

VMS transmitters and communications service 

providers. 

(4) Section 21 applies to tagged 

halibut caught by any vessel. 

(5) Section 22 applies to the United 

States treaty Indian fishery in Subarea 

2A–1. 

(6) Section 23 applies to customary 

and traditional fishing in Alaska. 

(7) Section 24 applies to Aboriginal 

groups fishing for food, social and 

ceremonial purposes in British 

Columbia. 

(8) Sections 25 to 28 apply to sport 

fishing for halibut. 

(9) These Regulations do not apply to 

fishing operations authorized or 

conducted by the Commission for 

research purposes. 

3. Definitions 

(1) In these Regulations, 

(a) ‘‘authorized officer’’ means any 

State, Federal, or Provincial officer 

authorized to enforce these Regulations 

including, but not limited to, the 

National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS), Canada’s Department of 

Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Alaska 

Wildlife Troopers (AWT), United States 

Coast Guard (USCG), Washington 

Department of Fish and Wildlife 

(WDFW), the Oregon State Police (OSP), 

and California Department of Fish and 

Wildlife (CDFW); 

(b) ‘‘authorized clearance personnel’’ 

means an authorized officer of the 

United States, a representative of the 

Commission, or a designated fish 

processor; 

(c) ‘‘charter vessel’’ outside of Alaska 

waters means a vessel used for hire in 

sport fishing for halibut, but not 

including a vessel without a hired 

operator, and in Alaska waters means a 

vessel used while providing or receiving 

sport fishing guide services for halibut; 

(d) ‘‘commercial fishing’’ means 

fishing, the resulting catch of which is 

sold or bartered; or is intended to be 

sold or bartered, other than (i) Sport 

fishing, (ii) treaty Indian ceremonial and 

subsistence fishing as referred to in 

section 22, (iii) customary and 

traditional fishing as referred to in 

section 23 and defined by and regulated 

pursuant to NMFS regulations 

published at 50 CFR part 300, and (iv) 

Aboriginal groups fishing in British 

Columbia as referred to in section 24; 

(e) ‘‘Commission’’ means the 

International Pacific Halibut 

Commission; 

(f) ‘‘daily bag limit’’ means the 

maximum number of halibut a person 

may take in any calendar day from 

Convention waters; 

(g) ‘‘fishing’’ means the taking, 

harvesting, or catching of fish, or any 

activity that can reasonably be expected 

to result in the taking, harvesting, or 

catching of fish, including specifically 

the deployment of any amount or 

component part of setline gear 

anywhere in the maritime area; 

(h) ‘‘fishing period limit’’ means the 

maximum amount of halibut that may 

be retained and landed by a vessel 

during one fishing period; 

(i) ‘‘land’’ or ‘‘offload’’ with respect to 

halibut, means the removal of halibut 

from the catching vessel; 

(j) ‘‘license’’ means a halibut fishing 

license issued by the Commission 

pursuant to section 4; 

(k) ‘‘maritime area’’, in respect of the 

fisheries jurisdiction of a Contracting 

Party, includes without distinction areas 

within and seaward of the territorial sea 

and internal waters of that Party; 

(l) ‘‘net weight’’ of a halibut means the 

weight of halibut that is without gills 

and entrails, head-off, washed, and 

without ice and slime. If a halibut is 

weighed with the head on or with ice 

and slime, the required conversion 

factors for calculating net weight are a 

2 percent deduction for ice and slime 

and a 10 percent deduction for the head; 

(m) ‘‘operator’’, with respect to any 

vessel, means the owner and/or the 

master or other individual on board and 

in charge of that vessel; 

(n) ‘‘overall length’’ of a vessel means 

the horizontal distance, rounded to the 

nearest foot, between the foremost part 

of the stem and the aftermost part of the 

stern (excluding bowsprits, rudders, 

outboard motor brackets, and similar 

fittings or attachments); 

(o) ‘‘person’’ includes an individual, 

corporation, firm, or association; 

(p) ‘‘regulatory area’’ means an area 

referred to in section 6; 

(q) ‘‘setline gear’’ means one or more 

stationary, buoyed, and anchored lines 

with hooks attached; 

(r) ‘‘sport fishing’’ means all fishing 

other than (i) commercial fishing, (ii) 

treaty Indian ceremonial and 

subsistence fishing as referred to in 

section 22, (iii) customary and 

traditional fishing as referred to in 

section 23 and defined in and regulated 

pursuant to NMFS regulations 

published in 50 CFR part 300, and iv) 

Aboriginal groups fishing in British 

Columbia as referred to in section 24; 

(s) ‘‘tender’’ means any vessel that 

buys or obtains fish directly from a 

catching vessel and transports it to a 

port of landing or fish processor; 

(t) ‘‘VMS transmitter’’ means a NMFSapproved vessel monitoring system 

transmitter that automatically 

determines a vessel’s position and 

transmits it to a NMFS-approved 

communications service provider.1

(2) In these Regulations, all bearings 

are true and all positions are determined 

by the most recent charts issued by the 

United States National Ocean Service or 

the Canadian Hydrographic Service. 

4. Licensing Vessels for Area 2A 

(1) No person shall fish for halibut 

from a vessel, nor possess halibut on 

board a vessel, used either for 

commercial fishing or as a charter vessel 

in Area 2A, unless the Commission has 

issued a license valid for fishing in Area 

2A in respect of that vessel. 

(2) A license issued for a vessel 

operating in Area 2A shall be valid only 

for operating either as a charter vessel 

or a commercial vessel, but not both. 

(3) A vessel with a valid Area 2A 

commercial license cannot be used to 

sport fish for Pacific halibut in Area 2A. 

(4) A license issued for a vessel 

operating in the commercial fishery in 

Area 2A shall be valid for one of the 

following: 

(a) the directed commercial fishery 

during the fishing periods specified in 

paragraph (2) of section 8 and the 

incidental commercial fishery during 

the sablefish fishery specified in 

paragraph (3) of section 8; 

(b) the incidental catch fishery during 

the sablefish fishery specified in 

paragraph (3) of section 8; or 

(c) the incidental catch fishery during 

the salmon troll fishery specified in 

paragraph (4) of section 8. 

(5) No person may apply for or be 

issued a license for a vessel operating in 

the incidental catch fishery during the 

salmon troll fishery in paragraph (4)(c), 

if that vessel was previously issued a 

license for either the directed 

commercial fishery in paragraph (4)(a) 

or the incidental catch fishery during 

the sablefish fishery in paragraph (4)(b). 

(6) A license issued in respect to a 

vessel referred to in paragraph (1) of this 

section must be carried on board that 

vessel at all times and the vessel 

operator shall permit its inspection by 

any authorized officer. 

(7) The Commission shall issue a 

license in respect to a vessel, without 

fee, from its office in Seattle, 

Washington, upon receipt of a 

completed, written, and signed 

‘‘Application for Vessel License for the 

Halibut Fishery’’ form. 

(8) A vessel operating in the directed 

commercial fishery in Area 2A must 

have its ‘‘Application for Vessel License 

for the Halibut Fishery’’ form 

postmarked no later than 11:59 p.m. on 

April 30, or on the first weekday in May 

if April 30 is a Saturday or Sunday. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
13778 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

2The directed fishery is restricted to waters that 

are south of Point Chehalis, Washington (46°53 ́18′′ 

N. latitude) under regulations promulgated by 

NMFS and published in the Federal Register. 

3The incidental fishery during the directed, fixed 

gear sablefish season is restricted to waters that are 

north of Point Chehalis, Washington (46°53 ́18′′ N. 

latitude) under regulations promulgated by NMFS 

at 50 CFR 300.63. Landing restrictions for halibut 

retention in the fixed gear sablefish fishery can be 

found at 50 CFR 660.231. 

(9) A vessel operating in the 

incidental catch fishery during the 

sablefish fishery in Area 2A must have 

its ‘‘Application for Vessel License for 

the Halibut Fishery’’ form postmarked 

no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 15, 

or the next weekday in March if March 

15 is a Saturday or Sunday. 

(10) A vessel operating in the 

incidental catch fishery during the 

salmon troll fishery in Area 2A must 

have its ‘‘Application for Vessel License 

for the Halibut Fishery’’ form 

postmarked no later than 11:59 p.m. on 

March 15, or the next weekday in March 

if March 15 is a Saturday or Sunday. 

(11) Application forms may be 

obtained from any authorized officer or 

from the Commission. 

(12) Information on ‘‘Application for 

Vessel License for the Halibut Fishery’’ 

form must be accurate. 

(13) The ‘‘Application for Vessel 

License for the Halibut Fishery’’ form 

shall be completed and signed by the 

vessel owner. 

(14) Licenses issued under this 

section shall be valid only during the 

year in which they are issued. 

(15) A new license is required for a 

vessel that is sold, transferred, renamed, 

or the documentation is changed. 

(16) The license required under this 

section is in addition to any license, 

however designated, that is required 

under the laws of the United States or 

any of its States. 

(17) The United States may suspend, 

revoke, or modify any license issued 

under this section under policies and 

procedures in Title 15, CFR part 904. 

5. In-Season Actions 

(1) The Commission is authorized to 

establish or modify regulations during 

the season after determining that such 

action: 

(a) Will not result in exceeding the 

catch limit established preseason for 

each regulatory area; 

(b) is consistent with the Convention 

between Canada and the United States 

of America for the Preservation of the 

Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific 

Ocean and Bering Sea, and applicable 

domestic law of either Canada or the 

United States; and 

(c) is consistent, to the maximum 

extent practicable, with any domestic 

catch sharing plans or other domestic 

allocation programs developed by the 

United States or Canadian governments. 

(2) In-season actions may include, but 

are not limited to, establishment or 

modification of the following: 

(a) Closed areas; 

(b) fishing periods; 

(c) fishing period limits; 

(d) gear restrictions; 

(e) recreational bag limits; 

(f) size limits; or 

(g) vessel clearances. 

(3) In-season changes will be effective 

at the time and date specified by the 

Commission. 

(4) The Commission will announce 

in-season actions under this section by 

providing notice to major halibut 

processors; Federal, State, United States 

treaty Indian, and Provincial fishery 

officials; and the media. 

6. Regulatory Areas 

The following areas shall be 

regulatory areas (see Figure 1) for the 

purposes of the Convention: 

(1) Area 2A includes all waters off the 

states of California, Oregon, and 

Washington; 

(2) Area 2B includes all waters off 

British Columbia; 

(3) Area 2C includes all waters off 

Alaska that are east of a line running 

340° true from Cape Spencer Light 

(58°11′56′′ N. latitude, 136°38′26′′ W. 

longitude) and south and east of a line 

running 205° true from said light; 

(4) Area 3A includes all waters 

between Area 2C and a line extending 

from the most northerly point on Cape 

Aklek (57°41′15′′ N. latitude, 155°35′00′′ 

W. longitude) to Cape Ikolik (57°17′17′′ 

N. latitude, 154°47′18′′ W. longitude), 

then along the Kodiak Island coastline 

to Cape Trinity (56°44′50′′ N. latitude, 

154°08′44′′ W. longitude), then 140° 

true; 

(5) Area 3B includes all waters 

between Area 3A and a line extending 

150° true from Cape Lutke (54°29′00′′ N. 

latitude, 164°20′00′′ W. longitude) and 

south of 54°49′00′′ N. latitude in 

Isanotski Strait; 

(6) Area 4A includes all waters in the 

Gulf of Alaska west of Area 3B and in 

the Bering Sea west of the closed area 

defined in section 10 that are east of 

172°00′00′′ W. longitude and south of 

56°20′00′′ N. latitude; 

(7) Area 4B includes all waters in the 

Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska west 

of Area 4A and south of 56°20′00′′ N. 

latitude; 

(8) Area 4C includes all waters in the 

Bering Sea north of Area 4A and north 

of the closed area defined in section 10 

which are east of 171°00′00′′ W. 

longitude, south of 58°00′00′′ N. 

latitude, and west of 168°00′00′′ W. 

longitude; 

(9) Area 4D includes all waters in the 

Bering Sea north of Areas 4A and 4B, 

north and west of Area 4C, and west of 

168°00′00′′ W. longitude; and 

(10) Area 4E includes all waters in the 

Bering Sea north and east of the closed 

area defined in section 10, east of 

168°00′00′′ W. longitude, and south of 

65°34′00′′ N. latitude. 

7. Fishing in Regulatory Area 4E and 4D 

(1) Section 7 applies only to any 

person fishing, or vessel that is used to 

fish for, Area 4E Community 

Development Quota (CDQ) or Area 4D 

CDQ halibut, provided that the total 

annual halibut catch of that person or 

vessel is landed at a port within Area 4E 

or 4D. 

(2) A person may retain halibut taken 

with setline gear in Area 4E CDQ and 

4D CDQ fishery that are smaller than the 

size limit specified in section 13, 

provided that no person may sell or 

barter such halibut. 

(3) The manager of a CDQ 

organization that authorizes persons to 

harvest halibut in the Area 4E or 4D 

CDQ fisheries must report to the 

Commission the total number and 

weight of undersized halibut taken and 

retained by such persons pursuant to 

section 7, paragraph (2). This report, 

which shall include data and 

methodology used to collect the data, 

must be received by the Commission 

prior to November 1 of the year in 

which such halibut were harvested. 

8. Fishing Periods 

(1) The fishing periods for each 

regulatory area apply where the catch 

limits specified in section 11 have not 

been taken. 

(2) Each fishing period in the Area 2A 

directed commercial fishery 2 shall 

begin at 0800 hours and terminate at 

1800 hours local time on June 24, July 

8, July 22, August 5, August 19, 

September 2, and September 16 unless 

the Commission specifies otherwise. 

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (7) of 

section 11, an incidental catch fishery 3

is authorized during the sablefish 

seasons in Area 2A in accordance with 

regulations promulgated by NMFS. This 

fishery will occur between 1200 hours 

local time on March 14 and 1200 hours 

local time on November 7. 

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), 

and paragraph (7) of section 11, an 

incidental catch fishery is authorized 

during salmon troll seasons in Area 2A 

in accordance with regulations 

promulgated by NMFS. This fishery will 

occur between 1200 hours local time on 

March 14 and 1200 hours local time on 

November 7. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 13779 

4Area 2B includes combined commercial and 

sport catch limits that will be allocated by DFO. See 

section 27 for sport fishing regulations. 5For the commercial fishery in Area 2C, in 

addition to the catch limit, the estimate of 

incidental mortality from the commercial fishery is 

120,000 pounds. This amount is included in the 

combined commercial and guided sport sector catch 

limit set by IPHC and allocated by NMFS by a catch 

sharing plan. 

6For the commercial fishery in Area 3A, in 

addition to the catch limit, the estimate of 

incidental mortality from the commercial fishery is 

420,000 pounds. This amount is included in the 

combined commercial and guided sport sector catch 

limit set by IPHC and allocated by NMFS by a catch 

sharing plan. 

(5) The fishing period in Areas 2B, 2C, 

3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E shall 

begin at 1200 hours local time on March 

14 and terminate at 1200 hours local 

time on November 7, unless the 

Commission specifies otherwise. 

(6) All commercial fishing for halibut 

in Areas 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 

4D, and 4E shall cease at 1200 hours 

local time on November 7. 

9. Closed Periods 

(1) No person shall engage in fishing 

for halibut in any regulatory area other 

than during the fishing periods set out 

in section 8 in respect of that area. 

(2) No person shall land or otherwise 

retain halibut caught outside a fishing 

period applicable to the regulatory area 

where the halibut was taken. 

(3) Subject to paragraphs (7), (8), (9), 

and (10) of section 19, these Regulations 

do not prohibit fishing for any species 

of fish other than halibut during the 

closed periods. 

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3), no 

person shall have halibut in his/her 

possession while fishing for any other 

species of fish during the closed 

periods. 

(5) No vessel shall retrieve any halibut 

fishing gear during a closed period if the 

vessel has any halibut on board. 

(6) A vessel that has no halibut on 

board may retrieve any halibut fishing 

gear during the closed period after the 

operator notifies an authorized officer or 

representative of the Commission prior 

to that retrieval. 

(7) After retrieval of halibut gear in 

accordance with paragraph (6), the 

vessel shall submit to a hold inspection 

at the discretion of the authorized 

officer or representative of the 

Commission. 

(8) No person shall retain any halibut 

caught on gear retrieved in accordance 

with paragraph (6). 

(9) No person shall possess halibut on 

board a vessel in a regulatory area 

during a closed period unless that vessel 

is in continuous transit to or within a 

port in which that halibut may be 

lawfully sold. 

10. Closed Area 

All waters in the Bering Sea north of 

55°00 ́00′′ N. latitude in Isanotski Strait 

that are enclosed by a line from Cape 

Sarichef Light (54°36′00′′ N. latitude, 

164°55′42′′ W. longitude) to a point at 

56°20′00′′ N. latitude, 168°30′00′′ W. 

longitude; thence to a point at 58°21′25′′ 

N. latitude, 163°00′00′′ W. longitude; 

thence to Strogonof Point (56°53′18′′ N. 

latitude, 158°50′37′′ W. longitude); and 

then along the northern coasts of the 

Alaska Peninsula and Unimak Island to 

the point of origin at Cape Sarichef 

Light are closed to halibut fishing and 

no person shall fish for halibut therein 

or have halibut in his/her possession 

while in those waters, except in the 

course of a continuous transit across 

those waters. All waters in Isanotski 

Strait between 55°00′00′′ N. latitude and 

54°49′00′′ N. latitude are closed to 

halibut fishing. 

11. Catch Limits 

(1) The total allowable catch of 

halibut to be taken during the halibut 

fishing periods specified in section 8 

shall be limited to the net weights 

expressed in pounds or metric tons 

shown in the following table: 

Regulatory area 

Catch limit—net weight 

Pounds Metric tons 

2A: directed commercial, and incidental commercial catch during salmon troll fishery ......................................... 193,564 87.8 

2A: incidental commercial during sablefish fishery ................................................................................................. 10,347 4.7 

2B4 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7,038,000 3,192.4 

2C 5 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3,679,000 1,668.8 

3A6 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7,790,000 3,533.5 

3B ............................................................................................................................................................................. 2,650,000 1,202.0 

4A ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1,390,000 630.5 

4B ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1,140,000 517.1 

4C ............................................................................................................................................................................ 596,600 270.6 

4D ............................................................................................................................................................................ 596,600 270.6 

4E ............................................................................................................................................................................. 91,800 41.6 

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), 

regulations pertaining to the division of 

the Area 2A catch limit between the 

directed commercial fishery and the 

incidental catch fishery as described in 

paragraph (4) of section 8 will be 

promulgated by NMFS and published in 

the Federal Register. 

(3) The Commission shall determine 

and announce to the public the date on 

which the catch limit for Area 2A will 

be taken. 

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the 

commercial fishing in Area 2B will 

close only when all Individual Vessel 

Quotas (IVQs) assigned by DFO are 

taken, or November 7, whichever is 

earlier. 

(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), 

Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 

4E will each close only when all 

Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQ) and all 

CDQs issued by NMFS have been taken, 

or November 7, whichever is earlier. 

(6) If the Commission determines that 

the catch limit specified for Area 2A in 

paragraph (1) would be exceeded in an 

unrestricted 10-hour fishing period as 

specified in paragraph (2) of section 8, 

the catch limit for that area shall be 

considered to have been taken unless 

fishing period limits are implemented. 

(7) When under paragraphs (2), (3), 

and (6) the Commission has announced 

a date on which the catch limit for Area 

2A will be taken, no person shall fish 

for halibut in that area after that date for 

the rest of the year, unless the 

Commission has announced the 

reopening of that area for halibut 

fishing. 

(8) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the 

total allowable catch of halibut that may 

be taken in the Area 4E directed 

commercial fishery is equal to the 

combined annual catch limits specified 

for the Area 4D and Area 4E CDQ 

fisheries. The annual Area 4D CDQ 

catch limit will decrease by the 

equivalent amount of halibut CDQ taken 

in Area 4E in excess of the annual Area 

4E CDQ catch limit. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
13780 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

(9) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the 

total allowable catch of halibut that may 

be taken in the Area 4D directed 

commercial fishery is equal to the 

combined annual catch limits specified 

for Area 4C and Area 4D. The annual 

Area 4C catch limit will decrease by the 

equivalent amount of halibut taken in 

Area 4D in excess of the annual Area 4D 

catch limit. 

Area 2B includes combined 

commercial and sport catch limits that 

will be allocated by DFO. 

12. Fishing Period Limits 

(1) It shall be unlawful for any vessel 

to retain more halibut than authorized 

by that vessel’s license in any fishing 

period for which the Commission has 

announced a fishing period limit. 

(2) The operator of any vessel that 

fishes for halibut during a fishing period 

when fishing period limits are in effect 

must, upon commencing an offload of 

halibut to a commercial fish processor, 

completely offload all halibut on board 

said vessel to that processor and ensure 

that all halibut is weighed and reported 

on State fish tickets. 

(3) The operator of any vessel that 

fishes for halibut during a fishing period 

when fishing period limits are in effect 

must, upon commencing an offload of 

halibut other than to a commercial fish 

processor, completely offload all halibut 

on board said vessel and ensure that all 

halibut are weighed and reported on 

State fish tickets. 

(4) The provisions of paragraph (3) are 

not intended to prevent retail over-theside sales to individual purchasers so 

long as all the halibut on board is 

ultimately offloaded and reported. 

(5) When fishing period limits are in 

effect, a vessel’s maximum retainable 

catch will be determined by the 

Commission based on: 

(a) The vessel’s overall length in feet 

and associated length class; 

(b) The average performance of all 

vessels within that class; and 

(c) The remaining catch limit. 

(6) Length classes are shown in the 

following table: 

Overall length 

(in feet) Vessel class 

1–25 ...................................... A 

26–30 .................................... B 

31–35 .................................... C 

36–40 .................................... D 

41–45 .................................... E 

46–50 .................................... F 

51–55 .................................... G 

56+ ........................................ H 

(7) Fishing period limits in Area 2A 

apply only to the directed halibut 

fishery referred to in paragraph (2) of 

section 8. 

13. Size Limits 

(1) No person shall take or possess 

any halibut that: 

(a) With the head on, is less than 32 

inches (81.3 cm) as measured in a 

straight line, passing over the pectoral 

fin from the tip of the lower jaw with 

the mouth closed, to the extreme end of 

the middle of the tail, as illustrated in 

Figure 2; or 

(b) With the head removed, is less 

than 24 inches (61.0 cm) as measured 

from the base of the pectoral fin at its 

most anterior point to the extreme end 

of the middle of the tail, as illustrated 

in Figure 2. 

(2) No person on board a vessel 

fishing for, or tendering, halibut caught 

in Area 2A shall possess any halibut 

that has had its head removed. 

14. Careful Release of Halibut 

(1) All halibut that are caught and are 

not retained shall be immediately 

released outboard of the roller and 

returned to the sea with a minimum of 

injury by: 

(a) Hook straightening; 

(b) Cutting the gangion near the hook; 

or 

(c) Carefully removing the hook by 

twisting it from the halibut with a gaff. 

(2) Except that paragraph (1) shall not 

prohibit the possession of halibut on 

board a vessel that has been brought 

aboard to be measured to determine if 

the minimum size limit of the halibut is 

met and, if sublegal-sized, is promptly 

returned to the sea with a minimum of 

injury. 

15. Vessel Clearance in Area 4 

(1) The operator of any vessel that 

fishes for halibut in Areas 4A, 4B, 4C, 

or 4D must obtain a vessel clearance 

before fishing in any of these areas, and 

before the landing of any halibut caught 

in any of these areas, unless specifically 

exempted in paragraphs (10), (13), (14), 

(15), or (16). 

(2) An operator obtaining a vessel 

clearance required by paragraph (1) 

must obtain the clearance in person 

from the authorized clearance personnel 

and sign the IPHC form documenting 

that a clearance was obtained, except 

that when the clearance is obtained via 

VHF radio referred to in paragraphs (5), 

(8), and (9), the authorized clearance 

personnel must sign the IPHC form 

documenting that the clearance was 

obtained. 

(3) The vessel clearance required 

under paragraph (1) prior to fishing in 

Area 4A may be obtained only at Nazan 

Bay on Atka Island, Dutch Harbor or 

Akutan, Alaska, from an authorized 

officer of the United States, a 

representative of the Commission, or a 

designated fish processor. 

(4) The vessel clearance required 

under paragraph (1) prior to fishing in 

Area 4B may only be obtained at Nazan 

Bay on Atka Island or Adak, Alaska, 

from an authorized officer of the United 

States, a representative of the 

Commission, or a designated fish 

processor. 

(5) The vessel clearance required 

under paragraph (1) prior to fishing in 

Area 4C or 4D may be obtained only at 

St. Paul or St. George, Alaska, from an 

authorized officer of the United States, 

a representative of the Commission, or 

a designated fish processor by VHF 

radio and allowing the person contacted 

to confirm visually the identity of the 

vessel. 

(6) The vessel operator shall specify 

the specific regulatory area in which 

fishing will take place. 

(7) Before unloading any halibut 

caught in Area 4A, a vessel operator 

may obtain the clearance required under 

paragraph (1) only in Dutch Harbor or 

Akutan, Alaska, by contacting an 

authorized officer of the United States, 

a representative of the Commission, or 

a designated fish processor. 

(8) Before unloading any halibut 

caught in Area 4B, a vessel operator may 

obtain the clearance required under 

paragraph (1) only in Nazan Bay on 

Atka Island or Adak, by contacting an 

authorized officer of the United States, 

a representative of the Commission, or 

a designated fish processor by VHF 

radio or in person. 

(9) Before unloading any halibut 

caught in Area 4C and 4D, a vessel 

operator may obtain the clearance 

required under paragraph (1) only in St. 

Paul, St. George, Dutch Harbor, or 

Akutan, Alaska, either in person or by 

contacting an authorized officer of the 

United States, a representative of the 

Commission, or a designated fish 

processor. The clearances obtained in 

St. Paul or St. George, Alaska, can be 

obtained by VHF radio and allowing the 

person contacted to confirm visually the 

identity of the vessel. 

(10) Any vessel operator who 

complies with the requirements in 

section 18 for possessing halibut on 

board a vessel that was caught in more 

than one regulatory area in Area 4 is 

exempt from the clearance requirements 

of paragraph (1) of this section, 

provided that: 

(a) The operator of the vessel obtains 

a vessel clearance prior to fishing in 

Area 4 in either Dutch Harbor, Akutan, 

St. Paul, St. George, Adak, or Nazan Bay 

on Atka Island by contacting an 

authorized officer of the United States, 

a representative of the Commission, or 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 13781 

7 DFO has more restrictive regulations; therefore, 

section 17 paragraph (2)(b) does not apply to fish 

caught in Area 2B or landed in British Columbia. 

8 DFO did not adopt this regulation; therefore, 

section 17 paragraph (3) does not apply to fish 

caught in Area 2B. 

a designated fish processor. The 

clearance obtained in St. Paul, St. 

George, Adak, or Nazan Bay on Atka 

Island can be obtained by VHF radio 

and allowing the person contacted to 

confirm visually the identity of the 

vessel. This clearance will list the areas 

in which the vessel will fish; and 

(b) before unloading any halibut from 

Area 4, the vessel operator obtains a 

vessel clearance from Dutch Harbor, 

Akutan, St. Paul, St. George, Adak, or 

Nazan Bay on Atka Island by contacting 

an authorized officer of the United 

States, a representative of the 

Commission, or a designated fish 

processor. The clearance obtained in St. 

Paul or St. George can be obtained by 

VHF radio and allowing the person 

contacted to confirm visually the 

identity of the vessel. The clearance 

obtained in Adak or Nazan Bay on Atka 

Island can be obtained by VHF radio. 

(11) Vessel clearances shall be 

obtained between 0600 and 1800 hours, 

local time. 

(12) No halibut shall be on board the 

vessel at the time of the clearances 

required prior to fishing in Area 4. 

(13) Any vessel that is used to fish for 

halibut only in Area 4A and lands its 

total annual halibut catch at a port 

within Area 4A is exempt from the 

clearance requirements of paragraph (1). 

(14) Any vessel that is used to fish for 

halibut only in Area 4B and lands its 

total annual halibut catch at a port 

within Area 4B is exempt from the 

clearance requirements of paragraph (1). 

(15) Any vessel that is used to fish for 

halibut only in Area 4C or 4D or 4E and 

lands its total annual halibut catch at a 

port within Area 4C, 4D, 4E, or the 

closed area defined in section 10, is 

exempt from the clearance requirements 

of paragraph (1). 

(16) Any vessel that carries a 

transmitting VMS transmitter while 

fishing for halibut in Area 4A, 4B, 4C, 

or 4D and until all halibut caught in any 

of these areas is landed, is exempt from 

the clearance requirements of paragraph 

(1) of this section, provided that: 

(a) The operator of the vessel 

complies with NMFS’ vessel monitoring 

system regulations published at 50 CFR 

679.28(f)(3), (4) and (5); and 

(b) The operator of the vessel notifies 

NOAA Fisheries Office for Law 

Enforcement at 800–304–4846 (select 

option 1 to speak to an Enforcement 

Data Clerk) between the hours of 0600 

and 0000 (midnight) local time within 

72 hours before fishing for halibut in 

Area 4A, 4B, 4C, or 4D and receives a 

VMS confirmation number. 

16. Logs 

(1) The operator of any U.S. vessel 

fishing for halibut that has an overall 

length of 26 feet (7.9 meters) or greater 

shall maintain an accurate log of halibut 

fishing operations. The operator of a 

vessel fishing in waters in and off 

Alaska must use one of the following 

logbooks: the Groundfish/IFQ Daily 

Fishing Longline and Pot Gear Logbook 

provided by NMFS; the Alaska hookand-line logbook provided by Petersburg 

Vessel Owners Association or Alaska 

Longline Fisherman’s Association; the 

Alaska Department of Fish and Game 

(ADF&G) longline-pot logbook; or the 

logbook provided by IPHC. The operator 

of a vessel fishing in Area 2A must use 

either the Washington Department of 

Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Voluntary 

Sablefish Logbook, Oregon Department 

of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Fixed Gear 

Logbook, or the logbook provided by 

IPHC. 

(2) The logbook referred to in 

paragraph (1) must include the 

following information: 

(a) The name of the vessel and the 

State (ADF&G, WDFW, ODFW, or 

California Department of Fish and 

Game) or Tribal vessel number; 

(b) The date(s) upon which the fishing 

gear is set or retrieved; 

(c) The latitude and longitude 

coordinates or a direction and distance 

from a point of land for each set or day; 

(d) The number of skates deployed or 

retrieved, and number of skates lost; and 

(e) The total weight or number of 

halibut retained for each set or day. 

(3) The logbook referred to in 

paragraph (1) shall be: 

(a) Maintained on board the vessel; 

(b) Updated not later than 24 hours 

after 0000 (midnight) local time for each 

day fished and prior to the offloading or 

sale of halibut taken during that fishing 

trip; 

(c) Retained for a period of two years 

by the owner or operator of the vessel; 

(d) Open to inspection by an 

authorized officer or any authorized 

representative of the Commission upon 

demand; and 

(e) Kept on board the vessel when 

engaged in halibut fishing, during 

transits to port of landing, and until the 

offloading of all halibut is completed. 

(4) The log referred to in paragraph (1) 

does not apply to the incidental halibut 

fishery during the salmon troll season in 

Area 2A defined in paragraph (4) of 

section 8. 

(5) The operator of any Canadian 

vessel fishing for halibut shall maintain 

an accurate log recorded in the British 

Columbia Integrated Groundfish Fishing 

Log provided by DFO. 

(6) The logbook referred to in 

paragraph (5) must include the 

following information: 

(a) The name of the vessel and the 

DFO vessel registration number; 

(b) The date(s) upon which the fishing 

gear is set and retrieved; 

(c) The latitude and longitude 

coordinates for each set; 

(d) The number of skates deployed or 

retrieved, and number of skates lost; and 

(e) The total weight or number of 

halibut retained for each set. 

(7) The logbook referred to in 

paragraph (5) shall be: 

(a) Maintained on board the vessel; 

(b) Retained for a period of two years 

by the owner or operator of the vessel; 

(c) Open to inspection by an 

authorized officer or any authorized 

representative of the Commission upon 

demand; 

(d) Kept on board the vessel when 

engaged in halibut fishing, during 

transits to port of landing, and until the 

offloading of all halibut is completed; 

(e) Mailed to the DFO (white copy) 

within seven days of offloading; and 

(f) Mailed to the Commission (yellow 

copy) within seven days of the final 

offload if not collected by a Commission 

employee. 

(8) No person shall make a false entry 

in a log referred to in this section. 

17. Receipt and Possession of Halibut 

(1) No person shall receive halibut 

caught in Area 2A from a United States 

vessel that does not have on board the 

license required by section 4. 

(2) No person shall possess on board 

a vessel a halibut other than whole or 

with gills and entrails removed, except 

that this paragraph shall not prohibit the 

possession on board a vessel of: 

(a) Halibut cheeks cut from halibut 

caught by persons authorized to process 

the halibut on board in accordance with 

NMFS regulations published at 50 CFR 

part 679; 

(b) Fillets from halibut offloaded in 

accordance with section 17 that are 

possessed on board the harvesting 

vessel in the port of landing up to 1800 

hours local time on the calendar day 

following the offload 7; and 

(c) Halibut with their heads removed 

in accordance with section 13. 

(3) No person shall offload halibut 

from a vessel unless the gills and 

entrails have been removed prior to 

offloading 8. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
13782 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

9Without an observer, a vessel cannot have on 

board more halibut than the IFQ for the area that 

is being fished, even if some of the catch occurred 

earlier in a different area. 

(4) It shall be the responsibility of a 

vessel operator who lands halibut to 

continuously and completely offload at 

a single offload site all halibut on board 

the vessel. 

(5) A registered buyer (as that term is 

defined in regulations promulgated by 

NMFS and codified at 50 CFR part 679) 

who receives halibut harvested in IFQ 

and CDQ fisheries in Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 

4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E, directly from 

the vessel operator that harvested such 

halibut must weigh all the halibut 

received and record the following 

information on Federal catch reports: 

date of offload; name of vessel; vessel 

number (State, Tribal or Federal, not 

IPHC vessel number); scale weight 

obtained at the time of offloading, 

including the scale weight (in pounds) 

of halibut purchased by the registered 

buyer, the scale weight (in pounds) of 

halibut offloaded in excess of the IFQ or 

CDQ, the scale weight of halibut (in 

pounds) retained for personal use or for 

future sale, and the scale weight (in 

pounds) of halibut discarded as unfit for 

human consumption. 

(6) The first recipient, commercial 

fish processor, or buyer in the United 

States who purchases or receives halibut 

directly from the vessel operator that 

harvested such halibut must weigh and 

record all halibut received and record 

the following information on State fish 

tickets: the date of offload; vessel 

number (State, Tribal or Federal, not 

IPHC vessel number); total weight 

obtained at the time of offload including 

the weight (in pounds) of halibut 

purchased; the weight (in pounds) of 

halibut offloaded in excess of the IFQ, 

CDQ, or fishing period limits; the 

weight of halibut (in pounds) retained 

for personal use or for future sale; and 

the weight (in pounds) of halibut 

discarded as unfit for human 

consumption. 

(7) The individual completing the 

State fish tickets for the Area 2A 

fisheries as referred to in paragraph (6) 

must additionally record whether the 

halibut weight is of head-on or head-off 

fish. 

(8) For halibut landings made in 

Alaska, the requirements as listed in 

paragraph (5) and (6) can be met by 

recording the information in the 

Interagency Electronic Reporting 

Systems, eLandings in accordance with 

NMFS regulation published at 50 CFR 

part 679. 

(9) The master or operator of a 

Canadian vessel that was engaged in 

halibut fishing must weigh and record 

all halibut on board said vessel at the 

time offloading commences and record 

on Provincial fish tickets or Federal 

catch reports the date; locality; name of 

vessel; the name(s) of the person(s) from 

whom the halibut was purchased; and 

the scale weight obtained at the time of 

offloading of all halibut on board the 

vessel including the pounds purchased, 

pounds in excess of IVQs, pounds 

retained for personal use, and pounds 

discarded as unfit for human 

consumption. 

(10) No person shall make a false 

entry on a State or Provincial fish ticket 

or a Federal catch or landing report 

referred to in paragraphs (5), (6), and (9) 

of section 17. 

(11) A copy of the fish tickets or catch 

reports referred to in paragraphs (5), (6), 

and (9) shall be: 

(a) Retained by the person making 

them for a period of three years from the 

date the fish tickets or catch reports are 

made; and 

(b) open to inspection by an 

authorized officer or any authorized 

representative of the Commission. 

(12) No person shall possess any 

halibut taken or retained in 

contravention of these Regulations. 

(13) When halibut are landed to other 

than a commercial fish processor, the 

records required by paragraph (6) shall 

be maintained by the operator of the 

vessel from which that halibut was 

caught, in compliance with paragraph 

(11). 

(14) No person shall tag halibut unless 

the tagging is authorized by IPHC permit 

or by a Federal or State agency. 

18. Fishing Multiple Regulatory Areas 

(1) Except as provided in this section, 

no person shall possess at the same time 

on board a vessel halibut caught in more 

than one regulatory area. 

(2) Halibut caught in more than one 

of the Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, or 3B 

may be possessed on board a vessel at 

the same time, provided the operator of 

the vessel: 

(a) Has a NMFS-certified observer on 

board when required by NMFS 

regulations 9 published at 50 CFR 

679.7(f)(4); and 

(b) Can identify the regulatory area in 

which each halibut on board was caught 

by separating halibut from different 

areas in the hold, tagging halibut, or by 

other means. 

(3) Halibut caught in more than one 

of the Regulatory Areas 4A, 4B, 4C, or 

4D may be possessed on board a vessel 

at the same time, provided the operator 

of the vessel: 

(a) Has a NMFS-certified observer on 

board the vessel as required by NMFS 

regulations published at 50 CFR 

679.7(f)(4); or has an operational VMS 

on board actively transmitting in all 

regulatory areas fished and does not 

possess at any time more halibut on 

board the vessel than the IFQ permit 

holders on board the vessel have 

cumulatively available for any single 

Area 4 regulatory area fished; and 

(b) Can identify the regulatory area in 

which each halibut on board was caught 

by separating halibut from different 

areas in the hold, tagging halibut, or by 

other means. 

(4) If halibut from Area 4 are on board 

the vessel, the vessel can have halibut 

caught in Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, and 

3B on board if in compliance with 

paragraph (2). 

19. Fishing Gear 

(1) No person shall fish for halibut 

using any gear other than hook and line 

gear, except that vessels licensed to 

catch sablefish in Area 2B using 

sablefish trap gear as defined in the 

Condition of Sablefish Licence can 

retain halibut caught as bycatch under 

regulations promulgated by the 

Canadian Department of Fisheries and 

Oceans. 

(2) No person shall possess halibut 

taken with any gear other than hook and 

line gear, except that vessels licensed to 

catch sablefish in Area 2B using 

sablefish trap gear as defined by the 

Condition of Sablefish Licence can 

retain halibut caught as bycatch under 

regulations promulgated by the 

Canadian Department of Fisheries and 

Oceans. 

(3) No person shall possess halibut 

while on board a vessel carrying any 

trawl nets or fishing pots capable of 

catching halibut, except that in Areas 

2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, or 4E, 

halibut heads, skin, entrails, bones or 

fins for use as bait may be possessed on 

board a vessel carrying pots capable of 

catching halibut, provided that a receipt 

documenting purchase or transfer of 

these halibut parts is on board the 

vessel. 

(4) All setline or skate marker buoys 

carried on board or used by any United 

States vessel used for halibut fishing 

shall be marked with one of the 

following: 

(a) The vessel’s State license number; 

or 

(b) The vessel’s registration number. 

(5) The markings specified in 

paragraph (4) shall be in characters at 

least four inches in height and one-half 

inch in width in a contrasting color 

visible above the water and shall be 

maintained in legible condition. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES
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(6) All setline or skate marker buoys 

carried on board or used by a Canadian 

vessel used for halibut fishing shall be: 

(a) Floating and visible on the surface 

of the water; and 

(b) legibly marked with the 

identification plate number of the vessel 

engaged in commercial fishing from 

which that setline is being operated. 

(7) No person on board a vessel used 

to fish for any species of fish anywhere 

in Area 2A during the 72-hour period 

immediately before the fishing period 

for the directed commercial fishery shall 

catch or possess halibut anywhere in 

those waters during that halibut fishing 

period unless, prior to the start of the 

halibut fishing period, the vessel has 

removed its gear from the water and has 

either: 

(a) Made a landing and completely 

offloaded its catch of other fish; or 

(b) Submitted to a hold inspection by 

an authorized officer. 

(8) No vessel used to fish for any 

species of fish anywhere in Area 2A 

during the 72-hour period immediately 

before the fishing period for the directed 

commercial fishery may be used to 

catch or possess halibut anywhere in 

those waters during that halibut fishing 

period unless, prior to the start of the 

halibut fishing period, the vessel has 

removed its gear from the water and has 

either: 

(a) Made a landing and completely 

offloaded its catch of other fish; or 

(b) Submitted to a hold inspection by 

an authorized officer. 

(9) No person on board a vessel from 

which setline gear was used to fish for 

any species of fish anywhere in Areas 

2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, or 4E 

during the 72-hour period immediately 

before the opening of the halibut fishing 

season shall catch or possess halibut 

anywhere in those areas until the vessel 

has removed all of its setline gear from 

the water and has either: 

(a) Made a landing and completely 

offloaded its entire catch of other fish; 

or 

(b) Submitted to a hold inspection by 

an authorized officer. 

(10) No vessel from which setline gear 

was used to fish for any species of fish 

anywhere in Areas 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 

4B, 4C, 4D, or 4E during the 72-hour 

period immediately before the opening 

of the halibut fishing season may be 

used to catch or possess halibut 

anywhere in those areas until the vessel 

has removed all of its setline gear from 

the water and has either: 

(a) Made a landing and completely 

offloaded its entire catch of other fish; 

or 

(b) Submitted to a hold inspection by 

an authorized officer. 

(11) Notwithstanding any other 

provision in these Regulations, a person 

may retain, possess and dispose of 

halibut taken with trawl gear only as 

authorized by Prohibited Species 

Donation regulations of NMFS. 

20. Supervision of Unloading and 

Weighing 

The unloading and weighing of 

halibut may be subject to the 

supervision of authorized officers to 

assure the fulfillment of the provisions 

of these Regulations. 

21. Retention of Tagged Halibut 

(1) Nothing contained in these 

Regulations prohibits any vessel at any 

time from retaining and landing a 

halibut that bears a Commission 

external tag at the time of capture, if the 

halibut with the tag still attached is 

reported at the time of landing and 

made available for examination by a 

representative of the Commission or by 

an authorized officer. 

(2) After examination and removal of 

the tag by a representative of the 

Commission or an authorized officer, 

the halibut: 

(a) May be retained for personal use; 

or 

(b) May be sold only if the halibut is 

caught during commercial halibut 

fishing and complies with the other 

commercial fishing provisions of these 

Regulations. 

(3) Externally tagged fish must count 

against commercial IVQs, CDQs, IFQs, 

or daily bag or possession limits unless 

otherwise exempted by State, 

Provincial, or Federal regulations. 

22. Fishing by United States Treaty 

Indian Tribes 

(1) Halibut fishing in Subarea 2A–1 by 

members of United States treaty Indian 

tribes located in the State of Washington 

shall be regulated under regulations 

promulgated by NMFS and published in 

the Federal Register. 

(2) Subarea 2A–1 includes all waters 

off the coast of Washington that are 

north of 46°53 ́18 ́ ́ N. latitude and east 

of 125°44 ́00 ́ ́ W. longitude, and all 

inland marine waters of Washington. 

(3) Section 13 (size limits), section 14 

(careful release of halibut), section 16 

(logs), section 17 (receipt and 

possession of halibut) and section 19 

(fishing gear), except paragraphs (7) and 

(8) of section 19, apply to commercial 

fishing for halibut in Subarea 2A–1 by 

the treaty Indian tribes. 

(4) Regulations in paragraph (3) of this 

section that apply to State fish tickets 

apply to Tribal tickets that are 

authorized by Washington Department 

of Fish and Wildlife. 

(5) Section 4 (Licensing Vessels for 

Area 2A) does not apply to commercial 

fishing for halibut in Subarea 2A–1 by 

treaty Indian tribes. 

(6) Commercial fishing for halibut in 

Subarea 2A–1 is permitted with hook 

and line gear from March 14 through 

November 7, or until 307,700 pounds 

(139.6 metric tons) net weight is taken, 

whichever occurs first. 

(7) Ceremonial and subsistence 

fishing for halibut in Subarea 2A–1 is 

permitted with hook and line gear from 

January 1 through December 31, and is 

estimated to take 31,800 pounds (14.4 

metric tons) net weight. 

23. Customary and Traditional Fishing 

in Alaska 

(1) Customary and traditional fishing 

for halibut in Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, 

3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E shall be 

governed pursuant to regulations 

promulgated by NMFS and published in 

50 CFR part 300. 

(2) Customary and traditional fishing 

is authorized from January 1 through 

December 31. 

24. Aboriginal Groups Fishing for Food, 

Social and Ceremonial Purposes in 

British Columbia 

(1) Fishing for halibut for food, social 

and ceremonial purposes by Aboriginal 

groups in Regulatory Area 2B shall be 

governed by the Fisheries Act of Canada 

and regulations as amended from time 

to time. 

25. Sport Fishing for Halibut—General 

(1) No person shall engage in sport 

fishing for halibut using gear other than 

a single line with no more than two 

hooks attached; or a spear. 

(2) Any minimum overall size limit 

promulgated under IPHC or NMFS 

regulations shall be measured in a 

straight line passing over the pectoral 

fin from the tip of the lower jaw with 

the mouth closed, to the extreme end of 

the middle of the tail. 

(3) Any halibut brought aboard a 

vessel and not immediately returned to 

the sea with a minimum of injury will 

be included in the daily bag limit of the 

person catching the halibut. 

(4) No person may possess halibut on 

a vessel while fishing in a closed area. 

(5) No halibut caught by sport fishing 

shall be offered for sale, sold, traded, or 

bartered. 

(6) No halibut caught in sport fishing 

shall be possessed on board a vessel 

when other fish or shellfish aboard said 

vessel are destined for commercial use, 

sale, trade, or barter. 

(7) The operator of a charter vessel 

shall be liable for any violations of these 

Regulations committed by an angler on 


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13784 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

10 DFO could implement more restrictive 

regulations for the sport fishery, therefore anglers 

are advised to check the current Federal or 

Provincial regulations prior to fishing. 11For regulations on the experimental 

recreational fishery implemented by DFO check the 

current Federal or Provincial regulations. 12NMFS could implement more restrictive 

regulations for the sport fishery or components of 

it, therefore, anglers are advised to check the 

current Federal or State regulations prior to fishing. 13Charter vessels are prohibited from harvesting 

halibut in Area 2C and 3A during one charter vessel 

fishing trip under regulations promulgated by 

NMFS at 50 CFR 300.66. 14For halibut caught and retained as GAF, the 

charter vessel guide must immediately remove the 

tips of the upper and lower lobes of the caudal (tail) 

fin, and if the halibut is filleted, the entire carcass, 

with head and tail connected as a single piece, must 

be retained on board the vessel until all fillets are 

offloaded (50 CFR 300.65(c)(5)(iv)(G)). Additional 

regulations governing use of GAF are at 50 CFR 

300.65. 

board said vessel. In Alaska, the charter 

vessel guide, as defined in 50 CFR 

300.61 and referred to in 50 CFR 300.65, 

300.66, and 300.67, shall be liable for 

any violation of these Regulations 

committed by an angler on board a 

charter vessel. 

26. Sport Fishing for Halibut—Area 2A 

(1) The total allowable catch of 

halibut shall be limited to: 

(a) 214,110 pounds (97.1 metric tons) 

net weight in waters off Washington; 

(b) 187,259 pounds (84.9 metric tons) 

net weight in waters off Oregon; and 

(c) 25,220 pounds (11.4 metric tons) 

net weight in waters off California. 

(2) The Commission shall determine 

and announce closing dates to the 

public for any area in which the catch 

limits promulgated by NMFS are 

estimated to have been taken. 

(3) When the Commission has 

determined that a subquota under 

paragraph (8) of this section is estimated 

to have been taken, and has announced 

a date on which the season will close, 

no person shall sport fish for halibut in 

that area after that date for the rest of the 

year, unless a reopening of that area for 

sport halibut fishing is scheduled in 

accordance with the Catch Sharing Plan 

for Area 2A, or announced by the 

Commission. 

(4) In California, Oregon, or 

Washington, no person shall fillet, 

mutilate, or otherwise disfigure a 

halibut in any manner that prevents the 

determination of minimum size or the 

number of fish caught, possessed, or 

landed. 

(5) The possession limit on a vessel 

for halibut in the waters off the coast of 

Washington is the same as the daily bag 

limit. The possession limit on land in 

Washington for halibut caught in U.S. 

waters off the coast of Washington is 

two halibut. 

(6) The possession limit on a vessel 

for halibut caught in the waters off the 

coast of Oregon is the same as the daily 

bag limit. The possession limit for 

halibut on land in Oregon is three daily 

bag limits. 

(7) The possession limit on a vessel 

for halibut caught in the waters off the 

coast of California is one halibut. The 

possession limit for halibut on land in 

California is one halibut. 

(8) [The Area 2A CSP will be 

published under a separate final rule 

that, once published, will be available 

on the NOAA Fisheries West Coast 

Region’s Web site at http://

www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/

fisheries/management/pacific_halibut_

management.html, and under FDMS 

Docket Number NOAA–NMFS–2014– 

0159 at www.regulations.gov.] 

27. Sport Fishing for Halibut—Area 2B 

(1) In all waters off British 

Columbia:10 11

(a) the sport fishing season will open 

on February 1 unless more restrictive 

regulations are in place; 10

(b) the sport fishing season will close 

when the sport catch limit allocated by 

DFO, is taken, or December 31, 

whichever is earlier; and 

(c) the daily bag limit is two halibut 

of any size per day per person. 

(2) In British Columbia, no person 

shall fillet, mutilate, or otherwise 

disfigure a halibut in any manner that 

prevents the determination of minimum 

size or the number of fish caught, 

possessed, or landed. 

(3) The possession limit for halibut in 

the waters off the coast of British 

Columbia is three halibut.10 11

28. Sport Fishing for Halibut—Areas 2C, 

3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E 

(1) In Convention waters in and off 

Alaska:12 13

(a) The sport fishing season is from 

February 1 to December 31. 

(b) The daily bag limit is two halibut 

of any size per day per person unless a 

more restrictive bag limit applies in 

Commission regulations or Federal 

regulations at 50 CFR 300.65. 

(c) No person may possess more than 

two daily bag limits. 

(d) No person shall possess on board 

a vessel, including charter vessels and 

pleasure craft used for fishing, halibut 

that have been filleted, mutilated, or 

otherwise disfigured in any manner, 

except that each halibut may be cut into 

no more than 2 ventral pieces, 2 dorsal 

pieces, and 2 cheek pieces, with skin on 

all pieces.14

(e) Halibut in excess of the possession 

limit in paragraph (1)(c) of this section 

may be possessed on a vessel that does 

not contain sport fishing gear, fishing 

rods, hand lines, or gaffs. 

(f) All halibut harvested on a charter 

vessel fishing trip in Area 2C or Area 3A 

must be retained on board the charter 

vessel on which the halibut was caught 

until the end of the charter vessel 

fishing trip as defined at 50 CFR 300.61. 

(g) Guided angler fish (GAF), as 

described at 50 CFR 300.65, may be 

used to allow a charter vessel angler to 

harvest additional halibut up to the 

limits in place for unguided anglers, and 

are exempt from the requirements in 

paragraphs 2 and 3 of this section.14

(2) For guided sport fishing (as 

referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) in 

Regulatory Area 2C: 

(a) The total catch allocation, 

including an estimate of incidental 

mortality (wastage), is 851,000 pounds 

(386.0 metric tons). 

(b) No person on board a charter 

vessel (as referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) 

shall catch and retain more than one 

halibut per calendar day. 

(c) No person on board a charter 

vessel (as referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) 

shall catch and retain any halibut that 

with head on that is greater than 42 

inches (107 cm) and less than 80 inches 

(203 cm) as measured in a straight line, 

passing over the pectoral fin from the 

tip of the lower jaw with mouth closed, 

to the extreme end of the middle of the 

tail, as illustrated in Figure 3. 

(d) If the halibut is filleted, the entire 

carcass, with head and tail connected as 

a single piece, must be retained on 

board the vessel until all fillets are 

offloaded.14

(3) For guided sport fishing (as 

referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) in 

Regulatory Area 3A: 

(a) The total catch allocation, 

including an estimate of incidental 

mortality (wastage), is 1,890,000 pounds 

(857.3 metric tons). 

(b) No person on board a charter 

vessel (as referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) 

shall catch and retain more than two 

halibut per calendar day. 

(c) At least one of the retained halibut 

must have a head-on length of no more 

than 29 inches (74 cm) as measured in 

a straight line, passing over the pectoral 

fin from the tip of the lower jaw with 

mouth closed, to the extreme end of the 

middle of the tail, as illustrated in 

Figure 4. If a person sport fishing on a 

charter vessel in Area 3A retains only 

one halibut in a calendar day, that 

halibut may be of any length. 

(d) If the size-restricted halibut is 

filleted, the entire carcass, with head 

and tail connected as a single piece, 

must be retained on board the vessel 

until all fillets are offloaded.14

(e) A charter vessel on which one or 

more anglers catch and retain halibut 

may only make one charter vessel 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 13785 

fishing trip per calendar day. A charter 

vessel fishing trip is defined at 50 CFR 

300.61 as the time period between the 

first deployment of fishing gear into the 

water by a charter vessel angler (as 

defined at 50 CFR 300.61) and the 

offloading of one or more charter vessel 

anglers or any halibut from that vessel. 

For purposes of this trip limit, a charter 

vessel fishing trip ends at 11:59 p.m. 

(Alaska local time) on the same calendar 

day that the fishing trip began, or when 

any anglers or halibut are offloaded, 

whichever comes first. 

(f) No person on board a charter vessel 

may catch and retain halibut on 

Thursdays between June 15 and August 

31. Only GAF halibut, if authorized by 

50 CFR 300.65, may be retained by 

charter vessel anglers in Area 3A on 

Thursdays between these dates. 

(g) Charter vessel anglers may catch 

and retain no more than five (5) halibut 

per year on board charter vessels in 

Area 3A. Halibut that are retained as 

GAF, retained while on a charter vessel 

fishing trip in other Commission 

regulatory areas, or retained while 

fishing without the services of a guide 

do not accrue toward the 5-fish annual 

limit. 

29. Previous Regulations Superseded 

These Regulations shall supersede all 

previous regulations of the Commission, 

and these Regulations shall be effective 

each succeeding year until superseded. 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULESER17MR15.009</GPH> ER17MR15.010</GPH>
13786 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

Classification 

IPHC Regulations 

These IPHC annual management 

measures are a product of an agreement 

between the United States and Canada 

and are published in the Federal 

Register to provide notice of their 

effectiveness and content. Pursuant to 

section 4 of the Northern Pacific Halibut 

Act of 1982, 16 U.S.C. 773c, the 

Secretary of State, with the concurrence 

of the Secretary of Commerce, may 

‘‘accept or reject’’ but not modify these 

recommendations of the IPHC. 

The Assistant Administrator for 

Fisheries finds that the otherwise 

applicable notice-and-comment and 

delay-in-effectiveness date provisions of 

the Administrative Procedure Act 

(APA), 5 U.S.C. 553(c) and (d), are 

inapplicable to these IPHC management 

measures pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1) 

because this regulation involves a 

foreign affairs function of the United 

States. Once accepted, the measures are 

non-discretionary and the additional 

time necessary to comply with the 

notice-and-comment and delay-ineffectiveness requirements of the APA 

would disrupt coordinated international 

conservation and management of the 

halibut fishery pursuant to the 

Convention. Furthermore, no other law 

requires prior notice and public 

comment for this rule. Because prior 

notice and an opportunity for public 

comment are not required to be 

provided for these portions of this rule 

by 5 U.S.C. 553, or any other law, the 

analytical requirements of the 

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

et seq., are not applicable. Accordingly, 

no Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is 

required for this portion of the rule and 

none has been prepared. 

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


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULESER17MR15.011</GPH> ER17MR15.012</GPH>
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 51 / Tuesday, March 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 13787 

Dated: March 11, 2015. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–06041 Filed 3–13–15; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 141021887–5172–02] 

RIN 0648–XD587 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands; 2015 and 2016 

Harvest Specifications for Groundfish 

Correction 

In rule document 2015–05041 

beginning on page 11919 in the issue of 

Thursday, March 5, 2015, make the 

following correction(s): 

On page 11921, Table 1 should read: 

TABLE 1–FINAL 2015 OVERFISHING LEVEL (OFL), ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC), TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH

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

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area 

2015 

OFL ABC TAC ITAC 2 CDQ 3

Pollock 4 ......................................... BS ............................ 3,330,000 1,637,000 1,310,000 1,179,000 131,000 

AI .............................. 36,005 29,659 19,000 17,100 1,900 

Bogoslof ................... 21,200 15,900 100 100 0 

Pacific cod 5 ................................... BS ............................ 346,000 255,000 240,000 214,320 25,680 

AI .............................. 23,400 17,600 9,422 8,414 1,008 

Sablefish ........................................ BS ............................ 1,575 1,333 1,333 567 183 

AI .............................. 2,128 1,802 1,802 383 304 

Yellowfin sole ................................ BSAI ......................... 266,400 248,800 149,000 133,057 15,943 

Greenland turbot ........................... BSAI ......................... 3,903 3,172 2,648 2,251 n/a 

BS ............................ n/a 2,448 2,448 2,081 262 

AI .............................. n/a 724 200 170 0 

Arrowtooth flounder ....................... BSAI ......................... 93,856 80,547 22,000 18,700 2,354 

Kamchatka flounder ...................... BSAI ......................... 10,500 9,000 6,500 5,525 0 

Rock sole ....................................... BSAI ......................... 187,600 181,700 69,250 61,840 7,410 

Flathead sole 6 ............................... BSAI ......................... 79,419 66,130 24,250 21,655 2,595 

Alaska plaice ................................. BSAI ......................... 54,000 44,900 18,500 15,725 0 

Other flatfish 7 ................................ BSAI ......................... 17,700 13,250 3,620 3,077 0 

Pacific ocean perch ....................... BSAI ......................... 42,558 34,988 32,021 28,250 n/a 

BS ............................ n/a 8,771 8,021 6,818 0 

EAI ........................... n/a 8,312 8,000 7,144 856 

CAI ........................... n/a 7,723 7,000 6,251 749 

WAI .......................... n/a 10,182 9,000 8,037 963 

Northern rockfish ........................... BSAI ......................... 15,337 12,488 3,250 2,763 0 

Rougheye rockfish 8 ...................... BSAI ......................... 560 453 349 297 0 

BS/EAI ...................... n/a 149 149 127 0 

CAI/WAI ................... n/a 304 200 170 0 

Shortraker rockfish ........................ BSAI ......................... 690 518 250 213 0 

Other rockfish 9 .............................. BSAI ......................... 1,667 1,250 880 748 0 

BS ............................ n/a 695 325 276 0 

AI .............................. n/a 555 555 472 0 

Atka mackerel ................................ BSAI ......................... 125,297 106,000 54,500 48,669 5,832 

BS/EAI ...................... n/a 38,492 27,000 24,111 2,889 

CAI ........................... n/a 33,108 17,000 15,181 1,819 

WAI .......................... n/a 34,400 10,500 9,377 1,124 

Skates ............................................ BSAI ......................... 49,575 41,658 25,700 21,845 0 

Sculpins ......................................... BSAI ......................... 52,365 39,725 4,700 3,995 0 

Sharks ........................................... BSAI ......................... 1,363 1,022 125 106 0 

Squids ............................................ BSAI ......................... 2,624 1,970 400 340 0 

Octopuses ..................................... BSAI ......................... 3,452 2,589 400 340 0 

TOTAL 4,769,174 2,848,454 2,000,000 1,789,278 197,038 

1These amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of 

these harvest specifications, the Bering Sea (BS) subarea includes the Bogoslof District. 2Except for pollock, the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, and Amendment 80 species, 15 percent of each 

TAC is put into a reserve. The ITAC for these species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves. For pollock and 

Amendment 80 species, ITAC is the non-CDQ allocation of TAC (see footnotes 3 and 5). 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with RULES