[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17344-17352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07329]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 300

[Docket No. 141219999-5289-02]
RIN 0648-BE66


Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Catch Sharing Plan

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule announces the approval of the Area 2A (waters 
off the U.S. West Coast) Catch Sharing Plan (Plan), with modifications 
recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), and 
issues implementing regulations for 2015. These actions are intended to 
conserve Pacific halibut, provide angler opportunity where available, 
and minimize bycatch of overfished groundfish species. The sport 
fishing management measures in this rule are an additional subsection 
of the regulations for the International Pacific Halibut Commission 
(IPHC) published on March 17, 2015.

DATES: This rule is effective April 1, 2015. The 2015 management 
measures are effective until superseded.

ADDRESSES: Additional requests for information regarding this action 
may be obtained by contacting the Sustainable Fisheries Division, NMFS 
West Coast Region, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115. For 
information regarding all halibut fisheries and general regulations not 
contained in this rule contact the International Pacific Halibut 
Commission, 2320 W. Commodore Way Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98199-1287; or 
this final rule also is accessible via the Internet at the Federal 
eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov identified by NOAA-
NMFS-2015-0159. Electronic copies of the Final Regulatory Flexibility 
Analysis (FRFA) prepared for this action may be obtained by contacting 
Sarah Williams, phone: 206-526-4646, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#17647665767f39607e7b7b7e767a64577978767639707861"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3c4f5d4e5d54124b555050555d514f7c52535d5d125b534a">[email protected]</span></a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Williams, 206-526-4646, email at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b6c5d7c4d7de98c1dfdadadfd7dbc5f6d8d9d7d798d1d9c0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b7c4d6c5d6df99c0dedbdbded6dac4f7d9d8d6d699d0d8c1">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access

    This rule is accessible via the Internet at the Office of the 
Federal Register Web site at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html. Background information and documents are available at the 
NMFS West Coast Region Web site at http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/management/pacific_halibut_management.html and at the Council's Web site at http://www.pcouncil.org.

Background

    The IPHC has promulgated regulations governing 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). Pursuant to the Northern 
Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act) at 16 U.S.C. 773b, the 
Secretary of State accepted the 2015 IPHC regulations as provided by 
the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act) at 16 U.S.C. 
773-773k. NMFS published these regulations on March 17, 2015 (80 FR 
13771).
    The Halibut Act provides that the Regional Fishery Management 
Councils may develop, and the Secretary 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. To that end,

[[Page 17345]]

the Council adopted a Catch Sharing Plan (Plan) allocating halibut 
among groups of fishermen in Area 2A, which is off the coasts of 
Washington, Oregon, and California. The Plan allocates the Area 2A 
catch limit among treaty Indian and non-Indian commercial and sport 
harvesters. The treaty Indian group includes tribal commercial, tribal 
ceremonial, and subsistence fisheries. Each year between 1988 and 1995, 
the Council developed and NMFS implemented a catch sharing plan in 
accordance with the Halibut Act to allocate the total allowable catch 
(TAC) of Pacific halibut between treaty Indian and non-Indian 
harvesters and among non-Indian commercial and sport fisheries in Area 
2A. In 1995, NMFS implemented the Pacific Council-recommended long-term 
Plan (60 FR 14651, March 20, 1995). Every year since then, minor 
revisions to the Plan have been made to adjust for the changing needs 
of the fisheries.
    NMFS implements the allocation scheme in the Plan through annual 
regulations for Area 2A. The proposed rule describing the changes the 
Council recommended to the Plan and resulting proposed Area 2A 
regulations for 2015 was published on February 3, 2015 (80 FR 5719). 
The proposed rule was developed prior to the IPHC's decision on a TAC 
for Area 2A, therefore it did not include final allocations for the 
relevant areas and subareas. The IPHC held its annual meeting January 
26-30, 2015, and selected at TAC of 970,000 pounds for Area 2A. This 
final rule accounts for that information.
    For 2015, this final rule contains only those regulations 
implementing the Plan in Area 2A. NMFS published the complete IPHC 
regulations, which apply to commercial, treaty Indian, and recreational 
fisheries, separately on March 17, 2015 (80 FR 13771). Therefore anyone 
wishing to fish for halibut in Area 2A should read both this final rule 
and the March 17, 2015 final rule that implements the IPHC regulations.

Changes to the Pacific Fishery Management Council's Area 2A Catch 
Sharing Plan

    This final rule announces the approval of several Council-
recommended changes to the Pacific Fishery Management Council's Area 2A 
Plan and implements the Plan through annual management measures. For 
2015, the Council recommended and NMFS implements in this final rule, 
several changes to the non-Indian allocations in order to provide the 
California recreational fishery with an allocation that is closer to 
recent effort while not substantially reducing the remaining non-Indian 
allocations. The Council recommendation increases the California sport 
fishery allocation from 1 to 4 percent of the non-tribal allocation by 
reducing the Washington and Oregon sport and the commercial allocations 
each by 1 percent.
    Additionally for 2015, the Council recommended several minor 
changes to the Plan that would: (1) Remove a reference to the ``fall 
salmon troll fisheries'' as a trigger for the rollover of quota from 
the directed halibut fishery to the incidental salmon troll fishery 
because there is no defined ``fall'' salmon fishery; (2) make several 
changes to the Columbia River subarea including modifying the Oregon 
contribution to a fixed percentage of the Oregon sport allocation, 
setting the nearshore fishery allocation to 500 pounds, removing the 
spring and summer fisheries thus allowing the quota to be used 
continuously, and adding all flatfish species to the list of 
incidentally caught fish allowed to be landed with halibut; (3) make 
several changes to the Oregon central coast subarea including 
clarifying that the allocation to the Columbia river subarea comes from 
the total Oregon sport allocation and not from this area's spring 
fishery, adding incidental flatfish retention consistent with the 
change in the Columbia River subarea, modifying the spring all depth 
season allocation from 61 to 63 percent, and removing the provision 
that allocated a portion of the spring fishery to the Southern Oregon 
subarea; (4) modify the allocation to the Southern Oregon subarea from 
2 to 4 percent of the Oregon sport allocation after the Columbia River 
allocation has been subtracted; (5) make several changes to the 
California subarea including modifying the season structure to a 7 days 
per week fishery when open, with a season length that is based on 
attainment of the quota instead of a set season, allowing inseason 
action through joint NMFS, IPHC, and CDFW consultation; and (6) modify 
the name of the NMFS Northwest Regional Office to ``NMFS West Coast 
Regional Office'', to reflect the recent merger of NMFS offices.

Incidental Halibut Retention in the Sablefish Primary Fishery North of 
Pt. Chehalis, Washington and the Salmon Troll Fishery Along the West 
Coast

    This final rule also implements the allocation for incidental 
halibut retention in the sablefish primary fishery north of Pt. 
Chehalis, Washington. The Plan provides that incidental halibut 
retention in the sablefish primary fishery north of Pt. Chehalis, 
Washington, will be allowed when the Area 2A TAC is greater than 
900,000 lb (408.2 mt), provided that a minimum of 10,000 lb (4.5 mt) is 
available above the state of Washington recreational allocation of 
214,100 lb (97.1 mt). In 2015, the TAC is set at 970,000 lb (439.99 
mt); therefore, the allocation for incidental halibut retention in the 
sablefish fishery is 10,348 lb (4.69 mt). The Council considered 
whether any changes to the landing restrictions adopted for this 
fishery in 2014 were necessary for 2015, but because this allocation is 
similar to recent allocations, the Council made no changes. Therefore, 
the 2015 incidental halibut landing restrictions are: 75 pounds dressed 
weight of halibut for every 1,000 lbs dressed weight of sablefish, 
except that 2 additional halibut may be landed. These restrictions can 
be found in the groundfish regulations at 50 CFR 660.231(3)(iv).
    The Plan allocates 15 percent of the non-Indian commercial TAC to 
the salmon troll fishery in Area 2A. For 2015, the allocation for the 
salmon troll fishery in Area 2A is 29,035 lb (13.17 mt). The Council 
approved a range of landing restrictions for public review at its 
recent March meeting. The final landing restrictions will be addressed 
at its April 2015 meetings.

Comments and Responses

    NMFS accepted comments on the proposed rule for the Area 2A Plan 
and annual management measures through March 5, 2015. NMFS received 4 
public comment letters: one comment letter each from the Washington 
Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Oregon Department of Fish and 
Wildlife (ODFW), and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) 
recommending season dates for halibut sport fisheries in each state, 
and one comment from an individual.
    Comment 1: The WDFW held a public meeting following the IPHC's 
final 2015 TAC decisions to review the results of the 2013 Puget Sound 
halibut fishery, as the 2014 catch data was not yet finalized, and the 
preliminary 2014 estimates, and to develop season dates for the 2015 
sport halibut fishery. Based on input from stakeholders, WDFW 
recommended a 2015 season that is similar to the 2014 season because 
the allocation to this area is the same as in 2014. For the Puget Sound 
halibut sport fishery, WDFW recommended the following dates: the 
Eastern Region to be open May 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, and 
30; and the Western Region to be open May 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 
and 30.

[[Page 17346]]

    Response: NMFS believes WDFW's recommended Puget Sound season dates 
will help keep this area within its quota, while providing for angler 
enjoyment and participation. Therefore, NMFS implements the dates for 
this subarea as stated above, in this final rule.
    Comment 2: The ODFW held a public meeting and hosted an online 
survey following the final TAC decision by the IPHC. Based on public 
comments received on Oregon halibut fisheries, the ODFW recommended the 
following days for the spring fishery in the Central Coast subarea, 
within this subarea's parameters for a Thursday-Saturday season and 
weeks of adverse tidal conditions skipped: Regular open days May 14-16, 
28-30, June 11-13, and 25-27. Back-up dates in case there is sufficient 
remaining quota will be July 9-11 and 23-25. For the summer all-depth 
fishery in this subarea, ODFW recommended following the Plan's 
parameters of opening the first Friday in August, with open days to 
occur every other Friday-Saturday, unless modified in-season within the 
parameters of the Plan. Therefore, pursuant to the Plan, the ODFW 
recommended the 2015 summer all-depth fishery in Oregon's Central Coast 
Subarea to occur: August 7, 8, 21, 22, September 4, 5, 18, 19, October 
2, 3, 16, 17, 30, and 31.
    Response: NMFS believes ODFW's recommended Central Coast season 
dates will help keep this area within its quota, while providing for 
angler enjoyment and participation. Therefore, NMFS implements the 
dates in this final rule.
    Comment 3: The CDFW held a public meeting to solicit comments on 
the sport fishing seasons. Based on public comments and projected 
attainment of subarea allocation, the CDFW recommended the following 
open days May 1-14, June 1-15, July 1-15, August 1-15, and September 1-
October 31.
    Response: NMFS agrees with CDFW's recommended season dates. These 
dates will help keep this area within its quota, while providing for 
angler enjoyment and participation. Therefore, NMFS implements the 
dates in this final rule.
    Comment 5: NMFS received one comment from a member of the public 
that appears to oppose the proposed rule, but does not identify any 
specific reasons for that opposition.
    Response: NMFS believes the revised Plan and proposed annual 
regulations will result in effective management of fisheries in Area 
2A, keeping catch in the Area within the TAC while allowing for 
meaningful commercial and recreational fisheries, and full opportunity 
for the treaty tribes with rights to fish for halibut to exercise those 
rights. Therefore, NMFS has approved this action.

Changes From the Proposed Rule

    On February 3, 2015, NMFS published a proposed rule to modify the 
Plan and recreational management measures for Area 2A (80 FR 5719). 
Because the proposed rule was finalized before the IPHC determined the 
TAC for Area 2A, the final subarea allocations based on the TAC and 
Plan are included for the first time in the final rule. The allocations 
in this rule are consistent with the final Area 2A TAC of 970,000 lbs 
and the 2015 Plan as recommended by the Council. Also, season dates as 
recommended by the states following determination of the TAC are 
included in the final rule. There are no other substantive changes from 
the proposed rule.

Annual Halibut Management Measures

    The sport fishing regulations for Area 2A, included in section 26 
below, are consistent with the measures adopted by the IPHC and 
approved by the Secretary of State, but were developed by the Pacific 
Fishery Management Council and promulgated by the United States under 
the Halibut Act. Section 26 refers to a section that is in addition to 
and corresponds to the numbering in the IPHC regulations published on 
March 17, 2015 (80 FR 13771).
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 sport fishing subareas, subquotas, fishing dates, and daily 
bag limits are as follows, except as modified under the in-season 
actions in 50 CFR 300.63(c). All sport fishing in Area 2A is managed on 
a ``port of landing'' basis, whereby any halibut landed into a port 
counts toward the quota for the area in which that port is located, and 
the regulations governing the area of landing apply, regardless of the 
specific area of catch.
    (a) The area in Puget Sound and the U.S. waters in the Strait of 
Juan de Fuca, east of a line extending from 48[deg]17.30' N. lat., 
124[deg]23.70' W. long. north to 48[deg]24.10' N. lat., 124[deg]23.70' 
W. long., is not managed in-season relative to its quota. This area is 
managed by setting a season that is projected to result in a catch of 
57,393 lbs (26 mt).
    (i) The fishing season in eastern Puget Sound (east of 
123[deg]49.50' W. long., Low Point) is May 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 
24, 28, 29, and 30. The fishing season in western Puget Sound (west of 
123[deg]49.50' W. long., Low Point) is open May 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 
29, and 30.
    (ii) The daily bag limit is one halibut of any size per day per 
person.
    (b) The quota for landings into ports in the area off the north 
Washington coast, west of the line described in paragraph (2)(a) of 
section 26 and north of the Queets River (47[deg]31.70' N. lat.) (North 
Coast subarea), is 108,030 lbs (49 mt).
    (i) The fishing seasons are:
    (A) Commencing on May 14 and continuing 2 days a week (Thursday and 
Saturday) until 108,030 lbs (49 mt) are estimated to have been taken 
and the season is closed by the Commission, or until May 23.
    (B) If sufficient quota remains the fishery will reopen on June 4 
and/or June 6, continuing 2 days per week (Thursday and Saturday) until 
there is not sufficient quota for another full day

[[Page 17347]]

of fishing and the area is closed by the Commission. After May 23, any 
fishery opening will be announced on the NMFS hotline at 800-662-9825. 
No halibut fishing will be allowed after May 23 unless the date is 
announced on the NMFS hotline.
    (ii) The daily bag limit is one halibut of any size per day per 
person.
    (iii) Recreational fishing for groundfish and halibut is prohibited 
within the North Coast Recreational Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation 
Area (YRCA). It is unlawful for recreational fishing vessels to take 
and retain, possess, or land halibut taken with recreational gear 
within the North Coast Recreational YRCA. A vessel fishing in the North 
Coast Recreational YRCA may not be in possession of any halibut. 
Recreational vessels may transit through the North Coast Recreational 
YRCA with or without halibut on board. The North Coast Recreational 
YRCA is a C-shaped area off the northern Washington coast intended to 
protect yelloweye rockfish. The North Coast Recreational YRCA is 
defined in groundfish regulations at Sec.  660.70(a).
    (c) The quota for landings into ports in the area between the 
Queets River, WA (47[deg]31.70' N. lat.), and Leadbetter Point, WA 
(46[deg]38.17' N. lat.) (South Coast subarea), is 42,739 lbs (19.4 mt).
    (i) This subarea is divided between the all-waters fishery (the 
Washington South coast primary fishery), and the incidental nearshore 
fishery in the area from 47[deg]31.70' N. lat. south to 46[deg]58.00' 
N. lat. and east of a boundary line approximating the 30 fm depth 
contour. This area is defined by straight lines connecting all of the 
following points in the order stated as described by the following 
coordinates (the Washington South coast, northern nearshore area):
    (1) 47[deg]31.70' N. lat, 124[deg]37.03' W. long;
    (2) 47[deg]25.67' N. lat, 124[deg]34.79' W. long;
    (3) 47[deg]12.82' N. lat, 124[deg]29.12' W. long;
    (4) 46[deg]58.00[acute] N. lat, 124[deg]24.24' W. long.
    The south coast subarea quota will be allocated as follows: 40,739 
lbs (18.5 mt) for the primary fishery and 2,000 lbs (0.9 mt) for the 
nearshore fishery. The primary fishery commences on May 3, and 
continues 2 days a week (Sunday and Tuesday) until May 19. If the 
primary quota is projected to be obtained sooner than expected, the 
management closure may occur earlier. Beginning on May 31 the primary 
fishery will be open at most 2 days per week (Sunday and/or Tuesday) 
until the quota for the south coast subarea primary fishery is taken 
and the season is closed by the Commission, or until September 30, 
whichever is earlier. The fishing season in the nearshore area 
commences on May 3, and continues 7 days per week. Subsequent to 
closure of the primary fishery, the nearshore fishery is open 7 days 
per week, until is 42,739 lbs (19.4 mt) is projected to be taken by the 
two fisheries combined and the fishery is closed by the Commission or 
September 30, whichever is earlier. If the fishery is closed prior to 
September 30, and there is insufficient quota remaining to reopen the 
northern nearshore area for another fishing day, then any remaining 
quota may be transferred in-season to another Washington coastal 
subarea by NMFS via an update to the recreational halibut hotline.
    (ii) The daily bag limit is one halibut of any size per day per 
person.
    (iii) Seaward of the boundary line approximating the 30-fm depth 
contour and during days open to the primary fishery, lingcod may be 
taken, retained and possessed when allowed by groundfish regulations at 
50 CFR 660.360, subpart G.
    (iv) Recreational fishing for groundfish and halibut is prohibited 
within the South Coast Recreational YRCA and Westport Offshore YRCA. It 
is unlawful for recreational fishing vessels to take and retain, 
possess, or land halibut taken with recreational gear within the South 
Coast Recreational YRCA and Westport Offshore YRCA. A vessel fishing in 
the South Coast Recreational YRCA and/or Westport Offshore YRCA may not 
be in possession of any halibut. Recreational vessels may transit 
through the South Coast Recreational YRCA and Westport Offshore YRCA 
with or without halibut on board. The South Coast Recreational YRCA and 
Westport Offshore YRCA are areas off the southern Washington coast 
established to protect yelloweye rockfish. The South Coast Recreational 
YRCA is defined at 50 CFR 660.70(d). The Westport Offshore YRCA is 
defined at 50 CFR 660.70(e).
    (d) The quota for landings into ports in the area between 
Leadbetter Point, WA (46[deg]38.17' N. lat.), and Cape Falcon, OR 
(45[deg]46.00' N. lat.) (Columbia River subarea), is 10,254 lbs (4.65 
mt).
    (i) This subarea is divided into an all-depth fishery and a 
nearshore fishery. The nearshore fishery is allocated 500 pounds of the 
subarea allocation. The nearshore fishery extends from Leadbetter Point 
(46[deg]38.17' N. lat., 124[deg]15.88' W. long.) to the Columbia River 
(46[deg]16.00' N. lat., 124[deg]15.88' W. long.) by connecting the 
following coordinates in Washington 46[deg]38.17' N. lat., 
124[deg]15.88' W. long. 46[deg]16.00' N. lat., 124[deg]15.88' W. long 
and connecting to the boundary line approximating the 40 fm (73 m) 
depth contour in Oregon. The nearshore fishery opens May 4, and 
continues 3 days per week (Monday-Wednesday) until the nearshore 
allocation is taken, or September 30, whichever is earlier. The all 
depth fishing season commences on May 1, and continues 4 days a week 
(Thursday-Sunday) until 9,754 lbs (4.4 mt) are estimated to have been 
taken and the season is closed by the Commission, or September 30, 
whichever is earlier. Subsequent to this closure, if there is 
insufficient quota remaining in the Columbia River subarea for another 
fishing day, then any remaining quota may be transferred inseason to 
another Washington and/or Oregon subarea by NMFS via an update to the 
recreational halibut hotline. Any remaining quota would be transferred 
to each state in proportion to its contribution.
    (ii) The daily bag limit is one halibut of any size per day per 
person.
    (iii) Pacific Coast groundfish may not be taken and retained, 
possessed or landed when halibut are on board the vessel, except 
sablefish, Pacific cod, and flatfish species when allowed by Pacific 
Coast groundfish regulations, during days open to the all depth fishery 
only.
    (iv) Taking, retaining, possessing, or landing halibut on 
groundfish trips is only allowed in the nearshore area on days not open 
to all-depth Pacific halibut fisheries.
    (e) The quota for landings into ports in the area off Oregon 
between Cape Falcon (45[deg]46.00' N. lat.) and Humbug Mountain 
(42[deg]40.50' N. lat.) (Oregon Central Coast subarea), is 175,633 lbs 
(79.6 mt).
    (i) The fishing seasons are:
    (A) The first season (the ``inside 40-fm'' fishery) commences July 
1, and continues 7 days a week, in the area shoreward of a boundary 
line approximating the 40-fm (73-m) depth contour, or until the sub-
quota for the central Oregon ``inside 40-fm'' fishery of 21,076 lbs 
(9.56 mt), or any in-season revised subquota, is estimated to have been 
taken and the season is closed by the Commission, whichever is earlier. 
The boundary line approximating the 40-fm (73-m) depth contour between 
45[deg]46.00' N. lat. and 42[deg]40.50' N. lat. is defined at Sec.  
660.71(k).
    (B) The second season (spring season), which is for the ``all-
depth'' fishery, is open May 14-16, 28-30, June 11-13, and 25-27. Back-
up dates will be July 9-11 and 23-25. The projected catch for this 
season is 110,649 lbs (50.2 mt). If sufficient unharvested quota 
remains for additional fishing days, the season will

[[Page 17348]]

re-open. If NMFS decides inseason to allow fishing on any of these re-
opening dates, notice of the re-opening will be announced on the NMFS 
hotline (206) 526-6667 or (800) 662-9825. No halibut fishing will be 
allowed on the re-opening dates unless the date is announced on the 
NMFS hotline.
    (C) If sufficient unharvested quota remains, the third season 
(summer season), which is for the ``all-depth'' fishery, will be open 
August 7, 8, 21, 22, September 4, 5, 18, 19, October 2, 3, 16, 17, 30, 
31, or until the combined spring season and summer season quotas in the 
area between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mountain, OR, are estimated to have 
been taken and the area is closed by the Commission, or October 31, 
whichever is earlier. NMFS will announce on the NMFS hotline in July 
whether the fishery will re-open for the summer season in August. No 
halibut fishing will be allowed in the summer season fishery unless the 
dates are announced on the NMFS hotline. Additional fishing days may be 
opened if sufficient quota remains after the last day of the first 
scheduled open period on August 7. If, after this date, an amount 
greater than or equal to 60,000 lb (27.2 mt) remains in the combined 
all-depth and inside 40-fm (73-m) quota, the fishery may re-open every 
Friday and Saturday, beginning (insert date of first back up dates) and 
ending October 31. If after September 7, an amount greater than or 
equal to 30,000 lb (13.6 mt) remains in the combined all-depth and 
inside 40-fm (73-m) quota, and the fishery is not already open every 
Friday and Saturday, the fishery may re-open every Friday and Saturday, 
beginning September 10 and 11, and ending October 31. After September 
7, the bag limit may be increased to two fish of any size per person, 
per day. NMFS will announce on the NMFS hotline whether the summer all-
depth fishery will be open on such additional fishing days, what days 
the fishery will be open and what the bag limit is.
    (ii) The daily bag limit is one halibut of any size per day per 
person, unless otherwise specified. NMFS will announce on the NMFS 
hotline any bag limit changes.
    (iii) During days open to all-depth halibut fishing, no Pacific 
Coast groundfish may be taken and retained, possessed or landed, when 
halibut are on board the vessel, except sablefish, Pacific cod, and 
flatfish species, when allowed by Pacific Coast groundfish regulations.
    (iv) When the all-depth halibut fishery is closed and halibut 
fishing is permitted only shoreward of a boundary line approximating 
the 40-fm (73-m) depth contour, halibut possession and retention by 
vessels operating seaward of a boundary line approximating the 40-fm 
(73-m) depth contour is prohibited.
    (v) Recreational fishing for groundfish and halibut is prohibited 
within the Stonewall Bank YRCA. It is unlawful for recreational fishing 
vessels to take and retain, possess, or land halibut taken with 
recreational gear within the Stonewall Bank YRCA. A vessel fishing in 
the Stonewall Bank YRCA may not possess any halibut. Recreational 
vessels may transit through the Stonewall Bank YRCA with or without 
halibut on board. The Stonewall Bank YRCA is an area off central 
Oregon, near Stonewall Bank, intended to protect yelloweye rockfish. 
The Stonewall Bank YRCA is defined at Sec.  660.70(f).
    (f) The quota for landings into ports in the area south of Humbug 
Mountain, OR (42[deg]40.50' N. lat.) to the Oregon/California Border 
(42[deg]00.00' N. lat.)(Southern Oregon subarea) is 7,318 lbs (3.3 mt).
    (i) The fishing season commences on May 1, and continues 7 days per 
week until the subquota is taken, or October 31, whichever is earlier.
    (ii) The daily bag limit is one halibut per person with no size 
limit.
    (g) The quota for landings into ports south of the Oregon/
California Border (42[deg]00.00' N. lat.) and along the California 
coast is 25,220 lb (11.4 mt).
    (i) The fishing season will be open May 1-15, June 1-15, July 1-15, 
August 1-15, and September 1-October 31, or until the subarea quota is 
estimated to have been taken and the season is closed by the 
Commission, or October 31, whichever is earlier. NMFS will announce any 
closure by the Commission on the NMFS hotline (206) 526-6667 or (800) 
662-9825.
    (ii) The daily bag limit is one halibut of any size per day per 
person.

Classification

    Section 5 of the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act, 
16 U.S.C. 773c) allows the Regional Council having authority for a 
particular geographical area to develop regulations governing the 
allocation and catch of halibut in U.S. Convention waters as long as 
those regulations do not conflict with IPHC regulations. This action is 
consistent with the Pacific Council's authority to allocate halibut 
catches among fishery participants in the waters in and off the U.S. 
West Coast.
    This action has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of Executive Order 12866.
    NMFS prepared an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) in 
association with the proposed rule for the 2014 Area 2A Catch Sharing 
Plan. The final regulatory flexibility analysis (FRFA) incorporates the 
IRFA, a summary of the significant issues raised by the public comments 
in response to the IRFA, if any, and NMFS' responses to those comments, 
and a summary of the analyses completed to support the action. NMFS 
received no comments on the IRFA. A copy of the FRFA is available from 
the NMFS West Coast Region (see ADDRESSES) and a summary of the FRFA 
follows.
    This rule implements changes to the Halibut Catch Sharing Plan 
(CSP) that addresses the commercial and recreational fisheries within 
Area 2A (waters off the U.S. West Coast). The International Pacific 
Halibut Commission (IPHC) sets the overall Total Allowable Catch (TAC) 
and the CSP governs the allocation of that TAC between tribal and non-
tribal fisheries, and among non-tribal fisheries. The Council, with 
input from industry, the states, and the tribes, may recommend changes 
to the CSP. (Note that the IPHC also sets the commercial fishery 
opening date(s), duration, and vessel trip limits to ensure that the 
quota for the non-tribal fisheries is not exceeded.) For non-tribal 
fisheries, the CSP governs allocations of the TAC between various 
components of the commercial fisheries and recreational fisheries, and 
these allocations may vary depending on the level of the TAC. Seasons, 
gear restrictions, and other management measures implemented through 
domestic regulations are then used to meet the allocations and 
priorities of the CSP. There were no significant issues raised by the 
public comments in response to IRFA.
    These regulations directly affect fin-fish harvesting and 
charterboat businesses. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has 
established size criteria for all major industry sectors in the US, 
including fish harvesting and fish processing businesses. A business 
involved in fish harvesting is a small business if it is independently 
owned and operated and not dominant in its field of operation 
(including its affiliates) and if it has combined annual receipts, not 
in excess of $20.5 million for all its affiliated operations worldwide 
(See 79 FR 33647, effective July 14, 2014). For marinas and charter/
party boats, a small business is now defined as one with annual 
receipts, not in excess of $7.5 million. A seafood processor is a small 
business if it is independently owned and operated, not dominant in its 
field of operation, and employs 500 or fewer persons on a full time, 
part time,

[[Page 17349]]

temporary, or other basis, at all its affiliated operations worldwide. 
A wholesale business servicing the fishing industry is a small business 
if it employs 100 or fewer persons on a full time, part time, 
temporary, or other basis, at all its affiliated operations worldwide. 
A small organization is any nonprofit enterprise that is independently 
owned and operated and is not dominant in its field. Small governmental 
jurisdictions such as governments of cities, counties, towns, 
townships, villages, school districts, or special districts are 
considered small jurisdictions if their populations are less than 
50,000.
    To determine the number of small entities potentially affected by 
this rule, NMFS reviewed the number of IPHC issued licenses and other 
information. In 2014, 591 vessels were issued IPHC licenses to retain 
halibut. IPHC issued licenses for: The directed commercial fishery and 
the incidental fishery in the sablefish primary fishery in Area 2A (166 
licenses in 2014); incidental halibut caught in the salmon troll 
fishery (425 licenses in 2014); and the charterboat fleet (127 licenses 
in 2013, the most recent year available). No vessel may participate in 
more than one of these three fisheries per year. These license 
estimates overstate the number of vessels that participate in the 
fishery. IPHC estimates that 60 vessels participated in the directed 
commercial fishery, 100 vessels in the incidental commercial (salmon) 
fishery, and 13 vessels in the incidental commercial (sablefish) 
fishery. Recent information on charterboat activity is not available, 
but prior analysis indicated that 60 percent of the IPHC charterboat 
license holders may be affected by these regulations. There are no 
projected reporting or record keeping requirements with this rule. 
There are no large entities involved in the halibut fisheries; 
therefore, none of these changes will have a disproportionate negative 
effect on small entities versus large entities.
    The major effect of halibut management on small entities is from 
the internationally set TAC decisions made by the IPHC. Based on the 
recommendations of the states, the Council recommended and NMFS is 
implementing in this final rule minor changes to the Plan to provide 
increased recreational and commercial opportunities under the 
allocations that result from the TAC.
    The IPHC increased the Area 2A TAC by 1% from 960,000 lbs (2014) to 
970,000 lbs (2015). Within this 1% increase, different subgroups are 
being affected differently because of the CSP allocation formula.

Changes to the Plan

    The 2A Halibut Catch Sharing Plan, as outlined above, allocates the 
TAC at various levels. The commercial fishery is further divided into a 
directed commercial fishery that is allocated 85 percent of the 
commercial allocation of the Pacific halibut TAC, and incidental catch 
in the salmon troll fishery that is allocated 15 percent of the 
commercial allocation. The directed commercial fishery in Area 2A is 
confined to southern Washington (south of 46[deg]53.30' N. lat.), 
Oregon, and California. North of 46[deg]53.30' N. lat. (Pt. Chehalis), 
the Plan allows for incidental halibut retention in the sablefish 
primary fishery when the overall Area 2A TAC is above 900,000 lb (408.2 
mt). The Plan also divides the sport fisheries into seven geographic 
subareas, each with separate allocations, seasons, and bag limits. The 
non-tribal allocation is divided into four shares. At the first level, 
there are specific percentage allocations for tribal and non-tribal 
fisheries. The non-tribal portion is then allocated to commercial 
components and to recreational components. The commercial component is 
then apportioned into directed, incidental troll, and incidental 
sablefish fisheries. The recreational portions for Oregon and 
Washington are furthered apportioned into area subquotas and these 
subquotas are further split into seasonal or depth fisheries (nearshore 
vs all depths). There may be gear restrictions and other management 
measures established as necessary to minimize the potential for the 
allocations to be exceeded.
    At the September meeting, the Council adopted a range of Plan 
alternatives for public review. For 2015, the Council adopted two types 
of Plan changes that are discussed separately below. The first were the 
routine recreational fishery adjustments proposed by the states each 
year to accommodate the needs of their fisheries. The second were 
allocation changes to both the non-treaty commercial and recreational 
fisheries in order to increase the California allocation. The Council 
made final Plan change recommendations from this range at its November 
meeting.
    For the non-allocation Plan changes the Council considered changes 
to the Columbia River, Oregon Central Coast, Southern Oregon, and 
California subareas. For the Columbia River subarea the Council 
considered: (1) Status quo seasonal management in a spring and summer 
fishery and one alternative which removes the seasonal split in the 
Columbia River subarea to allow for a single continuous season; (2) 
status quo allocation contributions from Washington and Oregon in equal 
amounts and one alternative that modifies the Oregon contribution to 
the Columbia River subarea to 2.3 percent of the Oregon sport 
allocation; and (3) status quo nearshore fishery allocation of 1,500 
pounds and one alternative that modifies the Columbia River nearshore 
area allocation to 500 pounds. The Council recommended and this final 
rule implements each of the alternatives for the Columbia River subarea 
because the status quo alternatives do not match the needs of the 
fishery. The status quo season structure with an early and late season 
was rejected because this structure would unnecessarily strand quota 
later in the year when effort decreases substantially. The status quo 
Oregon contribution was rejected because it does not match recent 
effort in this subarea in Oregon. The status quo nearshore allocation 
was rejected because the allocation did not match the effort in the 
nearshore area, leaving a large portion of the allocation unavailable 
for harvest in other areas.
    For the Oregon Central Coast subarea, the Council considered three 
all-depth season structures and modifications to the allocation from 
the Oregon Central Coast spring fishery to the Southern Oregon subarea. 
For the season structure, the Council considered three alternatives: 
Status quo, which would separate spring and summer seasons; Alternative 
1a, which would combine the spring and summer season and open the 
fishery on May 1; and Alternative 1b, which is the same as 1a, except 
begin on the first weekend in May that avoid negative tides. For the 
allocation change the Council considered: Status quo, which allocates a 
portion of the spring fishery to the Southern Oregon subarea, and one 
alternative, which allocates a portion of the overall Oregon Central 
Coast subarea allocation to the Southern Oregon subarea. The Council 
recommended and this final rule implements the status quo alternative 
for the season structure and the one alternative for the allocation to 
the Southern Oregon subarea. The season structure alternatives were 
rejected because they did not match the needs of this fishery. The 
allocation in this area is generally caught very quickly, therefore 
keeping separate seasons allows for two distinct seasons. The status 
quo alternative allocation to the Southern Oregon subarea was rejected 
because it does not allow the Southern Oregon subarea an individual

[[Page 17350]]

allocation, which means any overages in this area could affect other 
subareas.
    For the Southern Oregon subarea, the Council considered three 
alternative season dates: Status quo, opening May 1, seven days per 
week; Alternative 1, open June 1, seven days per week; and Alternative 
2, open July 1 seven days per week. The Council recommended and this 
final rule implements the status quo alternative because the other 
alternatives do not match the recent effort in this area and does not 
match the input the ODFW received at their public meetings.
    In the Columbia River and Central Oregon Coast subareas, the 
Council considered three alternatives to incidental groundfish 
retention allowances: status quo, only Pacific cod and sablefish are 
allowed; Alternative 1, revise the bottomfish restrictions such that 
all groundfish except rockfish and lingcod would be allowed when 
halibut are onboard; and Alternative 2, revise the bottomfish 
restrictions such that other flatfish, in addition to Pacific cod and 
sablefish, would be allowed when halibut are onboard. The Council 
recommended and this final rule implements Alternative 2 because it 
allows incidentally caught flatfish species to be landed with halibut 
without increasing the catch of overfished species. Status quo was 
rejected because it would not allow incidentally caught flatfish 
species to be landed. Alternative 1 was rejected because it would 
likely increase the take of overfished groundfish species to levels 
that would restrict other fisheries due to the small allocations of 
overfished species.
    For the California subarea, the Council considered three 
alternatives: Status quo, fixed season open May 1-July 31 and September 
1-October 31, no inseason adjustment; Alternative 1, one month season 
between May 1 and October 31, to be determined preseason, with inseason 
adjustment as needed; Alternative 2, 15 consecutive day season between 
May 1 and October 31, to be determined preseason, with inseason 
adjustment as needed. The Council recommended and this final rule 
implements a modified Alternative which allows for a seven day a week 
fishery, that will be determined preseason through joint consultation 
between NMFS and CDFW, and allows for inseason adjustment as necessary. 
The other three alternatives were rejected because they either did not 
allow for inseason adjustment or predetermined the season dates which 
would unnecessarily restrict the season.
    No alternatives were considered for the NMFS recommended change to 
the Regional Office name because it is administrative in nature and 
simply updates the name of the region from ``Northwest'' to ``West 
Coast.''
    The changes to the Columbia River subarea allocations and 
incidentally landed species allowances are expected to increase 
recreational opportunities by shifting underutilized fishery allocation 
from the late to the early part of the season when effort is higher and 
by turning previously discarded incidental flatfish catch into landed 
catch. Changes to the Oregon Central Coast subarea allocation and 
incidentally landed species are expected to prolong seasons and 
increase the total number of fishing days and are expected to increase 
recreational opportunities by turning previously discarded incidental 
catch into landed catch. None of these changes are controversial and 
none are expected to result in substantial environmental or economic 
impacts. These actions are intended to enhance the conservation of 
Pacific halibut, to provide angler opportunity where available, and to 
protect overfished groundfish species from incidental catch in the 
halibut fisheries. Because the goal of the action is to maximize angler 
participation and thus to maximize the economic benefits of the 
fishery, NMFS did not analyze alternatives to the above changes to the 
Plan other than the proposed changes and the status quo for purposes of 
the FRFA. Status quo would be the 2014 Plan applied to the 2015 TAC. 
Effects of the status quo and the final changes are similar because the 
changes to the Plan for 2015 are not substantially different from the 
2014 Plan. The changes to the Plan are not expected to have a 
significant economic impact.

Changes to Allocations

    In response to the growing California sport fishery, for 2014, a 
specific recreational subquota was created--1% of the non-tribal quota 
or 6,240 lbs. In prior years, the California fishery was a portion of 
the Southern Oregon/Northern California subquota. Preliminary catch 
data for 2015 show that the California fishery has taken 31,226 lbs, 
five times the California subquota. Because the 2014 subquota was 
insuffiencent to meet the growth in the California fishery, the Council 
reviewed six alternatives that allocate halibut to the various sectors 
differently between the sectors depending on the size of the TAC. 
Status Quo: The non-treaty allocation is apportioned according to the 
2014 CSP: Washington sport (36.60%), Oregon sport (30.70%), California 
sport (1.00%), and commercial (31.70%). Alternative 1: Maintain 
allocations as described in the CSP (Status Quo), except increase the 
California sport allocation by two percent, for a total California 
sport allocation of three percent, by reducing the non-treaty 
commercial fishery share. Alternative 2, Option A: Same allocations as 
described in Alternative 1 when the 2A TAC is one million pounds or 
less. When the 2A TAC is above one million pounds, the California sport 
allocation would increase by an additional one percent, for a total 
California sport allocation of four percent, by reducing the non-treaty 
commercial fishery share. Alternative 2, Option B: Same allocations as 
described in Alternative 1 when the 2A TAC is one million pounds or 
less. When the 2A TAC is greater than one million pounds, the first one 
million pounds of the 2A TAC shall be distributed according to the 
Alternative 1 allocations. For the portion of the 2A TAC that exceeds 
one million pounds, the California sport allocation would increase to 
30-50 percent of the non-treaty share, and allocation percentages for 
the non-treaty commercial and recreational (Washington and Oregon) 
would be reduced to remain proportional to the status quo non-treaty 
shares. Alternative 3: Increase the California sport allocation by two 
percent, for a total California sport allocation of three percent, when 
the 2A TAC is less than one million pounds by reducing the three major 
non-treaty group allocations (i.e., Washington sport, Oregon sport, and 
commercial). When the 2A TAC is greater than one million pounds, the 
first one million pounds of the 2A TAC shall be distributed according 
to the Alternative 3 allocations. For the portion of the 2A TAC that 
exceeds one million pounds, the California sport allocation would 
increase to four percent of the non-treaty share by reducing the three 
major non-treaty group allocations. Alternative 4: Increase the 
California sport share by three percent, for a total allocation of four 
percent, when the 2A TAC is less than one million pounds by reducing 
the three major non-treaty group allocations. When the 2A TAC is 
greater than one million pounds, the first one million pounds of the 2A 
TAC shall be distributed according to the Alternative 4 allocations. 
For the portion of the 2A TAC that exceeds one million pounds, the 
California sport allocation would increase to five percent of the non-
treaty share by reducing the three major non-treaty group allocations. 
Alternative 5: Increase the California sport share by four percent, for 
a total allocation of five percent, when the 2A TAC is less than

[[Page 17351]]

one million pounds by reducing the three major non-treaty group 
allocations. When the 2A TAC is greater than one million pounds, the 
first one million pounds of the 2A TAC shall be distributed according 
to the Alternative 5 allocations. For the portion of the 2A TAC that 
exceeds one million pounds, the California sport allocation would 
increase to six percent of the non-treaty share by reducing the three 
major non- treaty group allocations. In addition to modifying the 
commercial and recreational fisheries allocations, suboptions within 
the allocation alternatives were evaluated for when the TAC is expected 
to be greater than one million pounds to cap the California allocation. 
These caps were designed to cap the California allocation to a level 
that the fishery could reasonably be expected to harvest in order to 
not strand pounds, therefore, making them unavailable to other 
fisheries. However, a one million pound TAC is a level the fishery has 
not experienced in recent years nor is it anticipated for the near term 
future.
    For 2015, the Council has recommended and this final rule 
implements Alternative 4 (the preferred alternative). For 2015, the 
Council recommended to increase the California recreational fishery 
allocation to 4% of the non-tribal allocation by reducing the 
Washington and Oregon sport and commercial allocations each by 1 
percent. This modification is intended to provide an allocation to 
California that better matches recent effort. The CDFW has also 
committed to increased inseason monitoring in collaboration with NMFS. 
Pacific halibut sport fisheries in California have exceeded the 
allocation in recent years and therefore the goal of increased inseason 
monitoring and action, as necessary, is to keep the subarea within its 
allocation. Further, instead of a fixed season, CDFW will recommend to 
NMFS, similar to subareas in Washington and Oregon, a season length 
based on expected catch to attain the subarea quota. The status quo 
allocation was rejected because if maintained, the California fishery 
is likely to continue to exceed its quota and suffer an early shutdown. 
Under the status quo alternative, the overall halibut TAC will run the 
risk of being exceeded, and therefore it was not selected. Alternatives 
1, 2, and 3 provide increases to the recreational fishery based on 
decreasing the commercial quota by 2 percent. Alternative 5 increases 
the California subquota by 4 percent by reducing the Oregon and 
Washington subquota and the non-tribal commercial quota. While this 
favors the California fishery, it is at the expense of too large of a 
reduction in the other fisheries, and therefore it was not selected.
    Under Alternative 4, the preferred alternative, the increase of 3% 
to the California subquota comes from reducing the WA sport quota by 
1%, the Oregon sport quota by 1%, and the non-tribal commercial quota 
by 1%. The overall effect is a shift of 1% reduction of the non-tribal 
commercial directed quota to the total sport quota allocation. From an 
economic perspective, it is unclear whether this shift is negative or 
positive given available analyses. However the overall economic effects 
of this shift is small as the potential loss of about $300,000 in ex-
vessel revenues must be weighed by the gain of increased charterboat 
recreational activities.
    Pursuant to Executive Order 13175, the Secretary recognizes the 
sovereign status and co-manager role of Indian tribes over shared 
Federal and tribal fishery resources. Section 302(b)(5) of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act establishes a 
seat on the Council for a representative of an Indian tribe with 
federally recognized fishing rights from California, Oregon, 
Washington, or Idaho. The U.S. Government formally recognizes that 13 
Washington tribes have treaty rights to fish for Pacific halibut. The 
Plan allocates 35 percent of the Area 2A TAC to U.S. treaty Indian 
tribes in the State of Washington. Each of the treaty tribes has the 
discretion to administer their fisheries and to establish their own 
policies to achieve program objectives. Accordingly, tribal allocations 
and regulations, including the changes to the Plan, have been developed 
in with the affected tribe(s) and, insofar as possible, with tribal 
consensus.
    In 2014, an Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared analyzing 
the continuing implementation of the Catch Sharing Plan for 2014-2016. 
The Plan changes for 2015 are not expected to have any effects on the 
environment beyond those discussed in the EA and in the finding of no 
significant impact (FONSI).
    NMFS conducted a formal section 7 consultation under the Endangered 
Species Act for the Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan for 2014-2016 addressing 
the effects of implementing the Plan on ESA-listed yelloweye rockfish, 
canary rockfish, and bocaccio in Puget Sound, the Southern Distinct 
Population Segment (DPS) of green sturgeon, salmon, marine mammals, and 
sea turtles. In the biological opinion the Regional Administrator 
determined that the implementation of the Catch Sharing Plan for 2014-
2016 is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of Puget Sound 
yelloweye rockfish, Puget Sound canary rockfish, Puget Sound bocaccio, 
Puget Sound Chinook, Lower Columbia River Chinook, and green sturgeon. 
It is not expected to result in the destruction or adverse modification 
of critical habitat for green sturgeon or result in the destruction or 
adverse modification of proposed critical habitat for Puget Sound 
yelloweye rockfish, canary rockfish, bocaccio. In addition, the opinion 
concluded that the implementation of the Plan is not likely to 
adversely affect marine mammals, the remaining listed salmon species 
and sea turtles, and is not likely to adversely affect critical habitat 
for Southern resident killer whales, stellar sea lions, leatherback sea 
turtles, any listed salmonids, and humpback whales. Further, the 
Regional Administrator determined that implementation of the Catch 
Sharing Plan will have no effect on southern eulachon, this 
determination was made in a letter dated March 12, 2014. The 2015 Plan 
and regulations do not change the conclusions from the biological 
opinion.
    NMFS has initiated consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service on the effects of the halibut fishery on seabirds, bull trout, 
and sea otters. This consultation is not completed at this time. NMFS 
has prepared a 7(a)(2)/7(d) determination memo under the ESA concluding 
that any effects of the 2015 fishery on listed seabirds are expected to 
be quite low, and are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence 
of any listed species. Further, in no way will the 2015 fishery make an 
irreversible or irretrievable commitment of resources by the agency.
    NMFS finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness 
and make this rule effective upon publication in the Federal Register, 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), so that this final rule may become 
effective on April 1, 2015, when incidental halibut retention in the 
sablefish primary fishery begins. While the 2015 TAC is higher than the 
2014 TAC, due to the changes made to the Plan, the allocations for the 
salmon troll and sablefish primary fisheries are actually lower in 2015 
than they were in 2014. Therefore, allowing the 2014 measures to remain 
in place could result in significant management changes later in the 
year to prevent exceeding the lower 2015 subarea allocations. Finally, 
this final rule approves the Council's 2015 Plan that responds to the 
needs of the fisheries in each state and approves the portions of the 
Plan allocating

[[Page 17352]]

incidentally caught halibut in the salmon troll and sablefish primary 
fisheries, which start April 1. Therefore, allowing the 2014 subarea 
allocations and Plan to remain in place would not respond to the needs 
of the fishery and would be in conflict with the Council's final 
recommendation for 2015. For all of these reasons, a delay in 
effectiveness could ultimately cause economic harm to the fishing 
industry and associated fishing communities by reducing fishing 
opportunity later in the year to keep catch in the subareas within the 
lower 2015 allocations or result in harvest levels inconsistent with 
the best available scientific information. As a result of the potential 
harm to fishing communities that could be caused by delaying the 
effectiveness of this final rule, NMFS finds good cause to waive the 
30-day delay in effectiveness and make this rule effective upon 
publication in the Federal Register.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 300

    Administrative practice and procedure, Antarctica, Canada, Exports, 
Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Imports, Indians, Labeling, Marine resources, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Russian Federation, 
Transportation, Treaties, Wildlife.

    Dated: March 26, 2015.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 300 is amended 
as follows:

PART 300--INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES REGULATIONS

Subpart E--Pacific Halibut Fisheries

0
1. The authority citation for part 300, subpart E continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773-773k.


0
2. In Sec.  300.63, revise paragraphs (a), (c)(1) introductory text, 
(c)(3)(ii), and (c)(5), to read as follows:
* * * * *


Sec.  300.63  Catch sharing plan and domestic management measures in 
area 2A.

    (a) A catch sharing plan (CSP) may be developed by the Pacific 
Fishery Management Council and approved by NMFS for portions of the 
fishery. Any approved CSP may be obtained from the Administrator, West 
Coast Region, NMFS.
* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (1) The Regional Administrator, NMFS West Coast Region, after 
consultation with the Chairman of the Pacific Fishery Management 
Council, the Commission Executive Director, and the Fisheries 
Director(s) of the affected state(s), or their designees, is authorized 
to modify regulations during the season after making the following 
determinations:
* * * * *
    (3) * * *
    (ii) Actual notice of inseason management actions will be provided 
by a telephone hotline administered by the West Coast Region, NMFS, at 
206-526-6667 or 800-662-9825 (May through October) and by U.S. Coast 
Guard broadcasts. These broadcasts are announced on Channel 16 VHF-FM 
and 2182 kHz at frequent intervals. The announcements designate the 
channel or frequency over which the notice to mariners will be 
immediately broadcast. Since provisions of these regulations may be 
altered by inseason actions, sport fishers should monitor either the 
telephone hotline or U.S. Coast Guard broadcasts for current 
information for the area in which they are fishing.
* * * * *
    (5) Availability of data. The Regional Administrator will compile, 
in aggregate form, all data and other information relevant to the 
action being taken and will make them available for public review 
during normal office hours at the West Coast Regional Office, NMFS, 
Sustainable Fisheries Division, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, 
Washington.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2015-07329 Filed 3-31-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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