Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 247 / Thursday, December 26, 2024 / Proposed Rules 104959 

must also comply with CITES 

requirements pursuant to section 9, 

paragraphs (c) and (g), of the Act (16 

U.S.C. 1538(c) and (g)) and to 50 CFR 

part 23. As ‘‘fish or wildlife’’ (16 U.S.C. 

1532(8)), blue tree monitor imports and 

exports must also meet applicable 

wildlife import/export requirements 

established under section 9, paragraphs 

(d), (e), and (f), of the Act (16 U.S.C. 

1538(d), (e), and (f)); the Lacey Act 

Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371 et 

seq.); and 50 CFR part 14. Questions 

regarding whether specific activities 

with blue tree monitor would constitute 

a violation of section 9 of the Act should 

be directed to the Service’s Division of 

Management Authority 

(managementauthority@fws.gov; 703– 

358–2104). 

Related Temporary Emergency Listing 

Published concurrently in the Rules 

and Regulations section of this issue of 

the Federal Register, we are exercising 

our authority pursuant to section 4(b)(7) 

of the Act to emergency list for 240 days 

the blue tree monitor (Varanus macraei) 

as an endangered species due to the 

imminent risk of extinction resulting 

from habitat loss and overcollection for 

the pet trade. For the reasons discussed 

in the preamble of that temporary rule 

and in this proposed rule, we propose 

in this document to make the emergency 

listing permanent. Please refer to the 

Regulation Promulgation section of the 

temporary rule for the amendment to 

add the blue tree monitor to the List of 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife at 

50 CFR 17.11(h) that we are proposing 

to make permanent in this document. 

Required Determinations 

Clarity of the Rule 

We are required by E.O.s 12866 and 

12988 and by the Presidential 

Memorandum of June 1, 1998, to write 

all rules in plain language. This means 

that each rule we publish must: 

(1) Be logically organized; 

(2) Use the active voice to address 

readers directly; 

(3) Use clear language rather than 

jargon; 

(4) Be divided into short sections and 

sentences; and 

(5) Use lists and tables wherever 

possible. 

If you feel that we have not met these 

requirements, send us comments by one 

of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. To 

better help us revise the rule, your 

comments should be as specific as 

possible. For example, you should tell 

us the numbers of the sections or 

paragraphs that are unclearly written, 

which sections or sentences are too 

long, the sections where you feel lists or 

tables would be useful, etc. 

National Environmental Policy Act (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) 

We have determined that 

environmental assessments and 

environmental impact statements, as 

defined under the authority of the 

National Environmental Policy Act (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), need not be 

prepared in connection with listing a 

species as an endangered or threatened 

species under the Endangered Species 

Act. We published a notice outlining 

our reasons for this determination in the 

Federal Register on October 25, 1983 

(48 FR 49244). 

References Cited 

A complete list of references cited in 

this proposed rulemaking is available on 

the internet at https://

www.regulations.gov and upon request 

from the Branch of Delisting and 

Foreign Species (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT). 

Authors 

The primary authors of this proposed 

rule are the staff members of the Fish 

and Wildlife Service’s Species 

Assessment Team and the Branch of 

Delisting and Foreign Species. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17 

Endangered and threatened species, 

Exports, Imports, Plants, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, 

Transportation, Wildlife. 

Authority 

The authority for this action is the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 

Signing Authority 

Martha Williams, Director of the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, approved this 

action on December 3, 2024. Acting 

Director Steve Guertin approved these 

packages December 15, 2024. On 

December 16, 2024, the acting Director 

authorized the undersigned to sign the 

document electronically and submit it 

to the Office of the Federal Register for 

publication as an official document of 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Madonna Baucum, 

Regulations and Policy Chief, Division of 

Policy, Economics, Risk Management, and 

Analytics of the Joint Administrative 

Operations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30376 Filed 12–23–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 300 

[Docket No. 241216–0328] 

RIN 0648–BN41 

Pacific Halibut Fisheries of the West 

Coast; 2025 Catch Sharing Plan and 

Recreational Fishery Management 

Measures 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to approve 

changes to the Pacific Halibut Catch 

Sharing Plan for the International 

Pacific Halibut Commission’s regulatory 

Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and 

California. In addition, NMFS proposes 

to implement new management 

measures for the 2025 recreational 

fisheries in Area 2A that are not 

implemented through the International 

Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). 

These measures include the recreational 

fishery seasons and subarea allocations 

for Area 2A. This action would also add 

a new inseason management provision 

to transfer anticipated uncaught 

recreational fishery allocation from the 

Northern California subarea to the South 

of Point Arena subarea. These actions 

are intended to conserve Pacific halibut 

and provide angler opportunity where 

available. 

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule 

must be received on or before January 

27, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: A plain language summary 

of this proposed rule is available at 

https://www.regulations.gov/docket/ 

NMFS-2024-0139. You may submit 

comments on this document, identified 

by NOAA–NMFS–2024–0139, by either 

of the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Visit 

https://www.regulations.gov and type 

NOAA–NMFS–2024–0139 in the Search 

box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Jennifer Quan, Regional Administrator, 

c/o Melissa Mandrup, West Coast 

Region, NMFS, 501 W Ocean Blvd., 

Long Beach, CA 90802. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 


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104960 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 247 / Thursday, December 26, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

1 ‘‘Net weight’’ of a Pacific halibut means the 

weight of Pacific halibut that is without gills and 

entrails, head-off, washed, and without ice and 

slime. If a Pacific 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 (IPHC Fisheries Regulations, 

2024). 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by NMFS. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on https://www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

Docket: This rule is accessible via the 

internet at the Office of the Federal 

Register website at https://

www.federalregister.gov. Background 

information and documents are 

available at the NMFS West Coast 

Region Pacific Halibut Recreational 

Fishery website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/2024- 

pacific-halibut-recreational-fishery and 

at the Council’s website at https://

www.pcouncil.org. Other comments 

received may be accessed through 

https://www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Melissa Mandrup, phone: 562–980– 

3231 or email: melissa.mandrup@

noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 

1982 (Halibut Act), 16 U.S.C. 773–773k, 

gives the Secretary of Commerce 

responsibility for implementing the 

provisions of the Convention between 

Canada and the United States for the 

Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of 

the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea 

(Halibut 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), including adopting 

regulations to carry it out (16 U.S.C. 

773c). Additionally, the regional fishery 

management councils having authority 

for the geographic area concerned may 

develop, and the Secretary of Commerce 

may implement, regulations governing 

Pacific halibut fishing in in U.S. waters 

that are in addition to, and not in 

conflict with, approved IPHC 

regulations (id. 773c(c)). 

As provided in the 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. 

Following acceptance by the Secretary 

of State, the annual management 

measures promulgated by the IPHC 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 (50 

CFR 300.62). The IPHC will hold its 

annual meeting January 27–31, 2025, 

where it is anticipated that they will 

recommend the Area 2A catch limit, 

also known as the Fishery Constant 

Exploitation Yield (FCEY). This FCEY is 

derived from the total constant 

exploitation yield (TCEY) for Pacific 

halibut, which includes commercial 

discards and bycatch estimates 

calculated using a formula developed by 

the IPHC. The 2025 TCEY and FCEY for 

Area 2A, as well as other applicable 

Area 2A allocations that are established 

by the IPHC in accordance with the 

Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan (CSP), will 

be published as part of a separate 

rulemaking. These allocations, in net 

weight,1 will be based on IPHC’s 

recommended 2025 Area 2A FCEY and 

will be subject to acceptance by the 

Secretary of State with concurrence by 

the Secretary of Commerce. 

Since 1988, the Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) has 

developed a CSP that allocates the IPHC 

regulatory Area 2A Pacific halibut FCEY 

between treaty Tribal and non-Tribal 

harvesters and among non-Tribal 

commercial and recreational (sport) 

fisheries. NMFS has implemented at 50 

CFR 300.63 et seq. certain provisions of 

the CSP and implemented annual rules 

containing annual management 

measures consistent with the CSP. In 

1995, the Council recommended and 

NMFS approved a long-term Area 2A 

CSP (60 FR 14651, March 20, 1995). 

NMFS has been approving adjustments 

to the Area 2A CSP based on Council 

recommendations each year to address 

the changing needs of these fisheries. 

While the full CSP is not published in 

the Federal Register, it is made 

available on the Council website. 

This rule proposes to approve the 

changes the Council recommended at its 

November 2024 meeting to the 2025 

Area 2A CSP. The recommended 

changes to the 2025 CSP were 

developed through the Council’s public 

process over multiple meetings. This 

rule also proposes to implement 

recreational Pacific halibut fishery 

management measures for 2025, which 

include season opening and closing 

dates consistent with 2025 CSP as 

modified by the Council’s November 

2024 recommendations. 

Proposed Changes to the 2025 Area 2A 

Catch Sharing Plan 

Each year at the Council’s September 

meeting, members of the public have an 

opportunity to propose changes to the 

CSP for consideration by the Council. At 

the September 2024 Council meeting, 

per the typical annual process, the 

Washington Department of Fish and 

Wildlife (WDFW), Oregon Department 

of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and 

California Department of Fish and 

Wildlife (CDFW) proposed changes to 

the CSP for the fisheries that occur off 

of their respective coasts. 

At its November 2024 meeting, the 

Council considered the results of Statesponsored workshops on the proposed 

changes to the CSP, along with public 

input provided at the September and 

November 2024 Council meetings, and 

made its recommendations for 

modifications to the CSP. NMFS 

proposes to approve all the Council’s 

recommended changes to the CSP, 

which are discussed below. 

1. The Council recommended changes 

to Section 5.6.4 of the Catch Sharing 

Plan regarding the notice and timing of 

non-tribal directed commercial fishery 

sequential season openings. 

Specifically, the Council recommended 

that NMFS notice the dates for the first 

three openers in the Federal Register 

prior to the start of the season for the 

non-Tribal directed commercial fishery, 

with two weeks between first and 

second opener and no more than 3 

weeks between any following openers. 

2. In section 6.9.2(d) of the CSP, the 

Council recommended that NMFS 

revise the season structure in the 

Washington North Coast subarea to 

allow for fishing on the Saturday of 

Memorial Day Weekend if the 2A FCEY 

is at least 1.3 million pounds (lb) or 

589.7 metric tons (mt) and up to 3 days 

per week in June if the Area 2A FCEY 

is less than 1.3 million lb (589.7 mt). 

2. In section 6.9.3(d) of the CSP, the 

Council recommended that NMFS 

revise the season structure in the 

Washington South Coast subarea to 

include the Sunday of Memorial Day 

Weekend. 

3. In section 6.10(d) of the CSP, the 

Council recommended that NMFS 

revise the season structure in the 

Columbia River subarea to allow for 2 

additional days be added to the 3-day 

opener in June depending on the 

remaining allocation for the subarea. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 247 / Thursday, December 26, 2024 / Proposed Rules 104961 

4. In section 6.11(d) of the CSP, the 

Council recommended that NMFS 

revise the allocations and season 

structure in the Oregon Central Coast 

subarea to allow more of the Central 

Coast allocation to be for the all-depth 

fisheries (i.e., spring and summer) as 

opposed to the nearshore fishery, 

additional flexibility in the number of 

days per opener, and for the summer alldepth fishery to be open beginning 

August 1 every week or every other 

week depending on the remaining 

allocation for the subarea. 

5. In sections 6.8.1 and 6.12 of the 

CSP, the Council recommended that 

NMFS allow for inseason transfers of 

the Northern California allocation to the 

South of Point Arena subarea. 

Specifically, in section 6.8.1(f), the 

Council recommended that NMFS allow 

for an inseason transfer of any projected 

unused Northern California subarea 

allocation by the season ending date of 

November 15 from the Northern 

California subarea to the South of Point 

Arena subarea. For section 6.12(f), the 

Council recommended that NMFS allow 

for an inseason transfer (i.e., any time 

prior to November 15) of any projected 

unused Northern California subarea 

allocation to the South of Point Arena 

subarea. 

Additional discussion of these 

changes is included in the materials 

submitted to the Council at its 

September and November meetings, 

available at https://www.pcouncil.org/ 

council-meetings/previous-meetings/. A 

version of the CSP including these 

changes can be found at https://

www.pcouncil.org/managed_fishery/ 

pacific-halibut/. 

Proposed 2025 Recreational Fishery 

Management Measures 

As described above, NMFS proposes 

to implement recreational fishery 

management measures, including 

season dates for the 2025 fishery, 

consistent with the Council’s 

recommendations. The CSP includes a 

framework for setting days open for 

fishing by subarea; under this 

framework, each State submits final 

recommended season dates annually to 

NMFS during the proposed rule 

comment period. In addition, the final 

dates will be based on the 2025 FCEY 

Area 2A allocation, which is issued as 

described above. However, this 

proposed rule contains preliminary 

dates based on the CSP framework and/ 

or recommendations received to date. 

After the opportunity for public 

comment, including comments from 

WDFW, ODFW, and CDFW, and after 

each State has concluded its public 

meetings gathering input on season 

dates, NMFS will publish a final rule 

approving the CSP and promulgating 

the annual management measures for 

the Area 2A recreational fishery, as 

appropriate and required by 

implementing regulations at 50 CFR 

300.63(c)(1). If there is any discrepancy 

between the CSP and Federal 

regulations, Federal regulations take 

precedence. 

2025 Annual Recreational Management 

Measures 

NMFS proposes recreational fishing 

subareas, allocations, and fishing dates 

as described below. Fishery and subarea 

allocations are provided in net weight. 

These provisions may be modified 

through inseason action consistent with 

50 CFR 300.63(c). Inseason actions 

taken by NMFS will be published in the 

Federal Register. In addition to 

publication in the Federal Register, 

NMFS will make the public aware of 

inseason management actions by a 

telephone hotline, (206) 526–6667 or 

(800) 662–9825, and fishery bulletins 

administered through email by NMFS 

West Coast Region. Since provisions of 

these regulations may be changed by 

inseason actions, recreational anglers 

are encouraged to monitor the telephone 

hotline and subscribe to receive fishery 

bulletin emails for current information 

for the area in which they are fishing. 

All recreational fishing in Area 2A is 

managed on a ‘‘port of landing’’ basis, 

whereby any Pacific halibut landed into 

a port counts toward the allocation, in 

net weight, 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. 

Washington Puget Sound and the U.S. 

Convention Waters in the Strait of Juan 

de Fuca 

The subarea allocation for landings 

into ports in Puget Sound and the U.S. 

waters in the Strait of Juan de Fuca will 

be provided in the final rule based on 

the allocation formula in the CSP. 

(a) If the 2025 Area 2A FCEY is 1.3 

million lb (589.7 mt) or greater, NMFS 

is proposing to open the Puget Sound 

and the U.S. Convention Waters in the 

Strait of Juan de Fuca fishery on April 

3 through June 30, 7 days a week. If the 

subarea allocation remains for at least 

another full day of fishing after June 30, 

NMFS may take inseason action to 

reopen the fishery in August, up to 7 

days per week, through September. The 

area will be closed when there is not 

sufficient subarea allocation for another 

full day of fishing. If the Puget Sound 

subarea season is closed prior to 

September 30 and there is insufficient 

allocation for an additional fishing day, 

then any remaining Puget Sound 

subarea allocation may be transferred 

inseason to another Washington coastal 

subarea by NMFS. 

If the 2025 Area 2A FCEY is less than 

1.3 million lb (589.7 mt), then NMFS 

proposes to open the fishery every 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 

and Monday from April 3 through June 

30. If the subarea allocation remains for 

at least another full day of fishing after 

June 30, NMFS may take inseason 

action to reopen the fishery in August, 

up to 7 days per week, through 

September. The area will be closed 

when there is not sufficient subarea 

allocation for another full day of fishing. 

If the Puget Sound subarea season is 

closed prior to September 30 and there 

is insufficient allocation for an 

additional fishing day, then any 

remaining Puget Sound subarea 

allocation may be transferred inseason 

to another Washington coastal subarea 

by NMFS. 

Any inseason action, including 

closures and intrastate subarea 

allocation transfers, will be announced 

in accordance with Federal regulations 

at 50 CFR 300.63(c) and on the NMFS 

hotline at (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

(b) The daily bag limit is one Pacific 

halibut of any size per person. 

Washington North Coast Subarea 

The allocation for landings into ports 

in the Washington North Coast subarea 

will be provided in the final rule based 

on the allocation formula in the CSP. 

(a) If the Area 2A 2025 FCEY is 

greater than 1.3 million lb (589.7 mt), 

NMFS is proposing to open the 

Washington North Coast fishery: 

• May 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 

(Thursday, Friday, Saturday), 

• May 23, 24, 25 (Friday, Saturday, 

Sunday—Memorial Day weekend), 

• May 29, 30, 31 (Thursday, Friday, 

Saturday), 

• June 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 

20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29 (Thursday, 

Friday, Saturday, Sunday). 

If the subarea allocation remains for at 

least another full day of fishing after 

June 30, NMFS may take inseason 

action to reopen the fishery in August, 

up to 7 days per week, through 

September. The area will be closed 

when there is not sufficient subarea 

allocation for another full day of fishing. 

If the fishery is closed prior to 

September 30 and there is insufficient 

allocation remaining to reopen for 

another fishing day, then any remaining 

allocation may be transferred inseason 

to another Washington coastal subarea 

by NMFS. Any inseason action, 

including closures, will be announced 


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104962 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 247 / Thursday, December 26, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

in accordance with Federal regulations 

at 50 CFR 300.63(c) and on the NMFS 

hotline at (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

If the 2025 Area 2A FCEY is less than 

1.3 million lb (589.7 mt), then NMFS is 

proposing to open the fishery: 

• May 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17 (Thursday, 

Saturday), 

• May 23 and May 25 (Friday, 

Sunday—Memorial Day weekend), 

• May 29, 31 (Thursday, Saturday), 

• June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 

26, 27, 28 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday). 

If the subarea allocation remains for at 

least another full day of fishing after 

June 30, NMFS may take inseason 

action to reopen the fishery in August, 

up to 7 days per week, through 

September. The area will be closed 

when there is not sufficient subarea 

allocation for another full day of fishing. 

If the fishery is closed prior to 

September 30 and there is insufficient 

allocation remaining to reopen for 

another fishing day, then any remaining 

allocation may be transferred inseason 

to another Washington coastal subarea 

by NMFS. 

Any inseason action, including 

closures and intrastate subarea 

allocation transfers, will be announced 

in accordance with Federal regulations 

at 50 CFR 300.63(c) and on the NMFS 

hotline at (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

(b) The daily bag limit is one Pacific 

halibut of any size per person. 

Washington South Coast Subarea 

The allocation for landings into ports 

in the South Coast subarea will be 

provided in the final rule based on the 

allocation formula in the CSP. The 

South Coast subarea has a primary and 

a nearshore fishery. 

(a) NMFS is proposing to open the 

Washington South Coast primary 

fishery: 

• May 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 

22, 25, 27, 29 (Thursday, Sunday, 

Tuesday), 

• June 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29 

(Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday). 

The fishery will close when there is 

not sufficient subarea allocation for 

another full day of fishing. If the subarea 

allocation remains for at least another 

full day of fishing after June 30, NMFS 

may take inseason action to reopen the 

fishery in August, up to 7 days per 

week, through September. The area will 

be closed when there is not sufficient 

subarea allocation for another full day of 

fishing. Any inseason action, including 

closures and intrastate subarea 

allocation transfers, will be announced 

in accordance with Federal regulations 

at 50 CFR 300.63(c) and on the NMFS 

hotline at (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

When the South Coast subarea 

primary fishery does not have sufficient 

allocation 0to open for at least another 

full day of fishing, any remaining 

primary fishery allocation will be used 

to open a nearshore fishery. The 

nearshore fishery will open the first 

Saturday after the closure of the primary 

fishery and will be open 7 days per 

week until there is not sufficient 

nearshore fishery allocation remaining 

for another full day of fishing, at which 

point the area will be closed. 

If the primary fishery is closed prior 

to September 30 and there is not 

sufficient allocation remaining for at 

least a full day of fishing in the 

nearshore fishery, NMFS may take 

inseason action to transfer any 

remaining subarea allocation to another 

Washington coastal subarea. 

Any inseason action, including 

closures and intrastate subarea 

allocation transfers, will be announced 

in accordance with Federal regulations 

at 50 CFR 300.63(c) and on the NMFS 

hotline at (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

(b) The daily bag limit is one Pacific 

halibut of any size per person. 

Columbia River Subarea 

The allocation for landings into ports 

in the Columbia River subarea will be 

provided in the final rule based on the 

allocation formula in the CSP. The 

Columbia River subarea has an all-depth 

fishery and a nearshore fishery. 

If the 2025 2A FCEY is at least 1.3 

million lb (589.7 mt), NMFS proposes to 

open the all-depth fishery as follows: 

• May 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 18, 22, 

23, 25, 29, 30 (Thursday, Friday, 

Sunday), 

• June 1, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, 

22, 26, 27, 29 (Thursday, Friday, 

Sunday). 

If at least 55 percent of the Columbia 

River subarea allocation remains as of 

May 25, 2025, then NMFS may take 

inseason action to allow the all-depth 

fishery open the following additional 

days: 

• June 9, 10, 16, 17, 30 (Monday and 

Tuesday). 

If the 2025 2A FCEY is less than 1.3 

million lb (589.7 mt), NMFS proposes to 

open the all-depth fishery as follows: 

• May 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 18, 22, 

23, 25, 29, 30 (Thursday, Friday, 

Sunday), 

• June 1, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, 

22, 26, 27, 29 (Thursday, Friday, 

Sunday). 

The nearshore fishery will be open 

Monday through Wednesday following 

the opening of the all-depth fishery 

until the nearshore allocation is taken or 

September 30, whichever is earlier. On 

days when the all-depth halibut fishery 

is closed, taking, retaining, possessing, 

or landing halibut on groundfish trips is 

only allowed in the nearshore area. 

If the subarea allocation remains for at 

least another full day of fishing after 

June 30, NMFS may take inseason 

action to reopen the nearshore fishery in 

August, up to 7 days per week, through 

September. The area will be closed 

when there is not sufficient subarea 

allocation for another full day of fishing. 

Any remaining subarea allocation may 

be transferred inseason to other 

Washington or Oregon subareas by 

NMFS in proportion to the allocation 

formula in the CSP, in accordance with 

Federal regulations at 50 CFR 300.63(c). 

Any inseason action, including closures 

and reallocation, will be announced in 

accordance with Federal regulations at 

50 CFR 300.63(c) and on the NMFS 

hotline at (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

(b) The daily bag limit is one Pacific 

halibut of any size per person. 

Oregon Central Coast Subarea 

The allocation for landings into ports 

in the Oregon Central Coast subarea will 

be provided in the final rule based on 

the allocation formula in the CSP. The 

Oregon Central Coast subarea has a 

nearshore, a spring all-depth, and a 

summer all-depth fishery. 

(a) If the FCEY is 1.2 million lb (544.3 

mt) or greater, NMFS proposes 10,000 lb 

(4.5 mt) of the Central Coast subarea 

allocation be allocated to the nearshore 

fishery. If the FCEY is between 700,000 

lb (317.5 mt) and 1.2 million lb (544.3 

mt), NMFS proposes to allocate 25 

percent of the Central Coast subarea 

allocation to the nearshore fishery. If the 

FCEY is less than 700,000 lb (317.5 mt), 

NMFS proposes to allocate 12 percent of 

the Central Coast subarea allocation to 

the nearshore fishery. For the season 

structure, NMFS proposes to open the 

nearshore fishery 7 days per week from 

May 1 through October 31 if the 

nearshore fishery allocation is 25,000 lb 

(11.3 mt) or more, or from June 1 

through October 31 if the nearshore 

fishery allocation is less than 25,000 lb 

(11.3 mt). The area will be closed when 

there is not sufficient subarea allocation 

for another full day of fishing. Any 

closure will be announced in 

accordance with Federal regulations at 

50 CFR 300.63(c)(3) and on the NMFS 

hotline at (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

If the FCEY is 1.2 million lb (544.3 

mt) or greater, NMFS proposes 75 

percent of the Central Coast subarea 

allocation be allocated to the spring allVerDate Sep<11>2014 16:56 Dec 23, 2024 Jkt 265001 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\26DEP1.SGM 26DEP1

ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 247 / Thursday, December 26, 2024 / Proposed Rules 104963 

depth fishery. If the FCEY is between 

700,000 lb (317.5 mt) and 1.2 million lb 

(544.3 mt), NMFS proposes to allocate 

63 percent of the Central Coast subarea 

allocation to the spring all-depth 

fishery. If the FCEY is less than 700,000 

lb (317.5 mt), NMFS proposes to 

allocate 75 percent of the Central Coast 

subarea allocation to the spring alldepth fishery. NMFS is proposing to 

open the spring all-depth fishery up to 

7 days per week from May 1 through 

July 31. The area will be closed when 

there is not sufficient subarea allocation 

for another full day of fishing. Any 

closure will be announced in 

accordance with Federal regulations at 

50 CFR 300.63(c)(3) and on the NMFS 

hotline at (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

If the FCEY is 700,000 lb (317.5 mt) 

or greater, NMFS proposes 25 percent of 

the Central Coast subarea allocation be 

allocated to the summer all-depth 

fishery. If the FCEY is less than 700,000 

lb (317.5 mt) the summer all-depth 

fishery will not open. Should the 

summer all-depth fishery receive an 

allocation, NMFS is proposing to open 

the summer all-depth fishery from 

August 1 through October 31. The area 

will close when there is not sufficient 

subarea allocation for another full day of 

fishing. At the close of the spring alldepth fishery (July 31), if there is 50,000 

lb (22.7 mt) or more allocation 

remaining, NMFS proposes to open the 

summer all-depth fishery 7 days a week, 

every week, from August 1 through 

October 31. If there is is less than 50,000 

lb (22.7 mt) allocation remaining, NMFS 

proposes to open the summer all-depth 

fishery 7 days a week, every other week, 

from August 1 through October 31. If the 

entire Central Oregon Coast subarea 

allocation is 30,000 lb (13.6 mt) or more 

following Labor Day Weekend, the 

summer all-depth season will be open 

every week. The subarea will close 

when the remaining combined spring 

all-depth fishery and summer all-depth 

fishery allocations in the Oregon Central 

Coast subarea is not sufficient for 

another full day of fishing. Any closure 

will be announced in accordance with 

Federal regulations at 50 CFR 

300.63(c)(3) and on the NMFS hotline at 

(206) 526–6667 or (800) 662–9825. 

(b) The daily bag limit is two Pacific 

halibut of any size per person. 

Southern Oregon Coast Subarea 

The allocation for landings into ports 

in the Southern Oregon subarea will be 

provided in the final rule based on the 

allocation formula in the CSP. 

(a) NMFS is proposing to open the 

fishery May 1 through October 31 or 

until there is not sufficient subarea 

allocation for another full day of fishing, 

at which point the area will be closed. 

Any closure will be announced in 

accordance with Federal regulations at 

50 CFR 300.63(c)(3) and on the NMFS 

hotline at (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825 

(b) The daily bag limit is two Pacific 

halibut of any size per person. 

Northern California Coast Subarea 

The allocation for landings into ports 

in the Northern California Coast subarea 

will be provided in the final rule based 

on the allocation formula in the CSP. 

(a) NMFS is proposing to open the 

fishery May 1 through November 15 or 

until there is not sufficient subarea 

allocation for another full day of fishing, 

at which point the area will be closed. 

NMFS will announce any closure in 

accordance with Federal procedures at 

50 CFR 300.63(c) and on the NMFS 

hotline (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

(b) The daily bag limit is one Pacific 

halibut of any size per person. 

South of Point Arena Subarea 

The allocation for landings into ports 

in the South of Point Arena subarea will 

be provided in the final rule based on 

the allocation formula in the CSP. 

(a) NMFS is proposing to open the 

fishery May 1 through December 31 or 

until there is not sufficient subarea 

allocation for another full day of fishing, 

at which point the area will be closed. 

NMFS will announce any closure in 

accordance with Federal procedures at 

50 CFR 300.63(c)(3) and on the NMFS 

hotline (206) 526–6667 or (800) 662– 

9825. 

(b) The daily bag limit is one Pacific 

halibut of any size per person. 

Additional Recreational Management 

Measures 

In addition to the State-specific 

recreational fishing measures described 

above, NMFS also proposes to add an 

inseason provision for the California 

recreational subareas to provide for 

transfer of any projected unused 

Northern California subarea allocation 

to the South of Point Arena subarea 

prior to or by the end of the Northern 

California fishing season (November 15). 

The transfer of projected unused 

recreational fishery subarea allocation 

within a State is not a new concept in 

Area 2A as both Oregon and 

Washington have similar provisions. 

These changes are primarily intended to 

provide more opportunities for anglers 

to achieve but not exceed applicable 

allocations and were widely supported 

by stakeholders at multiple Council 

meetings. 

While each year, in working with the 

Council and States, NMFS establishes 

State-specific season structures and 

management measures intended to fully 

attain the State’s recreational fishery 

allocation and management objectives, 

partial attainment of a State recreational 

fishery allocation may occur, which 

contributes to lower attainment of the 

overall Area 2A FCEY. Certain existing 

inseason action provisions were 

intended as tools to achieve full 

attainment, such as modifying bag limits 

or the transfer of uncaught allocations 

within the Washington subareas and 

from the Columbia River subarea to 

other Washington and Oregon subareas 

as specified at 50 CFR 300.63(c)(6). 

However, under-attainment of the State 

recreational fishery allocations has still 

occurred despite these efforts to modify 

management measures inseason to meet 

the needs of the fishery. 

As a way to address potential underattainment of the State recreational 

fishery allocations in future years, the 

Council recommended adding an 

inseason provision for the California 

recreational subareas to transfer any 

projected unused Northern California 

subarea allocation to the South of Point 

Arena subarea. Therefore, through this 

action, NMFS proposes an inseason 

provision, through consultation with 

CDFW, where if NMFS determines that 

the Northern California subarea will be 

unable or unlikely to attain their 

originally established recreational 

subarea allocation for that fishing year, 

then NMFS may transfer any projected 

unused Northern California subarea 

allocation to the South of Point Arena 

subarea prior to or by the end of the 

Northern California fishing season 

(November 15). NMFS will announce 

any inseason action in accordance with 

Federal procedures at 50 CFR 

300.63(c)(6) and on the NMFS hotline 

(206) 526–6667 or (800) 662–9825. 

In previous years, the California 

recreational fishery has closed in late 

July/early August due to the fishery 

attaining their allocation from catches in 

what is now the Northern California 

subarea. However, in 2024, the Northern 

California subarea allocation was 

approximately 50 percent attained by 

the end of the season (November 15). 

During the summer, Pacific halibut are 

known to be encountered in other nonPacific halibut directed recreational 

fisheries in the south of Point Arena 

subarea. Allowing the transfer of any 

projected unused Northern California 

subarea allocation to the South of Point 

Arena subarea prior to or by the end of 

the season could provide additional 

opportunities for anglers and charter 

operations across more of the State and 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
104964 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 247 / Thursday, December 26, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

later in the season. The inseason 

transfer of allocation among a State’s 

subareas is seen as valuable tool in 

attaining the State recreational fishery 

allocations and the full Area 2A 

allocation. 

Classification 

Under section 773 of the Halibut Act, 

the Pacific Fishery Management Council 

may develop, and the Secretary of 

Commerce may implement, regulations 

governing Pacific halibut fishing by U.S. 

fishermen in Area 2A that are in 

addition to, and not in conflict with, 

approved IPHC regulations (16 U.S.C. 

773c(c)). The proposed rule is consistent 

with the Council and NMFS’s authority 

under the Halibut Act. 

This proposed rule has been 

determined to be not significant for 

purposes of Executive Order 12866. 

The Chief Counsel for Regulation of 

the Department of Commerce certified 

to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 

Small Business Administration that this 

proposed rule, if adopted, would not 

have a significant economic impact on 

a substantial number of small entities, 

for the following reasons: 

For Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) 

purposes only, NMFS has determined 

that charter vessels targeting Pacific 

halibut are all small businesses. Charter 

fishing operations are classified under 

NAICS code 487210, with a 

corresponding Small Business 

Association size standard of $14 million 

in annual receipts (13 CFR 121.201). 

This proposed rule would open the 

2025 Area 2A Pacific halibut 

recreational fishery and establish season 

dates and subarea allocations. 

Additionally, this proposed rule would 

add an inseason management provision 

for the California recreational fishery to 

transfer any projected unused Northern 

California subarea allocation to the 

South of Point Arena subarea. These 

changes were uncontroversial 

throughout the Council’s public process, 

and overall participation in the 

recreational fisheries is not expected to 

change. 

This action would affect anglers, 

charter vessels (which are small 

entities), and small businesses relying 

on recreational fishing across all of Area 

2A. There are no large entities involved 

in the Pacific halibut fisheries off the 

West Coast, and no commercial fishing 

entities are directly affected by this rule. 

None of these changes will have a 

disproportionately negative effect on 

small entities versus large entities. 

Private vessels used for recreational 

fishing are not businesses and are 

therefore not included in the RFA 

analysis. 

In 2024, NMFS issued 77 permits to 

the charter vessel fleet for Area 2A. 

NMFS anticipates a similar number of 

permits to be issued in 2025 and 

assumes a majority of permit holders 

may be affected by these regulations as 

those vessels operate in Area 2A. The 

major effect of Pacific halibut 

management on small entities (i.e., 

profitability) will be from the catch limit 

decisions (i.e., FCEYs) made by the 

IPHC at its annual meeting January 27– 

31, 2025, a decision independent from 

this proposed action. This proposed 

action would implement noncontroversial management measures 

that NMFS believes will provide 

increased recreational opportunities 

under the IPHC allocations with 

minimal positive economic effects. 

Therefore, the proposed rule is unlikely 

to affect the profitability of the 

recreational fishery or the small charter 

fishing businesses that target Pacific 

halibut. 

For the reasons described above, the 

proposed action, if adopted, will not 

have a significant economic impact on 

a substantial number of small entities. 

As a result, an initial regulatory 

flexibility analysis is not required and 

none has been prepared. 

This proposed rule contains no 

information collection requirements 

under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995. 

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: December 16, 2024. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

For the reasons set out in the 

preamble, NMFS proposes to amend 50 

CFR part 300, subpart E, as follows: 

PART 300—INTERNATIONAL 

FISHERIES REGULATIONS 

Subpart E—Pacific Halibut Fisheries 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 300, 

subpart E, continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773–773k. 

■ 2. In § 300.63, redesignate paragraphs 

(c)(6)(i)(E) and (F) to (c)(6)(i)(F) and (G) 

and add new paragraph (c)(6)(i)(E), to 

read as follows: 

§ 300.63 Catch sharing plan and domestic 

management measures in Area 2A. 

* * * * * 

(c) * * * 

(6) * * * 

(i) * * * 

(E) If the Northern California 

recreational (sport) subarea is not 

projected to utilize its respective 

allocation prior to or by the season 

ending date, NMFS may take inseason 

action to transfer any projected unused 

allocation to the South of Point Arena 

subarea. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2024–30430 Filed 12–23–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1