[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 10, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27952-27953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09686]



[[Page 27952]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 220502-0109; RTID 0648-XB884]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, 
Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Final 2022 Specifications

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

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS is finalizing specifications for fishing year 2022 for 
the chub mackerel, butterfish, longfin squid, and Illex squid 
fisheries. This action is necessary to reaffirm previously approved 
projected allowable harvest levels that will prevent overfishing and 
allow harvesting of optimum yield for all the species of the Mackerel, 
Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. These specifications are 
intended to promote the sustainable utilization and conservation of the 
mackerel, squid, and butterfish resources.

DATES: Effective May 10, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aly Pitts, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations implementing the Mackerel, 
Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) require the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish 
Monitoring Committee to develop specification recommendations for each 
species based upon the acceptable biological catch (ABC) advice of the 
Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).
    On July 22, 2021 (86 FR 38586), we published a final rule in the 
Federal Register setting new 2021 and projected specifications for 
fishing year 2022 butterfish and Illex squid, while maintaining the 
current longfin squid, Atlantic mackerel, and chub mackerel 
specifications for 2021 and projected for 2022-2023. The proposed rule 
for that action included additional background on specifications and 
the details of how the Council derived its recommended specifications 
for Atlantic mackerel, chub mackerel, Illex squid, longfin squid, and 
butterfish. Those details are not repeated here; for additional 
information, please refer to the proposed rule for that action. This 
action will reaffirm the 2022 specifications for chub mackerel, Illex 
squid, longfin squid, and butterfish (Table 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6). The 
Atlantic mackerel specifications for 2022 were set by a separate 
action, effective on January 7, 2022 (87 FR 1700), and are not modified 
by this action.

            Table 1--Longfin Squid Final 2022 Specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Specification                         Metric tons
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overfishing Limit (OFL).................  Unknown.
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC).......  23,400.
Initial Optimum Yield (IOY).............  22,932.
Domestic Annual Harvest (DAH), Domestic   22,932.
 Annual Processing (DAP).
------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Table 2--Longfin Quota Trimester Allocations Final 2022 Specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Metric
                     Trimester                       Percent      tons
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I (Jan-Apr).......................................         43      9,861
II (May-Aug)......................................         17      3,898
III (Sep-Dec).....................................         40      9,173
------------------------------------------------------------------------


              Table 3--Butterfish Final 2022 Specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Specification                         Metric tons
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OFL.....................................................         24, 341
ABC.....................................................          17,854
Annual Catch Target (ACT)...............................          16,961
Assumed discards........................................             637
Total discards..........................................           5,466
Butterfish cap in longfin fishery.......................           3,884
DAH.....................................................          11,495
------------------------------------------------------------------------


  Table 4--2022 Trimester Allocation of Butterfish Mortality Cap on the
                          Longfin Squid Fishery
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Metric
                     Trimester                       Percent      tons
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I (Jan-Apr).......................................         43      1,670
II (May-Aug)......................................         17        660
III (Sep-Dec).....................................         40      1,554
                                                   ---------------------
    Total.........................................        100      3,844
------------------------------------------------------------------------


             Table 5--Illex Squid Final 2022 Specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Specification                         Metric tons
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OFL.....................................  Unknown.
ABC.....................................  33,000.
IOY.....................................  31,478.
DAH/DAP.................................  31,478.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


        Table 6--Atlantic Chub Mackerel Final 2022 Specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Specification                         Metric tons
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC.....................................................           2,300
ACL.....................................................           2,262
ACT.....................................................           2,171
                                                         ---------------
    Total Allowable Landings............................           2,041
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Classification

    The NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this final 
rule is consistent with the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery 
Management Plan, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, and other applicable law.
    This rule is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866 because 
this action contains no implementing regulations.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), we find good cause to waive prior 
public notice and opportunity for public comment on the catch limit and 
allocation adjustments, because allowing time for notice and comment 
would be unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. The proposed 
rule for the 2021-2023 specifications provided the public with the 
opportunity to comment on the

[[Page 27953]]

specifications, including the projected 2022 through 2023 
specifications (86 FR 28323, May 26, 2021). The 2022 specifications 
presented here were previously approved through the 2021-2023 
specifications and this final rule is intended to officially reaffirm 
these specifications. Further, this final rule contains no changes from 
the projected 2022 specifications that were included in both the May 
26, 2021, proposed rule and the July 22, 2021, final rule. The 
butterfish specifications were decreased by 72 percent in 2021 from 
2020, but this rule increases the allowable catch by 53 percent. 
Implementing these specifications will reduce the likelihood of an 
unnecessary closure of the butterfish fishery and will avoid confusion. 
The public and industry participants expect this action. Through both 
the proposed rule and final rules for the 2021-2023 specifications, we 
alerted the public that we would conduct a review of the latest 
available data in each of the interim years of the multi-year 
specifications and may make changes if warranted. Thus, the proposed 
and final rules that contained the projected 2021-2023 specifications 
provided a full opportunity for the public to comment on the substance 
and process of this action. Based on these considerations, we further 
find, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 (d)(3), good cause to waive the 30-day 
delayed effectiveness period for the reasons stated above.
    The Chief Counsel for Regulation, Department of Commerce, 
previously certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small 
Business Administration (SBA) that the 2022 chub mackerel, Illex squid, 
longfin quid, and butterfish specifications would not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
Implementing the 2022 specifications will not change the conclusions 
drawn in that previous certification to the SBA. Because advance notice 
and the opportunity for public comment are not required for this action 
under the Administrative Procedure Act, or any other law, the 
analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 
601, et seq., do not apply to this rule. Therefore, no new regulatory 
flexibility analysis is required and none has been prepared.
    This action does not contain a collection of information 
requirement for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

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

    Dated: May 2, 2022.
Samuel D. Rauch, III
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-09686 Filed 5-9-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P