[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62373-62381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29722]



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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 611, 675, 676, and 677

[Docket No. 95112820-5280-01; I.D. 111495A]


Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; 
Limited Access; Foreign Fishing; Proposed 1996 Initial Harvest 
Specifications

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

ACTION: Proposed 1996 initial specifications for groundfish and 
associated management measures; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: NMFS proposes 1996 initial harvest specifications, prohibited 
species bycatch allowances, and associated measures for the groundfish 
fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). 
This action is necessary to inform the public about proposed 1996 
harvest specifications and associated management measures. The intended 
effect is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI 
and to 

[[Page 62374]]
provide an opportunity for public participation in this process.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by January 4, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be sent to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries 
Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 
99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel.
    The preliminary 1996 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) 
report, dated September 1995, is available from the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council, 605 West 4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, 
AK 99510-2252, 907-271-2817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen R. Varosi, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Groundfish fisheries in the BSAI are 
governed by Federal Regulations (50 CFR 675) that implement the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands Area (FMP). Other applicable regulations are found at 
50 CFR 611.93 (Foreign Fishing) and 50 CFR part 676 (Limited Access 
Management of Federal Fisheries In and Off of Alaska) and 50 CFR part 
677 (North Pacific Fisheries Research Plan). The FMP was prepared by 
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and approved by 
NMFS under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
    The FMP and implementing regulations require NMFS, after 
consultation with the Council, to specify for each calendar year the 
total allowable catch (TAC) for each target species and the ``other 
species'' category, the sum of which must be within the optimum yield 
(OY) range of 1.4 million to 2.0 million metric tons (mt) 
(Sec. 675.20(a)(2)). Regulations under Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i) further 
require NMFS to publish annually and solicit public comment on proposed 
annual TAC amounts, apportionments of each TAC, prohibited species 
catch (PSC) allowances, seasonal allowances of the pollock TAC, and 
seasonal allowances of the pollock Community Development Quota (CDQ) 
reserve. The specifications set forth in Tables 1-7 of this action 
satisfy these requirements. For 1996, the proposed sum of TAC amounts 
is 2.0 million mt. Under Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(ii), NMFS will publish the 
final annual specifications for 1996 after considering: (1) Comments 
received within the comment period (see DATES), and (2) consultations 
with the Council at its December 1995 meeting.
    The specified TAC amounts for each species are based on the best 
available biological and socioeconomic information. At its September 
and December meetings, the Council, its Advisory Panel, and its 
Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), annually review biological 
information about the condition of groundfish stocks in the BSAI. This 
information is compiled by the Council's BSAI Groundfish Plan Team 
(Plan Team) and is presented in the SAFE Report. The Plan Team annually 
produces such a report as the first step in the process of specifying 
TAC amounts. The SAFE Report contains a review of the latest scientific 
analyses and estimates of each species' biomass, maximum sustainable 
yield (MSY), acceptable biological catch (ABC) and other biological 
parameters, as well as summaries of the ecosystem and the economic 
condition of groundfish fisheries off Alaska. A preliminary 1996 SAFE 
Report, dated September 1995, provides an update on status of stocks. 
These preliminary assessments will be updated based on biological 
survey work done during the summer of 1995. Assessments will be made 
available by the Plan Team in November 1995 and included in the final 
edition of the 1996 SAFE Report. Final ABC amounts for the 1996 fishing 
year will be based on the most recent stock assessments. The proposed 
ABC amounts adopted by the Council for the 1996 fishing year are based 
on the best available scientific information, including projected 
biomass trends, information on assumed distribution of stock biomass, 
and revised technical methods used to calculate stock biomass.
    Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i) require that one-fourth of each 
proposed initial TAC (ITAC) amount and apportionment thereof, one-
fourth of each PSC allowance established under Sec. 675.21(b), and the 
first seasonal allowances of pollock become effective 0001 hours, 
A.l.t., January 1, on an interim basis and remain in effect until 
superseded by the final harvest specifications, which will be published 
in the Federal Register.
    NMFS is publishing, in the Rules and Regulations section of this 
Federal Register issue, interim TAC specifications and apportionments 
thereof for the 1996 fishing year that will become available 0001 
hours, Alaska local time, January 1, 1996, and remain in effect until 
superseded by the final 1996 harvest specifications.

Procedure for Estimating ABC

    The Council bases its calculation of ABC on the definition 
contained in 50 CFR part 602--Guidelines For Fishery Management Plans 
(602 Guidelines). The 602 Guidelines (Sec. 602.11(e)(1)) state that:

    ABC is a preliminary description of the acceptable harvest (or 
range of harvests) for a given stock or stock complex. Its 
derivation focuses on the status and dynamics of the stock, 
environmental conditions, other ecological factors, and prevailing 
technological characteristics of the fishery.

    The 602 Guidelines also provide the Council with the flexibility 
needed to define overfishing appropriate to the individual stock or 
species characteristics, as long as it is defined in a way that allows 
the Council and NMFS to evaluate the condition of the stock relative to 
the definition (Sec. 602.11(c)). Application of the overfishing 
definition requires some flexibility because the amount of data for 
different stocks varies. The calculations used to derive preliminary 
overfishing levels for a given stock or stock complex are described in 
the preliminary 1996 SAFE Report.
    Calculation of ABC varies among species, depending on the quality 
of available data and prior knowledge of a species' stock status. The 
Plan Team has adopted three steps for estimating ABC amounts. First, 
the exploitable biomass of a stock is estimated. Second, the ABC for a 
stock is calculated by multiplying an exploitation rate times the 
estimated exploitable biomass. Various exploitation rates or fishing 
mortality rates (F) may be used in this calculation, depending on the 
data available and the degree of risk the Plan Team is willing to 
accept. For example, the exploitation rate that would produce MSY 
(F<INF>MSY) may be used when the stock is known to be in good 
condition, high in abundance, and not in danger of drastic decline. 
When more conservative stock management is desirable, a F<INF>0.1 
harvest strategy is used to determine an exploitation rate. This 
strategy determines a level of F at which the marginal increase in 
yield-per-recruit due to an increase in F is 10 percent of the marginal 
yield-per-recruit in a newly exploited fishery. Recruitment refers to 
the growth of juvenile fish into the adult or exploitable population. 
Generally, F<INF>0.1 is a more conservative exploitation rate than 
F<INF>MSY. Another alternative is to use historical exploitation rates 
when historical fishery data indicate that a stock is not affected 
adversely by such rates. A switch in harvest strategy from F<INF>.35 to 
F=natural mortality rate (M) can be used when current maturity 
parameter estimates are unreliable. Finally, an empirical estimation of 
ABC based on historical catch levels may be used when information is 
insufficient to estimate the biomass of a stock. Details of 
overfishing, ABC, and other calculation procedures are discussed in 

[[Page 62375]]
the preliminary 1996 SAFE Report. This report is available from the 
Council (see ADDRESSES).
    The Plan Team's recommendations for preliminary ABC amounts for 
each species for 1996 and other biological data are provided in the 
preliminary 1996 SAFE Report. At its September 1995 meeting, the 
Council's SSC reviewed the Plan Team's preliminary recommendations for 
1996 ABC amounts. The SSC concurred with the Plan Team's 
recommendations except for Aleutian Basin (Bogoslof) pollock and 
Greenland turbot. The SSC's revisions to the ABC amounts for these two 
species are discussed below.
    Bogoslof Pollock. The Plan Team indicated in the preliminary 1996 
SAFE Report that the current estimate of biomass of Aleutian Basin 
pollock (1,020,000 mt) is conservative. This biomass estimate is based 
on the preliminary results from the 1995 hydroacoustic survey of the 
southeastern Aleutian Basin near Bogoslof Island, which indicated that 
the 1995 biomass is sustained almost entirely by 1988 and 1989 year 
classes. The Plan Team estimated an ABC for Bogoslof pollock of 265,000 
mt using the biomass estimate and a target exploitation rate of 26 
percent. However, the SSC used a more conservative exploitation 
strategy, based on a natural mortality rate of M=0.2 divided by 2 to 
derive an ABC of 102,000 mt.
    Greenland Turbot. The Plan Team used the stock synthesis model to 
estimate the ABC, which was updated with 1995 catch and survey data. 
The Plan Team maintained the 1996 ABC at the level recommended by the 
Plan Team last year (18,500 mt). However, the SSC recommended a 
continuation of the present 7,000 mt ABC for this species in 
recognition of continued poor recruitment and stock abundance levels 
since the early 1980's. The SSC's recommendation will be reevaluated in 
December, after an updated assessment analysis containing results from 
the bottom trawl survey for the 1996 estimate becomes available.
    The Council adopted the ABC amounts recommended by the SSC (Table 
1).

  Table 1.--Proposed 1996 Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), Proposed Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Initial TAC  
    (ITAC), and Overfishing Levels (OFL) of Groundfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (AI)\1\\2\   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Species                            ABC             TAC         ITAC=DAP/3/         OFL     
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock:                                                                                                        
    BS..........................................       1,250,000       1,250,000       1,062,500       1,500,000
    AI..........................................          56,600          56,600          48,110          60,400
    Bogoslof District...........................         102,000           1,000             850         102,000
Pacific cod.....................................         328,000         250,000         212,500         390,000
Sablefish:\4\                                                                                                   
    BS..........................................           1,600           1,600             680  ..............
    AI..........................................           2,200           2,200             468  ..............
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
      Total.....................................           3,800           3,800           1,148           4,900
                                                 ===============================================================
Atka mackerel:                                                                                                  
    Western AI..................................          71,600          41,520          35,292  ..............
    Central AI..................................          19,300          11,200           9,520  ..............
    Eastern AI/BS...............................          47,100          27,280          23,188  ..............
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
      Total.....................................         138,000          80,000          68,000         164,000
                                                 ===============================================================
Yellowfin sole..................................         277,000         190,000         161,500         319,000
Rock sole.......................................         347,000          60,000          51,000         388,000
Greenland turbot:                                                                                               
    BS..........................................           4,690           4,690           3,987  ..............
    AI..........................................           2,310           2,310           1,963  ..............
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
      Total.....................................           7,000           7,000           5,950          27,200
                                                 ===============================================================
Arrowtooth flounder.............................         113,000          10,227           8,693         138,000
Flathead sole...................................         138,000          30,000          25,500         167,000
Other flatfish\5\...............................         117,000          19,540          16,609         137,000
Pacific ocean perch:                                                                                            
    BS..........................................           1,850           1,850           1,573           2,910
    AI..........................................          10,500          10,500           8,925          15,900
Other red rockfish:\6\ BS.......................           1,400           1,260           1,070           1,400
Sharpchin/Northern AI...........................           5,670           5,103           4,338           5,670
Shortraker/Rougheye AI..........................           1,220           1,098             933           1,220
Other rockfish:\7\                                                                                              
    BS..........................................             365             329             280             365
    AI..........................................             770             693             589             770
Squid...........................................           3,110           1,000             850           3,110
Other Species\8\................................          27,600          20,000          17,000         136,000
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
      Totals....................................       2,929,885       2,000,000       1,697,918      3,564,845 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Amounts are in metric tons. These amounts apply to the entire Bering Sea (BS) and Aleutian Islands (AI) area 
  unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these specifications, the BS
  includes the Bogoslof District.                                                                               
\2\Zero amounts of groundfish are specified for Joint Venture Processing and Total Allowable Level of Foreign   
  Fishing.                                                                                                      
\3\Except for the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, 0.15 of each TAC is put 
  into a reserve. The ITAC for each species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves.
                                                                                                                

[[Page 62376]]
                                                                                                                
\4\Twenty percent of the sablefish hook-and-line gear or pot gear final TAC amount will be reserved for use by  
  Community Development Quota (CDQ) participants. (See Sec. 676.24(b)) Regulations at Sec. 675.20(c) do not     
  provide for the establishment of an ITAC for the hook-and-line and pot gear allocation for sablefish. The ITAC
  for sablefish reflected in Table 1 is for trawl gear only.                                                    
\5\``Other flatfish'' includes all flatfish species except for Pacific halibut (a prohibited species), flathead 
  sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, and yellowfin sole.                                                        
\6\``Other red rockfish'' includes shortraker, rougheye, sharpchin, and northern.                               
\7\``Other rockfish'' includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, sharpchin, 
  northern, shortraker, and rougheye.                                                                           
\8\``Other species'' includes sculpins, sharks, skates, eulachon, smelts, capelin, and octopus.                 



Proposed TAC Specifications

    The Council recommended adopting the Advisory Panel's 
recommendation for the 1996 BSAI TAC amounts, which equalled the 1995 
TAC amounts and apportionments with one exception. The apportionment of 
the Atka mackerel TAC among the Aleutian Island districts and the 
Bering Sea was proposed to be revised as follows: Western Aleutians--
41,520 mt (51.9 percent); Central Aleutians--11,200 (14.0 percent); and 
Eastern Aleutians and Bering Sea--27,280 mt (34.1 percent).
    The 1,000 mt TAC proposed for pollock of the Bogoslof subarea was 
intended by the Council only to provide sufficient amounts of pollock 
to meet bycatch needs in other fisheries. The Council will consider 
updated information on the status of this resource at its December 1995 
meeting to decide whether to allow a directed fishery under the final 
1996 specifications.
    The Council developed its TAC recommendations based on the 
preliminary ABC amounts as adjusted for other biological and 
socioeconomic considerations, including maintaining the total TAC 
within the required OY range of 1.4-2.0 million mt. Each of the 
Council's recommended TAC amounts for 1996 is equal to or less than the 
final 1996 ABC for each species category. Therefore, NMFS finds that 
the recommended proposed TAC amounts are consistent with the biological 
condition of groundfish stocks. The preliminary ABC and TAC amounts, 
initial TAC (ITAC) amounts, overfishing levels, and initial 
apportionments of groundfish in the BSAI area for 1996 are given in 
Table 1 of this action. The apportionment of TAC amounts among 
fisheries and seasons is discussed below.

Apportionment of TAC

    As required by Sec. 675.20(a)(3) and Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i), each 
species' TAC initially is reduced by 15 percent, except the hook-and-
line and pot gear allocation for sablefish. The sum of these 15-percent 
amounts is the reserve. The reserve is not designated by species or 
species group, and any amount of the reserve may be reapportioned to a 
target species or the ``other species'' category during the year, 
providing that such reapportionments are consistent with 
Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(i) and do not result in overfishing.
    The ITAC for each target species and the ``other species'' category 
at the beginning of the year is apportioned between the domestic annual 
harvest (DAH) category and the total allowable level of foreign fishing 
(TALFF), if any. Each DAH amount is further apportioned between two 
categories of U.S. fishing vessels. The domestic annual processing 
(DAP) category includes U.S. vessels that process their catch on board 
or deliver it to U.S. fish processors. The joint venture processing 
(JVP) category includes U.S. fishing vessels working in joint ventures 
with foreign processing vessels authorized to receive catches in the 
exclusive economic zone.
    In consultation with the Council, the initial amounts of DAP and 
JVP are determined by the Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional 
Director). Consistent with the final 1991-95 initial specifications, 
the Council recommended that 1996 DAP specifications be set equal to 
ITAC and that no groundfish be allocated to JVP and TALFF. In making 
this recommendation, the Council considered the capacity of DAP 
harvesting and processing operations and anticipated that 1996 DAP 
operations would harvest the full TAC specified for each BSAI 
groundfish species category. The proposed ABC amounts, proposed TAC and 
ITAC amounts, overfishing levels, and initial apportionments of 
groundfish in the BSAI area for 1996 are given in Table 1.
    These proposed specifications are subject to change as a result of 
public comment, analysis of the current biological condition of the 
groundfish stocks, new information regarding the fishery, and 
consultation with the Council at its meeting scheduled for December 4-
11, 1995.

Seasonal Allowances of Pollock TAC

    Under Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(ii), the TAC of pollock for each subarea or 
district of the BSAI area is divided, after subtraction of reserves 
(Sec. 675.20(a)(3)), into two seasonal allowances. The first allowance 
will be available for directed fishing from January 1 to April 15 (roe 
season) and the second allowance will be available from August 15 
through the end of the fishing year (non-roe season). In 1995, the 
opening of the pollock roe season was delayed for the offshore 
component fishery to January 26th (Sec. 675.23(e)(2)). On September 18, 
1995, a notice of proposed rulemaking was published in the Federal 
Register (60 FR 48087) that, if approved by NMFS, would continue to 
authorize a delay of the offshore component roe fishery.
    The Council recommended that the seasonal allowances for the Bering 
Sea pollock roe and non-roe seasons be specified at 45 percent and 55 
percent of the ITAC amounts, respectively (Table 2). These seasonal 
apportionments are unchanged from 1995. As in past years, the pollock 
TAC amounts specified for the Aleutian Islands subarea and the Bogoslof 
District are not seasonally apportioned.
    When specifying seasonal allowances of the pollock TAC, the Council 
and NMFS consider the following nine factors as specified in section 
14.4.10 of the FMP:
    1. Estimated monthly pollock catch and effort in prior years;
    2. Expected changes in harvesting and processing capacity and 
associated pollock catch;
    3. Current estimates of, and expected changes in, pollock biomass 
and stock conditions; conditions of marine mammal stocks; and biomass 
and stock conditions of species taken as bycatch in directed pollock 
fisheries;
    4. Potential impacts of expected seasonal fishing for pollock on 
pollock stocks, marine mammals, and stocks and species taken as bycatch 
in directed pollock fisheries;
    5. The need to obtain fishery-related data during all or part of 
the fishing year;
    6. Effects on operating costs and gross revenues;
    7. The need to spread fishing effort over the year, minimize gear 
conflicts, and allow participation by various elements of the 
groundfish fleet and other fisheries;
    8. Potential allocative effects among users and indirect effects on 
coastal communities; and
    9. Other biological and socioeconomic information that affects the 
consistency 

[[Page 62377]]
of seasonal pollock harvests with the goals and objectives of the FMP.
    The publication of the final 1995 initial groundfish and PSC 
specifications (60 FR 8479; February 14, 1995) summarizes Council 
findings with respect to each of the FMP considerations set forth 
above. At this time, the Council's findings are unchanged from those 
set forth for 1995.

Apportionment of the Pollock TAC to the Inshore and Offshore 
Components

    Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(iii) require that the proposed 
pollock ITAC amounts specified for the BSAI be allocated between the 
inshore and offshore processing components. These regulations are 
scheduled to expire at the end of 1995 although the Council has adopted 
Amendment 38 to the FMP and NMFS approved that amendment. Amendment 38 
would continue apportionment of the pollock ITAC amounts between the 
inshore and offshore components. NMFS published a notice of proposed 
rulemaking in the Federal Register (60 FR 48087; September 18, 1995) 
that would extend these regulations and a final rule will be issued 
shortly. Consequently, in these proposed specifications, the pollock 
ITAC is apportioned between the inshore and offshore sectors as 
specified in the proposed rule. For the purpose of this action, the 
inshore and offshore components would be apportioned 35 percent and 65 
percent, respectively, of the pollock ITAC specified for each subarea 
or district (Table 2).

  Table 2.--Seasonal Allowances of the Inshore and Offshore Component Allocations of Pollock TAC Amounts\1\\2\  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Subarea                            TAC           ITAC\3\       Roe season    Non-roe season
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea:\4\\5\                                                                                               
    Inshore.....................................  ..............         371,875         167,344         204,531
    Offshore....................................  ..............         690,625         310,781         379,844
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       1,250,000       1,062,500         478,125         584,375
Aleutian Islands:                                                                                               
    Inshore.....................................  ..............          16,838          16,838           (\6\)
    Offshore....................................  ..............          31,272          31,272           (\6\)
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          56,600          48,110          48,110           (\6\)
Bogoslof:                                                                                                       
    Inshore.....................................  ..............             298             298           (\6\)
    Offshore....................................  ..............             552             552           (\6\)
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           1,000             850             850           (\6\)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\TAC = total allowable catch.                                                                                 
\2\Based on an offshore component allocation of 0.65(TAC) and an inshore component allocation of 0.35(TAC).     
\3\ITAC = initial TAC = 0.85 of TAC.                                                                            
\4\January 1 through April 15--based on a 45/55 split (roe = 45 percent).                                       
\5\August 15 through December 31--based on a 45/55 split (non-roe = 55 percent).                                
\6\Remainder.                                                                                                   

Pollock CDQ Allocations

    Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(3)(ii) require that one-half of the 
pollock TAC placed in the reserve for each subarea or district, or 7.5 
percent of each TAC, be assigned to a Community Development Quota (CDQ) 
reserve for each subarea or district. These regulations expire on 
December 31, 1995, although the Council has adopted Amendment 38 to the 
FMP and NMFS has approved that amendment. Amendment 38 would extend the 
CDQ Program for 3 additional years. A notice of proposed rulemaking was 
published in the Federal Register on September 18, 1995 (60 FR 48087) 
and a final rule is expected to be issued shortly. If the pollock TAC 
amount remains as specified in Table 1, the 1996 CDQ reserve amounts 
for each subarea would be as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         BSAI Subarea                   Pollock CDQ                 Roe season               Non-roe season     
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea....................  93,750 mt.................  42,188 mt................  51,562 mt.               
Aleutian Islands..............  4,245 mt..................  4,245 mt.................  Remainder.               
Bogoslof......................  75 mt.....................  75 mt....................  Remainder.               
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Under the proposed regulations that would govern the CDQ program, 
NMFS may allocate the 1996 pollock CDQ reserves to eligible Western 
Alaska communities or groups of communities that have an approved 
Community Development Plan (CDP). The State of Alaska received six CDP 
applications pursuant to Sec. 675.27 and State of Alaska regulations at 
6 AAC 93. All six applications were submitted in conformance with both 
sets of regulations and have been fully reviewed by the State and the 
Council. The NMFS-approved allocations of the 1996 CDQ reserve to the 
successful CDP recipients are expected to be published in the Federal 
Register prior to the 1996 fishing year.

Apportionment of Pollock TAC to the Nonpelagic Trawl Gear Fishery

    Regulations at Sec. 675.24(c)(2) authorize NMFS, in consultation 
with the Council, to limit the amount of pollock TAC that may be taken 
in the directed fishery for pollock using nonpelagic trawl gear. This 
authority is intended to reduce the amount of halibut and crab 

[[Page 62378]]
bycatch that occurs in nonpelagic trawl operations.
    The Council did not propose to limit the amount of pollock TAC that 
may be taken in the 1996 directed fishery for pollock by vessels using 
nonpelagic trawl gear. However, the Council will consider limiting the 
pollock TAC amounts that may be harvested by vessels using nonpelagic 
trawl gear at its December 1995 meeting, pending information on 
prohibited species bycatch amounts in the 1995 pelagic and nonpelagic 
trawl gear fisheries and an assessment of the effectiveness of 
regulations at Sec. 675.7(n) to reduce halibut and crab bycatch in the 
pelagic trawl fishery.

Proposed Allocation of the Pacific Cod TAC

    Under Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(iv), 2 percent of the Pacific cod ITAC is 
allocated to vessels using jig gear, 44 percent to vessels using hook-
and-line gear or pot gear, and 54 percent to vessels using trawl gear. 
At its September 1995 meeting, the Council proposed to roll over the 
1995 seasonal apportionments of the portion of the Pacific cod TAC 
allocated to the hook-and-line and pot gear fisheries. The seasonal 
apportionments are intended to provide for the harvest of Pacific cod 
when flesh quality and market conditions are optimum and Pacific 
halibut bycatch rates are low. The Council's recommendations for 
seasonal apportionments are set out in Table 3 and are unchanged from 
the percentages of seasonal apportionments specified for 1995 (60 FR 
8479; February 14, 1995). These seasonal apportionments were based on: 
(1) Seasonal distribution of Pacific cod relative to prohibited species 
distributions, (2) expected variations in prohibited species bycatch 
rates experienced in the Pacific cod fisheries throughout the year, and 
(3) economic effects of any seasonal apportionment of Pacific cod on 
the hook-and-line and pot gear fisheries.

                         Table 3.--1996 Gear Shares of the BSAI Pacific Cod Initial TAC                         
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                            Seasonal Apportionment              
                Gear                  Percent     Share of  ----------------------------------------------------
                                       of TAC    ITAC (mt)               Date              Percent   Amount (mt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jig................................          2        4,250  Jan. 1-Dec. 31.............        100        4,250
Hook-and-line......................         44       93,500  Jan. 1-Apr. 30.............         73    \1\68,000
Pot gear...........................  .........  ...........  May 1-Aug. 31..............         19       18,000
                                     .........  ...........  Sep. 1-Dec. 31.............          8        7,500
Trawl gear.........................         54      114,750  Jan. 1-Dec. 31.............        100      114,750
                                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Total........................        100     212,500                                                      
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Any portion of the first seasonal apportionment that is not harvested by the end of the first season will    
  become available on September 1, the beginning of the third season.                                           

Sablefish Gear Allocation and Sablefish CDQ Allocations

    Regulations under Sec. 675.24(c)(1) require that sablefish TAC 
amounts for BSAI subareas be divided between trawl and hook-and-line/
pot gear types. Gear allocations of TAC amounts are specified in the 
following proportions: Bering Sea subarea: Trawl gear--50 percent; 
hook-and-line/pot gear--50 percent; and Aleutian Islands subarea: Trawl 
gear--25 percent; hook-and-line/pot gear--75 percent. In addition, 
regulations under Sec. 676.24(b) require NMFS to withhold 20 percent of 
the hook-and-line and pot gear sablefish allocation as a sablefish CDQ 
reserve. Gear allocations of sablefish TAC amounts and CDQ reserve are 
specified in Table 4.

                        Table 4.--1996 Gear Shares and CDQ Reserve Of BSAI Sablefish TAC                        
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                           Initial              
              Subarea                   Gear     Percent of       Share of TAC (mt)          TAC      CDQ Share 
                                                  TAC (mt)                                 (mt)\1\              
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea\2\......................      Trawl           50  800........................        680          N/A
                                     Hook-and-           50  800........................        N/A          160
                                      line/pot                                                                  
                                       gear\3\                                                                  
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
      Total........................  .........  ...........  ...........................        680  ...........
Aleutian Islands...................      Trawl           25  550........................        468          N/A
                                     Hook-and-           75  1,650......................        N/A          330
                                      line/pot                                                                  
                                       gear\3\                                                                  
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
      Total........................  .........  ...........  ...........................        468         490 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Except for the sablefish hook-and-line and pot gear allocation, 0.15 of TAC is apportioned to reserve. The   
  ITAC is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves.                                     
\2\Includes Bogoslof District.                                                                                  
\3\For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear, 0.20 of the       
  allocated TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants. Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(3) do not provide for the
  establishment of an ITAC for sablefish hook-and-line or pot gear.                                             


[[Page 62379]]


Allocation of PSC Limits for Crab, Halibut, and Herring

    PSC limits of red king crab and C. bairdi Tanner crab in Bycatch 
Limitation Zones (50 CFR 675.2) of the BS subarea, and for Pacific 
halibut throughout the BSAI area are specified under Sec. 675.21(a). At 
this time, the 1996 PSC limits are:
    1. Zone 1 trawl fisheries, 200,000 red king crabs;
    2. Zone 1 trawl fisheries, 1 million C. bairdi Tanner crabs;
    3. Zone 2 trawl fisheries, 3 million C. bairdi Tanner crabs;
    4. BSAI trawl fisheries, 3,775 mt mortality of Pacific halibut;
    5. BSAI nontrawl fisheries, 900 mt mortality of Pacific halibut; 
and
    6. BSAI trawl fisheries, 1,861 mt Pacific herring.
    The PSC limit of Pacific herring caught while conducting any trawl 
operation for groundfish in the BSAI is 1 percent of the annual eastern 
Bering Sea herring biomass. At this time, the best estimate of 1996 
herring biomass is 186,000 mt. This amount was derived using 1994 
survey data and an age-structured biomass projection model developed by 
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). Therefore, the proposed 
herring PSC limit for 1996 is 1,861 mt. This value is subject to 
change, pending an updated forecast analysis of 1995 herring survey 
data that will be presented to the Council by the ADF&G during the 
Council's December 1995 meeting.
    Regulations under Sec. 675.21(b) authorize the apportionment of 
each PSC limit into PSC allowances for specified fishery categories. 
Regulations at Sec. 675.21(b)(1)(iii) specify seven fishery categories 
(midwater pollock, Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish, rock 
sole/flathead sole/other flatfish, yellowfin sole, rockfish, Pacific 
cod, and bottom pollock/Atka mackerel/``other species''). Regulations 
at Sec. 675.21(b)(2) authorize the apportionment of the nontrawl 
halibut PSC limit among three fishery categories (Pacific cod hook-and-
line fishery, groundfish pot gear fishery, and other nontrawl 
fisheries). The PSC allowances for trawl and nontrawl are listed in 
Table 5. In general, the preliminary 1996 fishery bycatch allowances 
listed in Table 5 reflect the recommendations made to the Council by 
its Advisory Panel. These recommendations are unchanged from 1995, 
except for halibut in the Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/
sablefish category. A halibut bycatch allowance equal to zero is 
proposed for this fishery category in 1996. This means that directed 
fisheries for these species by vessels using trawl gear would be 
prohibited. This action is proposed for the following reasons.
    First, the management of the halibut bycatch allowance specified 
for the Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish fishery category 
in past years has proved very difficult. In 1995, NMFS had provided for 
only a 3-day fishery for Greenland turbot to maintain halibut bycatch 
mortality within the specified allowance of 120 mt. After the fishery 
had closed, NMFS determined that the halibut bycatch mortality 
experienced during this 3-day fishery totaled 282 mt, or 235 percent of 
the specified allowance.
    Second, existing regulations allow Greenland turbot, sablefish, or 
arrowtooth to be retained as bycatch in other trawl fisheries provided 
that retained amounts do not exceed maximum retainable bycatch amounts 
as calculated under Sec. 675.20(h). Last, the halibut bycatch mortality 
that had been apportioned to this fishery category in 1995 (120 mt) is 
proposed to be equally redistributed among the yellowfin sole, rock 
sole/flathead sole/other flatfish and the Pacific cod fishery 
categories. The intent of this action is to better optimize the amount 
of total groundfish catch harvested under the halibut PSC limit 
established for the trawl gear fisheries.
    The proposed apportionments of the PSC limits among specified trawl 
and nontrawl fisheries were based on last year's final recommendations 
that incorporated 1993 and 1994 bycatch amounts, anticipated 1996 
harvest of groundfish by trawl gear and fixed gear, and assumed halibut 
mortality rates in the different groundfish fisheries based on analyses 
of 1993-1994 observer data.
    Regulations at Sec. 675.21(b)(2) authorize exemption of specified 
nontrawl fisheries from the halibut PSC limit. As in 1995, the Council 
proposes to exempt pot gear and the hook-and-line sablefish fishery 
from the nontrawl halibut limit for 1996. The Council proposed this 
exemption because of the low halibut bycatch mortality experienced in 
the pot gear fisheries (7 mt in 1995) and because of the 1995 
implementation of the sablefish and halibut IFQ program, which would 
allow legal-sized halibut to be retained in the sablefish fishery.

   Table 5.--Preliminary 1996 Prohibited Species Bycatch Allowances for the BSAI Trawl and Nontrawl Fisheries   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Trawl fisheries                              Zone 1          Zone 2         BSAI-wide  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red king crab, number of animals:                                                                               
    yellowfin sole..............................................          50,000                                
    rcksol/otherflat/flathead sole..............................          10,000                                
    rockfish....................................................               0                                
    turb/arrow/sab/rockfish\1\..................................               0                                
    Pacific cod.................................................          10,000                                
    plck/Atka/other\2\..........................................          30,000                                
                                                                 -----------------                              
      Total.....................................................         200,000                                
C. bairdi Tanner crab, number of animals:                                                                       
    yellowfin sole..............................................         225,000       1,525,000                
    rcksol/oth.flat/flathead sole...............................         475,000         510,000                
    turb/arrow/sabl.............................................               0           5,000                
    rockfish....................................................               0          10,000                
    Pacific cod.................................................         225,000         260,000                
    plck/Atka/other.............................................          75,000         690,000                
                                                                 ---------------------------------              
      Total.....................................................       1,000,000       3,000,000                
Pacific halibut, mortality (mt):                                                                                
    yellowfin sole..............................................                                             790
    rcksol/oth.flat.............................................                                             730
    turb/arrow/sabl.............................................                                              0 

[[Page 62380]]
                                                                                                                
    rockfish....................................................                                             110
    Pacific cod.................................................                                           1,590
    plck/Atka/other.............................................                                             555
                                                                                                 ---------------
      Total.....................................................                                           3,775
Pacific herring, mt:                                                                                            
    midwater pollock............................................                                           1,345
    yellowfin sole..............................................                                             315
    rcksol/oth.flat.............................................                                               0
    turb/arrow/sabl.............................................                                               0
    rockfish....................................................                                               8
    Pacific cod.................................................                                              24
    plck/Atka/other\3\..........................................                                             169
                                                                                                 ---------------
      Total.....................................................                                           1,861
Nontrawl fisheries:                                                                                             
    Pacific halibut, mortality (mt).............................                                             725
    Pacific cod Hook-and-line...................................                                             175
Other nontrawl:                                                                                                 
    Sablefish hook-and-line gear................................                                             \4\
    Groundfish pot gear.........................................                                             \4\
    Groundfish jig gear.........................................                                             \4\
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
      Total.....................................................                                             900
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Greenland turbot, arrowtooth flounder, and sablefish fishery category.                                       
\2\Pollock, Atka mackerel, and ``other species'' fishery category.                                              
\3\Pollock other than midwater pollock, Atka mackerel, and ``other species'' fishery category.                  
\4\Exempt.                                                                                                      


    At its September 1995 meeting, the Council recommended that the 
proposed halibut bycatch allowances listed in Table 5 be apportioned 
seasonally as shown in Table 6. The prohibited species bycatch 
allowances and the seasonal apportionment of those allowances will be 
subject to change at the December 1995 Council meeting, pending public 
comments, year-to-date information on bycatch performance and updated 
information on anticipated fishing patterns in 1996.
    For purposes of monitoring the fishery halibut bycatch mortality 
allowances specified in Table 6, the Regional Director will use 
observed halibut bycatch rates and reported and observed groundfish 
catch to project when a fishery's halibut bycatch mortality allowance 
is reached. The Regional Director monitors the fishery bycatch 
mortality allowances using assumed mortality rates that are based on 
the best information available.

 Table 6.--Proposed Seasonal Apportionments of the 1996 Pacific Halibut 
      Bycatch Allowances for the BSAI Trawl and Nontrawl Fisheries      
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Seasonal   
                                                              bycatch   
                                                            allowances  
                                                           (mt halibut) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fishery Trawl Gear:                                                     
Yellowfin sole:                                                         
    Jan. 20-Jul. 31.....................................             295
    Aug. 1-Dec. 31......................................             495
                                                         ---------------
      Total.............................................             790
                                                         ===============
Rock sole/flathead sole/``other flatfish'':                             
    Jan. 20-Mar. 31.....................................             453
    Apr. 1-Jun. 30......................................             190
    Jul. 1-Dec. 31......................................              87
                                                         ---------------
      Total.............................................             730
                                                         ===============
Turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish:                                   
      Total.............................................               0
Rockfish:                                                               
    Jan. 20-Mar. 31.....................................              30
    Apr. 1-Jun. 30......................................              60
    Jul. 1-Dec. 31......................................              20
                                                         ---------------
      Total.............................................             110
                                                         ===============

[[Page 62381]]
                                                                        
Pacific cod:                                                            
    Jan. 20-Jun. 30.....................................           1,487
    Jul. 1-Dec. 31......................................             103
                                                         ---------------
      Total.............................................           1,590
                                                         ===============
Pollock/Atka mackerel/``other species'':                                
    Jan. 20-Apr. 15.....................................             455
    Apr. 16-Dec. 31.....................................             100
                                                         ---------------
      Total.............................................             555
                                                         ===============
        Total Trawl Halibut Mortality...................           3,775
                                                         ===============
Fishery Nontrawl Gear:                                                  
Pacific cod:                                                            
    Jan. 1-Apr. 30......................................             475
    May. 1-Aug. 31......................................              40
    Sep. 1-Dec. 31......................................             210
                                                         ---------------
      Total.............................................             725
Other nontrawl..........................................             175
Sablefish hook-and-line.................................           (\1\)
Groundfish pot..........................................           (\1\)
Groundfish jig gear.....................................           (\1\)
                                                         ---------------
        Total Nontrawl Halibut Mortality................            900 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Exempt.                                                              


    Preliminary assumed halibut mortality rates recommended by the 
International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) for the 1996 BSAI 
groundfish fisheries are listed in Table 7. These mortality rates are 
based on an average of mortality rates determined from NMFS observer 
data collected during 1993 and 1994, except for the BSAI trawl 
arrowtooth flounder fishery, which is based on data from 1991 and 1992, 
the 2 most recent years the fishery operated. The Council proposed that 
revised halibut discard mortality rates recommended by the IPHC be 
adopted for purposes of monitoring halibut bycatch mortality limits 
established for the 1996 groundfish fisheries.
    For most fisheries, the 1993-94 averages, on which the 1996 
recommendations are based, are somewhat lower than the actual rates 
used in 1995. After the December 1995 Council meeting, NMFS will 
consider all available data and public comments and will publish 
preseason assumed halibut mortality rates in the Federal Register as 
part of the final 1996 initial specifications of groundfish TAC 
amounts. However, the Council noted that the sablefish hook-and-line 
halibut fishery bycatch mortality rate is based on the fishery before 
the IFQ program was initiated and that the IPHC may have new data at 
the December 1995 meeting that would help reassess the halibut 
mortality rate in this fishery.

 Table 7.--Assumed Pacific Halibut Mortality Rates Proposed for the BSAI
                          Fisheries During 1996                         
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Assumed 
                                                               mortality
                                                               (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hook-and-Line Gear Fisheries:                                           
  BSAI sablefish.............................................        27 
  BSAI rockfish..............................................        24 
  BSAI Greenland turbot......................................        18 
  BSAI Pacific cod...........................................        13 
Trawl Gear Fisheries:                                                   
  midwater pollock...........................................        86 
  Rockfish...................................................        77 
  bottom pollock.............................................        77 
  Pacific cod................................................        77 
  yellowfin sole.............................................        74 
  rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish.....................        74 
  Atka mackerel..............................................        61 
  Greenland turbot...........................................        51 
  arrowtooth.................................................        49 
Pot Gear Fisheries--Pacific cod..............................         7 
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Groundfish PSC Limits

    Section 675.20(a)(6) authorizes NMFS to specify PSC limits for 
groundfish species or species groups for which the TAC will be 
completely harvested by domestic fisheries. These PSC limits apply only 
to JVP or TALFF fisheries. At this time, no groundfish are allocated to 
either JVP or TALFF and specifications of groundfish PSC limits are 
unnecessary.

Classification

    This action is authorized under 50 CFR 611.93(b), 675.20, and 
676.20 and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.
    A draft environmental assessment (EA) on the allowable harvest 
levels set forth in the final 1996 SAFE Report will be available for 
public review at the December 4-8, 1995, Council meeting. After the 
December meeting, a final EA will be prepared on the final 1996 TAC 
amounts recommended by the Council.
    Consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 
has been initiated for the 1996 BSAI initial specifications.

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

    Dated: December 1, 1996.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-29722 Filed 12-5-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-W