Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 9, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 30551 

network service from WATN–TV, 

Memphis, Tennessee. 

This is a synopsis of the 

Commission’s Report and Order, MB 

Docket No. 21–56; RM–11811; DA 21– 

595, adopted May 20, 2021, and 

released May 20, 2021. The full text of 

this document is available for download 

at https://www.fcc.gov/edocs. To request 

materials in accessible formats for 

people with disabilities (braille, large 

print, electronic files, audio format), 

send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call 

the Consumer & Governmental Affairs 

Bureau at 202–418–0530 (voice), 202– 

418–0432 (tty). 

This document does not contain 

information collection requirements 

subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995, Public Law 104–13. In addition, 

therefore, it does not contain any 

proposed information collection burden 

‘‘for small business concerns with fewer 

than 25 employees,’’ pursuant to the 

Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 

2002, Public Law 107–198, see 44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(4). Provisions of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act of 1980, 5 U.S.C. 601– 

612, do not apply to this proceeding. 

The Commission will send a copy of 

this Report and Order in a report to be 

sent to Congress and the Government 

Accountability Office pursuant to the 

Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 

801(a)(1)(A). 

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73 

Television. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

India Malcolm, 

Assistant Bureau Chief for Management. 

Final Rule 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, the Federal Communications 

Commission amends 47 CFR part 73 as 

follows: 

PART 73—RADIO BROADCAST 

SERVICE 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 73 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 155, 301, 303, 

307, 309, 310, 334, 336, 339. 

■ 2. In § 73.622(i), amend the PostTransition Table of DTV Allotments, 

under Arkansas, by revising the entry 

for Jonesboro to read as follows: 

§ 73.622 Digital television table of 

allotments. 

* * * * * 

(i) * * * 

Community Channel No. 

* * * * * 

ARKANSAS 

* * * * * 

Jonesboro ......................... * 20, 27, 48 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2021–12052 Filed 6–8–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 660 

[Docket No. 201204–0325] 

RIN 0648–BK58 

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; 

Fisheries Off West Coast States; 

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 

2021–2022 Biennial Specifications and 

Management Measures; Inseason 

Adjustments 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule; inseason adjustments 

to biennial groundfish management 

measures. 

SUMMARY: This final rule announces 

routine inseason adjustments to the 

harvest limits for incidental lingcod 

retention in the salmon troll fishery 

north of 40°10′ N lat. 

DATES: This final rule is effective June 

9, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: 

Electronic Access 

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 Pacific Fishery 

Management Council’s website at http:// 

www.pcouncil.org/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Gretchen Hanshew, phone: 206–526– 

6147 or email: gretchen.hanshew@

noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 

Management Plan (PCGFMP) and its 

implementing regulations at title 50 in 

the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

part 660, subparts C through G, regulate 

fishing for over 90 species of groundfish 

off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, 

and California. The Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) 

develops groundfish harvest 

specifications and management 

measures for two-year periods (i.e., a 

biennium). NMFS published the final 

rule to implement harvest specifications 

and management measures for the 

2021–2022 biennium for most species 

managed under the PCGFMP on 

December 11, 2020 (85 FR 79880). 

NMFS also published a correction (85 

FR 86853, December 31, 2020) and 

correcting amendments (86 FR 14379, 

March 16, 2021; 86 FR 27816, May 24, 

2021) to implement the Council’s 

recommendations for the 2021–2022 

harvest specifications and management 

measures. 

The management measures set at the 

start of the biennial harvest 

specifications cycle help the sectors of 

the fishery attain, but not exceed, the 

catch limits for each stock. The Council, 

in coordination with Pacific Coast 

Treaty Indian Tribes and the states of 

Washington, Oregon, and California, 

recommends adjustments to the 

management measures during the 

fishing year to achieve this goal. At the 

April 8–9 and 12–15, 2021, virtual 

meetings, the Council recommended 

adjusting the incidental retention 

allowance for lingcod in the salmon 

troll fishery north of 40°10′ N lat. 

Lingcod Retention in the Salmon Troll 

Fishery 

The commercial fishery for salmon 

using trolled hook and line gear 

operates off Washington, Oregon, and 

California, usually beginning in the 

spring. This fishery is managed by 

NMFS and co-managers (states and the 

tribes) to harvest, but not exceed, 

salmon harvest targets that are set 

annually, based on the best available 

scientific information. Participants in 

the salmon troll fishery are not 

prohibited from fishing for salmon in 

areas that are closed to groundfish 

fishing, like the non-trawl Rockfish 

Conservation Area (RCA). Salmon 

trollers, however, when fishing in the 

RCA north of 40°10′ N. lat., are 

prohibited from retaining groundfish 

with two exceptions; yellowtail rockfish 

and lingcod may be retained in limited 

quantities and subject to an incidental 

retention ratio of groundfish to Chinook 

salmon. 

The 2021–2022 harvest specifications 

and management measures final rule, 

published on December 11, 2020 (85 FR 

79880), maintained the existing 


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30552 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 9, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

incidental retention ratio for lingcod, 

which was last revised in 2019. At the 

April 8–9 and 12–15, 2021, virtual 

meeting, the Council recommended a 

change in the incidental retention ratio 

to increase the number of incidentally 

caught lingcod that may be retained per 

Chinook salmon. 

As described in the 2019–2020 

harvest specifications and management 

measures Environmental Assessment, 

the Council’s objectives with the 

lingcod landing ratio in the salmon troll 

fishery coupled with a per trip 

maximum retention limit are to allow 

incidentally caught lingcod to be 

landed. The intent of this ratio is to 

strike a balance between providing a 

modest economic benefit to the salmon 

troll fishery and reducing regulatory 

discards of lingcod, while also 

dissuading targeting of lingcod and not 

preempting targeted lingcod harvest 

opportunities in the groundfish fishery. 

The most recent stock assessment 

(2017) indicates that biomass of lingcod 

has been increasing since 1999. Salmon 

trollers also testified at the April 

Council meeting that they are catching 

lingcod more often than in previous 

years when targeting Chinook salmon. 

While lingcod are increasing in 

abundance, Chinook salmon harvest 

opportunities are becoming more 

restricted. Landings and numbers of 

trips, which are indicators of fishing 

effort, for Chinook salmon in 2020 were 

the lowest since 2011, which is likely 

due to effects of the COVID–19 

pandemic, as well as restricted Chinook 

salmon harvest opportunities in low 

abundance years. With low Chinook 

salmon harvest in 2020, lingcod reached 

its highest revenue contributions to 

salmon troll fishermen. This indicates 

that lingcod is contributing to fishing 

portfolios of some salmon troll 

fishermen, though the number of 

salmon troll vessels that retain lingcod 

(approximately 13.5 percent) has 

remained fairly steady since 2011. In 

response to these changes, at the April 

Council meeting, industry requested a 

change in the incidental lingcod 

retention ratio in the salmon troll 

fishery to allow for increased lingcod 

retention. Industry did not request a 

change to the incidental lingcod 

retention trip limit of ten lingcod or to 

any of the other lingcod harvest limits. 

In response to industry’s request, the 

Council considered most recently 

available scientific and fishery 

information, including but not limited 

to harvest levels in the salmon troll 

fishery in recent years, mortality 

estimates for 2019, and forecasts for 

ocean salmon fisheries. Based on this 

information, the Council recommended 

a change to the lingcod landing ratio in 

the salmon troll fishery. 

The Council’s recommendation to the 

incidental lingcod retention ratio in the 

salmon troll fishery was based on: 

(1) A lack of evidence that salmon 

trollers were targeting lingcod during 

Chinook salmon trips under the 2019 

and 2020 landing ratio: 

(2) Predicted harvests of lingcod and 

co-occurring yelloweye rockfish that are 

expected to remain well within the 2021 

Annual Catch Limits, while not 

preempting targeted groundfish fishing 

opportunities; 

(3) anecdotal information about an 

increasing lingcod encounter rate in the 

salmon troll fishery; and 

(4) the economic benefits of reducing 

regulatory discards and allowing 

retention of lingcod, particularly in 

Chinook salmon low abundance years. 

Therefore, the Council recommended, 

and NMFS is implementing, a change in 

the incidental lingcod retention ratio in 

the salmon troll fishery north of 40°10′ 

N. lat. from a ratio of one lingcod per 

five Chinook salmon to a ratio of one 

lingcod per two Chinook salmon. The 

rules allowing a ‘‘plus one’’ lingcod in 

addition to the ratio, a ten lingcod per 

trip limit, and a 1,000 lbs/month limit 

would remain in place. 

Classification 

This final rule makes routine inseason 

adjustments to groundfish fishery 

management measures, based on the 

best scientific information available, 

consistent with the PCGFMP and its 

implementing regulations. 

This action is taken under the 

authority of 50 CFR 660.60(c) and is 

exempt from review under Executive 

Order 12866. 

The aggregate data upon which these 

actions are based are available for public 

inspection by contacting Abbie Moyer 

in NMFS West Coast Region (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, above), 

or view at the NMFS West Coast 

Groundfish website: http://

www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

fisheries/groundfish/index.html. 

NMFS finds good cause to waive prior 

public notice and comment on the 

revisions to groundfish management 

measures under 5 U.S.C. 553(b) because 

notice and comment would be 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. The adjustments to 

management measures in this document 

affect commercial fisheries off the coasts 

of Washington, Oregon, and northern 

California. No aspect of this action is 

controversial, and changes of this nature 

were anticipated in the final rule for the 

2021–2022 harvest specifications and 

management measures which was 

published on December 11, 2020 (85 FR 

79880). Accordingly, for the reasons 

stated below, NMFS finds good cause to 

waive prior notice and comment. 

At its April 2021 meeting, the Council 

recommended changing the retention 

ratio of lingcod to Chinook salmon in 

the salmon troll fishery to allow lingcod 

to be retained up to the status quo ten 

lingcod trip limit even if fewer Chinook 

salmon are on board. The Council 

recommends relieving the restriction 

imposed by the ratio as soon as possible, 

early in the salmon troll season, in an 

effort to reduce regulatory discards of 

lingcod in the salmon troll fishery north 

of 40°10′ N. lat. The 2020 fishery 

information upon which this 

recommendation is based, was not 

complete and available until early 2021, 

and therefore could not have been used 

during the development of the 2021– 

2022 harvest specifications and 

management measures. 

Additionally, if the new retention 

ratio is not implemented until closer to 

the end of the Chinook salmon troll 

season, after proposed and final 

rulemaking, lingcod would continue to 

be discarded rather than retained. 

Leaving the old ratio in place would fail 

to meet the Councils objectives to 

reduce regulatory discards of lingcod, 

and to provide economic benefits to the 

salmon troll fishery while not 

preempting directed groundfish 

fisheries. Therefore, providing a 

comment period for this action could 

limit the benefits to the salmon troll 

fishery, and the vessels that participate 

in it. 

Because prior notice and an 

opportunity for public comment are not 

required to be provided for this rule by 

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

analytical requirements of the 

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

et seq., are not applicable. Accordingly, 

no Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is 

required for this rule and none has been 

prepared. 

For the same reasons stated above, 

NMFS has determined good cause exists 

to waive the 30-day delay in 

effectiveness pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d) 

so that this final rule may become 

effective upon publication in the 

Federal Register. The adjustments to 

management measures in this document 

affect commercial fisheries by changing 

the lingcod to Chinook salmon retention 

ratio in the salmon troll fishery north of 

40°10′ N lat. This adjustment was 

requested by the Council’s advisory 

bodies, as well as members of industry, 

during the Council’s April 2021, 

meeting, and recommended 

unanimously by the Council. No aspect 

of this action is controversial, and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 9, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 30553 

changes of this nature were anticipated 

in the biennial harvest specifications 

and management measures established 

through a notice and comment 

rulemaking for 2021–2022 (85 FR 79880, 

December 11, 2020). 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 660 

Fisheries, Fishing, Indian fisheries. 

Dated: June 4, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service. 

For the reasons set out in the 

preamble, 50 CFR part 660 is amended 

as follows: 

PART 660—FISHERIES OFF WEST 

COAST STATES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 660 

continues to read as follows: 

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

773 et seq., and 16 U.S.C. 7001 et seq. 

■ 2. Revise Table 3 (North) to part 660, 

subpart F, to read as follows: 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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30554 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 9, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

[FR Doc. 2021–12107 Filed 6–8–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–C 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1ER09JN21.039</GPH>

I - -- - -- - ---- --- - -- ---------- - -- - - -- -- -- --- ----- ---- --- - - - ---------------- ---- ----- - -- -- - ------- -- - - --- -- - --- --- - ----- - ---- ------- ------- ---- - -- - -- - ------ -- - -- - - ---- -- - --- -------- -

~able 3 (North) to Part 660, Subpart F -- Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation Areas and Trip Limits for Open Access Gears North of 40° 1 0' N. lat. 

I Other limits and requirements apply-- Read §§660.10 through 660.399 before using this table I I I I I i 5/25/2021 

JAN-FEB I MAR-APR I MAY-JUN I JUL-AUG I SEP-OCT I NOV-DEC 

~ockfish Conservation Area (RCA)11: I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 1North of 46°16' N. lat.I shoreline-100 fm line" 

[ 2 . • • 40 fm line" -100fm line" r3- 46 16' N. lat. - 40 10' N. lat. 30 fm line"- 40 fm line 1121 

1 :see §§660.60, 660.330 and 660.333 for add111ona1 gear, trip 11m1t ana conservation area requirements ana restnct,ons. :see 99oou.7U-oou.74 

I and §§660.76-660.79 for conservation area descriptions and coordinates (including RCAs, YRCAs, CCAs, Farallon Islands, Cordell Bank, 

I and EFHCAsl. 

State trip limits and seasons may be more restrictive than Federal trip limits or seasons, particularly in waters off Oregon and California. 

I Minor Slope Rockfish" & Darkblotched f 4 rockfish 2,000 lbs/ months 

~ Pacific ocean perch 100 lbs/ month 

1 6 ISablefish 600 lbs. daily, or 1 landing per week up to 2,000 lbs, not to exceed 4,000 lbs/2 months 

i-7-,Shortpine thornvheads 50 lb/month 

I 8 Longspine thornyheads 50 lb/month 

I 9 Dover sole, arrowtooth flounder, 

~ petrale sole, English sole, starry 5,000 lbs/ month 

l!..1_ flounder Other Flatfish4181 

!_12 Whiting 300 lbs/ month 

I 13 Minor Shelf Rockfish" 800 lbs/ month 

~4 Widow rockfish 2,000 lb/ 2 months 

' 15 Shortbelly Rockfish 200 lbs / month 

l!.6- Yellowtail rockfish 1,500 lbs/ month 

l!.?: Canarv rockfish 1,000 lbs/ 2 months 

[ 18 Yelloweye rockfish CLOSED 

l"t9- Minor Nearshore Rockfish, Oregon black/blue/deacon rockfish & CA black rockfish rj North of 42•00, N. lat. 5,000 lb/ 2 months, no more than 1 ,200 lb of which may be species other than black rockfish or 

Li blue/deacon rockfish51 

121 42°00' N. lat.-40°10' N. lat. 7,000 lb/2 months, no more than 2,000 lb of which maybe species other than blackrockfish 

[22 1 Lingcod61 

I 2J' North of 42°00' N. lat. 2,000 lbs/ month 

~- 42°00' N. lat. - 40° 10' N. lat. 1,000 lbs/ month r Pacific cod 1 ,000 lbs/ 2 months 

1 150,000 lbs/ 2 I [=6 Spiny dogfish 200,000 lbs/ 2 months months 100,000 lbs/ 2 months 

127 1Lonanose skate Unlimited 

I 28 Big skate Unlimited 

[29 Other Fish71 & Cabezon in California Unlimited 

[ 30 Oreaon Cabezon/Kelp Greenlina Unlimited 

l~iSALMON TROLL (subject to RCAs when retaining all species of groundfish, except for yellowtail rockfish and lingcod, as described below) 

Salmon !rollers may retain and land up to 500 lbs of yellowtail rockfish per month as long as salmon is on 

board, both within and outside of the RCA. Salmon !rollers may retain and land up to 1 lingcod per 2 

Chinook per trip, plus 1 lingcod per trip, up to a trip limit of 10 lingcod, on a trip where any fishing occurs 

32 North within the RCA. The lingcod limit only applies during times when lingcod retention is allowed, and is not 

"CLOSED." Theses limits are within the per month limits described in the table above, and not in addition 

to those limits. All groundfish species are subject to the open access limits, seasons, size limits and 

RCA restrictions listed in the table above, unless otheiwise stated here. 

33 PINK SHRIMP NON-GROUNDFISH TRAWL (not subject to RCAs) 

34 North 

Effective April 1 - October 31: Groundfish: 500 lbs/day, multiplied by the number of days of the trip, not 

to exceed 1,500 lbs/trip. The following sublimits also apply and are counted toward the overall 500 

lbs/day and 1 ,500 lbs/trip groundfish limits: lingcod 300 lbs/month (minimum 24 inch size limit); sablefish 

2,000 lbs/month; cana,y, thomyheads and yelloweye rockfish are PROHIBITED. All othergroundfish 

species taken are managed under the overall 500 lbs/day and 1,500 lbs/trip groundfish limits. Landings 

of these species count toward the per day and per trip groundfish limits and do not have species-specific 

limits. The amount of groundfish landed may not exceed the amount of pink shrimp landed. 

rm 

z 

0 

~ 

-:::r 

----'-----------------'---------------------------------------'---! I 1/ The Rockfish Conservation Area Is an area closed to fishing by particular gear types, bounded by lines specifically defined by latitude 

~--~E-~gitude coordinates set out a~ __ §§ 660.?1-660.74. This RCA is not defined by d~pth contours (\Mth the exception of the 20-f~--------------------1 

L ~~th contour boundary south of 42 N. lat.), and the boundary lines that define the~RC~A=ma=y~cl~o•~•~•~re~•=•=lh=•~l •=re~d•~•LP=•r~o=r~•h=•=llo~we='------------------1 

~"- !than the depth contour. Vessels that are subject to RCA restrictions may not fish in the RCA, or operate in the RCA for any pu.!P_cco~•=•-----------------' 

I I other than transiting. 

12/ Betvi.een 46°16' N. lat. and 40°10' N. lat. and the 30 fm and 40 fm lines, fi~hing is onlyallm,ved \Mth hook-and-line gear except bottom longl!!!~-~~~l~!~~~~.9~~~ defi~~-~-~~~11 --~ 

~~!~~io, _c~~ipepper and co'IM::Dd rockfishes are included in 1he trip limits for Minor Shelf Rockfish. Splitnose rockfish is included in the trip i 

~~ I limits for Minor Slope Rockfish. 

~~9!1:1_~-~<:'-_!f"~~~~ defined at§ 660.11 and include butter_~.E!~2.~-~r1fin -~~-'-~~!head sole, Pacific sanddab, rex sole~,_ro_c_k_s_ol~••-•_nd_sa_n_d_so_le_. _______________ ----t 

15/ FIor bla~k rockfis~_north _of ~ape Aiava (48°09.50' N. lat.), a~d belvleen Destruction Is. ~47°40' ~- lat.) and Leadbetter Pnt. (4~0 38._17' N. lat), I ~"_Jthere Is an additional hm1t of 100 lbss or 30 percent byvve1ght of all fish on board, whichever Is g~ater, pervess~tP~E_fish1ng trip. --~--~---i 

~; ;;;h:~~:~:~i::,:~ ~; ~n~:~ :• 82n~ii~:~;.<~~l;~~~~:~~n~~hCNa~i~:;i~ 4:~dNl~:~:~d5~::ches (61 cm) total length South of 42° N lat . --------- ______ 1 

i 8/ Open access vessels are allo\Jlled to fish inside groundfish conservation areas using hook and line only. See section 660.330 (d) of the regulations for more information. · 

I To convert pounds to kilograms, divide by 2.20462, the number of pounds in one kilogram.