Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 206 / Thursday, October 26, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 49539 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 161020985–7181–02] 

RIN 0648–XF767 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Exchange of Flatfish 

in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is exchanging unused 

flathead sole and rock sole Community 

Development Quota (CDQ) for yellowfin 

sole CDQ acceptable biological catch 

(ABC) reserves in the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands management area. This 

action is necessary to allow the 2017 

total allowable catch of yellowfin sole in 

the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

management area to be harvested. 

DATES: Effective October 26, 2017 

through December 31, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

management area (BSAI) according to 

the Fishery Management Plan for 

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands Management Area 

(FMP) prepared by the North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council under 

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act. Regulations governing fishing by 

U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP 

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 

and 50 CFR part 679. 

The 2017 flathead sole, rock sole, and 

yellowfin sole CDQ reserves specified in 

the BSAI are 1,288 metric tons (mt), 

5,310 mt, and 16,472 mt as established 

by the final 2017 and 2018 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (82 FR 11826, February 27, 2017) 

and revised by flatfish exchange (82 FR 

48460; October 18, 2017). The 2017 

flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin 

sole CDQ ABC reserves are 6,018 mt, 

11,286 mt and 11,434 mt as established 

by the final 2017 and 2018 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (82 FR 11826, February 27, 2017) 

and revised by flatfish exchange (82 FR 

48460; October 18, 2017). 

The Yukon Delta Fisheries 

Development Association has requested 

that NMFS exchange 60 mt of flathead 

sole CDQ reserves and 145 mt of rock 

sole CDQ reserves for 205 mt of 

yellowfin sole CDQ ABC reserves under 

§ 679.31(d). Therefore, in accordance 

with § 679.31(d), NMFS exchanges 60 

mt of flathead sole CDQ reserves and 

145 mt of rock sole CDQ reserves for 205 

mt of yellowfin sole CDQ ABC reserves 

in the BSAI. This action also decreases 

and increases the TACs and CDQ ABC 

reserves by the corresponding amounts. 

Tables 11 and 13 of the final 2017 and 

2018 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the BSAI (82 FR 11826, 

February 27, 2017), and revised by 

flatfish exchange (82 FR 48460; October 

18, 2017) are further revised as follows: 

TABLE 11—FINAL 2017 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUOTA (CDQ) RESERVES, INCIDENTAL CATCH AMOUNTS (ICAS), AND

AMENDMENT 80 ALLOCATIONS OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS PACIFIC OCEAN PERCH, AND BSAI FLATHEAD SOLE, ROCK

SOLE, AND YELLOWFIN SOLE TACS 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 

Pacific ocean perch Flathead sole Rock sole Yellowfin sole 

Eastern 

Aleutian 

district 

Central 

Aleutian 

district 

Western 

Aleutian 

district 

BSAI BSAI BSAI 

TAC .......................................................... 7,900 7,000 9,000 14,176 47,225 154,199 

CDQ ......................................................... 845 749 963 1,228 5,165 16,677 

ICA ........................................................... 100 60 10 4,000 5,000 4,500 

BSAI trawl limited access ........................ 695 619 161 0 0 18,151 

Amendment 80 ......................................... 6,259 5,572 7,866 8,949 37,060 114,871 

Alaska Groundfish Cooperative ............... 3,319 2,954 4,171 918 9,168 45,638 

Alaska Seafood Cooperative ................... 2,940 2,617 3,695 8,031 27,893 69,233 

Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 13—FINAL 2017 AND 2018 ABC SURPLUS,COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUOTA (CDQ) ABC RESERVES, AND

AMENDMENT 80 ABC RESERVES IN THE BSAI FOR FLATHEAD SOLE, ROCK SOLE, AND YELLOWFIN SOLE

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 2017 

Flathead sole 

2017 

Rock sole 

2017 

Yellowfin sole 

2018 

Flathead sole 

2018 

Rock sole 

2018 

Yellowfin sole 

ABC .......................................................... 68,278 155,100 260,800 66,164 143,100 250,800 

TAC .......................................................... 14,176 47,225 154,199 14,500 47,100 154,000 

ABC surplus ............................................. 54,102 107,875 106,601 51,664 96,000 96,800 

ABC reserve ............................................. 54,102 107,875 106,601 51,664 96,000 96,800 

CDQ ABC reserve ................................... 6,078 11,431 11,229 5,528 10,272 10,358 

Amendment 80 ABC reserve ................... 48,024 96,444 95,372 46,136 85,728 86,442 

Alaska Groundfish Cooperative for 

2017 1 ................................................... 4,926 23,857 37,891 n/a n/a n/a 

Alaska Seafood Cooperative for 2017 1 .. 43,098 72,587 57,481 n/a n/a n/a 

1The 2018 allocations for Amendment 80 species between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not 

be known until eligible participants apply for participation in the program by November 1, 2017. 


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49540 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 206 / Thursday, October 26, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement to provide prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment 

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. This requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest as it would prevent NMFS from 

responding to the most recent fisheries 

data in a timely fashion and would 

delay the flatfish exchange by the 

Yukon Delta Fisheries Development 

Association in the BSAI. Since these 

fisheries are currently open, it is 

important to immediately inform the 

industry as to the revised allocations. 

Immediate notification is necessary to 

allow for the orderly conduct and 

efficient operation of this fishery, to 

allow the industry to plan for the fishing 

season, and to avoid potential 

disruption to the fishing fleet as well as 

processors. NMFS was unable to 

publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of October 11, 2017. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30-day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

This action is required by § 679.20 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: October 23, 2017. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–23340 Filed 10–25–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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