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BILLING CODE 3510-22-P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 679 [Docket No. 150629562-6447-02] RIN 0648-BF25 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bycatch Management in the Bering Sea Pollock Fishery AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: NMFS issues this final rule to implement Amendment 110 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (FMP). Amendment 110 and this final rule improve the management of Chinook and chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery by creating a comprehensive salmon bycatch avoidance program. This action is necessary to minimize Chinook and chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery to the extent practicable while maintaining the potential for the full harvest of the pollock total allowable catch (TAC) within specified prohibited species catch (PSC) limits. Amendment 110 is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, and other applicable laws. DATES: Effective [INSERT 30 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
to participate in an IPA is subject to a restrictive opt-out allocation (also called a backstop cap). Since Amendment 91 was implemented, all AFA vessels (i.e., vessels authorized to directed fish for Bering Sea pollock) have participated in an IPA. Additional information on the provisions of Amendment 91 is provided in the final rule prepared for that action (75 FR 53026, August 30, 2010). The following sections describe 1) the salmon bycatch management measures implemented with Amendment 110 and this final rule, 2) the changes from proposed to final rule, and 3) response to comments. Amendment 110 and this Final Rule The objective of Amendment 110 and this final rule is to create a comprehensive salmon bycatch avoidance program that works more effectively than current management to avoid Chinook salmon bycatch and Alaska-origin chum salmon bycatch in the pollock fishery. The Council and NMFS recognize that salmon are an extremely important resource to Alaskans who depend on local fisheries for their sustenance and livelihood. Amendment 110 and this final rule adjust the existing Chinook salmon bycatch program to incorporate revised chum salmon bycatch measures into the existing IPAs. Amendment 110 and this final rule are designed to consider the importance of continued production of critical chum salmon runs in western Alaska by focusing on bycatch avoidance of Alaskan chum salmon runs. Historically, western Alaska chum salmon run strength has varied substantially and chum salmon are important to the subsistence lifestyle of Alaskans. Amendment 110 and this final rule also provide additional protections to chum salmon stocks other than those from western Alaska, recognizing that most of the non-western Alaska chum salmon are likely from Asian hatcheries.
In addition, the Council and NMFS sought to provide greater incentives to avoid Chinook salmon by strengthening existing incentives during times of historically low Chinook salmon abundance in western Alaska. Thus, the management measures included in Amendment 110 focus on retaining the incentives to avoid Chinook salmon bycatch at all levels of abundance as intended by Amendment 91. Multiple years of historically low Chinook salmon abundance have resulted in significant restrictions for subsistence users in western Alaska and failure to achieve conservation objectives. While Chinook salmon bycatch impact rates have been low under Amendment 91, the Council and NMFS determined that there is evidence that improvements could be made to ensure the program is reducing Chinook salmon bycatch at low levels of salmon abundance. An analysis of the possible improvements is provided in Section 3.5.3 of the Analysis. Amendment 110 and this final rule—  incorporate chum salmon avoidance into the IPAs established under Amendment 91 to the FMP, and remove the non-Chinook salmon bycatch reduction ICA previously established under Amendment 84 to the FMP;  modify the requirements for the content of the IPAs to increase the incentives for fishermen to avoid Chinook salmon;  change the seasonal apportionments of the pollock TAC to allow more pollock to be harvested earlier in the year when Chinook salmon PSC use tends to be lower;  reduce the Chinook salmon PSC limit and performance standard in years with low Chinook salmon abundance in western Alaska; and  improve the monitoring of salmon bycatch in the pollock fishery.
Incorporate Chum Salmon Avoidance into the Incentive Plan Agreements (IPAs) Amendment 110 and this final rule incorporate chum salmon avoidance, and the important chum salmon avoidance features of the Amendment 84 ICAs, into the IPAs established under Amendment 91. This final rule removes the Amendment 84 implementing regulations at § 679.21(g). However, Amendment 110 and this final rule maintain the current non-Chinook salmon PSC limit of 42,000 fish and the closure of the Chum Salmon Savings Area to the pollock fishery when the 42,000 non-Chinook salmon PSC limit has been reached. Vessels that participate in an IPA are exempt from the Chum Salmon Savings Area closure. The purpose of maintaining the non-Chinook salmon PSC limit and the Chum Salmon Savings Area closure is to provide additional incentives for vessels to join an IPA, and to serve as back-stop chum salmon bycatch management measures for those vessels that choose not to participate in an IPA. To incorporate chum salmon into the IPAs, this final rule modifies the required contents of the IPAs at § 679.21(f)(12), to include the following eight provisions.  Incentives for the operator of each vessel to avoid Chinook salmon and chum salmon bycatch under any condition of pollock and Chinook salmon abundance in all years.  An explanation of how the incentives to avoid chum salmon do not increase Chinook salmon bycatch.  Rewards for avoiding Chinook salmon, penalties for failure to avoid Chinook salmon at the vessel level, or both.
 revise salmon retention and handling requirements on catcher vessels;  improve observer data entry and transmission requirements aboard catcher vessels;  clarify the requirements applicable to viewing salmon in a storage container; and  clarify the requirements for the removal of salmon from an observer sampling station at the end of a haul or delivery.
necessary flexibility to respond to and incorporate new information in the bycatch avoidance program. Response: NMFS acknowledges the comment. Comment 3: Reducing salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery is critical to the future of Chinook salmon runs. Amendment 110 is urgently needed because of the dire status of Chinook salmon stocks in western Alaska. Amendment 110 and the proposed regulations are an important step in further reducing salmon bycatch in the pollock fishery. Amendment 110 will continue to lower Chinook salmon bycatch, however, constant vigilance is required to ensure that the Chinook salmon PSC limits established in regulation are never actually met. Response: NMFS acknowledges the comment. Comment 4: It is essential to integrate chum salmon bycatch measures into the IPAs and include the accountability and transparency measures. Response: Amendment 110 and this final rule incorporate chum salmon avoidance measures into the IPAs established for Chinook salmon bycatch management under Amendment 91. Incorporating chum salmon into the IPAs provides measures to prevent high chum salmon bycatch, while also giving participants in the pollock fishery the flexibility to use coordinated management under the IPAs to adapt quickly to changing conditions. The Council determined and NMFS agreed that Amendment 110 and this final rule strike an appropriate balance between regulatory requirements and adaptive management necessary for chum salmon bycatch management. Comment 5: Make sure the theoretical salmon avoidance schemes proposed do not make matters worse for Chinook salmon in the attempt to avoid chum salmon.
Response: The chum salmon-specific requirements in the Amendment 84 implementing regulations sometimes prevented fishery participants from making decisions to avoid Chinook salmon when vessels encountered both chum salmon and Chinook salmon. Adding chum salmon measures to the IPAs provides vessel operators with the flexibility to respond to changing conditions and provides greater incentives to reduce bycatch of both salmon species, thereby making salmon bycatch management more effective, comprehensive, and efficient. Comment 6: The measures designed to reduce Chinook salmon bycatch in the proposed rule provide useful tools to fine-tune the IPAs to mandate greater bycatch reduction. Response: NMFS agrees. Amendment 110 and this final rule modify the IPAs to increase the incentives for fishermen to avoid Chinook salmon. The Council and NMFS recognize that the IPAs were effective at providing incentives for each vessel operator to avoid Chinook salmon, but that additional measures were necessary to address higher Chinook salmon PSC rates observed in October (the last month when the pollock fishery is authorized to operate). Amendment 110 and this final rule also address concerns with individual vessels that consistently have significantly higher Chinook salmon PSC rates relative to other vessels fishing at the same time. The Council and NMFS want to ensure the use of salmon excluder devices (i.e., gear modifications that are designed to exclude salmon bycatch while retaining pollock) and a rolling hotspot program. These new provisions increase the incentives to reduce Chinook salmon bycatch within the IPAs, provide an opportunity for IPAs to increase vessels’ responsiveness in October, and improve performance of individual vessels.
salmon harvest for subsistence, as well as restricting subsistence harvest of other species, such as chum salmon, to minimize Chinook salmon mortalities. Response: NMFS acknowledges the comment. Comment 10: Amendment 110 links bycatch limits to a broad index of Chinook salmon abundance based on the Kuskokwim, Unalakleet, and Upper Yukon aggregate stock grouping — the 3-System Index. The 3-System Index includes significant river systems for subsistence fisheries in Alaska and provides a broad regional representation of western Alaska Chinook salmon stocks. Any additional fish returning to these rivers in years of very low abundance improves the State’s ability to meet escapement goals. The Analysis clearly outlined the objectives that proposed indices were evaluated against, and the 3-System Index was identified as the most robust and appropriate index for this purpose. The primary component of the 3-System Index is preliminary escapement information from total run reconstruction using methods outlined in State publications. The State will provide the 3-System Index estimate to NMFS annually by October 1 and is committed to maintaining a transparent and accessible process for stakeholders as the State improves its understanding of these systems. The State will present any substantive changes to the methods used in developing the 3-System Index to the Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). Response: NMFS acknowledges the comment. Comment 11: The provision to reduce the PSC limit and performance standard in years of low Chinook salmon abundance based on the State’s 3-System Index is unwarranted, unnecessary, not sound science, and not responsible management. It unfairly targets and penalizes the pollock fishery for circumstances beyond its control.
and having broad regional representation makes the index more robust and able to account for changing environmental conditions. The inclusion of a lower PSC limit and performance standard is based on the need to reduce bycatch when the abundance of Chinook salmon stocks in western Alaska is low, in order to minimize the impact of the pollock fishery on the stocks. Any additional Chinook salmon returning to Alaska rivers improves the ability to meet the State’s spawning escapement goals, which is necessary for long-term sustainability of Chinook salmon, and to meet subsistence management objectives for the people reliant on salmon fisheries. While the performance standard is the functional limit in the IPAs, the Council and NMFS determined that the 60,000 PSC limit should also be reduced given the potential for decreased bycatch reduction incentives if a sector exceeds its performance standard before the PSC limit is reached. The reduced PSC limit is intended to encourage vessels to avoid bycatch to a greater degree in years of low Chinook salmon abundance, and to set a maximum permissible PSC limit that reduces the risk of adverse impact on stocks in western Alaska during periods of low abundance. See the response to Comment 7 for a discussion of the relationship between Chinook salmon bycatch in the pollock fishery and the size of the runs in coastal western Alaska. Comment 12: The dramatic changes the Council made to the Chinook salmon abundance index, Chinook salmon PSC limit, and the performance standard between initial review in December 2014 and final action in April 2015 are hard to track and are not well documented in the final Analysis.
implemented. In this letter, the State provided an index estimate of 252,000 Chinook salmon to provide NMFS, the Council, and the public with a preview of Chinook salmon abundance using the 3-System Index for 2016. Commenters are concerned that this estimate reflected changes the State made in how it modeled abundance from the methods outlined in the Analysis. The State subsequently sent another letter on March 3, 2016, revising the index estimate to 279,000 Chinook salmon. The State made this revision to the index estimate based largely on the public review of the 3-System Index used to inform the State’s September 17, 2015, letter. Response: In their March 3, 2016, letter, the State explains that the September 2015 letter’s post-season run size estimate for the 3-System Index used a Kuskokwim River run reconstruction estimate that employed a modification to the model that had not yet been reviewed by the Council. As such, the State amended the 2015 post-season run size estimate to reflect the original version of the model and has committed to using the original model in the 3-System Index until the Council determines the modification is appropriate to use. Further, the State explains in their comment letter submitted on the proposed rule (see ADDRESSES) that the primary components of the post-season run index are preliminary escapement information and the total run reconstruction methods outlined in State publications. The State is committed to maintaining a transparent and accessible process for stakeholders, and the State will present any substantive changes to the methods used in developing the 3-System Index to the Council and its SSC.
there must be Federal standards in place and a process for NMFS to review the application of those standards. Response: NMFS did not change this final rule in response to this comment. The Council designed, and this final rule implements, a program where the State provides NMFS an estimate of Chinook salmon abundance using the 3-System Index for western Alaska. Neither Amendment 110 nor the proposed rule constrains the State to use the methods, data sources, and models developed for Council final action in April 2015. To do so would be inconsistent with the manner in which science develops generally, and would result in an index that may fail to incorporate the best scientific information available. NMFS relies on the State to produce the 3-System Index annually because the State has management authority over salmon and collects and analyzes the scientific data necessary to estimate Chinook salmon abundance. While NMFS will review the 3System Index provided each October 1, NMFS will not recalculate the State’s Chinook salmon abundance estimate each year. Comment 19: What action would NMFS take if the State is unable to provide an estimate of Chinook salmon abundance by October 1? NMFS should not determine low abundance if the State does not timely deliver an estimate, whether because of difficulty obtaining relevant data, budget restrictions, or other reason. The final rule should specify that NMFS will not determine it is a year of low Chinook salmon abundance if the State does not provide a Chinook salmon abundance estimate by October 1. If no such determination is made, the 60,000 Chinook salmon PSC limit and 47,591 Chinook salmon performance standard would apply.
Response: Absent a letter from the State showing Chinook salmon abundance under the 3-System Index is equal to or below the 250,000 Chinook salmon threshold, the 60,000 PSC limit and 45,591 performance standard will remain in effect. The State’s reporting of the 3-System Index by October 1 is necessary to determine if it is a low Chinook salmon abundance year and to reduce the PSC limit and performance standard in the next fishing year. A change to this final rule is not necessary. Comment 20: Change the text of Amendment 110 to state that NMFS will verify the State’s estimate of abundance and that the State must use the index approved by the Council at its April 2015 meeting. Response: NMFS cannot change amendment text after it has been transmitted by the Council and NMFS as published in the Notice of Availability. Under section 304(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS is limited to approval, disapproval, or partial approval of a fishery management plan amendment. If NMFS disapproves or partially approves an amendment, NMFS has to notify the Council and specify the applicable law with which the amendment is inconsistent, the nature of such inconsistencies, and make recommendations to conform to applicable law. The Council may then submit a revised amendment to the Secretary of Commerce. Amendment 110 and the provision to reduce the PSC limit and performance standard are consistent with applicable law, and the commenter did not recommend disapproval or partial disapproval of Amendment 110. NMFS responds to the issue of verifying the State’s Chinook salmon abundance index in the response to Comment 17. NMFS responds to the issue of requiring the State to use the index approved by the Council at its April 2015 meeting in the response to Comment 16.
bycatch in the pollock fishery to determine the overall stock composition of the bycatch. The most recent analysis is available from the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center (http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Publications/AFSC-TM/NOAA-TM-AFSC-310.pdf). However, this genetic analysis takes time and the results are not available in time to delay or move the pollock fishery. Instead, the IPAs use a rolling hotspot program to provide real-time Chinook salmon bycatch information so that the fleet can avoid areas of high Chinook salmon bycatch rates. A Chinook salmon rolling hotspot program is a component of the current IPAs, however, it is not a mandatory requirement. The catcher/processor IPA and the mothership IPA have a rolling hotspot program in place throughout the year. The inshore IPA has a rolling hotspot program that can be suspended during the season. Amendment 110 and this final rule require all IPAs to have a rolling hot spot program throughout the A and B seasons. This provision also requires notifications of closure areas and any violations of the rolling hot spot program to at least one third-party group representing western Alaskans, consistent with the requirement for the chum salmon rolling hotspot program. Section 3.5.3.3 of the Analysis provides more detail on this addition to the IPA requirements (see ADDRESSES). Comment 25: The over allocation of pollock has ruined the livelihoods of all that depend on it for a living. A two-thirds reduction in the Bering Sea pollock TAC would increase escapement to the Yukon River system and raise the price of the pollock products. We have been giving pollock away at the expense of traditional Alaskan salmon fisheries. Everything that swims in the Bering Sea eats pollock and every fishery and northern fur seals have declined due to the over allocation of pollock.
Response: The process for assessing and specifying the Bering Sea pollock TAC is outside the scope of this action. There is no evidence that a two-thirds reduction in the pollock TAC would measurably increase salmon escapement to the Yukon River system. While salmon bycatch in the pollock fishery may be a contributing factor in the decline of salmon, NMFS expects the numbers of the ocean bycatch that would have returned to western Alaska would be relatively small due to ocean mortality and the large number of other river systems contributing to the total Chinook or chum salmon bycatch. For Chinook salmon, Section 3.5.1 of the Analysis explains that the Chinook salmon bycatch expected to have returned to western Alaska rivers is approximately 2.3 percent of coastal western Alaska run size in recent years. For chum salmon, Section 3.5.1 of the Analysis explains that the chum salmon bycatch expected to have returned to western Alaska rivers is approximately 0.5 percent of the coastal western Alaska run size in recent years. Under Amendment 110 and this final rule, these impact rates will be reduced further as the pollock fleet improves its ability to avoid salmon at all times. NMFS is actively pursuing research on northern fur seals to help us understand the reasons for the decline and potential threats to the population. A description of past and ongoing research is available on the National Marine Mammal Laboratory’s website (http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/species/species_nfs.php). The research projects investigate a broad range of topics related to fisheries interactions around the Pribilof Islands, including studies to quantify area-specific food habits and animal conditions, describe foraging behavior in different environments, delineate foraging habitats, and model habitat suitability in relation to fur seals and commercial fisheries.
cooperative members meet the size standard used by the SBA or, after July 1, 2016, NMFS’ small business size standard for RFA compliance at 50 CFR 200.2(a). For more information on NMFS’ small business size standard for RFA compliance, see 80 FR 81194 (December 29, 2015). NMFS’s RFA analysis to estimate the number of small entities directly regulated by this action is correct. Comment 27: NMFS’ aggregation of cooperative member’s gross earnings eliminates a fishing business’s access to the benefits of SBA review and runs against the intent of the RFA. Response: The RFA is primarily concerned with ensuring that Federal agency decision-makers seriously and systematically consider disproportionate economic impacts on small entities that may result from their actions. To comply with the RFA, NMFS has prepared an IRFA and a FRFA following the required contents specified in the RFA. The IRFA was prepared and summarized in the “Classification” section of the preamble to the proposed rule (81 FR 5681, February 3, 2016). The FRFA is in the “Classification” section of the preamble to this final rule. If a specific business applies to the SBA to participate in an SBA program, the SBA conducts an independent review of that business to determine if that business qualifies as a small business for purposes of participating in an SBA program. That business must satisfy SBA's definition of a business concern, along with SBA’s size standards for small businesses. The SBA does not rely on the analysis conducted by NMFS under the RFA to determine whether a particular entity satisfies SBA’s definition of a small business. See https://www.sba.gov/ for more information on SBA’s assessment of a small business.
to determine if that business qualifies as a small business for purposes of participating in an SBA program. That business must satisfy SBA's definition of a business concern, along with SBA’s size standards for small businesses. The SBA does not rely on the analysis conducted by NMFS under the RFA to determine whether a particular entity satisfies SBA’s definition of a small business. Number and Description of Directly Regulated Small Entities The action directly regulates those entities that participate in the directed pollock trawl fishery in the Bering Sea. These entities include vessels harvesting pollock under the AFA and the six CDQ groups that receive allocations of pollock. The SBA requires consideration of affiliations among entities for the purpose of assessing if an entity is small. The AFA pollock cooperatives are a type of affiliation. All the non-CDQ entities directly regulated by this action are members of AFA cooperatives and, therefore, NMFS considers them “affiliated” large (non-small) entities for RFA purposes. AFA cooperatives have gross annual revenues that are substantially greater than $20.5 million, the standard used by the SBA to define the annual gross revenue of a large (non-small) business engaged in finfish harvesting, such as pollock. Therefore, all the non-CDQ pollock fishery participants are defined as large (non-small) entities. Due to their status as non-profit corporations, the six CDQ groups are identified as “small” entities for RFA purposes. This action directly regulates the six CDQ groups. As described in regulations implementing the RFA (13 CFR 121.103), the CDQ groups’ affiliations with other large entities do not define them as large entities.
Chinook salmon bycatch and Alaska-origin chum salmon bycatch. The Council and NMFS recognize that salmon are an extremely important resource to Native Alaskans who depend on local fisheries for their sustenance and livelihood. Amendment 110 and this final rule adjust the existing Chinook salmon bycatch program to, among other things, incorporate revised chum salmon bycatch measures into the existing IPAs. Amendment 110 and this final rule are designed to consider the importance of continued production of critical chum salmon runs in western Alaska by focusing on bycatch avoidance of Alaskan chum salmon runs. These runs have substantial variation in run sizes over time, and are of historic importance in the subsistence lifestyle of Native Alaskans. Additional protections to other chum stocks from outside of Alaska are embedded in the objective to avoid the high bycatch of chum salmon overall, recognizing that most non-Alaska chum salmon are likely from Asian hatcheries. In addition, the Council and NMFS sought to provide greater incentives to avoid Chinook salmon by strengthening incentives during times of historically low Chinook salmon abundance in western Alaska. Thus, the management measures included in Amendment 110 focus on retaining the incentives to avoid Chinook salmon bycatch at all levels of abundance as intended by Amendment 91. Multiple years of historically low Chinook salmon abundance have resulted in significant restrictions for subsistence users in western Alaska and failure to achieve conservation objectives. While Chinook salmon bycatch impact rates have been low under Amendment 91, the Council and NMFS have determined that there is evidence that improvements could be made to ensure the program is reducing Chinook salmon bycatch at low levels of salmon abundance.
Public reporting burden is estimated to average 40 hours per individual response for the Salmon Bycatch IPA; and 8 hours for the IPA Annual Report. Public reporting burden includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments on this data collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to NMFS Alaska Region (see ADDRESSES), or by e-mail to [email protected], or fax to (202) 395-5806. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number. All currently approved NOAA collections of information may be viewed at: http://www.cio.noaa.gov/services_programs/prasubs.html. List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 679 Alaska, Fisheries, Recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Dated: June 2, 2016.
________________________________ Samuel D. Rauch III, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, NMFS amends 50 CFR part 679 as follows: PART 679--FISHERIES OF THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE OFF ALASKA 1. The authority citation for 50 CFR part 679 continues to read as follows: Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 1801 et seq.; 3631 et seq.; Pub. L. 108–447; Pub. L. 111-281. 2. In § 679.2: a. Remove the definitions for “Chinook salmon bycatch incentive plan agreement (IPA)”; b. Revise the definitions for “Chum Salmon Savings Area of the BSAI CVOA”, and paragraph (6) of “Fishing trip”; c. Remove the definition for “Non-Chinook salmon bycatch reduction intercooperative agreement (ICA)”; and d. Add a definition for “Salmon bycatch incentive plan agreement (IPA)” in alphabetical order to read as follows: § 679.2 Definitions. ***** Chum Salmon Savings Area of the BSAI CVOA (See § 679.21(f)(14) and Figure 9 to this part).
(B) Non-Chinook salmon. For the operator of a vessel, to use trawl gear to harvest pollock CDQ in the Chum Salmon Savings Area between September 1 and October 14 after the CDQ group's non-Chinook salmon PSQ is attained, unless the vessel is participating in an approved IPA under § 679.21(f)(12). (C) * * * (5) For the operator of a catcher vessel delivering pollock CDQ catch to a shoreside processor or stationary floating processor to: (i) Deliver pollock CDQ to a processor that does not have a catch monitoring and control plan approved under § 679.28(g). (ii) Handle, sort, or discard catch without notifying the observer 15 minutes prior to handling, sorting, or discarding catch as described in § 679.21(f)(15)(ii)(B)(2). (iii) Fail to secure catch after the completion of catch handling and the collection of scientific data and biological samples as described in § 679.21(f)(15)(ii)(B)(3). ***** (k) * * * (8) Salmon PSC. ***** (iv) Catcher vessels. (A) For the operator of a catcher vessel, to handle, sort, or discard catch without notifying the observer 15 minutes prior to handling, sorting, or discarding catch as described in § 679.21(f)(15)(ii)(B)(2). (B) For the operator of a catcher vessel to fail to secure catch after the completion of catch handling and the collection of scientific data and biological samples as described in § 679.21(f)(15)(ii)(B)(3).
§ 679.21 Prohibited species bycatch management. ***** (e) BSAI PSC limits for crab and herring. * * * ***** (f) Salmon Bycatch Management in the BS Pollock Fishery — (1) Applicability. This paragraph contains regulations governing the bycatch of salmon in the BS pollock fishery. (2) Chinook salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) limit. Each year, NMFS will allocate to AFA sectors listed in paragraph (f)(3)(ii) of this section a portion of the applicable Chinook salmon PSC limit. NMFS will publish the applicable Chinook salmon PSC limit in the annual harvest specifications after determining if it is a low Chinook salmon abundance year. NMFS will determine that it is a low Chinook salmon abundance year when abundance of Chinook salmon in western Alaska is less than or equal to 250,000 Chinook salmon. By October 1 of each year, the State of Alaska will provide to NMFS an estimate of Chinook salmon abundance using the 3-System Index for western Alaska based on the Kuskokwim, Unalakleet, and Upper Yukon aggregate stock grouping. (i) An AFA sector will receive a portion of the 47,591 Chinook salmon PSC limit, or, in a low Chinook salmon abundance year, the 33,318 Chinook salmon PSC limit, if — (A) No Chinook salmon bycatch incentive plan agreement (IPA) is approved by NMFS under paragraph (f)(12) of this section; or (B) That AFA sector has exceeded its performance standard under paragraph (f)(6) of this section.
Eligible participants are: AFA catcher/processors and AFA catcher vessels delivering to AFA catcher/processors, all of which are permitted under § 679.4(l)(2) and (l)(3)(i)(A), respectively. AFA catcher vessels harvesting pollock for processing by AFA motherships, all of which are permitted under § 679.4(l)(3)(i)(B) and (l)(4), respectively. AFA catcher vessels harvesting pollock for processing by AFA inshore processors, all of which are permitted under § 679.4(l)(3)(i)(C). The six CDQ groups authorized under section 305(i)(1)(D) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to participate in the CDQ Program.
(iv) Allocations to the AFA catcher/processor and mothership sectors. (A) NMFS will issue transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations under paragraph (f)(3)(iii) of this section to entities representing the AFA catcher/processor sector and the AFA mothership sector if these sectors meet the requirements of paragraph (f)(8) of this section. (B) If no entity is approved by NMFS to represent the AFA catcher/processor sector or the AFA mothership sector, then NMFS will manage that sector under a nontransferable Chinook salmon PSC allocation under paragraph (f)(10) of this section. (v) Allocations to inshore cooperatives and the AFA inshore open access fishery. NMFS will further allocate the inshore sector's Chinook salmon PSC allocation under paragraph (f)(3)(iii) of this section among the inshore cooperatives and the inshore open access fishery based on the percentage allocations of pollock to each inshore cooperative under § 679.62(a). NMFS will issue transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations to inshore cooperatives. Any Chinook salmon PSC allocated to the inshore open access fishery will be as a non-transferable allocation managed by NMFS under the requirements of paragraph (f)(10) of this section.
Then all Chinook salmon bycatch: By any vessel fishing under a transferable allocation will accrue against the allocation to the entity representing that vessel. By any vessel fishing under a non-transferable allocation will accrue against the allocation established for the sector or inshore open access fishery, whichever is applicable. By any vessel fishing under the opt-out allocation will accrue against the opt-out allocation.
subtracting the amount of Chinook salmon associated with the non-participating inshore cooperative, will be reallocated among the inshore cooperatives participating in an approved IPA based on the proportion each participating cooperative represents of the Chinook salmon PSC initially allocated among the participating inshore cooperatives that year. (iii) Adjustment to CDQ group allocations. If a CDQ group does not participate in an approved IPA, the amount of Chinook salmon that remains in the CDQ Program's allocation, after subtracting the amount of Chinook salmon associated with the nonparticipating CDQ group, will be reallocated among the CDQ groups participating in an approved IPA based on the proportion each participating CDQ group represents of the Chinook salmon PSC initially allocated among the participating CDQ groups that year. (iv) All members of a sector do not participate in an approved IPA. If all members of a sector do not participate in an approved IPA, the amount of Chinook salmon that remains after subtracting the amount of Chinook salmon associated with the non-participating sector will not be reallocated among the sectors that have members participating in an approved IPA. This portion of the PSC limit will remain unallocated for that year. (5) Chinook salmon PSC opt-out allocation. The following table describes requirements for the opt-out allocation: (i) What is the amount of Chinook salmon PSC that will be allocated to the opt-out allocation in the A season and the B season? (ii) Which participants will be managed under the opt-out allocation?
(iii) What Chinook salmon bycatch will accrue against the opt-out allocation? (iv) How will the opt-out allocation be managed?
(v) What will happen if Chinook salmon bycatch by vessels fishing under the optout allocation exceeds the amount allocated to the A season opt-out allocation? (vi) What will happen if Chinook salmon bycatch by vessels fishing under the optout allocation is less than the amount allocated to the A season opt-out allocation? (vii) Is Chinook salmon PSC allocated to the opt-out allocation transferable?
limit or the 45,000 PSC limit, but that is not participating in an approved IPA. All Chinook salmon bycatch by participants under paragraph (f)(5)(ii) of this section. All participants under paragraph (f)(5)(ii) of this section will be managed as a group under the seasonal opt-out allocations. If the Regional Administrator determines that the seasonal opt-out allocation will be reached, NMFS will publish a notice in the Federal Register closing directed fishing for pollock in the BS, for the remainder of the season, for all vessels fishing under the opt-out allocation. NMFS will deduct from the B season opt-out allocation any Chinook salmon bycatch in the A season that exceeds the A season opt-out allocation.
If Chinook salmon bycatch by vessels fishing under the opt-out allocation in the A season is less than the amount allocated to the opt-out allocation in the A season, this amount of Chinook salmon will not be added to the B season opt-out allocation. No. Chinook salmon PSC allocated to the opt-out allocation is not transferable.
sector on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site (http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/). At the end of each year, NMFS will evaluate the Chinook salmon bycatch by all IPA participants in each sector against that sector's annual threshold amount. (ii) Calculation of the annual threshold amount. A sector's annual threshold amount is the annual number of Chinook salmon that would be allocated to that sector under the 47,591 Chinook salmon PSC limit, as shown in the table in paragraph (f)(3)(iii)(C) of this section, or the 33,318 Chinook salmon PSC limit in low Chinook salmon abundance years, as shown in the table in paragraph (f)(3)(iii)(D) of this section. If any vessels in a sector do not participate in an approved IPA, NMFS will reduce that sector's annual threshold amount by the number of Chinook salmon associated with each vessel not participating in an approved IPA. If any CDQ groups do not participate in an approved IPA, NMFS will reduce the CDQ Program's annual threshold amount by the number of Chinook salmon associated with each CDQ group not participating in an approved IPA. (iii) Exceeding the performance standard. If NMFS determines that a sector has exceeded its performance standard by exceeding its annual threshold amount in any three of seven consecutive years, NMFS will issue a notification in the Federal Register that the sector has exceeded its performance standard. In all subsequent years, NMFS will allocate to that sector either the amount of Chinook salmon in the table in paragraph (f)(3)(iii)(C) of this section or, in low Chinook salmon abundance years, the amount of Chinook salmon in the table in paragraph (f)(3)(iii)(D) of this section. All members of the affected sector will fish under this lower PSC allocation regardless of whether a vessel or CDQ group within that sector participates in an approved IPA.
CDQ group is not required to submit an application under paragraph (f)(8)(ii) of this section to receive a transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocation. (C) Entity representing the AFA catcher/processor sector. NMFS will authorize only one entity to represent the catcher/processor sector for purposes of receiving and managing transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations on behalf of the catcher/processors eligible to fish under transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations. NMFS will issue transferable Chinook salmon allocations under the Chinook salmon PSC limit to the entity representing the catcher/processor sector if that entity represents all the owners of AFA-permitted vessels in this sector that are participants in an approved IPA. (D) Entity representing the AFA mothership sector. NMFS will authorize only one entity to represent the mothership sector for purposes of receiving and managing transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations on behalf of the vessels eligible to fish under transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations. NMFS will issue transferable Chinook salmon allocations under the Chinook salmon PSC limit to an entity representing the mothership sector if that entity represents all the owners of AFApermitted vessels in this sector that are participants in an approved IPA. (ii) Request for approval as an entity eligible to receive transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations. A representative of an entity representing the catcher/processor sector or the mothership sector may request approval by NMFS to receive transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations on behalf of the members of the sector. The application must be submitted to NMFS at the address in paragraph (b)(6) of this section. A completed application consists of the application form and a contract, described below.
(A) Application form. The applicant must submit a paper copy of the application form with all information fields accurately filled in, including the affidavit affirming that each eligible vessel owner, from whom the applicant received written notification requesting to join the sector entity, has been allowed to join the sector entity subject to the same terms and conditions that have been agreed on by, and are applicable to, all other parties to the sector entity. The application form is available on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site (http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/) or from NMFS at the address in paragraph (b)(6) of this section. (B) Contract. A contract containing the following information must be attached to the completed application form: (1) Information that documents that all vessel owners party to the contract agree that the entity, the entity's representative, and the entity's agent for service of process named in the application form represent them for purposes of receiving transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations. (2) A statement that the entity's representative and agent for service of process are authorized to act on behalf of the vessel owners party to the contract. (3) Signatures, printed names, and date of signature for the owners of each AFApermitted vessel identified in the application form. (C) Contract duration. Once submitted, the contract attached to the application form is valid until amended or terminated by the parties to the contract. (D) Deadline. An application form and contract must be received by NMFS no later than 1700 hours, A.l.t., on October 1 of the year prior to the year for which the Chinook salmon PSC allocations are effective.
time the agent is identified in the application to NMFS under paragraph (f)(8)(ii) of this section. (B) Any vessel owner that is a member of an inshore cooperative, or a member of the entity that represents the catcher/processor sector or the mothership sector, may authorize the entity representative to sign a proposed IPA submitted to NMFS, under paragraph (f)(12) of this section, on his or her behalf. This authorization must be included in the contract submitted to NMFS, under paragraph (f)(8)(ii)(B) of this section, for the sector-level entities and in the contract submitted annually to NMFS by inshore cooperatives under § 679.61(d). (iv) Agent for service of process. The entity's agent for service of process must — (A) Be authorized to receive and respond to any legal process issued in the United States with respect to all owners and operators of vessels that are members of an entity receiving a transferable allocation of Chinook salmon PSC or with respect to a CDQ group. Service on or notice to the entity's appointed agent constitutes service on or notice to all members of the entity. (B) Be capable of accepting service on behalf of the entity until December 31 of the year five years after the calendar year for which the entity notified the Regional Administrator of the identity of the agent. (v) Absent a catcher/processor sector or mothership sector entity. If the catcher/processor sector or the mothership sector does not form an entity to receive a transferable allocation of Chinook salmon PSC, the sector will be managed by NMFS under a non-transferable allocation of Chinook salmon PSC under paragraph (f)(10) of this section.
computer screen. By using the transferee's NMFS ID, password, and Transfer Key, the designated representative certifies that all information is true, correct, and complete. (D) Deadline. NMFS will not approve an application for transfer of Chinook salmon PSC after June 25 for the A season or after December 1 for the B season. (10) Non-transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations. (i) All vessels belonging to a sector that is ineligible to receive transferable allocations under paragraph (f)(8) of this section, any catcher vessels participating in an inshore open access fishery, and all vessels fishing under the opt-out allocation under paragraph (f)(5) of this section will fish under specific non-transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations. (ii) All vessels fishing under a non-transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocation, including vessels fishing on behalf of a CDQ group, will be managed together by NMFS under that non-transferable allocation. If, during the fishing year, the Regional Administrator determines that a seasonal non-transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocation will be reached, NMFS will publish a notice in the Federal Register closing the BS to directed fishing for pollock by those vessels fishing under that non-transferable allocation for the remainder of the season or for the remainder of the year. (iii) For each non-transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocation, NMFS will deduct from the B season allocation any amount of Chinook salmon bycatch in the A season that exceeds the amount available under the A season allocation. (11) Rollover of unused A season allocation—(i) Rollovers of transferable allocations. NMFS will add any Chinook salmon PSC allocation remaining at the end of the A season, after any transfers under paragraph (f)(9)(ii) of this section, to an entity's B season allocation.
(ii) Rollover of non-transferable allocations. For a non-transferable allocation for the mothership sector, catcher/processor sector, or an inshore open access fishery, NMFS will add any Chinook salmon PSC remaining in that non-transferable allocation at the end of the A season to that B season non-transferable allocation. (12) Salmon bycatch incentive plan agreements (IPAs)—(i) Minimum participation requirements. More than one IPA may be approved by NMFS. Each IPA must have participants that represent the following: (A) Minimum percent pollock. Parties to an IPA must collectively represent at least 9 percent of the BS pollock quota. (B) Minimum number of unaffiliated AFA entities. Parties to an IPA must represent any combination of two or more CDQ groups or corporations, partnerships, or individuals who own AFA-permitted vessels and are not affiliated, as affiliation is defined for purposes of AFA entities in § 679.2. (ii) Membership in an IPA. (A) No vessel owner or CDQ group is required to join an IPA. (B) For a vessel owner in the catcher/processor sector or mothership sector to join an IPA, that vessel owner must be a member of the entity representing that sector under paragraph (f)(8). (C) For a CDQ group to be a member of an IPA, the CDQ group must sign the IPA and list in that IPA each vessel harvesting BS pollock CDQ, on behalf of that CDQ group, that will participate in that IPA. (D) Once a member of an IPA, a vessel owner or CDQ group cannot withdraw from the IPA during a fishing year.
(iii) Request for approval of a proposed IPA. The IPA representative must submit a proposed IPA to NMFS at the address in paragraph (b)(6) of this section. The proposed IPA must contain the following information: (A) Affidavit. The IPA must include the affidavit affirming that each eligible vessel owner or CDQ group, from whom the IPA representative received written notification requesting to join the IPA, has been allowed to join the IPA subject to the same terms and conditions that have been agreed on by, and are applicable to, all other parties to the IPA. (B) Name of the IPA. (C) Representative. The IPA must include the name, telephone number, and email address of the IPA representative who submits the proposed IPA on behalf of the parties and who is responsible for submitting proposed amendments to the IPA and the annual report required under paragraph (f)(13) of this section. (D) Third party group. The IPA must identify at least one third party group. Third party groups include any entities representing western Alaskans who depend on salmon and have an interest in salmon bycatch reduction but do not directly fish in a groundfish fishery. (E) Description of the incentive plan. The IPA must contain a description of the following — (1) The incentive(s) that will be implemented under the IPA for the operator of each vessel participating in the IPA to avoid Chinook salmon and chum salmon bycatch under any condition of pollock and Chinook salmon abundance in all years.
(2) How the incentive(s) to avoid chum salmon do not increase Chinook salmon bycatch. (3) The rewards for avoiding Chinook salmon, penalties for failure to avoid Chinook salmon at the vessel level, or both. (4) How the incentive measures in the IPA are expected to promote reductions in a vessel's Chinook salmon and chum salmon bycatch rates relative to what would have occurred in absence of the incentive program. (5) How the incentive measures in the IPA promote Chinook salmon and chum salmon savings in any condition of pollock abundance or Chinook salmon abundance in a manner that is expected to influence operational decisions by vessel operators to avoid Chinook salmon and chum salmon. (6) How the IPA ensures that the operator of each vessel governed by the IPA will manage that vessel’s Chinook salmon bycatch to keep total bycatch below the performance standard described in paragraph (f)(6) of this section for the sector in which the vessel participates. (7) How the IPA ensures that the operator of each vessel governed by the IPA will manage that vessel’s chum salmon bycatch to avoid areas and times where the chum salmon are likely to return to western Alaska. (8) The rolling hot spot program for salmon bycatch avoidance that operates throughout the entire A season and B season and the agreement to provide notifications of closure areas and any violations of the rolling hot spot program to the third party group.
(9) The restrictions or penalties targeted at vessels that consistently have significantly higher Chinook salmon PSC rates relative to other vessels fishing at the same time. (10) The requirement for vessels to enter a fishery‐wide in‐season salmon PSC data sharing agreement. (11) The requirement for the use of salmon excluder devices, with recognition of contingencies, from January 20 to March 31, and from September 1 until the end of the B season. (12) The requirement that salmon savings credits are limited to a maximum of three years for IPAs with salmon savings credits. (13) The restrictions or performance criteria used to ensure that Chinook salmon PSC rates in October are not significantly higher than those achieved in the preceding months. (F) Compliance agreement. The IPA must include a written statement that all parties to the IPA agree to comply with all provisions of the IPA. (G) Signatures. The names and signatures of the owner or representative for each vessel and CDQ group that is a party to the IPA. The representative of an inshore cooperative, or the representative of the entity formed to represent the AFA catcher/processor sector or the AFA mothership sector under paragraph (f)(8) of this section may sign a proposed IPA on behalf of all vessels that are members of that inshore cooperative or sector level entity.
(f)(12). An amendment to an approved IPA is effective upon written notification of approval by NMFS to the IPA representative. (D) Disapproval. (1) NMFS will disapprove a proposed IPA or a proposed amendment to an IPA for either of the following reasons: (i) If the proposed IPA fails to meet any of the requirements of paragraphs (f)(12)(i) through (iii) of this section, or (ii) If a proposed amendment to an IPA would cause the IPA to no longer be consistent with the requirements of paragraphs (f)(12)(i) through (iv) of this section. (2) Initial Administrative Determination (IAD). If, in NMFS' review of the proposed IPA, NMFS identifies deficiencies in the proposed IPA that require disapproval of the proposed IPA, NMFS will notify the applicant in writing. The IPA representative will be provided one 30-day period to address, in writing, the deficiencies identified by NMFS. Additional information or a revised IPA received by NMFS after the expiration of the 30-day period specified by NMFS will not be considered for purposes of the review of the proposed IPA. NMFS will evaluate any additional information submitted by the applicant within the 30-day period. If the Regional Administrator determines that the additional information addresses deficiencies in the proposed IPA, the Regional Administrator will approve the proposed IPA under paragraphs (f)(12)(iv)(B) and (f)(12)(v)(A) of this section. However, if, after consideration of the original proposed IPA and any additional information submitted during the 30-day period, NMFS determines that the proposed IPA does not comply with the requirements of paragraph (f)(12) of this section, NMFS will issue an initial administrative determination (IAD) providing the reasons for disapproving the proposed IPA.
(3) Administrative Appeals. An IPA representative who receives an IAD disapproving a proposed IPA may appeal under the procedures set forth at § 679.43. If the IPA representative fails to file an appeal of the IAD pursuant to § 679.43, the IAD will become the final agency action. If the IAD is appealed and the final agency action is a determination to approve the proposed IPA, then the IPA will be effective as described in paragraph (f)(12)(iv)(B) of this section. (4) Pending appeal. While appeal of an IAD disapproving a proposed IPA is pending, proposed members of the IPA subject to the IAD that are not currently members of an approved IPA will fish under the opt-out allocation under paragraph (f)(5) of this section. If no other IPA has been approved by NMFS, NMFS will issue all sectors allocations of the 47,591 Chinook salmon PSC limit as described in paragraph (f)(3)(iii)(C) of this section, or, in low Chinook salmon abundance years, allocations of the 33,318 Chinook salmon PSC limit as described in paragraph (f)(3)(iii)(D) of this section. (vi) Public release of an IPA. NMFS will make all proposed IPAs and all approved IPAs and the list of participants in each approved IPA available to the public on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site (http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/). (13) IPA Annual Report. The representative of each approved IPA must submit a written annual report to the Council at the address specified in § 679.61(f). The Council will make the annual report available to the public. (i) Submission deadline. The IPA Annual Report must be received by the Council no later than March 15.
(1) Date of transfer; (2) Name of transferor; (3) Name of transferee; (4) Number of Chinook salmon PSC transferred; and (5) Amount of pollock (mt) transferred. (G) The following information on in-season transfers among vessels participating in the IPA: (1) Date of transfer; (2) Name of transferor; (3) Name of transferee; (4) Number of Chinook salmon PSC transferred; and (5) Amount pollock (mt) transferred. (14) Non-Chinook salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) limit and Chum Salmon Savings Area. (i) The PSC limit for non-Chinook salmon caught by vessels using trawl gear from August 15 through October 14 in the Catcher Vessel Operational Area, as defined under § 679.22(a)(5) and in Figure 2 to this part, is 42,000 fish. (ii) 10.7 percent of the non-Chinook PSC limit is allocated to the CDQ Program as a PSQ reserve. (iii) If the Regional Administrator determines that 42,000 non-Chinook salmon have been caught by vessels using trawl gear during the period August 15 through October 14 in the Catcher Vessel Operational Area, NMFS will prohibit fishing for pollock for the remainder of the period September 1 through October 14 in the Chum Salmon Savings Area as defined in Figure 9 to this part.
unavailable for sorting and discard until the delivery of catch to the processor receiving the vessel’s BS pollock catch. Methods to make salmon or retained catch unavailable for sorting or discard include but are not limited to securing the catch in a completely enclosed container above or below deck, securing the catch in an enclosed codend, or completely and securely covering the fish on deck. (4) Comply with the requirements in paragraphs (f)(15)(ii)(B)(2) and (3) of this section, before handling the catch prior to delivery. (C) Shoreside processors or stationary floating processors must — (1) Comply with the requirements in § 679.28(g)(7)(vii) for the receipt, sorting, and storage of salmon from deliveries of catch from the BS pollock fishery. (2) Ensure no salmon of any species pass beyond the last point where sorting of fish occurs, as identified in the scale drawing of the plant in the Catch Monitoring Control Plan (CMCP). (3) Sort and transport all salmon of any species to the salmon storage container identified in the CMCP (see § 679.28(g)(7)(vi)(C) and(g)(7)(x)(F)). The salmon must remain in that salmon storage container and within the view of the observer at all times during the offload. (4) If, at any point during the offload, salmon are too numerous to be contained in the salmon storage container, cease the offload and all sorting and give the observer the opportunity to count the salmon and collect scientific data or biological samples. The counted salmon then must be removed from the area by plant personnel in the presence of the observer.
(5) At the completion of the offload, give the observer the opportunity to count the salmon and collect scientific data or biological samples. (6) Before sorting of the next offload of catch from the BS pollock fishery may begin, give the observer the opportunity to complete the count of salmon and the collection of scientific data or biological samples from the previous offload of catch from the BS pollock fishery. When the observer has completed all counting and sampling duties for the offload, plant personnel must remove the salmon, in the presence of the observer, from the salmon storage container and location where salmon are counted and biological samples or scientific data are collected. (iii) Assignment of crew to assist observer. Operators of vessels and managers of shoreside processors and SFPs that are required to retain salmon under paragraph (f)(15)(i) of this section must designate and identify to the observer aboard the vessel, or at the shoreside processor or SFP, a crew person or employee responsible for ensuring all sorting, retention, and storage of salmon occurs according to the requirements of (f)(15)(ii) of this section. (iv) Discard of salmon. Except for salmon under the PSD Program at § 679.26, all salmon must be returned to the sea as soon as is practicable, following notification by an observer that the number of salmon has been determined and the collection of scientific data or biological samples has been completed. (g) Chinook salmon bycatch management in the AI pollock fishery—(1) Applicability. This paragraph contains regulations governing the bycatch of Chinook salmon in the AI pollock fishery.
(2) AI Chinook salmon PSC limit. (i) The PSC limit for Chinook salmon caught by vessels while harvesting pollock in the AI is 700 fish. (ii) 7.5 percent of the PSC limit is allocated to the CDQ Program as a PSQ reserve. (3) Area closures. If, during the fishing year, the Regional Administrator determines that catch of Chinook salmon by vessels using trawl gear while directed fishing for pollock in the AI will reach the PSC limit, NMFS, by notification in the Federal Register, will close the AI Chinook Salmon Savings Area, as defined in Figure 8 to this part, to directed fishing for pollock with trawl gear on the following dates: (i) From the effective date of the closure until April 15, and from September 1 through December 31, if the Regional Administrator determines that the annual limit of AI Chinook salmon will be attained before April 15. (ii) From September 1 through December 31, if the Regional Administrator determines that the annual limit of AI Chinook salmon will be attained after April 15. ***** 6. In § 679.22, revise paragraph (a)(10) to read as follows: § 679.22 Closures. (a) * * * (10) Chum Salmon Savings Area. Directed fishing for pollock by vessels using trawl gear is prohibited from August 1 through August 31 in the Chum Salmon Savings Area defined at Figure 9 to this part (see also § 679.21(f)(14)). Vessels directed fishing for pollock in the BS, including pollock CDQ, and operating under an approved IPA under § 679.21(f)(12) are exempt from closures in the Chum Salmon Savings Area.
***** 7. In § 679.28, revise paragraphs (d)(7)(i) through (iii) to read as follows: § 679.28 Equipment and operational requirements. ***** (d) * * * (7) * * * (i) A salmon storage container must be located adjacent to the observer sampling station; (ii) The salmon storage container must remain in view of the observer at the observer sampling station at all times during the sorting of each haul; and (iii) The salmon storage container must be at least 1.5 cubic meters.
(2) Shoreside processor and stationary floating processor responsibilities. A manager of a shoreside processor or a stationary floating processor that is required to maintain observer coverage as specified under paragraph (b) of this section must: ***** (iii) * * * (B) * * * (3) Functional and operational equipment. Ensuring that the communications equipment required under paragraph (e)(2)(iii)(B) of this section that is used by observers to enter and transmit data is functional and operational. ‘‘Functional’’ means that all the tasks and components of the NMFS-supplied, or other approved, software described at paragraph (e)(2)(iii)(B)(2) of this section and any data transmissions to NMFS can be executed effectively by the communications equipment. ***** Tables 47a through 47d to Part 679 [Removed] 9. Remove Tables 47a through 47d to part 679.
Report "1 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P DEPARTMENT OF"

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