Source: https://www.global-regulation.com/law/united-states/29630/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions%253b-fisheries-of-the-northeastern-united-states%253b-northeast-multispecies-fishery%253b-2015-and-2016-sector-operations-pl.html
Timestamp: 2018-02-22 14:55:04
Document Index: 201712177

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648']

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; 2015 and 2016 Sector Operations Plans and 2015 Contracts and Allocation of Northeast Multi... (United States)
Link to law: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/text/raw_text/201/509/950.txt
Liz Sullivan, Fishery Management Specialist, phone (978) 282-8493, fax (978) 281-9135. To review Federal Register documents referenced in this rule, you can visit: http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/sustainable/species/multispecies.
The FMP defines a sector as “[a] group of persons (three or more persons, none of whom have an ownership interest in the other two persons in the sector) holding limited access vessel permits who have voluntarily entered into a contract and agree to certain fishing restrictions for a specified period of time, and which has been granted a TAC(s) [ sic ] in order to achieve objectives consistent with applicable FMP goals and objectives.” Sectors are self-selecting, meaning each sector can choose its members.
Because sectors elect to receive an allocation under a quota-based system, the FMP grants sector vessels several “universal” exemptions from the FMP's effort controls. These universal exemptions apply to: Trip limits on allocated stocks; the Georges Bank (GB) Seasonal Closure Area; NE multispecies days-at-sea (DAS) restrictions; the requirement to use a 6.5-inch (16.5-cm) mesh codend when fishing with selective gear on GB; portions of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) Cod Protection Closures (as created by Framework 53; implemented concurrently with this rule); and the at-sea monitoring (ASM) coverage rate for sector vessels fishing on a monkfish DAS in the Southern New England (SNE) Broad Stock Area (BSA) with extra-large mesh gillnets. The FMP prohibits sectors from requesting exemptions from permitting restrictions, gear restrictions designed to minimize habitat impacts, and reporting requirements.
We have determined that the 17 sector operations plans and contracts that we have approved, and 19 of the 22 regulatory exemptions requested, in whole or partially, are consistent with the FMP's goals and objectives, and meet sector requirements outlined in the regulations at § 648.87. These 17 operations plans are similar to previously approved plans, but include a new exemption request. Copies of the operations plans and contracts, and the environmental assessment (EA), are available at http://www.regulations.gov and from NMFS (see ADDRESSES ). One of the 17 sectors, Northeast Fishery Sector (NEFS) IV, proposes to operate as a private lease-only sector.
At the start of fishing year 2015, we will withhold 20 percent of each sector's fishing year 2015 allocation until we finalize fishing year 2014 catch information. In the past, we have typically finalized the prior year's catch during the summer months. We expect to finalize 2014 catch information consistent with this past practice. We will allow sectors to transfer fishing year 2014 ACE for two weeks of the fishing year following our completion of year-end catch accounting to reduce or eliminate any fishing year 2014 overages. If necessary, we will reduce any sector's fishing year 2015 allocation to account for a remaining overage in fishing year 2014. We will follow the same process for fishing year 2016. Each year of the operations plans, we will notify the Council and sector managers of this deadline in writing and will announce this decision on our Web site at: http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/.
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As previously stated, we received 17 sector operations plans and contracts by the September 2, 2014, deadline for fishing years 2015 and 2016. Each sector elected to submit a single document that is both its contract and operations plan. Therefore, these submitted operations plans not only contain the rules under which each sector would fish, but also provide the legal contract that binds each member to the sector. All sectors' proposed operations plans are for two fishing years—2015 and 2016. Each sector's operations plan, and each sector's members, must comply with the regulations governing sectors, found at § 648.87. In addition, each sector must conduct fishing activities as detailed in its approved operations plan.
Each sector is required to ensure that it does not exceed its ACE during the fishing year. Sector vessels are required to retain all legal-sized allocated NE multispecies stocks, unless a sector is granted an exemption allowing its member vessels to discard legal-sized unmarketable fish at sea. Catch (defined as landings and discards) of all allocated NE multispecies stocks by a sector's vessels count against the sector's allocation. Catch from a sector trip ( e.g., not fishing in a NE multispecies exempted fishery or with exempted gear) targeting dogfish, monkfish, skate, and lobster (with non-trap gear) would be deducted from the sector's ACE because these trips use gear capable of catching groundfish. This includes trips that have declared into the small mesh exemption (described below), because vessels fishing under this sector exemption, i.e., vessels fishing with both small mesh and large mesh during the same trip, are considered a sector trip for purposes of monitoring ACE. Catch from a trip in an exempted fishery does not count against a sector's allocation because the catch is assigned to a separate ACL sub-component.
Taking the provisions of Framework 48 into account, and interpreting the ASM monitoring provision in the context of Magnuson-Stevens Act requirements and National Standards, we have determined that the appropriate level of ASM coverage should be set at the level that meets the CV requirement specified in the SBRM and minimizes the cost burden to sectors and NMFS to the extent practicable, while still providing a reliable estimate of overall catch by sectors needed for monitoring ACEs and ACLs. Based on this standard, NMFS has determined that the total appropriate target coverage rate for fishing year 2015 is 24 percent. We expect ASM coverage to be 20 percent and NEFOP coverage to be 4 percent (based on the Omnibus SBRM, as proposed), covering a total of 24 percent of all sector trips, with the exception of trips using a few specific exemptions, as described later in this rule. We will use discards derived from these observed and monitored trips to calculate discards for unobserved sector trips. We have published a more detailed summary of the supporting information, explanation and justification for this decision at: http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ro/fso/reports/Sectors/ASM/FY2015_Multispecies_Sector_ASM_Requirements_Summary.pdf.
Fishing Year 2011 Sector Operations Final Rule
76 FR 23076.
Fishing Year 2012 Sector Operations Final Rule
77 FR 26129.
Fishing Year 2013 Sector Operations Interim Final Rule
78 FR 25591.
Fishing Year 2014 Sector Operations Final Rule
79 FR 23278.
NE Multispecies Federal Register documents can be found at http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/sustainable/species/multispecies/ .
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A vessel using this exemption is required to meet the same NEFOP and ASM coverage as standard groundfish trips ( i.e. , a total of 24 percent in fishing year 2015). To facilitate proper coverage levels and assist with enforcement, the vessel is required to declare their intent to use small mesh to target non-regulated species by submitting a trip start hail through its vessel monitoring system (VMS) unit prior to departure. Trips declaring this exemption must stow their small-mesh gear and use their large-mesh gear first, and once finished with the large mesh, must submit a Multispecies Catch Report via VMS of all catch on board at that time. Once the Catch Report is sent, the vessel can then deploy small mesh with the required modifications in the specific areas (see map above), outside of the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, at which point, the large mesh cannot be redeployed. Any legal-sized allocated groundfish stocks caught during these small-mesh hauls must be landed and the associated landed weight (dealer or vessel trip report (VTR)) will be deducted from the sector's ACE.
We received two comments in support of granting this exemption as proposed, including the modification to the Sector Small-Mesh Fishery Exemption Area 2 (see map). One commenter indicated that the provisions ( e.g. trip start hails, gear stowage requirements, catch report submission, and gear modifications) allow for a higher level of enforceability.
The FMP limits the number of gillnets a Day gillnet vessel may fish in the groundfish RMAs to prevent an uncontrolled increase in the number of nets being fished, thus undermining applicable DAS effort controls. The limits are specific to the type of gillnet within each RMA: 100 gillnets (of which no more than 50 can be roundfish gillnets) in the GOM RMA (§ 648.80(a)(3)(iv)); 50 gillnets in the GB RMA (§ 648.80(a)(4)(iv)); and 75 gillnets in the Mid-Atlantic (MA) RMA (§ 648.80(b)(2)(iv)). We previously granted this exemption in fishing years 2010, 2011, and 2012 to allow sector vessels to fish up to 150 nets (any combination of flatfish or roundfish nets) in any RMA to provide greater operational flexibility to sector vessels in deploying gillnet gear. Sectors argued that the gillnet limits were designed to control fishing effort and are no longer necessary because a sector's ACE limits overall fishing mortality.
Minimum mesh size restrictions (§ 648.80(a)(3)(i), (a)(4)(i), (b)(2)(i), and (c)(2)(i)) were implemented under previous groundfish actions to reduce overall mortality on groundfish stocks, change the selection pattern of the fishery to target larger fish, improve survival of sublegal fish, and allow sublegal fish more opportunity to spawn before entering the fishery. Beginning in fishing year 2012, we have granted exemptions that allow sector vessels to target redfish, the smallest species of regulated groundfish, with a sub-legal size mesh codend, ranging from 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) to 6 inches (15.2 cm) (see Table 6). In order to use these previous exemptions, sectors have been required to meet an 80-percent threshold of redfish catch, relative to groundfish catch, and a 5-percent discard threshold of total groundfish, including redfish. These thresholds were intended to ensure that a vessel using the exemption effectively targets redfish and does not target other species with a smaller mesh, and attempts to avoid catching sub-legal groundfish. The thresholds were based on Component 2 of the REDNET report (Kanwit et al. 2013), which used a 4.5-inch mesh codend, and observer data for trips conducted in fishing year 2012. REDNET is a group that includes the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology, who joined with other members of the scientific community and the industry to develop a research plan to develop a sustainable, directed, redfish trawl fishery in the GOM. Each year, we have changed the exemption at the sectors' request in an attempt to balance the goal of increasing use of the exemption, and therefore facilitate access to this healthy stock, while preventing misuse and ensuring it is consistent with the FMP's goals and objectives.
6.0 inch (15.2 cm) with 100% NMFS-funded coverage
FY 2012 Sector Operations Final Rule
4.5 inch (11.4 cm) with 100% NMFS-funded coverage
FY 2012 Redfish Exemption Final Rule
78 FR 14226.
4.5 inch (11.4 cm) with 100% Industry-funded coverage
FY 2013 Sector Operations Interim Final Rule
6.0 inch (15.2 cm) with standard observer coverage
FY 2014 Sector Operations Final Rule
NE Multispecies Federal Register documents can be found at http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/sustainable/species/multispecies.
For fishing years 2012 and 2013, the exemption required 100-percent monitoring with either an ASM or observer on every trip, primarily because of concerns over a greater retention of sub-legal groundfish, as well as non-allocated species and bycatch. In fishing year 2012, we found that allowing trips that are randomly selected for federally funded NEFOP or ASM coverage provided an incentive to take an exemption trip when selected for coverage, thereby reducing the number of observers/monitors available to cover standard sector trips ( i.e., trips not utilizing this exemption). If fewer observers/monitors deploy on standard sector trips, then the exemption undermines our ability to meet required coverage levels and increases the uncertainty of discard rates calculated for unobserved standard sector trips. Therefore, in fishing year 2013, we required sectors to pay for 100 percent of the at-sea cost for a monitor on all redfish exemption trips, which resulted in sectors not taking a redfish trip that fishing year.
Following our granting of the exemption in fishing year 2014, sectors indicated that an 80-percent redfish catch threshold, based on REDNET data collected using a 4.5-inch (11.4-cm) mesh codend, is not appropriate for all mesh sizes ( i.e., as mesh size increases, the efficiency of catching redfish decreases). Additionally, given the average landed value of redfish, they indicated that they do not consider it economically viable to have an offload comprised of 80 percent redfish. Therefore, as of January 2015, few trips have been taken under this exemption, because, according to sectors, they cannot effectively or profitably target redfish to meet the 80-percent threshold.
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1 The intersection of 42°00′ N. latitude and the U.S.-Canada Maritime Boundary, approximate longitude in parentheses.
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There are enforcment concerns associated with the additional flexibility this exemption provides. Specifically, enforcing different mesh size restrictions on different portions of a single fishing trip could be challenging at sea. We are concerned about the potential for vessels to misreport the mesh size used when other groundfish are caught on the redfish portion of the trip. Misreporting could help a vessel avoid falling below the required threshold.
Several sectors have proposed an operations plan provision to limit and more accurately document a vessel's behavior when fishing in what they consider the inshore portion of the GOM BSA, or the area to the west of 70°15′ W. long. We approve this provision, but note that a sector may elect to remove this provision in the final version of its operations plan.
Several sectors have requested a provision to allow a vessel to haul another vessel's fish trap gear, similar to the current exemptions that allow a vessel to haul another vessel's gillnet gear or hook gear. These exemptions have generally been referred to as “community” gear exemptions. Regulations at § 648.84(a) require a vessel to mark all bottom-tending fixed gear, which would include fish trap gear used to target groundfish. To facilitate enforcement of that regulation, we are requiring that any community fish trap gear be tagged by each vessel that plans on hauling the gear, similar to how this provision was implemented in fishing year 2014. This allows one vessel to deploy the trap gear and another vessel to haul the trap gear, provided both vessels tag the gear prior to deployment. This requirement will be captured in the sector's operations plan to provide the opportunity for the sector to monitor the use of this provision and ensure that the Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) and the U.S. Coast Guard can enforce the provision.
Comment 3: NESSN and NEFS V support NMFS' proposal to grant this exemption as modified from fishing year 2014, specifically expanding the exemption area 15′ northward.
Oceana also suggested several measures to control and monitor the use of gillnet gear. At this time, we do not believe it is necessary to implement additional requirements on gillnet vessels. Through the sector system, sector managers and NMFS are able to monitor the catch of all species in a timely manner. Further, regulations at § 648.87(b)(1)(ii) require all vessels in a sector to cease fishing operations in a stock area once the sector has harvested its allocation for a particular stock. This requirement has been sufficient to ensure that sectors remain within their quota. Therefore, additional measures are not necessary at this time and are outside of the scope of this action.
Comment 5: AFM, NESSN, and two members of the industry commented in support of this exemption. One industry member commented that this exemption will redirect effort away from GOM cod and onto redfish, which he describes as underutilized. That industry member also stated that the proposed 5.5-inch (14.0-cm) mesh codend is the correct size for targeting redfish. AFM and an industry member both commented in support of the flexibility that the exemption provides. AFM requested that NMFS provide sectors with a detailed description of all requirements that must be met to use the exemption. AFM supports strict monitoring, and an industry member commented in support of not requiring industry-funded at-sea monitoring coverage with this exemption. NESSN commented with support for catch thresholds, and stated that the chosen thresholds adequately reflect the likely proportion of redfish catch while using a 5.5-inch (14.0-cm) mesh codend. They agreed with the adjustment to the exemption area out of concern for GOM cod, and feel that the requirements of the exemption adequately address OLE's concerns. NESSN also commented that the Agency can revoke the exemption mid-season if sectors are not meeting the requirements of the exemption.
Response: VMS is a tool that allows enforcement to monitor compliance, track violators, and provide evidence to support enforcement actions. The system uses satellite-based communications from on-board units, which send position reports that include vessel identification, time, date, and location, and are mapped and displayed on the end user's computer screen. NMFS uses VMS to monitor the location and movement of commercial fishing vessels. All active sector vessels are required to use VMS. Each unit typically sends position reports once an hour. Within the groundfish fishery, it is a critical tool for monitoring the fishery. Non-compliance with VMS requirements decreases our confidence in our ability to adequately monitor the fishery.
We have determined that 24-percent observer coverage of sector trips is sufficient, to the extent practicable in light of Magnuson-Stevens Act requirements, to reliably estimate catch for purposes of monitoring sector ACEs and ACLs for groundfish stocks. This determination is based in part on the statistical sufficiency of the level of coverage as summarized in more detail at: http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ro/fso/reports/Sectors/ASM/FY2015_Multispecies_Sector_ASM_Requirements_Summary.pdf. Our determination also incorporates how data and information are collected and analyzed, including obligations on sectors to self-monitor and self-report, which is linked to agency monitoring. For the most part, these commenters have generally asserted that this system and level of monitoring is not adequate without providing any specific justification or information to support their assertion.
Response: Amendment 16, developed by the Council and approved by NMFS, allows each sector to determine which vessels will actively fish and how best to harvest its allocation, including decisions regarding consolidation. Amendment 16 did not place restrictions on a sector's decision of how to allocate ACE to its members. Thus, each sector is free to determine how ACE will be assigned to its member vessels. For fishing years 2015 and 2016, sectors generally have elected to assign each member the portion of the sector's ACE that it brings to a sector. This is typically based on each permit's contribution to the sector's ACE, as modified by the sector. In practice, in some years, sector members have opted to pool some stock's ACEs for use by all members. This does not mark a change from previous fishing years.
In addition to relieving restrictions and granting exemptions, avoiding a delay in effectiveness prevents vessel owners from incurring significant adverse economic impacts. A delay in implementing this rule would prevent owners who joined a sector in fishing year 2015 (842 permits, accounting for 99 percent of the historical NE multispecies catch) from fishing during the delay and would diminish the advantage of the flexibility in vessel operations, thereby undermining the intent of the rule. During any delay, sector vessels would be prohibited from fishing for groundfish. Being prohibited from fishing for up to 30 days would have a significant adverse economic impact on these vessels because vessels would be prevented from fishing in a month when sector vessels landed approximately 10 percent of several allocations, including Eastern GB cod and GB winter flounder. Further, sector vessels could only fish during this delay if they chose to fish in the common pool. Once they switched to the common pool, however, they could not return to a sector for the entire fishing year and would forego the flexibility and economic efficiency afforded by sector exemptions. Vessels choosing to fish in the common pool to avoid a 30-day delay in the beginning of their season would then forego potential increased flexibility and efficiencies for an entire fishing year. For the reasons outlined above, good cause exists to waive the otherwise applicable requirement to delay implementation of this rule for a period of 30 days.
The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of smallentities. The factual basis for this certification was published in the proposed rule and is not repeated here. No comments were received regarding this certification. As a result, a regulatory flexibility analysis was not required and none was prepared.