Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/03/14/2019-04714/pacific-halibut-fisheries-catch-sharing-plan
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 17:49:28
Document Index: 702424109

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 300', 'art 679', 'art 300', 'art 300', 'art 300', 'art 300', 'art 904', 'art 679', 'art 679', 'art 679', 'art 679', 'art 679', 'art 679', 'art 300']

The IPHC's 2019 annual management measures are valid March 14, 2019. The 2019 management measures are effective until superseded.
9243-9259 (17 pages)
Docket No. 190204057-9057-01
0648-BI70
2019-04714
Day-of-Week Closures in Area 3A
5. Licensing Vessels for Area 2A
8. Fishing in Regulatory Area 4E and 4D
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-04714 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-04714
Additional requests for information regarding this action may be obtained by contacting the International Pacific Halibut Commission, 2320 W Commodore Way, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98199-1287; or Sustainable Fisheries Division, NMFS Alaska Region, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Ellen Sebastian, Records Officer; or Sustainable Fisheries Division, NMFS West Coast Region, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. This final rule also is accessible via the internet at the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov, identified by docket number NOAA-NMFS-2019-0006.
For waters off Alaska, Kurt Iverson, 907-586-7210; or, for waters off the U.S. West Coast, Keeley Kent, 206-526-4655.
The IPHC has recommended regulations that would govern the Pacific halibut fishery in 2019, pursuant to the Convention between Canada and the United States for the Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea (Convention), signed at Ottawa, Ontario, on March 2, 1953, as amended by a Protocol Amending the Convention (signed at Washington, DC, on March 29, 1979).
As provided by the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act) at 16 U.S.C. 773b, the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Commerce, may accept or reject, on behalf of the United States, regulations recommended by the IPHC in accordance with the Convention (Halibut Act, Sections 773-773k). The Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Commerce, accepted the 2019 IPHC regulations as provided by the Halibut Act at 16 U.S.C. 773-773k.
Subsistence and sport halibut fishery regulations for Alaska are codified at 50 CFR part 300. Commercial halibut fisheries off Alaska are subject to the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program (50 CFR part 679) regulations, and the area-specific catch sharing plans (CSPs) for Areas 2C, 3A, and Areas 4C, 4D, and 4E.
The NPFMC implemented a CSP among commercial IFQ and CDQ halibut fisheries in IPHC Regulatory Areas 4C, 4D, and 4E (Area 4, Western Alaska) through rulemaking, and the Secretary of Commerce approved the plan on March 20, 1996 (61 FR 11337). The Area 4 CSP regulations were codified at 50 CFR 300.65, and were amended on March 17, 1998 (63 FR 13000). New annual regulations pertaining to the Area 4 CSP also may be implemented through IPHC action, subject to acceptance by the Secretary of State.
The NPFMC recommended and NMFS implemented through rulemaking a CSP for guided sport (charter) and commercial IFQ halibut fisheries in IPHC Regulatory Area 2C and Area 3A on January 13, 2014 (78 FR 75844, December 12, 2013). The Area 2C and 3A CSP regulations are codified at 50 CFR 300.65. The CSP defines an Start Printed Page 9244annual process for allocating halibut between the commercial and charter fisheries so that each sector's allocation varies in proportion to halibut abundance, specifies a public process for setting annual management measures, and authorizes limited annual leases of commercial IFQ for use in the charter fishery as guided angler fish (GAF).
The IPHC held its annual meeting in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, January 28-February 1, 2019, and recommended a number of changes to the previous IPHC regulations (83 FR 10390, March 6, 2018). The recommendations also supersede the regulations for catch limits, catch share plan allocations, and charter halibut management measures implemented in 2018 by NMFS in interim final rules for the waters off Alaska (83 FR 12133, March 20, 2018) and for waters off Washington, Oregon, and California (83 FR 13080, March 26, 2018). The Secretary of State accepted the annual management measures, including the following changes to the previous IPHC regulations for 2019:
2. New halibut catch limits in all regulatory areas in Section 12 and revisions to the table in Section 4 that specifies the commercial, sport, and Treaty fishing catch limits for all IPHC areas; and
3. New management measures for Area 2C and Area 3A guided sport fisheries in Section 29.
4. Minor revisions and clarifications to regulatory language.
Pursuant to regulations at 50 CFR 300.62, the 2019 IPHC annual management measures are published in the Federal Register to provide notice of their immediate regulatory effectiveness and to inform persons subject to the regulations of their restrictions and requirements. Because NMFS publishes the regulations applicable to the entire Convention area, these regulations include some provisions relating to and affecting Canadian fishing and fisheries. NMFS may implement more restrictive regulations for the fishery for halibut or components of it; therefore, anglers are advised to check the current Federal and IPHC regulations prior to fishing.
The IPHC recommended to the governments of Canada and the United States catch limits for 2019 totaling 29,430,000 lb (13,349.22 mt). The IPHC recommended area-specific catch limits for 2019 that were higher than the catch limits implemented in 2018 in most of its management areas, with exceptions in Areas 2B and 3B, where catch limits were reduced relative to the 2018 implemented levels. A description of the process the IPHC used to set these catch limits follows.
In 2018, the IPHC conducted its annual stock assessment using a range of updated data sources as described in detail in the IPHC overview of data sources for the Pacific halibut stock assessment, harvest policy, and related analyses (IPHC-2019-AM095-08; available at www.iphc.int). To evaluate the Pacific halibut stock, the IPHC used an “ensemble” of four equally weighted models, comprised of two long time-series models, and two short time-series models incorporating data from 1996 to the present. Each time-series length used data series that are divided either by four geographical regions or aggregated into coastwide summaries. These models incorporate data from the 2018 IPHC survey, the 2018 commercial halibut fishery, the most recent NMFS trawl survey, weight-at-age estimates by region, and age distribution information for bycatch, sport, and sublegal discard removals. As has been the case since 2012, the results of the ensemble models are integrated, and incorporate uncertainty in natural mortality rates, environmental effects on recruitment, and other structural and parameter categories. The data and assessment models used by the IPHC are reviewed by the IPHC's Scientific Review Board comprised of non-IPHC scientists who provide an independent scientific review of the stock assessment data and models and provide recommendations to IPHC staff and to the Commission. The Scientific Review Board did not identify any substantive errors in the data or methods used in the 2019 stock assessment. NMFS believes the IPHC's data and assessments models constitute best available science on the status of the Pacific halibut resource.
The IPHC's data, including the setline survey, indicate that the Pacific halibut stock declined continuously from the late 1990s to around 2011, largely as a result of decreasing size at a given age (size-at-age), higher harvest rates in 2000s, as well as somewhat weaker recruitment strengths than those observed during the 1980s. The biomass of spawning females is estimated to have stabilized near 190,000,000 lb (86,182.55 mt) in 2011. In subsequent years, through 2016, the stock was estimated to have gradually increased. Results from the 2019 stock assessment incorporate recent efforts to expand the setline survey in Areas 2A, 2B, and 2C. In addition, improvements in the setline spatial coverage have helped reduce the uncertainty in the Weight Per Unit Effort (WPUE) and Number Per Unit Effort (NPUE) indices. Overall, the 2019 spawning biomass is currently estimated to be 199,000,000 lb (90,264.88), which is 43 percent of unfished levels, as defined by the IPHC's interim harvest strategy policy.
The IPHC's interim management procedure strives to maintain the total mortality of halibut across its range from all sources based on a reference level of fishing intensity so that the Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR) is equal to 46 percent. The reference fishing intensity of F46 percent SPR seeks to allow a level of fishing intensity that is expected to result in approximately 46 percent of the spawning stock biomass per recruit compared to an unfished stock (i.e., no fishing mortality). Lower values indicate higher fishing intensity. Additional information on the status of the halibut resource under these catch limit alternatives is provided in the Analysis (see ADDRESSES).
The IPHC harvest decision table (Table 3 in Assessment of the Pacific halibut stock at the end of 2018; IPHC-2019-AM095-09) provides a comparison of the relative risk of a decrease in stock biomass, status, or fishery metrics, for a range of alternative harvest levels for 2019. The IPHC adopted catch limits for 2019 totaling 29,430,000 lb (13,349.22 mt) coastwide. This corresponds to a fishing intensity of F47 percent, which is slightly more conservative than the interim reference level of F46 percent. The IPHC noted this more precautionary management approach considers the inherent uncertainties in the stock assessment models, particularly the estimates of the relative strength of the 2011 and 2012 year-classes and the scale of the recent biomass, which was tied to the outcome of additional data collected in 2018 by the expansion of the coastwide setline survey.
If these catch limits are fully harvested in 2019, and other sources of removals from bycatch, personal use, sport, subsistence, and wastage in the commercial fishery in 2019 are similar to those observed in 2018, then the total Pacific halibut removals would be approximately 40,340,000 lb (18,297.92 mt) in 2019. At 40,340,000 lb of total removals from all sources, the IPHC estimates that the spawning stock biomass will decrease over the period from 2020 to 2022 relative to 2019. Specifically, the IPHC estimates that there is an 84 percent probability that the spawning stock biomass will decrease in 2020 relative to 2019, and that there is a 34 percent probability that the decrease in 2020 will be at least Start Printed Page 92455 percent of the 2019 spawning stock biomass.
This final rule does not establish the combined commercial and recreational catch limit for Area 2B (British Columbia), which is subject to rulemaking by the Canada and British Columbia governments. However, the IPHC's recommendation for the Area 2B catch limit is directly related to the current and future U.S. catch limits established by this final rule and is therefore discussed herein. The IPHC determined the combined catch limit for Area 2B by basing 30 percent of the catch on the target Total Constant Exploitation Yield (TCEY) distribution for Area 2B under the current interim management procedure. The remaining 70 percent of the Area 2B catch limit is based on 20 percent of the total coastwide TCEY, which reflects the recent historical average share that has been assigned to Area 2B. Taken together, the weighted average of these two factors assigns a catch limit of 5,950,000 lb (2,698.87 mt) to Area 2B. The IPHC indicated its intent that this catch limit formula should apply for each year from 2019 through 2022, subject to any substantive conservation concerns. In 2019, the Area 2B catch limit equates to 20.2 percent of the total 29,430,000 lb (13,349.22 mt) coastwide catch limit.
The IPHC recommended an allocation to Area 2A that would provide a TCEY of 1,650,000 lb (748.43 mt) with a combined commercial, subsistence, and recreational catch limit of 1,500,000 lb (680.39 mt). Additionally, the IPHC indicated its intent that this TCEY should apply for a period from 2019 through 2022, subject to any substantive conservation concerns. This fixed allocation is larger than the catch limit that would apply to Area 2A under the adopted fishing intensity of F47 percent and the stock assessment's 2019 coastwide TCEY distribution. To achieve the Area 2A and Area 2B allocations and still maintain the target estimates of coastwide fishing intensity and TCEY, the IPHC recommended catch limits in other IPHC areas in U.S. waters that are intended to maintain total mortality to the adopted fishing intensity of F47 percent.
After the adjustments to Areas 2A and 2B were accounted for, the IPHC apportioned the remaining TCEY to the Alaska regulatory areas after considering the distribution of harvestable biomass of halibut based on the Fishery Independent Setline Survey. The only U.S. area with a reduced catch limit relative to 2018 is Area 3B (−11.1 percent; see Table 1). Information from the Fishery Independent Setline Survey indicated a lower amount of harvestable biomass of halibut in Area 3B in 2019 relative to 2018. Areas 3A, 4A, 4B, and 4CDE received increases over 2018 levels that ranged from 8.6 percent in Area 3A to 29.1 percent in the combined Areas 4CDE. The IPHC recommended these TCEY, and the resulting catch limits after considering the distribution of the harvestable biomass, the recommendations from the IPHC's advisory boards, and public input received at the annual meeting. After considering this information, the IPHC determined that the 2019 catch limit recommendations are consistent with its conservation objectives for the halibut stock and its management objectives for the halibut fisheries.
The IPHC also considered the Catch Sharing Plan for Area 4CDE developed by the NPFMC in its catch limit recommendation. When the Area 4CDE catch limit is greater than 1,657,600 lb (751.87 mt), a direct allocation of 80,000 lb (36.29 mt) is made to Area 4E to provide CDQ fishermen in that area with additional harvesting opportunity. After this 80,000 lb allocation is deducted from the catch limit, the remainder is divided among Areas 4C, 4D, and 4E according to the percentages specified in the CSP. Those percentages are 46.43 percent each to 4C and 4D, and 7.14 percent to 4E. The IPHC recommended a catch limit for Area 4CDE of 2,040,000 lb (925.33 mt) for 2019.
Table 1—Percent Change in Catch Limits From 2018 to 2019 by IPHC Regulatory Area
2018 Catch limit (lb)
2019 Catch limit (lb)
Change from 2018 (percent)
2A 1 1,190,000 1,500,000 + 26.1
2B 2 6,223,985 5,950,000 −4.4
2C 3 4,450,000 4,490,000 + 0.9
3A3 9,450,000 10,260,000 + 8.6
3B 2,620,000 2,330,000 −11.1
4A 1,370,000 1,650,000 + 20.4
4B 1,050,000 1,210,000 + 15.2
4CDE 1,580,000 2,040,000 + 29.1
Coastwide 27,933,985 29,430,000 + 5.4
3 Shown is the combined commercial and charter allocation under the Area 2C and Area 3A CSP. This value includes allocations to the charter sector and charter wastage, and an amount for commercial landings and wastage. The 2019 commercial catch limits after deducting wastage are 3,610,000 lb in Area 2C and 8,060,000 lb in Area 3A.
The IPHC considers advice from the IPHC's two advisory boards when selecting opening and closing dates for the halibut fishery. The opening date for all IPHC areas is March 15, 2019. The Conference Board had requested an earlier date (March 2), while the Processor Board recommended an opening date of March 23, suggesting that a later opening date facilitates halibut marketing. The IPHC indicated the March 15 date takes into account some unique challenges and uncertainties in the U.S. for meeting critical administrative deadlines this year. The closing date for the halibut fisheries in all areas is November 14, 2019. This date takes into account the anticipated time required to fully harvest the commercial halibut catch limits, seasonal holidays, and adequate time for IPHC staff to review the complete record of 2019 commercial catch data for use in the 2019 stock assessment process.
In the Area 2A non-treaty directed commercial fishery, the IPHC recommended seven 10-hour fishing periods. Each fishing period shall begin at 0800 hours and terminate at 1800 hours local time on June 26, July 10, Start Printed Page 9246July 24, August 7, August 21, September 4, and September 18, 2019. The IPHC also requested consideration of additional opening and fishing period limits (vessel quota) in Area 2A. The IPHC Secretariat responded by establishing an additional opening on June 27, 2019. This opening would also conform to the same 10-hour, 0800 to 1800 daily schedule as indicated above.
The NMFS West Coast Region will publish a proposed rule for changes to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. A separate final rule will be published to approve changes to the Area 2A CSP and to implement the portions of the CSP and management measures that are not implemented through the IPHC annual management measures that are published in this final rule. These measures include the sport fishery allocations and management measures for Area 2A. The proposed and final rules for the Area 2A CSP will be available on the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region's website at http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/​fisheries/​management/​pacific_​halibut_​management.html, and also at www.regulations.gov.
At its January-February meeting, the IPHC recommended a CCL of 4,490,000 lb (2,036.63 mt) for Area 2C. Following the CSP allocations in Tables 1 and 3 of subpart E of 50 CFR part 300, the charter fishery is allocated 820,000 lb (371.95 mt) of the CCL and the remainder of the CCL, 3,670,000 lb (1,664.68 mt), is allocated to the commercial fishery. Wastage in the amount of 60,000 lb (27.22 mt) was deducted from the commercial allocation to obtain the commercial catch limit of 3,610,000 lb (1,637.47 mt). The commercial allocation increased by 30,000 lb (13.61 mt) or 0.8 percent, from the 2018 allocation of 3,640,000 lb (1,651.08 mt) (including wastage). The charter allocation for 2019 is 10,000 lb (4.54 mt), or 1.2 percent greater than the 2018 charter sector allocation of 810,000 lb (367.41 mt).
The IPHC recommended a CCL of 10,260,000 lb (4,653.86 mt) for Area 3A. Following the CSP allocations in Tables 2 and 4 of subpart E of 50 CFR part 300, the charter fishery is allocated 1,890,000 lb (857.29 mt) of the CCL and the remainder of the CCL, 8,370,000 lb (3,796.57 mt), is allocated to the commercial fishery. Wastage in the amount of 310,000 lb (140.61 mt) was deducted from the commercial allocation to obtain the commercial catch limit of 8,060,000 lb (3,655.95 mt). The commercial allocation increased by about 700,000 lb (317.51 mt) or 9.1 percent, from the 2018 allocation of 7,670,000 lb (3,479.05 mt) (including wastage). The charter allocation increased by 100,000 lb (45.36 mt), or 5.6 percent, from the 2018 allocation of 1,790,000 lb (811.93 mt).
The NPFMC formed the Charter Halibut Management Committee as an industry advisory body to provide recommendations for annual management measures intended to limit charter harvest to the charter catch limit. The committee is composed of representatives from the charter fishing industry in Areas 2C and 3A. The committee considered previously analyzed alternatives and also suggested new alternative measures that were analyzed in October 2018. After reviewing an analysis of the effects of the alternative measures on estimated charter removals, the committee made recommendations for preferred management measures to the NPFMC for 2019. The NPFMC considered the recommendations of the committee along with public testimony to develop its recommendation to the IPHC, and the IPHC took action consistent with the NPFMC's recommendations. The NPFMC has used this process to select and recommend annual management measures to the IPHC since 2012.
The IPHC recognizes the role of the NPFMC to develop policy and regulations that allocate the Pacific halibut resource among fishermen in and off Alaska, and that NMFS has developed numerous regulations to support the NPFMC's goals of limiting charter harvests. The IPHC concluded that in Area 3A, with its higher recommended catch limits relative to 2018, management measures should be slightly less restrictive than in 2018. In Area 2C, where catch limits are expected to be very similar to 2018, the IPHC determined that charter management measures should remain the same as 2018. For each management area, the analysis suggests the management measures will achieve the IPHC's overall conservation objective to keep halibut harvests within established catch limits, and will also meet the NPFMC's allocation objectives. The IPHC determined that limiting charter harvests by implementing the management measures discussed below would meet these objectives.
The preliminary estimate of 2018 charter removals in Area 2C was below the 2018 charter allocation by about 80,000 lb (36.29 mt) or 10.0 percent, indicating that the 2018 management measures were appropriate and effective Start Printed Page 9247at limiting harvest by charter vessel anglers to the charter allocation. The analysis of alternative management measures indicated that both effort and harvest were projected to increase in 2018 under status quo regulations; however, the 10,000 lb (4.54 mt) increase in the charter catch limit, combined with 2018 management measures that resulted in harvests below the allocation, prompted the IPHC to conclude that status quo management measures are appropriate, and that management measures adopted for Area 2C in 2018 should carry over to 2019.
Specifically, for 2019 in Area 2C, the IPHC recommended the continuation of a one-fish daily bag limit with a reverse slot limit that prohibits a person on board a charter vessel referred to in 50 CFR 300.65 and fishing in Area 2C from taking or possessing any halibut, with head on, that is greater than 38 inches (96.5 cm) and less than 80 inches (203.2 cm), as measured in a straight line, passing over the pectoral fin from the tip of the lower jaw with mouth closed, to the extreme end of the middle of the tail. The projected charter removal under the 2019 recommended reverse slot limit is 833,000 lb (377.84 mt), which is 13,000 lb (5.90 mt) and 1.6 percent above the charter allocation. The IPHC noted that the Area 2C charter halibut harvest has consistently been below the charter allocation for the past several years, and that projected halibut mortality resulting from these management measures are accounted for when the total halibut removals from all sources are calculated.
The preliminary estimate of charter removals in Area 3A in 2018 exceeded the charter allocation by 77,244 lb (35.04 mt), or 4.3 percent. Starting in 2014, charter vessel anglers in Area 3A have been limited to a two-fish daily bag limit with a maximum size limit on one fish. One effect of the maximum size limit has been that the number of fish harvested per angler has steadily decreased, but the average weight of harvested fish has increased as many anglers opted to maximize the size of retained fish.
This final rule amends the 2018 management measures applicable to the charter halibut fishery in Area 3A. The NPFMC and IPHC considered 2018 information on charter removals and the projections of charter harvest for 2019. After considering 2018 harvest information, the NPFMC and IPHC determined that slightly less restrictive management measures in Area 3A were appropriate to limit charter removals, including wastage, to the 2019 allocation.
For 2019, the IPHC recommended continuing the following management measures for Area 3A from 2018: (1) A two-fish bag limit with a 28-inch (71.1 cm) size limit on one of the halibut; (2) a one-trip per day limit for the entire season; (3) an annual limit of four fish, with a reporting requirement; and, (4) prohibition on halibut retention by charter vessel anglers on Wednesdays. In addition, the IPHC recommended a prohibition on halibut retention on five Tuesdays from July 16 through August 13. The projected charter harvest for 2019 under this combination of recommended measures is 1,882,000 lb (853.66 mt), 8,000 lb (3.63 mt) below the charter allocation. Each of these management measures is described in more detail below.
The 2019 charter halibut fishery in Area 3A will be managed under a two-fish daily bag limit in which one of the retained halibut may be of any size and one of the retained halibut must be 28 inches (71.1 cm) total length or less. This is the same maximum size limit adopted from 2016 through 2018. This daily bag and size limit will be combined with additional restrictions to limit charter halibut removals to the 2019 allocation.
As in 2016 through 2018, charter halibut permits and charter vessels are only authorized for use to catch and retain halibut on one charter halibut fishing trip per day in Area 3A. If no halibut are retained during a charter vessel fishing trip, the charter halibut permit and vessel may be used to take an additional trip to catch and retain halibut that day.
For purposes of the trip limit in Area 3A in 2019, a charter vessel fishing trip will end when anglers or halibut are offloaded, or at the end of the calendar day, whichever occurs first. Charter operators are still able to conduct overnight trips and anglers may retain a bag limit of halibut on each calendar day, but operators are not allowed to begin another overnight trip until the day after the trip ends. GAF halibut are exempt from the trip limit; therefore, GAF could be used to harvest halibut on a second trip in a day, but only if exclusively GAF halibut were harvested on that trip.
The NPFMC and the IPHC recommended continuing the day-of-week closure on Wednesdays for Area 3A in 2019. No retention of halibut by charter vessel anglers will be allowed in Area 3A on Wednesdays. To further reduce harvest, retention of halibut is also prohibited on five Tuesdays in 2019: July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, and August 13. Retention of only GAF halibut will be allowed on charter vessels on Wednesdays and the five closed Tuesdays; all other halibut that are caught while fishing on a charter vessel must be released. The five Tuesday closures is expected to increase the charter halibut harvest by 2.7 percent relative to 2018, when six Tuesdays were closed.
For 2019, charter vessel anglers will continue to be limited to harvesting no more than four halibut on charter vessel fishing trips in Area 3A during a calendar year. This limit applies only to halibut caught and retained during charter vessel fishing trips in Area 3A. Halibut harvested while unguided fishing, fishing in other IPHC regulatory areas, or harvested as GAF will not accrue toward the annual limit.
To enforce the annual limit in 2019, each charter vessel angler who is required to have a State of Alaska sport fishing license and who harvests halibut will be required to record those halibut on the back of the fishing license. For those anglers who are not required to have a sport fishing license (e.g., youth and senior anglers), a nontransferable Sport Harvest Record Card must be obtained from an Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) office, the ADF&G website, or a fishing license vendor, on which to record halibut harvested aboard a charter vessel. Immediately upon retention of a halibut for which an annual limit has been established, the charter vessel angler must record the date, location (Area 3A), and species of the catch (halibut), in ink, on the harvest record card or back of the sport fishing license.
Only halibut caught during a charter vessel fishing trip in Area 3A accrue toward the 4-fish annual limit and must be recorded on the license or harvest record card. As noted above, halibut Start Printed Page 9248that are harvested while charter fishing in regulatory areas other than Area 3A will not accrue toward the annual limit and are not subject to the reporting requirement. Likewise, halibut harvested while sport fishing without a guide in Area 3A, harvested while subsistence fishing, or harvested as GAF do not accrue toward the annual limit and should not be recorded on the license or harvest record. Finally, halibut that are caught during a charter vessel fishing trip that bear IPHC external tags are exempt from the annual limit and reporting requirements (see Section 21 of the IPHC regulations).
The following annual management measures for the 2019 Pacific halibut fishery are those recommended by the IPHC and accepted by the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Commerce.
(a) “authorized officer” means any State, Federal, or Provincial officer authorized to enforce these Regulations including, but not limited to, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT), United States Coast Guard (USCG), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Oregon State Police (OSP), and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW);
(b) “authorized clearance personnel” means an authorized officer of the United States of America, a representative of the Commission, or a designated fish processor;
(d) “commercial fishing” means fishing, the resulting catch of which is sold or bartered; or is intended to be sold or bartered, other than i) sport fishing, ii) treaty Indian ceremonial and subsistence fishing as referred to in section 23, iii) customary and traditional fishing as referred to in section 24 and defined by and regulated pursuant to NOAA Fisheries regulations published at 50 CFR part 300, and iv) Aboriginal groups fishing in British Columbia as referred to in section 25;
(i) “land” or “offload” with respect to Pacific halibut, means the removal of Pacific halibut from the catching vessel;
(r) “sport fishing” or “recreational fishing” means all fishing other than (i) commercial fishing, (ii) treaty Indian ceremonial and subsistence fishing as referred to in section 23, (iii) customary and traditional fishing as referred to in section 24 and defined in and regulated pursuant to NOAA Fisheries regulations published in 50 CFR part 300, and (iv) Aboriginal groups fishing in British Columbia as referred to in section 25;
(t) “VMS transmitter” means a NOAA Fisheries-approved vessel monitoring system transmitter that automatically determines a vessel's position and transmits it to a NOAA Fisheries-approved communications service provider.[1]
(1) The fishery limits resulting from the IPHC-adopted values and the Contracting Party catch sharing arrangements are as follows:Start Printed Page 9249
Area 2A (California, Oregon, Washington) 1,500,000 680.39
Non-treaty directed commercial (south of Pt. Chehalis) 254,426 115.41
Non-treaty incidental catch in salmon troll fishery 44,899 20.37
Treaty Indian commercial 497,000 225.44
Treaty Indian ceremonial and subsistence (year-round) 28,000 12.70
Recreational—Washington 277,100 125.69
Recreational—Oregon 289,575 131.35
Recreational—California 39,000 17.69
Area 2B (British Columbia)(includes recreational catch allocation) 5,950,000 2,698.90
Area 2C (southeastern Alaska) (combined commercial/guided recreational) 4,490,000 2,036.63
Commercial fishery (3,610,000 catch and 60,000 incidental mortality) 3,670,000 1,664.68
Guided sport fishery (includes catch and incidental mortality) 820,000 371.95
Area 3A (central Gulf of Alaska) (combined commercial/guided recreational) 10,260,000 4,653.86
Commercial fishery (8,060,000 catch and 310,000 incidental mortality) 8,370,000 3,678.64
Area 3B (western Gulf of Alaska) 2,330,000 1,056.87
Area 4A (eastern Aleutians) 1,650,000 748.43
Area 4B (central/western Aleutians) 1,210,000 548.85
Area 4CDE 2,040,000 925.33
Area 4C (Pribilof Islands) 910,000 412.77
Area 4D (northwestern Bering Sea) 910,000 412.77
Area 4E (Bering Sea flats) 220,000 99.79
Total 29,430,000 13,349.22
(7) The Commission shall issue a license in respect to a vessel, without fee, from its office in Seattle, Washington, upon receipt of a completed “Application for Vessel License for the Pacific Halibut Fishery” form.
(8) A vessel operating in the directed commercial fishery in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A must have submitted its “Application for Vessel License for the Pacific Halibut Fishery” form no later than 2359 hours local time on 30 April, or the first weekday in May if 30 April is a Saturday or Sunday.
(9) A vessel operating in the incidental catch fishery during the sablefish fishery in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A must have submitted its “Application for Vessel License for the Pacific Halibut Fishery” form postmarked no later than 2359 hours local time on 15 March, or the next weekday in March if 15 March is a Saturday or Sunday.
(10) A vessel operating in the incidental catch fishery during the salmon troll fishery in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A must have submitted its “Application for Vessel License for the Pacific Halibut Fishery” form no later than 2359 hours local time on 15 March, or the next weekday in March if 15 March is a Saturday or Sunday.
(11) Application forms are available from the IPHC Secretariat.
(12) Information on the “Application for Vessel License for the Pacific Halibut Fishery” form must be accurate.
(13) The “Application for Vessel License for the Pacific Halibut Fishery” form shall be completed by the vessel owner.
(15) A new license is required for a vessel that is sold, transferred, renamed, or for which the documentation is changed.
(16) The license required under this section is in addition to any license, however designated, that is required under the laws of the United States of America or any of its States.
(17) The United States of America may suspend, revoke, or modify any license issued under this section under policies and procedures in U.S. Code Title 15, CFR part 904.
(b) is consistent with the Convention between Canada and the United States of America for the Preservation of the Start Printed Page 9250Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, and applicable domestic law of either Canada or the United States of America; and
(c) is consistent, to the maximum extent practicable, with any domestic catch sharing plans or other domestic allocation programs developed by the governments of Canada or the United States of America.
(4) The Commission will announce in-season actions under this section by providing notice to major Pacific halibut processors; Federal, State, United States of America treaty Indian, and Provincial fishery officials; and the media.
(6) IPHC Regulatory Area 4A includes all waters in the Gulf of Alaska west of Area 3B and in the Bering Sea west of the closed area defined in section 11 that are east of 172°00′00″ W longitude and south of 56°20′00″ N latitude;
(8) IPHC Regulatory Area 4C includes all waters in the Bering Sea north of IPHC Regulatory Area 4A and north of the closed area defined in section 11 which are east of 171°00′00″ W longitude, south of 58°00′00″ N latitude, and west of 168°00′00″ W longitude;
(10) Area 4E includes all waters in the Bering Sea north and east of the closed area defined in section 11, east of 168°00′00″ W longitude, and south of 65°34′00″ N latitude.
(1) Section 8 applies only to any person fishing for, or any vessel that is used to fish for, IPHC Regulatory Area 4E Community Development Quota (CDQ) Pacific halibut, IPHC Regulatory Area 4D CDQ Pacific halibut, or IPHC Regulatory Area 4D IFQ received by transfer by a CDQ organization provided that the total annual Pacific halibut catch of that person or vessel is landed at a port within IPHC Regulatory Areas 4E or 4D.
(2) Each fishing period in the IPHC Regulatory Area 2A directed commercial fishery [2] shall begin at 0800 hours and terminate at 1800 hours local time on 26 June, 27 June, 10 July, 24 July, 7 August, 21 August, 4 September, and 18 September, unless the Commission specifies otherwise.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (7) of section 12, an incidental catch fishery [3] is authorized during the sablefish seasons in Area 2A in accordance with regulations promulgated by NOAA Fisheries. This fishery will occur between 1200 hours local time on 15 March and 1200 hours local time on 14 November.
(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), and paragraph (7) of section 12, an incidental catch fishery is authorized during salmon troll seasons in Area 2A in accordance with regulations promulgated by NOAA Fisheries. This fishery will occur between 1200 hours local time on 15 March and 1200 hours local time on 14 November.
(5) The fishing period in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E shall begin at 1200 hours local time on 15 March and terminate at 1200 hours local time on 14 November, unless the Commission specifies otherwise.
(6) All commercial fishing for Pacific halibut in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E shall cease at 1200 hours local time on 14 November.
(6) A vessel that has no Pacific halibut on board may retrieve any Pacific Start Printed Page 9251halibut fishing gear during the closed period after the operator notifies an authorized officer or representative of the Commission prior to that retrieval.
Commercial catch limit—net weight
2A: directed commercial, and incidental commercial catch during salmon troll fishery 299,325 135.77
2B 4 5,100,000 2,313.34
2C 5 3,610,000 1,637.49
3A 6 8,060,000 3,655.99
3B 2,330,000 1,056.87
4A 1,650,000 748.43
4B 1,210,000 548.85
4C 910,000 412.77
4D 910,000 412.77
4E 220,000 99.79
4 IPHC allocates the catch limit to IPHC Regulatory Area 2B as a combined commercial and sport catch limit (5,950,000 pounds). DFO allocates that amount between commercial and sport according to their allocation policy. In addition to the commercial fishery amount, 60,000 pounds has been allocated for research purposes. This amount also excludes any overage/underage adjustments. See section 28 for sport fishing regulations.
5 For IPHC Regulatory Area 2C, the commercial catch limit adopted by the Commission includes catch (3,610,000 pounds) reported in the table plus estimated incidental mortality from the commercial fishery (60,000 pounds) for a total of 3,670,000 pounds. This total amount is included in the combined commercial and guided sport sector catch limit set by IPHC and allocated by NOAA Fisheries by a catch sharing plan (4,490,000 pounds).
6 For IPHC Regulatory Area 3A, the commercial catch limit adopted by the Commission includes catch (8,060,000 pounds) reported in the table plus estimated incidental mortality from the commercial fishery (310,000 pounds) for a total of 8,370,000 pounds. This total amount is included in the combined commercial and guided sport sector catch limit set by IPHC and allocated by NOAA Fisheries by a catch sharing plan (10,260,000 pounds).
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), regulations pertaining to the division of the IPHC Regulatory Area 2A catch limit between the directed commercial fishery and the incidental catch fishery as described in paragraph (4) of section 9 will be promulgated by NOAA Fisheries and published in the Federal Register.
(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the commercial fishing in IPHC Regulatory Area 2B will close only when all Individual Vessel Quotas (IVQs) assigned by DFO are taken, or 14 November, whichever is earlier.
(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E will each close only when all Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQ) and all CDQs issued by NOAA Fisheries have been taken, or 14 November, whichever is earlier.
(9) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the total allowable catch of Pacific halibut that may be taken in the IPHC Regulatory Area 4D directed commercial fishery is equal to the combined annual catch limits specified for IPHC Regulatory Areas 4C and 4D. The annual IPHC Regulatory Area 4C catch limit will decrease by the equivalent amount of Pacific halibut taken in IPHC Start Printed Page 9252Regulatory Area 4D in excess of the annual IPHC Regulatory Area 4D catch limit.
(7) Fishing period limits in Area 2A apply only to the directed Pacific halibut fishery referred to in paragraph (2) of section 9.
(3) The vessel clearance required under paragraph (1) prior to fishing in IPHC Regulatory Area 4A may be obtained only at Nazan Bay on Atka Island, Dutch Harbor or Akutan, Alaska, from an authorized officer of the United States of America, a representative of the Commission, or a designated fish processor.
(4) The vessel clearance required under paragraph (1) prior to fishing in IPHC Regulatory Area 4B may only be obtained at Nazan Bay on Atka Island or Adak, Alaska, from an authorized officer of the United States of America, a representative of the Commission, or a designated fish processor.
(7) Before unloading any Pacific halibut caught in IPHC Regulatory Area 4A, a vessel operator may obtain the clearance required under paragraph (1) only in Dutch Harbor or Akutan, Alaska, by contacting an authorized officer of the United States of America, a representative of the Commission, or a designated fish processor.
(8) Before unloading any Pacific halibut caught in IPHC Regulatory Area 4B, a vessel operator may obtain the clearance required under paragraph (1) only in Nazan Bay on Atka Island or Adak, by contacting an authorized officer of the United States of America, a representative of the Commission, or a designated fish processor by VHF radio or in person.
(9) Before unloading any Pacific halibut caught in IPHC Regulatory Areas 4C and 4D, a vessel operator may obtain the clearance required under paragraph (1) only in St. Paul, St. George, Dutch Harbor, or Akutan, Alaska, either in person or by contacting an authorized officer of the United States of America, a representative of the Commission, or a designated fish processor. The clearances obtained in St. Paul or St. George, Alaska, can be obtained by VHF radio and allowing the person contacted to confirm visually the identity of the vessel.
(10) Any vessel operator who complies with the requirements in Start Printed Page 9253section 19 for possessing Pacific halibut on board a vessel that was caught in more than one regulatory area in IPHC Regulatory Area 4 is exempt from the clearance requirements of paragraph (1) of this section, provided that:
(a) The operator of the vessel obtains a vessel clearance prior to fishing in IPHC Regulatory Area 4 in either Dutch Harbor, Akutan, St. Paul, St. George, Adak, or Nazan Bay on Atka Island by contacting an authorized officer of the United States of America, a representative of the Commission, or a designated fish processor. The clearance obtained in St. Paul, St. George, Adak, or Nazan Bay on Atka Island can be obtained by VHF radio and allowing the person contacted to confirm visually the identity of the vessel. This clearance will list the areas in which the vessel will fish; and
(b) before unloading any Pacific halibut from IPHC Regulatory Area 4, the vessel operator obtains a vessel clearance from Dutch Harbor, Akutan, St. Paul, St. George, Adak, or Nazan Bay on Atka Island by contacting an authorized officer of the United States of America, a representative of the Commission, or a designated fish processor. The clearance obtained in St. Paul or St. George can be obtained by VHF radio and allowing the person contacted to confirm visually the identity of the vessel. The clearance obtained in Adak or Nazan Bay on Atka Island can be obtained by VHF radio.
(a) The operator of the vessel complies with NOAA Fisheries' vessel monitoring system regulations published at 50 CFR 679.28(f)(3), (4) and (5); and
(1) The operator of any U.S. vessel fishing for Pacific halibut that has an overall length of 26 feet (7.9 meters) or greater shall maintain an accurate log of Pacific halibut fishing operations. The operator of a vessel fishing in waters in and off Alaska must use one of the following logbooks: The Groundfish/IFQ Longline and Pot Gear Daily Fishing Logbook, in electronic or paper form, provided by NOAA Fisheries; the Alaska hook-and-line logbook provided by Petersburg Vessel Owners Association or Alaska Longline Fisherman's Association; the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) longline-pot logbook; or the logbook provided by IPHC. The operator of a vessel fishing in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A must use either the WDFW Voluntary Sablefish Logbook, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Fixed Gear Logbook, or the logbook provided by IPHC.
(1) No person shall receive Pacific halibut caught in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A from a United States of America vessel that does not have on board the license required by section 5.
(2) No person shall possess on board a vessel a Pacific halibut other than whole or with gills and entrails removed, except that this paragraph Start Printed Page 9254shall not prohibit the possession on board a vessel of:
(a) Pacific halibut cheeks cut from Pacific halibut caught by persons authorized to process the Pacific halibut on board in accordance with NOAA Fisheries regulations published at 50 CFR part 679;
(b) fillets from Pacific halibut offloaded in accordance with section 18 that are possessed on board the harvesting vessel in the port of landing up to 1800 hours local time on the calendar day following the offload [7] ; and
(3) No person shall offload Pacific halibut from a vessel unless the gills and entrails have been removed prior to offloading.[8]
(5) A registered buyer (as that term is defined in regulations promulgated by NOAA Fisheries and codified at 50 CFR part 679) who receives Pacific halibut harvested in IFQ and CDQ fisheries in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E, directly from the vessel operator that harvested such Pacific halibut must weigh all the Pacific halibut received and record the following information on Federal catch reports: date of offload; name of vessel; vessel number (State, Tribal or Federal, not IPHC vessel number); scale weight obtained at the time of offloading, including the scale weight (in pounds) of Pacific halibut purchased by the registered buyer, the scale weight (in pounds) of Pacific halibut offloaded in excess of the IFQ or CDQ, the scale weight of Pacific halibut (in pounds) retained for personal use or for future sale, and the scale weight (in pounds) of Pacific halibut discarded as unfit for human consumption. All Pacific halibut harvested in IFQ or CDQ fisheries in Areas IPHC Regulatory 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E, must be weighed with the head on and the head-on weight must be recorded on Federal catch reports as specified in this paragraph, unless the Pacific halibut is frozen at sea and exempt from the head-on landing requirement at Section 14(2).
(6) The first recipient, commercial fish processor, or buyer in the United States of America who purchases or receives Pacific halibut directly from the vessel operator that harvested such Pacific halibut must weigh and record all Pacific halibut received and record the following information on State fish tickets: The date of offload; vessel number (State or Federal, not IPHC vessel number) or Tribal ID number; total weight obtained at the time of offload including the weight (in pounds) of Pacific halibut purchased; the weight (in pounds) of Pacific halibut offloaded in excess of the IFQ, CDQ, or fishing period limits; the weight of Pacific halibut (in pounds) retained for personal use or for future sale; and the weight (in pounds) of Pacific halibut discarded as unfit for human consumption. All Pacific halibut harvested in IFQ or CDQ fisheries in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E, must be weighed with the head on and the head-on weight must be recorded on State fish tickets as specified in this paragraph, unless the Pacific halibut is frozen at sea and exempt from the head-on landing requirement at Section 14(2).
(7) For Pacific halibut landings made in Alaska, the requirements as listed in paragraphs (5) and (6) can be met by recording the information in the Interagency Electronic Reporting Systems, eLandings in accordance with NOAA Fisheries regulation published at 50 CFR part 679.
(a) Authorized by NOAA Fisheries regulations published at 50 CFR Section 679.7(f)(4); and
(b) except that a person may retain Pacific halibut taken with longline or single pot gear if such retention is authorized by NOAA Fisheries regulations published at 50 CFR part 679.
(b) except that a person may possess Pacific halibut taken with longline or Start Printed Page 9255single pot gear if such possession is authorized by NOAA Fisheries regulations published at 50 CFR part 679.
(a) except that in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, or 4E, Pacific halibut heads, skin, entrails, bones or fins for use as bait may be possessed on board a vessel carrying pots capable of catching Pacific halibut, provided that a receipt documenting purchase or transfer of these Pacific halibut parts is on board the vessel; or
(b) except that in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, or 4E, Pacific halibut may be possessed on board a vessel carrying pots capable of catching Pacific halibut, provided such possession is authorized by NOAA Fisheries regulations published at 50 CFR part 679 as referenced in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section; or
(4) All gear marker buoys carried on board or used by any United States of America vessel used for Pacific halibut fishing shall be marked with one of the following:
(11) Notwithstanding any other provision in these Regulations, a person may retain, possess and dispose of Pacific halibut taken with trawl gear only as authorized by Prohibited Species Donation regulations of NOAA Fisheries.
(1) Pacific halibut fishing in Subarea 2A-1 by members of `United States treaty Indian' tribes located in the State of Washington shall be regulated under regulations promulgated by NOAA Fisheries and published in the Federal Register.
(3) Section 14 (size limits), section 15 (careful release of Pacific halibut), section 17 (logs), section 18 (receipt and possession of Pacific halibut) and section 20 (fishing gear), except paragraphs (7) and (8) of section 20, apply to commercial fishing for Pacific halibut in Subarea 2A-1 by the treaty Indian tribes.Start Printed Page 9256
(6) Commercial fishing for Pacific halibut in Subarea 2A-1 is permitted with hook and line gear from 15 March through 14 November, or until 497,000 pounds (225.44 metric tons) net weight is taken, whichever occurs first.
(7) Ceremonial and subsistence fishing for Pacific halibut in Subarea 2A-1 is permitted with hook and line gear from 1 January through 31 December, and is estimated to take 28,000 pounds (12.70 metric tons) net weight.
(1) Customary and traditional fishing for Pacific halibut in Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E shall be governed pursuant to regulations promulgated by NMFS and published in 50 CFR part 300.
(1) Fishing for Pacific halibut for food, social and ceremonial purposes by Aboriginal groups in Regulatory Area 2B shall be governed by the Fisheries Act of Canada and regulations as amended from time to time.
(a) 277,100 pounds (125.69 metric tons) net weight in waters off Washington;
(b) 289,575 pounds (131.35 metric tons) net weight in waters off Oregon; and
(c) 39,000 pounds (17.69 metric tons) net weight in waters off California.
(2) The Commission shall determine and announce closing dates to the public for any area in which the catch limits promulgated by NOAA Fisheries are estimated to have been taken.
(3) When the Commission has determined that a subquota under paragraph (8) of this section is estimated to have been taken, and has announced a date on which the season will close, no person shall sport fish for Pacific halibut in that area after that date for the rest of the year, unless a reopening of that area for sport Pacific halibut fishing is scheduled in accordance with the Catch Sharing Plan for IPHC Regulatory Area 2A, or announced by the Commission.
(8) Specific regulations describing fishing periods, catch limits, fishing dates, and daily bag limits are promulgated by NOAA Fisheries and published in the Federal Register.
(1) In all waters off British Columbia: 9 [10]
(1) In Convention waters in and off Alaska: 11 [12]
Start Printed Page 9258
These IPHC annual management measures are a product of an agreement between the United States and Canada and are published in the Federal Register to provide notice of their effectiveness and content. Pursuant to section 4 of the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982, 16 U.S.C. 773b, the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Commerce, may “accept or reject” but not modify these recommendations of the IPHC. The notice-and-comment and delay-in-effectiveness date provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. 553(b) and (d), are inapplicable to IPHC management measures because this regulation involves a foreign affairs function of the United States, 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1). As stated above, the Secretary Start Printed Page 9259of State has no discretion to modify the recommendations of the IPHC. The additional time necessary to comply with the notice-and-comment and delay-in-effectiveness requirements of the APA would disrupt coordinated international conservation and management of the halibut fishery pursuant to the Convention. Furthermore, no other law requires prior notice and public comment for this rule. Because prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required to be provided for these portions of this rule by 5 U.S.C. 553, or any other law, the analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., are not applicable. Accordingly, no Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is required for this portion of the rule and none has been prepared. This final rule has been determined to be not significant for the purposes of Executive Order 12866.
1. Call NOAA Enforcement Division, Alaska Region, at 907-586-7225 between the hours of 0800 and 1600 local time for a list of NOAA Fisheries-approved VMS transmitters and communications service providers.
2. The directed fishery is restricted to waters that are south of Point Chehalis, Washington, (46°53.30′ N latitude) under regulations promulgated by NOAA Fisheries and published in the Federal Register.
3. The incidental fishery during the directed, fixed gear sablefish season is restricted to waters that are north of Point Chehalis, Washington, (46°53.30′ N latitude) under regulations promulgated by NOAA Fisheries at 50 CFR 300.63. Landing restrictions for Pacific halibut retention in the fixed gear sablefish fishery can be found at 50 CFR 660.231.
8. DFO did not adopt this regulation; therefore, Section 18 paragraph (3) does not apply to fish caught in IPHC Regulatory Area 2B.
12. Charter vessels are prohibited from harvesting Pacific halibut in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C and 3A during one charter vessel fishing trip under regulations promulgated by NMFS at 50 CFR 300.66.
[FR Doc. 2019-04714 Filed 3-13-19; 8:45 am]