Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/08/21/06-7052/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-reallocation-of-pollock-in-the-bering-sea-and
Timestamp: 2017-09-25 11:54:55
Document Index: 685096520

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u2009679', '§\u2009679', '§\u2009679', '§\u2009679', '§\u2009679', '§\u2009679', '§\u2009679', '§\u2009679', '§\u2009679', '§\u2009679']

Effective August 16, 2006, through 2400 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), December 31, 2006.
71 FR 48483
48483-48485 (3 pages)
I.D. 081506A
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/06-7052 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/06-7052
In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the 2006 TAC of non-CDQ pollock is 9,500 metric tons (mt) and the CDQ pollock is 1,140 mt as established by the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 10894, March 3, 2006) and the reallocation on March 3, 2006 (71 FR 11541, March 8, 2006).
As of August 10, 2006, the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, (Regional Administrator) has determined that the following amounts of pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea will not be harvested: 4,000 mt of non-CDQ pollock and 1,140 mt of CDQ pollock. Therefore, in accordance Start Printed Page 48484with § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(4), NMFS proportionally reallocates 4,000 mt of non-CDQ pollock and 1,140 mt of CDQ pollock from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the 2006 Bering Sea subarea B season allocations, as listed in Tables 3 and 10 of the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 11541, March 8, 2006).
The harvest specifications for pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea included in the harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 11541, March 8, 2006) are revised as follows: 5,500 mt to non-CDQ pollock and 0 mt to CDQ pollock.
The 2006 pollock incidental catch allowance in the BS was established as 44,967 mt by the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 10894, March 3, 2006), in accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1) and the American Fisheries Act (AFA) (Public Law 105 277, Division C, Title II).
As of August 10, 2006, the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that approximately 20,072 mt of pollock remain in the incidental catch allowance. Based on projected harvest rates of other groundfish species and the expected incidental catch of pollock in those fisheries, the Regional Administrator has determined that 14,000 mt of pollock specified in the incidental catch allowance will not be necessary as incidental catch. Therefore, NMFS is apportioning the projected unused amount, 14,000 mt, of pollock from the incidental catch allowance to the directed fishing allowances established pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A).
Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5), Tables 3 and 10 of the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 11541, March 8, 2006) are revised for 2006 non-CDQ pollock and CDQ pollock allocations consistent with this reallocation. This reallocation results in proportional adjustments to the 2006 B season non-CDQ pollock directed fishery allocation (DFA) established at § 679.20(a)(5).
TABLE 3—2006 AND 2007 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND TO THE CDQ DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA)1
2007 A season1
2007 B season1
Bering Sea subarea 1,496,700 n/a n/a n/a 1,500,000 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA 150,400 60,160 41,793 90,240 149,670 59,868 41,908 89,802
ICA 30,967 n/a n/a n/a 45,236 n/a n/a n/a
AFA Inshore 657,666 261,148 181,626 396,518 652,547 261,019 182,713 391,528
AFA Catcher/Processors3 526,133 208,918 145,301 317,215 522,038 208,815 146,171 313,223
Catch by C/Ps 481,412 191,160 n/a 290,252 477,664 191,066 n/a 286,599
Catch by CVs3 44,721 17,758 n/a 26,963 44,373 17,749 n/a 26,624
Unlisted C/P Limit4 2,631 1,045 n/a 1,586 2,610 1,044 n/a 1,566
AFA Motherships 131,533 52,230 36,325 79,304 130,509 52,204 36,543 78,306
Excessive Harvesting Limit5 256,503 n/a n/a n/a 228,391 n/a n/a n/a
Excessive Processing Limit6 439,720 n/a n/a n/a 391,528 n/a n/a n/a
Total Bering Sea DFA 1,465,733 582,456 405,045 883,277 1,454,764 581,906 407,334 872,858
Aleutian Islands subarea1 6,160 n/a n/a n/a 19,000 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA 0 n/a n/a 0 1,900 760 n/a 1,140
ICA 1,800 1,200 n/a 600 1,800 1,200 n/a 600
Aleut Corporation 5,500 4,000 n/a 1,500 15,300 9,800 n/a 5,500
1 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the Bering Sea subarea pollock, after subtraction for the CDQ DFA - 10 percent and the ICA - 3.35 percent, is allocated as a DFA as follows: inshore component - 50 percent, catcher/processor component - 40 percent, and mothership component - 10 percent. In the Bering Sea subarea, the A season, January 20 - June 10, is allocated 40 percent of the DFA and the B season, June 10 - November 1, is allocated 60 percent of the DFA. Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance - 10 percent and second the ICA - 1,800 mt, is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. In the AI subarea, the A season is allocated 40 percent of the ABC and the B season is allocated the remainder of the directed pollock fishery.
5 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6) NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the pollock DFAs.
6 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7) NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30.0 percent of the sum of the pollock DFAs.
TABLE 10—2006 AND 2007 BERING SEA SUBAREA INSHORE COOPERATIVE ALLOCATIONS
Akutan Catcher Vessel Association 31.145 204830 203,186
Arctic Enterprise Association 1.146 7,535 7,476
Northern Victor Fleet Cooperative 8.412 55,326 54,879
Peter Pan Fleet Cooperative 2.876 18,916 18,763
Unalaska Cooperative 12.191 80,173 79,533
UniSea Fleet Cooperative 25.324 166,549 165,211
Westward Fleet Cooperative 18.906 124,336 123,340
Total inshore allocation 875,572 100 657,666 652,388
1 According to regulations at § 679.62(e)(1), the individual catch history for each vessel is equal to the vessel's best 2 of 3 years inshore pollock landings from 1995 through 1997 and includes landings to catcher/processors for vessels that made 500 or more mt of landings to catcher/processors from 1995 through 1997.>
This action responds to the best available information recently obtained from the fishery. The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good cause to waive the requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity for public comment pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is impracticable and contrary to the public interest. This requirement is impracticable and contrary to the public interest as it would prevent NMFS from responding to the most recent fisheries data in a timely fashion and would delay the reallocation of Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands pollock. Since the pollock fishery is currently open, it is important to immediately inform the industry as to the final Bering Sea subarea pollock allocations. Immediate notification is necessary to allow for the orderly conduct and efficient operation of this fishery; allow the industry to plan for the fishing season and avoid potential disruption to the fishing fleet as well as processors; and provide opportunity to harvest increased B season pollock allocations while value is optimum.
[FR Doc. 06-7052 Filed 8-16-06; 2:14 pm]