§ 660.323 - Pacific whiting allocations, allocation attainment, and inseason allocation reapportionment.

(a) Allocations. (1) Annual treaty tribal whiting allocations are provided in § 660.385(e).

(2) The non-tribal commercial harvest guideline for whiting is allocated among three sectors, as follows: 34 percent for the catcher/processor sector; 24 percent for the mothership sector; and 42 percent for the shore-based sector. No more than 5 percent of the shore-based allocation may be taken and retained south of 42° N. lat. before the start of the primary whiting season north of 42° N. lat. Specific sector allocations for a given calendar year are found in tables 1a and 2a of this subpart.

(b) Reaching an allocation. If the whiting harvest guideline, commercial harvest guideline, or a sector′s allocation is reached, or is projected to be reached, the following action(s) for the applicable sector(s) may be taken as provided under paragraph (e) of this section and will remain in effect until additional amounts are made available the next calendar year or under paragraph (c) of this section.

(1) Catcher/processor sector. Further taking and retaining, receiving, or at-sea processing of whiting by a catcher/processor is prohibited. No additional unprocessed whiting may be brought on board after at-sea processing is prohibited, but a catcher/processor may continue to process whiting that was on board before at-sea processing was prohibited.

(2) Mothership sector. Further receiving or at-sea processing of whiting by a mothership is prohibited. No additional unprocessed whiting may be brought on board after at-sea processing is prohibited, but a mothership may continue to process whiting that was on board before at-sea processing was prohibited. Whiting may not be taken and retained, possessed, or landed by a catcher vessel participating in the mothership sector.

(3) Shore-based sector coastwide. Whiting may not be taken and retained, possessed, or landed by a catcher vessel participating in the shore-based sector except as authorized under a trip limit specified under § 660.370(c).

(4) Shore-based south of 42° N. lat. If 5 percent of the shore-based allocation for whiting is taken and retained south of 42° N. lat. before the primary season for the shore-based sector begins north of 42° N. lat., then a trip limit specified under § 660.370(c) may be implemented south of 42° N. lat. until the northern primary season begins, at which time the southern primary season would resume.

(c) Reapportionments. That portion of a sector's allocation that the Regional Administrator determines will not be used by the end of the fishing year shall be made available for harvest by the other sectors, if needed, in proportion to their initial allocations, on September 15 or as soon as practicable thereafter. NMFS may release whiting again at a later date to ensure full utilization of the resource. Whiting not needed in the fishery authorized under § 660.324 may also be made available.

(d) Estimates. Estimates of the amount of whiting harvested will be based on actual amounts harvested, projections of amounts that will be harvested, or a combination of the two. Estimates of the amount of Pacific whiting that will be used by shore-based processors by the end of the calendar year will be based on the best information available to the Regional Administrator from state catch and landings data, the testimony received at Council meetings, and/or other relevant information.

(e) Announcements. The Regional Administrator will announce in the Federal Register when a harvest guideline, commercial harvest guideline, or an allocation of whiting is reached, or is projected to be reached, specifying the appropriate action being taken under paragraph (b) of this section. The Regional Administrator will announce in the Federal Register any reapportionment of surplus whiting to others sectors on September 15, or as soon as practicable thereafter. In order to prevent exceeding the limits or to avoid underutilizing the resource, prohibitions against further taking and retaining, receiving, or at-sea processing of whiting, or reapportionment of surplus whiting may be made effective immediately by actual notice to fishers and processors, by e-mail, internet (www.nwr.noaa.gov/Groundfish-Halibut/Groundfish-Fishery-Management/Whiting-Management/index.cfm), phone, fax, letter, press release, and/or USCG Notice to Mariners (monitor channel 16 VHF), followed by publication in the Federal Register, in which instance public comment will be sought for a reasonable period of time thereafter.