2024-24400. Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2023-2024 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures; Inseason Adjustments

Table 1—Trip Limit Structure for LE FG “Other Fish” Complex South of 40°10′ N Lat., in Current Regulation and Recommended by Council in September 2024

Option	January-October	November-December
Current regulation	0 lb (0 kg)/2 months	0 lb (0 kg)/2 months.
Recommended	0 lb (0 kg)/2 months	Unlimited.

LEFG and OA Minor Nearshore Rockfish South of 40°10′ N Lat., and Cabezon in California

The Council recommended at their September 2024 meeting, in agreement with analyses by the Council's Groundfish Management Team (GMT) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), discussion with the Groundfish Advisory Subpanel and enforcement consultants, to change the management lines on LEFG and open access (OA) trip limits in Federal regulation for cabezon in California, as well as shallow and deeper nearshore rockfish (within the minor nearshore rockfish south of 40°10′ N lat. complex) from 36° N lat. to 37°07′ N lat. (tables 2 and 3). This was done to align trip limits with current non-trawl rockfish conservation area boundaries (implemented April 1, 2024), align State and Federal regulations, prevent regulatory and enforcement confusion, and to better serve conservation needs of quillback rockfish (recently designated as overfished), while minimizing corresponding constraints to fishery participants by utilizing more spatially precise management measures. Similar changes were recommended in March 2024 (implemented April 2024) for lingcod, shelf rockfish, and other flatfish, to allow more spatially precise management measures, for both better quillback conservation, and better concurrent access to other target species. CDFW has taken State action to move their latitude line for quillback related closures from 36° to 37°07′ N lat. for the same reasons (State/Federal coordination, and benefits of spatially precise management).

Table 2—Trip Limit Structure for LEFG and OA Minor Nearshore Rockfish South of 40°10′ N Lat., in Current Regulation and Recommended by Council in September 2024

Option	Habitat	Management area	Trip limits
Current regulation	Shallow nearshore	40°10′ N lat.-36° N lat South of 36° N lat	0 lb (0 kg)/2 months. 2,000 lb (907 kg)/2 months.
	Deeper nearshore	40°10′ N lat.-36° N lat South of 36° N lat	0 lb (0 kg)/2 months. 2,000 lb (907 kg)/2 months, of which no more than 75 lb (34 kg) may be copper rockfish.
Council recommended	Shallow nearshore	40°10′ N lat.-37°07′ N lat South of 37°07′ N lat	0 lb (0 kg)/2 months. 2,000 lb (907 kg)/2 months.
	Deeper nearshore	40°10′ N lat.-37°07′ N lat South of 37°07′ N lat	0 lb (0 kg)/2 months. 2,000 lb (907 kg)/2 months, of which no more than 75 lb (34 kg) may be copper rockfish.

Table 3—Trip Limit Structure for LE FG and OA Cabezon in California, South of 40°10′ N Lat., in Current Regulation and Recommended by Council in September 2024

Option	Management area	Trip limits
Current regulation	40°10′ N lat.-36° N lat South of 36° N lat	0 lb (0 kg)/2 months. Unlimited.
Council recommended	40°10′ N lat.-37°07′ N lat South of 37°07′ N lat	0 lb (0 kg)/2 months. Unlimited.

Therefore, the Council recommended and NMFS is implementing, by modifying table 2 South to part 660, subpart E, and table 3 South to part 660, subpart F, changes to the management lines on LEFG and OA trip limits in Federal regulation for cabezon in California, as well as shallow and deeper nearshore rockfish (both part of ( print page 84298) the minor nearshore rockfish south of 40°10′ N lat. complex) from 36° N lat. to 37°07′ N lat. (tables 2 and 3). These changes will start with Period 5 (November and December) and remain in place through the end of 2024 and beyond, unless otherwise modified.

Retention Limits for Incidental Catch of Pacific Halibut North of Pt. Chehalis

Pacific halibut is internationally managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission and NMFS. A catch sharing plan is published each year by NMFS; the 2024 plan (89 FR 19275, March 18, 2024) states that the non-treaty incidental catch in sablefish fishery (north of Pt. Chehalis) is 50,000 lb (22.7 metric tons). At the September 2024 meeting, the Council recommended to increase retention limits for the remainder of 2024, for incidental catch of Pacific halibut in the primary sablefish fishery north of Pt. Chehalis. This would represent an increase from the current limit in regulation of 130 lb (59 kg) of halibut per 1,000 lb (454 kg) of dressed sablefish plus two halibut, to 150 lb (68 kg) of halibut per 1,000 lb (454 kg) of dressed sablefish plus two halibut. This action was requested in order to help sablefish fishers north of Pt. Chehalis increase the utilization of their sablefish allocation without exceeding the halibut allocation. The GMT projected an inconsequential increase in already low attainment of the incidental halibut limit, from 52 to 55 percent, if the measure were implemented (table 4).

Table 4—Projected Incidental Pacific Halibut Landings in the Primary Sablefish Fishery North of Point Chehalis Under Current Regulation and Council Recommended Incidental Trip Limits

Option	Landing ratio	Projected landings (net wt. lb) through December 7	Allocation (net wt. lb)	Attainment (%)
Status Quo	130 lb (59 kg) halibut per 1,000 lb sablefish landed and up to 2 halibut in excess of limit	25,871 (11,735 kg)	50,000 lb (22,680 kg)	52
Alternative 1	150 lb (68 kg) halibut per 1,000 lb sablefish landed and up to 2 halibut in excess of limit	27,609 (12,523 kg)		55