[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62373-62381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29722]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 611, 675, 676, and 677
[Docket No. 95112820-5280-01; I.D. 111495A]
Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands;
Limited Access; Foreign Fishing; Proposed 1996 Initial Harvest
Specifications
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed 1996 initial specifications for groundfish and
associated management measures; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes 1996 initial harvest specifications, prohibited
species bycatch allowances, and associated measures for the groundfish
fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI).
This action is necessary to inform the public about proposed 1996
harvest specifications and associated management measures. The intended
effect is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI
and to
[[Page 62374]]
provide an opportunity for public participation in this process.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by January 4, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be sent to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries
Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK
99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel.
The preliminary 1996 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE)
report, dated September 1995, is available from the North Pacific
Fishery Management Council, 605 West 4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage,
AK 99510-2252, 907-271-2817.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen R. Varosi, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Groundfish fisheries in the BSAI are
governed by Federal Regulations (50 CFR 675) that implement the Fishery
Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Area (FMP). Other applicable regulations are found at
50 CFR 611.93 (Foreign Fishing) and 50 CFR part 676 (Limited Access
Management of Federal Fisheries In and Off of Alaska) and 50 CFR part
677 (North Pacific Fisheries Research Plan). The FMP was prepared by
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and approved by
NMFS under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
The FMP and implementing regulations require NMFS, after
consultation with the Council, to specify for each calendar year the
total allowable catch (TAC) for each target species and the ``other
species'' category, the sum of which must be within the optimum yield
(OY) range of 1.4 million to 2.0 million metric tons (mt)
(Sec. 675.20(a)(2)). Regulations under Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i) further
require NMFS to publish annually and solicit public comment on proposed
annual TAC amounts, apportionments of each TAC, prohibited species
catch (PSC) allowances, seasonal allowances of the pollock TAC, and
seasonal allowances of the pollock Community Development Quota (CDQ)
reserve. The specifications set forth in Tables 1-7 of this action
satisfy these requirements. For 1996, the proposed sum of TAC amounts
is 2.0 million mt. Under Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(ii), NMFS will publish the
final annual specifications for 1996 after considering: (1) Comments
received within the comment period (see DATES), and (2) consultations
with the Council at its December 1995 meeting.
The specified TAC amounts for each species are based on the best
available biological and socioeconomic information. At its September
and December meetings, the Council, its Advisory Panel, and its
Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), annually review biological
information about the condition of groundfish stocks in the BSAI. This
information is compiled by the Council's BSAI Groundfish Plan Team
(Plan Team) and is presented in the SAFE Report. The Plan Team annually
produces such a report as the first step in the process of specifying
TAC amounts. The SAFE Report contains a review of the latest scientific
analyses and estimates of each species' biomass, maximum sustainable
yield (MSY), acceptable biological catch (ABC) and other biological
parameters, as well as summaries of the ecosystem and the economic
condition of groundfish fisheries off Alaska. A preliminary 1996 SAFE
Report, dated September 1995, provides an update on status of stocks.
These preliminary assessments will be updated based on biological
survey work done during the summer of 1995. Assessments will be made
available by the Plan Team in November 1995 and included in the final
edition of the 1996 SAFE Report. Final ABC amounts for the 1996 fishing
year will be based on the most recent stock assessments. The proposed
ABC amounts adopted by the Council for the 1996 fishing year are based
on the best available scientific information, including projected
biomass trends, information on assumed distribution of stock biomass,
and revised technical methods used to calculate stock biomass.
Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i) require that one-fourth of each
proposed initial TAC (ITAC) amount and apportionment thereof, one-
fourth of each PSC allowance established under Sec. 675.21(b), and the
first seasonal allowances of pollock become effective 0001 hours,
A.l.t., January 1, on an interim basis and remain in effect until
superseded by the final harvest specifications, which will be published
in the Federal Register.
NMFS is publishing, in the Rules and Regulations section of this
Federal Register issue, interim TAC specifications and apportionments
thereof for the 1996 fishing year that will become available 0001
hours, Alaska local time, January 1, 1996, and remain in effect until
superseded by the final 1996 harvest specifications.
Procedure for Estimating ABC
The Council bases its calculation of ABC on the definition
contained in 50 CFR part 602--Guidelines For Fishery Management Plans
(602 Guidelines). The 602 Guidelines (Sec. 602.11(e)(1)) state that:
ABC is a preliminary description of the acceptable harvest (or
range of harvests) for a given stock or stock complex. Its
derivation focuses on the status and dynamics of the stock,
environmental conditions, other ecological factors, and prevailing
technological characteristics of the fishery.
The 602 Guidelines also provide the Council with the flexibility
needed to define overfishing appropriate to the individual stock or
species characteristics, as long as it is defined in a way that allows
the Council and NMFS to evaluate the condition of the stock relative to
the definition (Sec. 602.11(c)). Application of the overfishing
definition requires some flexibility because the amount of data for
different stocks varies. The calculations used to derive preliminary
overfishing levels for a given stock or stock complex are described in
the preliminary 1996 SAFE Report.
Calculation of ABC varies among species, depending on the quality
of available data and prior knowledge of a species' stock status. The
Plan Team has adopted three steps for estimating ABC amounts. First,
the exploitable biomass of a stock is estimated. Second, the ABC for a
stock is calculated by multiplying an exploitation rate times the
estimated exploitable biomass. Various exploitation rates or fishing
mortality rates (F) may be used in this calculation, depending on the
data available and the degree of risk the Plan Team is willing to
accept. For example, the exploitation rate that would produce MSY
(FMSY) may be used when the stock is known to be in good
condition, high in abundance, and not in danger of drastic decline.
When more conservative stock management is desirable, a F0.1
harvest strategy is used to determine an exploitation rate. This
strategy determines a level of F at which the marginal increase in
yield-per-recruit due to an increase in F is 10 percent of the marginal
yield-per-recruit in a newly exploited fishery. Recruitment refers to
the growth of juvenile fish into the adult or exploitable population.
Generally, F0.1 is a more conservative exploitation rate than
FMSY. Another alternative is to use historical exploitation rates
when historical fishery data indicate that a stock is not affected
adversely by such rates. A switch in harvest strategy from F.35 to
F=natural mortality rate (M) can be used when current maturity
parameter estimates are unreliable. Finally, an empirical estimation of
ABC based on historical catch levels may be used when information is
insufficient to estimate the biomass of a stock. Details of
overfishing, ABC, and other calculation procedures are discussed in
[[Page 62375]]
the preliminary 1996 SAFE Report. This report is available from the
Council (see ADDRESSES).
The Plan Team's recommendations for preliminary ABC amounts for
each species for 1996 and other biological data are provided in the
preliminary 1996 SAFE Report. At its September 1995 meeting, the
Council's SSC reviewed the Plan Team's preliminary recommendations for
1996 ABC amounts. The SSC concurred with the Plan Team's
recommendations except for Aleutian Basin (Bogoslof) pollock and
Greenland turbot. The SSC's revisions to the ABC amounts for these two
species are discussed below.
Bogoslof Pollock. The Plan Team indicated in the preliminary 1996
SAFE Report that the current estimate of biomass of Aleutian Basin
pollock (1,020,000 mt) is conservative. This biomass estimate is based
on the preliminary results from the 1995 hydroacoustic survey of the
southeastern Aleutian Basin near Bogoslof Island, which indicated that
the 1995 biomass is sustained almost entirely by 1988 and 1989 year
classes. The Plan Team estimated an ABC for Bogoslof pollock of 265,000
mt using the biomass estimate and a target exploitation rate of 26
percent. However, the SSC used a more conservative exploitation
strategy, based on a natural mortality rate of M=0.2 divided by 2 to
derive an ABC of 102,000 mt.
Greenland Turbot. The Plan Team used the stock synthesis model to
estimate the ABC, which was updated with 1995 catch and survey data.
The Plan Team maintained the 1996 ABC at the level recommended by the
Plan Team last year (18,500 mt). However, the SSC recommended a
continuation of the present 7,000 mt ABC for this species in
recognition of continued poor recruitment and stock abundance levels
since the early 1980's. The SSC's recommendation will be reevaluated in
December, after an updated assessment analysis containing results from
the bottom trawl survey for the 1996 estimate becomes available.
The Council adopted the ABC amounts recommended by the SSC (Table
1).
Table 1.--Proposed 1996 Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), Proposed Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Initial TAC
(ITAC), and Overfishing Levels (OFL) of Groundfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (AI)\1\\2\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Species ABC TAC ITAC=DAP/3/ OFL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock:
BS.......................................... 1,250,000 1,250,000 1,062,500 1,500,000
AI.......................................... 56,600 56,600 48,110 60,400
Bogoslof District........................... 102,000 1,000 850 102,000
Pacific cod..................................... 328,000 250,000 212,500 390,000
Sablefish:\4\
BS.......................................... 1,600 1,600 680 ..............
AI.......................................... 2,200 2,200 468 ..............
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total..................................... 3,800 3,800 1,148 4,900
===============================================================
Atka mackerel:
Western AI.................................. 71,600 41,520 35,292 ..............
Central AI.................................. 19,300 11,200 9,520 ..............
Eastern AI/BS............................... 47,100 27,280 23,188 ..............
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total..................................... 138,000 80,000 68,000 164,000
===============================================================
Yellowfin sole.................................. 277,000 190,000 161,500 319,000
Rock sole....................................... 347,000 60,000 51,000 388,000
Greenland turbot:
BS.......................................... 4,690 4,690 3,987 ..............
AI.......................................... 2,310 2,310 1,963 ..............
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total..................................... 7,000 7,000 5,950 27,200
===============================================================
Arrowtooth flounder............................. 113,000 10,227 8,693 138,000
Flathead sole................................... 138,000 30,000 25,500 167,000
Other flatfish\5\............................... 117,000 19,540 16,609 137,000
Pacific ocean perch:
BS.......................................... 1,850 1,850 1,573 2,910
AI.......................................... 10,500 10,500 8,925 15,900
Other red rockfish:\6\ BS....................... 1,400 1,260 1,070 1,400
Sharpchin/Northern AI........................... 5,670 5,103 4,338 5,670
Shortraker/Rougheye AI.......................... 1,220 1,098 933 1,220
Other rockfish:\7\
BS.......................................... 365 329 280 365
AI.......................................... 770 693 589 770
Squid........................................... 3,110 1,000 850 3,110
Other Species\8\................................ 27,600 20,000 17,000 136,000
---------------------------------------------------------------
Totals.................................... 2,929,885 2,000,000 1,697,918 3,564,845
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Amounts are in metric tons. These amounts apply to the entire Bering Sea (BS) and Aleutian Islands (AI) area
unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these specifications, the BS
includes the Bogoslof District.
\2\Zero amounts of groundfish are specified for Joint Venture Processing and Total Allowable Level of Foreign
Fishing.
\3\Except for the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, 0.15 of each TAC is put
into a reserve. The ITAC for each species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves.
[[Page 62376]]
\4\Twenty percent of the sablefish hook-and-line gear or pot gear final TAC amount will be reserved for use by
Community Development Quota (CDQ) participants. (See Sec. 676.24(b)) Regulations at Sec. 675.20(c) do not
provide for the establishment of an ITAC for the hook-and-line and pot gear allocation for sablefish. The ITAC
for sablefish reflected in Table 1 is for trawl gear only.
\5\``Other flatfish'' includes all flatfish species except for Pacific halibut (a prohibited species), flathead
sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, and yellowfin sole.
\6\``Other red rockfish'' includes shortraker, rougheye, sharpchin, and northern.
\7\``Other rockfish'' includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, sharpchin,
northern, shortraker, and rougheye.
\8\``Other species'' includes sculpins, sharks, skates, eulachon, smelts, capelin, and octopus.
Proposed TAC Specifications
The Council recommended adopting the Advisory Panel's
recommendation for the 1996 BSAI TAC amounts, which equalled the 1995
TAC amounts and apportionments with one exception. The apportionment of
the Atka mackerel TAC among the Aleutian Island districts and the
Bering Sea was proposed to be revised as follows: Western Aleutians--
41,520 mt (51.9 percent); Central Aleutians--11,200 (14.0 percent); and
Eastern Aleutians and Bering Sea--27,280 mt (34.1 percent).
The 1,000 mt TAC proposed for pollock of the Bogoslof subarea was
intended by the Council only to provide sufficient amounts of pollock
to meet bycatch needs in other fisheries. The Council will consider
updated information on the status of this resource at its December 1995
meeting to decide whether to allow a directed fishery under the final
1996 specifications.
The Council developed its TAC recommendations based on the
preliminary ABC amounts as adjusted for other biological and
socioeconomic considerations, including maintaining the total TAC
within the required OY range of 1.4-2.0 million mt. Each of the
Council's recommended TAC amounts for 1996 is equal to or less than the
final 1996 ABC for each species category. Therefore, NMFS finds that
the recommended proposed TAC amounts are consistent with the biological
condition of groundfish stocks. The preliminary ABC and TAC amounts,
initial TAC (ITAC) amounts, overfishing levels, and initial
apportionments of groundfish in the BSAI area for 1996 are given in
Table 1 of this action. The apportionment of TAC amounts among
fisheries and seasons is discussed below.
Apportionment of TAC
As required by Sec. 675.20(a)(3) and Sec. 675.20(a)(7)(i), each
species' TAC initially is reduced by 15 percent, except the hook-and-
line and pot gear allocation for sablefish. The sum of these 15-percent
amounts is the reserve. The reserve is not designated by species or
species group, and any amount of the reserve may be reapportioned to a
target species or the ``other species'' category during the year,
providing that such reapportionments are consistent with
Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(i) and do not result in overfishing.
The ITAC for each target species and the ``other species'' category
at the beginning of the year is apportioned between the domestic annual
harvest (DAH) category and the total allowable level of foreign fishing
(TALFF), if any. Each DAH amount is further apportioned between two
categories of U.S. fishing vessels. The domestic annual processing
(DAP) category includes U.S. vessels that process their catch on board
or deliver it to U.S. fish processors. The joint venture processing
(JVP) category includes U.S. fishing vessels working in joint ventures
with foreign processing vessels authorized to receive catches in the
exclusive economic zone.
In consultation with the Council, the initial amounts of DAP and
JVP are determined by the Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional
Director). Consistent with the final 1991-95 initial specifications,
the Council recommended that 1996 DAP specifications be set equal to
ITAC and that no groundfish be allocated to JVP and TALFF. In making
this recommendation, the Council considered the capacity of DAP
harvesting and processing operations and anticipated that 1996 DAP
operations would harvest the full TAC specified for each BSAI
groundfish species category. The proposed ABC amounts, proposed TAC and
ITAC amounts, overfishing levels, and initial apportionments of
groundfish in the BSAI area for 1996 are given in Table 1.
These proposed specifications are subject to change as a result of
public comment, analysis of the current biological condition of the
groundfish stocks, new information regarding the fishery, and
consultation with the Council at its meeting scheduled for December 4-
11, 1995.
Seasonal Allowances of Pollock TAC
Under Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(ii), the TAC of pollock for each subarea or
district of the BSAI area is divided, after subtraction of reserves
(Sec. 675.20(a)(3)), into two seasonal allowances. The first allowance
will be available for directed fishing from January 1 to April 15 (roe
season) and the second allowance will be available from August 15
through the end of the fishing year (non-roe season). In 1995, the
opening of the pollock roe season was delayed for the offshore
component fishery to January 26th (Sec. 675.23(e)(2)). On September 18,
1995, a notice of proposed rulemaking was published in the Federal
Register (60 FR 48087) that, if approved by NMFS, would continue to
authorize a delay of the offshore component roe fishery.
The Council recommended that the seasonal allowances for the Bering
Sea pollock roe and non-roe seasons be specified at 45 percent and 55
percent of the ITAC amounts, respectively (Table 2). These seasonal
apportionments are unchanged from 1995. As in past years, the pollock
TAC amounts specified for the Aleutian Islands subarea and the Bogoslof
District are not seasonally apportioned.
When specifying seasonal allowances of the pollock TAC, the Council
and NMFS consider the following nine factors as specified in section
14.4.10 of the FMP:
1. Estimated monthly pollock catch and effort in prior years;
2. Expected changes in harvesting and processing capacity and
associated pollock catch;
3. Current estimates of, and expected changes in, pollock biomass
and stock conditions; conditions of marine mammal stocks; and biomass
and stock conditions of species taken as bycatch in directed pollock
fisheries;
4. Potential impacts of expected seasonal fishing for pollock on
pollock stocks, marine mammals, and stocks and species taken as bycatch
in directed pollock fisheries;
5. The need to obtain fishery-related data during all or part of
the fishing year;
6. Effects on operating costs and gross revenues;
7. The need to spread fishing effort over the year, minimize gear
conflicts, and allow participation by various elements of the
groundfish fleet and other fisheries;
8. Potential allocative effects among users and indirect effects on
coastal communities; and
9. Other biological and socioeconomic information that affects the
consistency
[[Page 62377]]
of seasonal pollock harvests with the goals and objectives of the FMP.
The publication of the final 1995 initial groundfish and PSC
specifications (60 FR 8479; February 14, 1995) summarizes Council
findings with respect to each of the FMP considerations set forth
above. At this time, the Council's findings are unchanged from those
set forth for 1995.
Apportionment of the Pollock TAC to the Inshore and Offshore
Components
Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(iii) require that the proposed
pollock ITAC amounts specified for the BSAI be allocated between the
inshore and offshore processing components. These regulations are
scheduled to expire at the end of 1995 although the Council has adopted
Amendment 38 to the FMP and NMFS approved that amendment. Amendment 38
would continue apportionment of the pollock ITAC amounts between the
inshore and offshore components. NMFS published a notice of proposed
rulemaking in the Federal Register (60 FR 48087; September 18, 1995)
that would extend these regulations and a final rule will be issued
shortly. Consequently, in these proposed specifications, the pollock
ITAC is apportioned between the inshore and offshore sectors as
specified in the proposed rule. For the purpose of this action, the
inshore and offshore components would be apportioned 35 percent and 65
percent, respectively, of the pollock ITAC specified for each subarea
or district (Table 2).
Table 2.--Seasonal Allowances of the Inshore and Offshore Component Allocations of Pollock TAC Amounts\1\\2\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subarea TAC ITAC\3\ Roe season Non-roe season
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea:\4\\5\
Inshore..................................... .............. 371,875 167,344 204,531
Offshore.................................... .............. 690,625 310,781 379,844
---------------------------------------------------------------
1,250,000 1,062,500 478,125 584,375
Aleutian Islands:
Inshore..................................... .............. 16,838 16,838 (\6\)
Offshore.................................... .............. 31,272 31,272 (\6\)
---------------------------------------------------------------
56,600 48,110 48,110 (\6\)
Bogoslof:
Inshore..................................... .............. 298 298 (\6\)
Offshore.................................... .............. 552 552 (\6\)
---------------------------------------------------------------
1,000 850 850 (\6\)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\TAC = total allowable catch.
\2\Based on an offshore component allocation of 0.65(TAC) and an inshore component allocation of 0.35(TAC).
\3\ITAC = initial TAC = 0.85 of TAC.
\4\January 1 through April 15--based on a 45/55 split (roe = 45 percent).
\5\August 15 through December 31--based on a 45/55 split (non-roe = 55 percent).
\6\Remainder.
Pollock CDQ Allocations
Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(3)(ii) require that one-half of the
pollock TAC placed in the reserve for each subarea or district, or 7.5
percent of each TAC, be assigned to a Community Development Quota (CDQ)
reserve for each subarea or district. These regulations expire on
December 31, 1995, although the Council has adopted Amendment 38 to the
FMP and NMFS has approved that amendment. Amendment 38 would extend the
CDQ Program for 3 additional years. A notice of proposed rulemaking was
published in the Federal Register on September 18, 1995 (60 FR 48087)
and a final rule is expected to be issued shortly. If the pollock TAC
amount remains as specified in Table 1, the 1996 CDQ reserve amounts
for each subarea would be as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BSAI Subarea Pollock CDQ Roe season Non-roe season
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea.................... 93,750 mt................. 42,188 mt................ 51,562 mt.
Aleutian Islands.............. 4,245 mt.................. 4,245 mt................. Remainder.
Bogoslof...................... 75 mt..................... 75 mt.................... Remainder.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under the proposed regulations that would govern the CDQ program,
NMFS may allocate the 1996 pollock CDQ reserves to eligible Western
Alaska communities or groups of communities that have an approved
Community Development Plan (CDP). The State of Alaska received six CDP
applications pursuant to Sec. 675.27 and State of Alaska regulations at
6 AAC 93. All six applications were submitted in conformance with both
sets of regulations and have been fully reviewed by the State and the
Council. The NMFS-approved allocations of the 1996 CDQ reserve to the
successful CDP recipients are expected to be published in the Federal
Register prior to the 1996 fishing year.
Apportionment of Pollock TAC to the Nonpelagic Trawl Gear Fishery
Regulations at Sec. 675.24(c)(2) authorize NMFS, in consultation
with the Council, to limit the amount of pollock TAC that may be taken
in the directed fishery for pollock using nonpelagic trawl gear. This
authority is intended to reduce the amount of halibut and crab
[[Page 62378]]
bycatch that occurs in nonpelagic trawl operations.
The Council did not propose to limit the amount of pollock TAC that
may be taken in the 1996 directed fishery for pollock by vessels using
nonpelagic trawl gear. However, the Council will consider limiting the
pollock TAC amounts that may be harvested by vessels using nonpelagic
trawl gear at its December 1995 meeting, pending information on
prohibited species bycatch amounts in the 1995 pelagic and nonpelagic
trawl gear fisheries and an assessment of the effectiveness of
regulations at Sec. 675.7(n) to reduce halibut and crab bycatch in the
pelagic trawl fishery.
Proposed Allocation of the Pacific Cod TAC
Under Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(iv), 2 percent of the Pacific cod ITAC is
allocated to vessels using jig gear, 44 percent to vessels using hook-
and-line gear or pot gear, and 54 percent to vessels using trawl gear.
At its September 1995 meeting, the Council proposed to roll over the
1995 seasonal apportionments of the portion of the Pacific cod TAC
allocated to the hook-and-line and pot gear fisheries. The seasonal
apportionments are intended to provide for the harvest of Pacific cod
when flesh quality and market conditions are optimum and Pacific
halibut bycatch rates are low. The Council's recommendations for
seasonal apportionments are set out in Table 3 and are unchanged from
the percentages of seasonal apportionments specified for 1995 (60 FR
8479; February 14, 1995). These seasonal apportionments were based on:
(1) Seasonal distribution of Pacific cod relative to prohibited species
distributions, (2) expected variations in prohibited species bycatch
rates experienced in the Pacific cod fisheries throughout the year, and
(3) economic effects of any seasonal apportionment of Pacific cod on
the hook-and-line and pot gear fisheries.
Table 3.--1996 Gear Shares of the BSAI Pacific Cod Initial TAC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seasonal Apportionment
Gear Percent Share of ----------------------------------------------------
of TAC ITAC (mt) Date Percent Amount (mt)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jig................................ 2 4,250 Jan. 1-Dec. 31............. 100 4,250
Hook-and-line...................... 44 93,500 Jan. 1-Apr. 30............. 73 \1\68,000
Pot gear........................... ......... ........... May 1-Aug. 31.............. 19 18,000
......... ........... Sep. 1-Dec. 31............. 8 7,500
Trawl gear......................... 54 114,750 Jan. 1-Dec. 31............. 100 114,750
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total........................ 100 212,500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Any portion of the first seasonal apportionment that is not harvested by the end of the first season will
become available on September 1, the beginning of the third season.
Sablefish Gear Allocation and Sablefish CDQ Allocations
Regulations under Sec. 675.24(c)(1) require that sablefish TAC
amounts for BSAI subareas be divided between trawl and hook-and-line/
pot gear types. Gear allocations of TAC amounts are specified in the
following proportions: Bering Sea subarea: Trawl gear--50 percent;
hook-and-line/pot gear--50 percent; and Aleutian Islands subarea: Trawl
gear--25 percent; hook-and-line/pot gear--75 percent. In addition,
regulations under Sec. 676.24(b) require NMFS to withhold 20 percent of
the hook-and-line and pot gear sablefish allocation as a sablefish CDQ
reserve. Gear allocations of sablefish TAC amounts and CDQ reserve are
specified in Table 4.
Table 4.--1996 Gear Shares and CDQ Reserve Of BSAI Sablefish TAC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial
Subarea Gear Percent of Share of TAC (mt) TAC CDQ Share
TAC (mt) (mt)\1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea\2\...................... Trawl 50 800........................ 680 N/A
Hook-and- 50 800........................ N/A 160
line/pot
gear\3\
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Total........................ ......... ........... ........................... 680 ...........
Aleutian Islands................... Trawl 25 550........................ 468 N/A
Hook-and- 75 1,650...................... N/A 330
line/pot
gear\3\
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Total........................ ......... ........... ........................... 468 490
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Except for the sablefish hook-and-line and pot gear allocation, 0.15 of TAC is apportioned to reserve. The
ITAC is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves.
\2\Includes Bogoslof District.
\3\For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear, 0.20 of the
allocated TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants. Regulations at Sec. 675.20(a)(3) do not provide for the
establishment of an ITAC for sablefish hook-and-line or pot gear.
[[Page 62379]]
Allocation of PSC Limits for Crab, Halibut, and Herring
PSC limits of red king crab and C. bairdi Tanner crab in Bycatch
Limitation Zones (50 CFR 675.2) of the BS subarea, and for Pacific
halibut throughout the BSAI area are specified under Sec. 675.21(a). At
this time, the 1996 PSC limits are:
1. Zone 1 trawl fisheries, 200,000 red king crabs;
2. Zone 1 trawl fisheries, 1 million C. bairdi Tanner crabs;
3. Zone 2 trawl fisheries, 3 million C. bairdi Tanner crabs;
4. BSAI trawl fisheries, 3,775 mt mortality of Pacific halibut;
5. BSAI nontrawl fisheries, 900 mt mortality of Pacific halibut;
and
6. BSAI trawl fisheries, 1,861 mt Pacific herring.
The PSC limit of Pacific herring caught while conducting any trawl
operation for groundfish in the BSAI is 1 percent of the annual eastern
Bering Sea herring biomass. At this time, the best estimate of 1996
herring biomass is 186,000 mt. This amount was derived using 1994
survey data and an age-structured biomass projection model developed by
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). Therefore, the proposed
herring PSC limit for 1996 is 1,861 mt. This value is subject to
change, pending an updated forecast analysis of 1995 herring survey
data that will be presented to the Council by the ADF&G during the
Council's December 1995 meeting.
Regulations under Sec. 675.21(b) authorize the apportionment of
each PSC limit into PSC allowances for specified fishery categories.
Regulations at Sec. 675.21(b)(1)(iii) specify seven fishery categories
(midwater pollock, Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish, rock
sole/flathead sole/other flatfish, yellowfin sole, rockfish, Pacific
cod, and bottom pollock/Atka mackerel/``other species''). Regulations
at Sec. 675.21(b)(2) authorize the apportionment of the nontrawl
halibut PSC limit among three fishery categories (Pacific cod hook-and-
line fishery, groundfish pot gear fishery, and other nontrawl
fisheries). The PSC allowances for trawl and nontrawl are listed in
Table 5. In general, the preliminary 1996 fishery bycatch allowances
listed in Table 5 reflect the recommendations made to the Council by
its Advisory Panel. These recommendations are unchanged from 1995,
except for halibut in the Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/
sablefish category. A halibut bycatch allowance equal to zero is
proposed for this fishery category in 1996. This means that directed
fisheries for these species by vessels using trawl gear would be
prohibited. This action is proposed for the following reasons.
First, the management of the halibut bycatch allowance specified
for the Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish fishery category
in past years has proved very difficult. In 1995, NMFS had provided for
only a 3-day fishery for Greenland turbot to maintain halibut bycatch
mortality within the specified allowance of 120 mt. After the fishery
had closed, NMFS determined that the halibut bycatch mortality
experienced during this 3-day fishery totaled 282 mt, or 235 percent of
the specified allowance.
Second, existing regulations allow Greenland turbot, sablefish, or
arrowtooth to be retained as bycatch in other trawl fisheries provided
that retained amounts do not exceed maximum retainable bycatch amounts
as calculated under Sec. 675.20(h). Last, the halibut bycatch mortality
that had been apportioned to this fishery category in 1995 (120 mt) is
proposed to be equally redistributed among the yellowfin sole, rock
sole/flathead sole/other flatfish and the Pacific cod fishery
categories. The intent of this action is to better optimize the amount
of total groundfish catch harvested under the halibut PSC limit
established for the trawl gear fisheries.
The proposed apportionments of the PSC limits among specified trawl
and nontrawl fisheries were based on last year's final recommendations
that incorporated 1993 and 1994 bycatch amounts, anticipated 1996
harvest of groundfish by trawl gear and fixed gear, and assumed halibut
mortality rates in the different groundfish fisheries based on analyses
of 1993-1994 observer data.
Regulations at Sec. 675.21(b)(2) authorize exemption of specified
nontrawl fisheries from the halibut PSC limit. As in 1995, the Council
proposes to exempt pot gear and the hook-and-line sablefish fishery
from the nontrawl halibut limit for 1996. The Council proposed this
exemption because of the low halibut bycatch mortality experienced in
the pot gear fisheries (7 mt in 1995) and because of the 1995
implementation of the sablefish and halibut IFQ program, which would
allow legal-sized halibut to be retained in the sablefish fishery.
Table 5.--Preliminary 1996 Prohibited Species Bycatch Allowances for the BSAI Trawl and Nontrawl Fisheries
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trawl fisheries Zone 1 Zone 2 BSAI-wide
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red king crab, number of animals:
yellowfin sole.............................................. 50,000
rcksol/otherflat/flathead sole.............................. 10,000
rockfish.................................................... 0
turb/arrow/sab/rockfish\1\.................................. 0
Pacific cod................................................. 10,000
plck/Atka/other\2\.......................................... 30,000
-----------------
Total..................................................... 200,000
C. bairdi Tanner crab, number of animals:
yellowfin sole.............................................. 225,000 1,525,000
rcksol/oth.flat/flathead sole............................... 475,000 510,000
turb/arrow/sabl............................................. 0 5,000
rockfish.................................................... 0 10,000
Pacific cod................................................. 225,000 260,000
plck/Atka/other............................................. 75,000 690,000
---------------------------------
Total..................................................... 1,000,000 3,000,000
Pacific halibut, mortality (mt):
yellowfin sole.............................................. 790
rcksol/oth.flat............................................. 730
turb/arrow/sabl............................................. 0
[[Page 62380]]
rockfish.................................................... 110
Pacific cod................................................. 1,590
plck/Atka/other............................................. 555
---------------
Total..................................................... 3,775
Pacific herring, mt:
midwater pollock............................................ 1,345
yellowfin sole.............................................. 315
rcksol/oth.flat............................................. 0
turb/arrow/sabl............................................. 0
rockfish.................................................... 8
Pacific cod................................................. 24
plck/Atka/other\3\.......................................... 169
---------------
Total..................................................... 1,861
Nontrawl fisheries:
Pacific halibut, mortality (mt)............................. 725
Pacific cod Hook-and-line................................... 175
Other nontrawl:
Sablefish hook-and-line gear................................ \4\
Groundfish pot gear......................................... \4\
Groundfish jig gear......................................... \4\
-----------------------------------------------
Total..................................................... 900
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Greenland turbot, arrowtooth flounder, and sablefish fishery category.
\2\Pollock, Atka mackerel, and ``other species'' fishery category.
\3\Pollock other than midwater pollock, Atka mackerel, and ``other species'' fishery category.
\4\Exempt.
At its September 1995 meeting, the Council recommended that the
proposed halibut bycatch allowances listed in Table 5 be apportioned
seasonally as shown in Table 6. The prohibited species bycatch
allowances and the seasonal apportionment of those allowances will be
subject to change at the December 1995 Council meeting, pending public
comments, year-to-date information on bycatch performance and updated
information on anticipated fishing patterns in 1996.
For purposes of monitoring the fishery halibut bycatch mortality
allowances specified in Table 6, the Regional Director will use
observed halibut bycatch rates and reported and observed groundfish
catch to project when a fishery's halibut bycatch mortality allowance
is reached. The Regional Director monitors the fishery bycatch
mortality allowances using assumed mortality rates that are based on
the best information available.
Table 6.--Proposed Seasonal Apportionments of the 1996 Pacific Halibut
Bycatch Allowances for the BSAI Trawl and Nontrawl Fisheries
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seasonal
bycatch
allowances
(mt halibut)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fishery Trawl Gear:
Yellowfin sole:
Jan. 20-Jul. 31..................................... 295
Aug. 1-Dec. 31...................................... 495
---------------
Total............................................. 790
===============
Rock sole/flathead sole/``other flatfish'':
Jan. 20-Mar. 31..................................... 453
Apr. 1-Jun. 30...................................... 190
Jul. 1-Dec. 31...................................... 87
---------------
Total............................................. 730
===============
Turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish:
Total............................................. 0
Rockfish:
Jan. 20-Mar. 31..................................... 30
Apr. 1-Jun. 30...................................... 60
Jul. 1-Dec. 31...................................... 20
---------------
Total............................................. 110
===============
[[Page 62381]]
Pacific cod:
Jan. 20-Jun. 30..................................... 1,487
Jul. 1-Dec. 31...................................... 103
---------------
Total............................................. 1,590
===============
Pollock/Atka mackerel/``other species'':
Jan. 20-Apr. 15..................................... 455
Apr. 16-Dec. 31..................................... 100
---------------
Total............................................. 555
===============
Total Trawl Halibut Mortality................... 3,775
===============
Fishery Nontrawl Gear:
Pacific cod:
Jan. 1-Apr. 30...................................... 475
May. 1-Aug. 31...................................... 40
Sep. 1-Dec. 31...................................... 210
---------------
Total............................................. 725
Other nontrawl.......................................... 175
Sablefish hook-and-line................................. (\1\)
Groundfish pot.......................................... (\1\)
Groundfish jig gear..................................... (\1\)
---------------
Total Nontrawl Halibut Mortality................ 900
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Exempt.
Preliminary assumed halibut mortality rates recommended by the
International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) for the 1996 BSAI
groundfish fisheries are listed in Table 7. These mortality rates are
based on an average of mortality rates determined from NMFS observer
data collected during 1993 and 1994, except for the BSAI trawl
arrowtooth flounder fishery, which is based on data from 1991 and 1992,
the 2 most recent years the fishery operated. The Council proposed that
revised halibut discard mortality rates recommended by the IPHC be
adopted for purposes of monitoring halibut bycatch mortality limits
established for the 1996 groundfish fisheries.
For most fisheries, the 1993-94 averages, on which the 1996
recommendations are based, are somewhat lower than the actual rates
used in 1995. After the December 1995 Council meeting, NMFS will
consider all available data and public comments and will publish
preseason assumed halibut mortality rates in the Federal Register as
part of the final 1996 initial specifications of groundfish TAC
amounts. However, the Council noted that the sablefish hook-and-line
halibut fishery bycatch mortality rate is based on the fishery before
the IFQ program was initiated and that the IPHC may have new data at
the December 1995 meeting that would help reassess the halibut
mortality rate in this fishery.
Table 7.--Assumed Pacific Halibut Mortality Rates Proposed for the BSAI
Fisheries During 1996
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assumed
mortality
(percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hook-and-Line Gear Fisheries:
BSAI sablefish............................................. 27
BSAI rockfish.............................................. 24
BSAI Greenland turbot...................................... 18
BSAI Pacific cod........................................... 13
Trawl Gear Fisheries:
midwater pollock........................................... 86
Rockfish................................................... 77
bottom pollock............................................. 77
Pacific cod................................................ 77
yellowfin sole............................................. 74
rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish..................... 74
Atka mackerel.............................................. 61
Greenland turbot........................................... 51
arrowtooth................................................. 49
Pot Gear Fisheries--Pacific cod.............................. 7
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Groundfish PSC Limits
Section 675.20(a)(6) authorizes NMFS to specify PSC limits for
groundfish species or species groups for which the TAC will be
completely harvested by domestic fisheries. These PSC limits apply only
to JVP or TALFF fisheries. At this time, no groundfish are allocated to
either JVP or TALFF and specifications of groundfish PSC limits are
unnecessary.
Classification
This action is authorized under 50 CFR 611.93(b), 675.20, and
676.20 and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.
A draft environmental assessment (EA) on the allowable harvest
levels set forth in the final 1996 SAFE Report will be available for
public review at the December 4-8, 1995, Council meeting. After the
December meeting, a final EA will be prepared on the final 1996 TAC
amounts recommended by the Council.
Consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act
has been initiated for the 1996 BSAI initial specifications.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 1, 1996.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-29722 Filed 12-5-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-W
