2012-9090. Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; Final 2012 and 2013 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish; Correction

AGENCY:

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Final rule; closures; correction.

SUMMARY:

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is correcting a final rule that published on March 14, 2012, implementing the final 2012 and 2013 harvest specifications and prohibited species catch allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This rule corrects errors contained in a table in the document that provides the 2012 GOA non-American Fisheries Act crab vessel groundfish harvest sideboard limits.

DATES:

Effective April 17, 2012 through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2013, and is applicable beginning March 14, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Obren Davis, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Need for Correction

NMFS published the Final 2012 and 2013 GOA Harvest Specifications in the Federal Register on March 14, 2012 (77 FR 15194). A table providing information on 2012 GOA non-American Fisheries Act (AFA) crab vessel groundfish harvest sideboard limits (Table 22) contained two minor errors. In Table 22 on page 15216, a Federal Register error omitted the final 2012 non-AFA crab vessel A season sideboard limit for catcher/processors using hook-and-line gear in the Western GOA. The correct limit is 23 metric tons. In addition, NMFS inadvertently listed “0.0001” as the ratio used to calculate the non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit for catcher/processors using hook-and-line gear in the Western GOA during the B season instead of the correct ratio of “0.0018.” These corrections are necessary to provide the correct sideboard limits.

The Acting 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 notice corrects typographical errors to the table providing the 2012 GOA non-AFA crab vessel groundfish harvest sideboard limits, and does not change operating practices in the fisheries. The corrections described in this rule are being implemented as soon as possible to avoid confusion for participants in the fisheries.

The AA also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the effective date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). The corrections described in this rule are being made effective upon publication to avoid confusion for participants in the fisheries.

Correction

In the final rule published on March 14, 2012 (77 FR 15194), the following corrections are made to Table 22:

1. On page 15216, in Table 22, row 17 (the row beginning “W Hook-and-line C/P”), column six, the blank entry “” is corrected to read “23.”

2. On the same page, in row 29 (the row beginning “W Hook-and-line C/P), column four, the entry “0.0001” is corrected to read “0.0018.”

Table 22 is corrected and reprinted in its entirety below.

Table 22—Final 2012 GOA Non-American Fisheries Act Crab Vessel Groundfish Harvest Sideboard Limits

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton]

Species	Season/Gear	Area/Component/Gear	Ratio of 1996 -2000 non-AFA crab vessel catch to 1996- 2000 total harvest	Final 2012 TACs	Final 2012 non-AFA crab vessel sideboard limit
Pollock	A Season January 20-March 10	Shumagin (610) Chirikof (620)	0.0098 0.0031	5,797 14,023	57 43
		Kodiak (630)	0.0002	5,787	1
	B Season March 10-May 31	Shumagin (610) Chirikof (620)	0.0098 0.0031	5,797 17,221	57 53
		Kodiak (630)	0.0002	2,589	1
	C Season August 25-October 1	Shumagin (610) Chirikof (620)	0.0098 0.0031	9,338 7,282	92 23
		Kodiak (630)	0.0002	8,986	2
	D Season October 1-November 1	Shumagin (610) Chirikof (620)	0.0098 0.0031	9,338 7,282	92 23
		Kodiak (630)	0.0002	8,986	2
	Annual	WYK (640)	0.0000	3,244	0
		SEO (650)	0.0000	10,774	0
Pacific cod	A Season 1 January 1-June 10	W Jig W Hook-and-line CV	0.0000 0.0004	12,614 12,614	0 5
		W Hook-and-line C/P	0.0018	12,614	23
		W Pot CV	0.0997	12,614	1,258
		W Pot C/P	0.0078	12,614	98
		W Trawl CV	0.0007	12,614	9
		C Jig	0.0000	25,623	0
		C Hook-and-line CV	0.0001	25,623	3
		C Hook-and-line C/P	0.0012	25,623	31
		C Pot CV	0.0474	25,623	1,215
		C Pot C/P	0.0136	25,623	348
		C Trawl CV	0.0012	25,623	31
	B Season 2 Jig Gear: June 10-December 31   All other gears: September 1-December 31	W Jig W Hook-and-line CV W Hook-and-line C/P W Pot CV W Pot C/P W Trawl CV	0.0000 0.0004 0.0018 0.0997 0.0078 0.0007	8,410 8,410 8,410 8,410 8,410 8,410	0 3 15 838 66 6
		C Jig	0.0000	17,082	0
		C Hook-and-line CV	0.0001	17,082	2
		C Hook-and-line C/P	0.0012	17,082	20
		C Pot CV	0.0474	17,082	810
		C Pot C/P	0.0136	17,082	232
		C Trawl CV	0.0012	17,082	20
	Annual	E inshore	0.0110	1,774	20
		E offshore	0.0000	197	0
Sablefish	Annual, trawl gear	W	0.0000	356	0
		C	0.0000	1,152	0
		E	0.0000	271	0
Flatfish, shallow-water	Annual	W	0.0059	13,250	78
		C	0.0001	18,000	2
		E	0.0000	5,779	0
Flatfish, deep-water	Annual	W	0.0035	176	1
		C	0.0000	2,308	0
		E	0.0000	2,642	0
Rex sole	Annual	W	0.0000	1,307	0
		C	0.0000	6,412	0
		E	0.0000	1,893	0
Arrowtooth flounder	Annual	W	0.0004	14,500	6
		C	0.0001	75,000	8
		E	0.0000	13,800	0
Flathead sole	Annual	W	0.0002	8,650	2
		C	0.0004	14,500	6
		E	0.0000	6,269	0
Pacific ocean perch	Annual	W	0.0000	2,102	0
		C	0.0000	11,263	0
		E	0.0000	3,553	0
Northern rockfish	Annual	W	0.0005	2,156	1
		C	0.0000	3,351	0
Shortraker rockfish	Annual	W	0.0013	104	0
		C	0.0012	452	1
		E	0.0009	525	0
Other rockfish	Annual	W	0.0035	44	0
		C	0.0033	606	2
		E	0.0000	430	0
Pelagic shelf rockfish	Annual	W	0.0017	409	1
		C	0.0000	3,849	0
		E	0.0000	860	0
Rougheye rockfish	Annual	W	0.0067	80	1
		C	0.0047	850	4
		E	0.0008	293	0
Demersal shelf rockfish	Annual	SEO	0.0000	293	0
Thornyhead rockfish	Annual	W	0.0047	150	1
		C	0.0066	766	5
		E	0.0045	749	3
Atka mackerel	Annual	Gulfwide	0.0000	2,000	0
Big skate	Annual	W	0.0392	469	18
		C	0.0159	1,793	29
		E	0.0000	1,505	0
Longnose skate	Annual	W	0.0392	70	3
		C	0.0159	1,879	30
		E	0.0000	676	0
Other skates	Annual	Gulfwide	0.0176	2,030	36
Squids	Annual	Gulfwide	0.0176	1,148	20
Sharks	Annual	Gulfwide	0.0176	6,028	106
Octopuses	Annual	Gulfwide	0.0176	1,455	26
Sculpins	Annual	Gulfwide	0.0176	5,731	101
1 The Pacific cod A season for trawl gear does not open until January 20.
2 The Pacific cod B season for trawl gear closes November 1.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1540 (f), 1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 3631 et seq.; Pub. L. 105-277; Pub. L. 106-31; Pub. L. 106-554; Pub. L. 108-199; Pub. L. 108-447; Pub. L. 109-241; Pub. L. 109-479.

Dated: April 11, 2012.

Alan D. Risenhoover,

Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service.