[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 63 (Monday, April 3, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 16811-16812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8058]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 663
[Docket No. 941265-4365; I.D. 032295B]
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Thornyhead Trip Limits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces reductions in the cumulative vessel trip limits
for longspine and shortspine thornyheads in the groundfish fishery off
Washington, Oregon, and California. This action is authorized by the
regulations implementing the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery
Management Plan. The trip limits are intended to keep landings from
exceeding the 1995 harvest guidelines for longspine thornyheads and the
overfishing level for shortspine thornyheads, while extending the
fishery as long as possible during the year.
DATES: Effective from 0001 hours (local time) April 1, 1995, until the
effective date of the 1996 annual specifications and management
measures, which will be published in the Federal Register. Comments
will be accepted through April 18, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to William Stelle, Jr., Director, Northwest
Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand Point Way NE.,
BIN-C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or Hilda Diaz-Soltero, Director,
Southwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 501 W. Ocean
Blvd., Suite 4200,
Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson at 206-526-6140;
or Rodney McInnis at 310-980-4030.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dover sole, thornyheads, and trawl-caught
sablefish (DTS) are managed collectively as the DTS complex because
they are often caught together in the trawl fishery. Thornyheads
include two species, shortspine and longspine, which also often are
caught together. In 1995, the 1,500 metric ton (mt) harvest guideline
for shortspine thornyheads was set higher than the 1,000-mt acceptable
biological catch (ABC), [[Page 16812]] largely because of uncertainty
in the new stock assessment. The harvest guideline for shortspine
thornyheads is near the level that would produce the maximum
sustainable yield (MSY) and the overfishing level is about 1,800 mt.
Longspine thornyheads are being fished down to the level that would
produce MSY. However, in 1995, longspine thornyheads have a 6,000-mt
harvest guideline, which is below its ABC of 7,000 mt, primarily to
protect the fully exploited shortspine thornyheads.
On January 4, 1995, (60 FR 2331, January 9, 1995), the cumulative
trip limit for both longspine and shortspine thornyheads combined was
set at 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) per vessel per month, of which no more than
4,000 lb (1,814 kg) may be shortspine thornyheads. The catch of
thornyheads is counted toward the cumulative trip limit for the DTS
complex, which is 35,000 lb (15,876 kg) per vessel per month north of
Cape Mendocino (40 deg.30'00'' N. lat.) and 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) per
vessel per month south of Cape Mendocino. A cumulative trip limit is
the maximum amount that may be taken and retained, possessed or landed
per vessel in a specified period of time, without a limit on the number
of landings or trips.
During the March 1995 meeting of the Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council), the Council was advised that at the current rate of
harvest, the harvest guidelines for both longspine and shortspine
thornyheads would be achieved well before the end of the year and the
overfishing level for shortspine thornyheads would be exceeded. The
Council, therefore, asked NMFS to convene an emergency teleconference
with key members of the Council, its Groundfish Management Team (GMT)
and Groundfish Advisory Subpanel, state fishery representatives, and
the interested public to consider the issue and take action to reduce
the harvest of thornyheads before the April 1995 Council meeting.
The best available information presented at the March 14, 1995,
teleconference indicated that the catch of shortspine thornyheads
through March 4, 1995, was 350 mt. The GMT projected that if the
February rate continued to the end of the year, the total catch of
shortspine thornyheads would be 2,251 mt, the harvest guideline would
be exceeded by 50 percent, and the overfishing level would be exceeded
by about 25 percent. The landings of longspine thornyheads through
March 4, 1995, was 993 mt or 17 percent of the harvest guideline, and
if the February rate continued, the total catch for the year would be
7,248 mt, and the harvest guideline would be exceeded by 21 percent. At
the March 14, 1995, teleconference, the GMT recommended a 25 percent
reduction to current trip limits for thornyheads to avoid exceeding the
overfishing level for shortspine thornyheads and the harvest guideline
for longspine thornyheads. The participating Council and state
representatives all concurred. The reductions would bring the catch of
shortspine thornyheads down to about 1,800 mt by the end of the year,
near its overfishing level, and the catch of longspine thornyheads to
just below its 6,000-mt harvest guideline. This provides flexibility to
take later actions in June 1995, if necessary. Larger reductions of the
trip limits were not recommended at this time because: (1) Discards may
increase, (2) there is adequate time to adjust the trip limits later in
the year, and (3) diversion to other fisheries in the spring may reduce
the effort on thornyheads.
NMFS concurs with the GMT recommendation and is imposing an
immediate 25 percent reduction in the cumulative trip limit for
thornyheads. Beginning April 1, 1995, no more than 15,000 lb (6,804 kg)
cumulative per month may be longspine and shortspine thornyheads
combined (reduced from 20,000 lb (9,072 kg)), of which no more than
3,000 lb (1,361 kg) may be shortspine thornyheads (reduced from 4,000
lb (1,814 kg)). The north and south cumulative trip limits for DTS
complex and the cumulative per trip limits for sablefish remain
unchanged.
NMFS Action
NMFS hereby announces the following changes to the management
measures for the DTS complex announced at paragraphs IV.E(b)(ii)(A) and
(B) at 60 FR 2342, January 9, 1995:
(A) North of Cape Mendocino. The cumulative trip limit for the DTS
complex taken and retained north of Cape Mendocino is 35,000 lb (15,876
kg) per vessel per month. Within this cumulative trip limit, no more
than 6,000 lb (2,722 kg) may be sablefish, and no more than 15,000 lb
(6,804 kg) may be thornyheads. No more than 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) of the
thornyheads may be shortspine thornyheads.
(B) South of Cape Mendocino. The cumulative trip limit for the DTS
complex taken and retained south of Cape Mendocino is 50,000 lb (22,680
kg) per vessel per month. Within this cumulative trip limit, no more
than 6,000 lb (2,722 kg) may be sablefish, and no more than 15,000 lb
(6,804 kg) may be thornyheads. No more than 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) of the
thornyheads may be shortspine thornyheads.
Classification
The determination to take this action is based on the most recent
data available. The aggregate data upon which the determination is
based are available for public inspection at the Office of the
Director, Northwest Region, (see ADDRESSES) during business hours.
Because any delay in the implementation of this action could result
in exceeding the overfishing level for shortspine thornyheads, NMFS
finds good cause to waive the 30-day delayed effectiveness requirement
of the Administrative Procedure Act.
This action is taken under the authority of 50 CFR
663.23(c)(1)(i)(G), and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.
Dated: March 28, 1995.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-8058 Filed 3-29-95; 12:14 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
