2024-16822. Pacific Island Fisheries; Annual Catch Limit and Accountability Measure for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Bottomfish in 2024-2025

Table 1—Annual Catch Limits and Annual Catch Targets for the CNMI Bottomfish Complex

	2024	2025
ACL (lb)	82,000	82,000
ACT (lb)	75,000	75,000

The rule will not change the current AM for the CNMI bottomfish fishery: if the average catch of the three most recent years exceeds the specified ACL in a fishing year, NMFS will reduce the ACL and the ACT for the subsequent year by the amount of the overage in a separate rulemaking. If the average catch from the most recent 3-year period exceeds the ACT, but is below the ACL, NMFS will not apply a post-season correction.

This rule is consistent with recommendations made by the Council at its 195th meeting in June 2023. Additional background information on this action is in the preamble to the proposed rule (89 FR 45623, May 23, 2024).

Comments and Responses

On May 23, 2024, NMFS published a proposed rule and request for public comments (89 FR 45623). The comment period ended on June 24, 2024. NMFS received one public comment about offshore wind and the North Atlantic right whale, which is not related to the proposed rule or any other relevant topic. Therefore, NMFS made no changes to the final rule based on the public comment received.

Changes From the Proposed Rule

This final rule contains no changes from the proposed rule.

Classification

Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this proposed rule is consistent with the FEP, other provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law.

The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The factual basis for the certification was published in the proposed rule and is not repeated here. No relevant comments were received regarding this certification. As a result, a final regulatory flexibility analysis was not required and none was prepared.

This final rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.

This final rule contains no information collection requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 665

• Fisheries
• Fishing
• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
• Bottomfish management unit species
• Annual catch limit
• Accountability measure
• Pacific Islands
• Western Pacific

Dated: July 25, 2024.

Kimberly Damon-Randall,

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

For the reasons set out in the preamble, NMFS amends 50 CFR part 665 as follows:

PART 665—FISHERIES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

1. The authority citation for 50 CFR part 665 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

2. In § 665.408, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:

§ 665.408

CNMI Annual Catch Limits (ACL) and Annual Catch Targets (ACT).

(a) In accordance with § 665.4, the ACL and ACT for Mariana bottomfish MUS in the CNMI Management Subarea for each fishing year are as follows:

Table 1 to Paragraph (a)

	2024	2025
ACL (lb)	82,000	82,000
ACT (lb)	75,000	75,000