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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
CFR Citation: 50 CFR Part 679
DOCUMENT ID: [I.D. 121399A]
NOTICE: RULES
ACTION: Fishery conservation and management:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Pacific halibut and red king crab bycatch rate standards; request for comments.
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Bycatch Rate Standards for the Second Half of 2000
DATES: Effective 1201 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 1, 2000, through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2000. Comments on this action must be received at the following address no later than 4:30 p.m., A.l.t., July 27, 2000.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: NMFS announces Pacific halibut and red king crab bycatch rate standards for the second half of 2000. Publication of these bycatch rate standards is required by regulations implementing the vessel incentive program. This action is necessary to implement the bycatch rate standards for trawl vessel operators who participate in the Alaska groundfish trawl fisheries. The intent of this action is to reduce prohibited species bycatch rates and promote conservation of groundfish and other fishery resources.
SUMMARY: Alaska; fisheries of Exclusive Economic Zone—; Pacific halibut and red king crab,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
NMFS manages the domestic groundfish fisheries in the exclusive economic zone of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) according to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area and the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMPs). The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) prepared the FMPs under the authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Regulations governing the U.S. groundfish fisheries and implementing the FMPs appear at 50 CFR part 679.Regulations at Sec. 679.21(f) implement a vessel incentive program to reduce halibut and red king crab bycatch rates in the groundfish trawl fisheries. Under the incentive program, operators of trawl vessels may not exceed Pacific halibut bycatch rate standards specified for the BSAI and GOA midwater pollock and ``other trawl'' fisheries, and the BSAI yellowfin sole and ``bottom pollock'' fisheries. Vessel operators also may not exceed red king crab bycatch standards specified for the BSAI yellowfin sole and ``other trawl'' fisheries in Bycatch Limitation Zone 1 (defined in Sec. 679.2). The fisheries included under the incentive program are defined in regulations at Sec. 679.21(f)(2).
Regulations at Sec. 679.21(f)(3) require that halibut and red king crab bycatch rate standards for each fishery included
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under the incentive program be published in the Federal Register. The
standards are in effect for specified seasons within the 6month
periods of January 1 through June 30, and July 1 through December 31.
For purposes of calculating vessel bycatch rates under the incentive
program, 2000 fishing months were specified in the Federal Register on December 28, 1999 (64 FR 72572).
NMFS published halibut and red king crab bycatch rate standards for
the first half of 2000 in the Federal Register (64 FR 72572, December
28, 1999). As required by Sec. 679.21(f)(3) and (4), the Administrator
of the Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has established
the bycatch rate standards for the second half of 2000 (July 1 through
December 31). The Council endorsed these standards at its April 2000
meeting and are set out in Table 1. As required by Sec. 679.21(f)(4),
bycatch rate standards are based on the following information: (A) Previous years' average observed bycatch rates;
(B) Immediately preceding season's average observed bycatch rates;
(C) The bycatch allowances and associated fishery closures specified under Sec. 679.21(d) and (e);
(D) Anticipated groundfish harvests;
(E) Anticipated seasonal distribution of fishing effort for groundfish; and
(F) Other information and criteria deemed relevant by the Regional Administrator.
Table 1. Bycatch Rate Standards by Fishery for the Second Half of 2000
for Purposes of the Vessel Incentive Program in the BSAI and GOA
2000 bycatch rate
Fishery standard Halibut bycatch rate standards
(kilogram (kg) of halibut/metric ton (mt) of
groundfish catch)
BSAI Midwater pollock 1.0
BSAI Bottom pollock 5.0
BSAI Yellowfin sole 5.0
BSAI Other trawl 30.0
GOA Midwater pollock 1.0
GOA Other trawl 40.0 Zone 1 red king crab bycatch rate standards
(number of crab/mt of groundfish catch)
BSAI yellowfin sole 2.5
BSAI Other trawl 2.5 Bycatch Rate Standards for Pacific Halibut
The halibut bycatch rate standards for the 2000 trawl fisheries are unchanged from those implemented in 1999. The Regional Administrator based standards for the second half of 2000 on anticipated seasonal fishing effort for groundfish species on 19961999 halibut bycatch rates observed in the trawl fisheries included under the incentive program.
With the exception of the BSAI yellowfin sole fishery, these
bycatch rate standards generally reflect the average halibut bycatch
rates observed in the BSAI and GOA trawl fisheries. At times, quarterly
bycatch rates have exceeded the bycatch rate standards, but these
situations usually represent limited fishing effort (e.g., GOA other
trawl fisheries in the 2nd and 4th quarters). The
BSAI yellowfin sole fishery has experienced undesirably high bycatch
rates that NMFS and the Council expect to reduce through existing
incentives. NMFS anticipates that the formation of American Fisheries
Act (AFA) cooperatives should help participating vessels maintain
overall bycatch rates of halibut in the yellowfin sole fishery at a
minimal level so that the amount of groundfish harvested may be
optimized under the AFA PSC sideboard provisions. In determining these
bycatch rate standards, the Regional Administrator considered the
annual and seasonal bycatch specifications for the BSAI and GOA trawl
fisheries (65 FR 8282, February 18, 2000, and 65 FR 8298, February 18,
2000, respectively). He further recognized that directed fishing for
Pacific cod for the inshore component in the Western and Central
Regulatory Areas of the GOA is closed for the remainder of the year.
The GOA shallowwater and deepwater trawl fishery species complexes
are open. In the Bering Sea, the rockfish and rock sole/flathead sole/
other flatfish fishery categories will open or reopen on July 4 when
seasonal apportionments of halibut bycatch allowances specified for
these fisheries become available. The BSAI Pacific cod trawl fishery is
closed for the remainder of the year for catcher vessels and is open
for catcher processors. The BSAI yellowfin sole fishery is ongoing, and
no closure has yet been projected due to crab or halibut bycatch. The
Regional Administrator also considered the June 10 opening date of the
2000 Bering Sea pollock `C/D' season (Sec. 679.23(e)(2)) and the Gulf
of Alaska `C' and `D' season pollock fisheries (Sec. 679.23(d)(2)). The
halibut bycatch rate standards for the BSAI yellowfin sole and ``bottom
pollock'' trawl fisheries are each set at 5 kilograms (kg) of halibut
per metric ton (mt) of groundfish. The halibut bycatch rate standard
for the BSAI and GOA midwater pollock fisheries (1 kg of halibut/mt of
groundfish) is higher than the bycatch rates normally experienced by
vessels participating in these fisheries. This standard is intended to
encourage vessel operators to maintain offbottom trawl operations and
limit further bycatch of halibut in the pollock fishery. A bycatch rate
standard of 30 kg halibut/mt of groundfish is established for the BSAI
``other trawl'' fishery. This standard has remained unchanged since
1992. A bycatch rate standard of 40 kg of halibut/mt of groundfish is
established for the GOA ``other trawl'' fishery, which is unchanged
since 1994. The considerations that support these bycatch rate
standards for the ``other trawl'' fisheries are unchanged from previous
years and are discussed in the Federal Register publications of 1995
bycatch rate standards (60 FR 2905, January 12, 1995, and 60 FR 27425,
May 24, 1995). Observer data collected from the 1999 GOA ``other
trawl'' fishery show average third and fourth quarter halibut bycatch
rates of 18 and 69 kg of halibut/mt of groundfish, respectively. The
first quarter rate from 2000 was 23 kg of halibut/mt of groundfish.
Observer data from the 1999 BSAI ``other trawl'' fishery show third and
fourth quarter halibut bycatch rates of 6 and 9 kg of halibut/mt of groundfish. The first
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quarter rate from the 2000 BSAI ``other trawl'' fishery was 8 kg of halibut/mt of groundfish.
Bycatch Rate Standards for Red King Crab
The red king crab bycatch rate standard for the yellowfin sole and ``other trawl'' fisheries in Zone 1 of the Bering Sea subarea is 2.5 crab/mt of groundfish during the second half of 2000. This standard has remained unchanged since 1992. Through April 8, 2000, the rock sole/ flathead sole/other flatfish fishery category had taken 76 percent of its annual red king crab bycatch allowance including the Red King Crab Savings Subarea bycatch limit. The Pacific cod and yellowfin sole fisheries have taken only 33 percent and 12 percent, respectively, of their bycatch allowances. The Regional Administrator anticipates that the nonpelagic trawl gear closure of the red king crab savings area in Zone 1 will continue to result in low red king crab bycatch rates for the remainder of the year and is maintaining the 2.5 red king crab/mt of groundfish bycatch rate standard.
The Regional Administrator has determined that the bycatch rate standards set forth in Table 1 for the 2nd half of 2000 are appropriately based on the information and considerations necessary for such determinations under Sec. 679.21(f). These bycatch rate standards may be revised and published in the Federal Register when deemed appropriate by the Regional Administrator, pending his consideration of the information set forth at Sec. 679.21(f)(4).
Classification
This action is taken under 50 CFR 679.21(f) and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq., 1801 et seq. and 3631 et seq.
Dated: June 21, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 0016227 Filed 62600; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 351022F
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228.
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