Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 93/Wednesday, May 14
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 93 / Wednesday, May 14, 2014 / Proposed Rules 27557 Fishing from $4.0 to 19.0 million, Swordfish general commercial permit added to, the following year’s quota for Shellfish Fishing from $4.0 to 5.0 holders would likely experience lower that area. As necessary to meet million, and Other Marine Fishing from than average per-vessel ex-vessel management objectives, such $4.0 to 7.0 million. NMFS has reviewed revenues, despite higher ex-vessel adjustments may be apportioned to the analyses prepared for this action in prices and lower fishing expenses. fishing categories and/or to the reserve. light of the new size standards. Under Historically, U.S. fishermen do not often Carryover adjustments for the North the former, lower size standards, all harvest the full North Atlantic Atlantic shall be limited to 25 percent entities subject to this action were swordfish quota. In addition, the 2014 of the baseline quota allocation for that considered small entities, thus they all proposed quota is the same as the 2013 year. Starting in the 2015 fishing year, would continue to be considered small quota for North Atlantic swordfish, carryover adjustments shall be limited under the new standards. The new size therefore there are no economic impacts to 15 percent of the annual baseline standards do not affect analyses expected due to this proposed quota allocation. Carryover adjustments prepared for this action. rulemaking setting the 2014 quota. For for the South Atlantic shall be limited As of November 2013, there were South Atlantic swordfish, only directed to 100 mt ww (75.2 mt dw) for that year. approximately 179 vessels with a swordfish permit holders can land these Any adjustments to the 12-month directed swordfish LAP, 67 vessels with fish; therefore, potential revenue per directed fishery quota will be an incidental swordfish LAP, 76 vessels vessel is higher than the average for apportioned equally between the two with a handgear LAP for swordfish, and these directed swordfish permit holders semiannual fishing seasons. NMFS will 203 vessels that held a swordfish since the other permit types land no file with the Office of the Federal general commercial permit. swordfish. Additionally, U.S. fishermen Register for publication any adjustment Additionally, there were approximately rarely catch South Atlantic swordfish. or apportionment made under this 74 HMS incidental squid trawl permit Over the past 5 years, only 0.3 mt dw paragraph. holders, which allow vessels in the Illex of South Atlantic swordfish catch has * * * * * squid fishery to retain up to 15 been reported. [FR Doc. 2014–11052 Filed 5–13–14; 8:45 am] incidentally-caught swordfish while Because the United States’ BILLING CODE 3510–22–P trawling for squid. Based on the 2013 commercial swordfish fishery is not average price for swordfish of $4.69/lb expected to catch its entire quota in (based on 2013 eDealer data), the 2014 2014, the adjustments to the quota and DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE North and South Atlantic swordfish management measures proposed in this baseline quotas could result in gross rule will not have a significant impact National Oceanic and Atmospheric revenues of $30,373,533 (2,937.6 mt dw on a substantial number of small Administration (6,476,233 lbs dw) * $4.69/lb) and entities. As a result, no initial regulatory 50 CFR Part 679 $776,927 (75.1 mt dw (165,565 lbs dw) flexibility analysis is required, and none * $4.69/lb), respectively, if the quotas has been prepared. [Docket No. 140218151–4151–01] were fully utilized. Under the adjusted quotas of 3,653.2 mt dw (8,053,845 lbs List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 635 RIN 0648–BD98 dw) for North Atlantic swordfish and Fisheries, Fishing, Fishing vessels, Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 75.1 mt dw (165,565 lbs dw) for South Foreign relations, Imports, Penalties, Atlantic swordfish, the gross revenues Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish of the Reporting and recordkeeping Gulf of Alaska; Groundfish of the could be $37,772,533 and $776,927, requirements, Treaties. respectively, for fully utilized quotas. Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Dated: May 9, 2014. Potential revenues per vessel resulting AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Samuel D. Rauch III, from full utilization of the adjusted Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and quotas, could be $59,295 for the North Deputy Assistant Administrator for Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Atlantic swordfish fishery and $4,340 Regulatory Programs, National Marine Commerce. Fisheries Service. for the South Atlantic swordfish fishery, ACTION: Proposed rule; request for considering a total of 599 swordfish For reasons set out in the preamble, comments. permit holders in the North Atlantic and 50 CFR part 635 is proposed to be 179 directed permit holders in the amended as follows: SUMMARY: NMFS proposes regulations to South Atlantic. The North Atlantic implement Amendment 100 to the estimate, however, represents an PART 635—ATLANTIC HIGHLY Fishery Management Plan for average across all permit types, despite MIGRATORY SPECIES Groundfish of the Bering Sea and permit differences in retention limits, Aleutian Islands Management Area target species, and geographical range. ■ 1. The authority citation for part 635 (BSAI FMP) and Amendment 91 to the For North Atlantic swordfish, directed continues to read as follows: Fishery Management Plan for swordfish permit holders would likely Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA experience higher than average per- 1801 et seq. FMP). This proposed action would add vessel ex-vessel revenues due to the use ■ 2. In § 635.27, paragraph (c)(3)(ii) is regulations to improve reporting of of pelagic longline gear and the lack of revised to read as follows: grenadiers, limit retention of grenadiers, a retention limit per trip, although trip and prevent direct fishing for grenadiers expenses are likely to be fairly high. § 635.27 Quotas. by federally permitted groundfish HMS incidental squid trawl permit * * * * * fishermen and is necessary to limit and holders would likely experience per (c) * * * monitor the incidental catch of vessel ex-vessel revenues well below (3) * * * grenadiers in the groundfish fisheries. those received by pelagic longline (ii) If consistent with applicable This action is intended to promote the vessels due to the low retention limit ICCAT recommendations, total landings goals and objectives of the Magnuson- per trip (15 swordfish) and because above or below the specific North Stevens Fishery Conservation and these vessels do not target swordfish Atlantic or South Atlantic swordfish Management Act, the FMPs, and other and only catch them incidentally. annual quota will be subtracted from, or applicable law. VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:05 May 13, 2014 Jkt 232001 PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\14MYP1.SGM 14MYP1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS 27558 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 93 / Wednesday, May 14, 2014 / Proposed Rules DATES: Comments must be received no Stevens Fishery Conservation and species in an FMP: ‘‘stocks in the later than June 13, 2014. Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens fishery’’ and ‘‘ecosystem component ADDRESSES: You may submit comments Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Regulations (EC) species.’’ on this document, identified by NOAA– implementing the FMPs appear at 50 ‘‘Stocks in the fishery’’ are defined in NMFS–2014–0023, by any of the CFR part 679. General regulations the National Standard 1 guidelines following methods: governing U.S. fisheries also appear at (§ 600.310(d)(2)). ‘‘Stocks in the fishery’’ • Electronic Submission: Submit all 50 CFR part 600. include (1) stocks that are targeted, and electronic public comments via the The Council has submitted retained for sale or personal use; (2) Federal e Rulemaking Portal. Go to Amendment 100 to the BSAI FMP and stocks that are not directly targeted but www.regulations.gov/ Amendment 91 to the GOA FMP for are taken incidentally in other directed #!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2014- review by the Secretary of Commerce, fisheries, and are retained for sale or 0023, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, and a Notice of Availability of this personal use; or (3) stocks not targeted complete the required fields, and enter amendment was published in the or retained but are taken as incidental or attach your comments. Federal Register on May 5, 2014) 79 FR catch and for which overfishing or • Mail: Submit written comments to 25558) with comments invited through overfished status may be a concern. Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional July 7, 2014. All relevant written NMFS created the EC species category Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries comments received by the end of the to encourage ecosystem approaches to Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: applicable comment period, whether management and to incorporate Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P.O. specifically directed to the FMP ecosystem considerations for species Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. amendments, this proposed rule, or that are not ‘‘stocks in the fishery’’ (74 Instructions: Comments sent by any both, will be considered in the FR 3178, January 16, 2009). EC species other method, to any other address or approval/disapproval decision for these are defined in the National Standard 1 individual, or received after the end of amendments and addressed in the guidelines (§ 600.310(d)(5)). In order to the comment period, may not be response to comments in the final be designated an EC species, the species considered by NMFS. All comments decision. or species group should be (1) a non- targeted species or species group; (2) not received are a part of the public record Background and will generally be posted for public subject to overfishing, overfished, or The groundfish fisheries in the BSAI viewing on www.regulations.gov approaching an overfished condition; and GOA incidentally catch grenadiers without change.