Rule2021-28107
Pacific Island Pelagic Fisheries; 2022 U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 29, 2021
Effective
January 28, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS specifies a 2022 limit of 2,000 metric tons (t) of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each U.S. Pacific territory (American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), the territories). NMFS will allow each territory to allocate up to 1,500 t in 2022 to U.S. longline fishing vessels through specified fishing agreements that meet established criteria. The overall allocation limit among all territories, however, may not exceed 3,000 t. As an accountability measure, NMFS will monitor, attribute, and restrict (if necessary) catches of longline-caught bigeye tuna, including catches made under a specified fishing agreement. These catch limits and accountability measures support the long-term sustainability of fishery resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 247 (Wednesday, December 29, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 29, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 73990-73991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28107]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 665
[Docket No. 211221-0265]
RTID 0648-XP016
Pacific Island Pelagic Fisheries; 2022 U.S. Territorial Longline
Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final specifications.
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SUMMARY: NMFS specifies a 2022 limit of 2,000 metric tons (t) of
longline-caught bigeye tuna for each U.S. Pacific territory (American
Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
(CNMI), the territories). NMFS will allow each territory to allocate up
to 1,500 t in 2022 to U.S. longline fishing vessels through specified
fishing agreements that meet established criteria. The overall
allocation limit among all territories, however, may not exceed 3,000
t. As an accountability measure, NMFS will monitor, attribute, and
restrict (if necessary) catches of longline-caught bigeye tuna,
including catches made under a specified fishing agreement. These catch
limits and accountability measures support the long-term sustainability
of fishery resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands.
DATES: The final specifications are effective January 28, 2022, through
December 31, 2022. The deadline to submit a specified fishing agreement
pursuant to 50 CFR 665.819(b)(3) for review is June 27, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries
of the Western Pacific (FEP) are available from the Western Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council), 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400,
Honolulu, HI 96813, tel 808-522-8220, or <a href="http://www.wpcouncil.org">www.wpcouncil.org</a>.
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, the Council and
NMFS prepared environmental analyses that support this action and are
available at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2021-0076">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2021-0076</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Rassel, NMFS PIRO Sustainable
Fisheries, 808-725-5184.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is specifying a 2022 catch limit of
2,000 t of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each U.S. Pacific territory.
NMFS is also authorizing each territory to allocate up to 1,500 t of
its 2,000 t bigeye tuna limit, not to exceed a 3,000 t total annual
allocation limit among all the territories, to U.S. longline fishing
vessels permitted to fish under the FEP. A specified fishing agreement
with the applicable territory must identify those vessels.
NMFS will monitor catches of longline-caught bigeye tuna by the
longline fisheries of each U.S Pacific territory, including catches
made by U.S. longline vessels operating under specified fishing
agreements. The criteria that a specified fishing agreement must meet,
and the process for attributing longline-caught bigeye tuna, will
follow the procedures in 50 CFR 665.819. When NMFS projects that the
fishery will reach a territorial catch or allocation limit, NMFS will,
as an accountability measure, prohibit the catch and retention of
longline-caught bigeye tuna by vessels in the applicable territory (if
the territorial catch limit is projected to be reached), and/or vessels
in a specified fishing agreement (if the allocation limit is projected
to be reached).
You may find additional background information on this action in
the preamble to the proposed specifications published on October 27,
2021 (86 FR
[[Page 73991]]
59357). Regardless of the final specifications, all other existing
management measures will continue to apply in the longline fishery.
Comments and Responses
On October 27, 2021, NMFS published the proposed specifications and
request for public comments (86 FR 59357); the comment period closed on
November 12, 2021. NMFS received comments from two sources who
generally supported the proposed action. A third commenter expressed
concern about the status of bigeye tuna, and we respond below.
Comment: Overfishing mature bigeye tuna reduces the stock and
prevents stock growth, longline fishing is directed at adult tuna
capable of reproducing, and reducing catch limits will help to improve
this species' stock and prevent them from being overfished.
Response: There are two stocks of Pacific bigeye tuna: The Western
and Central Pacific stock and the Eastern Pacific stock. According to
the most recent stock assessments, neither stock is overfished or
subject to overfishing. In developing the territorial bigeye tuna catch
allocation limits, NMFS and the Council considered a range of catch and
allocation limits, taking into consideration sustainability of the
stock, decisions of regional fishery management organizations, and the
needs of Pacific Island fishing communities. The 2022 allocation limits
allow for the sustainability of the bigeye tuna stock and are
consistent with the FEP, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and other applicable laws.
Classification
Pursuant to section 304(b)(3) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the NMFS
Assistant Administrator (AA) has determined that this final rule is
consistent with the FEP, other provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,
and other applicable laws.
The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration that the proposed specifications would not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
NMFS published the factual basis for the certification in the proposed
specifications, and we do not repeat it here. NMFS received no comments
relevant to this certification; as a result, a final regulatory
flexibility analysis is not required, and none has been prepared.
This action is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
This document contains no information collection requirements under
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.
Dated: December 21, 2021.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-28107 Filed 12-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 29, 2021.
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