Rule2022-03921
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Possession and Trip Limit Increases for the Common Pool Fishery
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
February 25, 2022
Effective
February 24, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
This action increases the possession and trip limits of Gulf of Maine cod, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, and witch flounder for Northeast multispecies common pool vessels for the remainder of the 2021 fishing year. This action will provide the common pool fishery greater opportunity to harvest, but not exceed, the annual quotas for these stocks.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 38 (Friday, February 25, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10717-10718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03921]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 210723-0150; RTID 0648-XB805]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast
Multispecies Fishery; Possession and Trip Limit Increases for the
Common Pool Fishery
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This action increases the possession and trip limits of Gulf
of Maine cod, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, and witch
flounder for Northeast multispecies common pool vessels for the
remainder of the 2021 fishing year. This action will provide the common
pool fishery greater opportunity to harvest, but not exceed, the annual
quotas for these stocks.
DATES: These possession and trip limit adjustments are effective
February 24, 2022, through April 30, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Spencer Talmage, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-281-9232.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations at Sec. 648.86(o) authorize
the Regional Administrator to adjust the possession and trip limits for
common pool vessels in order to help avoid overharvest or underharvest
of the common pool quotas.
Based on the most recent catch information, the common pool fishery
has caught low amounts of the following species relative to the annual
quotas for each of these stocks (Table 1): Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod;
Cape Cod (CC)/GOM yellowtail flounder; and witch flounder. At the
current rate of fishing, we project that the common pool fishery will
not fully harvest the annual quotas for these stocks by the end of
fishing year 2021. Providing vessels an opportunity to possess and land
greater amounts of catch should provide greater incentive to fish and
more opportunity to catch available quota. Based on our review of past
fishing effort and performance under various possession and trip
limits, we project that this action's increases in the possession and
trip limits for these stocks should provide additional fishing
opportunities and flexibility to facilitate catching available quota
while ensuring that the common pool does not exceed its annual quotas.
Table 1--Summary of Common Pool Catch Through January 18, 2022
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2021 catch
Stock (mt) Sub-ACL (mt) Percent caught
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOM cod..................................................... 2.6 8.2 31.4
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder.................................. 14.8 41.4 35.7
Witch flounder.............................................. 20.3 44.2 46
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Effective February 24, 2022, until April 30, 2022, NMFS increases
the possession and trip limits summarized in Tables 2 and 3.
Table 2--Previous FY 2021 Possession and Trip Limits
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Days-at-Sea Small vessel
Stock (DAS) Handgear A category Handgear B
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOM cod......................... 100 lb (45.4 kg) 100 lb (45.4 kg) per trip. 25 lb (11.3 kg)
per DAS, up to per trip.
200 lb (90.7 kg)
per trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder...... 1,000 lb (453.6 1,000 lb (453.6 300 lb (136.1 kg) 1,000 lb (453.6
kg) per DAS, up kg) per trip. per trip. kg) per trip.
to 2,000 lb
(907.2 kg) per
trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Witch flounder.................. 1,500 lb (680.4 kg) per trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 10718]]
Table 3--New FY 2021 Possession and Trip Limits
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Days-at-Sea Small vessel
Stock (DAS) Handgear A category Handgear B
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOM cod......................... 200 lb (90.7 kg) 200 lb (90.7 kg) per trip. 25 lb (11.3 kg)
per DAS, up to per trip.
400 lb (181.4 kg)
per trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CC/GOM yellowtail flounder...... 1,500 lb (680.4 1,500 lb (680.4 300 lb (136.1 kg) 1,500 lb (680.4
kg) per DAS, up kg) per trip. per trip. kg) per trip.
to 3,000 lb
(1,360.8 kg) per
trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Witch flounder.................. 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) per trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekly quota monitoring reports for the common pool fishery can be
found on our website at: <a href="https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ro/fso/reports/h/nemultispecies.html">https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ro/fso/reports/h/nemultispecies.html</a>. We will continue to monitor common pool catch
through vessel trip reports, dealer-reported landings, Vessel
Monitoring System catch reports, and other available information and,
if necessary, we will make additional adjustments to common pool
management measures.
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act consistent with 50 CFR 648.86(o), which was issued pursuant
to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under Executive Order
12866. The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds good
cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive
prior notice and the opportunity for public comment and the 30-day
delayed effectiveness period because this action relieves possession
and landing restrictions, and delayed implementation would be
impracticable and contrary to the public interest.
The regulations at Sec. 648.86(o) authorize the Regional
Administrator to adjust the possession and trip limits for common pool
vessels in order to help avoid overharvest or underharvest of the
common pool quotas. Our analysis indicates that this action's increased
possession and trip limit adjustments for these stocks should help the
fishery achieve catching the allocated amounts for each stock. Any
delay in this action would limit the benefits to common pool vessels
that the increased landing and possession limits are intended to
provide.
The time necessary to provide for prior notice and comment, and a
30-day delay in effectiveness, would keep NMFS from implementing the
necessary possession and trip limit before the end of the fishing year
on April 30, 2022, which could prevent the fishery from catching the
allocated amounts for each stock and cause negative economic impacts to
the common pool fishery. This would undermine management objectives of
the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan and cause
unnecessary negative economic impacts to the common pool fishery. The
public received prior notice and an opportunity to comment on the
Regional Administrator's exercise of this authority. The fishing
industry participants have experienced these adjustments and have
become accustomed to this process. There is additional good cause to
waive the delayed effective period because this action relieves
restrictions on fishing vessels by increasing a trip limit.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 17, 2022.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-03921 Filed 2-23-22; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 25, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.